Monday, February 14, 2011
Friday, February 11, 2011
Nissan Skyline Nice Review
Nissan SkylineThe Nissan Skyline is a line of compact cars originally produced by the Japanese carmaker Prince Motor Company starting in 1957 and subsequently by Nissan after the two companies merged in 1966. It is currently available in either coupé, or sedan body styles, and are most commonly known by their round brake lights, with the wagon form being dropped in 1989 with the introduction of the R32 platform.
Iterations R30 to R34 of the Skyline are still popular tuner cars for Japanese car enthusiasts from the 1980s to today, especially with available features such as straight-6 engines, turbochargers, and the high-performance GT-R trim.[1] While not distributed in the United States, the Skyline's prominence in video games, movies and magazines resulted in many such cars being imported there from 1999 to late 2005, after Motorex petitioned the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to allow 1990-1999 GT-Rs and GTSs to be imported, at the condition that they were modified to meet United States Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.
The 11th generation Skyline (V35) was a major turning point for the nameplate, as it dropped the Skyline's trademark characteristics such as the straight-6 engine and turbocharging, eventually separated the GT-R into its own line, and moved to V6-engined era, this decision which extended to all later Skylines. Nissan decided to position the Skyline for the luxury-sport market, while its platform-mate, the 350Z, revived the Z line of pure sports cars. The V35 was the first Skyline made for export to North America, being sold under Nissan's luxury marque Infiniti as the G35. The Skyline (V36/J50) is sold in Europe, North America, South Korea, Taiwan, and the Middle East as the Infiniti G37.
April 11, 2010 saw a world record for the biggest ever Nissan Skyline meet and the most ever officially recognized on a track in the Guinness Book of World Records. This took place at Silverstone, United Kingdom at the ISTS event.
Lamborghini SV Review
Lamborghini SV
Lamborghini SV
Lamborghini SV
Lamborghini SV
Lamborghini SV
Lamborghini SV
Suzuki Grand Vitara 2005-2006 and 2007
2007 Suzuki Grand Vitara
2006 Suzuki Grand Vitara
2005 Suzuki Grand Vitara
2008 Suzuki Grand Vitara Review
The 2008 Suzuki Grand Vitara gets no major changes of note. This compact SUV seats five and has a side-hinged cargo door. Base, Xsport, and Luxury models are offered, all with a 185-hp 2.7-liter V6. Base is available with manual or automatic transmission. Xsport and Luxury are automatic only. Maximum towing capacity is 3000 lb. All three models are offered with rear-wheel drive or Suzuki's 4-Mode AWD that includes a locking center differential and low-range gearing. ABS, traction control, and antiskid control are standard. So are front side airbags and curtain side airbags. Available features include a sunroof, heated front seats, and leather upholstery.
2008 Suzuki Grand Vitara
COMPETITION
Consumer Guide Automotive places each vehicle into one of 18 classes based on size, price, and market position. Among utility vehicles, Compact SUVs are typically the least costly and offer the best fuel economy. Most utilize a car-type chassis and are not designed for heavy-duty, off-road use. Nearly all are five-passenger vehicles; some offer seating for seven.
Our Best Buys are the Honda CR-V and Suzuki Grand Vitara. Our Recommended picks are the Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage, Saturn Vue, and Toyota RAV4.
New or significantly redesigned models include the Jeep Liberty, Mazda Tribute, Nissan Rogue, and Saturn Vue.
2008 Suzuki Grand VitaraCOMPETITION
Consumer Guide Automotive places each vehicle into one of 18 classes based on size, price, and market position. Among utility vehicles, Compact SUVs are typically the least costly and offer the best fuel economy. Most utilize a car-type chassis and are not designed for heavy-duty, off-road use. Nearly all are five-passenger vehicles; some offer seating for seven.
Our Best Buys are the Honda CR-V and Suzuki Grand Vitara. Our Recommended picks are the Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage, Saturn Vue, and Toyota RAV4.
New or significantly redesigned models include the Jeep Liberty, Mazda Tribute, Nissan Rogue, and Saturn Vue.
Suzuki Grand Vitara Review
The Suzuki Grand Vitara is a small SUV that attempts to deliver the often mutually exclusive attributes of off-road ability and on-road comfort. In its first generation, the Grand Vitara featured a trucklike chassis, V6 power and low-range gearing. The new model has a similar powertrain but features a body structure that blends car and truck chassis designs.
Due to a variety of shortcomings, the original Grand Vitara did not achieve a great deal of success in the U.S. marketplace. The current model is greatly improved, however, and would be a good choice for a consumer interested in a comfortable and affordable compact SUV that can be used for typical daily urban purposes in addition to occasional recreational jaunts on dirt trails.
Due to a variety of shortcomings, the original Grand Vitara did not achieve a great deal of success in the U.S. marketplace. The current model is greatly improved, however, and would be a good choice for a consumer interested in a comfortable and affordable compact SUV that can be used for typical daily urban purposes in addition to occasional recreational jaunts on dirt trails.
Suzuki Grand Vitara
Thursday, February 10, 2011
2011 Volkswagen Sports Cars XL1 (SEV) Roadster Diesel-Electric Hybrid Concept
2011 Volkswagen Sports Cars XL1 (SEV) Roadster Diesel-Electric Hybrid Concept
The latest Volkswagen will unveil the 3rd and latest iteration by its roadster diesel-electric hybrid concept serial, the fresh XL1 Super effective Vehicle (SEV) at these week’s Qatar Motor demo, which runs by January 26 to 29. The latest 2011 Volkswagen XL1 Hybrid Concept are motivated by a diminished 800 cc TDI two-cylinder basic rail diesel engine breaking 48 HP.
Vision becomes reality – Volkswagen’s “Formula XL1”: Volkswagen XL1 prototype consumes just 0.9 l/100 km! Wolfsburg / Doha, 25 January 2011 - Future mobility is one of the most stimulating topics of our time. The key question here: Just how much could the energy consumption of cars be reduced if all the stops were pulled out for efficiency? There is now an answer to this question, and Volkswagen is delivering it in the form of the new XL1. Combined fuel consumption: 0.9 l/100 km. No other hybrid car powered by an electric motor / internal combustion engine combination is more fuel efficient.
2011 Volkswagen Sports Cars XL1 (SEV) Roadster Diesel-Electric Hybrid Concept
Volkswagen will build small run of XL1 plug-in hybrid in two years. “We want to go into series production with this car starting in 2013,” Volkswagen chairman Ferdinand Piech told Automotive News Europe on Tuesday at an event in Doha, Qatar, ahead of the 2011 Qatar auto show where Volkswagen unveiled an XL1 prototype. Pioneering construction techniques, an advanced plug-in hybrid drivetrain and innovative packaging all play a part in allowing the new Volkswagen XL1 Super Efficient Vehicle (SEV) to return 260 mpg on the combined cycle to set a new benchmark for vehicle efficiency.
The most efficient car in the world. The new 2011 Volkswagen Sports Cars XL1 (SEV) Roadster Diesel-Electric Hybrid Concept shows the way forward for extreme economy vehicles and clean technologies. It also demonstrates that such cars can also be fun. The feeling when driving the XL1 is truly dynamic - not based on pure power, rather on its pure efficiency. Two examples: 1) To travel at a constant speed of 100 km/h, the prototype only needs 6.2 kW/8.4 PS – a fraction of the performance of today’s cars (Golf 1.6 TDI with 77 kW and 7-speed DSG: 13.2 kW/17.9 PS). 2) In electric mode, the XL1 needs less than 0.1 kWh (82 Wh/km) to complete a one kilometre driving course. These are record values.
Powering the 2011 Volkswagen Sports Cars XL1 (SEV) Roadster Diesel-Electric Hybrid Concept is a compact 800 cc TDI two-cylinder common rail diesel engine developing 47 hp. It's linked to an electric motor producing 27 hp, resulting in a total of 74 hp - a modest output yet more than enough when the low kerb weight of 1753 lbs (795 kg) of the vehicle is taken into account. Two-cylinder TDI uses mass production technology: The 0.8 litre TDI (35 kW/48 PS) was derived from the 1.6 litre TDI, which drives such cars as the Golf and Passat. The 0.8 TDI exhibits the same data as the 1.6-litre TDI common rail engine in terms of cylinder spacing (88 mm), cylinder bore (79.5 mm) and stroke (80.5 mm).
2011 Volkswagen Sports Cars XL1 (SEV) Roadster Diesel-Electric Hybrid Concept
In addition, the Volkswagen XL1 Concept's two-cylinder and the mass produced four cylinder share key internal engine features for reducing emissions. They include special piston recesses for multiple injection and individual orientation of the individual injection jets. The excellent, smooth running properties of the common rail engines were transferred to the two cylinder engine. within addition, a balancer shaft that is driven by the crankshaft turning at the same speed optimises smooth engine running.
When the full power of the hybrid system is engaged, the Volkswagen prototype accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in just 11.9 seconds; its top speed is 160 km/h (electronically limited). Yet these numbers alone do not tell the whole story: Since the XL1 weighs just 795 kg, the drive system has an easy job of propelling the car. When full power is needed, the electric motor, which can deliver 100 Newton metres of torque from a standstill, works as a booster to support the TDI engine (120 Newton metres torque). Together, the TDI and E-motor deliver a maximum torque of 140 Newton metres in boosting mode.
2011 Volkswagen Sports Cars XL1 (SEV) Roadster Diesel-Electric Hybrid Concept
Carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) the ideal material for the body of the new 2011 Volkswagen Sports Cars XL1 (SEV) Roadster Diesel-Electric Hybrid Concept because of its light weight. The 2011 Volkswagen Sports Cars XL1 (SEV) Roadster Diesel-Electric Hybrid Conceptweighs only 795 kg. Of this figure, 227 kg represents the entire drive unit, 153 kg the running gear, 80 kg the equipment (including the two bucket seats) and 105 kg the electrical system.
That leaves 230 kg, which is precisely the weight of the body - produced largely of CFRP - including wing doors, front windscreen in thin-glass technology as in motorsport and the highly safe monocoque. A total of 21.3 percent of the new Volkswagen XL1, or 169 kg, consists of CFRP. In addition, Volkswagen uses lightweight metals for 22.5 percent of all parts (179 kg). Only 23.2 percent (184 kg) of the new XL1 is constructed from steel and iron materials. The rest of its weight is distributed among various other polymers (e.g. polycarbonate side windows), metals, natural fibres, process materials and electronics.
2011 Volkswagen Sports Cars XL1 (SEV) Roadster Diesel-Electric Hybrid Concept
Design for a new era: The VW XL1 is 3,888 mm long, 1,665 mm wide and just 1,156 mm tall. These are extreme dimensions. The Polo has a similar length (3,970 mm) and width (1,682 m), but it is significantly taller (1,462 mm). The height of the new 2011 Volkswagen Sports Cars XL1 (SEV) Roadster Diesel-Electric Hybrid Concept is about the same as that of a Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder (1,184 mm). So, it is easy to visualise just how spectacular such a Volkswagen would appear on the road – as long and wide as a Polo, but with a low profile like a Lamborghini.
The styling of the 2011 Volkswagen Sports Cars XL1 (SEV) Roadster Diesel-Electric Hybrid Concept is borne out of functional requirements - easy access to the interior is granted via a pair of elegant scissor doors that hinge on the A-pillar while the profile of the car has been honed in the wind tunnel, the result being a remarkable coefficient of drag figure of 0.186. The XL1's overall length and width are similar to those of a Volkswagen Polo yet its height is more akin to that of a Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder.
Although the 2011 Volkswagen Sports Cars XL1 (SEV) Roadster Diesel-Electric Hybrid is still very much a concept, its unveiling marks the next step towards the birth of a new class of Super Efficient Vehicles, while the advent of a process such as RTM is a significant milestone.
alfa romeo 8c competizione selling
Alfa Romeo exited the American market with a whimper in 1994. But they're planning to come back, next year, with a roar -- the roar of a 450-horse, race-tuned Ferrari-made V8.
The Alfa Romeo that left America was a traumatized, slow-selling, troubled company, plagued by poor quality and underachieving cars. The Alfa that reenters is now stronger, its cars more stylish; it's now a brand that offers a genuine alternative to rival (read German) European premium automobiles. Plus it has an extraordinary and beguilingly beautiful new flagship, the 8C Competizione. It's this car, with both Ferrari and Maserati blood flowing in its veins, that leads Alfa Romeo's charge back to America.
2009 Alfra Romeo 8C Competizione Front Three Quarter View
Click to view Gallery
In 2008, the 8C starts appearing in Maserati dealerships. Eighty-four out of the total build of only 500 cars are coming to America; only Italy (86) gets more. By 2009, a proper U.S. Alfa dealer network starts to open its doors, selling a range of cars including a face-lifted version of the latest Spider, the Brera coupe and the 3-series-rivaling 159.
For a brand new car -- production has only just commenced in Maserati's Modena factory in northern Italy -- the 8C has been a motor-show fixture for over four years. It debuted at the 2003 Frankfurt show, previewing a delightful mix of '60s Alfa styling cues leavened with modern technology. The production version is little changed. The name also evokes a richer period for Alfa. The 8C 2300 of the 1930s was probably Alfa's finest prewar sports car, while the Competizione moniker harks back to the 6C2500 Competizione in which Juan-Manuel Fangio competed in the 1950 Mille Miglia.
2009 Alfra Romeo 8C Competizione Rear Three Quarter View
Click to view Gallery
The engine is the 4.7 liter Maserati V-8, familiar in the Quattroporte and new GranTurismo, but bigger in bore and stroke, crowned by new Alfa-developed heads and, with 450 horses, more powerful too. Some of the suspension and platform underpinnings are also Maserati borrowed, which is why the 8C is made in a Maserati factory not an Alfa Romeo one. As with all new-generation Maseratis, the engine comes from Ferrari, and is related to the V8 from the F430. So the 8C represents the first firm collaboration between three of Italy's greatest (all Fiat owned) sports car manufacturers: never before have we seen such an Alfa/Ferrari/Maserati "hybrid."
The 8C then is an uncharacteristically upmarket Alfa. At about $240,000, it's the most expensive Alfa road car ever: a Ferrari-priced Alfa. Think of it as a halo vehicle, the perfect high-profile flag-waver and ambassador for Alfa's U.S. market re-entry -- the perfect beacon, too, to remind lapsed European owners that Alfa's star once again shines bright.
Read more: http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/exotic/112_0710_2009_alfra_romeo_8c_competizione/index.html#ixzz1NEN4CFmQ
alfa romeo 8c competizione
alfa romeo 8c competizione
The Alfa Romeo that left America was a traumatized, slow-selling, troubled company, plagued by poor quality and underachieving cars. The Alfa that reenters is now stronger, its cars more stylish; it's now a brand that offers a genuine alternative to rival (read German) European premium automobiles. Plus it has an extraordinary and beguilingly beautiful new flagship, the 8C Competizione. It's this car, with both Ferrari and Maserati blood flowing in its veins, that leads Alfa Romeo's charge back to America.
2009 Alfra Romeo 8C Competizione Front Three Quarter View
Click to view Gallery
In 2008, the 8C starts appearing in Maserati dealerships. Eighty-four out of the total build of only 500 cars are coming to America; only Italy (86) gets more. By 2009, a proper U.S. Alfa dealer network starts to open its doors, selling a range of cars including a face-lifted version of the latest Spider, the Brera coupe and the 3-series-rivaling 159.
For a brand new car -- production has only just commenced in Maserati's Modena factory in northern Italy -- the 8C has been a motor-show fixture for over four years. It debuted at the 2003 Frankfurt show, previewing a delightful mix of '60s Alfa styling cues leavened with modern technology. The production version is little changed. The name also evokes a richer period for Alfa. The 8C 2300 of the 1930s was probably Alfa's finest prewar sports car, while the Competizione moniker harks back to the 6C2500 Competizione in which Juan-Manuel Fangio competed in the 1950 Mille Miglia.
2009 Alfra Romeo 8C Competizione Rear Three Quarter View
Click to view Gallery
The engine is the 4.7 liter Maserati V-8, familiar in the Quattroporte and new GranTurismo, but bigger in bore and stroke, crowned by new Alfa-developed heads and, with 450 horses, more powerful too. Some of the suspension and platform underpinnings are also Maserati borrowed, which is why the 8C is made in a Maserati factory not an Alfa Romeo one. As with all new-generation Maseratis, the engine comes from Ferrari, and is related to the V8 from the F430. So the 8C represents the first firm collaboration between three of Italy's greatest (all Fiat owned) sports car manufacturers: never before have we seen such an Alfa/Ferrari/Maserati "hybrid."
The 8C then is an uncharacteristically upmarket Alfa. At about $240,000, it's the most expensive Alfa road car ever: a Ferrari-priced Alfa. Think of it as a halo vehicle, the perfect high-profile flag-waver and ambassador for Alfa's U.S. market re-entry -- the perfect beacon, too, to remind lapsed European owners that Alfa's star once again shines bright.
Read more: http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/exotic/112_0710_2009_alfra_romeo_8c_competizione/index.html#ixzz1NEN4CFmQ
alfa romeo 8c competizione
alfa romeo 8c competizione
alfa romeo brera between
The Brera originally appeared as a concept car at the 2002 Geneva Motor Show. It was designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro at Italdesign Giugiaro. The concept version was powered with a Maserati V8 engine producing around 400 PS (290 kW; 390 hp).[4] The Brera was widely acclaimed, and production plans were subsequently announced for 2005.
n Spring 2008 the Brera 'S' Special Edition was announced. This Alfa Romeo-approved British-only limited-run version was developed by British engineering specialists Prodrive and was intended to address criticism regarding the handling of the standard car.[7] Selected suspension and chassis components and settings of the 'S' have been amended from the standard car, altering the handling characteristics.[8] Alfa Romeo and Prodrive had previously collaborated in motorsport, campaigning an Alfa Romeo 155 in the BTCC during 1994 and 1995.[9]
alfa romeo brera interior
alfa romeo brera
alfa romeo brera Concept rear
n Spring 2008 the Brera 'S' Special Edition was announced. This Alfa Romeo-approved British-only limited-run version was developed by British engineering specialists Prodrive and was intended to address criticism regarding the handling of the standard car.[7] Selected suspension and chassis components and settings of the 'S' have been amended from the standard car, altering the handling characteristics.[8] Alfa Romeo and Prodrive had previously collaborated in motorsport, campaigning an Alfa Romeo 155 in the BTCC during 1994 and 1995.[9]
alfa romeo brera interior
alfa romeo brera
alfa romeo brera Concept rear
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