Demo BKB: New Launch Model

Details of the new Mazda 2

5:12 PM

New Launch Model, News, P85D, Technology, Tesla

Luxury electric car maker Tesla Motors is making its Model S sedan faster and safer in an effort to compete better with other high-end sedans. At an open-to-the-public unveiling Thursday night that included bumping music, free alcohol and test rides on an airport tarmac, CEO Elon Musk revealed an all-wheel-drive version of the car that includes self-driving features he called "auto pilot."The announcement ended a week of speculation following a cryptic Musk tweet that said, "About time to unveil the D and something else."

Taking the stage with more than 1,000 Tesla fans in the audience, he explained that the "D" stands for "dual motor." The current Model S is a rear-wheel-drive car with one motor. The "D" will have two motors — one powering the front wheels and one powering the rear wheels.

Musk said unlike all-wheel-drive systems on gas-powered cars, which tend to be heavy and make the cars less efficient, Tesla's system improves the speed, acceleration and mileage by optimizing which motor is used.

The dual motor version of the P85 performance sedan will have a top speed of 250 km/h, compared with the current model's top speed of about 210 km/h. It will accelerate from 0-60 mph in 3.2 seconds, akin to exotic sports cars. "This car is nuts. It's like taking off from a carrier deck," Musk said at a municipal airport near Los Angeles where another of Musk's companies — the commercial rocket firm SpaceX — is based. The crowd obliged with cheers and applause.

The all-wheel-drive system helps grip slippery roads, and analysts have said Tesla needed it to boost sales in the Northeast and Midwest, as well as Europe. The company sold 13,850 cars in the U.S. this year through September, down three per cent from a year ago, according to Autodata Corp, The Model S will steer itself back if it wanders from its lane and brake automatically if it is about to hit something. Those features are offered on luxury competitors, as well as mainstream brands such as Ford, Hyundai and Toyota.

But Tesla is going a step further. Its new cruise control system that senses traffic can move the car over a lane when the driver uses the turn signal. It will also use cameras to read speed limit signs and decelerate accordingly. Volvo has a system that reads signs and alert drivers if they are over the limit, but does not change the speed. Musk said "auto pilot" does not mean that the car could drive itself — as he put it, a driver cannot "safely fall asleep." Although, he said, on private property — not public roads — a driver could summon the car remotely.

While the addition of all-wheel drive catches Tesla up with other in the luxury car market, pulling together all the driver-assist features impressed Brian A. Johnson, an analyst with Barclay's. "It's a year ahead of the timeframe I was expecting," he said. Raj Rajkumar, a pioneer of self-driving cars with Carnegie Mellon University, was similarly impressed but wondered about the limitations of "auto-pilot" — how would it perform in different weather and road conditions.

The dual motor will be a $4,000 option on the base and mid-range Model S, which start at $71,000. The base price for the P85 with all-wheel drive — which will be known as P85D — is $120,000. The cars went on sale immediately on Tesla's website; the P85D will be delivered beginning in December, while the other versions begin delivery in February.

Source: CBC News

Captur, New Launch Model, News, Renault, Signature

Renault Captur gets new top-spec trim level

4:30 PM

2015, 911, GTS, New Launch Model, News, Porsche

2015 Porsche 911 GTS

4:30 PM

Purists often criticize Porsche for creating products like the Cayenne, Panamera and recently launched Macan, saying they dilute the true sports car spirit of the brand. It's an argument we've heard before, and one we counter with two points. First: No they don't. And second: These are Porsche's volume superstars, and the money they rake in allows the company to create dozens of versions of its well-liked sports cars. Want proof? Have a look at the gallery above, where you'll see four new versions of the 911, all with GTS badges on their rumps. This means Porsche now offers 19 versions of the 911. Nineteen.

Porsche offered a GTS version of the 911 in its previous generation, and this new one seeks to slot somewhere between the standard car and the hardcore GT3. It's available in coupe and cabriolet forms, with either rear- or all-wheel drive, starting at $114,200, *not including $995 for destination. The GTS Cabriolet comes in at $126,100, while models equipped with AWD will set you back $120,900 or $132,800 for the coupe or convertible, respectively.

All GTS models get the 430-horsepower version of the Carrera S' 3.8-liter flat-six with the Powerkit, which also includes the Sport Chrono package and the sport exhaust. If equipped with the PDK dual-clutch transmission, the 911 GTS will hit 60 miles per hour in just 3.8 seconds (or four seconds flat, if you've got the Cabriolet) – one tenth of a second quicker than the normal Carrera S. The car's top speed varies, depending on trim or transmission, but Porsche says the car will hit anywhere from 187 to 190 mph, flat out.

All GTS models are based on the Carrera 4 body, with the wider track and flared wheel arches. The ride height has been lowered by 10 millimeters compared to the standard 911, as well. Standard kit includes Xenon headlamps, an Alcantara interior, 20-inch wheels painted in gloss black, and a customized GTS air intake. Black chrome-plated exhaust tips set the GTS apart from lesser 911s, too.