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Showing results for tags 'europe'.
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Caterham aims to defend speed title at Cholmondeley Pageant of Power
PetrolHead posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
After taking the honours last year, Caterham aims to defend its lap record at the 2013 Cholmondeley Pageant of Power to occur from the 14th till 16th June with its SP/300.R. This year, four British sportscar manufacturers will go head-to-head, with four distinct vehicles in an attempt to better last years timing of 61.89 seconds at the narrow circuit. Caterham's sports prototype racer will compete against exotic supercars and specialist track-day vehicles to defend its title. Caterham Drive Experience instructor, Scott Mansell, will once again take the wheel of the SP/300.R for this event. The racer will join supercars, classic and modern race cars, as well as specialist track-focussed machines, with the latter expected to do battle for the lap record. Caterham Cars' CEO, Graham Macdonald, said, "Last year's contest was extremely close and we expect it to be even tighter this year, given that there are four British manufacturers attending, each with exactly the same aim." The SP/300.R is powered by a 2.0-litre Supercharged Ford engine, producing 300bhp via a six-speed sequential gearbox. Flat out, it is capable of topping 289km/h and will reach 100km/h in 2.6 seconds. The sports prototype vehicle has attracted strong demand among the premium trackday community with sales across the U.K., North America and France. Visit http://www.caterham.co.uk for more information about the SP/300.R and Caterham -
Lamborghini Aventador and electric poles kiss one another in Thailand
RchLuvSlly posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
I don't know about you but, for me, it isn't that easy to imagine when the time will come for me to drive a Lamborghini Aventador, let alone owning one example of one of the world's finest supercars. However, of course, there're people luckier than me that they get to drive such a hyper-powered car within every single day. Only thing is, some of them are probably just not careful enough, like this Thai driver here. Mr. Somkiat Kruwongpaiboon, a 45-year old local businessman, told the police that one of his car tyres blew up as he was heading to his father's funeral ceremony, causing his proud supercar to spin. As a result, the unfortunate Aventador had to 'kiss' (by that, I mean crash into) a number of electric poles as well as trees with its front fascia before it finally came to a halt. Yes, you guessed it right, there's no way that the car wouldn't suffer from a heavy damage after such an incident. The Great Garuda in Hindustan myths However, it was a relief that the Thai businessman survived and only suffered from negligible injuries. According to him, the fact that he survived despite the severe damage to his Italian supercar was all thanks to the amulet he was wearing at that time. It was encrusted in diamond and in the shape of the Great Garuda (which is a God-like character from Hindustan myths). Well, it seems like there're times we need to believe in myths, too. Nevertheless, it seems that perhaps the 690bhp 6.5-litre V12 engine of the Aventador is just too much to handle. You see, that engine, along with its seven-speed single clutch transmission, can push the car from 0-100km/h in a mere 2.9 seconds. To top it off, the raging Italian bull won't stop gaining speed until it reaches at least 349km/h. Judging from the images, it seems like driving a supercar is one thing and, keeping it in one piece is a yet another. So, are you in for a ride in a supercar or would you rather play safe with the average car? -
Ever wondered how vehicle wrapping or car art is done? The above video shows an ordinary MK7 Golf being turned into a shiny hatchback. The job is performed by London-based car art company, Creative FX. The Golf itself is supplied by UK dealer, Driftbridge Volkswagen. There are two practical advantages that I can think of regarding the transformation. Firstly, a highly reflective surface helps to reduce heat buildup in the cabin. Secondly, the owner does not have to send his car for polishing ever again! We can see that car art needs a lot of patience and attention to details. The Golf in the video needs to be 'de-badged' and 're-badged'; the door handles are removed and put back; extra care is required when going around curved surfaces like the side mirrors. If the video has got you interested in the work performed by Creative FX, here's the link to their website - http://www.fxuk.net/
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Nissan Leaf EV winning the hearts and wallets of cab drivers in the U.K.
PetrolHead posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
Taxi operators across cities in Europe are going through a quiet revolution as they start to shift from conventional diesel powered cabs to zero-emission - and near silent Nissan Leaf taxis. Two years after the EV went on sale in Europe, Nissan Leaf taxis are now operating in European cities like Holland, Switzerland, Germany, Portugal, Spain and the U.K. The world's best-selling electric vehicle (EV) is fast becoming a favourite among taxi drivers too, thanks to lower running costs and fueled by a desire to reduce airborne pollution in city centres. These road warriors are fast-becoming EV advocates showing colleagues the benefits of making the switch from diesel to electric. One of the strongest advocates is Amsterdam-based Taxi-E company. With a fleet of 13 Nissan LEAF's, the firms' drivers have covered over 700,000km - further than the distance between earth and the moon. The cars are quick-charged two or three times daily using 100 percent green energy, meaning they're always ready for passengers. The city of Zurich in Switzerland, will soon obtain ten Nissan Leaf supported by a network of city-wide fast chargers as part of the city's plans to make 15 percent of its taxi fleet electric by 2015. Capable of restoring the battery life by up to 80 percent in just 30 minutes, many customers arrive with partially full batteries, thus making the average stay - just 15 minutes. In Portugal, the first European country to sell the Leaf, Lisbon based owner-driver Jose Ferreira replaced his diesel powered taxi with a Leaf and has since driven more than 15,000km so far. Interestingly he reveals 70 percent of his customers liked the experience - and they would actively choose to ride in an electric taxi. Fuel and running costs are the biggest factors for taxi owner-drivers. Owner-driver Roberto San Jose from Valladolid, Spain, would have to spend more than -
If you're a car fan, chances are you're somehow familiar with the 'Transformers' franchise. Now, within around a year to come, you may be waiting in line at the cinema to get your ticket for 'Transformers 4'. Yes, you heard it right. The latest sequel to the robot-transforming car movies is expected to arrive by June 2014. While most people are talking about Mark Wahlberg (remember him in 'Ted' or 'Broken City'?) replacing Shia LaBeouf as the main protagonist, what's more interesting to me is the addition of some new cars. It seems that director Michael Bay does have some quite serious taste for cars indeed. For Transformers 4, he'll be bringing a special edition Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse with a W16 quad-turbo engine. It's capable of spitting out 1,200bhp of power and 1,500Nm of torque in total. Well, that's not the only excitement, though. In addition to the Vitesse, the director will be bringing the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette C7 Stingray as well. However, I suggest that you avoid trying to compare the Vitesse and Stingray side by side, especially in terms of price. It's out of the question that the Stingray's pricing is nowhere near the Vitesse. While you can get your hands on the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette C7 Stingray with US$50,000 (approximately S$63,000), you need at least US$2.4 million (approximately S$3 million) to drive home the Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse. However, this 'Transformer' (the Stingray, supposedly an Autobot) does win when it comes to playing an American hero. The Vitesse that will be starring in the latest Transformers sequel to come is a special edition painted in brown-blue two-tone colour combination. As for the Stingray, it will come in bright green. Besides the two cars mentioned above, it
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Group Test : Ford Fiesta ST vs Peugeot 208 GTi vs Renault Clio RS
SYF77 posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
Recently, I blogged on two reviews involving the Ford Fiesta ST and Peugeot 208 GTI. Now, Auto Express U.K. made a triple-threat match by pitting the Fiesta ST and 208 GTI against Renault Clio RS. In the previous reviews, the Fiesta ST was clearly preferred over its French rival. Can the American pocket rocket do it again? Like the other two members in this group test, the Clio RS is powered by a 1.6-litre turbocharged engine which is good for 200bhp and 240Nm of torque. However, it is the only car here with a twin-clutch six-speed automatic transmission. The Clio RS also takes the podium for being the priciest among the trio. Auto Express drives the cars through hundreds of miles over a range of routes ranging from motorways to towns to pick a winner. The Clio is the best in the drag race while the Fiesta is the fastest round the track. -
Ferrari 458 Italia wrecked thanks to mobile car cleaner
RchLuvSlly posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
Here in Singapore, we have plenty of automotive services such as valet parking and mobile car cleaning/detailing, among others. However, being convenient services as they may be, it seems that you really have to be very careful when using this kind of local services. Don't let yourself be caught off-guard because of the convenience. Well, you can't guarantee that your car will always be taken care of by someone experienced for example, when you feel like leaving the nuisance of finding a parking space to the valet guys or when you want your car to be cleaned/detailed. In fact, even if the guy at your service is experienced, there's still no guarantee that things won't go wrong. Recently, in Portsmouth, U.K., a customer's car was wrecked by a mobile car cleaner and, mind you, it was a Ferrari 458 Italia! Ironically, it wasn't the first time the customer used the cleaner's service. Well, the wet road on that day might be partially responsible for the crash. However, I wonder if the cleaner was trying to 'air dry' the car by going for a joyride around the corner and subsequently crashing it. Well, just so you know, it isn't a hard thing at all to lose traction of your car, especially if it's a supercar, coupled with the wet surface which is slippery. Perhaps the traction control of the red Ferrari was somehow switched off, too, at that time. Well, having had to suffer from such a super expensive incident, I'm not too sure if the customer will use the service of the mobile car cleaner in question ever again. And it seems that there are times when we need to use our own hands if we want something done right. -
Drayson Racing Technologies aims to break land speed record set in 1974
PetrolHead posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
Drayson Racing Technologies has announced to make an attempt for the FIA World Electric Land Speed Record on 25th June at RAF Elvington in Yorkshire, U.K. It's the latest challenge to be undertaken by the pioneering electric motorsport firm, which has been at the forefront of sustainable racing since 2007 and was first to sign up for the new FIA Formula E championship series. The attempt will be made in the sub-1000kg class to be piloted by entrepreneur, racing driver and former U.K. Science Minister Lord Drayson. He will drive a low-drag version of the Drayson B12 69EV electric Le-Mans Prototype flat-out along Elvington's 2.99km long runway. Lord Drayson will aim to better the current record of 281km/h set by Battery Box General Electric in the United States back in 1974. Lord Drayson, CEO and co-founder of Drayson Racing Technologies, commented, "It is not the outright speed that is impressive about this record attempt, but the engineering challenge of accelerating a 1,000kg electric vehicle to such a high speed and sustaining that speed, before stopping safely all within a relatively short distance then turning round and doing it again within an hour." With the electric land speed record it intends to showcase what is possible with an electric drivetrain and underscore Britain -
Race Driver: Grid is a video game by Codemasters - the same developers of the recent slew of F1 games and Dirt rally car racing series. The sequel, Grid 2, is an upcoming video game by the same developers to be released in a couple of days on PS3, Xbox 360 and Windows OS. Most video games like God of War, Halo and Call of Duty, among others, usually retail a limited, exclusive or collectors packaging. They often contain a few value add items like DLC, in game character skins, maps, weapons or in the case of Call of Duty - you get night vision goggles or remote controlled 'surveillance vehicle'. As part of the new game, the marketing team for Codemasters have unveiled a new Grid 2: Mono Edition and with it you get the game (obviously), a PlayStation 3 and an actual 273km/h capable BAC Mono car - in full Grid 2 livery and full driver race wear for the ultimate racing experience. By the way, did I mention it costs roughly 125,000 of the queens money (S$238,727) ?
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Ford celebrates 21 years of sponsoring UEFA with new Kuga and Fiesta ST
PetrolHead posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
Ford is celebrating 21 years as an official UEFA Champions League partner and this year marked the company's largest ever presence at the four-day UEFA Champions Festival. Ford made its presence felt with the new Kuga, Fiesta ST and special guest driver - Ken Block. The new Ford Kuga was featured heavily in the build-up to the UEFA Champions League Finals appearing on match-day hoardings in stadiums around Europe and leading Ford's 'Drive to Wembley' competition. Drive to Wembley was the largest ever ticket giveaway for a UEFA Champions League Final that saw 360 winners from 27 countries around Europe attending the match between FC Bayern Munich and BV Borussia Dortmund. Fans at festival experienced the new Ford Kuga with test drives that highlight Ford -
Many of us here would know who Bill Cosby is and would remember his hit TV sitcom, The Cosby Show, which aired during the 1980s up till the early 1990s. But many do not know that Bill Cosby also has a taste for fine luxury automobiles. The vehicle you see above is actually a 1970s Ferrari 365 GT4 2+2 which was once owned by the comedian and was a part of his car collection at one time. The Ferrari was recently put up for sale on eBay with a starting bid of $37,500 (S$47,408). In the eBay listing, the seller who is from San Antonio, Texas, mentioned that Bill Cosby was the only owner of the car. It is possible that the seller is a dealer who deals in cars formerly owned by famous people. You might ask if there is any proof that Bill Cosby used to own this Ferrari. Situated within the interior of the car is a plaque which stated that the car was specially prepared for the actor and it was imported by a company known as Milano Imports. It was known that this particular Ferrari model was never officially imported by the local Ferrari dealerships and it was assumed that Bill Cosby ordered the car through the above mentioned company. The Ferrari is in a very good condition and judging from the pictures, it clearly shows that Bill Cosby knows how to look after his fine cars. The Ferrari 365 GT4 2+2 was produced during the 1970s with around 500 units manufactured. It was fitted with a 4.3-litre V12 engine which produces 320bhp and the engine was mated to a five-speed manual gearbox. That may not sound much nowadays but with the car's celebrity status, the starting bid is just a steal.
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A bird avoided a runover at the 2013 Monaco GP with a backflip
RchLuvSlly posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
While there are birds practical enough to help people in life - think of pigeons as letter couriers, some birds out there just don't have any idea whatsoever on what they are doing. The dove in the video below is one example. Believe it or not, doves are not clever, not at all. Well, while it's true some birds may find their home after flying a pretty far distance, you still can't consider them clever. It's more like a natural autopilot routine hardwired into their brain, without them realising what they're actually doing. That said, you can't expect doves to do things they aren't exactly created for. As an example, the dove you can see in the video really has no idea that standing on an F1 track is horribly dangerous, especially when an F1 Grand Prix (GP) is taking place. As a result, it had to play chicken with an F1 racer who happened to be approaching its direction. The F1 racer was revealed to be Brazilian Luiz Felipe de Oliveira Nasr. He was piloting a Dallara-Renault F1 car, racing for Carlin Motorsport. However, being stupid for standing on the racetrack in the first place, I must admit the bird has some great maneuverability. You see, it avoided being flattened by the racecar with a somehow adorable backflip, reminding me of those Kung-Fu moves you see in the movies. Fortunately, the bird survived, which is a good thing - and a miracle, too. -
[extract] Opel tried to steal the spot light at this year's VW annual event at W
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The current generation Lamborghini Aventador already has what it takes to catch the eyes of people from young to old. It is beautiful, aggressive, and ultimately, there's no doubt that it can tempt people to say "I want one!". However, it seems that the Italian automaker won't stop there. A new generation of the supercar, namely the Lamborghini Aventador SV, is likely well underway. With remarkably large brake calipers, lower front fascia for increased aerodynamics, and also a gurney flap for its rear spoiler, this next generation Aventador transforms into an even more aggressive monster than its elder brother already ruling the driveway of the wealthy. It is believed that this Aventador SV will carry an upgraded 6.5-litre V12 engine. That will get the driver going at 100km/h from a standstill in less than 3 seconds
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The Lotus Exige S Roadster is about to be ready for bookings
RchLuvSlly posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
Back in the Geneva Motor Show last year, British automaker, Lotus, introduced the world to its potentially fastest handmade convertible ever, the Exige S Roadster. Based on the company's new Exige S coupe, this roadster looks mostly identical to its coupe counterpart. However, the rear spoiler has been disposed of and there's now soft top roof available. Weighing no more than 1,166kg, this roadster will let you feel the wind blowing your hair at a speed of 233km/h, thanks to its supercharged 3.5-litre V6 engine. Mated to either a six-speed manual transmission or the automaker's Serial Precision Shift (SPS) transmission system, the engine can provide the power of 345 horses in addition to 400Nm of torque. The Lotus Exige S Roadster will get you going to 100km/h in no longer than 3.8 seconds, from a complete standstill. And, to complete your comfort, you can choose a sporty or a comfortable enhanced plush interior. As Lotus is readying the 2013 Lotus Exige S Roadster for order, the automaker has also announced the prices of its latest roadster for 3 regions - UK, European Union, and Japan. With Japan being closer to us here in Singapore than the other two, I think we can assume that the price tag of the roadster there won -
There is a new gentleman in France, and a fast one. This gentleman runs on four wheels instead of two feet. The heart of this man is a twin-turbocharged 3.8-litre V6 engine which pumps out 542bhp. We are talking about the GT-R Gentleman Edition which Nissan has offered specifically for sale in France. Only 10 units will be built. Based on the GT-R Black Edition, the Gentleman Edition is available only in Gunmetal Grey. The limited edition GT-R is distinguished by a pair of 'Gentleman Edition' badging located at the front fender vents. On the inside, the super car gets amber red leather upholstery and an individually-numbered titanium plaque. The leather-stitched steering wheel, gear stick and dashboard receive a sporty two-tone treatment. Gentlemen, start your engine!
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Well, I won't argue that there are plenty of sports cars out there with retractable roofs. However, among all those convertibles, the MX-5 (Miata) from Japanese automaker Mazda may be one in particular that you should put your eyes on. Not only does it offer hair winding fun, but there's actually more to it than you might possibly imagine. Well, here's some proof. Recently, Mazda U.K., in collaboration with some Frisbee freaks and pro stunt drivers, just made this video which I would say is pretty cool. Watch the video and I believe you will think playing Frisbee on a car is something you should try too. At a glance, what these people did in the video may seem impossible. However, they managed to pull it off - and with a huge success in my opinion. Although the Mazda MX-5 isn't the type of car you can really count on when it comes to speed, it does offer you a fun steering, braking, gear shifting, and suspension. As a result, it makes something as fun as throwing the Frisbee disk from the car in front such that it lands in the car behind possible and it's unimaginably fun. To top it off, it can all be done while drifting, too! Hehe, I think you may even get addicted to it over times. However, don't swallow my words for it in an instance. Go check out the action and the fun yourself in the video.
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In May 1913, James Radley set off from Brown's Hotel in London's Mayfair for a famous motoring adventure - the 1913 Alpine Trial. A century later, the same Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost has returned - ready to depart for a re-enactment of the event. Forming the modern day Rolls-Royce Works Team, Radley's car will join a contemporary pioneer, a 2013 Alpine Trial Centenary Collection Rolls-Royce Ghost on a faithful re-enactment of the rally in June this year. But the Works Team will be accompanied by more than 40 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghosts - many over a century old to traverse over 1,800 miles of Alpine roads. The rally will start in Vienna on 14th June 2013, and will pass through Italy, Croatia and Slovenia before returning to Austria's capital for a special evening hosted by Margraf Pallavicini at his Palais, exactly 100 years to the day since the finale of the original Alpine Trial. Taking in some of Europe's finest and most challenging mountain roads, the rally will meet with a group from the Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts' Club at Riva Del Garda, Italy, on Friday 21st June where 100 historic Rolls-Royce Silver Ghosts will assemble for the largest gathering of its kind in history. The Rolls-Royce Silver Ghosts' exceptional performance in the 1913 Alpine Trial saw it earn the moniker 'The Best Car in the World', cementing the marque's reputation for engineering excellence and impeachable reliability. To celebrate this extraordinary moment in Rolls-Royce and automotive history, the Bespoke department at the Home of Rolls-Royce in Goodwood, England designed and crafted a 21st century homage. Finished in an exterior hue that takes inspiration from the Radley car, the 2013 Alpine Trial Centenary Ghost features exquisitely crafted bespoke touches that elegantly tell the story of the 1913 Trial. The clock displays the stages of the rally and timings while inlays to rear picnic tables and the front fascia express the topography and distances of the Alpine route. A hand-painted coachline referencing the four Rolls-Royce motor cars that took part in the rally and headlining, colour-matched to the hood of Radley's car, completes a beautiful homage.
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Aston Martin has built a one-off car called the CC100 Speedster Concept, whose styling pays homage to the legendary DBR1 race car that debuted in 1956 and won the 24 Hours of Nurburgring three years in a row. "We wanted to create something that, while celebrating our first 100 years, is also forward looking and gives a glimpse as to our future," said Aston Martin Design Director Marek Reichman. The CC100 Speedster Concept is powered by the company's 6.0-litre V12 engine, mated a six-speed automated manual transmission. The century sprint takes a little over four seconds before hitting an electronically limited top speed of 290km/h. The concept's body and interior is built using carbon fibre. The concept measures about 4,500mm long by 2,000mm wide and weighs less than 1.2tonnes. It has apparently found an owner who forked out between USD770,000 (S$965,965) to USD1,540,000 (S$1,931,930).
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Renault has signed on as official Technical Partner of Spark Racing Technology to supply Formula E cars that will contest in the FIA Formula E Championship. Formula E is a class of auto racing governed by the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) and is intended to be the highest class of competition for one-make, single-seat, electrically-powered racing cars. The series was conceived in 2012, with the inaugural race to be held in 2014. Demonstration events have been planned for the second half of 2013. Former Formula One driver Lucas di Grassi will be the series' test driver. Forty two cars were ordered have been ordered with Formula One team - McLaren - providing the motor, transmission and electronics that will be used by all the cars while Dallara Automobili will construct the chassis. Ten host cities are planning to hold the races and will occur exclusively on street circuits including in cities like Rio de Janeiro, Rome, Bangkok, Beijing and Miami - among others. The agreement was signed by Patrice Ratti, Renault Sport Technologies Managing Director and as a Renault SAS representative, Alejandro Agag, CEO of Formula E Holdings and Frederic Vasseur, President of Spark Racing Technologies. Renault's ongoing involvement in motor racing's series provides it with a unique technological laboratory, giving it an edge not only in the world of production vehicles but also on the race track. Renault's technological excellence extends not only in F1 but also in all Z.E. range. The forty two Formula E single-seaters built for the beginning of the first season will be aptly named 'Spark-Renault'.
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Bugatti Veyron It seems that Dubai is one of the richest cities that exist on Planet Earth. Not only is the city pretty, but it's potentially the safest one in this world as well. Well, if you don't really want to buy what I'm saying, you may want to have a look at the fleet of police cars the city has in store instead. Lamborghini Aventador Not so long ago, the Dubai Police Department already secured quite a few supercars such as the Bentley Continental GT, Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, Lamborghini Aventador, Aston Martin One-77, and the Ferrari FF. Additionally, they also have the Chevrolet Camaro SS. Still, it seems that the local police now think that they shouldn
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Recently, Mat Watson of Carbuyer U.K. got to review the Peugeot 208 GTI and Ford Fiesta ST on separate occasions. Both hot hatches were launched within two weeks apart. Both cars share more similarities than just their launch dates. The Fiesta ST and 208 GTI are both powered by 1.6-litre turbocharged engines mated to a six-speed manual gearbox. The GTI churns out 197bhp with a century sprint timing of 6.7 seconds while the ST produces 200bhp and goes from 0 to 100km/h in 6.9 seconds. Although the ST is slower, it certainly trashes the GTI in terms of hot hatch looks with its "Aston Martin" grille. And from Mat's expression during both reviews, you can guess which one he prefers. The GTI and ST earned a rating of 4.0/5.0 and 4.8/5.0 respectively at the end of the reviews. Ford Fiesta ST Peugeot 208 GTI
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Peugeot has introduced a limited production RCZ Magnetic Edition for the U.K. market. Only 170 examples will be built. When I read the name "Magnetic Edition", I thought the RCZ will come equipped with some magnetic suspension. Apparently, I was wrong as the updates are cosmetic in nature. The RCZ Magnetic Edition will be offered in exclusive Pearlescent Pearl White or Metallic Nera Black. Other exterior revisions include matte black roof arches and black grille. The sexy coupe wears 19-inch Sortilege Wheels in Onyx Matte Black finish. Going on to the interior, this special RCZ pampers the occupants with leather sport seats. The steering gets wrapped in leather while the word "Magnetic" is engraved on the door panels. The driver can count on the Peugeot Connect Navigation System to get to his destination. Under the hood, two engines are available, namely the 1.6-litre THP with 156bhp or 200bhp and a 2.0-litre HDi diesel churning 163bhp.
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McLaren P1 The British automaker McLaren has already confirmed that it will soon start development for the successor to the P1 hypercar. However, don't get too excited now, as the company has also mentioned that we aren't likely to see what the successor looks like within the next decade (yes, that's ten years altogether). McLaren P1 The news came along with the news that McLaren's F1 staffs had started carrying out some necessary works in the UK-based automaker's joint effort with the Japanese automaker Honda, seemingly for the sake of the 2015 F1 racing season. It was Greg Levine, the Sales and Marketing Head at McLaren, who shared the news regarding the successor to the P1. McLaren MP4-12C "The only way a car like the P1 works is by being exclusive and having a short product cycle. After that, you have to step back from the market for a few years. These sort of launches can only happen every ten years or so," commented Levine. McLaren MP4-12C Until now, the automaker is about to produce its 375th P1 and - miraculously enough, I would say, considering the very high price tag of US$1.3 million (that is around S$1.6 million) - it has received customers for three quarters of the total units of the P1 to be produced. McLaren MP4-12C Spider Now, judging that Levine mentioned that it will take ten whole years for McLaren to introduce a new hypercar, I'm guessing some of you may be wondering if the company will have nothing to offer in the meantime. Well, in this regard, the British automaker is preparing an entry level model it's probably going to slot under the MP4-12C. The entry level model is dubbed the P13. Unfortunately, there has yet to be any image leaked on the styling cues of the model. Sources inside McLaren are also keeping their lips sealed tightly for the time being. However, it is known that the P13 will more likely lean on the styling cues of the P1 than those of the MP4-12C. According to sources at McLaren, the company's MP4-12C is 'too much about technology and less about beauty' and that the P13 isn't going to suffer from the same fate. Regarding the price of the P13, it seems wise to believe that it will range somewhere around US$200,000 (approximately S$251,000) or less. I think it's safe to assume that the price won't reach US$250,000 (approximately S$314,000), otherwise it may distract the sale of the MP4-12C.
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For those who intend to buy an Opel Astra 1.6 Turbo, you may want to hold off your purchase for a while. This is because the brand's latest 1.6-litre SIDI turbo petrol engine is now available on the five-door hatchback, four-door sedan and Sports Tourer versions of the Astra. The new engine will replace the existing 1.6-litre Ecotec turbocharged unit. The new range topper makes 168bhp and 280Nm of torque, which is 10bhp less but 50Nm more than its predecessor. In addition, torque availability has dropped from 2,200rpm to just 1,650rpm. The engine is available with either a new six-speed manual gearbox or a low-friction six-speed automatic transmission. The fuel consumption of the new engine is and improved 14 percent over its predecessor and is rated at 5.9L/100km (according to the New European Driving Cycle) for the hatchback and sedan. The five-door Astra 1.6 SIDI Turbo sprints from 0 to 100 km/h in 8.7 seconds, which is 0.3 seconds faster than the current 1.6 Turbo. However, it is still 0.3 seconds slower than its arch rival, the Golf Sport.
