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Saturday, March 15, 2008
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Road Test Of 2008 Pontiac G8 GT
BY AARON ROBINSON, PHOTOGRAPHY BY MORGAN SEGAL
Fair Dinkum! A BMW impersonator from down under shakes up the wide-track franchise.
The lights went dim in GM’s rear-wheel-drive department about the time Saddam Hussein took over Iraq. It’s been hell in a hatbox ever since. Power—plowing, tire-torturing, torque-steering, steering-numbing power—has driven the front axles of nearly every GM sedan for the past three decades.
Throughout the great front-drive flood, GM’s Holden division in Australia was the ark for big sedans with prop shafts pointed at six o’clock. Holden Commodores and Ford Falcons are a mainstay in Oz and have received continually updated engineering despite the small market. (A good Aussie sales year—a record 1.05 million new vehicles in 2007—equals a disastrous sales month in the States.)
Robert Lutz became the GM product sheriff in 2001, with a directive to inject car-guy sparkle into the insipid, fluorescent-lit catalog. All car guys know that fun lives largest in rear-drivers. The first rummage in GM’s antipodean attic produced the 2004 Pontiac GTO. It bombed, but Lutz and company remain undaunted in their plan to pull Pontiac’s performance bona fides out of mothballs using the next generation of Australian-engineered-and-built rear-drivers. The agenda includes the G8 sedan and, the industry trades claim, a forthcoming sport wagon and an El Camino reboot.
If—a prodigious “if”—it survives hikes in oil prices and federal fuel standards, the strategy promises Pontiac a full lineup of USDA-cut, Euro-style sports machines. That’s not available elsewhere—at least not since Dodge announced the Magnum’s demise after 2008. Will the crowds come, especially when the gas pumps are biting? We’ll know soon, as the G8 is already on sale. Meanwhile, this Pontiac is spacious, fast, and agile. It’s a looker, and it’s surprisingly affordable. It’s the best thing to happen at Pontiac since KITT the gabby Trans Am.
The G8 lives within a narrow price band, and the optional furbelows are few. Just $27,595 puts you into the base G8, with a 256-hp, 3.6-liter four-cam V-6 and the 5L40 five-speed automatic. The GT, with its 361-hp, 6.0-liter V-8 and six-speed 6L80 Hydra-Matic, starts delivering 5.3-second barrels to 60 mph for $29,995. With all options, the GT rises to $32,745. A Hemi-equipped Dodge Charger R/T starts at $31,430 and offers more checkable boxes, including all-wheel drive.
Economic pricing extends to the G8’s options, and our tester had them all: a $1250 Premium package, including black leather or black with red seat inserts; a $900 sunroof; and a $600 Sport package that buys 19-inch wheels and summer Bridgestone tires. Summer rubber is standard on all V-8 GTs, and subbing in all-season 18-inchers runs $150.
Clipped overhangs and sheetmetal that is sucked tight over the wheel arches and cabin give the G8 the crouched stance of a Teutonic high roller. The G8’s skeleton is all-new and 100 percent Australian-developed. At 114.8 inches, the wheelbase is 5.2 inches shorter than a Charger’s and the overall length is four inches less; the width and the height are within a few 10ths of the burly Dodge’s.
Like the Charger, the G8 rolls over a big shadow, but except for the aluminum powertrain, it conquers the crash-test barrier without pricey lightweight alloys. Our loaded GT weighed 4100 pounds, fairly evenly distributed, with 48.3 percent carried by four stamped steel and cast iron links in back that replace the semi-trailing arms of the old GTO. Struts supported by links handle the remainder, just as struts do in those ballyhooed Munich machines.
Like them, the G8 is happy being fast-pitched into corners. It doesn’t sass back with tire squeal, path wandering, or body bounding but stays cool and in control. GM considered offering a base and a sport tune but settled on the stiffer FE2 suspension for the whole line. A good decision, apparently, as the compliant ride hasn’t been murdered, not even by the 40-series tires.
Reckless heroics bring forth understeer, the reason for a so-so 0.85-g skidpad result. But the G8 has a well-stocked toolbox for making confident speed. The steering, a little heavy at a slow canter, is a focused target seeker in action. A steadfast brake pedal serves everything from faint trail-braking to 167-foot denture spitters from 70 mph. The promise of rear-drive? Delivered!
And there’s power, enough to pull quarter-miles in 13.8 seconds at 104 mph. This Gen IV small-block is the L76, a 5967cc V-8 that bellows through its eight-into-two-into-one-into-two-into-four exhaust but lives much of its life as a V-4 to conserve juice. To dodge a gas-guzzler penalty, the cylinder shut-off is aggressively programmed and not altogether transparent. A faint flutter through the steering wheel and floorboard means half the cylinders are asleep. It’s an acceptable trade-off for a claimed 10-percent gain. The EPA says the V-8 makes 24 mpg highway. We saw 18 for one fill-up; the test average was 16.
The six-speed manual offered in Australia is reportedly being saved for a higher-output G8 coming later. Meanwhile, the auto’s programming seeks top gear quickly in normal mode and often downshifts reluctantly and with a neck-bending lurch that needs smoothing. In sport it changes character entirely, holding lower gears for long stretches. There’s also a full manumatic mode.
The G8’s family-car bloodline is evident from inside. At 18 cubic feet, the deep trunk will swallow Jonah—if not the whale. (It already swallows the battery for better weight balance.) Four-bar trunklid hinges waste no space. The dash and the door sills are cut low to improve visibility, and the steering tilts and telescopes. The front- and rear-seat dimensions are nearly identical, and all aboard get generous head, leg, and shoulder room.
Western sizing extends to the thick bolsters on the front buckets, spread wide enough to welcome athletically trained (or McDonald’s fed) torsos. The seats give solid support and proved comfortable over the long miles. The rear seatback reclines at a restful 28 degrees with well-shaped body pockets. Camry drivers would find little to criticize except the lack of folding rear seats. GM says it’s about structural stiffness. A double-wide tunnel is the concession.
Obvious cheap-outs are absent. A soft-touch plastic skin with a high-tech mesh pattern covers the upper dash and looks classy, as does the fine-weave headliner. Deluxe short-stroke buttons govern the systems, and the sunroof opens with a handy VW-style set-and-forget rotary switch. The window and mirror controls are grouped in the center console with the clever hide-away parking brake. Our one suggested edit: Dump the battery-voltage and oil-pressure readout above the center vents. The fat Pac-Man–era pixels look cheap, give vague and unhelpful info, and glow distractingly at night.
No navigation function is offered through the Blaupunkt stereo, even though it seems designed for it. Your choices: a portable aftermarket nav or OnStar’s nav surrogate. The live operator looks up the destination and downloads turn-by-turn instructions, given by automated voice command and through the red-hued info screen between the gauges. It works, but without the all-important scrolling map. And it’s not for folks with privacy paranoia. If you are nav needy, we recommend a trip to the aftermarket.
They call Australia “the lucky country.” Now we know why. Chrysler gets the kudos for reintroducing America to affordable rear drive first. Ford is two, maybe three years away from revealing its plan, if indeed it has one. With the G8, GM finally lets us in on Australia’s hot-sedan secrets. Let’s hope it’s not too late.
Fair Dinkum! A BMW impersonator from down under shakes up the wide-track franchise.
The lights went dim in GM’s rear-wheel-drive department about the time Saddam Hussein took over Iraq. It’s been hell in a hatbox ever since. Power—plowing, tire-torturing, torque-steering, steering-numbing power—has driven the front axles of nearly every GM sedan for the past three decades.
Throughout the great front-drive flood, GM’s Holden division in Australia was the ark for big sedans with prop shafts pointed at six o’clock. Holden Commodores and Ford Falcons are a mainstay in Oz and have received continually updated engineering despite the small market. (A good Aussie sales year—a record 1.05 million new vehicles in 2007—equals a disastrous sales month in the States.)
Robert Lutz became the GM product sheriff in 2001, with a directive to inject car-guy sparkle into the insipid, fluorescent-lit catalog. All car guys know that fun lives largest in rear-drivers. The first rummage in GM’s antipodean attic produced the 2004 Pontiac GTO. It bombed, but Lutz and company remain undaunted in their plan to pull Pontiac’s performance bona fides out of mothballs using the next generation of Australian-engineered-and-built rear-drivers. The agenda includes the G8 sedan and, the industry trades claim, a forthcoming sport wagon and an El Camino reboot.
If—a prodigious “if”—it survives hikes in oil prices and federal fuel standards, the strategy promises Pontiac a full lineup of USDA-cut, Euro-style sports machines. That’s not available elsewhere—at least not since Dodge announced the Magnum’s demise after 2008. Will the crowds come, especially when the gas pumps are biting? We’ll know soon, as the G8 is already on sale. Meanwhile, this Pontiac is spacious, fast, and agile. It’s a looker, and it’s surprisingly affordable. It’s the best thing to happen at Pontiac since KITT the gabby Trans Am.
The G8 lives within a narrow price band, and the optional furbelows are few. Just $27,595 puts you into the base G8, with a 256-hp, 3.6-liter four-cam V-6 and the 5L40 five-speed automatic. The GT, with its 361-hp, 6.0-liter V-8 and six-speed 6L80 Hydra-Matic, starts delivering 5.3-second barrels to 60 mph for $29,995. With all options, the GT rises to $32,745. A Hemi-equipped Dodge Charger R/T starts at $31,430 and offers more checkable boxes, including all-wheel drive.
Economic pricing extends to the G8’s options, and our tester had them all: a $1250 Premium package, including black leather or black with red seat inserts; a $900 sunroof; and a $600 Sport package that buys 19-inch wheels and summer Bridgestone tires. Summer rubber is standard on all V-8 GTs, and subbing in all-season 18-inchers runs $150.
Clipped overhangs and sheetmetal that is sucked tight over the wheel arches and cabin give the G8 the crouched stance of a Teutonic high roller. The G8’s skeleton is all-new and 100 percent Australian-developed. At 114.8 inches, the wheelbase is 5.2 inches shorter than a Charger’s and the overall length is four inches less; the width and the height are within a few 10ths of the burly Dodge’s.
Like the Charger, the G8 rolls over a big shadow, but except for the aluminum powertrain, it conquers the crash-test barrier without pricey lightweight alloys. Our loaded GT weighed 4100 pounds, fairly evenly distributed, with 48.3 percent carried by four stamped steel and cast iron links in back that replace the semi-trailing arms of the old GTO. Struts supported by links handle the remainder, just as struts do in those ballyhooed Munich machines.
Like them, the G8 is happy being fast-pitched into corners. It doesn’t sass back with tire squeal, path wandering, or body bounding but stays cool and in control. GM considered offering a base and a sport tune but settled on the stiffer FE2 suspension for the whole line. A good decision, apparently, as the compliant ride hasn’t been murdered, not even by the 40-series tires.
Reckless heroics bring forth understeer, the reason for a so-so 0.85-g skidpad result. But the G8 has a well-stocked toolbox for making confident speed. The steering, a little heavy at a slow canter, is a focused target seeker in action. A steadfast brake pedal serves everything from faint trail-braking to 167-foot denture spitters from 70 mph. The promise of rear-drive? Delivered!
And there’s power, enough to pull quarter-miles in 13.8 seconds at 104 mph. This Gen IV small-block is the L76, a 5967cc V-8 that bellows through its eight-into-two-into-one-into-two-into-four exhaust but lives much of its life as a V-4 to conserve juice. To dodge a gas-guzzler penalty, the cylinder shut-off is aggressively programmed and not altogether transparent. A faint flutter through the steering wheel and floorboard means half the cylinders are asleep. It’s an acceptable trade-off for a claimed 10-percent gain. The EPA says the V-8 makes 24 mpg highway. We saw 18 for one fill-up; the test average was 16.
The six-speed manual offered in Australia is reportedly being saved for a higher-output G8 coming later. Meanwhile, the auto’s programming seeks top gear quickly in normal mode and often downshifts reluctantly and with a neck-bending lurch that needs smoothing. In sport it changes character entirely, holding lower gears for long stretches. There’s also a full manumatic mode.
The G8’s family-car bloodline is evident from inside. At 18 cubic feet, the deep trunk will swallow Jonah—if not the whale. (It already swallows the battery for better weight balance.) Four-bar trunklid hinges waste no space. The dash and the door sills are cut low to improve visibility, and the steering tilts and telescopes. The front- and rear-seat dimensions are nearly identical, and all aboard get generous head, leg, and shoulder room.
Western sizing extends to the thick bolsters on the front buckets, spread wide enough to welcome athletically trained (or McDonald’s fed) torsos. The seats give solid support and proved comfortable over the long miles. The rear seatback reclines at a restful 28 degrees with well-shaped body pockets. Camry drivers would find little to criticize except the lack of folding rear seats. GM says it’s about structural stiffness. A double-wide tunnel is the concession.
Obvious cheap-outs are absent. A soft-touch plastic skin with a high-tech mesh pattern covers the upper dash and looks classy, as does the fine-weave headliner. Deluxe short-stroke buttons govern the systems, and the sunroof opens with a handy VW-style set-and-forget rotary switch. The window and mirror controls are grouped in the center console with the clever hide-away parking brake. Our one suggested edit: Dump the battery-voltage and oil-pressure readout above the center vents. The fat Pac-Man–era pixels look cheap, give vague and unhelpful info, and glow distractingly at night.
No navigation function is offered through the Blaupunkt stereo, even though it seems designed for it. Your choices: a portable aftermarket nav or OnStar’s nav surrogate. The live operator looks up the destination and downloads turn-by-turn instructions, given by automated voice command and through the red-hued info screen between the gauges. It works, but without the all-important scrolling map. And it’s not for folks with privacy paranoia. If you are nav needy, we recommend a trip to the aftermarket.
They call Australia “the lucky country.” Now we know why. Chrysler gets the kudos for reintroducing America to affordable rear drive first. Ford is two, maybe three years away from revealing its plan, if indeed it has one. With the G8, GM finally lets us in on Australia’s hot-sedan secrets. Let’s hope it’s not too late.
Sourse: Automobile Car Blog
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Review Of 2008 Aston Martin DBS
BY BARRY WINFIELD
For a car that looks like a million bucks, $265,000 sounds like a steal.
When the Aston Martin DBS made its debut as James Bond’s car in the 2006 movie Casino Royale, it got wadded into a ball during an avoidance maneuver. Aston’s people were unruffled by the destruction of their car. They knew the DBS had to be forcibly flipped by the moviemakers.
They also knew that a hit movie would provide great publicity and that Bond has crashed Astons before without hurting the marque’s safety rep. The company can make more, but it won’t make many. The factory is production-constrained, and no more than 600 DBS models will pass through the gates each year, with 150 to 200 earmarked for U.S. delivery. Since the DBS is priced at $265,000, one shouldn’t expect it to be reproduced like an iPod. That kind of money ought to buy exclusivity.
And that’s particularly true since Aston’s almost equally striking DB9 is about 100 grand less expensive. But there are many differences between the two, even though the DBS uses the DB9’s VH-platform technology—bonded aluminum sheet and extrusions—for its structure. Specific to the DBS is a cross-car dashboard-supporting beam with new cast members at its nodes to improve stiffness and control steering-column shake.
Unlike in the DB9, the rear subframe in the DBS is solidly mounted, and the trunk and door-frame apertures are lighter. To keep weight down, Aston engineers used carbon fiber for the hood, front fenders, and trunklid.
Although the roof and the doors are shared with the DB9, the DBS is wider front and rear (by 0.8 inch and 1.6 inches). Don’t expect any more space inside the DBS, but the interior is quite special, with carbon-fiber trim, an improved dash layout, and a sapphire “key” that docks in a slot in the dashboard and is pressed to start the engine.
With 510 horsepower, the engine is Aston’s strongest, chiefly because of a new inlet manifold and new cylinder heads with better inlet-port design. But the torque peak is unchanged at 420 pound-feet. No one will complain because the 5.9-liter V-12 pushes the 3750-pound coupe around with real authority, making some of the world’s best automotive sound effects in the process.
A six-speed Graziano transaxle was the only transmission available in the early production models we drove, and it worked smoothly and accurately, but an automated six-speed manual is expected to follow. That might suit the flexible nature of this gen-four V-12 even better.
Slowing the action is a quartet of huge carbon-ceramic brake rotors peeking from 20-inch, split-spoke alloys. They work with the transparency of conventional steel discs, with perhaps even less noise.
To broaden the car’s handling repertoire, adaptive shocks are fitted with a choice of luxury and sport settings, each with a range of damping values. The result is a car that is as refined and functional as it is visually arresting and flamboyantly fast.
2008 Aston Martin DBS - Specs
VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 2-door coupe
BASE PRICE: $265,000
ENGINE TYPE: DOHC 48-valve V-12, aluminum block and heads, port fuel injection
Displacement: 362 cu in, 5935cc
Power (SAE net): 510 bhp @ 6500 rpm
Torque (SAE net): 420 lb-ft @ 5750 rpm
TRANSMISSION: 6-speed manual
DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 107.9 in Length: 185.9 in Width: 75.0 in Height: 50.4 in
Curb weight: 3750 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST)
Zero to 60 mph: 4.2 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 11.7 sec
Top speed (drag limited): 191 mph
PROJECTED FUEL ECONOMY (C/D EST):
EPA city driving: 10 mpg
EPA highway driving: 18 mpg
For a car that looks like a million bucks, $265,000 sounds like a steal.
When the Aston Martin DBS made its debut as James Bond’s car in the 2006 movie Casino Royale, it got wadded into a ball during an avoidance maneuver. Aston’s people were unruffled by the destruction of their car. They knew the DBS had to be forcibly flipped by the moviemakers.
They also knew that a hit movie would provide great publicity and that Bond has crashed Astons before without hurting the marque’s safety rep. The company can make more, but it won’t make many. The factory is production-constrained, and no more than 600 DBS models will pass through the gates each year, with 150 to 200 earmarked for U.S. delivery. Since the DBS is priced at $265,000, one shouldn’t expect it to be reproduced like an iPod. That kind of money ought to buy exclusivity.
And that’s particularly true since Aston’s almost equally striking DB9 is about 100 grand less expensive. But there are many differences between the two, even though the DBS uses the DB9’s VH-platform technology—bonded aluminum sheet and extrusions—for its structure. Specific to the DBS is a cross-car dashboard-supporting beam with new cast members at its nodes to improve stiffness and control steering-column shake.
Unlike in the DB9, the rear subframe in the DBS is solidly mounted, and the trunk and door-frame apertures are lighter. To keep weight down, Aston engineers used carbon fiber for the hood, front fenders, and trunklid.
Although the roof and the doors are shared with the DB9, the DBS is wider front and rear (by 0.8 inch and 1.6 inches). Don’t expect any more space inside the DBS, but the interior is quite special, with carbon-fiber trim, an improved dash layout, and a sapphire “key” that docks in a slot in the dashboard and is pressed to start the engine.
With 510 horsepower, the engine is Aston’s strongest, chiefly because of a new inlet manifold and new cylinder heads with better inlet-port design. But the torque peak is unchanged at 420 pound-feet. No one will complain because the 5.9-liter V-12 pushes the 3750-pound coupe around with real authority, making some of the world’s best automotive sound effects in the process.
A six-speed Graziano transaxle was the only transmission available in the early production models we drove, and it worked smoothly and accurately, but an automated six-speed manual is expected to follow. That might suit the flexible nature of this gen-four V-12 even better.
Slowing the action is a quartet of huge carbon-ceramic brake rotors peeking from 20-inch, split-spoke alloys. They work with the transparency of conventional steel discs, with perhaps even less noise.
To broaden the car’s handling repertoire, adaptive shocks are fitted with a choice of luxury and sport settings, each with a range of damping values. The result is a car that is as refined and functional as it is visually arresting and flamboyantly fast.
2008 Aston Martin DBS - Specs
VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 2-door coupe
BASE PRICE: $265,000
ENGINE TYPE: DOHC 48-valve V-12, aluminum block and heads, port fuel injection
Displacement: 362 cu in, 5935cc
Power (SAE net): 510 bhp @ 6500 rpm
Torque (SAE net): 420 lb-ft @ 5750 rpm
TRANSMISSION: 6-speed manual
DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 107.9 in Length: 185.9 in Width: 75.0 in Height: 50.4 in
Curb weight: 3750 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST)
Zero to 60 mph: 4.2 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 11.7 sec
Top speed (drag limited): 191 mph
PROJECTED FUEL ECONOMY (C/D EST):
EPA city driving: 10 mpg
EPA highway driving: 18 mpg
Sourse: Automobile Car Blog
Friday, March 7, 2008
Honda CRX coupe
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Honda Civic Type-R
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My Accord in HDR
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American Le Mans Series Race – Acura Sports Car
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Honda Challenge II
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Spoon Sports Honda Fit
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Acura Advanced Sports Concept
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Acura Advanced Sports Concept
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Acura Advanced Sports Concept
background-image: url(http://thesecret.tv/images/left_border.jpg); background-repeat: repeat-y;">background-image: url(http://thesecret.tv/images/right_border.jpg); background-repeat: repeat-y;">
Honda S2000
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Honda Beat
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2 of Honda's Finest
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Honda S2000
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EMS 2008 - Honda
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2007 Honda Fit Sport
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Honda sports concept car
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2007 Honda Fit Sport
background-image: url(http://thesecret.tv/images/left_border.jpg); background-repeat: repeat-y;">background-image: url(http://thesecret.tv/images/right_border.jpg); background-repeat: repeat-y;">
red sport car
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DSC02536
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My dream small sports car: the Honda S 2000.
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200610 honda sports 4
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red Honda sport car
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AMG’s Green Initiatives Include Possibility of Diesels, Hybrids, and Turbo V-6s
BY JENS MEINERS
Mercedes-Benz performance brand AMG shows its environmental side.
Mercedes’s AMG performance division wants to offer guiltless pleasure for those who love performance cars but are tired of being criticized for a lack of commitment to save the planet.
On the eve of the 2008 Geneva auto show, AMG boss Volker Mornhinweg boldly announced that the fleet of performance cars will achieve a 30 percent reduction in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 2012. Smaller engines, hybrid systems, and diesels are all on the table for Mercedes’ thriving performance sub-brand.
Mornhinweg leveled a shot at BMW’s claim to “efficient dynamics” which is spawning products such as the X5 Vision diesel hybrid concept, also unveiled in Geneva. AMG’s roots are in racing, he said, and “racing was always about ‘efficient dynamics,’ we just called it differently.” He then went on to announce fuel-saving technologies to be offered in AMG cars across the globe.
In 2010, direct-injection gasoline engines and start-stop systems will mark the beginning of the push to lower consumption and emissions. AMG is developing a crankshaft starter-generator system that it claims is far more advanced that BMW’s current system, which operates with a conventional starter.
Two-Mode Performance
But that kind of technology is just the beginning. AMG is working on full hybrid cars that can drive short distances with just the electric motor. Mercedes is part of a consortium with General Motors, Chrysler, and BMW in developing this “two-mode” or full hybrid system for use by each automaker.
Mercedes did not want to launch its version of the two-mode system in the M-class, as there already are hybrid SUVs on the market, and “we don’t want to be a follower,” says Mornhinweg. For AMG, look for the technology to bow on a low, sporty car like the CL, the SL, or the CLS.
What’s more, you may be able to get an AMG oil-burner. Mornhinweg: “We are monitoring the diesel. There is currently no demand, but if that changes, we can react immediately.”
The idea would not be new. Five years ago, AMG offered the 228-hp, five-cylinder C30 CDI turbo-diesel, and while it was successful in some Southern European markets, it was loud and generally unloved. AMG had not seriously considered a follow-up model, but that thinking has changed. By the end of 2008, the brand will have decided whether to proceed with a second diesel.
Turbocharged V-6s on Tap?
In a reversal of its strategy of the past few years, AMG could also offer six-cylinder gasoline engines again. This time around, they would be turbocharged. Mornhinweg says that a decision will be made soon. Turbocharged V-8 engines are already high on the agenda.
Despite all that fuel-saving technology, AMG continues to focus on fun and performance. The new MCT multi-clutch transmission—essentially Mercedes’ seven-speed automatic with a multiclutch system replacing the torque converter—will migrate to more models after its debut in the SL63 AMG. The next-generation CLK and SLK are sure bets to receive the gearbox, while the C-class is an open question. It won’t replace the automatic throughout the lineup as it is not well-suited to towing and does not fit the character of the S- or CL-class luxury cars.
AMG will also up its performance credibility with ceramic brakes. By now, they are reliable but cooling is still a challenge, and there needs to be a significant performance advantage over the regular brakes to warrant the additional cost.
AMG is hoping its fuel-saving announcements present a challenge to competitors. Porsche has announced a CO2 reduction of 30 percent for its V-6 hybrid powertrain over the regular V-6. But such savings across the entire fleet are “unrealistic,” Porsche board member Wolfgang Dürheimer tells us here in Geneva.
Last year, AMG sold 20,107 units, its best results ever. For 2008 and beyond, Mornhinweg is aiming for “further, profitable growth.” If he reaches his ambitious CO2 targets, Mother Earth won’t really care.
Meanwhile, Daimler AG is claiming a breakthrough in battery technology, saying it has achieved the Holy Grail of adapting lithium-ion technology for automotive use—crucial to winning the race to offering hybrid, electric, and fuel-cell vehicles. It will be used in the Mercedes S 400 BlueHybrid staring in 2009. The stumbling block had been integrating the power source into the climate control system.
Mercedes-Benz performance brand AMG shows its environmental side.
Mercedes’s AMG performance division wants to offer guiltless pleasure for those who love performance cars but are tired of being criticized for a lack of commitment to save the planet.
On the eve of the 2008 Geneva auto show, AMG boss Volker Mornhinweg boldly announced that the fleet of performance cars will achieve a 30 percent reduction in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 2012. Smaller engines, hybrid systems, and diesels are all on the table for Mercedes’ thriving performance sub-brand.
Mornhinweg leveled a shot at BMW’s claim to “efficient dynamics” which is spawning products such as the X5 Vision diesel hybrid concept, also unveiled in Geneva. AMG’s roots are in racing, he said, and “racing was always about ‘efficient dynamics,’ we just called it differently.” He then went on to announce fuel-saving technologies to be offered in AMG cars across the globe.
In 2010, direct-injection gasoline engines and start-stop systems will mark the beginning of the push to lower consumption and emissions. AMG is developing a crankshaft starter-generator system that it claims is far more advanced that BMW’s current system, which operates with a conventional starter.
Two-Mode Performance
But that kind of technology is just the beginning. AMG is working on full hybrid cars that can drive short distances with just the electric motor. Mercedes is part of a consortium with General Motors, Chrysler, and BMW in developing this “two-mode” or full hybrid system for use by each automaker.
Mercedes did not want to launch its version of the two-mode system in the M-class, as there already are hybrid SUVs on the market, and “we don’t want to be a follower,” says Mornhinweg. For AMG, look for the technology to bow on a low, sporty car like the CL, the SL, or the CLS.
What’s more, you may be able to get an AMG oil-burner. Mornhinweg: “We are monitoring the diesel. There is currently no demand, but if that changes, we can react immediately.”
The idea would not be new. Five years ago, AMG offered the 228-hp, five-cylinder C30 CDI turbo-diesel, and while it was successful in some Southern European markets, it was loud and generally unloved. AMG had not seriously considered a follow-up model, but that thinking has changed. By the end of 2008, the brand will have decided whether to proceed with a second diesel.
Turbocharged V-6s on Tap?
In a reversal of its strategy of the past few years, AMG could also offer six-cylinder gasoline engines again. This time around, they would be turbocharged. Mornhinweg says that a decision will be made soon. Turbocharged V-8 engines are already high on the agenda.
Despite all that fuel-saving technology, AMG continues to focus on fun and performance. The new MCT multi-clutch transmission—essentially Mercedes’ seven-speed automatic with a multiclutch system replacing the torque converter—will migrate to more models after its debut in the SL63 AMG. The next-generation CLK and SLK are sure bets to receive the gearbox, while the C-class is an open question. It won’t replace the automatic throughout the lineup as it is not well-suited to towing and does not fit the character of the S- or CL-class luxury cars.
AMG will also up its performance credibility with ceramic brakes. By now, they are reliable but cooling is still a challenge, and there needs to be a significant performance advantage over the regular brakes to warrant the additional cost.
AMG is hoping its fuel-saving announcements present a challenge to competitors. Porsche has announced a CO2 reduction of 30 percent for its V-6 hybrid powertrain over the regular V-6. But such savings across the entire fleet are “unrealistic,” Porsche board member Wolfgang Dürheimer tells us here in Geneva.
Last year, AMG sold 20,107 units, its best results ever. For 2008 and beyond, Mornhinweg is aiming for “further, profitable growth.” If he reaches his ambitious CO2 targets, Mother Earth won’t really care.
Meanwhile, Daimler AG is claiming a breakthrough in battery technology, saying it has achieved the Holy Grail of adapting lithium-ion technology for automotive use—crucial to winning the race to offering hybrid, electric, and fuel-cell vehicles. It will be used in the Mercedes S 400 BlueHybrid staring in 2009. The stumbling block had been integrating the power source into the climate control system.
Sourse: Automobile Car Blog
Monday, March 3, 2008
Opel Meriva MPV Concept
BY JENS MEINERS
A preview of the next generation of this popular multipurpose vehicle.
These days, we are presented with a remarkable batch of cars and crossovers touted as urban vehicles, most of which present a rather grim view of urban life, decked out as they are with four-wheel drive, powerful multicylinder engines, and menacing styling seemingly designed more for urban warfare.
But automotive city life doesn’t need to be all power and competition. One of the most successful small one-box cars outside North America is GM’s Meriva, which is sold globally under the Opel, Vauxhall, and Chevrolet monikers and which offers buyers a compact, cheerful, and competent choice.
Built on a dated Corsa platform, the Meriva needs a successor. The concept on display at the 2008 Geneva auto show provides a pretty accurate idea of what the next-generation Meriva multipurpose vehicle, to be launched in 2010, will look like.
The pronounced drop in the sill line and a dramatic low swage line create some visual drama and should make the Meriva one of the most forward-looking choices in its class. The large windows mark a departure from current styling, which aims to encase passengers to create a sense of security.
The Meriva concept showcases some elements that might not make it into production, such as the FlexDoors, a patented system that includes rear-hinged rear doors. We will continue to call them suicide doors, GM’s claim that they can only be opened “when there is no risk to the passengers” notwithstanding.
GM says there are no plans to bring the next Meriva to the U.S., but with the Opel and Saturn vehicle lineups converging, there might eventually be a case for this compact monospace in North America.
For Europe, we are hoping for a successor to the 177-hp European Meriva OPC (Opel Performance Center) for serious urban warfare.
A preview of the next generation of this popular multipurpose vehicle.
These days, we are presented with a remarkable batch of cars and crossovers touted as urban vehicles, most of which present a rather grim view of urban life, decked out as they are with four-wheel drive, powerful multicylinder engines, and menacing styling seemingly designed more for urban warfare.
But automotive city life doesn’t need to be all power and competition. One of the most successful small one-box cars outside North America is GM’s Meriva, which is sold globally under the Opel, Vauxhall, and Chevrolet monikers and which offers buyers a compact, cheerful, and competent choice.
Built on a dated Corsa platform, the Meriva needs a successor. The concept on display at the 2008 Geneva auto show provides a pretty accurate idea of what the next-generation Meriva multipurpose vehicle, to be launched in 2010, will look like.
The pronounced drop in the sill line and a dramatic low swage line create some visual drama and should make the Meriva one of the most forward-looking choices in its class. The large windows mark a departure from current styling, which aims to encase passengers to create a sense of security.
The Meriva concept showcases some elements that might not make it into production, such as the FlexDoors, a patented system that includes rear-hinged rear doors. We will continue to call them suicide doors, GM’s claim that they can only be opened “when there is no risk to the passengers” notwithstanding.
GM says there are no plans to bring the next Meriva to the U.S., but with the Opel and Saturn vehicle lineups converging, there might eventually be a case for this compact monospace in North America.
For Europe, we are hoping for a successor to the 177-hp European Meriva OPC (Opel Performance Center) for serious urban warfare.
Sourse: Automobile Car Blog
Opel Meriva MPV Concept
BY JENS MEINERS
A preview of the next generation of this popular multipurpose vehicle.
These days, we are presented with a remarkable batch of cars and crossovers touted as urban vehicles, most of which present a rather grim view of urban life, decked out as they are with four-wheel drive, powerful multicylinder engines, and menacing styling seemingly designed more for urban warfare.
But automotive city life doesn’t need to be all power and competition. One of the most successful small one-box cars outside North America is GM’s Meriva, which is sold globally under the Opel, Vauxhall, and Chevrolet monikers and which offers buyers a compact, cheerful, and competent choice.
Built on a dated Corsa platform, the Meriva needs a successor. The concept on display at the 2008 Geneva auto show provides a pretty accurate idea of what the next-generation Meriva multipurpose vehicle, to be launched in 2010, will look like.
The pronounced drop in the sill line and a dramatic low swage line create some visual drama and should make the Meriva one of the most forward-looking choices in its class. The large windows mark a departure from current styling, which aims to encase passengers to create a sense of security.
The Meriva concept showcases some elements that might not make it into production, such as the FlexDoors, a patented system that includes rear-hinged rear doors. We will continue to call them suicide doors, GM’s claim that they can only be opened “when there is no risk to the passengers” notwithstanding.
GM says there are no plans to bring the next Meriva to the U.S., but with the Opel and Saturn vehicle lineups converging, there might eventually be a case for this compact monospace in North America.
For Europe, we are hoping for a successor to the 177-hp European Meriva OPC (Opel Performance Center) for serious urban warfare.
Related This Post
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Pininfarina Sintesi Concept Design
BY STEVE SILER
Pininfarina reinvents everything but the wheel.
Boutique carmakers and coachbuilders are in the spotlight at every Geneva auto show. This year, Pininfarina demonstrates it can fashion more than Ferraris with its radical four-door Sintesi.
The fuel-cell-powered Sintesi concept’s slippery styling utilizes as many aero devices and forms on its underside as on its body, with weight distribution and passenger space optimized by spreading the powertrain components throughout the body structure rather than concentrating them together in front, in back, or in the middle.
Cool design details include a narrow band of headlamps, jewel-like surface faceting, polygonal door cuts, and a skeletal body structure that resembles a calamari skate.
Powertrain and other details will follow from the Geneva show floor.
Pininfarina reinvents everything but the wheel.
Boutique carmakers and coachbuilders are in the spotlight at every Geneva auto show. This year, Pininfarina demonstrates it can fashion more than Ferraris with its radical four-door Sintesi.
The fuel-cell-powered Sintesi concept’s slippery styling utilizes as many aero devices and forms on its underside as on its body, with weight distribution and passenger space optimized by spreading the powertrain components throughout the body structure rather than concentrating them together in front, in back, or in the middle.
Cool design details include a narrow band of headlamps, jewel-like surface faceting, polygonal door cuts, and a skeletal body structure that resembles a calamari skate.
Powertrain and other details will follow from the Geneva show floor.
Sourse: Automobile Car Blog
Pininfarina Sintesi Concept Design
BY STEVE SILER
Pininfarina reinvents everything but the wheel.
Boutique carmakers and coachbuilders are in the spotlight at every Geneva auto show. This year, Pininfarina demonstrates it can fashion more than Ferraris with its radical four-door Sintesi.
The fuel-cell-powered Sintesi concept’s slippery styling utilizes as many aero devices and forms on its underside as on its body, with weight distribution and passenger space optimized by spreading the powertrain components throughout the body structure rather than concentrating them together in front, in back, or in the middle.
Cool design details include a narrow band of headlamps, jewel-like surface faceting, polygonal door cuts, and a skeletal body structure that resembles a calamari skate.
Powertrain and other details will follow from the Geneva show floor.
Related This Post
2009 Tata Nano Super Cheap Car
BY JAKE HOLMES
The people’s car is super-cheap, super-tiny, and super-efficient.
Nestled among the fast and luxurious debuts at the 2008 Geneva auto show is the $2500 Nano show car from India’s Tata Motors.
This so-called people’s car caused quite a stir when it was unveiled in India in January as a car for its domestic market. Although it seats four, the Nano is a paltry 122 inches long—three feet shorter than a Honda Fit and six inches narrower. To maximize space, the wheels are located at the far corners of the car, and the engine is mounted under the rear seat.
Despite its small size, Tata says the car is safe—based on Indian crash-testing results—with crumple zones, anti-intrusion door beams, and seatbelts. But there are no airbags in the first-generation Nano, and some reports say there are only front seatbelts.
Initially, the Nano will be offered to Indian buyers in three trims. The base trim is basic transportation—lacking such luxuries as air conditioning, fog lights, power windows, power steering, and power locks.
The Nano’s powertrain is geared more toward fuel saving than drag racing. The two-cylinder, 600cc engine produces just 33 horsepower but should be frugal enough to manage 50 mpg. Power is routed through a continuously variable automatic to the rear wheels.
Keeping the cost down for buyers in emerging markets was a challenge partly solved with several unique touches. The Nano’s instrument cluster is centrally mounted, for example, so the car can easily be adapted for right- or left-hand-drive countries. The door handles are identical on both sides to further trim costs.
As India industrializes, the Nano is designed to provide affordable transportation for families. Chairman Ratan Tata wanted to produce a vehicle that was safer and more convenient than rickshaws or scooters. Aside from the tiny Nano, Tata sells a variety of vehicles in India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and several other countries.
Initially, the small car is for sale in India only, with exports to begin within four years. Tata officials have said they plan to offer a second-generation Nano in Europe in 2012 that meets European safety and emissions standards. There are no plans to sell the entry-level car in North America.
The people’s car is super-cheap, super-tiny, and super-efficient.
Nestled among the fast and luxurious debuts at the 2008 Geneva auto show is the $2500 Nano show car from India’s Tata Motors.
This so-called people’s car caused quite a stir when it was unveiled in India in January as a car for its domestic market. Although it seats four, the Nano is a paltry 122 inches long—three feet shorter than a Honda Fit and six inches narrower. To maximize space, the wheels are located at the far corners of the car, and the engine is mounted under the rear seat.
Despite its small size, Tata says the car is safe—based on Indian crash-testing results—with crumple zones, anti-intrusion door beams, and seatbelts. But there are no airbags in the first-generation Nano, and some reports say there are only front seatbelts.
Initially, the Nano will be offered to Indian buyers in three trims. The base trim is basic transportation—lacking such luxuries as air conditioning, fog lights, power windows, power steering, and power locks.
The Nano’s powertrain is geared more toward fuel saving than drag racing. The two-cylinder, 600cc engine produces just 33 horsepower but should be frugal enough to manage 50 mpg. Power is routed through a continuously variable automatic to the rear wheels.
Keeping the cost down for buyers in emerging markets was a challenge partly solved with several unique touches. The Nano’s instrument cluster is centrally mounted, for example, so the car can easily be adapted for right- or left-hand-drive countries. The door handles are identical on both sides to further trim costs.
As India industrializes, the Nano is designed to provide affordable transportation for families. Chairman Ratan Tata wanted to produce a vehicle that was safer and more convenient than rickshaws or scooters. Aside from the tiny Nano, Tata sells a variety of vehicles in India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and several other countries.
Initially, the small car is for sale in India only, with exports to begin within four years. Tata officials have said they plan to offer a second-generation Nano in Europe in 2012 that meets European safety and emissions standards. There are no plans to sell the entry-level car in North America.
Sourse: Automobile Car Blog
2009 Tata Nano Super Cheap Car
BY JAKE HOLMES
The people’s car is super-cheap, super-tiny, and super-efficient.
Nestled among the fast and luxurious debuts at the 2008 Geneva auto show is the $2500 Nano show car from India’s Tata Motors.
This so-called people’s car caused quite a stir when it was unveiled in India in January as a car for its domestic market. Although it seats four, the Nano is a paltry 122 inches long—three feet shorter than a Honda Fit and six inches narrower. To maximize space, the wheels are located at the far corners of the car, and the engine is mounted under the rear seat.
Despite its small size, Tata says the car is safe—based on Indian crash-testing results—with crumple zones, anti-intrusion door beams, and seatbelts. But there are no airbags in the first-generation Nano, and some reports say there are only front seatbelts.
Initially, the Nano will be offered to Indian buyers in three trims. The base trim is basic transportation—lacking such luxuries as air conditioning, fog lights, power windows, power steering, and power locks.
The Nano’s powertrain is geared more toward fuel saving than drag racing. The two-cylinder, 600cc engine produces just 33 horsepower but should be frugal enough to manage 50 mpg. Power is routed through a continuously variable automatic to the rear wheels.
Keeping the cost down for buyers in emerging markets was a challenge partly solved with several unique touches. The Nano’s instrument cluster is centrally mounted, for example, so the car can easily be adapted for right- or left-hand-drive countries. The door handles are identical on both sides to further trim costs.
As India industrializes, the Nano is designed to provide affordable transportation for families. Chairman Ratan Tata wanted to produce a vehicle that was safer and more convenient than rickshaws or scooters. Aside from the tiny Nano, Tata sells a variety of vehicles in India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and several other countries.
Initially, the small car is for sale in India only, with exports to begin within four years. Tata officials have said they plan to offer a second-generation Nano in Europe in 2012 that meets European safety and emissions standards. There are no plans to sell the entry-level car in North America.
Related This Post
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