Hyundai i40 sketched ahead of Geneva debut

 

Hyundai i40

Hyundai has lifted the lid on its new i40 model four months before it is due to make its first public appearance at the Geneva auto show in March.

The new European market model, which shares its underpinnings with the latest Sonata, is aimed directly at popular D-segment cars like the Ford Mondeo, Opel Insignia and Volkswagen Passat.

Previewed by the Genus concept, the i40 was styled and developed at Hyundai’s European R&D centre in Weissbaden, Germany.

It will  go on sale across Europe in wagon form in May. A sedan, expected to be unveiled at the Frankfurt auto show next September, will reach showrooms around six months later. Initial engine choices will include a 2.0-litre four-cylinder direct injection gasoline engine and a 1.7-litre four-cylinder common rail diesel in at least two states of tune.   

Lamborghini LP834. Murcielago replacement nears

Lamborghini has revealed the basic mechanical specification and performance numbers of its upcoming Murcielago replacement, currently known under the development title LP834 but heavily tipped to get the name Aventador LP700-4 in production. The new Sant'Agata supercar, the first to use Lamborghini's new generation V12 engine, is planned to get a public unveiling at the Geneva auto show in March.

Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-litre V12
Power: 691bhp (515kW) at 6800rpm
Torque: 506lb ft (690Nm) at 5500rpm
Weight: 3704lbs (1680kg)
Weight-to-power: 5.4lbs per bhp (3.3kg per KW)
Gearbox: seven-speed sequential manual
Drive: four-wheel drive
0-62mph (0-100km/h): 2.8sec
Top speed: 217mph (349km/h)
Fuel consumption: 13.7mpg (17.2L/100km)

New Ford Territory shapes up

Ford Australia has released a sketch revealing a heavily restyled version of the Territory set to go on sale Downunder in June.
The popular crossover, originally launched in 2004, receives a more contemporary front end featuring the latest take on Ford’s Kinetic design lineage, with angular headlamps and a double grille incorporated into a large front bumper similar to that seen on the European market Fiesta, Focus and Mondeo.
In a move that hints that the new styling treatment is also likely to appear on other models in the Blue Oval’s global line-up, Ford Australia says the new-for-2011 Territory is instantly recognizable as a member of the company’s Oval’s expanding vehicle family, going as far as to suggest it provides a glimpse into the future of its global SUV styling. We’ll have to wait until closer to the Territory’s launch to see just what changes Ford has made to the sides and rear, although the new model is expected to share the same doors, glasshouse and design and tailgate structure as the existing model.

Current Ford Territory to be replaced
by heavily restyled model (above) in June

Apart from its new appearance, the big news surrounding the Territory is the arrival of a diesel engine option alongside the existing 4.0-litre in-line six-cylinder gasoline unit, which develops 255bhp (190kW) in naturally aspirated form and 329bhp (245) in top of the line turbocharged guise.
The 2.7-litre V6 is sourced from Land Rover delivers in the region of 188bhp (140kW) along with 328lb ft of torque (445Nm) – some 46lb ft (63Nm) more than the naturally aspirated version of the Territory's gasoline engine for improved towing capability and reduced consumption. The new Territory sits on the same sturdy underpinnings as its predecessor and will once again offer the choice between rear- and four-wheel drive.

Chrysler 300: new interior image hits the internet

First image: new Chrysler 300 interior
 (click to enlarge)

The first image showing the new Chrysler 300’s interior has made its way on the internet, revealing the heavily reworked dashboard, revised instruments, greater attention to detail, higher quality trims and new tech features, including a touch screen monitor, we can expect to see when the new sedan bows at the Detroit auto show.

Honda sketches new Civic ahead of Detroit auto show unveiling

Honda has revealed the aggressive front end styling of its ninth generation Civic in this official sketch of the new compact sedan ahead of a planned unveiling at the Detroit auto show. 

Porsche reveals new 911 GT3 RSR

Porsche’s Motorsport department has revealed a reworked version of the 911 GT3 RSR, as campaigned in the American Le Mans Series among myriad other sportscar championships around the globe.
Wearing a price tag of $644,155 (€487,900) ex-factory, the hugely successful 911 GT3 RSR has been subtly tweaked both mechanically and aerodynamically in a bid to keep it competitive through the 2011 racing season.
With a 4.0-litre version of Porsche’s classic horizontally opposed six-cylinder engine running altered mapping as well as a redesigned exhaust and more efficient in-let manifold, the new 911 GT3 RSR is claimed to put out 449bhp (335kW) and 332lb ft (450Nm) of torque, representing a slight increase of 5bhp (4kW) and 15lb ft (20Nm) on its predecessor.

 Maximum power continues to be developed at 7800rpm. But that’s not the end of it. With lightweight internals, Porsche Motorsport says its latest race engine will pull all the way to 9400rpm before the onset of an electronic limiter. Changes to the aero package bring it up to date with the latest regulation changes, allowing a switch from 11-inch wide front wheels to new 12-inch wide items. Meanwhile, carbon fibre panels, plastic screens and a stripped out interior help keep weight at 2690lbs (1220kg) as permitted under the FIA’s GT3 regulations.
Recent rumours out of Porsche's Weissach based Motorsport department suggest Porsche may launch a road going version of the 911 GT3 RSR complete with a 4.0-litre flat six-cylinder engine. There's no official word yet from the German car maker, but officials have hinted the recently introduced 911 GTS is not the last of the current 997 series model. More info as it becomes available . . . - 10/12tAi

New F1 engine regs approved

World motorsport governing body FIA (Federation Internationale de l’Automobile) has approved a switch to turbocharged 1.6-litre four-cylinder gasoline engines with electric KERS (Kinetic Engery Recovery System) support from 2013.
The new engine formula will replace the existing naturally aspirated 2.4 V8 engine regulations as part of the FIA’s efforts to reduce consumption, lower emissions and bring on hybrid energy systems. The new F1 engine rule allows for revs to be limited to 12,000 – down from the 18,000 of today’s units.
However the use of KERS promises to keep power levels at current levels, with F1 engineers hinting at increased levels of torque owing to a combination of forced induction and electric motor assist. Each driver will only be permitted five engines per season from 2013, reduced to just four from 2014.

Turbocharged four-cylinder engines last appeared in F1 in 1988, with what was then a 1.5-litre formula -the most famous of which was BMW’s M12 unit. Used by Nelson Piquet in the Pamalat sponsored Brabham BT50 to win the 1982 World Driver’s Championship, it was the first F1 engine to deliver over 1000bhp (746kW) in racing trim, although was apparently capable of nearly 1400bhp (1044kW) in short life, high boost qualifying trim.

Jaguar boss: “We need a crossover”

Jaguar to move beyond traditional
sedans in bid to grow brand

Jaguar’s newly installed global brand director, Adrian Hallmark, has indicated the British car maker is looking beyond its traditional sedan line-up towards more modern crossover style models in a bid to stir global sales. “We need a crossover and we need to stop being a saloon-based company,” he told British publication Autocar.
Hallmark, who was vice president of Volkswagen’s North American operations before briefly moving to Saab earlier this year and then finally docking at Jaguar, sites a pressing need for Jaguar to appeal more to female and younger customers if it is to fulfill growth plans outlined by parent company Tata. “We need to attract more female and younger buyers to the brand, and we know female buyers are not so keen on low saloons and that they like cars in which they sit up high”, he says. Singling out the Infiniti FX as an example because it “makes a strong style statement”, Hallmark also hinted that a Jaguar crossover, or SUV as it would likely be positioned, could share technology with sister company, Land Rover.

Land Rover Sport: possible base for
new Jaguar crossover/SUV

One distinct possibility is a new Jaguar crossover sharing four-wheel drive underpinnings with the next Range Rover Sport - a move that would not only cut development costs and shorten lead times but also provide valuable on-going economies of scale between the two car makers.
Jaguar originally developed plans for a crossover under former owner, Ford. However, the lack of a suitable platform unitary construction platform was cited as the reason the new car, which was to compete head on with the BMW X5, never progress past an early conceptual stage of engineering.
Meanwhile, Hallmark has also let slip on Jaguar’s plans to provide existing models with four-wheel drive capability, suggesting it is required in order to boost sales on the potentially lucrative eastern coastal regions of North America and selected European countries, including Switzerland. He also confirms the imminent arrival of an XF wagon, which is likely to appear at next year's Geneva auto show.

Mitsubishi reveals sketches of new “global small” car



Mitsubishi's new "global small"car

Mitsubishi has released sketches of its new global small car to the media. To be produced in Thailand and China and exported to key world markets including India and South America, the new supermini will act as Mitsubishi’s future entry level model in many countries, slotting into its line-up underneath the Colt.
Secrecy surrounds the new car's mechanical specification but Mitsubishi is said to have developed its own unique front-wheel drive platform for the global small, which is due to go on sale in 2012. Earlier speculation suggested it may base the car on French joint-venture partner PSA’s (Peugeot Citroen) B-Zero underpinnings developed in partnership with Toyota and used by the 107, C1 and Aygo. However, this is now denied by Mitsubishi.

Power for the new car is planned to come from basic 1-litre three-cylinder and possibly a larger 1.2-litre four-cylinder gasoline engine mated to either five-speed manual gearbox or optional CVT (continuously variable transmission).
Mitsubishi says it is investing $535 million (€404 million) to produce the “global small” in Thailand, confirming plans for a new factory on its existing Chonburi site 62 miles (100km) south of Bangkok supporting an initial annual capacity of 150,000 cars per year. The new factory is Mitsubishi’s third in Thailand, and the Japanese carmaker’s first there in 16 years. A concept of the global small is expected to make an appearance at next year's Geneva auto show.

Official: BMW 1-series M coupe. 335bhp, 0-62mph in 4.9sec! All the details and images . . .



BMW 1-series M coupe (click to enlarge)

Here it is: the BMW 1-series M coupe.
Planned to get its first public airing at the Detroit auto show, the new two door’s task is to rekindle the driving magic created by the German car maker’s first ever M-car, the game changing E30 M3 launched in 1986. Loads to live up to, then! But with the highly acclaimed 135i coupe used as its base, BMW is confident the 1-series M coupe will make its presence felt in the compact performance car arena when it goes on sale in 2011.
The new BMW certainly looks the goods. With a deep new front bumper carrying industrial grade cooling ducts, a vertical body side crease and stylized M-logo incorporated into a repeater lamp within the front fenders, heavily flared wheel arches, chunkier sills underneath the doors, new mirrors, small trunk lid lip spoiler and edgier rear bumper – again with vertical vents, it is nothing but purposeful in appearance. Don’t go dreaming up wild paint schemes, though. Only three colors will be available: Alpine White non metallic, Sapphire Black metallic and the Valencia orange seen here.

We’ve known the new 1-series M coupe would run BMW’s existing M54 engine ever since it was driven by a group of journalists in prototype form in Spain last month. What we didn’t know was the twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre in-line six-cylinder gasoline engine is rated at the same 335bhp (250kW) and 332lb ft (450Nm) as the engine used in the Z4sDrive35iS. That’s 33bhp (25kW) and 37lb ft (50Nm) more than the 135i coupe, alongside which the new M-car will be assembled at BMW’s Leipzig manufacturing base in Germany.
Some perspective: with a kerb weight of 3296lb (1495kg), the new 1-series M coupe hauls 9.8lb for every bhp its engine produces (4.5kg/bhp). The 135i coupe has a more 10.6lb per bhp (4.8kg/bhp). A more telling comparison, however, is that of the larger and more expensive M3. Its naturally aspirated 4.0-litre V8 delivers 414bhp (309kW) , giving it a weight to power ratio of 8.4lb per bhp (3.8kg per bhp).
But while the 1-series M coupe can’t compete with its bigger brother on pure power, it possesses 38lb ft of torque (50Nm) more than the M3 and, crucially, it is developed 2400rpm earlier in the rev range at just 1500rpm. As a result, overall straightline performance is very similar.

To keep things simple and development costs down, BMW has chosen just one gearbox for its latest M-car: a conventional six-speed manual from Getrag. Contrary to speculation, there will not be an optional seven-speed double clutch transmission (DTC), as is now available on the 135i coupe. What buyers will get, though, is the M3’s electronically controlled rear differential, running a 3.15:1 final drive and offering 100 per cent lock up on over run.

The numbers? BMW quotes 0-62mph (100km/h) in 4.9sec, making the 1-series M coupe just 0.1sec slower than the M3 but 0.4sec faster than the 135i coupe up the strip. It’ll also hit 124mph (200km/h) in an impressive 17.3sec and run to a limited top speed of 155mph (250km/h). Combined consumption (on the European test cycle) is 24.5mpg (9.6L/100km).

Further details and all the official images after the jump . . .

MG3 to get Guangzhou unveiling



Production version of new MG3

MG is gearing up to unveil its contemporary new entry-level model at the Guangzhou auto show on December 20.

The MG3 supermini, codnamed ZP11 and revealed here outside parent company Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC), is the second all-new MG model to appear since the traditional British car maker’s sale by the defunct Rover Group to the Nanjing Automobile Group in 2005 – prior to a takeover of the Nanjing Automobile Group by SAIC in 2007, following on from the well received MG6 which went on sale in China earlier this year.

Previewed by the MG Zero concept car at this year’s Beijing auto show, the MG3 is planned to be sold with the choice of a 1.3- and 1.5-litre four-cylinder gasoline engine – both already in service in the SAIC produced Roewe 350. Gearbox choices will include a standard five-speed manual and optional four speed automatic from Japanese specialist Aisin.

Further images after the jump . . .

Volkswagen Polo R under development

Polo R due in 2012

Following a recent decision by Volkswagen chairman Martin Winterkorn to re-engineer the company’s widely used PQ25 platform to accept four-wheel drive, there is now word of a new range topping R version of the Polo doing the rounds of its  Braunschweig engineering base in Germany.
Expected to join the Golf R and Scirocco R in an expanded range of performance hatchbacks by the end of 2012, the Polo R will share its underpinnings, including a Haldex based multi-plate clutch four-wheel drive system, with the Audi S1, which is also likely to hit showrooms around the same time. Both cars are also set to use the same 7-speed dual shift gearbox (DSG).
By using the same system in two different models, Volkswagen hopes to recoup the high costs that have gone into modifying the PQ25 structure, following an earlier decision to engineer it only in front-wheel drive, in which form it is used by standard versions of Volkswagen Polo, Audi A1, Skoda Fabia and Seat Ibiza.
Further info after the jump

The ultimate Christmas present: Aston Martin One-77. Only 17 left . . .

Get in quick. Only 17 One-77s left . . .

If you’re hankering for the Aston Martin One-77 or have a loved one who is and have a cool $1.9 million burning a hole in your pocket you're advised to get your order in quick.
Aston Martin says it has already sold 60 of its spectacular range topping supercars, out of a limited production run of just 77.
Powered by the world’s most powerful naturally aspirated road car engine, a 7.3-litre V12 kicking out 740bhp and 553lb ft (750Nm) of torque, the 1500kg carbon fibre bodied One-77 is billed as the fastest series production Aston Martin ever.

Official figures put its 0-60mph (0-97km/h) time at 3.5sec and top speed at 220mph (354km/h). Interestingly, Aston Martin also says that more than half of the buyers of the One-77 have also ordered one of the company’s pint-sized Toyota iQ-based Cygnet city cars. In a bid to shift the remaining 17 One-77s planned for production, Aston Martin's sales department is now conducting a tour of a Asia.
   

Dagger GT aims for the stars

Dagger GT

New details have begun to emerge on the Dagger GT – a new two seat supercar that’s aiming to lift the world’s fastest car crown from the recently introduced Bugatti EB16.4 Veyron SuperSport, whose 268mph (431km/h) presently makes it the fastest road going series production car of all time.

According to US-based TranStar Racing, the company behind the new car, the Dagger GT is set to be geared to hit 314mph (505km/h) flat out – a mark that would, if achieved, raise the current mark by a remarkable 46mph (74km/h), or almost 17 per cent.

Taking into account drag losses, though, TranStar, expects the Dagger GT to hit something in the region of 298mph (480km/h). Planned to go into production at TranStar Racing in early 2011, with the first five cars planned to be completed by this time next year, the Dagger GT is powered by a heavily reworked version of General Motors’ LS7 engine, as used in the Corvette ZR1, modified by Nelson Racing Engine. In production guise it boasts a capacity of 6.2-litres, but TranStar has extended the bore and stroke to give it a whopping 9.4-litre swept volume. Other changes include the addition of two turbochargers from US firm Turbonetics. Mounted behind the Dagger GT’s two seat cockpit, the monster V8 is claimed to kick out 2000bhp and 1997lb ft (2710Nm) of torque.

With a projected kerb weight of 3000lb (1361kg), this translates to a weight-to-power ratio of 1.5lb per bhp (1.4bhp per kilogram). By comparison, the 1200bhp 8.0-litre W16 powered EB16.4 Veyron SuperSport possesses 3.4lb per bhp (0.6bhp per kilogram).  Transferring the mammoth reserves is a custom build six-speed manual transaxle from Mendeola Transaxles. It’s all theoretical at the moment, but TranStar, quotes a 0-60mph time of just 1.5sec and a standing quarter mile (400 metre) time of 6.6sec. The Dagger GT has a length of 192 inches (4880mm), width of 84 inches (2134mm) and height of 43.8 inches (1112mm). It also rides on a wheelbase of 106 inches (2692mm).    

Ford to reveal new SUV in Detroit. Escape and Kuga to be united in global push



Ford Kuga

Ford is planning to unveil a concept version of a new compact SUV at the upcoming 2011 Detroit auto show.

Conceived under the US-based car maker’s One Ford strategy that calls for single models to be sold globally under the one name, as with the most recent incarnation of the Fiesta as well as the new Focus and impressive C-Max MPV, the five seater SUV is set to replace the Escape in North American and the Kuga in Europe and other world markets when it goes into production in 2012.

Based on lengthened underpinning from the new third-generation Ford Focus – the C structure as it’s known to Blue Oval insiders, 

production versions of the concept to be shown in Detroit are set to receive a combination of turbocharged four-cylinder gasoline EcoBoost and diesel Duratorq engines. Also planned is a hybrid version of the new SUV.  More details as they become available . . .  

Ford Escape