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Spyshots: Renault Twingo RS

The current Renault Twingo range is topped by the GT version which is powered by a 99bhp 1.2-litr petrol engine, but Renault engineers are working hard to finish the future RS version set to compete with the Fiat 500 Abarth and the Suzuki Swift Sport. The car has been spotted in Italy.
Like the small Fiat, the Twingo RS version will feature enlarged wheel arches and adopt 17’wheels in an attempt to make the model more appealing to look at. Renault hopes these changes will be enough to fight with the eagerly-awaited Fiat Abarth.
The power will come from a 1.6-litre petrol engine associated with a five-speed manual gearbox. Secrecy surrounds the exact spec of the small car although it is rumoured that the engine will pump out roughly 140bhp. It would be 15 bhp less than the future Fiat 500 Abarth, but 15bhp more than the Suzuki Swift Sport. With a weight limited to 1050kg, the Twingo RS will be lighter than the two other cars and will offer a weight/power ratio similar to the former Clio 16s’ sold in the ’90s.
This is good news for Renault but with the Fiat 500 as a competitor, the Twingo appears to be too serious, almost dull, and while the RS promises to be sexier than the normal version, the Fiat Abarth has already appeared to be ten times more appealing to look at. The die is cast.
Click here to see all the pictures
December 23, 2007
GM will recall more than 300,000 cars worldwide

GM has announced it will recall more than 300,000 cars worldwide to fix a faulty seal on the rear axle pinion. The device in question could leak fluid causing the wheels to seize and lock which would lead to loss of control of the vehicle.
A total of 275,936 vehicles will be recalled in the US and roughly 38,000 in Canada, Mexico, the Middle East and Asia. The cars concerned are the 2006-2007 model year Pontiac Solstice, 2007 Saturn Sky, and the 2005-2007 model year Cadillac CTS, CTS-V and STS, STS-V saloons and 2005-2007 model year Cadillac SRX crossovers.
December 22, 2007
Mini Crossman to share 1-series components

In an attempt to shorten the development cycle and cut cost, BMW has decided that the future Mini Crossman will share components with the upcoming BMW X1 model, which means the Mini SUV will get some 1-series components.
Due to be unveiled in 2010, the Crossman won’t be built by Mini as its production capacity can’t even satisfy the current demand but by Magna in Austria. Exact spec of the vehicle remains unknown although it likely be powered by current engine family, except perhaps by the diesel unit which might not powerful enough to power a heavier vehicle than the current Mini. Like the small hatchback, the Crossman won’t be cheap and it is rumoured that it will start at roughly £16,000.
December 22, 2007
Maruti to become Suzuki’s major hub

Main shareholder of Maruti with a 54.2% stake, Suzuki is determined to make its Indian unit a major production hub to keep its market share in India, but also to export to other countries.
First, the company will unveil next month its low cost model, known as the A-Star model which will built at 150,000 units per year from October 2008. The small hatchback will be exported to Europe first. Secondly it will launch several new models in the coming years. But the most interesting recent move has been the nomination of a new managing director. Indeed, Suzuki replaced the Indian managing director Jagdish Khattar by a Japanese man Shinzo Nakanishi which will keep a close eye on the new subsidiary.
Maruti will likely become one of the strongest Suzuki’s asset in the future as Maruti sold more cars in India than its parent in Japan during the first half of the fiscal year. With a gloomy Japanese market, Suzuki national sales won’t likely be better in the future so Maruti will become vital and is expected to represent a third of the 3 million cars built by Suzuki by 2010.
December 22, 2007
Mazda Demio Chiara special edition

In Japan, limited edition versions are more valued than normal versions, so it’s normal to see Mazda releasing the first special edition based on the new Demio. Called Chiara, it features an exclusive Golden Red Mica, a vivid shade of red sprinkled with gold flakes, and an unusual multi-stripes pattern cover seat.

This special edition is powered by either the 1.3-litre Miller cycle engine associated with a CVT gearbox or the 1.3-litre petrol engine with four-speed automatic transmission and four-wheel drive system. On the inside, along the multi-stripes seats, the Chiara edition features silver bezels on the steering wheel, a keyless entry system, auto light system, rain sensing front wipers, and water-repellent coating.
It is available in Japan at a price tag of ¥1,410,000/£6,200 for the front-wheel drive model and ¥1,550,000/£6,850 for the all-wheel drive model.
December 22, 2007
Volkswagen’s first seven-speed DSG for Golf and Golf Plus

In a previous post I talked about the two awards given to Volkswagen for its TSI family engine and I mentioned that the 1.4-litre petrol engine was associated with a DSG gearbox. At that tine, I was wrong as it was only available with a manual gearbox, but I’m now right as Volkswagen has announced that its seven-speed twin clutch gearbox will be featured as on option with the 1.4-litre TSI petrol unit and the 1.9-litre TDI diesel engine on the Golf and Golf Plus models.
The DSG is an electronically controlled, twin-shaft dual-clutch manual gearbox, without a conventional clutch pedal, with full automatic, or semi-manual control. In other words, it is two separate manual gearboxes, contained within one housing, and working as one unit. Compared to an automatic gearbox, the DGS offers several advantages. It has an extremely fast shift time of 8 milliseconds when shifting to the gear the transmission is expecting, has practically no power loss, due to the use of clutches instead of a torque converter and offers a better fuel economy than the planetary geared automatic transmission and manual transmission. But it also has its problems. When shifting to a gear that the transmission did not anticipate, shift time is lengthy with a roughly time of 400ms and the DSG is heavy: 75kg vs. 47.5 for a comparable manual gearbox.
The latest iterations available on the Golf and Gold Plus adds to new features as well. Firstly, it is the first DSG for front-traverse installation. Secondly, it is the first with clutches that are not immersed in oil, but which run “dry“. This allows the latest Volkswagen DSG to achieve an even greater level of efficiency. The maximum torque that can be transmitted is up to 250 newton-meters.
The 1.9-litre TDI engine associated with the seven-speed DSG has a consumption of 0.7 litres per 100 km lower than the same engine hooked up to the six-speed DSG transmission.
December 22, 2007
Another sluggish for the Japanese market in 2008

2008 will be another gloomy year for the Japanese automative market as the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association has forecasted a 1.2% decrease. The market will likely record its 26-year low with 5,383,700 vehicles.
Surprisingly, the Kei car market will suffer the most with a 2% decrease to 1,892,000 vehicles while bigger vehicles included trucks and buses will slow down by 0.8% to 3,427,000 vehicles.
The decrease is, of course, linked to the recent higher oil prices but also to the crisis that has lasted for the last sixteen years. Also young Japanese people are less interested in cars than their parents and don’t see a car as a sign of wealth, especially in larger cities.
Japanese car makers plan to fight the sluggish environment by releasing more new models, but there is a few chance it will reverse the current order.
December 21, 2007
Tata to pay £1.05 billion for Jaguar and Land Rover

According to PTI, Indian news agency, Tata has offered $2.05 billion/ £1,02 billion to Ford for both British brands while Mahinda & Mahindar has offered a smaller amount of $1.9 billion/££950 million. There is no mention of the third bidder OneEquity, but it is rumoured that Ford prefers an automotive company to take over the iconic British brands.
An announcement should be made within two weeks with probably more details and 2008 should bring Tata’s plans over the future of the two brands and link with Ford. It is unknown whether Ford will keep an interest in both companies or not as it did with Aston Martin.
December 20, 2007
Honda to sell NSX successor by 2010

Honda has announced that it will release a new NSX by 2010. This is not good news as the car was expected to be unveiled next year and hit the showrooms in 2009.
How Honda, once the most brilliant engine manufacturer, can take so long time to develop a successor to the NSX? It is rumoured that the executives thought at one moment to give up all sporty models to focus on diesel engines but changed their mind later as sporty models would help the car maker to sell more cars and would improve the brand image.
If the car is planed for 2010, Honda will likely unveil the car at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show. According to the Japanese car magazine Best Car, the nippy Honda will feature a V8 engine whose displacement will be either 4-litre or 4.5-litre. It would also feature the in-house all-wheel drive transmission.
The car will hit the American market at first as Acura’s deployment on the Japanese market has been postponed to 2011.
December 20, 2007
Toyota to unveil the first crossover sedan at Detoit

In a short and mysterious press release, Toyota has announced that it will unveil a crossover sedan at the next Detroit Motor Show.
Dubbed Venza, it is not a concept car but a production model which will be a blend of a sedan and a SUV roomy enough for five persons. The mysterious car will be only sold in the US and will be built at the Georgetown factory.
December 20, 2007