lepe cars: 2012

Sunday 26 February 2012

Tata to mark its presence at Geneva with Safari Storme and Manza Hybrid

Tata to mark its presence at Geneva with Safari Storme and Manza Hybrid

Everyone knows that the new owner of the renowned brands Jaguar and Land Rover is an Indian manufacturer that specializes in commercial vehicles. Now, we have beentalking a lot about the upcoming motor show and it showcasing exciting products from many popular car manufacturers. Among the crowd of supercars, luxury cars, et al will be the humble Tata Motors.
Tata showcased the Manza hybrid and Safari Storme at the Indian Auto Expo last month. Back at the Expo, Mr.P.M. Telang, Managing Director – India Operations, had said, “ With the Safari Storme, the iconic Safari becomes a contemporary SUV suited to the desires of today’s SUV lovers.” He hadalso said, “As importantly, we are displaying our progress with alternate fuel technologies towards a morecomprehensive portfolio for the future.”. Now, these two will make their European debut at the Geneva Motor Show. The Manza Hybrid concept puts to use a hybridpowerplant coupled with a diesel motor. Talking about the Safari Strome, it may noted that the Storme shares quite a lot with the Aria crossover and Tata is surely hoping to get some image makeover by coming up with this worldclass product. Some time back, we talked about Tata’s future plan to use next gen Aria’s components in entry level Land Rover vehicles

Sunday 19 February 2012

Jeep CJ

The open tops of the original civilian Jeeps meant little in the way of occupant protection. Lacking safety devices like a roof, doors or a structurally supportive windscreen, passengers can be flung out of these Jeeps in an accident or even while just driving down the road. Having actually ridden in more than a few CJs, we can safely say that the only thing that kept us inside the vehicle and not splattered across the road was the power of positive thinking. Had we actually had an accident in one of these CJs… well, DOT workers would have been scraping us off the asphalt.

BMW Isetta

BMW’s Isetta city car is unique for its microscopic size, bubble canopy and front-mounted passenger door. As if driving a car the size of a cat wasn’t treacherous enough on today’s Expedition-filled roads, a collision with anything would result in a horrific yet embarrassing death. By having only a thin wafer of sheet metal in front of the occupants, the closest thing resembling a crumple zone on the Isetta would be its occupants’ feet. Should an Isetta owner somehow make it through life without his car kneecapping him, there is still the problem of being able to escape the car should the door be blocked by another car, a wall or a slight gust of wind.

Ford Explorer

It’s not so much a problem now, but Ford’s popular Explorer gained a sudden spike in negative press when the SUVs seemed to start barrel-rolling down the freeway for no reason whatsoever. Turns out the OEM Firestone tires were to blame. While Ford and Firestone continue to blame each other over who really is to blame for this fault, the fact is that the tread on the Firestone tires would separate from the tire while driving at speed, resulting in a blowout, which, in turn, would result in an X-Games-worthy flip.

DeLorean DMC-12

If you see a DeLorean hit 88 mph, you will certainly have witnessed a rare event. Mainly because it’s rare to see a DeLorean anywhere, let alone one breaking the speed limit. But just as people like to speed, people invariably find ways to roll cars – even those with low centers of gravity – and there are few vehicles deadlier when upside down than a DeLorean. Provided the stainless-steel structure survives the impact, escape from the vehicle is nigh impossible. While resting on its roof, the DeLorean’s doors absolutely cannot be opened, and those cool side windows quickly turn dangerous, as their diminutive size prevents passengers from escaping through the window. Rollover victims are trapped until they are met by either the Jaws of Life or the sweet kiss of death.

Ferrari 458 Italia

Cars today are safer than ever before. Going beyond the standard intelligent seat belts and airbags for every part of the body, today’s cars can park themselves, keep themselves within their lane and automatically hit the brakes should a panic-stop situation arise. While most vehicles have benefited from billions of dollars of safety research, there are still a few cars on the road that aren’t so safe. Some of these vehicles present genuine dangers to occupants; others are just perceived as dangerous. While not all of these cars are guaranteed to kill you, they’re pretty much deathtraps.

Ferrari 458 Italia

The F458 Italia is undoubtedly one of Ferrari’s most beautiful creations, but like Kristanna Loken in T3:Rise of the Machines, this beauty hides a deadly danger. No, this Italian exotic doesn’t turn into a man-killing creation from future, but it does have a nasty tendency to spontaneously combust. It turns out that an adhesive in the rear wheel arches and heat shield would catch fire, deforming the assemblies themselves, which would then ignite upon contact with the exhaust manifold.

Bajaj makes clarifications about Discover 125 ad campaign

Just a few days back, we reported about Bajaj Auto Limited deciding to take arch rival Hero Motocorp head on with one of its latest ad campaign for Discover 125. In Europe and America, its common to see automakers gunning for each others’ heads with ads which have direct / indirect references to rival products. Be it Nissan mocking Ford engineers in Brazil, Audi mocking BMW for always being second in shootouts or BMW using Japanese art forms to depict the superiority of the S1000RR over all the Japanese bikes – the corporates from the Western world love bringing their mutual melee out in the open, entertaining the audiences liberally in the process. Now Bajaj Auto seems to be making a few clarifications about this latest ad campaign.

Bajaj Auto Managing Director, Mr. Rajiv Bajaj has said, “Our campaign is based on a consumer research interpretation and has nothing to do with taking on Hero.”
However, comments on this ad campaign sound very different in nature to what Bajaj’s MD recently said.
Prathap Suthan, chief creative officer of iYogi, a global remote tech support company says, “Now Hero is without the safety helmet of Honda. So it is the best time for Bajaj to inflict maximum damage on the leader that is weak and vulnerable.”
Readers would remember that even Mahindra two wheelers did something similar with their first ad for the Stallio, where Aamir Khan made references to the Karizma by using phrases like ‘Toofan se topi laati hai kya’. That the product wasn’t good enough, and mahindra ended up making a mockery of itself in the end is a different story altogether. With the newDiscover ad, Bajaj Auto seems to be making indirect references to the (Super) Splendor and Passion, the two competitors of the Discover. The ad asserts that the Bajaj product has better acceleration and power than the corresponding Hero Motocorp products. The owners of the vehicles admit that they’re riding compromised vehicles, but have learned how to live with the sad situation. It’s all been portrayed in a very interesting (and annoying for Hero Motocorp) manner.
“As part of an internal discussion, we felt that if you are not a leader, position yourself and re-position the leader by projecting yourself as the opposite of a leader… that’s what we are doing,” says Bajaj.
Mr. Saurabh Uboweja, director of brand consulting firm Brands of Desire says, “For the first time in a decade, Bajaj is sniffing an opportunity to challenge the numero uno. By projecting buyers of Hero bikes as meek and compromising, Bajaj is also highlighting the weaknesses of Hero MotoCorp’s withdrawal of Honda and its tech platform.”
It may be noted that Hero MotoCorp is silently witnessing all this. Is this the silence that precedes a storm?

Face-Lifted 2013 Lexus RX Crossover Revealed in Japanese Brochure

Lexus should perhaps remake its lineup in the image of the RX; the crossover isn’t just the brand’s bestselling product in the U.S, it outsells its next-bestselling sibling (the ES) by more than 2:1. In a very superficial way, however, the reverse is happening: The 2013 RX soon will be more like the company’s newest vehicle, the GS sedan.
A Japanese brochure that was recently posted to a Japanese web site shows that the RX’s reworked front fascia will feature a chrome-drenched version of the company’s new “spindle” grille. (The 2013 LX570 has adopted the look, too.) An F Sport version also will be available to Japanese shoppers, but we’re not sure how a “sporty” RX would play here.
No Lexus spokesperson was available for confirmation at the time of writing, but we expect to see the face-lifted RX on sale in the U.S. this summer. We’ll bring you more information as it becomes available.

Dissected: A Deep Look at the 2013 Cadillac ATS

Walk into any BMW store, and you’ll encounter six different car lines encompassing 12 body styles. It’s a similar story at Audi and Mercedes-Benz retailers. At a Cadillac franchise, however, the only car available is theCTS, albeit in three body styles. And it’s a half size too large to compete directly against the Audi A4, the BMW 3-series, and the Mercedes C-class, which are the bestsellers for each of their respective brands.

Driven: 2012 VW Passat VR6 4Motion Euro-Spec: Should We Want What We Can’t Have?

2012 Volkswagen Passat 3.6 VR6 4Motion Euro-Spec

Volkswagen has shifted a lot of its attention to the U.S. market, so much so that we now get a dedicated Passat. Should we be flattered, or should we lament the fact that we don’t get the European model?

Hyundai Prices 2013 Genesis Coupe From $25,125; 2012 Azera From $32,875; Increases For Both Cars

Hyundai has released pricing info for both the refreshed 2013 Genesis coupe and 2012 Azera sedan. The Genesis coupe’s base price rises by $2000 to $25,125, and the Azera’s increases by a healthy $6605 to $32,875. Furthermore, prices for every 2013 Genesis trim level are between $2000 and $2250 higher than 2012. (For a full rundown of the cars’ changes, check out our stories on the 2013 Genesis coupe and 2012 Azera.) The details:
2013 Genesis Coupe

2.0T: $25,125 + $1250 for optional eight-speed automatic ($2000 increase over 2012)
2.0T R-Spec: $27,375 ($2000 increase over 2012)
2.0T Premium: $29,625 ($2000 increase over 2012)
3.8 R-Spec: $29,625 ($2000 increase over 2012)
3.8 Grand Touring: $32,875 ($2250 increase over 2012)
3.8 Track: $33,875 + $1250 for optional eight-speed automatic ($2250 increase over 2012)

2012 Hyundai Azera

Single trim level: $32,875 + $4000 for optional Technology Package
Standard equipment includes: keyless entry and push-button start, heated leather front and rear seats, touch-screen navigation system, backup camera, premium audio with subwoofer, dual-zone automatic climate control, 18-inch wheels
Technology package adds: panoramic sunroof, xenon headlights, power rear sunshade, manual rear side sunshades, ventilated front seats, rear parking sensors, Infinity audio system, power-adjustable steering column, driver’s seat memory, mirror and steering column memory

The Genesis and Azera’s price increases make sense, after all, both cars are thoroughly reworked and, in the case of the Azera, there’s a lot more standard equipment than before. However, the Genesis coupe’s figures give us pause. First, a six-cylinder 2012 Ford Mustang starts at $23,105, more than $2000 less than the four-cylinder Genesis 2.0T while bringing 31 more hp to the party. Second, the Genesis 3.8, which is powered by a 348-hp V-6, is playing in the 412-hp 2012 Mustang GT’s sandbox when it comes to price if not performance. (And the 2013 Mustangs get even more power.) We will be driving both the new Genesis and Azera soon, when we’ll find out whether they are worthy of their premiums over last year’s models.

Jaguar Considering Track-Focused Special-Edition XKR-S Coupe

Jaguar is considering building a handful of special-edition XKR-S coupes—of course, with just 100 of the super coupes being built each of the next three years, the “non-special” car already will be a rare sight.
Frank Klaas, Jaguar’s global head of communications who describes the XKR-S as an “ambassador of the brand,” said that the proposed special-edition model would appeal to the guy who wants to drive to the track, lap or race to his heart’s content, and drive home. As such, the car might lose its rear seats and gain lighter stereo and HVAC units for the touch-screen-based systems, hard-core racing seats, a fire-suppression system, unique gauges, and track-focused aero addenda. A roll cage may or may not be part of the package, depending on the markets in which the car is sold. (If the examples of various track-ready Porsche 911s are anything to go by, ours would be one of the markets to do without the cage.)
As with the standard XKR-S, this variant—which could be named after the Nürburgring, where production-grade XKR-S models have allegedly posted sub-eight-minute lap times—would be built by Jaguar’s in-house Engineered To Order (ETO) group. (If the XKR-S is an ambassador for the brand, consider ETO the consulate. Klaas promises that the ETO team, which quietly fulfills requests for bespoke cars for high-value customers, will play a more prominent role in Jaguar marketing in the future.)
We weren’t told whether the special-edition coupes would add to the annual 100-car XKR-S allotment, but Klaas did say that a harder-core version of the convertible is not being considered at this point. Watch for a vehicle to be floated out to gauge interest at either next month’s Geneva auto show, or, more likely, the Paris auto show in the fall.

2013 Audi RS4 Avant Revealed: The Wild Wagon Packs a 450-Horse V8

Audi’s high-performance wagons are icons. The mid-1980s saw the 100/200 Turbo Wagon, and things got really wild with the RS2 launched in 1994. It was an over-the-top variation of the Audi 80 Avant created with assistance from Porsche, powered by a 315-hp version of Audi’s 2.2-liter turbo five-cylinder and wearing wheels from the 964-gen Porsche 911. (Its side mirrors and front turn signals were from the 993, too.) The RS2 was followed in 1999 by the first RS4, which packed a 380-hp, 2.7-liter twin-turbo V-6. Audi launched the second-gen RS4 in 2005 with a naturally aspirated, extremely high-revving 4.2-liter V-8; this powerplant was engineered by Wolfgang Hatz, now head of Porsche R&D. For the first time, Audi offered a sedan and a convertible in addition to the station wagon. The previous-gen RS4 was sold until 2009. One year later, the RS5 coupe was launched on a platform shared with the current A4, as a sort of RS4 stand-in.

Indebted Pininfarina Seemingly on Verge of Being Sold, Future of Name Unknown

Pininfarina is broke and banks are on the verge of taking over a controlling stake in the company, we’re hearing in reports from Italy. The legendary Italian design firm has more than $99 million in debt; while General Motors had almost $173 billion in debt before it went bankrupt, $99 million is an insurmountable sum for an operation the size of Pininfarina. With a 77-percent stake set to go to the banks, the Pininfarina family will lose control of the company its patriarch, Battista “Pinin” Farina, started in 1930.
It’s hard to say what the banks plan to do with Pininfarina once they take their stake. The company is a loss-maker, having shifted from designing cars and consulting on engineering projects to actual manufacturing in the last two decades. Pininfarina builds several Ferrari models as well as the Maserati Quattroporte and GranTurismo. Owning and operating car factories is a brutal business and doing it on a small scale is very difficult, much less doing so profitably. Because of this, we think it’s unlikely Pininfarina will continue manufacturing vehicles; the facilities likely would be sold off to Ferrari and Maserati at a low price. As for the name and design operations, it could in theory be operated profitably; it’s possible that the group of banks will also offer these to Ferrari. If not, there’s likely no shortage of automakers who would like to add Pininfarina badges to their cars.
We spoke with Jim Glickenhaus, the American businessman who worked closely with Pininfarina to develop theP4/5 road car (above) and the P4/5 Competizione over the past few years, and he said that he had proposed to reorganize the business back in 2007. Even then, Pininfarina was heavily indebted and the business wasn’t viable. Glickenhaus suggested to the family that it try to work a deal that would see the banks take most of Pininfarina’s assets and a 49-percent stake in a new, streamlined design consultancy. Glickenhaus would have funded the little operation. Unfortunately, chairman Andrea Pininfarina died in a traffic accident in 2008 and the proposal was never subsequently discussed.
We will continue to investigate the situation, and will publish any updates as soon as they’re available.

Smart Face Lifts the Fortwo, But Will Anyone Here Notice?

Smart has updated the exterior of its sole model, the Fortwo. The headlamps now have LED daytime running lamps, the logo is bigger, and the lower front fascia has been resculpted. Ditto for the rear fascia. We’re told additional colors will be available, and a leather interior now will be on offer. The car arrives at dealers in May 2012.
With a brand-new and mechanically unrelated model on the way in the next few years—we’ve heard it will be built jointly with Renault, and that the French company will use the platform for its next-gen Twingo city car—Mercedes-Benz has no reason to address the issues that were really wrong with the Fortwo, namely its balky transmission. For now, the impossible semi-automatic transmission stays. (It’s not in the unmercifully slow Smart Fortwo Electric Drive.) The Smart’s fuel economy, at 34 mpg city and 38 highway, is equaled or bettered by any number of bigger, safer, more refined, more powerful, quicker, and less embarrassing vehicles. In our country, where fitting in parking spots on baguette-narrow, 18th-century streets isn’t a requirement, the Smart has no real raison d’être. Still, in 2011, Mercedes-Benz took over Smart distribution in the U.S. from Penske, shuffling the dealers and putting some marketing money into the wayward brand.
Below, the Smart’s sales versus those of another pariah car, the now-discontinued Chevy Aveo.

Future Audi Assistance and Lighting Tech to Include Stop-and-Go Lane Keeping and OLEDs

Audi "fourth-dimension" exterior lighing

Audi recently threw open the doors to its research facility to demonstrate some of its latest safety technology, much of it fed by advanced sensors and enhanced by digital networks. The long-term target of all premium carmakers, like it or not, is a car that gives its driver the choice to drive themselves or leave the task entirely up to the vehicle. The first steps down this road have been taken already with radar systems and optical cameras, as well as in independent vehicle-automation projects; laser-based technology will be added in the future.
Sensing Surroundings for Earlier Collision-Avoidance
Audi is enhancing the currently available systems to evaluate and deal with various traffic situations. One example: As a car equipped with today’s most advanced accident-avoidance systems recognizes a stationary or slow-moving obstacle in its lane, the warning and subsequent automatic braking happen long after the initial reading in order to allow the driver to simply swerve around the obstacle in question. But in the future, the surroundings will be monitored as well. If the car’s sensors recognize that changing lanes is impossible because of surrounding traffic, guardrails, or walls, automatic braking will be initiated much earlier. It works: We tested the setup in a Q7, and the system executed a vigorous stop when the other lanes were blocked by balloons tasked with simulating VW Golfs.

Automatic Stop-and-Go Driving
Driving under stop-and-go conditions also is envisioned to be fully automated up to 40 mph or so, and this includes keeping the vehicle in its lane, not just the speed. There’s more: At junctions, thanks to radar sensors and car-to-car communication systems, a driver’s vehicle will recognize dangerous cross traffic before he possibly could and alert him. The same goes for behind the car: the radar sensors that already exist for parking-aid systems will give even earlier warning of approaching traffic. You also will be warned when you are attempting to get out of a vehicle you’ve just parallel-parked, as the system recognizes cars and bicycles approaching from behind. Audi has come up with clever ways of providing visual and acoustic warnings; our favorite is a metallic strip on the inside of the doors that illuminates with red LEDs when sensors detect approaching traffic.
Trailer-Reverse Guidance
Of course, cars from a number of automakers can already parallel park themselves, and the tolerances for such systems soon will become even tighter, enabling them to pull your vehicle into much smaller spaces. But an advancement of similar tech will have rookie trailer-towing drivers rejoicing: It can keep the trailer on an exact, pre-selected path when reversing. This system works not only when backing up in a straight line, but also when you attempt to enter a parking spot with a trailer. In the A7 prototype we drove, the steering angle was selected with the MMI controller; it ultimately required some planning and an early selection of the path, but worked beautifully. Given the pre-planning and the fact that it only works at low speeds, however, experienced haulers accustomed to maneuvering trailers will move faster without the assistance.

Lights Up, Dark Down
One of the most fascinating areas we explored was in lighting, and it’s there that design gets to play a part, too. At Audi—and at most other luxury manufacturers—it’s clear that LED headlamps will replace xenon units across the lineup; beyond that, so-called matrix-beam lamps will mark the next generation of LED headlights. Their light is emitted from several sources so that some can be illuminated to create high beams—and then switched off to spare oncoming traffic. Still more light sources can be switched on to highlight obstacles or pedestrians recognized by night-vision systems. An Audi executive predicts these functions will reach its vehicles “in the near future.”
Audi also would like to introduce taillights of variable brightness. Why? In fog or heavy rain, drivers tend to visually “attach” to the cars directly ahead, regardless of visibility farther down the road. This has been identified as a frequent cause of pile-ups, despite many vehicles around the world already being fitted with brighter rear fog lamps. A rather futuristic element, also designed for foggy conditions, is a laser light source integrated in the taillights that would generate a red bar on the road visible to all; it also would generate a red triangle that is visible only to vehicles directly to the rear. (BMW also is working on laser lighting.) It’s worth mentioning that U.S. regulations could be a major roadblock to introducing these lighting concepts here; as an example, a federal exemption allowed Mercedes to offer its flashing brake lights for a short time on its V-12 S- and CL-class cars—they flash in cases of severe braking to warn drivers approaching from behind—but the exemption was pulled.
Audi also is experimenting with organic LEDs, which create a homogenous light effect, rather than the many points of light of traditional LEDs. But this is also just one step of many ahead. Eventually, the company envisions three-dimensional lighting elements integrated into the body, and it also is studying creating areas on vehicles on which lighting sources can move freely and form shapes to visually depict the driver’s intentions. Audi calls it “the fourth dimension,” and showed examples of the lighting—as well as laser front- and rear lights—on the A2 concept during last fall’s Frankfurt auto show. While road safety still is the main trigger for lighting technologies, we notice a lot of playfulness in these innovative applications.

Audi Working on Future Assistance Systems—and Some Great Lighting photo gallery

Quick Spin: Refreshed 2013 Audi A4/S4 Driven

Midway through its life cycle, Audi has face lifted its A4 and S4 models to counter the equally refreshed Mercedes-Benz C-class and the all-new BMW 3-series. While the most noticeable A4/S4 changes are cosmetic—read our debut story here—Audi also has made minor tweaks to the chassis and powertrains.
In Europe, where we sampled the new A4, Audi offers four gasoline engines and six diesel engines in the A4 lineup; the U.S. market will continue to receive a far more limited selection of powerplants. While the entry-level 120-hp, 1.8-liter turbo four impresses with its smoothness and torquey character and the diesels continue to be highly coveted, the biggest stride comes in the fitment of the 3.0-liter TFSI engine. This supercharged V-6 replaces the former naturally aspirated 3.2-liter V-6 (which was dropped from the American options sheet for 2010), and is essentially a slightly detuned version of the 333-hp engine found in the S4. It feels nearly as quick as the S4, and the less ostentatious A4 wrapper makes for more-convincing camouflage for speed junkies.

The S4’s exhaust system has been retuned to deliver a sharper note, and the sound can be further enhanced by choosing the “Drive Select” chassis system’s Dynamic mode. We drove the EU-market S4 extensively in southern Europe, and it delivers the same poise and well-balanced ride-and-handling package that helped it vanquish the previous-gen BMW 335i in a comparison test. Unfortunately for Continental-types, it is offered there only with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic. The U.S., however, will continue to have the choice of a six-speed manual.
The refresh also brings a switch from hydraulic to electro-mechanical steering, a technology that carmakers are finally beginning to tune properly. The steering on the A4 is linear and nicely weighted; it feels similar to the steering on the new BMW 3-series, which is to say not overly talkative, but good nonetheless. Other minor updates include recalibrated rear dampers.
The cosmetic changes benefit the A4 and S4 alike. Up front, there are new headlamps with redesigned LED daytime running lights, the grille is restyled, and the front air intakes have been reshaped, and the car now looks more like the newer A6. The taillights now conform to Audi’s latest rear-lighting designs. The interior is upgraded with new materials and décor, and adds the latest MMI system with a touch-sensitive writing pad. The changes apply to the Avant wagon as well—the U.S., however, loses the standard station wagon in favor of the Allroad Quattro. Most Avant lovers should be okay with that: The Allroad is little more than a lifted Avant with plastic appliqués.
So it’s largely more of the same from the satisfying A4 family, although there’s one member of the clan we haven’t sampled yet: The recently revealed and surely wicked RS4 Avant. We’re angling for seat time in that one as soon as possible.

2013 Ferrari California Announced: Less Weight and More Power

Ferrari has updated its California convertible for 2013, and will show off the refreshed convertible at the upcomingGeneva auto show. Here are the key changes, and they’re good ones: Ferrari added some horsepower to its boulevardier while at the same time removing some weight. The front-engine, rear-drive, folding-hardtop California still isn’t as hard-core as, say, the 458 Italia, but the gap has narrowed. Ever so slightly.

Subaru BRZ and Scion FR-S: A Study in Comparison and Contrast

2013 Subaru BRZ and 2013 Scion FR-S: A Study in Comparison and Contrast

From two brands, a single vehicle emerges: an affordable, basic, rear-wheel-drive Japanese sports car. Twenty years ago, this sort of vehicle was commonplace. Japanese carmakers had been giving us inexpensive, reliable, rear-drive sports-car catnip since the 1970 Datsun 240Z. After effectively killing off their Italian and British inspiration in the U.S., though, the Japanese were left to battle themselves.

The 2007 CL550 Coupe

The redesigned CL550 is another in a long line of legendary Mercedes-Benz coupes. The unique pillarless design of the CL-Class may be familiar, but that's where the comparisons end. The 2007 CL550 adds PRE-SAFE® technology, and a 20-gigabyte hard drive for faster processing. The new stance casts a silhouette that's poised to launch forward — and the emboldened look is accented with an aggressive front air dam, aerodynamically chiseled rear bumper, a classic front grille, and staggered-width 18" 9-spoke alloy wheels.

Specifications -
Engine and Drivetrain
Engine 5,461-cc DOHC 32-valve V-8. Die-cast aluminum-alloy cylinder block. Aluminum-alloy heads.
Net power 382 hp @ 6,000 rpm
Net torque 391 lb-ft @ 3,000 rpm
Compression ratio 10.7:1
Fuel requirement - Premium unleaded gasoline, 91 pump octane.

Fuel tank (capacity - reserve) 23.8 gal - 2.9 gal

Transmission 7-speed automatic. Electronically controlled shifting. Driver-adaptive programming adjusts shift points to the driver's current driving style. Driver-selectable Comfort mode starts the vehicle moving in 2nd gear, or 2nd Reverse and upshifts at lower rpm to help improve control on slippery surfaces.

Drive configuration Rear-wheel drive.

Rear axle ratio 2.65:1

Price - 108000 Dollars Approximately in USA

2009 Bentley Continental GTC Speed

Bentley is one of the most illustrious names in car history, boasting incredibly successful race cars, as well as classic, luxury touring cars. From this tradition comes the 2009 Bentley Continental GTC Speed. One of Bentley's three high-performance Speed models, the Continental GTC Speed has a 600 hp engine, allowing zero to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds, and a top speed of 200 mph.

'Smart Car' Parked Beside Humvee

Two people check out the Smart car on Yonge at Shutter parked behind one of the bigger vehicles on the streets of Toronto, a Hummer. Smart cars are so short that they can even be parked nose in or out to the curb to get into tight spaces.

2010 Mercury Milan Hybrid

Expect the all-new 2010 Fusion Hybrid and Mercury Milan Hybrids to generate some serious excitement when they go on sale .These highly advanced hybrids boast city mileage figures of 38 mpg or better. Thanks to a highly compact design, the hybrid system has a minimal impact on passenger and luggage space. The instrument panel features SmartGauge, consisting of high-resolution LCD screens that deliver information to the driver to help encourage fuel efficient driving.