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Audi TT Coupe more details revealed

Published by on Mar 16th, 2012, No Comments

Having previously been scooped, here are a few more details about the 2014 Audi TT that reveal a car that is even more dynamic and powerful that the car it is replacing.

Although this Audi TT Mk3 version will not be encroaching on the R8, it does move further upmarket and reduces the terrain for the proposed mid-engined R5 developed by Porsche. Porsche, which could become part of VW before the end of the year has always kept a close eye on on the iconic TT which rivals that of the Boxster and Cayman models.

The new TT is based on the 20% more cost- and space-efficient MQB components set pioneered by the new A3 and VW Golf. Although Audi has in the past toyed with additional TT bodystyles like a shooting brake (Tokyo 2005) and a spyder (Wörthersee 2007), projected sales volumes don´t seem to justify anything but a status quo mix of hard and soft top and so the TT retains the character and the unmistakable proportions of the current vintage.

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GMC reveals 2013 Terrain Denali

Published by on Mar 15th, 2012, No Comments

While GMC’s Denali trim is a hit, for some reason the brand’s most popular crossover still doesn’t display GMC‘s signature grille. This is all about to change with the introduction of the 2013 Terrain Denali.

In the official press release, Tony DiSalle, U.S. vice president of GMC Marketing said that ”Denali is growing fast. With seven different models, sales for this brand within a brand increased 79 percent from 2010 to 2011. With this in mind, the decision to create a more-upscale Terrain was an easy one.”

In addition to the chrome grille, the upgraded Denali will also feature 19-inch wheels (V6 model only), satin chrome accents, body colour rocker panels and front and rear fascias, new headlights and taillights and a dual exhaust.  The top terrain’s interior will also show-off some high end design with a leather-wrapped steering wheel with mahogany wood accents, a soft-touch instrument panel with French stitching, Denali-embossed leather seats and illuminated Denali sill plates.

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Volvo Installs Pedestrian Airbag

Published by on Mar 14th, 2012, No Comments

Swedish car manufacturer Volvo build some of the safest cars on the roads, protecting passengers from injury or worse. Now, the company has gone even further to protect not only those in the car but pedestrians at risk as well, with a new pedestrian airbag. The additional airbag will be built in to all new V40 models.

In addition to a long list of new features designed to protect the passengers, the new V40 will ensure that the chances of a driver hitting a pedestrian are lessened, and if it does happen, their chances of survival are increased. Volvo has also equipped the hatchback with a lane keeping aid which actively assists drivers to stay on course and sensors to assess if a pedestrian steps out into the road in front of a car.

More specifically a Pedestrian Detection system uses a combination of grill-mounted radar and a video camera to detect and recognize a person in the vehicle’s path. It can also gauge if they’re moving and based on the car’s current speed, whether the two are on a collision course. If so, an alarm will alert the driver of the potential danger. What’s more, if there is no time for the driver to break in time, the car will simply do it on its own.

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2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Dodge Charger Unveiled

Published by on Mar 13th, 2012, No Comments

Dodge has officially unveiled the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Charger that follows in the footsteps of the 2013 Ford Fusion Cup car, with styling and detailing that’s more true to the street car than the generic silhouettes being run by all teams this season.

NASCAR President Mike Helton said that ”We know NASCAR fans are passionate about cars. We’re excited about the results of the collective efforts of NASCAR, Dodge and the other manufacturers to create the 2013 Sprint Cup cars. The 2013 Dodge Charger race car design is a great example of what we look forward to seeing on the race track next season. We thank Dodge and all the manufacturers for their efforts, as we see the results here today with the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Dodge Charger.”

At the ceremony, SRT CEO Ralph Gilles was upbeat about the new race car’s prospects for next season, saying that there’s already a lot of interest from different Cup outfits, and that he expects to announce which team or teams will be running the car in 2013 by mid-summer.

Source: Autoblog

The Story of the Pagani Huayra

Published by on Mar 12th, 2012, No Comments

Since first making its official debut at the Geneva Motor Show in 2011, one year on, the first examples of the Pagani Huayra are ready to be delivered to customers around the world.

In the U.S. however, customers will have to wait a little longer as Pagani deal with local regulatory certification, although the company is confident that the vehicles will arrive at their shores in 2013.

To get enthusiasts excited about the arrival of the new supercar, Pagani has released a short documentary film highlighting the Huayra’s development and manufacturing process.

As Pagani explains, art and science, two disciplines that must walk together, hand in hand, have helped shape the design of the Huayra. This can be seen directly in the aerodynamic body, which has been designed to mimic the pattern of flowing wind. Even the car’s name is taken from the ancient name for a South American god of wind.

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BMW i3 electric hatchback for 2013

Published by on Mar 9th, 2012, No Comments

The production version of BMW’s i3 electric hatchback will be ready for 2013.

The team, headed by Ulrich Kranz is already well into prototyping with both i3 and i8 undergoing early on-road trials in Miramas, BMW‘s own proving ground near Marseilles, and near the Arctic Circle. First spy shots taken of the car, show a heavily camouflaged vehicle that still fails to disguise its radical proportions, large-diameter skinny wheels and the extrovert aerodynamics

The BMW i programme has been a huge undertaking for BMW, not only because of the revolutionary engineering and design concept, but also because of the scale of the whole operation which will include the production of about 100, 000 vehicles per year.

The i3 will also be joined by the i1, i5 and i8 to round up the model range that will have a significant impact on the emerging green car market. The proposed i range features: The i3 four-door hatchback in late 2013, the i8 two-door 2+2-seater coupe in early 2014, The i5 high-roof long-wheelbase five-seater wagon/MPV hybrid potentially in 2015 and the i1 2+2-seater short-wheelbase city car potentially in 2016.

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Bentley’s EXP 9 F Luxury SUV Revealed

Published by on Mar 8th, 2012, No Comments

Bentley has been hinting at the possibility of a full-size luxury SUV for a few years now and it recently became a reality at this year’s Geneva Motor Show. Of course, still in its concept form, the British auto manufacturer’s new vehicle named the EXP 9 F will bring the company a lot of attention – whether negative or positive.

The company is calling the concept car a “compelling new take on the Grand Touring Bentley”, one that could possibly give birth to a third model line joining the existing Mulsanne and Continental lines. Bentley likes to think that the car will be “equally at home at an opera gala performance, on the sand dunes and the overtaking lane of the autobahn.” However, it’ll be Bentley’s client base that determine the truth to that.

So why did the luxury auto maker go for an SUV? A reason for this includes that most of Bentley’s customers already own SUVs as the car becomes more of a necessity than a fad. So, adding a high performance sports-utility vehicle to its lineup will attract new customers and pull more money from existing loyal client’s bank accounts.

Of course, Bentley couldn’t just create an SUV that would easily compete with others on the market, rather the  “EXP 9 F had to represent the absolute pinnacle of the sport utility sector, setting a new benchmark for this type of vehicle,” says director of design, Dirk van Braeckel.

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Lamborghini’s Aventador J Roadster

Published by on Mar 7th, 2012, No Comments

The stunning new Lamborghini Aventador J Roadster, recently revealed at the Geneva Motor Show, is not just a concept car but now a real one-off production vehicle.

It’s one thing to create a convertible version of the gorgeous Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4, it’s another thing entirely to take off the roof and the windscreen, fitting two small wind deflectors in front of the driver and passenger compartments as well as removing climate control and navigation. What you do get, however, is what Lamborghini calls “an utterly indescribable experience of power and dynamics.”

In order to save eight, the auto manufacturer has used a new carbon fibre fabric called “Carbonskin” that is apparently soft and supple enough to be used on the seats and interior trim.

Sold for the price of 2.1 million Euros, the Aventador uses the same 700-horsepower, 6.5-litre V12 as its hardtop kin” and Lamborghini states that the open-air J will reach speeds as high as 186 miles per hour.”

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