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Rabu, 17 Februari 2010

Mini Countryman

Dicatat oleh Suara Kita

Following yesterday's unexpected leak, BMW's Mini division has now released full details of the all-new Countryman crossover, which will make its debut at the forthcoming Geneva motor show. The Countryman is the first model in the Mini range with four doors and all-wheel drive, intended to provide greater freedom of space and capability while retaining the brand's design, handling, and premium quality characteristics.

With short overhangs, a high beltline and its DLO appearing to wrap around the car, the Countryman embodies the brand's iconic design language but re-interprets the roofline, hexagon radiator grille, large headlights and upright rear light clusters in new way. Flared wheelarches highlight the robust character of the new crossover, giving the vehicle a purposeful and powerful stance.

Inside, the new car features a familiar layout and design elements with some trim enhancements. The addition of a new 'center rail' that extends from front to rear instead of a conventional center console integrates storage boxes, cupholders, external audio devices, mobile telephones and other comfort features, while simultaneously forming an unconventional visual and functional connection between the front seats and the rear passenger compartment.


Volkswagen NCC concept

Dicatat oleh Suara Kita



Volkswagen's New Compact Coupe (NCC) concept previews the next Jetta, but with two-doors rather than four. The car's front - minus the hybrid-style closed grille - pretty much represents the new face of the sixth-generation production Jetta due on sale this November, and its syling is informed by the latest Polo as well as some recent concepts from the German brand.






Jumaat, 22 Januari 2010

Mazda

Dicatat oleh Suara Kita


It's understandable to be confused given the number of similar-looking concepts shown over the last three years but Detroit 2010 finally saw the global production unveil of the Honda CR-Z coupe.

Unfortunately the car that actually goes on sale this summer seems to have lost some of the finesse of its 2007 and 2009 Tokyo show concept incarnations. The big and gapey Maserati-esque front grille still dominates the face of the car but the concepts' prominent Honda badge inside it has migrated to the hood and the stylish blue-tinged and LED-heavy front lights make way for more conventional ones.

The CR-Z is shorter than its sister hybrid five-door Insight by 295mm with a 115mm shorter wheelbase too. Its side profile looks broadly similar to its concept predecessors but at the back the 2007 concept's strikingly dominant vertical blacked out section connecting the centralized twin chrome exhausts at its base to the top of the rear window is long gone (as are those pipes). The rear lights also no longer curve up to meet a shoulder line that dipped downward at the rear. On the 2009 production model they are sharper and sit more horizontally above a chunky bumper section, although the hatch still features a see-through lower vertical section akin to those found on the Honda Insight, FCX Clarity and European Civic.

Arguably the biggest change on the US production model is on the inside where the two-plus-two seating arrangement has been swapped for a straight two seats (Europe and Japan still get two-plus-two). For the US version the package behind the front seats is little changed aside from the removal of the small rear seats, leaving a fold-down rear bulkhead that extends the load space and creates two secret box areas underneath.

Elsewhere the dashboard's two-tone gray plastics feel and look cheap and some of the metal effects are different colours and finishes. Overall, on this limited viewing, its design fails to convince as a slightly upmarket sports car so the hybrid's manual gearbox drive will have to be exciting and the price keen if it's to succeed.

Selasa, 1 Disember 2009

2010 Toyota FT-86 Concept

Dicatat oleh Suara Kita

We are done speculating! Toyota has finally revealed details on the FT-86 ("86" pronounced "hachi roku") Concept - a sports car developed in collaboration to Subaru that will make its world debut in a few weeks at the Tokyo Motor Show. We are happy to tell you, that even if now you are looking at the concept, the production version will look just like this one, with modifications made only to the interior. But we’ll have to wait for the end of 2011 to see if true or not!

The FT-86 Concept is inspired by the Corolla-based AE86 sports coupe of the ’80s, and it has a very string resembles with the FT-HS Concept revealed at the 2007 Detroit show.

It is a compact, rear-wheel drive sports concept car powered by a 2,000cc, horizontally opposed, four-cylinder, naturally-aspirated gasoline engine supplied by Subaru. In its naturally-aspirated engine version the engine develops a total of 150 hp, but depending on clients requests Toyota is also considering a super-charged version with more power. The engine is coupled to a 6-speed manual transmission and ADVICS brakes.

When designing the FT-86 Concept wanted to get a low center of gravity and aerodynamics. This is why we get a 4,160mm long, 1,760mm wide, and 1,260mm high with a wheelbase of 2,570mm concept that can accommodate four people. On the interior we have an instrument panel with a gray and white base, gauges with red neon lights and digital displays, and a navigation system. The exterior is painted in flash red.


Press release

TMC seeks to develop the ultimate earth-conscious environmentally-considerate vehicle with a focus on hybrid technologies without losing sight of the appeal of cars themselves or the joy of driving.

Over the past several years, the need has been rising for motor vehicles that take into consideration global warming and other environmental issues, while there has also been concern that there have been too few new sports cars that make the heart beat faster and that the time is right for a new generation of sports cars. In response to these needs, TMC has developed the FT-86 Concept, a sports car equipped with a 2,000cc, horizontally opposed, four-cylinder, naturally-aspirated gasoline engine that evokes the joy of driving a car and the pleasure of vehicle ownership.

As the name "Future Toyota 86 Concept" implies, the FT-86 Concept, which will be exhibited at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show, is a new 86 Toyota with a flash red finish. It is a compact, rear-wheel drive sports concept car that embodies speed and the excitement of driving that give cars their appeal as well as environmental performance.


A Toyota Sports Car for a New Era when the Driver Plays the Main Role

The FT-86 Concept is 4,160mm long, 1,760mm wide, and 1,260mm high with a wheelbase of 2,570mm, giving it a compact feeling that is easy for the driver to handle while able to accommodate four occupants. In addition to being light and having a low center of gravity, the FT-86 Concept boasts the handling of a racing car as well as a 6-speed manual transmission and ADVICS brakes.

The stylish concept captures the heart with the "functional utility" of its highly-refined body. It is the creation of Toyota Europe Design Development known as ED2, which has established body lines that take into consideration a low center of gravity and aerodynamics. The interior is distinctive, featuring an instrument panel with a gray and white base, gauges with red neon lights and digital displays, and a navigation system. In addition, a zipper that evokes an image of interior lapping with minimal covering of a highly-refined body presents a striking display.

It is necessary to create a vehicle in which the driver plays the main role in order to have as many people as possible experience the joy of driving.



The FT-86 Concept is neither an electric vehicle nor a hybrid vehicle, but is a sports model with a gasoline engine developed to convey the essential appeal of automobiles in a new era. It is a must-see concept car that expresses TMC’s desire to once again create a Toyota sports car.



-Topspeed

Volvo is currently conducting extremely wide-ranging and thorough analysis of a variety of safety scenarios for cars with electric power. Through advanced automatic monitoring of battery status and by encapsulating the battery and protecting it effectively in a collision, the result is a comprehensive safety package.

Everything from the way the cars are produced, used and serviced to the way they are recycled is analysed thoroughly and the information obtained is used to shape the development of the final production car. All Volvo's existing safety systems will also be available in the company's electric cars. However, electric power also adds new possible safety scenarios to the overall picture and these too must be dealt with. Available video includes edited packages, general views of electric car crash test and soundbites from Thomas Broberg, Senior Technical Advisor, Volvo Cars Safety Centre
-Hibrid.com

2010 Steeda Q Series Mustang

Dicatat oleh Suara Kita


The American hot rodding company Steeda has a long history of real world success with their supercharged lineup of Ford Mustangs, and this November they are going to continue the tradition by unveiling the 2010 Mustang Q Series at the world’s greatest aftermarket car show, SEMA. When the Specialty Equipment Market Association opens its doors at the Las Vegas Convention Center the new Steeda Mustang will be standing front and center amongst a host of high performance tuned machines.

The design team at Steeda have undertaken countless hours of computer aided design, aerodynamic analysis and on track testing to ensure that the 2010 Q Series Mustang will perform in any situation, especially because the majority of Steeda’s customers plan on having some track day fun with their dialed in pony car. The body has been upgraded with an aggressive front bumper with a larger air dam that allows even more fresh air to pass across the car’s cooling elements and ensure that the front end sticks to the road. Although this rendering of the 2010 Steeda is still just a computer drawing, the new bulge in the hood hints at something special underneath. Finishing off the new 2010 tuner Mustang are an attractive set of forked five spoke alloys and the signature Steeda side stripe running along the bottom of the car’s doors.

Steeda is quite confident about the real world abilities of their latest product. Dario Orlando, the founder of Steeda Autosports said that "Simply put – no other car has won more races and set more records in production based classes than the Steeda Q Series of high performance Mustangs and I am confident that our 2010 version will carry on that same Steeda tradition." So with America’s love for the Ford Mustang, the allure of messing up Mopars on the drag strip and the ability to play around with Corvettes at the occasional track day outing, Steeda is almost guaranteed future success with their lineup of precisely tuned high performance Mustangs.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Press release

A few months ago we teased you with a disguised "sneak peak" of our latest high performance Mustang - now, in advance of it’s upcoming official debut in a few short weeks, we are pulling the wraps off and are releasing a much more revealing image of the newest, meanest, and best styled Steeda Mustang to ever rip the asphalt: The 2010 Steeda Q Mustang Series!

With an arresting exterior appearance, that includes an aggressive front air dam that incorporates ample cooling airflow while improving aerodynamic efficiency of the vehicle. This new Q-Series, the result of ongoing intense development and refinement, is guaranteed to continue Steeda Autosport’s traditions of winning both on and off the racetracks.

With hundreds of hours of Computer Aided Design work completed, and extensive computer and wind tunnel analysis completed, as well as vigorous road coarse testing done in secret to avoid the prying eyes of spy photographers, we are confident that we have evoked the next evolution of our halo performance series that is completely without compromise today.

The development of this vehicle series is yet another example how the entire Team at Steeda Autosports takes great pride in designing, engineering, and manufacturing our products with the single goal of providing our discerning customers with the highest quality, race proven and track tested vehicles/components available anywhere.







"Simply put – no other car has won more races and set more records in production based classes than the Steeda Q Series of high performance Mustangs and I am confident that our 2010 version will carry on that same Steeda tradition" commented Dario Orlando, the founder of Steeda Autosports, "In all of our Q-Series of high performance Mustangs, we never compromise or take shortcuts, our customers who demand maximum performance, bullet-proof reliability, and class leading race honed styling wouldn’t have it any other way!"

This latest evolution of the limited production Q-Series Mustang series will have it’s official public debut at the 2009 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, Nevada on November 3, 2009. Follow future Press releases for complete details about its official reveal – you will not want to miss it!
-TopSpeed

ALL NEW 2010 TOYOTA LAND CRUISER UNVEILED
By mel • Sep 15th, 2009 • Category: ! DAILY LATEST INFO, Toyota

The all new 2010 Toyota Land Cruiser will make its world premiere at the Frankfurt Motorshow. Building upon the design of its predecessor, the sixth-generation Land Cruiser gets fresh sheetmetal with softer shapes all around and a completely revamped interior featuring a more contemporary design for the dashboard.


Toyota says this is the most technically advanced Land Cruiser ever made, and one of the most capable if not the most capable off-road vehicle in its class. The SUV’s new Multi-terrain Select system allows the driver to dial in the type of terrain for enhanced system self adjustment effectively giving more efficienct power delivery and traction. Extra driver assistance comes from four cameras that monitor the situation all around.


Buyer will have two choice of engine for their Land Cruiser, first being a 249 horsepower 4.0-litre V6 Dual VVT-i and another one is a a 3.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder diesel that makes 173 horsepower.Toyota says that CO2 emissions of both engines have been reduced by 12%, while the diesel model returns a combined fuel consumption of 8.1 lt / 100km (29mpg US) with CO2 emissions of 214g/km.

Premium model will be equipped with a new electronic Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System (KDSS), which adjusts the front and rear anti-roll bars for optimised on and off-road performance.


Complementing the KDSS is an electronically controlled rear air suspension system that works with Toyota’s Adaptive Variable Suspension (AVS) system with Roll Posture Control which allow the driver tune the ride characteristics with a choice of three damper settings.


Inside the cabin, the driver and the passenger will be indulge in luxury. The left and right seat can be raised and lowerede independently.Other features included are USB ports, a 14-speaker JBL Synthesis Premium Surround Sound System, a Hard Disc Drive (HDD) navigation system and a multi-information switch on the steering.