Author: yoann besnard

Alfa Romeo unveils the 8C Spider

Here are the official pictures of the production Alfa Romeo 8C spider which won’t hit the showrooms before next year.

Following the example of the coupé, the 8C Spider will be powered by the 450bhp 4.7-litre V8 engine derived from the Maserati’s V8. The engine will likely hooked up to the same six-speed gearbox used in the coupé. The 8C Spider also features ceramic brakes and Alfa engineers have improved the in-house traction control system called VDC.

Like any proper convertible, the 8C Spider will come with a canvas roof and will be built at only 500 units.
February 20, 2008
Kia unveils a bit of its Scion-killer

Kia has unveiled a teaser of the Soul concept car which previews the future Soul model set to compete with the Scion brand on the American market and who knows who in Europe.
Actually, Kia won’t reveal one, but three Soul concept cars, each of them with a distinct personality. The pictured teaser reveals the Soul Burner destined for the “bad boys” which comes with with satin black finish and gloss dragon tattoos.
With those three concept cars, Kia shows the direction taken for the future Soul model. Following the example of the Scion brand launched by Toyota in the US, the Korean carmaker wants to offer a high level of personalization at time when future growth for carmakers is expected to come from accessories.
February 20, 2008
Tata and British union meet thsi week after rumours about a Jaguar sale emerges

Tata executives will meet with officials of the British union representing Ford to talk on the bid over Jaguar and Land Rover. The discussion might be hot as an insider told InsideLine the Indian carmaker plans to sell off the Jaguar brand as soon as it acquires it from Ford.
The British union had given its support to Tata in last November as the carmaker promised to keep all the jobs in the UK. But in three months a lot has changed. “We haven’t really met Tata yet since the presentation last year, so this will be a very important meeting,” Eddie Barrett of Unite told media. Barrett said there are 7,000 jobs at stake in the two companies and that “there is no reason to believe any of it is going to be affected.”
On the other hand, Land Rover has all support form Tata, but once again the future might shadowed for British workers. InsideLine reports that company head Ratan Tata has bought a 450-acre plot of land outside New Delhi where he plans to build a new Land Rover factory.
None of the rumors above have been confirmed by other sources, but in last November Petrol-Head wrote about the possible transfer of the production to India.
February 20, 2008
Peugeot unveils the topping 175bhp 308 GT

Along the new 308 SW, Peugeot will unveil at Geneva the 308 GT powered by the 175bhp 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol unit seen in the 207 GTi and in the Mini Cooper S.

The engine has been well received by the press and it is a good idea from the French carmaker to fit the turbocharged engine into the 308. It is also fitted with a new 6-speed manual gearbox. The compact model won’t be as sporty as the 207 GTi as the former will be heavier than the latter. 62mph takes 8.3 seconds; Peugeot quotes a top speed of 140mph.

Peugeot applies minor cosmetic changes on this topping version. The lower front bumper panel has a unique appearance which is combined with a rear spoiler. The car overall ride has also been lowered. On the inside, the interior gains an aluminium gear knob and foot pedals and a new steering wheel design. The 308 GT will go on sale from April.
February 20, 2008
Ford annouces pricing in the UK for the new Kuga

Ford has announced the pricing for the new Kuga crossover that will go on sale from next June. The entry level starts at £20,495.
The company’s crossover will be available in two trim levels: Zetec and Titanium. Zetec costs £20,495 and comes with keyless start, 17-inch alloy wheels, air conditioning, ABS and ESP. For £2,000 more, Titanium adds rain sensing wipers, blue tinted glass, partial leather trim, cruise control, automatic headlights and dual electronic air temperature control. Buyers will be able to choose rear facing camera or panoramic roof among the options.
Initially, the two trim levels will be powered by the 135bhp 2.0-litre Duratorq TDCi diesel engine hooked up to a six-speed manual gearbox and will feature an all-wheel drive transmission.
February 20, 2008
46,126 crushed cars in the UK in 2007

The astonishing figure of crushed vehicles has been revealed by the Financial Times: 46,126 vehicles were crushed last year, a 34% increase over 2006.
Ten years ago, 8,000 cars were usually destroyed every year. Since the introduction of new policy in 2001 to clamp, tow away and crush after seven days vehicles with invalid road tax, the figure has exploded. In total 245,343 cars have been crushed since 2001.
If you car is clamped it will cost you £80 to release it. Double the amount, £160, if your vehicle has been impounded. You can also face prosecution with fines of up to £1,000. Last year about 129,000 cars were clamped.
Instead of stealing the machines of a small car makers, the offenders should try to change job and go into the booming car crushing business.
February 19, 2008
Chinese car luxury market boom

Bentley has sold 338 cars in China and Hong Kong last year, a 93 percent increase over 2006 while Rolls Royce sold 106 vehicles on the Chinese market.
Mainland China represents an critical market for the two carmakers. For Bentley China became its fifth market after the United States, United Kingdom, Germany and Japan. Bentley sold 2,079 vehicles in the UK and 4,196 unit in the US last year.
Rolls Royce records a similar trend as China became its third largest market last year. The Iconic brand sold 1,100 cars in 2007.
With the rise of India, Asia will become the largest market for the two brands in the next ten years. Soon, the two carmakers might unveil their next models not, in Detroit or in Geneva, but at Delhi, Beijing or Shanghai.
February 19, 2008
Alfa Romeo to launch the Junior/Furiosa in July

During the presentation of the new Fiat 500 Abarth, a Fiat spokesman revealed that Alfa Romeo would launch the baby Alfa in July, about two months earlier than planned.
The launch date of the upcoming small Alfa was the Paris Motor Show in next October. But quick progress allowed the carmaker to move the launch date in July. This is a good news for the carmaker which struggles to increase its sales.
This news might also confirm the fragile situation of Alfa Romeo. In order to increase its sales globally, the company has no other choice than releasing the eagerly-awaited small model as soon as possible.
The baby Alfa will share its inner structure, powertrains and suspensions, with the Grande Punto, but will feature a unique exterior and interior styling. With this new model, the Italian marque plans to take on the established BMW Mini and hopes its Italian charm will convince people to choose the Junior/Furiosa.
Source: Thomson Financial
February 19, 2008
Chery to replace the controversial QQ3

Chery engineers are working hard to release this year the planned models: A6 CC convertible, A5 estate, the small QQ5. They still found time to replace the controversial QQ3. The future QQ2 is expected to be unveiled at the next Beijing Motor Show in April of this year.

Aware of the bad brand image of Chinese cars generated by catastrophic crash tests, Chery focused on improving the safety of the future small car. The bonnet has been redesigned to take into account pedestrians. The QQ2 will offer a choice of three petrol engines, 1.0-litre, 1.1-litre and 1.2-litre.
There will also be a 1.0-litre diesel unit on the menu. The QQ2 will become the first Chinese passenger car to be powered by a diesel engine. Actually, Chery doesn’t exepct the oil burner unit to meet a big success in China, but look at the European shores. The Chinese carmaker plans to launch the QQ2 in Europe next year.
February 19, 2008
Peugeot unveils the 308 SW

While the 308 CC is still yet to be released, Peugeot will unveil the 308 SW at the next Geneva Motor Show. The 308 SW tries to combine the best of the estates and the MPVs.

As predicted, the production version is similar to the 308 SW Prologue concept car displayed at Frankfurt last September. The front fascia keeps the controversial corporate grille while the rear end gets a panoramic window. Compared to the 308 hatchback, the wheelbase of the 308 SW has been lengthened by 100 mm. The new car is 71 mm longer than the outgoing model. The luggage compartment grows in size to 674 litres depending on the seat configuration. With the seats removed it provides a total volume of 2,149 litres up to the level of the roof.

Like the outgoing 307 SW, the new 308 is roomy enough for 7 people which is a unique offer in the segment. A lot of attention has also been paid to the modularity of the 308 SW. The rear seats in the second row are all individual, removable, identical in size and offer a multitude of combinations. To carry seven persons, two occasional rear seats can be fitted in the third row. The two seats are available as an option or as after-sales.

The 307 SW was favoured for its large glass roof. The new 308 SW panoramic glass roof is now 27% larger (total area of 1.68 m2) and extends beyond the heads of the second row passengers.

The 308 SW will offer a wide range of petrol engines, the 95bhp 1.4-litre, followed by the 120bhp 1.6-litre unit and topped by 1.6-litre turbocharged engine with 140bhp, 150bhp and 175bhp. Along the petrol units, there will be three diesel engines, a 90bhp 1.4-litre, a 110bhp 1.6-litre and a 136bhp 1.6-litre.
The 308 SW will reach our shores in June.
February 19, 2008