Car News
2013 Chevrolet Malibu
After a series of teasers which included both images and videos, the North American car maker has lifted the covers of the third generation Chevrolet Malibu. GM showcases the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu at both its New York Auto Show and Shanghai Motor Show stands, in a move that want to show that this new generation mid-size saloon in serious about competing in a global market.
The new Malibu measures 4,85 m in length, 1,854 m in width, 1,462 m in height and has a wheelbase of 2,738 m, which basically means it is shorter, wider and taller that the outgoing model, providing close to 113 litres of additional interior space. The luggage compartment has also been increased at 462 litres while under the bonnet the automaker will fit an all new 2.5-litre Ecotec 4-cylinder plant which uses direct fuel injection and which sends power to the wheels through a 6-speed automatic transmission.
Ford Focus RS by MR Car Design
Erftstadt based tuner MR Car Design has prepared an upgrade program for an already capable hot hatch, the Ford Focus RS. The German tuner claims they have developed this new kit in order to make the Focus RS have the upper hand when put against competitors like the Audi RS3 Sportback and the BMW 1 Series M Coupe.
In order to accomplish their plan, MR Car Design has dialed up the output on the Ford Focus RS from 305 HP to 360 HP. This was done by fitting a custom made exhaust system with a downpipe and a 200-cell catalytic converter, a new air filter from K&N plus the engine’s management system has been further optimised through a new software.
Anderson Germany Aston Martin DBS
Aftermarket specialist Anderson Germany is developing a passion for creating stealthy looking tuning kits, and this latest creation called the Superior Black Edition uses the Aston Martin DBS as the base model.
The numerous black elements fitted by the Dusseldorf based tuner on the British sports coupe include glossy window frames, a tailgate bar, a new grille and logos, new side air intakes, tinted windows, darkened headlights and tail lamps and a custom exhaust system with black exhaust pipes.
Porsche Cayenne Diesel 245 HP
Porsche announces a series of improvements as well as new options and additions to the Cayenne and Panamera models.
Starting with the Porsche Cayenne, the German automaker has increased power on the 3.0-litre V6 Diesel model by 5 HP, which meas the new output is 245 HP while CO2 emissions have been lowered at 189 grammes per Km.
The new fuel consumption figures for the Porsche Cayenne Diesel are 39 mpg (an increase from 38.2 mpg) while the 0 to 62 mph acceleration time has been dropped by 0.2 seconds to 7.6 seconds. Top speed has also increased by 2 mph to 137 mph.
Volvo Concept Universe revealed
Volvo has unveiled their Concept Universe at this year’s Shanghai Motor Show. The car is a large, luxurious sedan featuring a ‘human-centric design language’ which ‘honours the beautiful lines of classic Volvo models’.
Stefan Jacoby, President and CEO of Volvo Car Corporation said that ‘The Concept Universe offers the world a sneak preview of what people can expect from our next top-of-the-line sedan.’ The company’s long term strategy is to offer more global models designed around customer’s needs and lifestyle.
Rolls-Royce Ghost Extended Wheelbase
car maker Rolls Royce is introducing the Extended Wheelbase version of the Ghost. This elongated model has premiered at the Auto Shanghai Motor Show today and as you can easily deduct, this is a model in which to be chauffeured, considering that wheel compared to the regular model, this version is 170 mm longer.
The Rolls Royce Ghost Extended Wheelbase will be powered by the same 6.6-litre twin turbo V12 engine found in the shorter version, so this means its output levels are 562 HP and 780 Nm of torque @ 1,500 rpm. Accelerating from 0 to 100 Km/h in the Ghost Extended Wheelbase takes 5.0 seconds, with power being sent to the wheels by an 8-speed ZF transmission.
Subaru XV Concept
The Subaru XV Concept was unveiled at the 2011 Auto Shanghai today, a new crossover which ‘blends SUV practicality with a fashionable form’. Designed around the word ‘Protern’ which is coined from ‘proffesional tool’ and ‘trendy design’ the Subaru XV Concept features a series of new elements like the restyled hexagonal grille, hawk-eye headlamps, a rear area also characterised by hexagonal shapes plus a roof that has been replaced by panoramic glass.
Some other features include aluminium alloy wheels with silver spokes, black rims and blue center caps, and the Electro Yellowgreen body colour which according to Subaru embodies electrifying performance, and excitement.
Baojun 630
China’s cheap mid-size sedan segment has just gained a new model: meet the Baojun 630, a car which will premiere at the SAIC-GM-Wuling (SGMW) stand at the Auto Shanghai 2011.
Baojun is GM’s newest brand for China, and according to them, the 630 addresses the growing demand for affordable personal transportation.
With an overall ‘user firendly’ design, and various elements that would make it appealing to Chinese consumers, the Baojun 630 has the longest wheelbase in its segment (2,640 mm) and features more than 22 individual storage spaces.
2011 Mercedes CLS Review Video
Autocar has just published a short review video featuring Daimler’s second generation Mercedes CLS, a car which is one of the main competitors in the four door coupes segment, a niche that also includes the BMW 6 Series GT and the Audi A7.
The 2011 Mercedes CLS shares its platform with the E Class, but in this case the car is more agile, due to its sharper steering and nimble chassis, and even though it is not as exciting to drive as the Jaguar XF, Autocar’s journalists thinks this 300 HP petrol version CLS is pretty much the next best thing.
speedART TITAN EVO XL 600 Porsche Cayenne Turbo
The aftermarket specialists from speedART have launched their latest upgrade program based on the latest generation Porsche Cayenne Turbo to which they refer to as the TITAN EVO XL 600.
Apart from the massive 23 inch CTS-FORGED alloys which come wrapped in 315/25 ZR23 tyres and which weight only 16,8 Kg each, the rest of the elements fitted on the speedART TITAN EVO XL 600 Porsche Cayenne Turbo look quite discrete. These include a front chin spoiler, a new diffuser and wider fender flares and at first sight might not reflect the fact that this upgraded Cayenne Turbo is capable of unleash an additional 100 HP over the standard version.