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Spy shots of production ready - lesser camo'd 4 Series is out!
PetrolHead posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
The digital age and the internet it has brought with, is truly an amazing tool for auto fanatics like you and me but I miss the old days for some reason.. I remember the days when I'm back from school and I'll see the latest Autocar magazine on my desk - my only source at that time where I can get a glimpse of the latest scoops and little hints. I don't remember reading much 'leaked' news or spy shots back then. Till today nothing beats the feeling of an all new model that is released on print and I get to see it up close on the nicely minted glossy magazine. Yes, the internet is a lot faster and usually has a better colour reproduction than print but the 'excitement' level is surely different. Anyway coming back to what I initially wanted to talk about, spyshots of what seems to be a 90% production ready 4 series have made its way to the widest web of the world. While there is a substantial amount of camouflage present on the car, you get a good preview of what the production ready version would look like. It has a minimal resemblance to the 4 Series coupe concept that was unveiled weeks ago but it looks inline with the current 3 series just without the two rear doors. Picture Source: WorldCarFans, Google Images -
If you think that the global economy is on its way to recovery, think again. Cumulative car sales in the European Union (EU) from January to November 2012 have fallen to a 19-year low. It dropped 7.2 percent to 11.7 million units, the lowest figure since 1993. The decline was propelled by a 10 percent plunge in November. The European Automobile Manufacturers' Association expects a full-year market contraction to about 12 million cars, the fewest cars sold in Europe since 1995. Below are the November statistics of some of the affected car makers: Brand Renault: -27.4 percent PSA Peugeot Citroen: -16 percent GM (Opel, Vauxhall, Chevrolet): -13 percent Ford: -10.2 percent VW: -2.5 percent However, BMW and Mercedes managed to buck the market trend and recorded sales growth of 0.4 percent and 1.5 percent for November respectively. Perhaps, workers in Fiat and Peugeot should start looking for job opportunities with the two German car makers as their companies have announced plans to cut 1,500 jobs each.
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Bernie Ecclestone feels that Schumacher should not have returned
SYF77 posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
[extract] F1 boss, Bernie Ecclestone, feels that Michael Schumacher -
[extract] Lexus invited the press to test its all-new 2014 Lexus IS sedan at the Fuji Motor Speedway prior to the car
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Skoda has released a set of new teaser images for its 2013 Octavia sedan. These images highlight the design of its grille, side mirror, C-pillar and LED tail light assembly. The only interior shot reveals the existence of steering-mounted paddle shifter, voice command buttons and a large infotainment screen. Skoda has indicated that the new Octavia will move upmarket with higher quality interior as the newly introduced Rapid will take over the segment currently occupied by the MK2 Octavia. The new generation Octavia will also gain in physical dimension to take on the big boys in the medium sized class such as the Camry and Accord. The Czech automaker is expected to unveil the new Skoda Octavia at the 2013 Geneva motor show in March. The new model is based on the same MQB platform as the Volkswagen Golf Mk7 and is expected to inherit a range of TSI four-cylinder petrol and TDI engines from it.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COh9BmAUg50 This is the first official video released by Mercedes with regards to the upcoming CLA compact sports saloon. Often nicknamed as the 'baby CLS', the new model will be revealed at the 2013 Detroit Motor Show. The CLA will be riding on the German carmaker's all-new MFA platform, which is also adopted by the new generation of the A-Class and B-Class. The CLA will be powered by 1.8-litre and 2.1-litre diesel engines, as well as turbocharged petrol engines of 1.6-litre and 2.0-litre capacity. Topping the lineup will be the CLA45 AMG, with a 2.0-litre turbo four cylinders that will produce around 350bhp and 406Nm of torque. All versions of the CLA will be equipped with the new 4Matic drivetrain that will provide variable torque delivery to all four wheels. The CLA will be positioned below the C-Class in Mercedes' lineup, which should make the car an 'affordable', stylish German marque.
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Former GM Engineer and husband found guilty of stealing trade secrets
SYF77 posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
An ex-General Motors (GM) engineer, Du Shanshan and her husband, Yu Qin, were convicted of stealing trade secrets on hybrid car technology from their former company to help develop such vehicles in China. The 53-year old Du was found guilty of conspiracy to possess trade secrets without authorization and two counts of trade secrets. However, she was acquitted on wire fraud charges. The U.S claimed that Du copied GM's trade secrets and provided the documents to Yu. Prosecutors accused Yu of using the data to seek business ventures or employment with GM's competitors, including the Chinese automaker Chery Automobile. Yu was found guilty on all six counts and a seventh count, which is obstruction of justice. "These defendants stole trade secrets, which General Motors spent many years and millions of dollars to develop, to give an unfair advantage to a foreign competitor," US Attorney Barbara McQuade said after the verdict. "We hope that this prosecution will send a message that stealing proprietary information from an employer or competitor is a serious crime," McQuade added. The couple's attorneys said that the documents in question were not trade secrets, while GM declined to comment on the issue. The defendants face a maximum sentence of 10 years on each of the trade secrets counts. Yu could face a stiffer sentence on wire fraud and obstruction convictions. The trade secret counts, wire fraud and obstruction of justice carry a fine of US$250,000 each. -
[extract] Kia has released a teaser sketch of the Kia Pro_cee'd GT, a high performance variant of the 2013 Pro_cee'd hatchback which will arrive in European showrooms in the second half of 2013. Although the illustration shows a coupe body style, five-door hatchback and estate versions are reported to be in kia
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[extract] SAIC-owned MG returned to the UK market in 2011 with the MG6 compact sedan. In saloon and five-door body styles, sales of the MG6 in the UK was found wanting with only 15 units sold in October 2011. This should not come as a surprise as the MG6 is based on SAIC
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According to The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) in the US, the Toyota Prius has a much lower theft rate than other cars and a much higher recovery rate. Only 1 in 606 2008-2010 Toyota Prius is reported to be stolen as compared to the average for all 2008-2010 models, in which 1 in 78 vehicles is reported stolen. The 'problem' is that the car-jackers want commonly used vehicle parts when they break the car apart.
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[extract] Ford is currently working on a 150bhp version of the 3-cylinder 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine. Speaking to Auto Express at the launch of the facelifted Ford Fiesta, EcoBoost chief engineer, Andrew Fraser, said: "I
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Recently, Datuk Lee Chong Wei, a Malaysian professional badminton player, wed his girlfriend of 11 years, Datin Wong Mew Choo. As a sport car lover, Lee ensured that his wedding entourage is no less impressive than his Olympics achievements. From the video, his wedding entourage consists of a couple of Bentley Continental Flying Spur sedans, Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4, Lamborghini Gallardo and Ferrari 430 Scuderia. Even the traffic police was activated to ensure law and order during the wedding proceedings. The first sports car that Lee owned is the Nissan GT-R. By winning a silver medal in the 2012 London Olympics, Lee was awarded RM 300,000 plus a life-long pension of RM 3,000 a month via the Malaysian government's Sports Incentive Scheme. In addition, The Star Media Group, a division of Toronto Star Newspapers Ltd, gave Lee RM100,000. Lee also won a silver media back in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Lee's wife is also a badminton player who retired from the sport in 2011.
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[extract] At the recent Paris Motor Show, Honda CEO, Takanobu Ito, confirmed that the Civic Type R would go on sale in 2015 but did not give out any further details. Although there are about two more years before the arrival of the 2015 Civic Type R (CTR), rumors are starting to emerge with regards to the boy racer
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[extract] The above photograph is apparently the face-lifted 2013 Mercedes E-Class sedan. The image is posted by Victor Guti
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After the launch of the Mazda6 sedan, the automotive world is now turning its attention to the fore-coming 2014 Mazda3. Apparently, a set of leaked images has been sent to UK magazine, Autoexpress, in an unmarked envelope. When Autoexpress approached Mazda UK to clarify on the images, a spokesperson from the company commented that these are merely conceptual representations of what the next 3 could look like, and are not the actual production model. I have a feeling that these photos were intentionally sent to the publication. The leaked images showed that the new Mazda3 is heavily influenced by the brand's latest Kodo design language worn by the CX-5 crossover and the new Mazda6 sedan. From certain angle, the boot of the hatchback looked rather bulky and SUV-like. The profile of the sedan is smooth flowing and bears a resemblance to Lexus IS250. The convex belt line lends an elegant look to the profile. The controversial smiley face of the current Mazda3 has been replaced by Mazda's new corporate grille. The 2012 Mazda 3 is the first Mazda model to benefit from the brand
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After Nissan confirmed that it will resurrect the Datsun brand for emerging markets, Volkswagen is said to be planning a sub-brand as well for such markets. In addition, VW will be offering these budget vehicles for sale in Europe. These low-cost VWs will be built in India or China via current joint-ventures and will be sold from 6,000 Euros (S$9500) onwards. This is cheaper than the cheapest VW model in Europe, the Up!, which cost 9,975 Euros. According to Der Spiegel, an online German news magazine, the lineup could consist of a hatchback, sedan, wagon and SUV with sales starting as soon as 2015. These models will be based on existing platforms so as to reduced production costs. Since these cars are targeted at emerging markets, expect the equipment level to be basic and functional. Perhaps, they may be equipped with just twin airbags instead of six airbags commonly found in the rest of the VW range. All these vehicles will be equipped with Euro 6 compliant engines with front-wheel drive setup. I am not sure if the move by VW will cannibalize on the sales of another brand under the group, Skoda. The Czech automaker is also targeting at the emerging markets such as India, China and Russia. For instance, the Rapid sedan is built with such intention in mind.
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[extract] After releasing the Rapid sedan, Skoda is readying the next generation Octavia sedan. The current version has been in the market for eight years and the upcoming MK3 Octavia is said to be larger and positioned more upmarket. The prototype of the new Octavia was spied for the first time during testing at the N
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[extract] Nissan has created a one-off gold-coloured GT-R embossed with Usain Bolt's signature and interior fittings finished in real gold. This unique GT-R will be auctioned on eBay and the proceeds will be donated to the Usain Bolt Foundation, which creates educational and cultural opportunities for the young people in Jamaica. The special edition GT-R is an extension of Mr Bolt
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[extract] In its second iteration, the current Lexus IS sedan has been with us since 2005. It may have survived the 2007-2008 global financial crisis, but it may not survive the onslaught of fresher models such as the facelifted Audi A4, the naughty Volvo S60 and the 2012 BMW 3 Series. Hope for the IS family line is here as the 2014 IS saloon has been spied in camouflage while undergoing some testing in Belgium. The overall profile of the car appears to be more streamlined and the sloping hood lends a sporty stance. The new sedan is said to adopt the LF-CC concept
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Malaysia claims to be one of the cheapest places to own a car in Asean
SYF77 posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
[extract] According to a study done by Malaysia -
Although GM and Ford are rivals in the automotive industry, these American car makers are collaborating to develop 9 to 10-speed automatic transmissions. This is not the first of their partnership though. In 2002, they cooperated to create a new automatic transaxle, designed for transverse engine applications in cars and light trucks. According to reports, GM will be in charge of designing a 9-speed gearbox for front-wheel drive cars while Ford will take the lead in developing a 10-speed transmission for rear-wheel drive cars such as SUVs, performance vehicles and pick-ups. Cars with a larger number of gear selections enable the engine to operate more efficiently, thus reducing CO2 emissions and fuel consumption. GM and Ford are not alone in the quest for additional gear ratios. Hyundai is already working on a 10-speed automatic transmission that will be used on a range of Hyundai and Kia vehicles in the future, particularly luxury models. It is scheduled to hit the showroom in 2014. If the collaboration proves to be a success, GM and Ford, the world's second and fifth largest car maker respectively, will be able to enjoy great economy of scale due to the sheer volume of their annual output. According to IHS Automotive powertrain analyst, David Petrovski, GM and Ford benefit from reduced investment risk by working together. By developing their own gearbox instead of purchasing them from manufacturers such as ZF and paying license fees, a car maker can reduce their cost of production.
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GM Vice Chairman Stephen Grisky says that Opel is not for sale. "Opel is not for sale. GM fully stands behind Opel," said Mr Girsky in a statement recently. "Opel is a fully integrated part of GM's global footprint and vital for GM's future success in Europe. The GM-PSA alliance is fully on track." The statement comes after an Italian newspaper implied Fiat was ready to buy the loss-making brand should the alliance between GM and PSA/Peugeot Citroen fail. The publication reported that Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne is already preparing a proposal to acquire the European brand in the event that GM decides to pull out of the alliance. The first time Fiat was trying to buy over Opel was in 2009 when the company was briefly in the red. Car makers are currently going through a deplorable phase as they struggle to control increasing losses in Europe after 11 consecutive months of declining sales. GM is one of the companies that were badly hit as it lost almost US$16 billion in its European operations over the last 12 years. The GM-PSA alliance allows both the manufacturers to share vehicle platforms, components and modules. In addition, the creation of a global purchasing joint venture enables both entities to enjoy greater economy of scales when sourcing for materials. I believe Opel has a future as it has plans to revamp its engine line up over the next 12 months. The new 1.6-litre SIDI (spark ignition direct injection) ECOTEC engine has been introduced recently and production will start in late 2012. Opel, hang in there!
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[extract] A car wash business and a nearby massage parlor operator in Sunway Mentari, Malaysia, have come up with an innovative idea to reward customers for their loyalty. The car wash customers get free sex after nine car wash completed within a certain period. After his tenth car wash, the customer can claim his
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJjh7lW5OZE From the land that brings you the Golden Horse Awards comes a series of fake accidents intended for insurance claims. The latest incident shows a young man who simply walked onto the road right in front of an oncoming car and squatted down. The best part is, the car has sufficient time to slow down and avoided the pedestrian. This public nuisance is probably risk-adverse and hence resulted in the failed attempt. The footage looks rather hilarious. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDfy6lxuSgo This incident is not the first of its kind in Taipei in recent weeks. Previously, a young girl simply run towards a car and threw herself onto the bonnet, pretending to be injured. The whole incident was captured by the CCTV in the car. Well, at least this young lady is braver than the joker above. However, it looked painfully silly as well. The pair should get some acting tips from the winner of the 2011 Golden Horse Award Best Leading Actor, Andy Lau. Try harder next time!
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The 2014 BMW M3 has been spied while undergoing some testing on the famous German track, the Nurburgring, thanks to the folks at Bimmer Post. From the footage, we can see that like all previous generations of the M3, the top-of-the range BMW 3 series has subtle styling differences from its lesser siblings. The all-new M3 is observed to have two pair of exhaust pipe. Other than the styling of the new M3, the video also give us a preview of the aural pleasure that can be derived from the car