Cars website, car news & car reviews | First drives & car information

Frankfurt Preview: New Suzuki Swift Sport with 135HP

7:47 PM Do No comments

It's been a long time in the making, but Suzuki is finally ready to add a sporty variant to the Swift's range. The Japanese automaker released a single photo and details of the Swift Sport ahead of its official debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show next month.

The new Swift Sport is powered by a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine with an output of 135HP at 6,900 rpm and maximum torque of 160 Nm (118 lb/ft) at 4,400 rpm. The four-cylinder engine was developed especially for the Swift Sport and it transmits power to the front wheels via a newly developed six-speed manual gearbox.

According to Suzuki, the new Swift Sport is more refined than its predecessor that was launched in 2006. The company says it will also be more responsive thanks to struts with internal rebound springs and a redesigned rear suspension.

While it has a more aggressive look than the regular versions thanks to the large honeycombed front grille, the redesigned front bumper with the big fog lights and the side skirts, it isn't as wild as the Swift S-Concept we saw at the Geneva Show last March.

Although Suzuki has not released any photos of the interior, the company claims that “it combines essential sportiness with a high-quality look and feel”.

If you want a preview of the cockpit, take a look at the photo of the S-Concept as we reckon most parts including the sport seats will make it into production.

Suzuki Swift Specifications
Overall length: 3,890mm
Overall width: 1,695mm
Overall height: 1,510mm
Wheelbase: 2,430mm
Treads Front: 1,470mm
Treads Rear: 1,475mm
Engine
Piston displacement: 1,586cm3)
Maximum output: 135HP (100kw)/6,900rpm

Maximum torque: 160Nm/4,400rpm

SUZUKI S-CONCEPT

source: carscoop.blogspot.com

All-New Hyundai i30 Heading to the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show

7:32 PM Do No comments

Hyundai plans to unveil a brand-new C-segment model to replace the first-generation of its i30 at the Frankfurt Motor Show next month. Like the current model, the 2012 i30 is a product of Hyundai’s design and engineering center in Russelsheim, Germany and is designed exclusively for the European market.

Hyundai's European design boss Thomas Burkle says the i30's styling represents the next evolution of the firm's form language, ‘fluidic sculpture’. What this means is that it shares a lot of common design features with Hyundai's more recent models like the ix20, the ix35, the Veloster and the i40.

Recent spy photos suggest that the interior will also share many elements with the i40 and the Veloster coupe.

“When designing the new i30, we used strong, fluid lines to sculpt a car which looks athletic while exuding a sense of constant motion, even when stationary," said Burkle.

"From the rendering, you can see how we managed to give the car a bold stance, transmitting a confident attitude through sporty characteristics and dynamic proportions. In this way, the car is very close to the recently unveiled i40, and we want people to recognise the Hyundai design DNA on those two models,” continued Burkle.

Under the fresh sheetmetal, the i30 will likely feature MacPherson struts up front and a multi-link arrangement at the rear. Even though Hyundai is keeping its cards close to its chest, the engine line-up is believed to include the 140HP direct injection 1.6-liter gasoline unit from the ix35 as well as a more fuel efficient "Blue" edition.

Allan Rushforth, Senior Vice President and COO of Hyundai Motor Europe, commented, “We expect this next-generation i30 to play a significant role in developing our brand image in Europe and strengthen the vehicle’s position as our best-seller in Europe.

Hyundai's Ford Focus and VW Golf rivaling i30 will be manufactured at the firm's plant in the Czech Republic before going on sale early next year.

PHOTO GALLERY

carscoop.blogspot.com

Rare Ferrari 599 GTO Bites the Dust

11:37 AM Do No comments

While we are happy to see that at least some owners of the rare Ferrari 599 GTO (of which only 599 examples will be built) take their cars out to their natural habitat on the racetrack, it’s always a sad sight when one of those exotics ends up like this.

The Youtube poster of the video says that the driver lost control of the car “at the end of the straight at 250km/h (155mph)”, but given the relatively modest damages to the 599 GTO, we reckon that he either had a lot of space in front of him or the crash occurred at much lower speeds, perhaps even both.

source: carsmagazineonline.com

Audi RS3 Sportback Takes on BMW 1 M Coupe in Quarter Mile Duel

11:25 AM Do No comments

The Audi RS3 Sportback and the BMW 1 M Coupe represent two very different approaches on the compact sport model segment.

Ingolstadt’s proposal is a five-door model that looks more like a hotted-up small station wagon than a hatchback. It features a 2.5-liter turbocharged inline-five producing 340-horsepower and 450 Nm (331.90 lb-ft) linked to Audi’s all-wheel drive quattro system and a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox.

Munich’s proposition on the other hand is a more traditional take on the category boasting a coupe body style and a 3.0-liter turbocharged straight-six pushing out an identical 340-horses (in EU-specification) and 450 Nm (331.90 lb-ft) to the rear wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox.

UK car magazine Autoexpress brought the two Germans sport models to the track to see which one is the king of straight-line performance. Even though their mechanical layouts should give you a hint about the winner, we won’t spoil the surprise. Scroll down to watch the duel for yourself.

source: carsmagazineonline.com

2012 Audi A5 Coupe, Convertible and Sportback Receive a Mild Facelift

5:17 AM Do No comments

Audi today unveiled the facelifted versions of its A5 range which includes the Coupe, the Sportback and Cabriolet models. The company’s goal was to freshen up the A5’s exterior looks and to improve both their driving dynamics and fuel economy.

The 2012 Audi A5 range is available exclusively with direct injection engines featuring forced induction and stop-start and energy regeneration system as standard. As a result, Audi says fuel consumption has been decreased across the range by 11% on average and CO2 emissions by as much as 22%.

The base engine for all body styles is the redesigned 4-cylinder 1.8-liter TFSI petrol, which produces 170HP and 320 Nm (236.02 lb-ft) of torque. The revised four-pot is more frugal with the Coupe returning 5.7 liters/100 km (41.27 mpg) on the combined cycle, or 21% lower than its predecessor, and CO2 emissions of 134 gr/km.

The 2.0 TFSI with 211HP remains unchanged, while a new 3.0-liter supercharged V6 with 272HP has been added to the A5’s line-up.

The diesel range comprises of four engines, one four cylinder and three V6s. The base 2.0 TDI has an output of 177HP and, in the Coupe, consumes 4.7 liters/100 km (50.05 mpg) with CO2 emissions of 122 gr/km.

Next in line is the 3.0-liter TDI with 204HP. In the A5 Coupe with the Multitronic auto transmission, it consumes an average of 4.9 liters/100 km (48 mpg) and emits 129 gr of CO2 per km. The second diesel is a more powerful variant of the 3.0 TDI with 245HP, while later on, the A5 will also be offered with a new low-emissions diesel engine that will make the A5 the first coupe to meet the Euro 6 diesel standard.

Audi has made chassis tweaks across the range to improve the driving dynamics of the A5. These include a new electromechanical steering, new damper settings and revised rear suspension bearings for more precise handling as well as greater comfort. The base models come equipped with 17-inch alloy wheels, while buyers have the option of fitting their cars with alloy wheels up to 20-inches in size.

Exterior changes are restrained with the re-sculptured “wave” LED headlamps that have become a signature of recent Audi models being the most noticeable upgrade. Other revisions include the modified front grille, the redesigned front bumper with larger air intakes, a new rear bumper and tweaked rear lights with optional continuous LED light strips.

On the inside, the most significant upgrade is the introduction of an available three rear-seat configuration for the A5 Sportback. The new steering wheel and auto gearbox lever designs, the different finishes on the instrument panel and console, the new trim options and an available MMI system with 3D imaging, Google Earth navigation and a WLAN hotspot, complete the changes for the 2012MY.

Despite the improvements, Audi says the new A5 is only marginally more expensive than its predecessor is. For example, in Germany the price increase for the A5 Coupe 2.0 TFSI is just €200, while the base A5 Sportback 1.8 TFSI starts from €33,350.