Sunday, July 4, 2010

Happy Birthday USA!

There are few countries in the world I can think of that I would rather be a citizen of than the US of A. There are other countries which are great, and powerful, and free. But none of them are such good combination of the three.

I get a rush every time I read our founding words. Pure poetry:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,...

FIAT 500C Abarth & Punto Evo Abarth pricing announced (UK)

Fiat UK has announced that the Fiat 500C Abarth will start from £17,500 and the Punto Evo Abarth from £16,500. Both models will make their UK public debuts at the Goodwood Festival of Speed (FoS), before going on sale on Saturday 17th July.

The 500C Abarth is moved by a 1.4 litre turbocharged 4 cylinder engine, which provides 140bhp and a top speed of 127mph. The 500C Abarth can complete a 0-62mph time in 8.1 seconds, while returning 43mpg on the combined cycle.

The standard equipment on this pocket-rocket city car is 7 airbags, bi-xenon headlights, TTC (torque transfer control), rear parking sensors, Blue&Me, leather steering wheel and 16” alloy wheels and a 6 speed automated manual gearbox with paddle shifters.

The revised Punto Evo Abarth is powered by a meaty 165bhp 1.4 litre Turbo, which can hurry the car from 0-62mph in 7.9 seconds, with a top speed of 132mph, while giving more than 47mpg on the combined cycle.

Standard equipment includes 6 airbags, TTC, Eco Gear Shift Indicator (EGSI), sport switch, Start&Stop, 17” alloy wheels and Blue&Me.

New Car: 2011 Range Rover Evoque

This is the 2011 Range Rover Evoque, which was unveiled following an exclusive preview in London for 300 guests attending a 40th birthday celebration of Range Rover held in partnership with Vogue magazine. The guests included model Erin O'Connor and television presenter Gabby Logan, Prince and Princess Michael of Kent and Zara Phillips.

The Evoque will go on sale next Summer once it has bowed at the Paris motorshow on the 30th October. While Land Rover had remained tight-lipped about more details, we know the Range Rover will come in 2WD & 4WD and is the lightest, smallest and most frugal SUV in the firm’s line-up. The greenest Evoque will emit no more than 130g/km of CO2. 'The two-wheel-drive option will give customers the chance to benefit from lower entry-level pricing, plus CO2 and fuel-economy efficiencies,' said Popham. However, Land Rover has ditched its plans for a hybrid variant of the Evoque. Land Rover is working on hybrid systems and its first model to receive the system will be the next Range Rover in 2013.

The Evoque stays accurate to the LRX concept that was first shown two years ago. According to Land Rover design director Gerry McGovern, it is 'a modern and relevant execution of the familiar Range Rover design'.

Land Rover’s managing director, Phil Popham, said, ‘Customers can be confident that the new car will be premium, luxurious and just as special as the other Range Rover models. Its sporting looks and unique qualities will open the brand to a new group of customers who might not have considered a Range Rover before.’

Although no outsiders of Land Rover know what the car looked like before its launch, regardless of what it would cost, Land Rover says it has already taken deposits from buyers, and that it has received around 20,000 'expressions of interest' in the Evoque.

No interior photos have been revealed yet, but potential customers can expect the kind of premium and luxurious materials already found in other Range Rover models, according to the firm. Former Spice Girl, Victoria Beckham is now a creative design executive, and will be designing the interior of the Evoque. She described the new Range Rover as 'absolutely stunning' and that the chance to join forces on the design was 'an incredible opportunity'.

Land Rover and Range Rover design director Gerry McGovern said of Victoria Beckham: 'She knows a lot about fashion and a lot about trends, a lot about luxury products. I believe this appointment adds a new dimension to my design team as we continue to design products to appeal to a wider audience.'

"The all-new Land Rover Range Rover Evoque will be built at our multi-award winning plant in Halewood, creating 1,000 new jobs in the Merseyside area, a fantastic boost to the UK economy. The Halewood plant has a reputation for excellence and quality and is recognised throughout the industry as a leader in Lean Manufacturing.

"The all-new Land Rover Range Rover Evoque is a true global car and will be sold in over 160 countries. It was important to give the car a name that was instantly recognisable through language and cultural boundaries throughout the world. We wanted to create a new name which was innovative and different. A name which implies exclusivity and arouses emotions. Land Rover Range Rover Evoque is cosmopolitan and cross-continental, sophisticated and matches the car's urban elegance," he added.

Prices are expected to start at £35,000 for the 2WD and £40,000 for the 4WD. This would mean that the Evoque is at least £10,000 cheaper than the larger Range Rover Sport. While the Evoque is classed as a coupe, a more practical 5dr will join the range at a later date.

 
 
 
 
 












Photo Gallery: 2011 Volkswagen Touran

New for 2011 is the facelifted Touran compact MPV. The Touran made its public debut at the Leipzig motor show back in April. After selling more than 1.13m units across the world and dominating nearly 50% market share (in its segment) in Germany, the Touran ranks among the top five in its class in Europe.

The facelift consists of a restyled grill, bigger front body-coloured bumper and a set of new headlights, all of which echo the Golf Mk6. At the rear, the Touran now gets LED tail-lights as well as a new spoiler for better aerodynamics.

Internally, major changes start with the new multi-function steering wheel, improve cabin materials with more use of chrome and enhanced front-seat headrests, all of which are also borrowed of the Golf Mk6.

Under the hood on the petrol side is VW's new-developed 1.2 litre TSI with 105bhp and 175Nm (129lb/ft) of torque. Combined fuel economy is rated at 44.1mpg (6.4l/100km) with CO2 emissions of 149g/km. In Bluemotion form, 47.8mpg (5.9l/100km) combined can be achieved, with CO2 emissions of 139g/km. The 1.2 TSI will feature alongside the previous 138bhp and 168bhp 1.4 litre engines.

On the diesel end, the arrangement stays the same with two 1.6 litre engines with 89bhp (90PS) and 104bhp (105PS) and two 2.0 litre TDI diesels with 138bhp (140PS) and 168bhp (170PS). The 1.6 TDI CR 90PS engine will return 55.3mpg (5.1/100km) combined. The Touran Bluemotion uses a 1.6 TDI CR 104bhp engine and has a combined fuel economy of 61.4mpg (4.6l/100km), while emitting 121g/km of CO2. The 2.0 TDI CR 170bhp is mated to a 7 speed DSG gearbox, while it’s optional on other engines, which gets a standard 6 speed manual.

A new feature added to the Touran is VW's Dynamic Light Assist, which helps control the headlamps' lighting so it doesn’t dazzle oncoming vehicles, while not compromising visibility for the driver. Standard features vary with each trim-level but include air-conditioning, radio/CD with MP3, x4 electric windows, light & rain sensors, auto-dimming rear-view mirror, chrome interior trim, black roof rails, multi-function leather steering wheel, 16” alloy wheels, front fog lamps, multi-function colour display and Alcantara interior.

Optional features consist of adaptive bi-xenon headlamps, metallic paint, panoramic glass sunroof, rear-view camera, RNS 315 touch-screen satellite navigation system and DCC dynamic chassis control.

The VW Touran will also see its price rise to £17,000 (€19,367) from £15,800 (€18,000) when it goes on sale during August in Germany, Autumn for rest of Europe.

 
 










Transport expenditure cuts may cost lives (UK)

Road safety organisation, Brake has advised that the Chancellor's 25% slash in transport expenditure and safety funding could produce more road casualties and cost extra money.

The charity says that axing 25% of Government spending by 2014, along with instant cuts of nearly £40m in safety grants, is a 'concern for the future of life-saving road safety measures'.

'Brake believes that the cuts could contribute to a rise in casualties and costs to the emergency services, which would make such cutbacks a false economy.'

The Government's wide-range spending review in October will feature where cuts will come.

New Design Package for BMW Z4 Roadster

BMW Z4 Roadster Turing Black DesignBMW Z4 Roadster Turing Black Design

In September, BMW Z4 buyers will be able to outfit roadster with a new style package called Impulse Pure Design. Bavarian automobile pocket digging the new system adds unique style to the model with two seats, a combination of colors and materials presented on interior elements, based on recommendations from the BMW design team.

Equipment package adds black Alcantara / Nappa leather sport seats with yellow accents, a black Alcantara surface decoration with contrasting yellow stitching on the front passenger seat with single strip inside a black lacquer piano finish.

Other special features include an anthracite BMW Individual roof lining, Alcantara inserts in yellow door gaskets, the bottom section of the instrument panel, also in yellow, car mats and fabric, while the arm is based on the center console and the doors are covered with high quality black Nappa leather.

Exclusively for this package is yellow body Atacama Z4 seen in these photos. Alternatively, buyers can opt for Alpine White, Black simply Metallic Space Grey, Titanium Silver or Black Sapphire Metallic.

BMW Z4 Roadster Metallic DesignBMW Z4 Roadster Metallic Design

BMW Z4 Roadster Yellow DesignBMW Z4 Roadster Yellow Design

Saturday, July 3, 2010

2010 F0ord Fusion

Our spy photographers have caught the 2010 Ford Fusion wearing nothing but an ugly paint job, which means we get a crystal clear view at what Ford has in store for its midsize sedan. While things between the wheel wells appear to carryover, the front end is getting big a big makeover. The Fusion's new face features a larger three-bar chrome grille and a complete re-sculpting of its lower air intake. Gone are the two chrome bars in the lower grille and the fog lights that flanked them. In their place is a more traditional central lower air intake and new, larger foglamps the mimic the shape of the new headlights. The Fusion's new mug definitely appears more aggressive than the non-threatening visage worn by the current model, and we like it. The sedan's rear taillights are also being changed, though they're covered too well in these spy shots to see what those changes are.The Fusion is a solid seller for Ford, which no doubt hopes the sedan will grow in popularity even more with a new front clip. We can't wait to see this thing badged as the Fusion GT with a 3.5L EcoBoost V6 under its new hood