News from around the world

[ToofaneBatameezi]

h1SCARIEST QUAD EVER: WAZUMA PACKS 500BHP V12/h1

Mad BMW-powered Lazareth quad bike spotted

This terrifying creation by French motorcycle customiser Ludovic Lazareth could somehow only have come from the country that invented absinth. And we can only presume that it was conceived after a particularly heavy night on the green stuff.

It’s called the Wazuma Bio and the supercharged V12 BMW lump kicks out 500bhp. We also presume the driver must be clinically insane because, judging by the video (below), it looks as if riding it is akin to straddling the bonnet of a 760Li and telling the driver to let rip while you hang on for dear life.

There’s even a sop to the green-ites, too, as the Wazuma is powered by E85 bioethanol. There is of course a performance reason for this, too: E85’s higher octane rating means the Wazuma can run a higher compression ratio.

The 5.0-litre V12 starts life with 345bhp and 383lb ft of torque, before Lazareth adds the supercharger to create the 500bhp monster. Power goes to the rear wheels via a conventional torque converter auto.

Best bit of all, though, is the fact that this monster has no chassis – the rider sits directly on the BMW V12 lump (though with a seat between it and him - or indeed her).

Brave potential customers will need to shell out quite a lot – the Wazuma will set you back a cool 200k euros (£172k).

//youtu.be/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Fsb8K4knBo&rel=1

[Ducati]

THE DOCTOR IS IN

Brno, Czech Republic - World champion Valentino Rossi of Italy won the Czech MotoGP on Sunday for the second year in a row after his Yamaha team mate Jorge Lorenzo of Spain crashed out late in the race.

Spanish rider Dani Pedrosa took second, finishing nearly 12 seconds behind and Toni Elias of Spain was third on his Honda to round out the podium.

Rossi and Lorenzo finished one-two in qualifying, setting up an eagerly anticipated race between the two leading world title challengers on a warm clear day in front of around 138 000 spectators.

Rossi took an early lead with Lorenzo pushing him furiously until the Spaniard leaned too far into a turn and crashed out, leaving it to the Italian to easily cruise to victory on the 5.4-km course.

Rossi said a few adjustments made him more comfortable with his bike and allowed him to fend off Lorenzo, who was faster in morning practice. It was Rossi's 160th podium finish.

"From that moment on it was a lot more relaxed," Rossi said of his team mate's exit. "I enjoyed the track like a tourist in the last five laps."

The victory extended the Italian's overall title lead to 50 points over Lorenzo and put more pressure on third-placed Casey Stoner of Australia, who is out for the next three races while he recovers from a virus.

Rossi has 212 points, followed by Lorenzo on 162 and Stoner at 150.

Pedrosa now stands fourth with 135 points.

"Unfortunately, I could not be as fast as the Yamahas," the Spaniard said. "I tried at the beginning but I couldn't keep the pace."

In the 125cc class, Spain's Nicolas Terol picked up his first win of the season and Marco Simoncelli of Italy won the 250cc category.

The riders now enjoy a break before returning to action on Aug. 30 at the Indianapolis Grand Prix in the United States.

[Ducati]

FERRARI HAPPY WITH MASSA

Rome - Felipe Massa is making good progress after suffering a fractured skull in an accident at last month's Hungarian Grand Prix, Ferrari boss Stefano Domenicali said on Sunday.

However, Domenicali did not comment on Italian media reports saying the Brazilian's recovery was going so well that he might be back at the Italian Grand Prix at Monza on Sept 13.

"Felipe is in excellent form and his recovery is going very well," Domenicali told the Italian team's website (www.ferrari.com) after visiting the 28-year-old in Brazil.

"I'm very happy about Felipe's state. The medical checks that have been carried out over the last two weeks continue to be very encouraging. Now it's important to be patient and take one step at a time, without any hurry."

Massa, last year's championship runner-up, spent several days in an induced coma and on a respirator in hospital after he was hit just above his left eye by a bouncing spring from Rubens Barrichello's Brawn car during qualifying for the race.

Test driver Luca Badoer will fill in after seven-times world champion Michael Schumacher cancelled plans for a temporary return to Formula One because of a neck injury.

[Ducati]

PORSCHE SELLS STAKE TO QATAR

Frankfurt - Porsche SE was forced to sell assets worth billions of euros to Qatar in a move to prop up its strained finances, marking a climbdown for a predator that had once sought to dominate Volkswagen.

Qatar Holding LLC will buy a 10% voting stake in Porsche as well as most of its cash-settled options for a stake in VW. The deal gives outsiders a say in Porsche, the debt-saddled family-controlled auto group, for the first time since it started building branded cars in 1948 and comes just after it was forced to sell part of its sportscar business to VW.

Porsche is selling a 42% stake in Porsche AG to VW for about 3.3 billion euros ($4.7 billion). Under Friday's deal, it has also sold a package of cash-settled options on VW shares to Qatar which Porsche said would free up 1 billion euros in cash.

Qatar Holding LLC said in a statement it planned to use the options to acquire 17% of VW's ordinary shares, making it the third largest shareholder in Europe's biggest carmaker after Porsche SE and the German state of Lower Saxony.

Qatar said it would also contribute to Porsche SE's syndicated loan facility and that its total investment across all the components of the deal would top 7 billion euros ($10 billion).

Volkswagen has said it would add the Porsche marque as a 10th brand to its stable that already includes Audi, Bugatti, Bentley, Lamborghini, Skoda, Seat and Scania.

"The journey has been anything but easy. Up until the last couple of days there have been tough and sometimes emotional disagreements. But that time is now behind us," said Volkswagen chief executive Martin Winterkorn, who was also named Porsche CEO late on Thursday.

Lost power struggle

Porsche's capitulation comes after a failed attempt to take over VW and at the end of a prolonged power struggle that claimed the scalp of Porsche chief executive Wendelin Wiedeking.

Porsche had sought to seize control over Volkswagen as a way to gain access to key components and technologies it needs to meet stringent new pollution rules.

But Porsche's takeover attempt backfired after it took on more than 10 billion euros in debt while buying a 50% VW stake and a package of derivatives for control over an additional 20% of VW stock.

It was forced to seek help from Volkswagen, which already supplies components for about a third of all Porsche cars, including bodies of the four-door Cayenne and Panamera models.

In a further step to alleviate Porsche SE's debt, Porsche's controlling families - the Piech and Porsche clans - will sell their automobile trading business, Europe's largest, to VW.

The business, with an enterprise value of 3.55 billion euros, will be sold by 2011, Volkswagen said.

Porsche also aims to raise capital by issuing new ordinary and preferred shares, probably in the first half of 2011.

The Porsche and Piech families will retain a stake of between 35% and 40% in the new combined company, remaining the largest shareholders.

[Ducati]

OPEL DEAL 'NOT IMMINENT'

Frankfurt/Berlin - General Motors and the German government played down hopes on Friday of a quick decision on the sale of the carmaker's Opel unit, and Berlin reiterated its support for Canadian bidder Magna.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, speaking at a news conference with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, said talks on Opel's future had reached a decisive phase but reaching a quick deal would be tough.

"Such negotiations are sometimes difficult and you need patience," Merkel said. "Therefore I am not able to say today when they will be concluded - we would like this to be as soon as possible."

She reiterated her support for a bid from Magna, an auto parts group whose bid is backed by Russian investors.

GM's top negotiator for the sale, John Smith, said his company still needed to compare a new offer it received from Magna on Thursday with an "attractive proposal" from rival bidder, Belgium-based financial investor RHJ.

Although Germany has made clear it is up to GM to decide the victor in the bidding showdown, Berlin is being asked to cough up billions of euros in finance guarantees to the winner and so it wields considerable influence.

Some GM executives are believed to favour the RHJ offer over Magna's but Berlin, the four German states where Opel has plants and Opel unions all favour Magna.

State aid

GM's Smith said on a blog that the US carmaker was awaiting input about what state aid it could expect from European countries that host Opel plants before management presents its findings to GM's board of directors next week.

"After the GM board makes its recommendation, the Opel Trust Board will be asked for its approval. So, there is more to consider, and more to do, before an agreement for Opel is reached," Smith said.

A spokesman for the German Economy Ministry confirmed that the government's Opel task force would meet on Monday to examine the offers from Magna and RHJ, but was vague about when decisions could come.

"It is primarily up to GM to evaluate the offers," Steffen Moritz said at a news conference. "We will look at the contracts but I can't say when this process will be finalised."

Hopes for a swift deal between Magna and GM grew on Thursday when the Canadian company said that it had reached an agreement in principle with GM management over a contract to buy 55% of Opel, together with Russian partner Sberbank.

But Smith said GM had not reached an agreement with Magna.

Merkel said GM, Berlin, the state governments and other European governments would need to come to a decision together.

"No one can decide anything without the other, so there is a need to come to an agreement," she said.

[Ducati]

VW SCIROCCO TO GO GREEN

Volkwagen is to introduce a BlueMotion version of its Scirocco coupe.

Over the next few years VW will be expanding its eco-brand to new models and the Scirocco will be its first "sportier" vehicle to get "green" credentials.

Such as Scirocco will come with a small diesel engine - possibly the same 1.6-litre TDI used the Golf BlueMotion - with the usual eco tweaks, including optimised aerodynamics, gear ratios and low rolling resistance tyres, to improve fuel economy and CO2 emissions.

It is also rumoured that the Tiguan and Passat CC will also have BlueMotion derivatives added to their ranges.

[Ducati]

BOURDAIS: I WAS FIRED BY SMS

Sebastien Bourdais has accused his former employers of lacking "style" by sacking him by text message.

The 30-year-old Frenchman was told his services were no longer required at the Nurburging, and he was replaced thereafter by Spanish teenager Jaime Alguersuari.

"The way they got rid of me was very disappointing," Bourdais, who recently reached an out-of-court settlement with the Red Bull-owned Toro Rosso team, told the French magazine Autohebdo.

"Dietrich Mateschitz was at the Nurburgring but he did not speak with me. He did not call me. Everything was done by SMS, which to me has no style," he charged.

Bourdais, however, admits some blame for his failure to shine in two and a half seasons at Toro Rosso, whose team until 2009 received the basic chassis designed by its parent Red Bull.

He said the car was not built "around a driver", but rather it was the drivers' responsibility to adapt "to the car. That was never my best strength," Bourdais admitted.

[Ducati]

MONSTER ALFA LURKS

Alfa Romeo is reportedly planning a limited edition 8C GTA, which will be the hottest Alfa yet. The 8C GTA will feature exclusive styling and added performance. The unique exterior is expected to boast bonnet vents, carbon fiber bodywork, and an "ice-white" front bumper with larger air intakes.

To give the sensational 8C a muscle boost, Alfa will add a new ECU module, lower-friction engine components and a revised rev limiter. This should boost the power figure of the 4.7-liter V8 engine to more than 375kW. Other tweaks will include a sportier suspension setup, a revised exhaust system with three tailpipes and a weight reduction of 150kg.

A stripped-out cabin with bucket seats and the bare minimum of kit, as well as more carbon fibre trim wherever possible, will help slash the kerbweight.

The 8C GTA is expected to go from 0-100 km/h in about four seconds, while top speed will be about 320 km/h.

[Ducati]

SWITZER'S 93 UNLEADED 527KW GT-R

Nissan’s Skylines have always been the folly of power fiends, launching an aftermarket tuning industry obsession dedicated to boosting the fabled GT cars close to – and beyond – the magic imperial 1000hp mark.

Although the mother company has dropped the Skyline moniker for its latest GT car (the GT-R) this has hardly impeded tuners from chasing silly power numbers from the R35.

Stateside, Ohio tuning ace, Tym Switzer, has spent the last few months perfecting some tuning options for discerning GT-R owners who believe the drivetrain components in their cars are notably understressed with the GT-R's engine in stock tune.

They’re probably right too (concerning the 3.5l V6's understressed nature) and Tym Switzer is mighty keen to capitalise on any urge GT-R owners might have for more power…
A crucial aim of Switzer’s tuning program for the GT-R was to generate a substantial increase in power output without having to resort to fuelling the engine on racing or high octane fuel – it had to drink 93 octane.

Engine dimensions remain unchanged and considering the exotic nature of the GT-R internals, Switzer’s technicians have focused most of their technical acumen on liberating the V6’s boost regimen.

Switzer shores up the stock Nissan fuel delivery system with larger injectors (still multipoint, as the GT-R is not direct injected) of its own design and the both turbochargers are suitably modified too.

Add in boost control, significantly revised ECU parameters, a custom exhausts system (with airflow initiated by Switzer’s custom turbo intakes) and high-pressure wastegate actuators and it all tallies up to 527kW.
Thanks to the GT-R’s fully symmetrical intake and exhaust system design, gas flow exchange profiles are very smooth to start with, making the V6 engine a charm to work on.

Peruse the stock GT-R’s spec sheet and the numbers Switzer have run up on 93 octane fuel are hugely impressive – an improvement of 170kW to be exact. Rotational force peaks at 807Nm on the Switzer fettled GT-R, a notable increase of 219Nm.

With such formidable power and torque outputs, slow is not really on the performance menu for the Switzer 800P GT-R.

Without engaging the GT-R’s controversial launch control, Switzer’s P800 runs the classic US performance yardstick, the quarter-mile sprint, in 11.28 seconds - notching up a 0-100km/h time of 3.5 seconds on the way.

Not bad for a car on road tyres, running on premium unleaded, without any dual-clutch miracle launch control shenanigans…

Best part of the Switzer conversion is undoubtedly the radar detectors mounted in each of the two side-mirrors, surreptitiously keeping you abreast of any law enforcement up in the distance – pure class on behalf of Tym Switzer and his team.

[ToofaneBatameezi]

h1BMW TAKES GLOBAL HONOURS FOR HYBRID HP/h1

World-beating 480hp hybrid X6 to make its debut at Frankfurt

BMW will take the wraps off the latest X6 derivative at the Frankfurt motorshow next month - a monster hybrid-powered machine that with 480hp and 575lb ft of torque is the most powerful hybrid in the world.

We're not quite sure what the marketing angle is, although we're guessing the X6 ActiveHybrid was not conceived as a sop to the German green lobby. More like a two-fingered salute in fact, but maybe that's why we like it!

Drivers of the X6 ActiveHybrid will feel the benefit of a twin-turbo 4.4-litre petrol V8, and a nickel-hydride hybrid battery pack with twin electric motors. The effect is to rocket the two-and-a-half ton leviathan to 62mph in 5.6secs, while returning an official combined fuel economy figure of 28.5mpg.

There's also an ActiveHybrid 7-series on the way at Frankfurt, although this one only gets a single electric motor to supplement the V8. With 459bhp and 561lb ft the Bimmer saloon is faster and more efficient, with a 4.9sec 0-62mph time, and 29.1mpg combined.

Neither model will be available to buy in the UK, as the cost of engineering right hand drive is too high says BMW.

[internal_auditor]

@toofanee

Agree But BMW will remain ugly forever :@

[Ducati]

LEXUS HATCHES A3 RIVAL

Lexus will take the fight in the premium compact segment straight to the German triumvirate with this cheeky new hatchback.

Although the Japanese luxury carmaker did not say much when it released this single image of its hatchback concept, Lexus said it "promises to raise the bar in the premium compact segment".

Notwithstanding a front end that looks incredibly similar to the Toyota Auris', the concept of the new rival to BMW's 1 Series, Audi's A3 and the Mercedes-Benz pairing of A- and B-Class will be shown at the upcoming Frankfurt Motor show.

Possible engine options are, for now, open to speculation, although petrol engines can be expected to be positioned alongside at least one of the manufacturer's signature hybrid powertrains.

[Ducati]

AC SNAKE STRIKES BACK WITH 596KW

After years of notoriety under the stewardship of South African, Alan Lubinsky, AC Cobra is back to iconic status thanks to some American imagination and German engineering discipline.

Although the famed AC brand has been building cars since 1901, it is best known for the AC Cobra, an amalgamation of British sportscar finesse and storming American V8 power.

With imitation being the sincerest form of flattery, AC looked on as replica builders across the globe became quite wealthy pandering to enthusiasts’ whims of Cobra ownership, at a fraction of contemporary prices.

Local connection - not good

Embarrassingly, the company has been practically mismanaged into near receivership by South African, Alan Lubinsky, who acquired the AC Cobra naming rights in 1996.

There is the abandoned AC Cobra factory in Malta (not to mention the string of bad debts Lubinsky left on the Mediterranean Island when he fled it last year) and an unfulfilled promise (tainted by criminal investigation) to build AC Cobras in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

Finally though, it appears a touch of dignity has been conferred upon the legendary AC Cobra brand.

Earlier this year German master Gullwing replica builder, Juergen Mohr, announced he was partnering with Lubinsky (who owns the rights to badge) to produce a new range of stunningly advanced, yet faithfully authentic, AC Cobras.

The factory, ironically located in Heyda, near Dresden in the former East Germany, possesses composite body technology which enables classic aluminium Cobra surfacing with modern touches – like a hardtop.

AC Cobra’s MkVI car features a triangulated, spaceframe chassis, four-pot callipers actuating Porsche ventilated discs brakes at all four wheel corners, race logic traction control via a variable lock rear differential, and of course, American V8 power.

Traditional looks, modern convenience

GM is the engine supplier of choice, with stock and high-output Corvette LS3 6.2l V8 on offer, in either 326kW GT or 482kW GTS trim.

With the GTS only weighing 1 025kg, performance is unsurprisingly epic – Mohr claims 3.3 second 0-100km/h times should be achievable on high quality, traction aiding surfaces.

Comfort and convenience features (hardly ever an option on AC Cobras) are impressively contemporary in nature thanks to Mohr’s engineering discipline and understanding of customer expectations.

As previously mentioned, the Cobra MkVI features an optional hardtop, whilst a few added millimetres between the front and rear axles improves legroom appreciably.

Flow efficiency is vastly improved thanks to a new ventilation system (it actually demists the front windscreen now – allegedly) and seat heaters should be a welcome boon for those early morning Sunday breakfast runs.

Although the 6.2l V8 beat should be enough to satisfy any driver, a retro-styled Becker Mexico infotainment system provides full suite acoustic capability and Bluetooth integration with SatNav.

If you live Stateside though, things get even better...

The real Icon?

If the idea of an authentically badged, German engineered AC Cobra with 482kW on offer is a little too tame for you, American aftermarket engineering concern, Iconic motors, has an absolutely mental solution on offer.

Iconic motors boss, former IT specialist Claudio Ballard, says his company will only build 100 units of the Iconic AC Roadster, which carries full joint venture blessing from across the Atlantic in German.

Technical specifications are deeply impressive.

An advanced carbon-fibre tub chassis has double wishbone coil-over suspension at each wheel corner, featuring fully adjustable Penske dampers.
Powering the Iconic AC Roadster is a 6.8l naturally aspirated V8, which although featuring all-aluminium construction, makes due with pushrod valve gear.

It’s worth 596kW at 7 600r/min though (a pretty heady engine speed for a large capacity V8) and rotates with 895Nm worth of force at 5 800r/min.

Featuring 325/30 runflat tyres rotating on 19-inch mags at the rear axle, Ballard claims his Iconic Roadster, aided by a Torsen limited slip differential, eclipses the 100km/h mark from standstill in only 2.8 seconds.

Power is delivered to the rear differential via a custom built six-speed manual transmission turning helical cut gears for optimal smoothness.

Top speed is 337km/h, with an open topped cabin none the less…

Happy ending?

It seems AC Cobra finally has the engineering commitment and management vision to put the tumultuous last decade and a half behind it.

With Lubinsky still in the picture - to an extent - we must admit doubt lingers, things have seemed this rosy before, only to fall apart rather spectacularly.

For the time being though, the AC Cobra name appears to have been salvaged.

Thanks, ironically, to German entrepreneurship, and with scant regard to Alan Lubinsky and his obtuse attempts to commodify the brand...

[omer3100]

get to know the latest news and reviews of the cars at www.thefastandthegorgeous.com

[Ducati]

PANAMERA BECOMES MISTRALE ?

German tuners love modifying ugly Porsches and Panamera is about to supplant their Cayenne fetish.

Porsche’s controversially styled four-door performance saloon is sure to enact a raft of aftermarket tuning options as its first year of production draws to a close.

The man with a plan

Firing the first salvo for the aftermarket tuning industry is Leonsburg-based Porsche tuning legend, Uwe Gemballa.

Now we all know Uwe is no stranger to controversy (he sticks carbon-fibre all over priceless Carrera GTs for instance), yet the renderings of his forthcoming Panamera tuning kit, named Mistrale (after the notorious Mediterranean wind, yet spelled differently) are quite appetising.
New fore and aft bumpers are set to replace the stock items, with a carbon-fibre lip underscoring the restyled nose and repositioned stainless steel exhausts (they’ve been moved up and inwards) sitting flush in a mesh cut-out above the properly enlarged rear diffuser.

Technical details are non-existent at the moment, yet the new bonnet, which sports additional cooling slits (as do the bumpers), hints at boosted performance.

From the renderings we gauge the black roof finish alludes to a BMW M3-like carbon-fibre roof-panel replacement.

Besides looking great as an offset colour contrast to the rest of the Mistrale’s white surfacing, it should lower the car’s centre of gravity and improve (negligibly) the Mistrale’s handling performance.

Expect more details from Gemballa as the Frankfurt motor show rolls around in September.

[Ducati]

CHERY'S J1, CHINA'S WORLD CAR ?

Considering Chery’s production facilities are geared to machine 650 000 vehicles a year (they did 350 000 last year, nearly equal to South Africa’s entire domestic sales market) the company is hardly a converted backyard rickshaw operation.

As strong as Chinese domestic demand is, Chery is keen to establish a presence in Europe and North America, which are the world’s two largest auto markets.

Safety credentials and perceivable build quality needs to be commensurate to European and US standards for Chery to realise its global sales ambitions, and here the company’s latest generation A-series cars (designated J-series locally not to meddle with Audi) come into question.

Chery calls them global cars, signalling a new, internationalised design venture.

The first of these will be J1, an entry level hatch, gunning for Yaris market space.

J1’s styling is quite clean, with tall proportions (1.56m road to roofline) rendering a slightly MPV look.

Using the Yaris as a benchmark, J1 is slightly smaller, sporting a 2.39m wheelbase within the 3.7m bumper-to-bumper length.
Powering the 1 040kg J1 is a 1.3l, four-cylinder engine, machined in Chery’s Wuhu facility. Designed by renowned Austrian powertrain specialists AVL, the J1’s 1.3l mill produces 61kW at 6 000r/min and 114Nm of peak rotational force at 3 800r/min.

Considering this engine features double-overhead camshafts (driving 16-valves) and fuels via a multipoint, electronic injection system it’s hardly anarchic in design.

The rest of J1’s mechanics are par for the class. Suspension is independent at the front axle (regulation MacPherson struts with coil springs) and semi-independent at the rear, featuring trailing arms with a tube damper.

Brakes? Discs fore and drums aft (hardly an issue considering J1’s low kerb weight) assisted by ABS hydraulics boasting EBD assistance.

One of Chery’s chief technology partners is Italian automotive component specialist Magneti Marelli – so we estimate the ABS and EBD systems should be first rate.
Inside the J1 is spacious and features decidedly Eurocentric ergonomics and design. Fascia materials and perceivable build quality is incomparable with previous Chinese products we’ve sampled.

Perhaps most impressive is the lack of pungent polymer toxicity, often the bane of many emerging market manufacturers – even some Korean cars still smell like a plastic acid trip when you get inside.

I can’t tell you what it drives like, yet J1, on first acquaintance, seems to be a Chinese offering of the second wave.
Beyond the J1 – which will be launched locally in October – Chery showed us another unusually convincing vehicle from the J-series family, J3.

Configured in both four-door and hatchback bodystyles, J3 is a C-segment offering which, especially in hatchback form, is oddly appealing aesthetically – if lacking in design identity and originality.

At 4.35m bumper-to-bumper (2.55m between the axles) J3 is Corolla/Auris sized. Look beyond the Alfa-Romeo aping hidden rear door handles and there is an awful lot of specification on offer.

Firstly, J3 is independently suspended at all four wheel corners – something many Japanese C-segment cars (Corolla/Auris amongst them) are not. Disc brakes nestle behind each wheel too...

A full suite of safety systems are also present, with ABS modulated brakes benefitting from EBD agility, whilst traction control and vehicle stability control are onboard to keep things neat if emergency avoidance steering action is to be initiated.
The cabin layout is admittedly staid (with trim colours way too light in hue for family use) yet there are dual front and side airbags, augmented by front and second row curtain airbags.

Engines are naturally aspirated – with no compression ignition options for now.

Featuring AVL’s dual-overhead camshaft valve gearing (much the same as J1’s) outputs are class average, yet fuel consumption claims quite extraordinary...

Entry level power is from a 1.6 (87kW/147Nm) which Chery’s says will return 5.1l/100km if driven sedately, which is a mite hard to believe.

The J3 range is rounded off with 1.8l (97kW/170Nm) and 2.0l (102kW/182Nm) options – both still consuming less than 6l/100km if Chery is to be believed…
Drive is to the front-wheels (obviously) and transmissions are either five-speed manual or a sole auto for the 2l.

Despite the J3’s perceptibly slippery shape, class average mass (1 350kg) and neat power outputs, the top speed claims are curiously conservative.

Even the 2l J3, with 102kW to power it along, tops out at only 183km/h…

Conversely though, maximum achievable velocity is hardly part of the average C-segment buyer’s purchasing rationale.

[Ducati]

APOLLO ORBITS 'RING IN RECORD TIME

Another week, another Nurburgring record claim. This time it’s Roland Gumpert’s Apollo, ugly as sin, yet quicker than a GT-R.

In fact, Gumpert now lays claim to producing the quickest production car in the world – if Nurburgring times are anything to go by…

Most of the recent banter around the Nurburgring paddock has concerned the petulant battle between Porsche and Nissan for production car lap record bragging rights.

Nissan is currently winning this particular argument with its GT-R running a 7:26.7 time.

A few other cars though, have tried to claim line honours recently too recently, and gone a fair bit quicker than the Nipponese hypercar killer.
Dodge’s Viper ACR did a 7:22.1, which upset European performance purists no end last year.

Now, the aesthetically challenged, yet beautifully engineered Gumpert Apollo is laying claim to the Nurburgring production car lap record.

Lacking a credible vetting authority, the mere notion of a production car lap record around the Nurburgring is one of the most euphemistic concepts in all of automobiledom.

Despite this, the Apollo, with its 4.2l, bi-turbo Audi V8 engine producing 515kW, has set a time of 7:11.57.

Very quick indeed and bested only by the extremely silly Radical SR8, which could hardly qualify as a roadcar, yet posted a 6:55 lap time back in 2005.

The Apollo in question was a race trim Speed version, with the full 515kW power package.

Kudos to German touring car driver, Florian Gruber, who piloted the rear-wheel drive monster to such a blistering time.

Now, let the arguments begin…

[Ducati]

ORANGE COUNTY CHOPPERS GO ELECTRIC

Orange County Choppers and Siemens have teamed up to build the “first custom electric motorcycle”, the Siemens Smart Chopper, which will be featured on the hit TV show American Chopper later this year.

Working with near-silent drivetrains must have been a whole new experience for the Teutuls, and with an official top speed of 160km/h this has to be one of the fastest OCC creations to date.

“We wanted to build this unique chopper to raise environmental awareness and reflect what the 69 000 employees of Siemens USA are doing to help America stay on the cutting edge of tomorrow’s green economy,” said Daryl Dulaney, president and CEO of Siemens Building Technologies.

Orange County Choppers built the Siemens Smart Chopper over the course of a month. Siemens also developed a compatible Smart Grid-ready charger which communicates with the utility to enable charging when demand for electricity is at its lowest and most affordable.

To further boost the Smart Chopper’s eco-appeal, the lads at OCC used water-based paint and recycled materials.

“Building an electric bike from recycled materials was something new for us, but we definitely enjoyed the challenge and think that the end product makes a great addition to our wide range of unique motorcycles,” said Paul Teutul, Sr., founder of Orange County Choppers, based in Newburgh, New York.

“While electric bikes probably won’t surpass traditional ones for the foreseeable future, we also think that energy efficient technologies are increasingly important for both manufacturers and consumers.”

The Smart Chopper boasts 26kW and has a range of 97km on a single charge.

[Ducati]

OPEL FATE IN THE BALANCE

Frankfurt - The fate of Opel hangs in the balance as General Motors is poised to pick a buyer for the European carmaker after months of negotiations.

GM's board of directors could recommend either Canadian carmaker Magna's bid for Opel or that of Brussels-based financial investor RHJ International.

Sources close to the matter have told Reuters the board will address the topic later on Friday.

The US carmaker, which emerged from bankruptcy protection on July 10, this week agreed to sell its Saab car business to a tiny Swedish luxury carmaker, the first in a series of big sales the US group is planning as it slims down.

Political row

Talks to sell Opel have lasted for months and have become a political hot potato ahead of German elections in September because a deal will entail billions of euros in aid from European governments as well as thousands of job cuts.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the German states that host Opel plants have come out clearly in favor of the Magna offer because they think the Canadian automotive group's expertise can save more of the 25 000 Opel jobs in Germany.

Magna's co-CEO Siegfried Wolf said last week that the Canadian company and its Russian partner Sberbank had reached an agreement in principle with GM over a contract to buy 55 percent of Opel, raising hopes of a deal.

But GM's top negotiator for the Opel deal, John Smith, has repeatedly cited the positive aspects of RHJ's offer, which he says would be easier to implement than Magna's plan.

The field of bidders narrowed to two when Italian carmaker Fiat and China's Beijing Automotive (BAIC) dropped out.

Merkel reiterated in an interview with a German newspaper her preference for Magna's offer and said she was "very skeptical" about the prospects for RHJ.

Aid

In a last-ditch effort to push for Magna's bid, Germany has also offered to provide 4.5 billion euros ($6.4 billion) in state aid for Opel, without waiting for other European countries to chip in, if GM chooses Magna.

Opel trustees who oversee a majority stake in Opel have to approve any decision. Billions of euros in aid from European countries with Opel plants are riding on the decision.

German Economy Minister Theodor zu Guttenberg said it was too early to say Opel was saved even the sale process wraps up quickly.

"In my view you will be able to celebrate the rescue of Opel only when it is clear that Opel has established itself as a competitive company on global markets," he told the

Financial Times Deutschland

newspaper, adding this would certainly not be the case in the next few weeks or months.

[Ducati]

UK TUNER BOOSTS FOCUS RS TO 250KW

Leicester-based Ford tuning specialist, Graham Goode Racing Ltd (GGR), has been toying with the Focus RS.

GGR’s ECU based RS tuning package is labelled RS 340, and features Bluefin hand-held recalibration of the RS’s ECU.

Development was done by Superchips, which also supplies the firmware modification. Bluefin ensures the software convergence.

The result is an increase in power from 224- to 250kW at 5 600r/min. Peak rotational force is up from 400Nm to a mammoth 538Nm at 3 100r/min.

With the increases in power and torque available at relatively medial engine speeds, short shifting should see off most German performance cars in class.

Quite how Quaife’s automatic torque biasing differential system copes with distributing such phenomenal outputs amongst the front wheels is beyond us…

GGR offers RS customers piece of mind with the RS 340 conversion too, thanks to Superchip’s 12 month/50 000km warrantee.

Further RS developments by GGR, which should include suspension upgrades and an even more extensive (mechanically fettled) engine tuning programme, are currently undergoing development.