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GM cancels its future V8 program

GM has announced that it has cancelled a $300-million program to build a new V8 engine for its luxury models due to rising gas prices and tighter emission regulations. This is a surprising move for the American group as it shakes up the Cadillac’s roadmap as there is now no successor to the V8 NorthStar expected to cease production in 2010. The company had announced last year that the new engine would be built in the Tonawanda factory by 2009.
Instead of a V8, the NorthStar will be replaced by turbocharged V6 petrol engines which deliver similar performance to a V8. As Cadillac spokesman Kevin Smith said in an interview with Automotive News, “the V6 become the predominant engine in sales on the (2008) STS because it’s so close in power to the V8”.
However this news doesn’t mean it’s the beginning of the end for the V8 engines. Indeed, GM still plans to build V8 units and will launch a new V8 4.5-litre petrol engine next year. Due to be featured on the pickup lineup and on the Hummer H2, the new V8 will reduce gas consumption by 25% and CO2 emissions by 13%.
January 8, 2008
Lamborghini might build 100 Reventòn

Lamborghini originally planned to build only 20 Reventòn but demand is strong and the Italian supercar maker is seriously considering to increase the number to 100 vehicles. This is a rumour but in the past Ferrari built more F40 than planned and more recently Maserati produced more MC12 than expected.
Lamborghini Reventón debuted at the 2007 Frankfurt Auto Show and is most expensive Lamborghini to date, costing one million euro. Although the exterior is partially new, almost the entire mechanics, including the engine, are taken directly from the Murciélago LP640. The exterior styling was inspired by the F-22 Raptor. The instrument panel in the Reventón comprises three TFT liquid crystal displays with two different display modes. The Reventón features a completely new G-Force-Meter which displays the dynamic drive forces, longitudinal acceleration during acceleration and braking, as well as transversal acceleration around bends. By simply pressing a button, the driver can switch to the second, quasi-analogical display, where there are the usual circular instruments; speedometer and tachometer. The G-Force-Meter still remains at the center of this display mode.
The Reventón is named after a fighting bull according to Lamborghini tradition. The car’s namesake, owned by the Don Rodriguez family, is best known for killing famed bullfighter Felix Guzman in 1943.
January 7, 2008
Toyota overtook Ford on the US market last year

For the first time in 75 years, Ford lost its second rank on the US market as the company has been supplanted by Toyota last year. With a 2.7% increase to 2.62 million delivered vehicles, Toyota overtook Ford which sold 2.57 million vehicles last year, which is a 12% drop from the previous year over the same period.
2008 will likely confirm the trend as the American market going to recession will be tougher for American brands. Toyota will likely rank second next year and don’t expect the Japanese giant to overtake GM in the US as the American group has delivered 3.87 million vehicles there last year despite a 6% decrease compared to 2006 over the sane period.
January 7, 2008
Spyshots: next-generation E-Class interior
Auto Motor und Sport magazine had unveiled some renderings of the next-generation E-Class in last July, but interior styling still remained unknown until now. With the future E-Class, Mercedes-Benz confirms the direction taken by the company’s designers with the GLK. Mercedes models’ dashboards will go square.
The exterior styling caught on prototypes had already announced the changes. With the future E-Class, the designer wanted to feature more appealing saloon than the current model without encroaching upon the CLS battlefield. While the CLS features expansive curves, the next-generation E-Class will adopt taut lines and new angular headlamps.

Like the new GLK, the E-Class dashboard design won’t be noted for its elegance with its boxy styling which reminds us of the ’80s models. Despite being six year old, the current model’s dashboard appears to be more modern and certainly is more elegant. This bold move made by Mercedes is surprising at a tie when Audi excels in designing interiors and plans to release more new models in the next five years. After all, Audi might achieve its ambitious plans if it takes sales from Mercedes.
January 7, 2008
More details on the Fiat twin-cylinder engine
Fiat had featured a twin-cylinder engine in the Panda Aria concept car at the Frankfurt Motor show last year, but information remained scarce on what could be the smallest engine in Europe.
First of all, there will be two engines instead of one as it was believed. In addition to the 0.9-litre unit, Fiat will also build a tiny 0.7-litre engine. The two engines will be turbocharged and will feature the innovative MultiAir technology, which has been under development by Fiat Powertrain for some years.The MultiAir system uses an electro-hydraulic system to actuate the valves and can provide full control over valve lift and timing. As a result, the two engines have an impressive power output. The 0.7-litre petrol unit pumps out 81bhp, which means a power/litre ratio of 116bhp/l in other words.

The torque is also in the same vein with a 92lb/ft at 3000rpm. The engine promises to be smooth to run with a torque of 67lb/ft available from 2000rpm. The 0.9 litre unit will have an power output of 110bhp and a torque of 132lb/ft. In addition to the power increase, the MultiAir technology also reduces consumption and emissions. A 90bhp 0.9-litre version allows a 50mpg range while reducong CO2 emissions by 50% compared to the current four cylinder 1.2-litre petrol unit seen in small Fiat. The two engines will comply with Euro 5 and Euro 6 emissions requirements.
The twin-cylinder unit will be available on the Fiat Panda and 500, Grande Punto and Idea, and even the compact Bravo model.
January 7, 2008
Hyundai has strong ambitions for 2008
Hyundai CEO, Chung Mong-koo has announced in a speech to mark the new year that the car maker wants to increase its global sales by 20% for this year. The Korean company expects to sell 4.8 million vehicles compared with 3.96 million over the same period last year.
Hyundai expects to sell 3.11 million vehicles this year while its subsidiary Kia Motors will target 1.69 million vehicles.This is not the first time Hyundai announces an ambitious target. Last year, the company planned to sell 2.735 million vehicles but only achieved to sell 2.6 million units. How does Hyundai plan to sell 830,000 more vehicles? The company expects a strong growth on its national market and expects new models to boost demand in the US and in China.
On the American market, Hyundai will soon sell the eagerly-awaited Genesis saloon which will mark the company’s serious attempt to take on Lexus in the luxury segment. Some observers believe that the subprime crisis will prevent Hyundai to succeed on the luxury market as demand will decrease and competition increase. But automobile history might repeat itself. Indeed, Lexus arrived on the American market during a recession but its low price and the Toyota’s brand image convinced people to buy the LS saloon at a time when driving a German car was too arrogant. Hyundai might benefit from the same situation as US is heading for a recession. Kia will also unveil its new Mohave SUV destined for the American market. The new SUV will be powered by V6 and V8 engines. Its lack of green credentials might become a disadvantage but its expected low price tag will likely convince consumers to make the jump.
On the other hand, China will be a tougher challenge as competition from domestic car makers increase and Toyota’s success is another threat for the Korean car maker. But Hyundai is confident and has recently opened its second factory in China.
Source photo: Korea Times
January 7, 2008
Spyshots: Lincoln Flex-based crossover

Ford has already announced that it will focus on developing the Lincoln brand and here is the first spyshots of a future crossover derived from the Ford Flex model. At this stage the final spec of the future model remains unknown although it is rumoured that it will be called MKF.
Like the MKZ which shares its underpinnings with the Ford Edge, the future crossover will share its inner structure, powertrains and suspension layout with the Flex and Taurus X models, but will have unique exterior and interior styling. The exterior design appears to be derived more from the Taurus X than the Flex. The front fascia will sport the corporate grille which looks impressive on the prototype. Like the Ford models, the MKF will be based on the Ford D3 platform and will likely be powered by the 265bhp 3.5-litre V6 Duratec petrol engine.
Will a re-badged Ford Taurus-X/Flex be enough to increase sales of the Lincoln. Nothing is sure as the company’s habit to clone vehicles between brands has never been a success. Perhaps Ford should also think at differentiating technically its brands

Click here to see all the pictures
Source: Autoblog
January 7, 2008
Chevrolet Camaro: spyshots and an official picture

The future Camaro continues revealing its charms with a unofficial pictures of the interior and an official picture of the exterior styling.
The unofficial pictures have been unveiled by Auto Express which scrutinised the future muscle car from every angle. While the exterior design was appealing on the first shots in December, the interior is disappointing by a dull design and a build quality that will likely never match the European standard. If the overall design can be acclaimed for its unique styling, the attempt to mix the ’60s design with contemporary plastic trimmings looks rather unappealing. Actually the gear-knob would fit perfectly in a Fiat Panda, but not in a sports car. Likewise, the ergonomic appears to be forgotten by designers who put gauges at the bottom of the central panel. But GM has recently proved that it could offer cars with an appealing interior. Let’s wait and see.
The other picture has been posted by Ed Pepper, Chevrolet General Manager, on the Fastlane blog owned by GM. This is an undisguised picture of the Chevrolet Camaro already revealed in a previous post. According to Ed Pepper, Bob Lutz asked the engineers to test the car without camo in order to evaluate the aerodynamics and cooling efficiency.

Click here to see all the pictures
January 7, 2008
Tata to lead the Jaguar and Land rover bid

It wasn’t a real secret but Ford has confirmed that Tata was leading the bid over the Jaguar and Land Rover sale. Lewis Booth, executive vice president – Ford of Europe and PAG, has declared that “Ford is committed to focused negotiations at a more detailed level with Tata Motors concerning the potential sale of the combined Jaguar Land Rover business.”
Until now three potential buyers were in the race to buy the two carmakers. One was the Mahindra & Mahindra car maker and the other bidder was OneEquity. This is a good news for Tata but there is still a large amount of work before both parties sign an agreement. Lewis Booth said that “there is still a considerable amount of work to do, and while no final decision has been made, we will proceed with further substantive discussions with Tata Motors over the forthcoming weeks with a view to securing an agreement that is in the best interests of all parties concerned.“
January 7, 2008
Mercedes-Benz to show the GLK at Detroit

Mercedes-Benz has unveiled the first pictures of the concept car it will display next week at Detroit. Called GLK Freeside Concept, the compact SUV is nothing else than the future GLK set to compete with the BMW X3, Land Rover Freelander and the future Audi Q5.

Ignore the dual tone paint scheme, the specific wheels and the integrated exhaust pipes, and you will get the GLK production version. With the GLK, the company is not a pioneer in the compact SUV segment. Thus designer’s task was to ensure that the GLK wouldn’t be mistaken for any competitors and to remind consumers that Mercedes was a pioneer in off-road vehicles. There was no better way than taking design cues from the iconic G-Class. Combined with latest company’s design DNA, the GLK features a overall shape made of taut lines and expansive surfaces.

The interior of the concept car is also very close to the production version. The dashboard features an unsuccessful attempt to mix the traditional panel instruments seen in the ’80s company’s models with the latest technologies. At 4520 mm long, the GLK will sit below the M-Class and will likely be roomy enough for five passengers.

Despite an attempt to revive the G-Class’ filiation, the GLK will likely be road-biased although Mercedes-Benz says it will “perform exceptionally in all conditions”. The GLK features the in-house 4Matic transmissions which has a 45:55 percent basic distribution. Under the hood, as reported in a previous post, the GLK will offer a complete engine range. The GLK Freeside Concept is powered by a turbocharged 2.2-litre diesel unit which comes with the Bluetec technology. It has an output of 168bhp and its NOx emissions are cut by 80%. It is hooked up to a seven-speed automatic gearbox.

The GLK will go on sale in Europe at the end of 2008 and will cross the ocean in 2009. Unfortunately, we won’t see the GLK in the UK as Mercedes doesn’t plan to build a right hand drive GLK.
January 7, 2008