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Tata to become Jaguar and Land Rover new owner

According to the Sunday Times, Ford will announce in a few days that Tata won the Jaguar and Land Rover bid. This wouldn’t come as a surprise. Indeed, Tata was the favourite amongst unions and the company will likely be advised by Fiat on how to manage its new European brands. Tata also said it will keep the three factories.
So, everything appears to be fine for Tata, but some Jaguar executive are concerned by the consequences over the brand image of an Indian cheap car maker buying a prestigious brand. In an interview, Ken Gorin, chairman of the Jaguar Business Operations Council, which represents Jaguar car dealers in the U.S., has said that Ford should sell the two brands to another bidder, One Equity Partners, a private equity arm of J.P.Morgan Chase (JPM). He’s reportedly concerned that the American public won’t accept a luxury-car brand such as Jaguar “out of India.”
While the US are the largest markets for both brand, it might become a problem, but after all Ford is used to building crap cars there for years, so how would it be worse with Tata as owner?
December 18, 2007
A new Chinese car maker has revealed the Proton Gen-2 in China

A new Chinese car maker has appeared at the Changsha Motor Show located in the Hunan province. Used to build coaches, Jinhua had launched the Youngman Europestar Lotus RCR model which is a re-badged Proton Gen-2.

Indeed, Proton has signed an agreement with Jinhua to provide Gen-2 model’s parts which will be assembled in Jinhua’s factories with the help of Lotus engineers. Unfortunately, events postponed the process and the first models will be directly imported from Malaysia which will likely compromise the sales as all imported cars are over-taxed at a 25%. At CNY100,000 RMB/£6,700 the car is far from being cheap on the Chinese market. Like the Proton model, it is powered by a 112bhp 1.6-litre petrol engine.
Source: Autohome
December 18, 2007
Rinspeed has revealed the diving car

Nobody has forgotten the diving Lotus Esprit driven by James Bond in the movie The Spy Who Loved Me but truth is that only gadgets inventor Q was crazy enough to invent such a car until Rinspeed has announced the sQuba model, the submersible car, due to be unveiled at the next Geneva Motor Show.
At the push of a button, the car becomes a small submarine able to dive up to 33ft under water. The car is powered by an electric engine on the road and propelled by two small electric units under water. Secrecy surrounds the exact spec of the unique car but let’s thank the company’s CEO Frank N.Rinderknecht to make us to dream again.
December 18, 2007
Undisguised GLK caught on the Sex and the City set

Here is the first undisguised picture of the Mercedes GLK spotted during on the filming of the next “Sex and the City” movie. Its official launch date remains unsure as Mercedes might unveil it at Detroit or a the next Geneva Motor Show.

Based on the recently launched C-Class model, the GLK will feature sharp lines. Some observers will say that the overall shape took inspiration from Jeep models, but truth is that the new squared design will also be featured on the next E-Class model which will debut next year.
The small SUV will be available with a choice of 2.1-litre diesel, 3.0-litre V6 petrol and diesel, 3.5 litre V6 petrol and the 6.2-litre AMG V8. Unfortunately, it will never reach our shores as Mercedes doesn’t plan to develop a right-hand drive version due to high conversion costs.
Source: Leftlane News
December 18, 2007
BMW X6 revealed

BMW has officially revealed its latest model, the X6 model, which will make its debut at Detroit in a few weeks. The car doesn’t differ from the concept shown at the Frankfurt Motor Show in last September and inaugurates the crossover coupé segment. It comes with a new twin-turbocharged V8 petrol engine which has an output of 407bhp.

With the X6, BMW has gone wild and the coupé crossover will surprise company’s aficionados by its roofline similar to the Ssangyong’s Actyon’s. From the B-pillar, the roofline plunges to the rear edn and despite a higher waistline, rear passenger’s headroom might be limited. Longer but lower by 3.3 inches than the X5 model, the X6 will be roomy enough just for 4 people. The interior will feature a sporty feeling with a three spoke steering wheel and gearshift paddles as standard. The exterior paintwork comes with a choice of ten exterior colors, while eleven leather options and three trim options are available inside.

Oddly, BMW has decided to christen the range in a convoluted way. Forget the traditional scheme, the model name and the engine’s displacement, as BMW has thaken keywords from its whole line up. The ranage will start with the X6 Xdrive35i for the petrol engine and the X6 Xdrive30d for the diesel unit, followed by the X6 Xdrive35d and topped by the X6 Xdrive50i which features a all-new twin-turbo V8 petrol engine. This is the second company’s engine to come with twin-turbocharger architecture and is intended to replace the current 4.8-litre V8 petrol unit. A 4.4-litre unit, it pumps out a power of 407bhp and a torque of 443lb ft between 1750rpm and 4500rpm. It enables the heavy X6, 2190 kg to run the 0-62mph in 5.4s! Other engines are already known and featured on current models.

Future will say whether BMW was right or not by launching the first coupé crossover in an attempt to increase its sales. Land Rover will likely join the German car maker with the baby Land and other car makers will follow, but scepticism remains strong.
December 18, 2007
Nanjing Auto to get a 10% stake in SAIC for MG

It might be the most interesting and worrying partnership as SAIC and Nanjing Auto might sign an agreement next according to anonymous companies’ sources. Nanjing Auto would give its MG assets in exchange of a stake in SAIC less than 10%.
In the muddle that followed MG-Rover collapse, the two car makers got a share of the pie, but not what they expected. Nanjing Auto got MG while SAIC won various rights linked to Rover cars. Since then, they have been working hard in their corner to develop a range and a brand with similar vehicles. Unhappy with the situation, the Chinese government, shareholder of the two contenders ordered them to merge.
From the two manufacturers, Nanjing Auto would benefit the most from a partnership with SAIC. Indeed, it is smaller and has cash flow problems which slows down the development of the MG brand. Furthermore its joint venture with Fiat doesn’t perform well. But this doesn’t mean that SAIC has to refuse the merger. Analysts think that Nanjing Auto assets would be very valuable for SAIC as it suffers from competing fiercely with FAW Group and Dongfeng Motors on the commercial vehicles market. in the merger, SAIC would get the Nanjing Auto’s commercial vehicles business and 50% of the Fiat joint venture.
According to insiders, SAIC and Nanjing Auto will sign an agreement before the end of the month.
December 14, 2007
Mercedes C-Class Estate tuned by Lorinser

Lorinser launched a new tuning package for the C-Class Estate yesterday which will be similar to the C-Class’s saloon.
The body kit includes new front and rear bumpers, side skirts which visually connect the wheel arches, a honeycomb grille and side vents. The car is equipped with 19” wheels.
Under the hood, the entry level starts with the C200 Kompressor whose power jumps from 181bhp to 215bhp and torque from 184 lb ft to 217 lb ft with the help of a new ECU, a new belt and a new air filter. Thanks to a new camshaft, the C350’s power increases from 268bhp to 301bhp and the torque has been boosted to 280 lb ft from 258 lb ft. Along the petrol engines, the diesel units have also been tuned. The C200 CDI sees its power gaining 20bhp from 134bhp to 154bhp while the torque jumps from 199 lb ft to 266 lb ft. The C220 CDI’s power increases from 168bhp to 188bhp and the torque from 295 lb ft to 354 lb ft. As for the C320 CDI, the power jumps from 221bhp to 257bhp and the torque has been increased by 14% from 376 lb ft to 428 lb ft.
December 14, 2007
Official pictures of the Land Rover concept car

Land Rover has released the official pictures of the LRX concept car which will be showed at Detroit. It’s a styling exercise that previews the future baby Land.

If the concept car is close the production model, the small Land Rover model will still be as big as a Ford Focus. At 4350 mm long and 1550 mm high, it’s 150 mm shorter and 190 mm lower than the Freelander 2 on which the LRX is based. Thanks to the Freelander 2 platform, it should offer decent on-road abilities without guarantying good mud-manners. Indeed, while the Freelander 2 has a ground clearance of 210 mm, the LRX is 80 mm lower despite sitting on 20” wheels.

The exterior styling is easily distinguishable from the masses thanks to the front fascia that sports the corporate DNA. The LRX features two long doors which give access to an interior roomy enough to welcome four persons. Like all latest concept cars, it comes with a glass roof and one does expect to see a similar equipment on the production version.

Company sources say that the production model might arrive in 2009 if the executives give the green light in the coming weeks.
December 14, 2007
“I have no plan to retire”, says Bob Lutz

If GM cars were as efficient and devoted to their tasks as Bob Lutz is, GM would have no problem to sell them. the czar sent an email to Automotive News saying “Read my lips: I am not thinking retirement. The job is better than ever, and so is GM!!!!“
He explained that he told the AP that he would not retire before the Volt launches but didn’t imply that he would retire just after. In 2010, Bob Lutz will be 78 year old. If he has the same energy as Kirk Kerkorian, Bob will still make the headlines in 2020. Wow!
Lutz also said, “Unfortunately, this was misinterpreted as a statement that I would retire at the end of 2010. While this remains a possibility, it is not ‘a plan’! We’ll just take it a year at a time!“
December 14, 2007
Mitsubishi to recall 10,000 Outlander

Mitsubishi has announced that it will recall 10,000 Outlander SUV to fix a faulty bracket that affixes the muffler cutter to the exhaust muffler.
The faulty device concerns vehicles built September 2006 and July this year and will it will be replaced by a stronger one. No accidents have been reported because of this faulty component.
MMC said it has received 12 complaints from drivers.
December 14, 2007