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Zagato unveils the Bentley GTZ
Italian coachbuilder Zagato will unveil its latest creation, the Bentley GTZ, at Geneva this week.
The GTZ comes with the company’s design DNA such as the concave roof, the rounded aft and a contrasting painting scheme. The GTZ adds new taillights and flared wheelarches. It also features a hand-shaped aluminium body. The GTZ is based on the Bentley GT Speed and no technical changes have been operated. That means the coupé is powered by the 6.0-litre W12 petrol engine.
The GTZ concept car isn’t intended for production although it might be built in a limited number if there is a demand that can cover the project costs.
March 3, 2008
More details about the Morgan LIFEcar
Morgan has unveiled more details of the upcoming LIFEcar concept car that will be revealed at the Geneva Motor Show.
In pictures, the LIFEcar is an astonishing car, but technical details remained scarce. The Morgan concept car features a hydrogen fuel cell, called QinetiQ, that has a power output of 22kW, emitting only water and heat. The power is directed to the four wheels via four electric motors able to re-use 50% of the energy generated by braking. The energy is the stored in a bank of ‘ultracapacitors’.
The carmaker claims the new system developed with the university of Cranfield is more efficient than the traditional batteries. Morgan also gives some figures. 62mph takes less than 7 seconds; the carmaker quotes a top speed of about 85mph. The LIFEcar has a 250 mile range.
March 3, 2008
Lotus unveils the Exige 270E Tri-Fuel
Lotus has taken the wraps off its latest iteration of the Lotus Exige, but this time this is a concept car that will appear at Geneva which is carbon neutral claims the carmaker.
What’s interesting about the Lotus Exige is its engine able to run on a mixture of gasoline, bioethanol and methanol. By using methanol which is a combination of CO2 and hydrogen, the carmaker hopes to make the Lotus Exige carbon neutral. If the car rejects CO2, Lotus engineers claims that by using the CO2 in the manufacturing process of methanol, the car is carbon neutral. However, the company doesn’t talk about the energy required to produce hydrogen. Nice try!
The Lotus Exige 270E Tri-Fuel is powered by a 1.8-litre supecharged engine which has a power output of 270bhp and a torque of 144 lb ft at 5,500rpm. This Exige concept car is theoretically the most powerful Exige by 5bhp. The light sportscar can shuttle the 0-60mph in just 3.9 seconds and reach a top speed of 158mph.
March 3, 2008
Nissan and Mitsubishi to expand their alliance
Nissan and Mitsubishi have announced that they have agreed to expand their minicar production alliance. Mitsubishi will supply another Kei car to Nissan at the end of this year and both companies are currently studying other opportunities.
At this moment Mitsubishi supplies to Nissan on the basis of an original equipment manufacturing, or OEM, the EK Wagon, renamed Otti, and the Minicab renamed Clipper. In exchange Nissan supplies the AD Expert to Mitsubishi.
Under the agreement, Mitsubishi will add Pajero mini-SUV to its OEM supply to Nissan beginning autumn this year.
February 29, 2008
Spyshots: next-generation Toyota Avensis
The next-gen Avensis has been spotted during winter testing in Scandinavia. The saloon is expected to be launched in mid-2009.
Here is a car that nobody talks about. The current Avensis, available as a saloon, a hatchback and an estate, never make the news despite good qualities. The family car likely suffered from a dull design. Will Toyota go wild with the replacement model? The spyshots seem to say no. The future Avensis will be one of the numerous models that Toyota seems to roll off the production line like Cadbury rolls off chocolate bars.
According to the rumours, the car will grow in size, 100mm longer, to fight with the latest family competitors such as the Ford Mondeo. The future car should be available for the first time with a hybrid solution and with a four-wheel drive system. It is also believed that the gear level will be positioned like the Auris’.
Click here to see all the pictures
February 29, 2008
Toyota to boost Lexus production
Toyota plans to increase production capacity for its luxury brand Lexus to meet a strong demand in emerging countries.
The Japanese built 518,000 Lexus last year and is expected to boost its production to 850,000 by 2009, a 35% increase in two years. The luxury brand is meting a string demand from countries such as China and Russia.
By flooding the new markets with more vehicles and new models, the company wants to counter-attack the European offensive. Audi and BMW are getting serious at conquering China, Russia and India. Mercedes should soon declare its commitment to the new markets now it got rid off Chrysler.
Will the new markets accept the brand as the US did twenty years ago? Nothing is certain. Toyota launched the Lexus brand in Japan in 2005 and still underperforms there while the company struggles to establish itself as a competitor in Europe. From China, a European brand has certainly more appeal than a luxury brand form Japan.
February 29, 2008
Audi unveils the diesel-powered TT
Audi has unveiled the first TT to be powered by a diesel engine, the 168bhp 2.0-litre TDI. It wil be displayed at Geneva before going on sale in March for £26,350.
After the R8 V12 TDI unveiled at Detroit in last January, the German carmaker shows its commitment to diesel engines by launching its fist diesel-powered coupé. The elected engine is the 2.0-litre which has an output of 168bhp and a torque of 258 lb ft. The power goes to the wheel through the in-house four-wheel drive system, the famous Quattro. The coupé is only offered with a six-speed manual gearbox.
The Audi TT 2.0 TDI Quattro coupé can run the 0-62mph in 7.5 seconds and reach a top speed of 140mph. The roadster is a little bit slower with 7.7 seconds and 138mph. It might be hard to convince people to make the jump at first, but fuel efficiency becomes a major selling point. On this one, the Audi TT scores pretty well with a 53.3mpg combined consumption for the coupé and a 51.3mpg combined consumption for the roadster.
If you still hesitate at the idea of buying a diesel-powered coupé, the Audi TT 2.0-litre doesn’t sport any TDI moniker.
February 29, 2008
Brits to choose 4×4 over more fuel efficient cars in 2008
Direct Line Car Insurance has commissioned a survey that reveals that Britons are four times more likely to buy a less fuel efficient vehicle than the more environmentally friendly hybrid cars this year.
The survey also reveals that despite the new congestion charge scheme, 27% of polled Londoners are still planing on buying a car this year compared to just 20 per cent of those living in the Midlands and 21 per cent of Northerners.
The conventional brands are still favoured for future purchase despite a sales surge in retro models such as the Mini or the Fiat 500. The most popular brands are still Ford, Toyota and Vauxhall. Conservative choices also lead the way on colour with silver/grey topping the list, followed by blue and red.
February 29, 2008
Holden unveils the Coupe 60 at Melbourne
Our eyes are focused on the Geneva Motor Show, but another show has opened its doors, Melbourne Auto Show. The national brand, Holden has unveiled a coupé to celebrate its 60th anniversary.
The concept car features an aggressive look thanks to its enlarged wheel arches, huge 21in wheels, large air intakes at the front and an air diffuser at the rear end. The coupé is powered by a 6.0-litre unit whose power remains unknown. The engine comes with Active Fuel Management, calibrated for E85 Ethanol fuel and it’s hooked up to a 6-speed manual transmission.
On the inside, the Coupe 60 is roomy enough for four people in an ambiance that combines black leather, red stitching and carbon-fiber. The seats made of carbon-fiber comes with a mix of suede and leather upholstery. All seats feature four-point harness to hold passengers in it. However, the dashboard structure looks two step away from production. The Coupe 60 is a concept car that seems to be ready for production.
At this stage, Holden has no plan to put the Coupe 60 into production, but a return of the Monaro based on this Coupe 60 would be a great news.
February 29, 2008
Roewe to conquer Europe?
Chinese carmakers are used to changing their mind regularly. One day, the announce that they will conquer the world next year. The day after, they say that they won’t go overseas before 2012. SAIC doesn’t breach the rules of etiquette.
The carmaker has announced that the new Roewe 550 would be sold under the Roewe badge in Europe. But earlier, the had announced that the new model would be built in the UK and sold as the MG 5.
Which version to believe is a difficult exercice. However, the 550 is confirmed to be sold in Europe. The car looks rather appealing and might meet a certain success if sold at a good price. Powered by a former Rover 128bhp turbocharged 1.8-litre petrol unit, the 550 will feature a navigation system, six airbags, an ESP, a type pressure monitoring system and 17in alloy wheels. The car is rumoured to cost around £15,000.
February 29, 2008