A new baby Porsche is born and i just could not be more happy and inspired about it !
Performance : behind the seats are two flat-six engines with direct injection, thermal management and start/stop functionality. The base Boxster uses a 2.7-liter flat six, good for 265 horsepower (10 hp more than its predecessor) while the Boxster S is powered by a 3.4-liter six that produces 315 hp (an increase of 5 hp versus the 2012 model).
By Giancarlo Perini ©
BMW, the world leader in premium cars will not be the first to join the EV mass market but it will certainly be among the best dressed when it joins the party late in 2013. The number plate of the first Megacity Vehicle to come off the new production lines – to be built in the meantime within the Leipzig (Saxony, Germany) plant – has already been announced at a ceremony attended by German Chancellor Mrs. Angela Merkel and other local authorities. The plate reads L MV 2013, L for Leipzig, MCV for Megacity Vehicle and 2013 for the year of the planned launch.
by Enrico Leonardo Fagone.
“The automobile today is an individual means of transport within a complex system of collective transport. The relations within such a system cannot be ignored. The individual means of transport has to submit to the constraints imposed by the system. This implies a form of transport that fulfils certain functions: hence a functional vehicle. The designers of car bodies are clearly faced with new structures, new tasks: scientific and technological evolution is a stimulus but at the same time a warning not to remain anchored to the positions of the past and present.” (Pio Manzù)
Bertone has announced that the dream car they have designed over the Maserati chassis shared by the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione will be named Pandion. The choice is consequent with Bertone’s tradition of naming their spectacular show car with animal names, such as the Alfa Romeo Testudo, Canguro, Carabo and Delfino. Read the rest of this entry »
BMW has proudly unveiled its all-new 5 series sedan at the company’s “Project Haus” next its FIZ (the Innovation and research centre). The new sedan is positively the most dynamic and sporty evolution of the upper middle class BMW series now at its 6th generation since 1972 and after mote than 5.555.555 units sold. At the same time, it is the most elegant, although not as modern in its design as its forward looking predecessor.
Banking on the “master plan” that concern the 5, 6 and 7 series model ranges, the new sedan, introduce a series of technical innovations and features offered so far in the new 7 series and the 5 series GT. Its architecture take advantage of the family progress and gets longer, wider but lower with a drag coefficient and frontal area that maintains the aerodynamic of its predecessor while making significant advances in dynamic efficiency. The wheelbase is as much as 80 mm. longer, with some 60 mm. resulting from moving the front axles forward, and 20 mm. going to the rear seats.
The new BMW 5 series Sedan will go on sale in Germany on March 20 and is due to reach the U.S.A. market by June 2010.
More news on the design of the BMW 5 Series in a couple of days.
This was ready few weeks ago but something went wrong and this was not published on due time. Sorry!
Audi is ready to launch next generation of its A8 and promises fascinating sportiness, innovative technology and superior comfort.
The new generation of the company flagship aim at consolidating its charisma through its light aluminum body, powerful and highly efficient engines, new driver assistance systems, the full LED headlights, an elegant interior with a craftsman’s level of workmanship and the further improved MMI operating system. More than ever its focus in on superlative dynamics, workmanship touches, pioneering efficiency and perfection in design, but this time it is adding a more dynamic and sensual look to its style.
“The new Audi A8 is the sportiest sedan in its segment,” says Rupert Stadler, Chairman of the Board of Management of AUDI AG. “It combines numerous functions in a new and intelligent way. And it’s unmatched in the stylistic elements and impression of the interior.”
The interior is spectacular and captivating, with its new and spacious design and uncompromisingly high-quality workmanship full of attention to the smallest detail.
The comfort on board is first class, according to Audi claims. From new, emotionally charged ambient lighting to the luxurious, power adjustable seats in the rear.
The new A8 starts off with either of two engines, a 4.2 FSI with 273 kW (372 hp) and a 4.2 TDI, packing 258 kW (350 hp). They will be followed by a 3.0 TDI with 184 kW (250 hp). All engines afford increased power and torque – but their fuel consumption has dropped by 13 to 22 percent, thanks to intelligent and efficient technologies like the recuperation system and innovative thermal management.
A second variant of the 3.0 TDI, with front-wheel drive, will follow at a later time,
Is credited with emissions limited to 159 grams of CO2 per kilometre (255.89 g/mile) or 6.0 litres of fuel per 100 km (39.20 US mpg), thus achieving the lowest consumption rate in the luxury segment, so far.
The technology contents of the new A8 reaches new heights with the addition of a touchpad to the MMI man-machine interface that enables the driver to control many functions intuitively; for example, the navigation destination can be entered by tracing the letters on the pad.
MMI navigation plus is networked in a novel fashion with the advanced driver assistance and safety systems. It follows the route in advance during driving and provides the data to the control units for the automatic transmission, the headlights and for the ACC stop & go function.
The new technologies include a night vision assistance and the speed limit display.
With the new A8, Audi consolidates its leadership in the lighting technology. The headlights are full LED and use light emitting diodes for all light functions. They give the luxury sedan an unmistakable appearance day and night. The revolutionary optics used in these headlights mean a departure from the tubular light modules commonly used today.
The new Audi A8 will go on sale “early 2010”.
The new Audi A8 At a glance ( from Audi press-release)
Body
- Lightweight and yet ultra-strong aluminum body with ASF design
- Flowing design, full LED headlights on request
Interior and controls
- Luxurious interior with newly developed, spacious styling
- Craftsman-level workmanship, emotionally charged interior lighting
- Advanced MMI operating system, MMI touch navigation system with pioneering operating concept
- Seats with optional ventilation and massage functions, luxurious individual rear seats optional
Safety
- New Audi pre sense safety system for avoiding accidents and for minimizing their consequences
Infotainment and driver assistance systems
- Navigation system of the next generation closely networked with the assistance systems; high-end audio systems and online services
- Night vision assistant with pedestrian marking, adaptive cruise control with stop & go feature and advanced driver assistance systems
Drivetrain
- Two TDI engines and one gasoline engine, all with direct fuel injection, with power ranging from 184 kW (250 hp) to 273 kW (372 hp)
- Another 3.0 TDI with 150 kW (204 hp), best-in-class CO2 of 159 g/km (255.89 g/mile)
- Consumption improved by up to 22 percent with enhanced performance
- All engines with recuperation system, 3.0 TDI also with start-stop system
- New 8-speed tiptronic as standard, shift-by-wire control
- Standard quattro all-wheel drive, optional sport differential (standard with A8 4.2 TDI)
Chassis
- Lightweight wheel suspension, balanced axle load distribution
- Audi drive select driving dynamic system including standard adaptive air suspension and daptive damping, optional dynamic steering
Keen to enhance its success story in the popular B Segment of the European market, Fiat has orchestrated another of its spectacular launches for its Punto Evo. Read the rest of this entry »
SOMETHING TO RUSH TO FRANKFURT FOR.
Shortly after I posted my early preview of the upcoming IAA in Frankfurt, the news of the spectacular and very promising VISION EFFICIENT DYNAMIC concept by BMW came in.
The news radically changed my perspective because everybody will now be willing to look deeply into the BMW show-car (an exciting catalogue of trend setting design ideas) and what is underneath. It clearly is a major development of the BMW M1 Hommage unveiled last year at the Villa D’Este Concorso d’Eleganza.
BMW is not being conservative in stating the potential of their ActiveHybrid technology and what sort of performance (in absolute terms, including use of energy) they are looking at for the near future. Read the rest of this entry »
Different.
Obviously the main feature of any Mini is to be different. An alternative to what the market has to offer. An alternative with a strong character and a personality of its own. These remains – or at least this is what appear – the first guidelines for the design of the Mini Coupé Concept being unveiled in a couple of weeks in Frankfurt and previewed on time by the carmaker. Read the rest of this entry »
An Embarassing Comparison?
When I received the first set of official pictures of the Audi A5 Sportback, the first thought that came to my mind was how far (or, indeed, how close) the new “5 door coupé” from Audi is from the new Porsche Panamera. The two cars are very different in many ways, starting from their selling prices to their fuel consumption and performance via their overall dimensions. You cannot compare them when the time comes to buy one.
Yet, they have a lot in common. They are both luxury cars, they both fit in the new trend of “dynamic, coupé-like, four seater, authoban-cruisers” with that fastback design and rear hatch. Read the rest of this entry »
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