Mazda has revealed the first technical details of its next 2 supermini, which will go head-to-head with the Ford Fiesta and Volkswagen Polo. The new Mazda 2 will be powered by a selection of 1.5-litre engines, with three petrol versions of 74bhp, 94bhp and 113bhp, and one 104bhp diesel making up the range.
However, even the cleanest petrol model – the manual 94bhp version – will struggle in the emissions stakes with 105g/km – more than most rivals, which are now ducking below the 100g/km mark and, consequently, qualify for free-of-charge tax.
The diesel Mazda 2 offers better emissions on paper, though even its 89g/km is beaten by the cleanest Ford Fiesta.Mazda will be hoping that buyers will forgive the 2’s higher emissions levels – and its resultant costlier tax – if they fall in love with its styling, both inside and out.
It has to be said that the swooping lines and low nose of the 2 do make it look rather rakish, while the elegantly simple interior is a lesson in minimalism.
There’s no word on pricing just yet, so if Mazda can pitch the 2 correctly, it could go some way towards mitigating against those carbon dioxide figures. We’ll find out when it goes on sale early next year.
Source: Telegraph
Earlier this year, we spoke with Audi R&D chief Ulrich Hackenberg about the prospects and requirements for autonomous cars. At the time, he told us that he had defined two situations that an autonomous car must be able to handle. One of them was getting a car from the left lane of a three-lane autobahn to a safe stop by itself—important if, say, the driver suffers a heart attack. The other one intrigued us: The car needs to be faster on a racetrack than Hackenberg himself. Nota bene: Hackenberg is a talented race driver.
Audi may be closer to reaching the latter target than we thought. On October 19, a driverless RS7 will circle the Hockenheim racetrack “about as fast as with a professional race driver” and “with millimeter precision,” Audi claims. The twin-turbo V-8 hatchback will reach up to 150 mph, and the company believes it will take just over two minutes to lap the track. Testing has commenced, and the actual performance will take place at this season’s final DTM race.
Source: Car and Driver
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
Huracan,
Lamborghini,
News,
Rosso Mars,
Supercars,
Tuners,
Vorsteiner
Rosso Mars Lamborghini Huracan on Vorsteiner Wheels
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While Lamborghinis certainly aren’t synonymous with the colour red like Ferraris are, Rosso Mars has become quite popular for Lamborghini in recent years.
One of the first customer Huracan’s to arrive in the U.S. is finished in Rosso Mars and thanks to the team at Vorsteiner, looks truly incredible.
This special Huracan has been fitted with a set of Vorsteiner Special Edition VSE-003 forged wheels.
Finished in matte black, they measure 20×8.5 at the front with 245/30 tyres while at the rear they are 21×12 with 325/25 Pirelli P Zero rubber!
Source: GT Spirit
Frequency Intelligent Exhaust,
Huracan,
Lamborghini,
News,
Supercars,
Tuners
Huracan Roars With Frequency Intelligent Exhaust
4:30 PM
The crew at Frequency Intelligent has just created what could be the very first aftermarket exhaust system for the potent new Lamborghini Huracan. One of the very first Huracan’s to be fitted with the potent exhaust system is an Australian delivered example.
Source: GT Spirit
Audi's public relations team must really be getting fed up with research and design boss Ulrich Hackenberg. Aside from basically confirming that the next Audi R8 will share its bones with the Lamborghini Huracán and noting that it may take advantage of the Asterion Concept's hybrid powertrain technology, he's now let slip that the second-generation Q7 will arrive in January at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show.
"If you make a trip to Detroit, you'll see it," Hackenberg reportedly told Indian Autos Blog during Paris Motor Show festivities.
That's a bombshell, particularly as we've heard plenty about its potential powertrain technologies, including spy shots of diesel-powered models, plug-in-hybrids, sporty SQ7s and electric turbochargers, but there's been absolutely nothing concrete about when and where the car would debut.
Audi has done well in past Detroit Auto Shows, most recently showing off its TT-previewing Allroad Shooting Brake. If Hackenberg wasn't messing with IAB, then it looks like the 2015 Detroit show will be even bigger for the brand than 2014.
Source: Autoblog
Jaguar's second-generation XF has been spotted performance testing at the Nürburgring as it continues its development journey before heading to the showroom in around a year's time.
The mid-size luxury saloon is expected to grow in size to make room in the model range for the recently-revealed Jaguar XE, which will slot below the XF in Jaguar's line-up.
Consequently, the next XF should offer more space and comfort for occupants. Both saloon and estate versions of the XF are expected.
As with the XE, JLR's new iQ[Al] aluminium architecture is at the core of the next XF's development. The architecture should also allow Jaguar engineers to cut down on the 1735kg kerb weight of today's XF. The underpinnings are scalable, and company chiefs have previously stated that they will be used for a wide range of vehicles.
That makes it highly likely that Jaguar will pick the XF's powertrains from its new family of turbocharged 2.0-litre, four-cylinder Ingenium diesel engines.
The XE is launching with an Ingenium engine in two states of tune, with the lower-powered option producing 161bhp and 280lb ft, and the more powerful variant developing 178bhp and 317lb ft.
The Ingenium powerplants use fixed 500cc cylinder sizes, so other capacities could be possible. The Land Rover Discovery Sport will also use Ingenium engines, though not at launch.
Source: AutoCar
Captur,
New Launch Model,
News,
Renault,
Signature
Renault Captur gets new top-spec trim level
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The Renault Captur crossover is the second best-selling model in the French brand's line-up, and a new top-spec 'Signature' model has been added to the range, boasting extra kit and some exterior changes over the existing models.
The popular crossover's top-spec trim adds 17-inch alloys, plenty of chrome detailing and a two-tone paint finish. Six colours are available, with the distinctive Flame Red paint making the grade.
Inside the Signature model there's part-leather upholstery, exclusive mats and door sills and some colour-coded detailing on the centre console and air vents. Renault has given the new model some additional tech inside, too.
The seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system now features USB connectivity and an uprated stereo with 3D sound. A rear parking camera featues on this model, as well as rear parking sensors.
Plus, Renault's 'Grip Xtend' is standard - a traction control system that assists on difficult surfaces, giving the front-wheel drive Captur some off-road ability.
Available to order now, the Captur Signature is available with the standard range of engines. Prices start at £17,495 for the turbocharged 0.9-litre TCe 90 petrol, rising to £19,695 for the automatic-only TCe 120. The dCi 90 diesel starts at £18,895.
Read more: Auto Express
