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Thursday, 2 February 2012

New 2013 Ford Fusion for NASCAR

New 2013 Ford Fusion for NASCAR:

New 2013 Ford Fusion for NASCAR

Ford has taken the wraps off its new 2013 Sprint Cup Fusion stock car, which seeks to bring some brand identity back into NASCAR’s top series by mirroring many of the changes seen on the new 2013 Ford Fusion production car recently unveiled at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The new NASCAR Fusion has a sleeker windshield angle and more of a fastback roofline with a shorter rear deck, but Ford says the car has the same drag and downforce as last year’s car. We’ll see for sure when the new car, with its distinctive grille, competes for the first time at the Daytona 500 in February of 2013.

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Ford B-Max Revealed – 2012 Geneva Auto Show Preview

Ford B-Max Revealed – 2012 Geneva Auto Show Preview:

Ford B-Max Revealed - 2012 Geneva Auto Show Preview

The 2012 Geneva Auto Show is about a month away but the urgency to preview new models accelerates. Long gone, it seems, are the days when you went to motor show press days not knowing what new cars were going to be debuted.

Now there’s a constant stream of teaser pictures and press releases, some for Geneva arrived before Christmas.

Ford B-Max Revealed - 2012 Geneva Auto Show Preview

So here’s the latest from Ford: we saw the ‘concept’ at Geneva 12 months ago barely disguised, if truth be told, from this – the new B-Max compact SUV with ‘B’ pillar-free sliding doors with the center pillars integrated into the doors themselves resulting in wide-open access for drivers, passengers and luggage.

And just when will this go on sale in the UK, April? Nope, September.

If you think about it, this is a UK/European take on the States model year strategy when cars are previewed ahead of their on sale/registration date.

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Special-Edition Mazda Biante GRANZ Minivan

Special-Edition Mazda Biante GRANZ Minivan:

Special-edition Mazda Biante GRANZ Minivan

To our eyes, the Mazda Biante GRANZ has the look of a bullet train. It’s definitely not a traditional beauty, but this pointy-snouted people mover certainly stands out in a crowd. Of course, the Biante being Mazda’s large “high-roof” minivan probably helps too.

Love it or hate it, the special-edition Biante GRANZ is wonderfully wacky and available only in Japan. Based on the upscale Mazda Biante 20S – which includes a fuel-saving idling stop system – the front of the Biante GRANZ features a new bumper and large chrome grille.

Special-edition Mazda Biante GRANZ Minivan

There is seating for up to 8-passengers inside, and the cabin is trimmed with the same top-of-the-range materials used in the Biante 23S model. That should at least earn you extra street-cred among Nissan Cube and Scion xB owners. A new special body color, Aluminum Metallic, has also been added – though we’d opt for Brilliant Black.

Mazda has no plans to offer the Biante for sale in the U.S. at this time.

. Special-edition Mazda Biante GRANZ Minivan

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Ford Mustangs Go After BMW M3s – 2012 Rolex 24 at Daytona

Ford Mustangs Go After BMW M3s – 2012 Rolex 24 at Daytona:

Last year BMW was the clear winner of the Grand Sports (GS) class in the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge, grabbing the Manufacturers Championship while Turner Motorsport captured the Driver and Team Championships with their M3 Coupes.

Naturally BMW hopes to repeat its success this year especially on Friday at the Daytona Speedway in the BMW Performance 200, which is the first round of the 2012 Grand-Am Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge (CTSCC).

If every team has their cars ready, the race should be spectacular with no less than 81 cars split between the GS and ST (Street Tuner) classes.

CTSCCTurnerBMW32011

Turner Motorsports returns with the same drivers – Bill Auberlen and Paul Dalla Lana in car no. 96 and Michael Marsal and Boris Said in car no. 97. The team might be favorites to win but several teams campaigning Ford Mustangs are determined to give them a run for the money. Roush Performance, which finished second in the 2011 CTSCC, has expanded its team with three Mustang Boss 302Rs, including one driven by Jack Roush Jr.

According to a news bulletin Starworks Motorsport will take the shackles off their herd of Mustangs at Daytona this weekend. The Fort Lauderdale-based team will have no less than four Venezuelan-backed Ford Mustangs in the stable. Yes really. The team, which competes in the Grand Am series but will be a newcomer in this series, goes on to say it has saddled up some of the hottest driving talent around — with regular drivers Ryan Dalziel from Scotland, and Venezuelans Enzo Potolicchio and Alex Popow joining current FIA GT1 champ Lucas Luhr. John Dalziel and Miguel Potolicchio will team up in the third car with Gianni Potolicchio and Maurizio Scala in the fourth car.

AMDaytona1small

While the battle up front looks like it will be between BMW M3s and Ford Mustangs there are numerous other cars competing. For example, Aston Martin Racing, which is making a return to domestic competition in North America, has joined forces with Toronto-based Multimatic Motorsports to enter a pair of Vantage GT4s in the series.

Scott Maxwell and Joe Foster will drive the lead car, while Patrick Dempsey will drive the second car. Chris Porritt, Aston Martin’s Chief Engineer and vastly experienced Vantage GT4 driver, will compete alongside Dempsey in a one-off guest appearance.

There’s even a single 2012 Subaru WRX STI developed specifically to compete in a class that sees larger cars developing over 400 horsepower. The Subaru Road Racing Team (SRRT) car is prepped and maintained by Joe Aquilante’s Phoenix Performance in Phoenixville, PA. His son Andrew Aquilante and Bret Spaude return as factory team drivers for Subaru’s entry in the GS class.

SUBARU OF AMERICA, INC. SPORTS CAR CHALLENGE

The first round of the 2012 CTSCC is on Friday, the day before the 50th anniversary Rolex 24 at Daytona The race last for two and a half hours with a mandatory driver change. Sadly if you can’t make it to the Daytona Speedway to watch in person, you’ll have to wait until Feb 4 to watch it on Speed TV at 12.00 pm ET.


More Rolex 24 at Daytona: Exclusive Race Coverage >> Exclusive Race Photos >> Exclusive Race Videos >>

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VW Unveils the 5Up!

VW Unveils the 5Up!:

VW Unveils the 5Up!

VW has added an extra pair of doors to its Up! city car.

The five-door Up! has many of the same virtues as its three-door sibling: a 95-inch long wheelbase that makes for impressive interior space, a capacious 8.8 cu.-ft. trunk, an efficient three-cylinder engine, new-to-the-class safety features and an innovative infotainment system.

Rear passengers in the five-door Up! benefit from the same space as those in the three-door model, while the rear seat base is set slightly higher than that in the front, giving passengers a clearer view of the road ahead.

VW Unveils the 5Up!

As well as front and side airbags, ABS with Hydraulic Brake Assist, Isofix child seat preparation in the rear and standard ESP (on all but the entry level Take Up! model), the Up! can be ordered with an optional City Emergency Braking system. This uses sensors to scan the space ahead of the vehicle, applying the brakes automatically if it detects that the car is about to hit an object in front. The Up! has received a five-star rating and the Advanced Award from Euro NCAP, the European New Car Assessment Program. It is the first vehicle in this class to receive these awards.

The Maps & More infotainment system is a mobile Personal Infotainment Device that was developed to organize navigation, telephone, information and entertainment. It is removable, but unlike many other similar systems of this type, it melds with the car’s network of systems and can be used to view vehicle information, such as the display of the parking sensors (where fitted). The system is standard on the High Up! model and above, and optional on the rest of the range.

However, there is still no confirmation of the seven-seater people mover version which has been co-developed with a soft drinks manufacturer and rumoured to be called the SevenUp!

Volkswagen Unveils Golf Cabrio Concepts

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Chevrolet in Both World Car Awards Top Ten Lists

Chevrolet in Both World Car Awards Top Ten Lists:

Chevrolet in Both World Car Awards Top Ten Lists

Take a look at these two lists – they are deemed to be the most significant new cars by a panel of 66 journalists from around the world. As one of nine US based journalists I got to participate in this initial round of voting for the top ten cars in the two categories.

As usual there is a dearth of US cars, which is not surprising since few US made cars are sold overseas. Having said that Chrysler models, such as the Charger and SRT8 editions of several models, were on the original list of eligible cars but none made it to the Top Ten. Likewise the Ford Mustang Boss 302 was a casualty in the final list.

It’s also encouraging that there is only one car – the Citroen DS5 — that will not be sold in the US. In most years there are several cars jurors select that are not sold here.

This means Chevrolet is the only US brand with cars that made it through the first round of votes. It’s a good omen for Chevrolet, which is rapidly gaining in popularity as a global nameplate.

The 2012 World Car of the Year will be selected from the following top ten cars listed in alphabetical order:

1		Audi A6 Sedan / Avant
2		Audi Q3
3		BMW 1 Series
4		BMW 3 Series
5		Chevrolet Volt / Opel/Vauxhall Ampera
6		Citroen DS5
7		Ford Focus
8		Land Rover Evoque
9		Porsche 911
10		Volkswagen Up!

Chevrolet in Both World Car Awards Top Ten Lists

The 2012 World Performance Car will be chosen from one of these top ten finalists:

1		Audi RS 3 Sportback
2		BMW 1 Series M Coupé
3		BMW M5
4		Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
5		Ferrari FF
6		Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4
7		McLaren MP4-12C
8		Mercedes-Benz CLS 63 AMG
9		Mercedes-Benz C-63 Coupe AMG Black Series
10		Porsche 911

Previous World Car of the Year winners were the Nissan LEAF in 2011, the Volkswagen Polo in 2010, the Volkswagen Golf in 2009, the Mazda2 in 2008, the Lexus LS 460 in 2007, the BMW 3-Series in 2006, and the Audi A6 in 2005.

Previous World Performance Car winners were the Ferrari 458 Italia in 2011, the Audi R8 V10 in 2010, the Nissan GT-R in 2009, the Audi R8 in 2008, the Audi RS4 in 2007 and the Porsche Cayman S in 2006.

The top three finalists in both categories will be announced at the 2012 Geneva Auto Show on March 6th during a press conference co-hosted by Bridgestone Corporation and the 2012 New York International Auto Show. The 2012 World Car of the Year and the 2012 World Performance Car will then be unveiled at the New York Show on Show on Thursday, April 5, 2012.

Which car would you vote for as the worthy winner in these two global awards?

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Wednesday, 1 February 2012

MTM Tunes Audi 4.2-Liter Diesel V-8

Audi tuning house MTM GmbH has turned its attention to the diesel-powered 4.2-liter V-8 engine currently residing in the A8 luxury sedan, as well as the Audi Q7 and Volkswagen Touareg sport-utility vehicles. Several levels of specification are offered, depending on whether top speed or torque output is at the top of a customer’s wish list.

MTM Tunes Audi 4.2-Liter Diesel V-8

Our pick would be the 410-bhp variant (a 60-horsepower bump from the stock engine), which just happens to pack a massive 686 lb.-ft. of torque. MTM also offers an A8 that maintains the standard specs of the 350-bhp engine, but ditches the 155-mph speed limiter for a new top speed of 175 mph. That should be handy on Germany’s Autobahn – perhaps a bit less so here in the States.

MTM Tunes Audi 4.2-Liter Diesel V-8

MTM engine management systems are at the heart of the performance upgrades. A wide range of alloy wheels, exhaust systems, brake upgrades and cabin trim are also available on the A8, Q7 or Touareg.

MTM Tunes Audi 4.2-Liter Diesel V-8

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Jerry Seinfeld Plots to Own Acura NSX in Super Bowl XLVI Commercial

Jerry Seinfeld Plots to Own Acura NSX in Super Bowl XLVI Commercial:

Jerry Seinfeld Plots to Own Acura NSX in Super Bowl XLVI Commercial

As the New England Patriots square off against the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLVI, comedian Jerry Seinfeld will be going to some extreme measures to snag the keys to the next Acura NSX. The commercial features the gorgeous NSX concept car, shown at this year’s Detroit Auto Show, along with a notable cameo from the infamous “Soup Nazi” and a zip-line across New York City.

It sounds strange but, trust us on this one, it’s worth a watch.

The plot centers on Seinfeld, a known car nut in real life, trying to finagle his way to be first to own the next generation NSX sports car. Acura has promised a car similar to its Detroit concept will go on sale within three years. With an all-wheel-drive hybrid powertrain, including an electrically driven front axle and a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission, the NSX Concept was one of our favorites in Motown.

So it makes sense that Seinfeld is eager to put one in his garage – though we always thought he was particularly fond of Porsches. Hilarity ensues, though we won’t play the spoiler and ruin the surprise ending.

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