News from around the world

[Ducati]

NO GM PONIES ANYMORE

GM’s illustrious high performance vehicle operations team has been disbanded, taking with it any future high-performance models.

The elite engineering team fathered such redoubtable North American performance cars such as the Cadillac CTS-V, Corvette ZR1, and Pontiac G8 GXP. According to Vince Muniga, GM spokesperson all high-performance projects are on indefinite hold.

Engineers from the high performance vehicle operations team are set to be redeployed amongst their more mundane colleagues working on run of the mill Cadillacs, Buicks, Chevrolets and Pontiacs. Muniga added if GM recovers in future the team could be reinstated.

The disbanding of the high performance team means there will be no CTS-V coupe - which was in a very advanced stage of development – or next generation ZR1 Corvette. Essentially anything Chevrolet with an SS affix is an collectors item now.

Say goodbye to the front-wheel drive Cobalt SS too, a brave little car, which despite its US roots sported a 8:22 sec Nurburgring time, front-wheel drive dynamics and 191kW from a 2l turbocharged engine.

[wik_a]

:(:(

[Ducati]

RACING VW CADDY VAN BACK FOR 5TH SEASON

Its track results in 2008 were the best yet so hopes are high that the coming season of the VW Racing Cup might provide even greater success for the world's only racing van – the VW Caddy TDI.

The crowd-pleasing Caddy diesel will be back in the hands of its regular driver, Peter Wyhinny, for the 2009 season and, with some fine-tuning in the workshops of VW Racing UK, he hopes to improve on the three podium finishes the turbodiesel van delivered in 2008.

"The Caddy is now entering its fifth full season of competition," Wyhinny said. "It's fair to say it's now treated as a very serious competitor. We still have a smile on our faces but our rivals are no longer looking on the racing van idea as 'a bit of a joke'

'In 2008 the Caddy took a real step forward in performance. Our objective is now to score better results than in 2008; we are aiming for the podium, to be a real thorn in the side of the cars and may even be looking for our first win."

The Caddy can more than handle the best of the car opposition thanks to its two-litre turbodiesel engine that produces 193kW and maximum torque of 511Nm with the help of VW Racing UK/Superchips mapping.

A six-speed gearbox and a Milltek exhaust are fitted.

Wyhinny, whose day job is at the helm of Seat UK, says the twistier tracks on the calendar – and in particular the Knockhill circuit in Scotland – suit the Caddy's well-balanced chassis and handling.

The first rounds of the VW Racing Cup will be at Oulton Park in Cheshire over April 11-13 and across the UK until September.

[Ducati]

AUDI'S NEW A4 ALL ROAD QUATTRO

The A4 Allroad quattro just launched on European roads - or off them! - has permanent all-wheel drive and increased ground clearance.

Audi has created a vehicle body consisting primarily of high-strength and ultra-strong steel panels - which, in turn, reduce the car's weight while enhancing its rigidity, vibrational comfort and impact safety.

In addition to the two front crash bags, which take into consideration the precise positions of the driver and front passenger, there are side bags in the front and, optionally, in the rear. A head-protection system also stands ready.

Every Audi A4 Allroad quattro also has a reversible loadliner, the underside of which has been designed as a dirt-resistant tray.

The 2.0 TDI transmits its power through a six-speed manual transmission. The 3.0 TDI and 2.0 TFSI feature the next generation of Audi’s dynamic and very efficient S tronic. This innovative dual-clutch transmission switches extremely smoothly among its seven gears within a few hundredths of a second.

The cer's width lays the foundation for its driving dynamics. It is 1583mm at the front and 1574mm at the rear - some 20mm wider, respectively, than the A4 Avant.

The body is higher on account of a new chassis with longer springs, which - like the new shock-absorbers - combine sportiness with comfort.

The standard, 17" wheels are fitted with 225/55 tyres.

On rough terrain, the A4 Allroad quattro relies on a high-tech feature of its electronic stability programmme: automatically identifies the type of driving surface and adjusts the ESP’s control by tolerating more wheel spin.

The Audi A4 Allroad quattro will be available at dealers in Europe from €37,100.

[Ducati]

SAAB ASKS FOR CREDITOR PROTECTION

General Motors' loss-making carmaker Saab Automobile said on Friday it would seek legal protection from creditors to allow it to restructure and seek new funding.

Faced with mountainous debts, parent GM is itself restructuring, and in a plan submitted to the US Treasury this week it said loss-making Saab would become an independent business as of Jan. 1, 2010..

Saab made an operating loss of 2.19 billion Swedish crowns in 2007, according to regulatory filings.

"We explored and will continue to explore all available options for funding and/or selling Saab, and it was determined a formal reorganisation would be the best way to create a truly independent entity that is ready for investment," Saab Managing Director Jan-Ake Jonsson said in a statement.

Saab said funding for the restructured company will need to be secured during the reorganisation process and will be sought from both public and private sources.

Swedish daily Dagens Industri said on Friday that Saab parent GM is prepared to pump in $400 million to help make its Saab car unit profitable if the Swedish state guarantees a further loan of $590 million to Saab.

Part of the money would be used to launch new models and part to cover the loss made by Saab last year. The goal is to reach annual sales of 120 000-130 000 vehicles, which would make the firm profitable by 2011 or 2012, Dagens Industri said, quoting unnamed sources.

Many analysts believe Saab would need much more money pumped into it to turn it around.

A reorganisation filing, which is an alternative to an outright bankruptcy filing, would be made with a Swedish court, after which the viability of continuing operations would be assessed.

[salman_ksa]

Re: NO GM PONIES ANYMORE

That's sad deal indeed (n)

@wik_a, Don't worry buddy AMG is there (y) :d

[Ducati]

NEW TUSCON CONCEPT

Hyundai has released more info of the stunning concept car that previews its next Tucson.

The ix-onic concept, which will be shown at the Geneva Motor Show, will become the Korean carmaker’s small SUV fighter. The production version will go on sale in 2010 and Hyundai will ditch the Tucson name and badge its VW Tiguan rival as the ix35.

Designed in Russelsheim, Germany, the ix-onic is described as an “urban nomad”, and “inspired by multi-cultural personalities of cities like Berlin, Paris and London.”

Finished in a high-tech high-contrast paint, the ix-onic shows off a new hexagonal grille design and LED daytime running lamps, set to feature on other upcoming Hyundai production cars.

The car sits on 21" polished alloy wheels, and has unusual wedge-shaped side sills with aluminium trim, dual aluminium exhaust tailpipes and a curved, 3D Lexan plastic rear windscreen.

In our opinion it looks like a Ford Fiesta on steroids.

Under the bonnet is a 130kW turbocharged, direct-injection petrol engine (badged GDi), with stop-start system and a six-speed automated-manual gearbox.

The ix-onic will emit just 149g/km of carbon dioxide.

[wik_a]

@salman_ksa

ye bro. (Y)

[Ducati]

WORLD'S MOST POWERFUL 4X4

If you think a Range Rover Sport is a bit silly, you’ll be highly perturbed with latest G-Class based Brabus creation.

The crazy German aftermarket tuner – perpetually trying to usurp Merc in-house tuner AMG – has taken the redoubtable G-Class, ruined its considerable off-road ability and military heritage styling, whilst simultaneously boosting performance beyond levels of acceptable sanity.

Hardly an elegant car to begin with, the Brabus fettled G V12 S Biturbo adds visual drama in all the wrong places with LED light diodes. There’s a new LED embedded front apron and LED embedded running boards, illuminating potentially embarrassing embarkation and debussing points in the dark.

Even the Monoblock 21-inch alloy wheels, shod with 295/40 Pirelli or Yokohama tyres, can’t restore any balance to the Geländewagen styling – originally penned in the late 1970s.

The interior embellishments add up to Brabus logos being embossed everywhere. Special Brabus Mastik leather covers most of the trim and state of the art infotainment and communication sets, including DVBT TV and full console game integration, render on eight-inch screens displaying in the back of the front seat headrests.

Powering this most ill-conceived of all Geländewagens is an enlarged version of Merc’s 5.5l V12 biturbo engine. With a new crankshaft adding cylinder depth and an increased bore, capacity is raised to 6.3l – ironically inline with AMG’s naturally aspirated V8 performance engines.

Upgraded turbos provide seamless boost, and with special camshafts and revised electronics feeding the engine’s fuelling requirements power is a ridiculous 515kW at only 5 100r/min.

For those off-road biased Geländewagen owners, who remain cognisant of its three differential locks and admirable ability to engage low-range on the move, torque is electronically limited to 1 100Nm at 2 100r/min. With such a figure, an appropriate change of tyres should enable you to tow out a stranded tank if necessary.

Away from the Geländewagen’s natural environment of military training grounds, it's capable of deeply unsettling on-road performance figures. Top-speed, considering the Geländewagen’s Cold War era aerodynamics, is mercifully limited to 240km/h – despite Brabus having a penchant for delivering unrestricted cars to its customers.

Opting for the more reliable five-speed automatic transmission – versus Merc’s 7G tronic box – traffic light embarrassment is not an issue with the G V12 S, considering it sprints from 0-100km/h in 4.3 seconds.

Coy to release exact details Brabus says the G V12 S does feature an upgraded suspension system, euphemistically referred to as being more ‘comfortable’. We doubt the ageing Geländewagen design, rolling on huge wheels shod with low-profile tyres, could seriously blend ride comfort and handling dynamics in an contemporary manner though.

A curious offering - upsetting traditional Geländewagen owners no end - the G V12 S is just the thing to tool about in at home if you make your money in the high-end private security industry.

[salman_ksa]

^ Ridiculously awesome (y) But it's too old

[Ducati]

^^ agree, old but still awesome (Y)

[salman_ksa]

Barnard Supercar Born in South Africa

It's been over 50 years since South Africa has produced a home-bred supercar. This is excluding the Shelby Cobras and Noble cars assembled in that country but basically originating from elsewhere. A chap by the name of Chris Barnard wants to change all that by introducing a car he simply calls the Barnard.

The Barnard is powered by a twin-turbo Porsche V8 engine with a power rating of 617bhp (460kW). It should deliver a sub-4 second 0 - 60mph time and a theoretical top speed of over 240mph (386km/h). Only the driver really holds those horses back because the Barnard is missing some equipment namely power steering, ABS brakes and traction control. Even the windows require manual manpower to operate. It's a contrast to the cockpit which is inspired by one of Barnard's other interests, aviation.

Built on a monocoque chassis that's made from lightweight hi-tech steels like Domex and Docol, the car is more race road car than anything else. It's designed to accommodate buyers' interests and can be personalised to a great extent, depending on budgets offered. The engine itself can be uprated to suit the buyer's desires.

"This is a car which has been built with the objective of breaking barriers, and no expense has been spared to make it into what I believe is the most single-minded performance machine yet from South Africa," Barnard said.

To help keep it on the road are things like a rear diffuser, a flat undertray and cutouts on the front wheel arches that generate larges doses of downforce.

Customer deliveries of the Barnard will begin in the middle of the year at a cost of about R1.1 million (about US$110,000) a pop.

Source: MotorAuthority.com

[Ducati]

^^^^ You beat me to it ! Good one mate (Y)

[Ducati]

NEW BABY ROLLS TO WOO ARISTROCRATS

BMW’s British luxury division, Rolls-Royce, is gunning for Bentley’s Continental Flying Spur with a new baby Rolls.

Keen on curtailing VW’s luxury brand success achieved with Bentley, BMW AG is drawing in an illustrious name from the pre-war Rolls-Royce era – 200EX – to denote its entry level concept due to be shown at the Geneva motor show.

Employing styling details, albeit in shrunken proportion, form both the Phantom and Drophead Coupe, the Geneva bound 200EX has an authentically aristocratic feel to it.

Sharing a platform and 20% of its parts with the latest BMW 7 Series, 200EX measures a whisper less than 5.4m bumper-to-bumper, is 1.95m wide, stands 1.55m tall and sports a 3.3m wheelbase, ensuring optimal comfort for passengers.

It may have the sense of being a new baby Rolls in public consciousness, but with such dimensions it’s actually slightly bigger than the Silver Spirit, which carried the brand through the 1980s and 90s.

Engineering details are being kept as secret as James Bond’s address, with Rolls only alluding to the engine being a ‘new V12’ and tyres, as seen in the images, being seven-spoke in design and 20-inches in diameter.

All indications are the V12 will employ 7 Series 4.4l V8 architexture, adding four extra cylinders, which should take capacity to around 6l, yet nowhere near the traditional 6.75l Rolls displacement.

Inside you'll find bespoke materials and stately finishes with frosted lamps, chrome door handles, violin key switchgear and an ergonomic roller-ball controller (think Rolls iDrive) to manipulate the car's systems.

Expect the 200EX on display at Geneva in two weeks time to be very close in finish to the production model due for unveiling at the Frankfurt motor show in September, by which time it should have a proper name too...

[Ducati]

ASTON MARTIN'S 16TH CONVERTABILE IN 95 YEARS

"Volante" is an Italian word meaning "moving with light rapidity" – and that perfectly characterises the latest version of Aston Martin's flagship DBS V12, combining "the excitement of driving a finely-tuned sports car with the invigorating feeling of being open to the elements".

The DBS Volante convertible will be formally introduced on March 3 at the Geneva auto show and will complete the DBS model range. Aston Martin CEO Ulrich Bez says the DBS was conceived as a convertible from the outset, with a fabric roof to follow the silhouette of the DBS coupé as closely as possible and minimise overall weight gain. It's a 2+2 with space for 'two young people or extra luggage'.

It can be raised or lowered automatically in 14 seconds at up to 48km/h and, when lowered, stows away under a metal tonneau cover.

The DBS Volante is Aston Martin's 16th convertible in 95 years; it's a 2+2 with space for "two young people or extra luggage" behind the front seats, says the maker.

Motivation is provided by Aston Martin's hand-built, all alloy six-litre V12, rated at 380kW and 570Nm, delivering a 0-100 sprint in 4.3sec and a claimed top speed of 307km/h.

A rear-mounted six-speed manual gearbox is standard, as are carbon ceramic disc brakes. A "Touchtronic" six-speed semi-auto transmission is an extra-cost option. The bonnet, front wings and boot lid are carbon fibre.

The DBS' adaptive damping system has been tuned for the Volante to maximise ride and reduce scuttle shake.

'Track' mode automatically sets all dampers to their firmest positions.

It uses two separate valves to set the dampers to five different positions and its electronic control unit automatically alters the suspension settings according to throttle position, brake position, steering wheel rotation and vehicle speed.

The interior of the DBS is trimmed in aluminium, leather and carbon fibre – even the carpet has been woven with lighter fibres to save a little weight. A 13-speaker Bang and Olufsen sound system – tuned specifically for this car – adjusts the sound pattern when the roof is down to compensate for extra wind noise.

The DBS Volante will be built at Aston Martin's headquarters at Gaydon, Warwickshire with customer deliveries expected to begin during the third quarter of 2009; prices will be announced at the Geneva auto show.

[Ducati]

RS MUSCLE FOR AUDI TT

Audi has "leaked" images of its latest RS monikered performance car, the TT RS. Sporting five-cylinder power, it blends performance heritage and contemporary style.

However, Audi is still coy concerning TT RS product details.

Officially all Audi are willing to admit to before the car’s Geneva show debut, in less than two weeks, is garden variety Audi engineering clues. It will be feature quattro all-wheel drive and a six-speed transmission – probably DSG enabled…

Powering the TT RS will be a 2.5l five-cylinder turbocharged engine rumoured to produce 253kW and 450Nm. Engine architecture equates to a neat 500cc per cylinder, which should ensure linear, smooth power and a unique acoustic quality.

Although power numbers are only to be confirmed at Geneva, Audi seems willing to stir up a performance debate before the show, baiting enthusiasts by saying the TT RS will need ‘nowhere near five seconds’ for a 0-100km/h sprint.

Audi traditionalists will be heartened by the return of a five-cylinder RS badged car, recalling phenomenal five-cylinder Audi turbocharged cars from the past - including the original 2.2l quattro and seminal RS2 Avant.

[Ducati]

SA BUILT PERANA FOR GENEVA SHOW

The centrepiece of the Zagato stand at the 2009 Geneva auto show will be a V8-engined, two-door sports coupé designed, engineered and developed in South Africa.

No really, Cyril, the Perana Z-one is the creation of Jimmy Price of Hi-Tech Automotive and was developed and built in Hi-Tech's Port Elizabeth factory.

Price has been building Cobra and GT40 replicas for many years and is the actual manufacturer of the British Noble sports car, but has long wanted to develop and build his own brand.

The demise of low-volume manufacturers such as TVR and recent changes in EU regulations governing imported vehicles made it feasible so Price called on a group of friends who were also motorsport enthusiasts, acquired the rights to the Perana name - originally a highly modified Ford performance range produced in South Africa in the 1960's and 70's - and the Z-one was born. The Z-one has a power-to-weight ratio of 240kW/ton.

It was styled by the Zagato design studio in Milan - birthplace of some of the world's most beautiful sports cars - has a front-mounted, 6.2-litre, 330kW Chev Corvette V8 with a six-speed manual gearbox driving the rear wheels and weighs only 1195kg.

That gives it a power-to-weight ratio of 240kW/ton – good enough, says the maker, to take it from 0-100 in less than four seconds and from 0-160km/h in less than 10.

It's built on a tubular and box-section chassis with the engine set well back for 50/50 weight distribution and balanced, predictable road manners.

The styling is classic Zagato with a wedge-shaped profile, sculpted sides rising over the rear wheel-arches and the studio's trademark double bulge in the roofline.

This is Zagato's first collaboration with a South African auto company and its first design intended for low-volume commercial manufacture. Zagato usually limits editions to a maximum of 99 units but up to 999 Peranas a year will be built at in Port Elizabeth.

The prototype car in the pictures is left-hand drive but production will begin with right-hand drive models for the UK market and the Perana Z-one will be available in South Africa in mid-2010.

SPECIFICATIONS

ENGINE
Cylinders: V8.
Capacity: 6200cc
Fuel system: Petrol, fuel-injected
Max power: 330kW
Max torque: 583Nm
TRANSMISSION
Type: Six-speed manual, rear-wheel drive
SUSPENSION
Front: Unequal length A-arms, Eibach springs, Bilstein shocks, anti-roll bar
Rear: Unequal length A-arms, Eibach springs, Bilstein shocks, anti-roll bar
STEERING
Type: ZF rack-and-pinion
Power Assistance: Yes, hydraulic
BRAKES
Front: 325mm discs
Rear: 305mm discs
WHEELS/TYRES
Wheels: 18" front, 19" rear
Tyres: 275/35 ZR18 front, 345/30 ZR19 rear
DIMENSIONS
Length: 4406mm
Width: 1924mm
Height: 1233mm
Mass: 1195kg
PERFORMANCE
(claimed at sea level)
Acceleration: 0-100km/h: less than 4sec
Acceleration: 0-160km/h: less than 10sec

[Ducati]

428KW TIME ATTACK FOR EVO FROM HKS

One Japan’s oldest tuning firms, HKS, just can’t stop fiddling with the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X.

With more than a quarter century of tuning and performance refining experience, HKS, the brainchild of former Yamaha engineer Hiroyuki Hasegawa, has an enviable reputation in the high-performance and street racing industry.

As a Japanese brand, HKS likes upping the ante on locally produced models. In true tuning style the names they give their aftermarket cars are ridiculous. Witness the latest HKS, the CZ200S Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X, successor to the outgoing HKS CT230R Circuit Time Attack Evo.

A car not designed for aesthetic appeal – the front splitter, intake ducts and rear wing are hardly an ode to good taste – CZ200S is simply bolted together to go really, really fast.

Featuring a revised turbo kit and larger injectors (1000cc) boost has been recalibrated to run in perfect harmony with the reprofiled camshafts. Considering the forces it produces, strengthened internals (forged pistons and H-beam con-rods) were called for.

The net result is CZ200S producing 428kW and 657Nm from an 2l in-line four. Which we are sure you’ll agree, is quite a lot, considering this remains essentially a four-door Japanese C-segment sedan.

Mitsubishi’s redoubtable all-wheel drive system has been upgraded with an HKS twin-clutch set-up and experimental six-speed gearbox.

Oddly named, but undoubtedly effective, Hipermax III suspension keeps the CZ200S mostly on track, whilst the Endless Racing (we kid you not) branded brakes upgrade the standard Evo X system with six-pot callipers up front and quad callipers at the rear.

Grip is provided by Yokohama’s finest rubber, Advan Neova AD08s. Onboard the CZ200S is a host of boost adjusting and lap timing equipment and of course Takata seatbelts – which is obviously something each and every Evo X owner longs for.

Thanks to the those relatively unmolested front and rear light clusters, with their indicators intact, you can drive to CZ200S on the morning school run to drop off the kids, even if you work in Sandton and they go to school to Bloemfontein…

Best to stick to trackwork though, which is the reason HKS conceived the CZ200S.

On a recent shakedown run, with the Yokohama rubber, it clocked the vicious 14-corner, 2km Tsubuka circuit in 59.5 seconds. In perspective? Currently the Nissan GT-R does a Tsubuka hot lap in 1.01 second...

For the record, Tsubuka's all-time original chassis record holder is an all carbon-fibre HKS CT230R, which blitzed the track in an expletive generating 53.6 seconds.

[Ducati]

NANO IN INDIAN SHOWROOMS DURING MARCH

India's Tata Motors says the snub-nosed Nano, orignally billed as the world's cheapest car, will be launched in India in March.

"The much-awaited Tata Nano will be launched at a function in Mumbai on March 23," Tata spokesman Debasis Ray said.

"It will be a big day for the company."

Pricing and distribution will be announced at the launch.

The four-door Nano has had worldwide attention due to its planned price of about $2000 for the basic model, which would make it the world's cheapest car.

The cars will be on display at Tata dealerships in India from the first week of April and the company said it was making arrangements for the widest possible network to sell the car -- "across the length and breadth of India". - AFP

[wik_a]

Volkswagen Will Cut 16,500 Temporary Jobs Worldwide This Year

Feb. 28 (Bloomberg) -- Volkswagen AG, Europe’s largest carmaker, said it will cut all 16,500 temporary jobs in global operations as the recession and tight credit sap purchases.

“There’s no way around this,” Chief Executive Officer Martin Winterkorn said in an interview with Germany’s weekly Spiegel magazine published today. The financial crisis “is really brutal,” the CEO added. Company spokesman Stefan Ohletz confirmed Winterkorn’s published remarks by phone.

Responding to the worst car markets in almost two decades, Volkswagen shuttered five German factories this week, affecting two-thirds of its 92,000-strong German workforce. That’s on top of a three-day shutdown at the main plant in Wolfsburg.

Production is being cut after Volkswagen’s group vehicle deliveries plunged 21 percent in January, even with a line-up of models such as the Golf, Polo and Fox that is regarded as well- suited to customer requirements for smaller, less-costly and more fuel-efficient cars.

German car sales will probably drop 6.5 percent to 2.9 million vehicles this year, the lowest since reunification in 1990, according to Germany’s VDA automakers’ lobby.