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[extract] Every time Volkswagen releases a new Golf GTI model, it gets more powerful and faster. The current Golf GTI makes around 210bhp and with 280Nm of torque. Pretty powerful for a hatchback but there are other more powerful alternatives if someone
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BMW's Olympic Pavilion dazzles at London's Olympic Park
PetrolHead posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
[extract] The BMW Group has unveiled their Olympic Park Pavilion which expects to draw thousands of visitors during the Games. Conceived by an award-winning British architecture firm, the BMW Group Pavilion showcases a exciting range of latest vehicles against the backdrop of the Olympic Stadium and Aquatics Centre. The company -
Over the years, Audi has created some remarkable machines, like the R8, the A5, A5/A7 Sportback or even its Quattro concept or E-Tron concept vehicles. Having said that, a Russian design student from the Moscow State Technical University has envisioned a flagship sports saloon for his final thesis project. Dubbed the R9, the design study was imagined as Audi's version of the Lamborghini Estoque, with design inspiration from Audi's vast range of cars. The R9 is has a front-mounted engine equipped with Audi's Quattro system. What do you guys think? Though the front end isn't appealing I generally like the shape and profile and it does look a little too Lamborghini isn't it? Credits: Vasiliy Markin via Cardesign
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[extract] The BMW M3 is one fine performance vehicle and ever since its release, there have been numerous limited editions of the model. Some of these limited editions are market specific while some offer extra bits and parts. And not it seems that the model will get another variant. BMW of North America today announced the 2013 M3 Coupe Lime Rock Park Edition, of which 200 copies will be built. The car is built in conjunction with Skip Barber, owner of the infamous New England circuit, this M3 features the best of BMW's performance catalogue (although there won
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[extract] Many manufacturing companies realised that the most effective way to leverage niche talent is to establish a team in the heart of the segment. From video game makers to chocolatiers, companies relocate their offices to seek specific talents and also to have a better local feel. Automakers do the same thing too. Southern California is known for its fanatical car culture and the place has become like a capital city for automakers seeking a better taste of the region
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Toyota Motorsport GmbH (TMG) has been responsible for many of Toyota's motorsport campaigns which includes Formula 1, World Rally Championships and the 24 Hours Le Mans competition. And ever since Toyota pulled out of Formula 1 in 2009, the company has been busy with several projects; mainly with the development of the TS030 Hybrid Le Mans race cars that participated in the 24 Hours Le Mans recently. Toyota Team Europe Group A Toyota Celica GT4 ST185 A little history about the company before we continue with the story. Toyota Motorsport GmbH started in the 1970s as Toyota Team Europe (TTE). The company was responsible for providing technical support for rally driver, Ove Andersson, who was driving a Celica at that time. They also developed the first Japanese car to win the WRC. In 1993, TTE changed their name to what it is today and they got involved in other racing competitions as well such as the Le Mans and Formula 1. Toyota Motorsport GmbH, which is located in Cologne, Germany is run by Yoshiaki Kinoshita who recently mentioned that he wants TMG to become Toyota
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As part of the Great Singapore Sales (GSS) promotion, Orchard Central (OC) has come up with a theme called 'A Classic GSS affair'. According to the management of the shopping centre, OC enters a world of vintage charm with car boot sales with a vintage twist. Along with the theme, OC displayed two classic cars along the walkway of the shopping mall. These are the Porsche 912 Coupe and the Lancia Fulvia RS. As a car enthusiast, I was naturally more interested in these classics rather than what is on sale in OC. The Porsche 912 is a sports car that was manufactured by the German supercar maker between 1965 and 1969 as their entry-level model. The 912 is a nimble-handling compact performance four-seat vehicle, delivering 90bhp at 5800 rpm from a 2.0-litre flat-4 power plant. It is capable of returning a fuel economy of up to 7.8L/100km (or 12.8km/L). A variant of the 911, one of the most famous and successful sports cars of all time, the 912 initially outsold the 911, boosting the manufacturer's total production until success of the 911 was assured. Styling, performance, quality construction, reliability, and price made the 912 a very attractive buy to both new and old customers. Porsche produced nearly 30,000 912 coupe units and about 2500 912 Targa body style during its five year production run. The Porsche 912 has also proven successful as a race car. The Lancia Fulvia is an Italian car introduced at the Geneva Motor Show in 1963 and produced through 1976. Fulvias are notable for their role in automobile racing history, including winning the International Rally Championship in 1972. Road & Track called the Fulvis as a "a precision motorcar, an engineering tour de force" in a review of the car in 1967. What caught my attention is that the car was actually powered by a V4 engine when most engines of the bent configuration usually have 6 or 8 cylinders. The engine has a DOHC design with a one camshaft operating all intake valves and another operating all exhaust valves. The engine was initially offered with a 1091cc capacity and was enlarged to 1298cc later on. This raised the output from 71bhp to 87-92bhp. The car is often used for track days at Sepang and Pasir Gudang. If you are a fan of classic cars, do make your way down to OC before they are gone. Old school's cool !
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German court declared vintage Mercedes belongs to heirs
FaezClutchless posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
[extract] A couple of months ago, I wrote about a very rare Mercedes Benz 500 K Roadster being confiscated by authorities in Germany after the original owner -
Chinese auto dealer group buys German tuner Carlsson
FaezClutchless posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
In China, not too long ago, auto dealers enjoy record sales for their luxury models but that soon changed recently. A maturing market and stiff competition has dropped sales level to an all time low and many of these dealers have resorted by offering consumers huge discounts. But a Chinese auto dealer, Zhongsheng Group, has come up with a rather unique way to help them sell more cars and that is to buy a majority stake in the famous German tuning company, Carlsson. If you are a Mercedes Benz fan, you would be familiar with the name Carlsson. A little history about the company before I continue with the article. Carlsson Autotechnik is a tuning and aftermarket parts company that specialises in Mercedes Benz vehicles. The company was started by two brothers, Rolf and Andreas Hartge, and the company name honours the Swedish rally driver, Ingvar Carlsson, who raced for the Mercedes Rally Team during the 1980s. They make parts for virtually every Mercedes Benz model, including the Mercedes Benz Vito. Zhongsheng Group has bought a 70 percent stake in the company for an undisclosed amount and they intend to use Carlsson -
The VW Beetle Fender Edition will rock you like a hurricane
FaezClutchless posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
The Volkswagen Beetle is an iconic car and some rock stars have probably driven them (especially the original Beetle). And now the German automaker has infused the rock and roll formula into one of its newest models, the current generation Beetle. Volkswagen will introduce a special edition Beetle at the Leipzig Auto Show and it will be known as the Beetle Fender Edition. The car was first seen as a concept car at the 2011 Frankfurt International Auto Show. The car will get several Fender-unique features which demonstrate its affiliation with the American musical icon. Many would know about Fender as one of the major producers of guitars and its accessories and many professional musicians such as Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix have used their products. The company recently expanded into the car audio business by teaming up with Panasonic to produce sound systems for Volkswagen. The Beetle Fender Edition stands out with unique interior and exterior styling. Its distinctively painted dashboard features the classic sunburst colour of Fender guitars, and the vehicle's interior is accented with colour-contrasting seams that complement the dash's colours. Beetle Fender Edition vehicles equipped with the 200-horsepower 2.0-liter turbocharged four- cylinder TSI engine will receive seats with exclusive fabric inserts. Outside, all Beetle Fender Edition vehicles are painted in Deep Black Metallic and also feature brushed chrome exterior mirrors, 18-inch "Disc" aluminium-alloy wheels, bi-xenon head lights, and the famous Fender logo. The Fender Premium Audio System debuted in the Jetta GLI in the United States and the Beetle is the first Volkswagen vehicle in Europe equipped with the high-performance sound setup. Using proprietary Panasonic speaker technology, the system cuts through noise and other distractions with front dual-voice coil speakers to create a sound closely similar to a true, live performance. The Beetle Fender Edition will first go on sale in Europe and will be available in America in the third quarter of 2012. Photo credit: Net Car Show -
[extract] Negotiations between German major carmakers and Europe
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[extract] First I went wow, and then I went, hmm, and then I thought the car looks familiar and finally decided to buy one. In Forza or in die cast of course. The one-off extremely b.e.a.u.-tiful BMW Zagato Coupe blends design characteristics of the two companies, almost perfectly through many hours of hand-craftsmanship. To be unveiled at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d
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[extract] I once read a quote
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Without a doubt, the sultan of Brunei is one of the richest person in the world with a vast car collection, some specially created ones. With thousands of dream cars to go through, Carbuzz.com tried narrowing down to a few real exotics among the Sultan's immense fleet of luxury and ultra rare vehicles which is worth an estimated $300 (S$383) million, and fills five garages the size of airplane hangars. Rolls-Royce wedding car: The Sultan's Rolls-Royce wedding car: Gold Plated Rolls-Royce made with 24k pure gold Rolls Royce: The world's most expensive Rolls Royce, The Star of India costed him $14 million. Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR: The world's only right-hand-drive version with a 6.9-litre V12 powertrain producing 612hp. The tip of the iceberg is his collection of like any other gazillionaire the Sultan has a taste for Ferrari's with over 300 in his collection. Ferrari FX: Like any other gazillionaire the Sultan has a taste for Ferraris with over 300 in his collection. This FX is based on the F512M enclosed with a custom-built body and rumoured to have a seven-speed transmission from the Williams F1 Team. 6 F90 Ferrari Testarossa Speciale: All 6 are owned by the Sultan. All the F90's use a Ferrari Testarossa chassis producing 390hp sent to the rear wheels. The interior is custom with a glass greenhouse and a fully removable sunroof. McLaren F1s: Eight McLaren F1
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[extract] Sports utility vehicles are gaining much popularity in the past five years, especially crossovers. While other automakers are churning out SUV models one after another, Volkswagen currently has only two models which are the Tiguan and Touareg. Its subsidiary, Audi, currently has three SUV models with three more planned in the near future and this made Volkswagen
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[extract] If five years ago, someone said that Porsche would be the first major auto manufacturer to use electric drive technology in each of its models, people might think the person might be joking or just crazy. Fast forward to today and that particular statement is getting real close to being true. Almost every model in Porsche
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Will paddle shifters be the future of automotive transmissions?
FaezClutchless posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
It is evident that many automakers nowadays feature automated-manual transmissions (that usually comes with a paddle shifter) in their performance cars. In other words, these automated-manual transmissions with paddle shifters are the in-thing now. Every technology in our lives are ever changing and getting replaced with new and better ones and will paddle shifting transmissions replace manual ones and even conventional auto gearboxes totally? I have asked the above mentioned question to several car owners; both performance and ordinary car owners and they are in their 20s up to 40s (age range). Below are their opinions. Many felt that manual transmissions will still be the choice of hardcore drivers who prefer the shift stick and clutch pedal combination. It would be hard to remove the manual stick and clutch pedal feeling from them. And there are some who believe that these automated-manual (or dual clutch) transmissions will sit well in between conventional automatic transmissions drivers and sports-orientated drivers. In a way, it is probably ideal for drivers who have problems with the stick and clutch pedal combination or drivers who are simply can -
BMW in talks with Hyundai over possible engine deal
FaezClutchless posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
Despite having engine tie-ups with PSA Peugeot Citroen (for the development of new front wheel drive hybrids) and Toyota (joint development of next-generation lithium-ion batteries for hybrids), BMW are reportedly having talks with Hyundai over a possible agreement to share future development costs for engines and other areas. This information was revealed by an insider who mentioned that the two companies are still in the early stages of discussion. Another source also mentioned that the two automakers had discussed a comprehensive alliance which includes a jointly developed engine where development costs will be split equally. A report in a German industrial publication, Automobil Produktion, stated that BMW and Hyundai were looking to spend a combined amount of US$1.3 billion and US$2.6 billion on the development of a new engine family. The report also claimed that Hyundai senior managers, including Chung Eui-Sun (the son of Hyundai Chairman, Chung Mong-Koo) met with BMW officials at BMW -
Anatole Lapine, the man behind the iconic Porsche 928 passes away
FaezClutchless posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
Anatole Lapine, the Porsche designer behind iconic Porsche models such as the 924, 944 and most notably, the 928 passed away at his home in Germany last week; less than one month before his 82nd birthday. On top of his contributions with the above mentioned Porsche models, Lapine helped put Porsche on the automotive map with his designs for over two decades. Lapine first started out in the automotive industry as an apprentice at Daimler-Benz, just after the Second World War. He was later enticed by General Motors to come to the United States in 1952 to work for them in the advanced body engineering department. General Motors then transferred him back to Germany to work at Opel -
[extract] German automakers have an obsession with making their ordinary car models into blistering, tarmac shredding performance models. Mercedes Benz has their AMG line-up, BMW has its M vehicles, Audi does it with their RS models and Volkswagen has its R brand. With more powerful engines and exclusive styling, these models are considered to be formidable vehicles. Volkswagen has added another one of its model to the R line-up and it
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[extract] Frizzi Arnold, a 22 year-old German beauty, has won the tenth edition of Miss Tuning beauty pageant which was held recently at Tuning World Bodensee in Friedrichshafen, Germany. The contest attracted 500 applicants and in the finals, Frizzi won the jury
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BMW premiered its concept i8 spyder in Beijing recently. The electric spyder does not differ much from its coupe sibling besides riding on a shorter height and wheelbase. The rear-end of the car was clearly seen with an eDrive as a mark for the new electric technology. In can be certain that in the future, the eDrive badging will identify all electric and plug-in hybrid cars of BMW's i sub brand. eDrive comprises the electric motor developed by BMW, the lithium-ion battery, and the intelligent motor management system. Full torque of the electric motor is available from the start and the acceleration unfolds until hitting the top speed.
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[extract] Every tyre on the market today is a compromise. If you want something that sticks to the ground in warm and dry conditions, there are many tyres for you to choose but don
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Earlier this year in January, MINI announced its plans to revive the MINI Van and showcased the vehicle at the Geneva Motor Show. The car will be based on the MINI Clubman and the company called it the MINI Cargo. At that time, there were no photos or rendered images on how the car would look like. Just before the above mentioned auto show began, MINI showed images of the car and they also changed the name to the MINI Clubvan. Initially, the company stated that the MINI Clubvan will only be a concept and they have no immediate plans to put the vehicle into production. It is during auto exhibitions where many automakers gauge public reaction to a certain new offering before deciding whether it will go into production. In this case, MINI used the recent Geneva Motor Show to see how popular their MINI Clubvan was. And it appears that the public fully approves it and MINI will enter the Clubvan into production. The MINI Clubvan is hugely based on the Clubman
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[extract] Not too long ago, Porsche announced its plans for a smaller-sized suv to accompany its Cayenne and expand its model line-up. Not much details were available at that time besides a rendered image of the car. Now, more technical news about the baby suv has been revealed. Many speculated the model name while some were certain that it would be named the Porsche Cajun, but the German automaker has given a different name all together-the Macan. Porsche explained the name to be derived from an Indonesian word meaning 'tiger' and expresses the
