Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class 2012 Trailer
Set to be unveiled to the public later this year at the Paris Motor Show 2010 (2-17 October ), the 2012 CLS-Class is a significant update of the automaker's original four-door coupe.More aggressive both front and rear, the CLS is considerably more styled than its rather understated predecessor as Mercedes-Benz continues to hone the modern four-door coupe segment it essentially invented.
Mercedes-Benz 2012 C 63 AMG Coupe Special Trailer
AMG edition engine is taken over from its predecessor. The 6.2-liter V8 engine has 457 hp. As an alternative provided a "AMG Performance Package" with 487 hp. Maximum torque is 600 Nm both cases. As before, provided that C 63 AMG sedan and wagon (T-model). Sedan edition with standard engine accelerates from 0 to 100 km / h in 4.5 seconds. Station edition needs a second extra tenths. "Performance" package improves in both cases asked the capacity of one-tenth of a second.
2012 C63 AMG Coupe "Figure Eight Drift"
We asked Mercedes-Benz Facebook fans to vote for the stunt they'd most like to see performed on the set of our latest commercial. This is the winner. Watch a 2012 C63 AMG Coupe drift a Figure 8 around two other C63 AMG Sedans at high speed. No C63 AMG Coupes were harmed in the making of this video.
Legends at Pebble Beach
Displayed along the 18th fairway of Pebble Beach Golf Links, the Horch was described by Concours Chairman Sandra Button to be an "incredibly beautiful open car with stunning styling.
Built in 1937 this Horch 853 was clothed with a spectacular body by German coach-builder Voll & Ruhrbeck.
Other than that the Horch was most likely painted black originally, very little early information is available on the car.
The new Bentley Mulsanne, designed and engineered at Crewe from the ground-up, reaffirms the marque's intent to create a new flagship Bentley with refined performance, unparalleled levels of interior luxury and coach building skills to the fore.
Lighter and more powerful than the 250TR on which it was based, the Ferrari TR59 featured coachwork by Pininfarina and Fantuzzi as well as upgraded features like disc brakes and coil valve springs that increased horsepower to 306.
Morgan was probably the only car company in the early 2000s that still made cars the way they were made in the early 1900s - by building them on a wooden frame and crafting them mainly by hand.
Mercedes-Benz C 63 AMG Coupé Black Series
The most powerful C-Class of all time
Spectacular design, technology transfer from the world of motorsport and driving dynamics at the highest level; the new Mercedes-Benz C 63 AMG Coupé Black Series embodies the new AMG brand claim, Driving Performance, like no other AMG model.
The new high-performance vehicle is the most powerful C-Class of all time, boasting a maximum output of 380 kW (517 hp) and a maximum torque of 620 newton metres.
The AMG 6.3-litre V8 engine impresses with its hefty torque, tremendous pulling power and responsiveness, and ensures high-calibre performance.
The AMG 6.3-litre V8 engine impresses with its hefty torque, tremendous pulling power and responsiveness, and ensures high-calibre performance.
Audi A7 Sportback : First Drive
One look at the new A7 and it brings a swift end to the belief that Audi can only make sedately styled saloons. But is it more than just a pretty face?
A couple of years ago, we got the chance to cast our eyes on a car made by Audi that would leave a lasting impression in our minds. It was a concept of course, christened the Sportback. Starting as an elegant sedan at the front and flowing gracefully into a coupe-like rear end. The lines were very atypical of any four-door Audi the world had seen till date and somewhere in that aerodynamic design, one could feel that this was a car that wanted to be an airplane when it grew up. And a little over a year, grow up it did – from concept to production. Not an airplane, but with the transformation leaving almost everything unchanged, the A7 Sportback as it is now called is probably the best looking four-door Audi we’ve ever seen. So you can imagine just how exciting the prospect of getting behind the wheel of one must be. But before we can get to how this car drives, more must be said about just the way it looks.
Here’s lookin’ at you, kid
A quick glance at the front reveals the standard Audi sedan treatment – large trapezoidal grille, sculpted front bumper, the daytime running lights – it’s all there. But do a double take and some slight differences begin to emerge. The first thing one notices is how the hood slopes towards the front of the car and gives the A7 a purposeful, aerodynamic profile – a feature that is particularly un-Audi-like. This effect is further enhanced by the slimmer headlight cluster as well. But adding to the overall butch appeal of the car is the strong shoulder line which runs from the outer edges of the headlights all the way till the tail of the car. That shoulder line, combined with the sloping coupe-like rear section of the cabin, creates a shape which is the real piece-de-resistance of the A7. This graceful rump certainly seems like a hat-tip to the Audi 100 Coupe S from the 70s.
Of course it’s not like Audi is breaking any new grounds with the idea of a four-door coupe. It’s been done to death, by the likes of Mercedes-Benz, BMW and even brands like Porsche and Aston Martin. But the real beauty of Audi’s design is all in the details though, whether it’s those optional LED headlights, or that thin strip of orange LEDs in the taillight cluster which form the indicators or even that little flick of the fastback tail which acts like an integrated spoiler (and conceals one too). The A7 is really a sight to behold and is the ideal choice for someone who enjoys getting a lot of attention wherever he or she goes, as long as one is content with either driving the car, or at least sitting in the front passenger seats, because thanks to the wildly sloping rear roof line, there is a serious dearth of headroom in the rear seats.
Flights of fancy
And speaking about the rear seats, the interiors of the A7 are your usual current Audi fare and don’t do much to set themselves apart from those we have already seen, and enjoyed, in the A8 limo. All the gadgets and gizmos that Audi introduced on the latest generation of their flagship sedan, the A8, have found their way to this Sportback. And that list includes the almost militaristic thermal vision system to assist in night driving, the latest iteration of Audi’s MMI (Multi Media Interface), the touch pad input system with gesture recognition as well the brilliant seat massage system which we’ve promptly dubbed “Bangkok in a seat”. But the A7’s designers have included a wonderful touch in the interiors, which has the wooden trim of the dashboard wrap around the cabin, cocooning the driver and front passenger and creating an aircraft cockpit effect. This really gives you the feeling that the A7 was designed around the driver and is meant to be enjoyed as a driving experience from the front seats. And you’ll notice a few other such touches which are keeping in tune with the whole aviation theme. Look in the mirrors and you’ll see the rear haunches of the Sportback sticking out from the sides and extending all the way till the back – a view you could very well imagine a fighter pilot gets looking back at the massive jet engines behind his F-15’s cockpit. Combine that with the projected head-up display on the driver’s side of the windshield, and there’s a good chance that you’d want to wait for takeoff clearance from the control tower before driving away.
Thrustmaster
When it comes to actually driving away, the A7 Sportback doesn’t disappoint in any way, but modern Audi’s rarely do. The car that has come to India features the same 3.0-litre turbocharged direct-injection diesel engine that we tested on the A8L a couple of months back, and while it has been tuned for a little lesser power and torque for the A7, it also has to move over 100kg less. So performance is not really a problem. But our favourite bit has to be the wide rpm range in which the monstrous 500Nm of torque is available – starting as low as 1,400rpm and continuing in a flat manner till 3,250rpm! So this means any gear, any speed, put your foot down and there is enough thrust to really get moving. And coming equipped with Audi’s celebrated Quattro four-wheel drive system, there is no real need to explain how this car goes around the bends. Just point it in the right direction and the system decides how to lay down the power just right so the car always stays neutral and balanced through the corner.
It’s a very unique car this, the A7 Sportback. In terms of outright performance, there are other cars, even from Audi’s own stables, which are far more exciting to drive and some might even scare the bejeezus out of you. And when it comes to stately luxury, there are those like the A8L which are the ultimate back-bencher’s delight. So what you have here is a driver’s car that is not the class topper, as well as a spacious four-door estate which is not the most opulent of the lot. So how does the A7 stack up? Well, it is almost the perfect middle ground in terms of something that is fun to drive and practical at the same time. And to top it off, it is absolutely stunning to behold – a visual treasure trove that none of the cars from Ingolstadt can match, and something that most from Stuttgart and Munich can’t live up to as well. This is the car for the perfect gentleman – a car that says that while his wild days might be behind him, he’s not ready to step into the shoes of the unexciting back-seat high-roller yet – and someone who has a keen sense of aesthetics as well. But if you think this is the car you want to be seen stepping out of, just make sure it is out of the driver’s door.
Source : http://www.zigwheels.com/reviews-advice/reviews/audi-a7-sportback-first-drive/9013/1
New Hyundai Verna Petrol Review - BSM webTV
BSM checks out the new 'fluidic' Hyundai Verna Petrol and we find out if it can match up to the segment leading Honda City.
source : http://www.bsmotoring.com/video_detail.php?video_id=134
source : http://www.bsmotoring.com/video_detail.php?video_id=134
Lamborghini Aventador driven - Epic!
A brand new Lambo that closes the gap between supercars and hypercars
I kid you not, I spent no more than two of my 14 laps around Vallelunga in Corsa. At that point, the shifts turn violent, the power delivery alters and the ESP partially cuts off. There’s no telling when you’ve crossed 100 kph, but the spec sheet says 2.9 seconds. Every single shift makes your neck cry out for relief, so you do the more sensible thing and shift to Sport, which gives you the best of both worlds. It’s at this point that you realise how much Lamborghini has changed.
The Aventador isn’t a supercar; it borders on what I’d like to call a teaser hypercar. 691 bhp in a Lamborghini is like putting all those hooves on a shopping cart – it trots like the devil’s own ride. In Roma Capitale’s city centre, parked next to the Murcielago SV, which incidentally till yesterday, was strictly X-rated material, the predecessor gets pushed down to the ‘barely teen’ category. The Aventador looks like it will re-arrange everything, navel downwards. There are so many cuts, edges and sharp surfaces, it’s easy to hurt yourself standing close to it.
Lamborghini has also gone ahead and developed a carbon-fibre monocoque, resting on aluminium subframes for the car. A phenomenal 70 per cent of the construction of the monocoque is carbon fibre, with the doors, bonnet and bumper made of aluminium. There is also lots of thermoplastic in places, and when replaced with carbon fibre, the car will be badged an SV! But before that we’ll see the drop-top next year, and it will be really fascinating to see how rigid it can truly be, because Lamborghini claim that the hard-top is one of the most rigid cars on sale today.
You still need to twist, contort and even warp your lower limbs before entering the Aventador. The scissor doors are the only thing in common with the Murcielago, for once inside, you will appreciate the fact that this is the most logically laid out Lambo in half a century. Everything falls to hand beautifully and the driving position itself is flawless, a rare feat for a car with the Raging Bull crest. The LED instrumentation has nice use of colours, but can appear gimmicky. Flick a button and the rev-counter is replaced by the speedo and vice-versa, though you may eventually prefer keeping the rev-counter smack bang in your line of sight. Stunningly crafted, there’s the start button behind a flip switch, akin to the Noble M600’s traction control switch.
For pure Lamborghini drama, however, you need to crank the engine. Once you do, the air is greeted by a bellowing V12, whose bark will remain etched in your memory forever. The 6.5-litre V12 is brand new and owes nothing to the Bizzarinni-engineered V12 in the Murcie. Its 60-degree bank sounds a bit ridiculous at first; then you realise they need that space to route the exhausts. It is also amazingly light, weighing just a little more than the body in white, the car itself boasting of a dry weight of just 1575 kg (about 1625-1650 kg kerb). The short-stroke layout helps it rev as high as 8250 rpm, and it produces very little internal friction.
Everything with this car is about rigidity and bringing the experience closer to the driver. The pushrod suspension all around is something single-seat racers might swear by, and here at Vallelunga, it helped deliver the kind of handling characteristics that are just right. Coupled with a new Haldex-IV all-wheel drive system that transfers up to 35 per cent of the torque to the front wheels, the car provides ample grip and you can literally dive into a corner, shed a little speed and power out, instead of applying the typical slow-in/fast-out technique. At first you fight hard to get the car out of shape and we were clearly told not to touch the ESP button. The more rubber we laid on the track in our attempt to get the car out of shape, the more I realised why it wasn’t adviseable. Diving deep into corners, in Sport, the tail twitched out ever so slightly, so to raise the bar a bit more, I shifted into Corsa.
Corsa is like digging deep into the bowels of the Aventador. There is a rapid change in behaviour and the first signs are those explosive gearshifts, combined with a stinging pain at the base of your neck. The new ISR gearbox isn’t like modern-day dual clutches, but I’d pick it for making the driver a part of the action in the most natural manner possible. The shifts are outrageously quick, and until yesterday I thought that the Gallardo’s e-gear setup wasn’t half bad either. Every gearshift becomes a fight to keep it clean and smooth, but it’s your backside that begs for its life, even before you worry about looking foolish in front of the world press. Yet, Corsa has one last trick under its sleeve. Approaching the back straight complex at Vallelunga is a left-handed hairpin and letting more gas than I should have the tail stepped out more than I’d imagined – there was very little electronic intervention as I caught the steering on correction. It’s at that point that you know that the drama is still there – all pervading.
I can’t help but wonder how the 1600 lucky souls around the world (11 in India) may be feeling right now. All I can tell them is this – they’ve invested in, what is without an iota of doubt, the best super sportscar in the world right now.
LAMBORGHINI AVENTADOR
POWERTRAIN
Displacement: 6498cc, V12
Max power: 691 bhp@8250 rpm
Max torque: 70.4 kgm@5500 rpm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic, AWD STEERING
Type: Servotronic with three modes
Turning radius: 6.25 m SUSPENSION
Front & Rear: Double wishbones, coil springs, pushrod, anti-roll bar BRAKES
Front: 400 mm carbon-ceramic discs
Rear: 380 mm carbon-ceramic discs
It’s pure drama. At the end of the back straight at Vallelunga, nearing 240 kph, the Aventador isn’t the kind of car you want to mess around with. In Corsa mode, each gearshift is the equivalent of launching a precision-guided bomb – aimed to hurt the driver’s neck. At 50 milliseconds a shift, the Aventador isn’t forgiving and after having tried my repertoire of driving skills (back-off shifts, part-throttle shifts, full-bore shifts), I admitted defeat.
Nothing prepares you for what Lamborghini has achieved with the Aventador. It’s the most deceptive supercar on sale today. One moment, it’s the Grim Reaper, with all those slashes and lack of curves, and the next moment it drives like an Audi R8 – easy to drive and live with. But of course, Giorgio Sanna, Lamborghini’s new Valentino Balboni, hasn’t yet told you that you are still stuck in Spada mode, where the gearshifts feel tame and the car is, well, a large German limousine at best.
I kid you not, I spent no more than two of my 14 laps around Vallelunga in Corsa. At that point, the shifts turn violent, the power delivery alters and the ESP partially cuts off. There’s no telling when you’ve crossed 100 kph, but the spec sheet says 2.9 seconds. Every single shift makes your neck cry out for relief, so you do the more sensible thing and shift to Sport, which gives you the best of both worlds. It’s at this point that you realise how much Lamborghini has changed.
The Aventador isn’t a supercar; it borders on what I’d like to call a teaser hypercar. 691 bhp in a Lamborghini is like putting all those hooves on a shopping cart – it trots like the devil’s own ride. In Roma Capitale’s city centre, parked next to the Murcielago SV, which incidentally till yesterday, was strictly X-rated material, the predecessor gets pushed down to the ‘barely teen’ category. The Aventador looks like it will re-arrange everything, navel downwards. There are so many cuts, edges and sharp surfaces, it’s easy to hurt yourself standing close to it.
It also has enough scoops to keep you interested, especially the ducts just aft of the scissor doors that are probably the largest cooling ducts I have ever seen on a production car. The Y-shaped LED string in the headlamps add to the aggression and yes, those huge spider web wheels just complete the picture of brutality. Like every other Lambo, there are details that are not entirely visible at first, like the four-exhaust tail ends within the aluminium housing at the rear, or the fact that a rear spoiler is deployed electronically, depending on speed and mode.
Lamborghini has also gone ahead and developed a carbon-fibre monocoque, resting on aluminium subframes for the car. A phenomenal 70 per cent of the construction of the monocoque is carbon fibre, with the doors, bonnet and bumper made of aluminium. There is also lots of thermoplastic in places, and when replaced with carbon fibre, the car will be badged an SV! But before that we’ll see the drop-top next year, and it will be really fascinating to see how rigid it can truly be, because Lamborghini claim that the hard-top is one of the most rigid cars on sale today.
You still need to twist, contort and even warp your lower limbs before entering the Aventador. The scissor doors are the only thing in common with the Murcielago, for once inside, you will appreciate the fact that this is the most logically laid out Lambo in half a century. Everything falls to hand beautifully and the driving position itself is flawless, a rare feat for a car with the Raging Bull crest. The LED instrumentation has nice use of colours, but can appear gimmicky. Flick a button and the rev-counter is replaced by the speedo and vice-versa, though you may eventually prefer keeping the rev-counter smack bang in your line of sight. Stunningly crafted, there’s the start button behind a flip switch, akin to the Noble M600’s traction control switch.
For pure Lamborghini drama, however, you need to crank the engine. Once you do, the air is greeted by a bellowing V12, whose bark will remain etched in your memory forever. The 6.5-litre V12 is brand new and owes nothing to the Bizzarinni-engineered V12 in the Murcie. Its 60-degree bank sounds a bit ridiculous at first; then you realise they need that space to route the exhausts. It is also amazingly light, weighing just a little more than the body in white, the car itself boasting of a dry weight of just 1575 kg (about 1625-1650 kg kerb). The short-stroke layout helps it rev as high as 8250 rpm, and it produces very little internal friction.
Even standing still, the car sounds menacing. The electronically controlled exhaust has a two-stage setup, but crikey, even at low-pitch you feel like you are standing next to a grid filled with Le Mans racers. As the car burbled at Vallelunga’s pit area, I wondered what loud would be like and so rolled out behind one of the pace cars – a Superleggera LP 570-4. At first, it felt calm and composed, but as we exited the pits and Sanna went down two gears in the Gallardo, a game of cat and mouse began. What followed were frantic downshifts, the car leaping forward and letting go of some of its inhibitions. My first reaction was how perfectly light, yet precise the steering is. But what truly amazed me were the brakes. Approaching C2, a right-handed second-gear corner, it wasn’t so much the downshifts that were contributing to shedding the speed as it was the brakes. The carbon ceramic numbers may not have as much feel, but by god do they haul the 1.65-tonne car to sanity.
Everything with this car is about rigidity and bringing the experience closer to the driver. The pushrod suspension all around is something single-seat racers might swear by, and here at Vallelunga, it helped deliver the kind of handling characteristics that are just right. Coupled with a new Haldex-IV all-wheel drive system that transfers up to 35 per cent of the torque to the front wheels, the car provides ample grip and you can literally dive into a corner, shed a little speed and power out, instead of applying the typical slow-in/fast-out technique. At first you fight hard to get the car out of shape and we were clearly told not to touch the ESP button. The more rubber we laid on the track in our attempt to get the car out of shape, the more I realised why it wasn’t adviseable. Diving deep into corners, in Sport, the tail twitched out ever so slightly, so to raise the bar a bit more, I shifted into Corsa.
Corsa is like digging deep into the bowels of the Aventador. There is a rapid change in behaviour and the first signs are those explosive gearshifts, combined with a stinging pain at the base of your neck. The new ISR gearbox isn’t like modern-day dual clutches, but I’d pick it for making the driver a part of the action in the most natural manner possible. The shifts are outrageously quick, and until yesterday I thought that the Gallardo’s e-gear setup wasn’t half bad either. Every gearshift becomes a fight to keep it clean and smooth, but it’s your backside that begs for its life, even before you worry about looking foolish in front of the world press. Yet, Corsa has one last trick under its sleeve. Approaching the back straight complex at Vallelunga is a left-handed hairpin and letting more gas than I should have the tail stepped out more than I’d imagined – there was very little electronic intervention as I caught the steering on correction. It’s at that point that you know that the drama is still there – all pervading.
You go back to the track for one last time, one last high. So you leave it in Sport and enjoy the car as it is meant to be. And boy, does it come together in a manner which shows why Lamborghinis have become poster objects of young men for generations. There is a sense of drama in everything that happens – the gearshifts, the way the grip builds even as the Aventador you are driving is now on its third set of tyres for the day. There is still an explosion every time you pin the throttle and shift the gears, yet Lamborghini has just made the process that much easier, smoother and slicker. The manic power delivery and the loony-ness when you overdo it is more restrained, but it’s every bit the Lamborghini modern-day drivers will learn to appreciate.
I can’t help but wonder how the 1600 lucky souls around the world (11 in India) may be feeling right now. All I can tell them is this – they’ve invested in, what is without an iota of doubt, the best super sportscar in the world right now.
LAMBORGHINI AVENTADOR
POWERTRAIN
Displacement: 6498cc, V12
Max power: 691 bhp@8250 rpm
Max torque: 70.4 kgm@5500 rpm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic, AWD STEERING
Type: Servotronic with three modes
Turning radius: 6.25 m SUSPENSION
Front & Rear: Double wishbones, coil springs, pushrod, anti-roll bar BRAKES
Front: 400 mm carbon-ceramic discs
Rear: 380 mm carbon-ceramic discs
TYRES
255/35 ZR 19 (f), 335/30 ZR 20 (r)
255/35 ZR 19 (f), 335/30 ZR 20 (r)
DIMENSIONS
L/W/H (mm): 4780/2030/1136
Wheelbase: 2700 mm
Kerb weight: 1625-1650 kg (est)
L/W/H (mm): 4780/2030/1136
Wheelbase: 2700 mm
Kerb weight: 1625-1650 kg (est)
PERFORMANCE
0-100 kph: 2.9 secs
0-200 kph: 8.9 secs
0-300 kph: 24.5 secs
Top speed: 350 kph
0-100 kph: 2.9 secs
0-200 kph: 8.9 secs
0-300 kph: 24.5 secs
Top speed: 350 kph
Second shot
What our roving supercar specialist, NICK HALL thinks about the Aventador
At 240 kph, on the main straight of Vallelunga, with a 6.5-litre V12 wailing in my ear, objectivity falls by the wayside and I find myself giggling and dancing in the seat. On lap two, only the g-forces pushing me into the bucket seat stops me licking the Lamborghini Aventador’s window. There is just something special about a Lamborghini, an emotional overload that renders normal judgment useless. If it were an animal it would be, well, a bull, and that just hands down kicks the bejesus out of a horse. Rohin is going to tell you all about the hard stuff that requires research and more than a passing glance at the tech spec. That frees me up on this rare occasion to talk pure theatre, which is what this car is all about.
It’s a perfect Molotov cocktail of control, explosive power and noise – oh my god, the noise. You can really hear induction, pistons and exhaust gases at work and as the seven-speed slams home the next gear and almost shunts the whole car sideways with the sheer violence of the move, the sheer madness of the thing has me grinning like a maniac. It’s quick, it’s 691 bhp with a 0-100 kph time of 2.9 seconds and a top speed of 350 kph. Speed is a given, but it’s all about the total crushing authority with which it lays that power down, and the shocked double take I have to do halfway down the straight as the car blasts through 200 kph and just keeps going. Weirdly enough, it’s not a perfect car – there’s way too much visible plastic for my liking on a car this costly.
None of this matters, though. Aventador owners might take their car on track occasionally, and they’ll have fun, but it’s a road car designed to make an outrageous impression and announce to the rest of the Billionaire Boys’ Club that they have, indeed, arrived. And should they arrive at a suitably long straight and plant the throttle to the floor, any objectivity will fall by the wayside as the outrageous numbers plough into that TFT speedo and a little bit of dribble slides down the window…
What our roving supercar specialist, NICK HALL thinks about the Aventador
At 240 kph, on the main straight of Vallelunga, with a 6.5-litre V12 wailing in my ear, objectivity falls by the wayside and I find myself giggling and dancing in the seat. On lap two, only the g-forces pushing me into the bucket seat stops me licking the Lamborghini Aventador’s window. There is just something special about a Lamborghini, an emotional overload that renders normal judgment useless. If it were an animal it would be, well, a bull, and that just hands down kicks the bejesus out of a horse. Rohin is going to tell you all about the hard stuff that requires research and more than a passing glance at the tech spec. That frees me up on this rare occasion to talk pure theatre, which is what this car is all about.
It’s a perfect Molotov cocktail of control, explosive power and noise – oh my god, the noise. You can really hear induction, pistons and exhaust gases at work and as the seven-speed slams home the next gear and almost shunts the whole car sideways with the sheer violence of the move, the sheer madness of the thing has me grinning like a maniac. It’s quick, it’s 691 bhp with a 0-100 kph time of 2.9 seconds and a top speed of 350 kph. Speed is a given, but it’s all about the total crushing authority with which it lays that power down, and the shocked double take I have to do halfway down the straight as the car blasts through 200 kph and just keeps going. Weirdly enough, it’s not a perfect car – there’s way too much visible plastic for my liking on a car this costly.
None of this matters, though. Aventador owners might take their car on track occasionally, and they’ll have fun, but it’s a road car designed to make an outrageous impression and announce to the rest of the Billionaire Boys’ Club that they have, indeed, arrived. And should they arrive at a suitably long straight and plant the throttle to the floor, any objectivity will fall by the wayside as the outrageous numbers plough into that TFT speedo and a little bit of dribble slides down the window…
Save Fuel - Save Future
The fuel saving tricks we use are now being seen in European cars with astonishing regularity.
Saving fuel has finally become top priority for carmakers, even the ones in the US of A! About time too, I would say. We Indians are past masters in making fuel stretch for as far as it would go, and the manufacturers who offer us products that help us do just that are the most successful in the country. So it’s not a coincidence that Maruti Suzuki and Hero Honda are the volume leaders in India.
The fuel saving tricks we use are now being seen in European cars with astonishing regularity. It’s like the Westerners discovering the benefits of recycling while we have been doing it all along, and that too, doing it well. The raddi-wallah should be an international institution.
When it comes to vehicles, shutting down the engine at traffic signals was something we used to do naturally. Today, that function is electronically governed and start/stop is seen in cars across price ranges. Many bikers and drivers shut off their engine while coasting. Today, the Audi Q3 has a coasting feature that disengages the clutch. Shifting to a higher gear as early as possible is something our grandparents and parents used to do decades back. Today, automatics try doing just that or manuals come with shift indicators. And how many fleet taxi drivers we have seen who shut down the AC during a long drive. Now that function is governed by the car’s electronic brain.
Okay, so we’ve been there and done that. But we can learn a few more tricks, right? So here are some fuel saving tips from someone who’s an authority on it – at least in the West, because I am sure that Narayanan Menon who got 46.33 km from his Tata Manza QuadraJet would have more relevant ideas for us. http://bsmotoring.com/storypage.php?autono=3636
Anyway, here’s something Skoda sent out in May this year. Gerhard Plattner drove a standard Skoda Fabia GreenLine from Reutte in Austria to Bov in Denmark and back via Germany – a distance of 2,006 km in just one tankful. His average fuel consumption was similar to Menon’s – 45.45 kpl. So here are Plattner’s tips on saving fuel. Not all of it is relevant to us, but it’s important you take a look if you’re interested in saving fuel:
1. Don’t let the engine warm up while the car is stationary. Even in the coldest winter, you can begin driving modern cars right after the start of the engine. If you don’t run up the engine to its maximum speed, you will lower both environmental pollution as well as the consumption of your vehicle. Putting on your seatbelt before starting the engine will also save you fuel.
2. Drive with foresight. Any person approaching red traffic lights without slowing down, then abruptly hitting the brakes, and continuing on at full throttle once the light turns green can be seen at gas stations more frequently than a driver choosing a speed that corresponds to the traffic situation.
3. Turn off the engine even for short stops. Turning off the engine while waiting before a closed railroad crossing or even during short stops not only protects the environment, but your wallet as well. In some cities, additional traffic lights inform drivers how long the red phase will continue to last. The fear of wearing out the starter due to frequent starts is unfounded – it is designed for several tens of thousands of start ups.
4. Avoid driving at high rpm. The lower the engine speed, the lower the fuel consumption as well. Once you’ve set the car in motion, quickly shift into higher gears until have you reached the desired speed. Coasting in the highest gear not only lowers the noise level and the emission of pollutants, but the fuel costs as well.
5. Drive at an even speed. Unnecessary acceleration costs a lot of fuel. The most convenient way of driving is with the cruise control set. The disadvantage is that – contrary to you – it cannot think. The following tip explains what that means for the fuel consumption of your car.
6. Adjust your way of driving to the terrain. If you are driving on a hilly road, you should already ensure, as you go downhill, that your car reaches a speed that allows for the climb to begin with as much momentum as possible. In that case, the engine has to work less and runs more economically.
7. Pay attention to the proper tyre pressure. Low tyre pressure leads to the kneading of tires. Not only does that reduce their service life, it also increases fuel consumption by up to ten per cent. Due to their higher rolling friction, winter tyres with a coarse tread automatically cause higher fuel consumption.
8. Do not carry any unnecessary dead weight with you. If you drive around with unnecessary load in your trunk, you’re wasting money. Depending on the vehicle, 100 kilograms of additional weight “cost” about 0.7 litres per 100 kilometres.
9. Avoid any unnecessary drag. Although a wheel or ski carrier on the roof of the car shows off your sporting attitude, it is a useless waster of fuel if it is not used. If you mount a luggage box on the roof in order to go on vacation, the fuel consumption may increase by up to twenty per cent, depending on the speed you're driving.
10. Make deliberate use of the airconditioning system. Operating an airconditioning system at full load in an upper middle class vehicle may increase fuel consumption by up to two litres per one hundred kilometres. Driving with an open side window only causes an insignificant decrease of the inside temperature. But the fuel consumption is higher than when the airconditioning system is running. Not to mention the reduced comfort due to the draft and loud wind noises.
Bentley Continental GT unveiling at the 2010 Paris Motor Show
Eight years after the unveiling of the first generation Bentley Continental GT at the Paris Motor Show, the crispier and bolder looking next generation version of the iconic 4-seat coupe was recently showcased to the public for the very first time at the 2010 edition of the very same Paris Expo in Porte de Versailles. Here is the official video of the wraps being taken off the new Continental GT.
Source : http://www.zigwheels.com/gallery/news/bentley-continental-gt-unveiling-at-the-2010-paris-motor-show/8160/1
Source : http://www.zigwheels.com/gallery/news/bentley-continental-gt-unveiling-at-the-2010-paris-motor-show/8160/1
New Ford Fiesta : Design and Special Features Explained
Design Manager for the new Ford Fiesta sedan, Andrew Collinson gives us a a tour of the dynamic design and unique features that sets this car a notch above the competition
Source : http://www.zigwheels.com/gallery/news/new-ford-fiesta-design-and-special-features-explained/8946/1
Agreement with Chevrolet Circuit - Yas Marina ....... Abu Dhabi
Camaro SS : the official car of the Academy of racing in Aldrag Yas
Chevrolet signs agreement for four years with the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi
Chevrolet entered into an agreement to a term of four years with the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi to be the Camaro so the official car of the Academy of racing Aldrag in the ring , a move that reflects a passion for Chevrolet and its relationship to the close racing cars.
The Academy received Yas Aldrag six cars racing Camaro SS form the basis of building a new generation of racing drivers Aldrag in the region.
Constructed Academy Yas racing Aldrag in 2010 to train and graduate a new generation of racing driver Aldrag in the region and refine their talents and then issue the license race is accredited by the National Hot Rod or NHRA which make them leading or even participating in races Aldrag on board one of the four cars Super Comp Super Comp (the fastest races in the Super categories Aldrag, characterized by the structure of tubular single-seat). Therefore, the Camaro SS cars will be provided to the Academy of the six best start to a new generation of drivers before sitting behind the wheel of super cup dragster with a minimum strength for the 1,200 horsepower.
In this context, commented Rashid Al Qubaisi, President of the Academy Yas racing Aldrag said: "We are delighted Camaro SS to the training program, as it is a sports car iconic a prestigious position in our region, not only that, but a car is ideal for refining the talents of drivers racing Aldrag and training the origins and rules of this
Sports. We have included leadership training program for the Camaro racing Aldrag within the list of programs Yas leadership provided by the ring, and I am confident that the program will lead the Camaro very popular among local drivers. "
All About McLaren F1
McLaren F1 is the most powerful supercar produced by McLaren between the years 1994-1998, from the 100 cars: 65 are street versions, 5 are LMs (which was build to honor victory at Le Mans in 1995) and 3 are Gts (the road versions of the 1997 F1 GTR racing car) and 28 F1 GTR made for the roads.
Power? Here is a good question, the car has the power output at 627 horsepower or has an imperial HP. The super car is powered by an 6 L V12 engine built by BMW, 627 HP at 7400 rmp, same as road car version.
The car has a top speed of 386 km/h or 240 mph (very good speed for 1994) and can reach a speed of 100 km/h in 3.2 seconds, 200 km/h in 6.7 seconds and 300 km/h in 30 seconds. The McLaren F1 was the fastest car in the world until Bugatti Veyron was introduced.
When it was first introduced, it was priced at $970,000. This type of car is not produced anymore and it is very rare to find one of these on the market.
Specifications
Vehicle Type: - production car, two doors coupe
Price: - $970,000
Configuration: - Mid Engine / RWD
Engine: - V12
Capacity: - 6064 cc
Torque: - 479 lb-ft at 4000 rmp
Horsepower: - 627 bhp at 7400 rpm
Transmission: - 6-speed manual
Wheelbase: - 107
Length: - 168.9 inches
Width: - 71.7 inches
Height: - 44.9 inches
Weight: - 2513 lbs
0-60 mph: - 3.2 sec
Top speed: - 240 mph
Mustang Unleashed [HD]
Joseph Cram was just 13 when he and his dad, Ralph, were making plans to take their ’68 Mustang on the ultimate father/son road trip. But times got tough and his dad had to sell their dream car. Their plans went with it. Enter The ’10 Unleashed. Check out their story.
Source : www.facebook.com/ford
Rally America 2010 Mustang Race [HD]
J.B. Niday is the Managing Director for Rally America. Two of his friends – Mike Hurst and Mark Utecht – have both owned and raced the same 1984 Fox–Body Mustang. That is, until Mark rolled it last year and totaled it.
So J.B. had an idea. Let both of his friends rally race a 2010. They both showed up at the Max Attack – Mark racing in the actual event. But they didn’t know they’d be going against each other until after the awards ceremony. Watch as both men get to unleash their Mustang sides in a rally car that’s anything but rally car size.
Source : http://www.facebook.com/fordmustang?ref=ts
The New 2011 Mustang V6. 0 to 60 Fast. F to E Slow. (Extended version) [HQ]
Ford is raising the bar on V6 power by rolling out the first ever 305-hp V6 to deliver 31 mpg hwy*. Through innovative Twin Independent Variable Cam Timing (TiVCT) technology, this easy-breathing 3.7L V6 makes the most of its transfer of power from air, fuel and exhaust. More efficiency. More muscle. So leave the fast lane open. The new pony is hitting the street with a combination of performance and fuel economy that can’t be beat.
*EPA-estimated 19 city/31 hwy/23 combined mpg. Coupe model with available six-speed automatic transmission. Sports cars vs. 2010 models.
Source : http://www.facebook.com/fordmustang?ref=ts
The New 2011 Mustang V6. 0 to 60 Fast. F to E Slow. [HQ]
Be one of the first to view the 2011 Mustang television commercial airing on American Idol tonight!
Ford is raising the bar on V6 power by rolling out the first ever 305-hp V6 to deliver 31 mpg hwy*. Through innovative Twin Independent Variable Cam Timing (TiVCT) technology, this easy-breathing 3.7L V6 makes the most of its transfer of power from air, fuel and exhaust. More efficiency. More muscle. So leave the fast lane open. The new pony is hitting the street with a combination of performance and fuel economy that can’t be beat.
*EPA-estimated 19 city/31 hwy/23 combined mpg. Coupe model with available six-speed automatic transmission. Sports cars vs. 2010 models.
BMW Motorrad - The S 1000 RR. Planning and Production. [HQ]
Have a look at the planning and production of our superbike – the BMW S 1000 RR – in this video:
BMW Motorrad - BMW S1000 RR. Dinner for RR. [HQ]
From zero to 100km/h (62 mph) in just 2.9 seconds sounds very nice. But would that help in our XXXL-experiment ?
Don't try this at home with your dishes. Or your mom's ones.
BMW Motorrad - Model Giannina
Check out this behind-the-scenes video from the shoot with Giannina! The twenty-two year old Model took some time out from her university course in Event and Music Management to model the official BMW Motorrad Days merchandise. Apart from modeling and studying she loves spending time with family and friends, playing sports and visiting the countryside.
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