Friday, February 27, 2009

Gemballa Mirage GT Carbon Edition

Produção do Porsche Carrera GT's pode ter terminado há alguns anos, mas os preparadores não param de brincar com eles. Apesar de ter muitas empresas que o modificam uma das mais conhecida é a Gemballa que criou a versão “Gemballa Mirage GT's” que sempre capricha no estilo agressivo da carroçaria e variedade de cores e acabamentos.

O carro alem do aspecto diferente inclui também um upgrade no motor que o deixa com 670 cavalos indo de 0-100 km / h em apenas 3,7 segundos e de 0-200 km / h em 9,7 segundos chegando a velocidade máxima de 385 Km.

Clique nas fotos para ampliar



Thursday, February 26, 2009

Friday, February 20, 2009

Tried & Tested: Renault Megane CC


The French automotive brand Renault has undergone a sort of a revival in Malaysia recently, with local franchise holder, TC Eurocars introducing what they coined as the Fabulous Five. One of them is the lifestyle coupe-cabriolet known as the Megane CC. The others in this new stable are the Clio 1.6, Clio RS, Megane F1 R26 and the Grand Espace.

Though late forthcoming to the Malaysian market, the Megane CC is one neat looking coupe with sleek sidelines and an amazingly sharp looking rump, even in comparison to the other benchmark setting coupe-sunroof-cabriolet (2.0L segment & below RM250k) the VW Eos. Though the frontal visage is debatable against its Germanic counterpart, it is no less menacing when hunkering down the motorway on the fast lane, not necessitating any right turn signal or headlamp flash (which can be less desirable) to make known of its intention to pass. Perhaps this has got to do with the R26-esque persona when viewed from the rear view mirror of the car up front. Not a bad thing really.

The foldable metal-and-glass hard top even comes down in what seemed like a few seconds quicker than the Eos, in true “Transformers” fashion which requires origami-folding of what appeared to be like significantly lesser folding parts. With the glass roof up, the curvy C-pillar even reminisces that of a proper fixed hardtop coupe like the Audi TT. Nice and sporty.

Much has been lamented about its rather lethargic, normally aspirated 4-pot of 2.0L capacity but get acquainted (I did!) with the engine’s mid-range delivery and work manually through its - rather paltry - 4 gear ratios, it isn’t that bad in isolation. Understand the weight penalty of the Megane CC’s body plus its armaments of braces and reinforcements, you’ll soon accept and appreciate that nice and easy, relaxing drive. Ride quality is commendable while wind noise and road noise levels are rather exemplary for something with a frameless window, B-pillar less architecture et al.

Interior cabin ambience is classy and cozy, with the red leather upholstery taking centre stage, even though the dashboard is beginning to show its age. Typical Frenchie are the supportive and hugging seats, perfect for those longer interstate jaunts. The rear bench though, along with dismal rear legroom is strictly meant for children under eight or so. Renault’s keyless entry and start, executed by means of an electronic card is just a fancy piece of gadget which complicates a simple turn-key start into a more annoying two-steps execution of single-minded function of cranking up the engine. Nothing but a case of form over function, I reckoned.

As with most coupe-cabriolet, scuttle shakes are part & parcel of a trade-off when the chassis engineers lop off the roof. In the Megane CC, it is still pretty solid puttering leisurely but when you start throwing it topless into fast corners it starts to get a little hairy with that ‘loose’ feeling of the front flinging about a tad more than desired. However once you set the top back in position, the completed ‘egg-shell’ structure makes handling around bends noticeably more planted and reassuring.


A lot of people would not understand the joys of being in a coupe-cabriolet, more so in our blazingly sunny, hot and humid climate. These people are far from guilty of misjudging and stereotyping such a niche example of an automobile, since it’s pretty dusty and polluted in most urban and suburban areas too. However, should you want to enjoy the crisp cool air of the highlands or the salinity of the sea-breeze on a fine clear day (preferably slightly cloudy?) with sun-setting in the backdrop, there’s nothing better than being in a roadster, a Targa, cabriolet or best, in a coupe-cabriolet! With TC Eurocars dropping the price a smidgen below RM200k now (from RM236k previously), that wind-in-your-hair driving experience can now be yours being a little fluffier on your hair, as well as a little lighter on your pocket.









Rolls-Royce 200EX, oficialmente revelado

Depois de muitas fotos que vazaram a Rolls decidiu mostrar a galeria oficial de seu carro conceito que será mostrado em Genebra.

Ele foi desenvolvido com base no chassi do BMW série 7. Ele segue as linhas do Phantom porém um pouco menor.

Provavelmente virá com o motor de doze cilindros em V de 6.0 litros, derivado do V8 4.4 biturbo da BMW.

Mas detalhes dele só serão revelados em genebra. A versão final deve ser apresentada no Salão do Automóvel de Frankfurt, no segundo semestre deste ano.

Clique nas fotos para ampliar:








Fonte

Corvette GT1 Championship Edition

A GM lança a edição especial do Corvette Z06 para comemorar a entrada da marca no American Le Mans Series (ALMS).

Ele seré conhecido como Championship Edition e terá 600 unidades produzidas. A pintura é inspirada na versão de competição.
Eles também terão pneus especiais, luzes interiores obscurecido os bancos irão receber a insígnia "GT1.

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Vídeo: Pagani Zonda R

Apenas vendo as fotos do Pagani Zonda R não dá para se ter uma ideia do que ele é capaz ou mesmo como é o seu “rugido”, mas o pessoal da EVO disponibilizou um vídeo para matar nossa curiosidade.

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Nova Ford Ranger no Salão de Genebra

A nova Ranger que será apresentada no Salão de Genebra, traz uma mudança estética completa.

Com uma aparência mais agressiva ela terá versões de 2 e 5 lugares.

Veja as fotos de como ela será. Clique para ampliar:




Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Primeiras imagens da Mercedes Classe E Coupé

Surgem as primeiras fotos oficiais do novo Mercedes Classe E-Coupé, o modelo será apresentado no Geneva Motor Show, que começa no inicio de março.

Os novos modelos casse E irão substituir com o tempo o RCL. A estética é muito semelhante à da berlina, com um distintivo frontal com quatro faróis e uma linha lateral típicos da Mercedes (e muito semelhante ao do CL). A parte posterior é mais impessoal.

A gama de motores será composta dos seguintes blocos:

204 hp E250 CGI
292 hp E350 CGI
E500 382 hp
E250 CDi 204 hp
E350 CDI 231 cv



O seu lançamento no mercado europeu será realizado em maio com preços ainda desconhecidos.

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Os novos AUTOBOTS da Chevrolet

A Chevrolet mostrou no Chicago Auto Show os carros que farão parte do novo filme Transformers.

Na forma robô, o Volt será conhecido por seus movimentos bruscos o Chevy Beat, será chamado a faísca (este entrará produção em breve) e o Chevy Trax. Estes dois farão a parte cômica do filme e por último o Camaro amarelo e preto que também é conhecido por abelha.

Clique nas fotos para ampliar






Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Volvo XC90 D5: 400Nm of torque on tap!

Click on all images to enlarge



Some things just get better all the time. Malaysia’s all-time favorite luxury SUV, the Volvo XC90, just got even better with the recent introduction of the new diesel variant - the Volvo XC90 D5. Better fuel efficiency for more mileage, greater torque and power, and less emission too. That’s just some of the benefits of driving the new Volvo XC90 D5.



“I’m very pleased and proud to introduce the new Volvo XC90 D5. It has all the features and benefits that are renown in a XC90 model - safety, versatility, spaciousness and stylish too… and now with the diesel variant, things just got even better,” said Mr. Robert Norrman, President of Volvo Car Malaysia.



Since the launch of the petrol engined XC90 T5 and T6 in 2003, the first 7-seater luxury SUV in Malaysia has been the best-seller among its segment for 5 straight years. The Volvo XC90 is suitable for everyday life and for all occasions. For work, leisure, city driving or even weekend get-aways, the XC90 is a spectacular showcase of Volvo’s philosophy of integrating form and function to achieve beauty, versatility and safety. It is no wonder that the Volvo XC90 is one of the world’s most awarded SUV, receiving more than 50 international awards for these very same traits.



“Malaysians are absolutely right to choose the XC90 as their car of choice. Its features, benefits, safety, price… the whole package is just superb,” said Norrman.



The locally-assembled XC90 D5 is a transversely-mounted 2.4 litre in-line 5-cylinder turbocharged engine producing 185 horsepower and 400 Nm of torque with a 6-speed automatic Geartronic transmission.











It is priced at RM355,000 (on the road without insurance) and comes in four colors – Black Sapphire Metallic, Oyster Grey Pearl, Electric Silver Metallic and Shadow Blue Metallic.









More background of the Volvo XC90:





Launch

The Volvo XC90 was launched in early 2002 as the first purpose-built SUV (Sports Utility Vehicle) to come from Volvo Cars. It is also Volvo's first seven-seat car since the 1940s. The Volvo XC90 has electronically controlled All-Wheel Drive. It has the capacity to forge ahead on very poor roads, but is primarily intended as a spacious passenger car with excellent driving manners, immense safety and intelligent versatility.





New features Volvo XC90 - brief summary

· Exterior rear emblem with increased space between the letters

· Modified front head restraints



Design

Five-door SUV - a crossover model that combines the passenger car's comfort and comfort with excellent get-you-there ability and flexibility. The Volvo XC90 is designed to give a robust yet at the same time compact and elegant impression. It is built as a 7-seater passenger car, with a unitary body and the same type of chassis as that found in Volvo's sedan models - unlike some other SUV models that are built on a truck chassis. The passenger compartment is very spacious, thanks not least to Volvo's modern powertrain concept with transverse engine installation.

The Volvo brand name in the rear of the XC90 D5 adopts the new widespread lettering to enhance visibility of the brand. The individual letters will also be larger.









Safety

Volvo Cars adopts a holistic view of safety that encompasses both Preventive and Protective safety. Preventive safety is closely linked to the car's driving properties. The body of the Volvo XC90 features immense torsional rigidity and the car has a sturdy chassis, a combination that results in consistent, predictable behaviour on the road. Ground clearance is high to offer good get-you-there ability on poor roads. Despite this, the floor is set low down, which contributes to the car's low centre of gravity and excellent directional stability.



Protective safety in the Volvo XC90 is structured around a network consisting of exterior and interior safety systems that interact with one another to reduce the risk of occupant injury in a collision.

The exterior systems have the task of distributing and absorbing incoming collision forces so that the passenger compartment remains as intact and undamaged as possible.



Thanks to its unitary body, the Volvo XC90 has been able to be built with the same type of deformation zone as Volvo's other car models. The body is built in the form of a metal cage where all the components interact with one another to ensure controlled deformation. A gently rounded front and an extra beam below the front bumper help reduce the risk of injury to other road users.

The interior safety systems aim to keep the passengers securely in place and also to reduce the risk of serious injury. In order to provide the most effective protection possible, Volvo Cars has developed a number of in-house systems, such as WHIPS (Whiplash Protection System), SIPS (Side Impact Protection System) and IC (Inflatable Curtain). All are fitted as standard in the Volvo XC90. Certain components have undergone further development specifically for the XC90 model. For instance, the Inflatable Curtain has been extended so it also covers passengers in the third row of seats. All seven seats are equipped with three-point inertia-reel seat belts, belt pre-tensioners and head restraints. The highest possible safety requires that all the car's occupants always use their seat belts.



The Volvo XC90 features reinforced roll-over protection. An active stability-enhancement system (Roll Stability Control) activates if the car risks rolling over. Engine power is reduced, anti-roll bar stiffness is increased and the brakes are automatically applied to stabilise the car. If the car should roll over, a network of beams in the body structure helps distribute and absorb the resulting forces. In addition, an electronic sensor registers if the car is about to roll over and accordingly activates the seat belt pre-tensioners and the inflatable curtains.





Driveline and handling

The Volvo XC90 D5 is equipped with a five-cylinder engine. It is fitted transversely in keeping with Volvo's modern powertrain concept. They are designed to operate smoothly, with low vibration and high torque across a wide rev range.



The engine is extremely compact and mounted transversely, for optimum crash safety and maximum cabin space. The five-cylinder turbo diesel provides smooth and powerful driving. This responsive and modern diesel features a service-free particle filter, making it a highly eco-efficient engine.



The chassis, with spring struts at the front and Multilink axle at the rear, is set up for stable, reassuring driving manners and alert steering response. The Multilink rear axle is an independent rear suspension system featuring a number of links and it is designed to offer a good combination of controlled wheel movements and high ride comfort. Some of these links have the task of providing a certain degree of anti-skid steering effect. A long wheelbase and wide track, together with a very torsionally rigid body, contribute to the predictable, controlled driving manners. Large wheels with a relatively tall tyre profile and stiff tyre sidewalls contribute further to stability.



The Volvo XC90 has Volvo's electronically controlled All-Wheel Drive system with Instant Traction, for fast and effective distribution of traction even when moving off on a slippery surface. Volvo's advanced DSTC (Dynamic Stability and Traction Control) stability-enhancing system is fitted as standard. DSTC cuts in and helps stabilise the car if it registers any tendency to skid.





The environment

The Volvo XC90 is designed and equipped to impact as little as possible on the global environment and to offer a clean and healthy interior climate. Energy-efficient diesel engines with particle filters produce low emissions of carbon dioxide and soot particles.

Volvo's IAQS (Interior Air Quality System) effectively reduces the amount of particles, pollen, gases and certain unpleasant odours in the air entering the cabin. In addition, all textiles and leather are certified under ÖKO-TEX 100, an international standard, which ensures that the interior trim is free from allergy-inducing substances and emissions.







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