Jun 6, 2011 ~ Cars website, car news & car reviews | First drives & car information

This is what Happens when a Limousine, Convertible and Yacht Meet

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In today's highly competitive auto market, one would think there are no new niches left to explore. Well, it's pretty true, except for imaginative individuals like the crew from Sweden’s Gray Design, which also penned the Saab supercar.

Enter the world of the Strand Craft Limousine Beach Cruiser, a vehicle that looks like a crossover between a limousine, a convertible and a yacht – yes, you read correctly, a yacht. Essentially a beach shuttle, the Stand Craft has been conceived for luxury hotel chains willing to offer their clients premium service. More specifically, to carry six passengers from the hotel to the nearest beach as fast and as comfortable as possible.

Crafted by luxury boat maker Strand Craft, the Limousine Beach Cruiser is designed for the sunny parts of the world. Its looks confirm it: the car (or should we say yacht?) features an opening canvas roof, chromed hubcaps and wooden inlays. It also sports an even more extravagant interior with Alcantara leather, brushed aluminum, chrome, a Breitling-made instrument panel and Swarowski crystals.

To keep the passengers entertained until they arrive at the beach, the Limousine Beach Cruiser is fitted with a 15-speaker Naim sound system that has a 1100 Watt amplifier to ensure the best audio quality even when the canvas roof is opened. Finally, the car is powered by a 6.0-liter Chevrolet V8 engine with 400 horsepower, enough to offer the car a top speed of 220 km/h (137 mph). The eight-cylinder unit is linked to a Haldex-based all-wheel drive system.

There's no info on pricing, though if you don't own a luxury hotel you probably can't afford it.

source: carscoop.blogspot.com

MINI Previews New Coupé, Publishes Information on Lineup

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We’re still more than three months away from the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show in September, but the BMW Group has already begun dropping information and photos of the models it plans to introduce at the show. Following the presentation of the all-new 2012 BMW 1-Series hatchback during the weekend, today the Bavarian group unleashed specifications and a large gallery of photos of the MINI Coupé.

While the model seen in the official pictures is partially covered in the firm’s characteristic swirly camouflage, it’s clear that the production version has barely changed from the 2009 concept car. Pictured here in John Cooper Works (JCW) form, the top-end Coupé hangs on to the concept’s sportier aero package that includes modified front and rear bumpers, side skirts and extended wheel arches that leave room for larger alloy wheels. The Coupé is also the first MINI to get an active rear spoiler that extends automatically at 80 km/h (50 mph).

There are no pictures of the interior yet, but it’s safe to assume that minus the extravagant trim options, the concept’s interior design has been kept intact featuring a strict two-seater layout with extended stowage and loading capacity behind the driver and passenger seat.

Mini says it has fine tuned the chassis of the three-door hatchback model upon which the is based on. “The new car radiates the brand’s hallmark go-kart feeling with a whole new depth of intensity and achieves the best performance statistics ever recorded by a volume-produced MINI,” the company said in a statement.

The British automaker published information on the Coupé lineup, which will include the most potent petrol and diesel engines in the brand’s arsenal (depending of course on the market).

Sitting at the top of the range is the JCW model fitted with a 1.6-liter turbo petrol delivering 211HP, followed by the Cooper S with a 184HP version of the same engine. The third petrol model is the Cooper that gets a 122HP naturally aspirated 1.6-liter unit.

In Europe and other select markets Mini will also offer will the diesel-powered Cooper SD with a 143HP strong 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine returning 4.3lt/100km (54.7 mpg US or 65.7 mpg UK).

Sales of the new Mini Coupé are expected to start towards the end of the year or early 2012. A roadster model will be unveiled late next year.

Engine variants:

MINI John Cooper Works Coupé: Four-cylinder petrol engine with
twin-scroll turbocharger and direct injection, plus numerous technological details carried over directly from motor sport.

Displacement: 1,598 cc,
Output: 155 kW/211 hp at 6,000 rpm,
Max. Torque: 260 Nm/192 lb-ft at 1,850 – 5,600 rpm
(280 Nm/207 lb-ft with Overboost at 1,700 – 4,500 rpm).
Acceleration: 0–100 km/h (62 mph): 6.4 seconds,
Top Speed: 240 km/h (149 mph).
Average Fuel Consumption according to EU standard:
7.1 litres per 100 kilometres (39.8 mpg imp),
Co2 Emissions: 165 g/km.

MINI Cooper S Coupé: Four-cylinder petrol engine with
twin-scroll turbocharger, direct injection and fully variable valve management based on the BMW Group’s VALVETRONIC technology.

Displacement: 1,598 cc,
Output: 135 kW/184 hp at 5,500 rpm,
Max. Torque: 240 Nm/177 lb-ft at 1,600 – 5,000 rpm
(260 Nm/192 lb-ft with Overboost at 1,700 – 4,500 rpm).
Acceleration: 0–100 km/h (62 mph): 6.9 seconds,
Top Speed: 230 km/h (143 mph).
Average Fuel Consumption according to EU standard:
5.8 litres per 100 kilometres (48.7 mpg imp),
Co2 Emissions: 136 g/km.

MINI Cooper Coupé: Four-cylinder petrol engine with fully variable valve management based on the BMW Group’s VALVETRONIC technology.

Displacement: 1,598 cc,
Output: 90 kW/122 hp at 6,000 rpm,
Max. Torque: 160 Nm/118 lb-ft at 4,250 rpm,
Acceleration: 0–100 km/h (62 mph): 9.0 seconds,
Top Speed: 204 km/h (127 mph),
Average Fuel Consumption according to EU standard:
5.4 litres per 100 kilometres (52.3 mpg imp),
Co2 Emissions: 127 g/km.

MINI Cooper SD Coupé: Four-cylinder turbodiesel with aluminium crankcase, common-rail injection and variable turbine geometry.

Displacement: 1,995 cc,
Output: 105 kW/143 hp at 4,000 rpm,
Max. Torque: 305 Nm/225 lb-ft at 1,750 – 2,700 rpm.
Acceleration: 0–100 km/h (62 mph): 7.9 seconds,
Top Speed: 216 km/h (134 mph).
Average Fuel Consumption according to EU standard:
4.3 litres per 100 kilometres (65.7 mpg imp),
Co2 Emissions: 114 g/km.

Exterior dimensions:

Length: 3,728 millimetres (MINI Cooper S Coupé,
MINI John Cooper Works Coupé: 3,734 millimetres)
Width: 1,683 millimetres
Height: 1,378 millimetres (MINI Cooper S Coupé,
MINI John Cooper Works Coupé: 1,384 millimetres)
Wheelbase: 2,467 millimetres

source: carscoop.blogspot.com

Want to Try out the New Caterham-Lola SP/300 R? Here’s How

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With the development of the new Caterham-Lola SP/300 R now complete, the British carmaker is ready to give potential owners their first taste of the prototype-racing car on the tarmac. The dates on which racing drivers and trackday enthusiasts alike can get behind the steering wheel of Caterham’s 300bhp, 180mph (289 km/h) sports prototype are:

-Saturday, August 27 at Donington Park
-Wednesday, September 7 at Donington Park
-Thursday, September 15 at Snetterton
-Wednesday, September 21 at Donington Park

Caterham said that customers who have already placed an order for the SP/300 R will be given priority booking slots, “after which the extensive list of people who have registered an interest with Caterham will be offered one of the strictly limited drives”.

The SP/300 R was developed in partnership with British racing and engineering brand Lola, and it made its global debut at January’s Autosport International Show at Birmingham’s NEC. It is powered a Caterham-tuned, supercharged version of Ford’s 2.0-liter four-cylinder Duratec unit churning out 300-horses. The British automaker committed to build only 25 of the lightweight sports prototype racers a year, with 14 having already been snapped up.

“There has been a huge amount of interest in this car since we unveiled it at the start of the year,” said Caterham Motorsport Manager, Simon Lambert. “It will be fantastic to get it on track this summer and we can’t wait to see the look on people’s faces when they try it for the first time. We are confident it will be everything they expect and more.”

source: carscoop.blogspot.com

Opel Officially Reveals 2012 Astra GTC, High-Po OPC Coming Next Year

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This is General Motors’ brand new Opel Astra GTC revealed more than two months ahead of its world premiere at the 64th International Motor Show in Frankfurt, Germany, in mid-September. The newest member of Opel’s ever-growing Astra family will go on sale across Europe including the United Kingdom where it will be available as a Vauxhall later this year. Recent reports also suggest it may come to the States under the Buick brand.

GM’s European subsidiary is confident about its new Astra GTC with Vauxhall going as far as to claim that it will “lay down the gauntlet to VW’s Scirocco and Renault’s Megane Coupe with a heady mix of dynamic excellence, dramatic design features and competitive pricing".

The production version of last year’s Paris Motor Show concept GTC sports a far more athletic appearance than the rest of the Astra range thanks to the uniquely designed body that includes a more rakish roofline. According to Opel, the only elements the GTC shares with its five-door and estate siblings are the door handles and roof aerial as even the wheelbase and tracks are different.

Compared to the five-door Astra, the ride height of the GTC is lowered by 15 mm while the wheelbase grows by 10 mm, from 2,685 to 2,695 mm and both tracks are wider, at 1,584 mm (+ 40 mm) in front and 1,588 mm (+ 30 mm) in the rear.

Opel and its sister brand Vauxhall say the Astra GTC is a more driver’s car than the five-door model as the company’s engineers having made several changes to the chassis including the adoption of the HiPerStrut (High Performance Strut) setup used on the 325HP Insignia OPC / VXR instead of the standard McPherson suspension.

At the rear, the GTC continues to use a Watt’s link axle, while as an option, Opel offers the fully-adaptive FlexRide chassis control system with a choice of three settings - Standard, Tour or Sport.

Moving on to the available lineup at launch, the Astra GTC can be ordered now with a choice of four engines. However, Opel said more powertrains will be offered around its world premiere at the Frankfurt Motor Show adding that the sportiest versions including the future high-performance OPC model will follow in 2012.

For now, diesel options are limited to a 2.0-liter CDTI common-rail turbo unit delivering 165HP and 380 Nm of torque in overboost function. It is fitted with a diesel particulate filter and a six-speed manual transmission, plus a new Start/Stop system. With this engine, the GTC can reach 100 km/h (62mph) in 8.9 seconds en route to a top speed of 210 km/h (131 mph), while returning a combined fuel consumption of 4.9 lt/ 100 km (48 mpg US or 57.7 mpg UK) with corresponding CO2 emissions of 129 g/km.

The most powerful engine is a 1.6-liter turbocharged gasoline unit with 180-horses linked to a six-speed manual gearbox offering the GTC a top speed of 220 km/h (137 mph). A 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine available with 120HP and 140HP completes the petrol lineup.

In Britain, buyers can place their order now for the Astra GTC with prices ranging from £18,495 for the 120HP Sport 1.4 Turbo to £22,430 for the 165PS SRi 2.0 CDTi. For more details on UK pricing, check out the list below.

________________________________________________________________

2012 OPEL ASTRA GTC

source: carscoop.blogspot.com

BMW Reveals 2012 1-Series M Sport Package and Online Configurator

5:55 PM Do No comments

BMW is wasting no time in pushing the marketing envelope on its brand-new “My, what big eyes you have” 2012 1-Series as the Bavarian automaker has already released an online configurator on its German website only two days after the hatchback model’s debut.

Aside from allowing potential buyers and time-wasters alike to configure the 2012 1-Series hatchback, the dedicated webpage also serves us our first taste of the M Sport Package. The option group includes a new aero kit comprising of M parts such as the front and rear bumpers, a sports-oriented chassis set-up, and bespoke alloy wheel designs.

The interior also receives the M treatment with sport seats and door panels dressed in special upholsteries, aluminum trim on the dashboard and door-sills plus a sports steering wheel, handbrake and gear levers, and pedals.

Source: BMW via Autofan & carscoop.blogspot.com

PHOTO GALLERY

source: http://carscoop.blogspot.com

Jump Fail: Can You Guess What Happens Next?

8:14 AM Do No comments

Here’s one jump that won’t buff out. For reasons beyond logic, the driver of a fairly new Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck decided to impress his buddies (and his….insurer) at a meet on the sand dunes of Silver Lake in Michigan, USA, by performing a high-speed jump stunt. The laws of physics pretty much explain what happens next.

A Photo Tour of the VW Group’s 2011 Wörthersee Festival with 150 Images

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For the past thirty year, tens of thousands of enthusiasts of Volkswagen Group cars assemble on the shores of Lake Worthersee in Austria to participate in the largest festival of its kind in the world. Over the years, Volkswagen and the other brands of the German group including Audi, Seat and Skoda, have used the show to unveil special concepts, new models and studies that hint at future production versions or accessories.

At this year’s event (June 1 to 4, 2011), the VW Group prepared several vehicles for the festival including the production VW Golf GTI 35 Edition with 235HP, the VW Golf Cabriolet GTI and R concepts, the wild 503HP Audi A1 Clubsport Quattro study, and the Skoda Fabia RS 2000 Convertible prototype. As you may have noticed, the company didn’t show much love for its Seat brand which was left to display its current lineup.

The official cars joined an army of privately owned tuned and classic VW Group vehicles. To put it simply, if you are a fan of the Volkswagen Group and especially of the Golf GTI, then Wörthersee was the place to be. You can get a taste of what went on in Austria in our extensive gallery after the jump.

For those of you that would also like to see the girls of the show, stay tuned, as we’ll bring you a dedicated gallery later on today.

Link: ebay
source: carscoop.blogspot.com

This is what Happens when a Limousine, Convertible and Yacht Meet

8:00 AM Do No comments

There's no info on pricing, though if you don't own a luxury hotel you probably can't afford it.

By Dan Mihalascu

2012 BMW 1-Series Unveiled, gets New 1.6-liter Turbo Engine with up to 170HP [Updated with 60 High-Res Photos]

6:19 AM Do No comments

We knew that the next generation of the BMW 1-Series was coming but we didn’t expect to see the compact hatchback making its appearance so early. These official photos along with the first details showed up on a German website called Motor Traffic, as BMW has not yet made an announcement.

Seen here in a five-door format, the new 1-Series evolves the current model’s styling with sharper and more prominent creases all around along with a much more pronounced front end that sports unusually large headlamps pushed to the far corners of the bumper literally hugging the wheel arches.

Inside, unless you happen to own the current 1-Series, you’ll have a hard time discovering the styling differences. Upon a closer look, you may notice the larger center console with new switchgear and the new steering wheel design.

According to the leaked information, the new 1-Series rides on a 85mm (3.3-in.) longer platform that brings the total length of the car to 4,320mm (170-in.). The cargo area has increased by 30 liters, from 330 to 360 liters, while passengers should also feel more comfortable thanks to the longer platform.

Perhaps the most important news about the 2012 BMW 1-Series is the introduction of a brand new 1.6-liter turbocharged gasoline engine. The German website reported that new powerplant will be available on the 116i with an output of 136-horses and on the 118i with the same displacement but with 170-horses. Diesel options are said to include a 2.0-liter turbo diesel with 116HP, 143HP and 184HP.

The 1-Series is scheduled to premiere at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show, but we expect to hear and see more from BMW within the next few days.

Source: Motor Traffic via Worldcarfans & Autofans

All-New 2012 BMW 1-Series: Official Specs, Details and 126 High-Res Photos

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With imagery of the brand new 1-Series hatchback making the internet rounds since Friday, it was only a matter of time before BMW came out with an official release and a full set of photos. The Bavarian firm’s entry-level model sports has grown in size and sports fresher –albeit, somewhat more controversial- looks, while also introducing a new generation of 1.6-liter turbocharged gasoline engines with up to 170HP.

For its debut, BMW chose to show the five-door hatchback model, but the range will eventually grow to include a three-door hatchback followed by the coupe, cabriolet and if the grapevine holds true, a longer and more spacious Gran Turismo version in the likes of the 3-Series GT we recently showed you in these spy shots.

The second iteration of the 1-Series codenamed F20 is built on the same platform architecture as the upcoming F30 3-Serie. The five-door hatch is 85 mm (3.3-in.) longer than its predecessor, at 4,324 mm (170.2-in.), while the wheelbase has widened by 30 mm to 2,690 mm (105.9-in). Furthermore, its overall width has increased by 17 mm to 1,765 mm (69.5-in) due to an increase in track of 51 mm at the front and 72 mm at the rear, whereas its height remains unchanged at 1,421 mm (55.9-in.). BMW says the rear passengers have 21mm more legroom, and the luggage compartment has expanded by 30 liters to 360 liters (12.7 cubic feet).

Crafted under the watch of BMW’s Chief designer Adrian van Hooydonk, the styling of the new 1er is an evolution of the outgoing model with sharper and more prominent creases and a dramatic front-end design with abnormally large headlamps stretching all the way to the wheel arches.

It’s a similar story inside as the styling is more evolutionary than revolutionary. Aside from the larger center console with fresh switchgear and the new steering wheel design, BMW claims it boasts higher-grade materials and more attention to detail. As an option, the company offers its latest iDrive system that includes a retractable screen on top of the dashboard.

The big news lies under the hood as BMW finally introduced its long awaited, smaller displacement, turbocharged four-cylinder gasoline engine. The 1.6-liter unit with TwinPower Turbo and direct injection technology will be available at first in two states of tune delivering 136-horses and 220Nm (162.3 lb-ft) in the 116i and 170-horses and 250Nm (184.4 lb-ft) in the 118i.

For diesel fans, the junior rear-wheel drive BMW offers a redesigned 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder delivering 116HP in the 116d, 143HP in the 118d and 184HP in the 120d. BMW said it will also launch a 116d EfficientDynamics Edition, with a 116HP 1.6 litre diesel engine and additional fuel-saving technologies that will keep CO2 emissions over the EU testing cycle down to just 99 g/km.

Further down the line, the Bavarian automaker’s freshly launched 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with around 240-horses will most likely make it in the 128i replacing the current 130i that comes with a 3.0-liter straight six pushing out 258HP. BMW has not yet said if it will offer a straight-six engine on the new 1-Series.

A six-speed manual gearbox is standard on all models with BMW’s new 8-speed automatic transmission being offered as an option replacing the current six-speed auto.

Model versions:
BMW 118i: Four-cylinder in-line petrol engine with
BMW TwinPower Turbo technology package, consisting of twin-scroll turbocharger, High Precision Injection, VALVETRONIC and Double-VANOS variable valve control,

Capacity: 1, 598 cc, output: 125 kW/170 hp at 4,800 rpm,

Maximum torque: 250 Nm at 1,500 – 4,500 rpm,

Acceleration 0 – 100 km/h (62mph): 7.4 seconds,

Maximum speed: 225 km/h – 140mph

Combined-cycle fuel consumption*: 5.8 – 5.9 litres/100 kilometres,

CO2 emissions*: 134 – 137 g/km, emissions standard: EU5.

BMW 116i: Four-cylinder in-line petrol engine with
BMW TwinPower Turbo technology package, consisting of twin-scroll turbocharger, High Precision Injection, VALVETRONIC and Double-VANOS variable valve control,

Capacity: 1,598 cc, output: 100 kW/136 hp at 4, 400 rpm,

Maximum torque: 220 Nm at 1,350 – 4, 300 rpm,

Acceleration 0 – 100 km/h (62mph): 8.5 seconds,

Maximum speed: 210 km/h -130mph,

Combined-cycle fuel consumption*: 5.5 – 5.7 litres/100 kilometres,

CO2 emissions*: 129 – 132 g/km, emissions standard: EU5.

BMW 120d: Four-cylinder in-line diesel engine with
BMW TwinPower Turbo technology package, consisting of variable-geometry turbocharger, common-rail magnetic-valve direct injection
(max. injection pressure: 1,800 bar),

Capacity: 1,955 cc, output: 135 kW/184 hp at 4, 000 rpm,

Maximum torque: 380 Nm at 1,750 – 2, 750 rpm,

Acceleration 0 – 100 km/h (62mph): 7.2 seconds,

Maximum speed: 228 km/h – 142mph,

Combined-cycle fuel consumption*: 4.5 – 4.6 litres/100 kilometres,

CO2 emissions*: 119 – 122 g/km, emissions standard: EU5.

BMW 118d: Four-cylinder in-line diesel engine with
BMW TwinPower Turbo technology package, consisting of variable-geometry turbocharger, common-rail, magnetic-valve direct injection (max. injection pressure: 1,600 bar),

Capacity: 1,955 cc, output: 105 kW/143 hp at 4,000 rpm,

Max. torque: 320 Nm at 1,750 – 2, 500 rpm,

Acceleration 0 – 100 km/h (62mph): 8.9 seconds,

Maximum speed: 212 km/h – 132mph

Combined-cycle fuel consumption*: 4.4 – 4.5 litres/100 kilometres,

CO2 emissions*: 115 – 118 g/km, emissions standard: EU5.

BMW 116d: Four-cylinder in-line diesel engine with
BMW TwinPower Turbo technology package, consisting of variable-geometry turbocharger with common-rail, magnetic-valve direct injection (max. injection pressure: 1,600 bar),
Capacity: 1,955 cc, output: 85 kW/116 hp at 4,000 rpm,

Maximum torque: 260 Nm at 1,750 – 2,500 rpm,

Acceleration 0 – 100 km/h (62mph): 10.3 seconds,

Maximum speed: 200 km/h – 124mph

Combined-cycle fuel consumption*: 4.3 – 4.5 litres/100 kilometres,

CO2 emissions*: 114 – 117 g/km, emissions standard: EU5.

* EU test figures, variations due to differences in the tyres fitted