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Lamborghini Prefers Urus SUV More than a Sedan

S Buchanon — Tue, 15 May 2012 21:50:43 +0000

It seems Lamborghini will manufacture a production version of the Urus SUV, and not a sedan. Even though an official confirmation has not come, it seems absolutely likely that this will happen. For instance, Maurizio Reggiani, Lamborghini’s R&D director, recently made a statement that the SUV segment is the right one. He added that the brand’s top engineers have their work cut out for them for the next four to five years.

“We were given a very challenging target: Make the production Urus the best-performing and lightest vehicle in its category. This is forcing us to think outside the box. We envisage a start of production no sooner than early 2017,” he explained. According to him, if produced, the Urus SUV will be the lightest and fastest vehicle, which will be produced on Volkswagen Group’s SUV platform, known as the PL73.. The same platform will also provide the space for the next-generation Audi Q7, Porsche Cayenne and V-dub Touareg. The vehicle is expected to weigh around 4,400 pounds. As of now, no powertrain details have been revealed, but it will likely feature a 600-hp V8engine.

“It has the biggest growth potential and the highest emotion. We are investing in profitability,” said Stephan Winkelmann — CEO of Lamborghini.

via Egmcartech

Ford Focus ST Features Active Sound Symposer

priyankanair8 — Tue, 15 May 2012 21:47:05 +0000

Ford engineers have added a new twist to the existing technology of the Focus ST so that the engines not only sing but also roar at the same time. A sound symposer – a special sound tube – amplifies the throat frequencies craved by enthusiasts in performance of cars. The engineers worked to naturally amplify the lower range of engine frequencies found between 200 and 450 Hz.

The Mustang features the sound tube concept, but the sound symposer used in Focus ST is unique because of its electronically controlled valve that opens and closes based on driver inputs – engine speed, accelerator pedal position and gear selection. The valve is mapped more aggressively in lower gears but in higher ones it is quieter. In Focus ST, the symposer is attached directly to the intake manifold. “For ST drivers, it’s not enough to have a car that is fast or feels fast. It also has to sound fast,” says Christopher Myers, Air Induction System engineer. “Part of this is the design of the exhaust, but we went further and engineered the symposer both to dial up the nice sounds the EcoBoost delivers under the hood but dial back the interior sound volumes at part throttle.”

An international team from suppliers of the intake manifold, battery tray, electrical hardware and software, and electrical connectors came together with Ford to accelerate development of the symposer. “The sound symposer gives the Focus ST an aural split personality,” says Lisa Schoder, Ford Focus ST Marketing manager. “In everyday driving, the car is composed and refined. But under full throttle, we unleash the sonic hounds. It’s a beauty and a beast.”

MINI Coupe JCW gets a Makeover

priyankanair8 — Tue, 15 May 2012 09:57:43 +0000

DueIL AG, a Japanese tuner has become popular with building some of the most inspiring tuning programs in that part of the world. Recently DueIL AG created a new and extensive tuning program for the R58 MINI Cooper thus adding to its reputation.

The Japanese tuners have added style to the design of the MINI Coupe John Cooper Works Edition. DueIL AG built an aerodynamic kit for the MINI that comes with a louvered hood set on both sides, just above the fenders. The other exterior components also include an aggressive new front bumper with fully integrated LED lights, redesigned side skirts, a new rear diffuser and a set of racing wheels wrapped in Kumho Ecsta wheels.

The MINI Cooper JCW is powered by a 1.6-L turbocharged four-cylinder engine. It produces 210 bhp and can sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 6.1 seconds and it can reach a maximum speed of 149 mph. DueIL did a wonderful job in giving the German vehicle a serious attitude design. The pricing details have not yet been released.

via WorldCarfans

Toyota Declared World’s Largest Automaker Again

vanndyy — Tue, 15 May 2012 09:57:18 +0000

Toyota snagged the No.1 place in Q1 taking away the crown from General Motors with 2.49 million units sold across its five brands compared to 2.28 million for GM, while Volkswagen sold 2.19 million units. The Japanese automaker has made a spectacular comeback after the catastrophes of the last few years. “Although being No. 1 is not the main goal for us, it’s nice to see because hopefully it shows we’re on the right track,” said Jim Wiseman, Toyota’s North American vice president of external affairs. It has been predicted that by 2016 Volkswagen will vanquish all challengers but the year isn’t over yet and it in fact looks like there will be good news for all.

The sales volumes and profitability are up for all three automakers at least in America. Even with double its usual fleet sales in Q1, Toyota expects this financial year’s profits to double. According to what the company has said in a U.S. regulatory filing sales of Toyota, Lexus, Scion, Hino and Daihatsu models rose 18 per cent to 2.49 million in the quarter and that puts them ahead of both GM and VW. The automaker sold the most cars and trucks in the world in the first three months of the year as it made up for production lost to natural disasters in Asia.

via autoblog

Mclaren MP4-27 Uses Oddly Conventional Nose Design

vanndyy — Tue, 15 May 2012 09:51:33 +0000

The oddly-conventional high nose design of the current Mclaren MP4-27 was recently tested at Mugello and the testing was successful enough for it to appear at this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix. The nose design helps to manage airflow directed to rear of the car but hardly does anything to the front of the vehicle. Team principal Whitmarsh has said, “You are managing the airflow enjoyed by the rest of the car. [There are] a lot of restrictions around the back end of the car, so you generate more improvement by managing the flow that arrives there than by developing the rear itself.”

Whitmarsh remarked that there was a reasonable chance that we will see the car on Sunday. Hopefully the changes will be enough to make the McLaren more competitive. The team’s four front-row starts, two poles and a race win in the first four events, gives us reason to expect a lot more.

via motorauthority

Audi on a Ride to Beat BMW in Sales This Year.

devusukumar — Tue, 15 May 2012 09:51:02 +0000

The world market is conquered by the three German giants, Volkswagen, BMW and Mercedes- Benz – and to the surprise of many, the competition has turned so rigorous that Audi outsold their cars than BMW. While BMW sold 1 21, 476 cars, Reuters reports that the Volkswagen luxury brand sold 125,200 vehicles in April. It was the first time Audi outsold BMW since January 2011. The report also says, BMW still holds the year-to-date lead with 478,030 units sold, compared to 471,300 for April’s champ. BMW sales are up 10.1 percent for the year, while Audi’s have risen by 11.7 percent.

But Automotive News says, Mercedes-Benz sits over 50,000 units behind at 418,246. Sales of Mercedes vehicles are up 9.7 percent this year. AN traces that Audi’s sales has grown up to China where the sale raised to 44 percent last month. While the U.S. sales raised by 15 percent, Europe had only 4.9 percent growth.

via autoblog

Buick Regal GS Getting Back To Nevada Open Road Challenge

RJR — Tue, 15 May 2012 09:48:37 +0000

According to announcement made recently by General Motors, the company plans to take the 2012 Buick Regal GS sports sedan back on the tracks of the Nevada Open Road Challenge on May 21. Carrying the 2.0-liter turbo power generator under its hood, the company hopes to repeat the grand victory it had achieved at the event last year.

The Buick GS was taken past the finish line lead development engineer Bill Rietow last year. He was accompanied by GS powertrain engineer John Townsend as his navigator as they won the 120-mph class of the Silver State Classic Challenge.

While this year, it is the same track that the GS will be competing on, it would be entered in the 135-mph class. Rietow, richer by the experience of last year’s run, is confident of pulling of the feat this year too. At the same time, his partner thinks weather will be a deciding factor as the event kicks off on May 21.

via Autoevolution

Chevrolet Trax To Join Global Lineup

RJR — Mon, 14 May 2012 22:52:45 +0000

Chevrolet has made the decision to take its all-new small sport utility vehicle, the Trax, to the Paris Motor Show in September. The SUV will join the company’s global lineup and promises to deliver flexibility, fuel economy and handling that will stand up to competition from around the world.

The Trax can seat five passengers comfortably and boasts of class-leading cargo space. The SUV will be first launched in the Mexican and Canadian markets, by the fourth quarter of this year. The Chevrolet Trax will join a lineup that includes the recently introduced mid-sized Malibu sedan, Colorado pickup, Trailblazer mid-sized SUV and Cruze station wagon.

The Trax, however, will not be introduced in the United States. According to Chevrolet, the reason behind the decision is the strong position of the Equinox in the US market. The Trax has been engineered to meet world-class standards, with its interiors and other details comparable to those found in more expensive vehicles.

Mini John Cooper Works GP Unveiled

S Buchanon — Mon, 14 May 2012 22:47:34 +0000

The fastest Mini ever has been unveiled, and it will be known as the Mini John Cooper Works GP - a special-edition Mini, which is expected to go on sale later this year with a limited production run of just 2,000 units. Even though the vehicle has been unveiled, Mini has not confirmed anything regarding its powertrain. But, according to the reports from reliable sources, the fastest Mini will be powered by a 1.6-liter twin-scroll turbocharged engine that has been upgraded to generate up to 230-hp. The automaker itself revealed that the John Cooper Works GP lapped the Nurburgring-Nordschleife in 8 minutes and 23 seconds that is pretty quick.

“Underpinning the performance characteristics of the MINI John Cooper Works GP is exclusive powertrain, chassis and aerodynamics technology inspired directly by motor sport,” Mini said in a statement.

“Its twin-scroll turbo engine generates outstanding torque, displays remarkable elasticity and demonstrates a healthy appetite for revs. Specially developed, adjustable race suspension channels this superlative output into spectacular yet precisely controllable handling,” Mini added.

As of now more details are not available. Stay tuned. We’ll provide you more.

via Egmcartech

2012 Audi Q7 V6 TDI is a Worthy Competitor in the Diesel Luxury Full-size SUV Segment

vanndyy — Mon, 14 May 2012 22:18:29 +0000

Audi’s latest entrant to the luxury full-size SUV segment, the 2012 Audi Q7 V6 TDI might just be the company’s way of saying they are still very much in the game. The full-size crossover SUV scores high on presence with its streamlined body and aggressive looks. The insides live up to the brands reputation, but the interior space is a bit limited because of the low, sloping roofline.

The 3.0L V6 turbodiesel engine features a direct fuel injection system with a variable BorgWarner turbocharger and yields a performance rivaling that of a V8. With an acceleration of 60 mph in 8.5 seconds it may not be as quick as the BMW X5xDrive35d but is definitely more powerful than the Mercedes-Benz ML/GL350 CDI and comfortably fits into a class somewhere between both the vehicles. Ride quality, as expected, is top-notch, and the vehicle drives like a dream when it comes to highway cruising.

via egmcartech