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Toyota Mark X Concept receives carbon fibre treatment
FaezClutchless posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
Many carbon fibre parts were used to build the Lexus LFA and because of this, Toyota has pumped in a significant amount of money on carbon fibre manufacturing. This was done to reduce the costs of producing carbon fibre parts. After the last Lexus LFA rolled out of its production facility in December last year, the company had no other use for the lightweight material in a production model. So, what will happen to the carbon fibre facility that they have? Instead of shutting it down, Toyota will introduce future models with carbon fibre components. Toyota has unveiled a concept model at the recent Tokyo Auto Salon and the car receives a carbon fibre roof. The vehicle is a Mark X and it is named the Toyota Mark X G Sport Concept. The carbon fibre material replaces the steel roof and it reduces 5.8kg off the overall weight. It also lowers the vehicle's centre of gravity by an eighth of an inch. Although this may not sound like much to some people, but every little measure count. And this may also be the beginning of more usage of carbon fibre parts in the car which, in a way, helps to improve performance. Toyota did not reveal whether they will include the carbon fibre roof into the production version of the Mark X G Sport or if the concept is a one-off creation just for the auto show. Whatever the company decides on, I feel that only the premium grade models will get the carbon fibre treatment as it is an expensive material to manufacture. -
First official photo of face-lifted Mercedes E 63 AMG emerges
SYF77 posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
After much anticipation and speculation, the 2014 Mercedes E 63 AMG has finally show its face in an official photo alongside with its lesser brethrens that include the sedan, wagon, coupe and convertible variants. The hottest version of the E-Class range is expected to be powered by the existing 5.5-litre V8 twin-turbo which is good for 518bhp and 699Nm of torque. A performance package is available which pumps up the engine to 550bhp and 799Nm of torque. The E 63 AMG will be presented at the upcoming Detroit Motor Show. A statement from Mercedes reads, "Not only will we introduce the E-Class Saloon, Estate, Coupe and Cabriolet, but also the E 63 AMG model, now available in a 4MATIC version and, of course, the new four-door coupe, the CLA." 4Matic is the name of an AWD four-wheel drive system developed and used by Mercedes-Benz. Like the regular E-Class saloon, the E 63 AMG has a re-designed single headlamp unit. However, it sports a more aggressive front bumper that houses huge air intakes on both sides. -
Rolls-Royce offers three new materials for the 'flying lady' ornament
SYF77 posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
Recently, the term 'material changes' has been used frequently in the war of words between political parties in Singapore. In this blog post, 'material changes' is taken quite literally as Rolls-Royce offers a choice of three new materials for the flying lady hood ornament. The flying lady - also known as the Spirit of Ecstasy - was designed by English sculptor Charles Robinson Sykes (1875 - 1950). According to wikipedia, the story behind it is apparently a secret love between John Walter Edward Douglas-Scott-Montagu, (second Lord Montagu of Beaulieu and editor of The Car Illustrated magazine from 1902) and his secretary and model for the emblem - Eleanor Velasco Thornton. The most interesting choice among the three choices is the illuminated polycarbonate flying lady. It looks identical to the one seen on the 101EX-concept, a prototype that was presented at the 2006 Geneva Motor Show. The other two choices are the gold-plated flying lady and a solid sterling silver version. Polycarbonate is a durable material with high impact-resistance and low scratch-resistance. Hence, a hard coating is applied to polycarbonate exterior automotive components. Unlike most thermoplastics, polycarbonate can undergo large plastic deformations without cracking or breaking. If a buyer does not see the need to cough out extra money for these special ornaments, they can always stick to the original stainless steel version. -
The completely redesigned Kia Optima K5 sedan made its debut back at the 2010 New York Motor Show. Now, the K5 is getting ready to receive a cosmetic update. Photos of the heavily-camouflaged Optima facelift have been captured in its home town of South Korea. Thanks to the extensive cladding, the styling updates on the Optima are well hidden. However, from one of the front angle, one can spot the modified head light combination which features two individual circular housing units. In addition, there appears to be a new LED strip above the head lights. The covered-up boot may mean that there could be some modifications made to the boot and taillight combination. The design of the alloy rims looks identical to the current model. With the facelift, one of the items in my wish list is for the 274bhp 2.0-litre turbo version to make it to the Asian market. Photo Credit: carscoop.blogspot.com
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Honda previews its line-up for the 2013 Tokyo Auto Salon
FaezClutchless posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
The 2013 Tokyo Auto Salon is just around the corner. It will be held at the Makuhari Messe International Convention Complex in Chiba from 11 January 2013 to 13 January 2013. Many Japanese auto firms and aftermarket companies will display their wares or projects at the show and Honda has announced its line-up for the upcoming auto show. Modulo, Honda's aftermarket products division has a couple of cars that will be presented at the show. Firstly, it is the S2000 Modulo Climax. It is practically an S2000 which was given a new exterior styling and interior parts. Next up is Honda's latest Kei car model, the N-One. It also receives Modulo's styling treatment, both interior and exterior. Mugen, another aftermarket and tuning firm closely associated with Honda, will also display several of their cars. First up is the Honda CR-Z Mugen RZ. On top of the sporty looking exterior styling, the hybrid hatchback receives a supercharger which delivers around 174bhp which includes the supplemental 20bhp from the electric motor. The car also receives adjustable suspension, 17 inch forged wheels and larger front brakes. The car comes in only one body colour which Mugen calls Azure Blue Metallic and only 300 units will be made commercially. Mugen has also developed a couple of "Mugen treated" Honda N-Ones. The Mugen N-One did not receive any engine modifications, only exterior styling modifications and Mugen badged interior parts. The car comes in either red or white body colour. Honda will also display two cars from the Super GT racing series and they are the HSV-010 GT and the Mugen CRZ-GT. The Mugen CR-Z GT racing car won the 2012 Formula Nippon team championship under the Docomo Dandelion Racing team. -
Feeling the heat from Mercedes AMG A 45's 2.0-litre turbo unit, Audi is working to dial up more power and torque from its 2.5-litre five-cylinder TFSI engine. Stephan Reil, Head of Development of quattro GmbH, commented, "The five-cylinder engine will have a big future with us. But the numbers I see from AMG's engines are enormous from a 2.0-litre four-cylinder." AMG's power plant (below) produces 350bhp, which is only 10bhp behind the larger capacity unit from Ingolstadt. However, there is a tougher challenge awaiting Audi. The engine has to meet the tough EU 6 emissions standard in Europe by September 2014. This means that the engine's combustion processes and catalysts need to be heavily revamped, according to Reil. Audi's turbocharged 2.5-litre Inline five-cylinder currently powers the TT RS and RS3 models. Five-cylinder engines are noted for combining the best aspects of four and six-cylinder engines. They generate more power and torque than six-cylinder engines while maintaining the fuel economy and peppiness of smaller four-cylinder engines.
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Hyundai has just delivered an armored Equus limousine to the Secretary General of the United Nations, Mr Ban Ki-moon. Coincidentally, Mr Ban hails from the same country as his new ride, that is South Korea. The bulletproof Equus is built on a stretched version of the Korean automaker's flagship luxury sedan platform. It weighs at 8,448 pounds. This special Equus was reported to be developed in cooperation with Stoof International, a German company that specialises in building such vehicles. The car is capable of withstanding bullets from common assault rifles up to 7.62x51 in calibre. Despite weighing much more than the regular model, Mr Ban's Equus is still powered by the same 5.0-litre V8 GDI engine which develops 424bhp. The engine is mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission. Since Mr Ban is unlikely to be interested in winning the traffic light drag race, there should not be any issue.
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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 -
Lamborghini's Sesto Elemento gets wheeled in to a London showroom
PetrolHead posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
Remember the Lamborghini Sesto Elemento? The shark like looking track-only car that weighs 999kg and utilises acres of carbon fibre. Unlike other Lambo's which were named after famous fighting bulls, the Sesto Elemento is named after the Carbon atomic number six. With just 20 units to be produced, the Sesto Elemento will be produced early next year and will cost 'only' $2.2 million. It is powered by a naturally aspirated 5.2-litre V10 capable of 562bhpand 540Nm of torque linked to a 6-speed semi-automatic transmission powering all four wheels. Recently one was being wheeled into a showroom in London and the extremely low car had difficulties getting unloaded from the delivery truck, it might have shaved a little of the carbon body just before being pushed into the showroom. -
[extract] This wide and wonderful Q5 has received the ABT treatment, and we can't help but yelp about it! Sometimes you don't realise what you want until you've been given a taste of it. I hate that. Until today, I was perfectly fine with the way a stock Audi Q5 looks and performs. I
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BMW releases limited edition M3 to celebrate DTM return
FaezClutchless posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
A couple of years back, BMW announced that they will return to the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters racing series in 2012, after a nearly 20 year absence. And in just its first season after its comeback, BMW had won a hat trick of titles (driver, manufacturer and team titles). To commemorate these incredible accomplishments, BMW is releasing a limited production M3 known as the DTM Champion Edition. The car is designed to look like Canadian driver, Bruno Spengler's M3 DTM racing car. Spengler won the driver's title for the 2012 season. The car is available exclusively in a frozen black metallic finish. The stealthy look is extended to other parts of the car too. The wheels are finished in matte black and the front grille is given a dark chrome finish. A BMW M stripe covers the carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) roof and boot lid. BMW M logos are placed on the rear portion of the front fenders and a DTM Champions 2012 decal together with a Canada flag are fixed on the rear side windows. Interior wise, the door sill strip features the same design from Spengler's racing helmet. Carbon fibre is used to trim the interior's dashboard and centre console. On the dashboard at the front passenger -
Audi has unveiled the R8 China edition specially designed for the Chinese market. Only 80 units will be produced, with the car knob bearing the serial number from 1 to 99. Audi skips all numbers featuring a 'four' because Chinese customers consider it as an unlucky number. The Audi R8 coupe is only offered in China with a 5.2-litre V10 engine churning out 525bhp and 530Nm of torque. All it takes is 3.9 seconds for the car to sprint from standstill to 100km/h. On the outside, buyers can choose to have the special Malibu Blue paint used for the body and Suzuka Grey for the side blades or vice-versa. Inside the cabin, the aluminum shifter is engraved with the R8 emblem and two Chinese characters. Other interior upgrades include leather upholstery with contrast stitching, Alcantara material for both the parking brake and steering wheel as well as Malibu Blue trimmings are featured all over the cabin.
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9ff is an esteemed Porsche tuning unit from Germany founded by Jan Fatthauer of Zuffenhausen who set out to build the fastest car in the world. Of course.. we all do don't we? After requiring an Automotive Engineering degree he worked for several tuners before starting out on his own. Back in January 2004, Jan reached 372km/h in his 9ff T6 at the Nardo track and returned back to the track in December that same year driving up to 388km/h in his 9ff V400. Fast forward to 2012, the team at 9ff has created a potent auto vehicle - the GT9 Vmax - a 1,381bhp German monster with a top speed of 437km/h. the GT9 Vmax is based on 997-model Porsche 911 and weighs just 1339kg. The carbon fibre clad GT9 Vmax is powered by a twin-turbo'd 4.2-litre flat-six, with a earlier reported high figure of 1,381bhp and 1,157Nm of torque mated to a six-speed gearbox. To save weight the windows are made from polycarbonate and aerodynamic efficiency in increased through faired rear wheels. Light weight and intense amount of power propels the GT9 Vmax to 100km/h in 3.1 seconds and it takes just 6.8 seconds to hit roughly 200km/h and 300km/h in just 13 seconds.
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The original Batmobile will hit the auction blocks next year
PetrolHead posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
[extract] Barrett-Jackson claimed to be the World's Greatest Collector Car Auctions have announced a special auction item dear to comic fans and fans of Adam West. Barrett-Jackson will auction away one of the most iconic tv cars of all time at its 42nd annual Scottsdale auction in January -
Toyota Motorsports GmbH unleashes the TMG Sports 650
FaezClutchless posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
In the month of November 2012, Toyota Motorsports GmbH (TMG) announced that they will be showcasing one of their project works at the 2012 Essen Motor Show. Nothing much was said about the car except that it will be based on a Lexus LS and will deliver over 600bhp. Several teaser images consisting of several carbon fibre parts and a BBS wheel fitted on the car soon followed afterwards. And now, Toyota Motorsports GmbH has finally revealed the completed car and it is officially known as the TMG Sports 650. The TMG Sports 650 is fitted with many carbon fibre parts which include a rear spoiler lip, side skirts and a roof panel. The wheel arc has been flared to allow 20 inch BBS wheels to fit on all four corners. These BBS wheels are wrapped in a low profile Michelin tyre. At the rear, four chromed exhaust tips are positioned in a peculiar but tasteful manner. One thing that is definitely missing from the car is the trademark spindle grille that is found on all new Lexus models. Probably, this is TMG -
Nissan has introduced the 2013 Nissan Leaf facelift for the Japanese market. The most important update is on the electric drive train, which consists of a new electric motor, an inverter and a DC/DC converter. It is now 10% lighter, giving the car an 80 kg advantage over the outgoing model. Among other upgrades, Nissan engineers also improved the regenerative braking system to maximize power regeneration. All these improvement enables the EV to travel up to 228 km on a full charge, which is more than sufficient to drive up to Malacca. On the exterior, the new Leaf gets 3 new colors, namely white, dark Metal Gray and Brilliant White Pearl. It will also get re-designed alloy rims in either 16 or 17-inch width depending on the grade that you choose. Blue reflection LED headlights are available as well. For the interior, upgrades include genuine leather seats, BOSE
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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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[extract] When the 9th generation Honda Civic went on sale in 2011, the design was not well-received by the automotive community. In fact, many believed that it was a step backwards from the previous generation
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[extract] In the United States, Ford offers several reproduction body shells of their previous popular models. You could get either a 1965 or 1967 Mustang Convertible body shell through Ford Restoration Parts program and these body shells are officially licensed products. Due to the popularity of such products, Ford has included another model
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[extract] Ever since Toyota Motorsport GmbH left the world of Formula One in 2009, the company has been busy with several projects. One of their recent completed and considered successful projects was the Toyota TS030 Le Mans hybrid race car. On top of that, the company has also been busy with changing the company
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[extract] Just a couple of months ago, leaked brochure images of the Honda N-One car began to appear all over the world wide web. And recently, Honda dealers all over Japan have begun selling the car. Now, the guys at Mugen Motorsports have unveiled exterior and interior parts for Honda
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[extract] DC Entertainment (parent company of DC Comics) has teamed up with Kia Motors America and Rides magazine to create Kia cars based on Justice League characters. And they have brought five examples to this year
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Just recently, Subaru revealed the Subaru BRZ STI at the Australian International Motor Show in Sydney. The car is said to be available for sale soon. And soon after that, the company announced that there are plans to release a turbocharged version of the car. While Toyota has released a TRD version of the 86 before this, the car only received aftermarket cosmetic parts such as a bodykit, suspension system and some TRD badges. Many were expecting a turbocharger or supercharger to be included as well. Just days after images of a Subaru BRZ wearing a huge GT wing and a STI bodykit was spotted at the Nurburgring, Toyota's in-house tuning division, TRD, has announced that they are looking into upgrades for the Scion FR-S (Toyota 86 in other markets). During the recent SEMA auto show, Scion showcased three modified examples of the Scion FR-S and a couple of them were supercharged. And it was at the same show where TRD representatives stated that they are considering a supercharger kit for the Scion FR-S. Toyota has previously offered supercharger kits for their sports or performance cars and even some of their trucks. And it comes as no surprise that a supercharger kit will be available for the Scion FR-S. The idea of a supercharger kit for the car is still very much in the planning stage and obviously no power figures were given. One of the advantages of having a TRD supercharger kit is that it offers a full factory warranty by the company and other aftermarket offerings do not often offer that. Since the Scion FR-S (including the Toyota 86) and the Subaru BRZ are practically identical, the supercharger kit should be able to be used for all three cars. Image credit: Net Car Show
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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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Ford reveals face-lifted 2013 Fiesta sedan in Sao Paulo Motor Show
SYF77 posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
At the recent 2012 Paris Motor Show, Ford showed the world the face-lifted Fiesta hatchback. Now, the blue oval brand revealed its sedan cousin at the 2012 Sao Paulo Motor Show in Brazil. Like the hatchback version, the Fiesta sedan sports an Aston Martin-inspired grille. The revised car has narrower headlights and newly styled taillights. Although no interior images were released but one can expect changes made to the instrument cluster, steering wheel and door panels for the 2013 Fiesta hatchback to feature in the sedan version as well. Detail regarding the sedan
