Monday, September 30, 2013
Aston Martin Vanquish Centenary Edition Shines in Geneva
The 2013 Geneva International Motor Show was the venue chosen by Aston Martin to show off a limited edition model of their new Vanquish. Called the Centenary Edition, it has been made to celebrate the British sports car builders 100th birthday. And just in case you were wondering, the number of examples to ever be built is limited to just 100 units.
So, what sets it apart from the regular Vanquish? Well, its main standout feature is the two-tone graduated paint scheme – the top part of the silver cars bonnet is black (or very dark grey) and it looks like a visual continuation of the black roof. However, the darker part does not simply stop somewhere, as it blends seamlessly with the cars base color the further down the bonnet you go.
The cars badging is also special, and each piece is made out of solid silver.
Step inside its plush interior features swathes of black leather stitched with contrasting silver thread – similar to what youd find on the One-77 supercar. Finishing off unique interior features are the embroidered headrests and special metallic scuff plates not found on any other model.
The lucky hundred who will be able to afford this car will also be treated to a gift box which includes useful Aston Martin-branded accessories – we found the inclusion of a "silver polishing cloth" which will "help owners ensure the silver centenary wings badges and sill plaques on their car keep their lustre.”
BMW 325i M Edition
Although the underlying rotation is so slow, but more and more felt the valor to the 6-cylinder engine capacity of 2497 cc 4 valve carried by the 325i behind this beautiful bonnet. Intrigued by the sport model at 6-speed Steptronic transmission is equipped with Adaptive Transmission Management, the lever was finally shifted to the left in the position of "DS" and make the beat of the engine is automatically changed to be much more aggressive both from round to round down his boss. A significant difference is much more pronounced when the boy was driving using manual mode directly accessible via buttons on the steering wheel shift pedals.
Side of the vehicle handling and stability, because it feels a little bit less lightly on Stier control that makes the car feel so fly when she meets undulating terrain at high speeds. However, satisfaction with the speed it was paid off with quite a sensation that it provides.
Other consequences that must be faced is the issue of fuel consumption which is fairly enough to drain the pouch. However, when compared with the value of a satisfaction in driving, fuel consumption problems seem less of a matter of right??
2011 Subaru Legacy
Its easy to be a copycat. You dont have to think as much and theres less risk of failure. Remaking a known commodity like the "A-Team," for instance, has a better shot of bringing in $500 million than an indie film. The same goes for the midsize family sedan segment, which consists of seemingly countless vehicles that play it safe by riffing on the same formula. One notable exception, however, is the 2011 Subaru Legacy.
For years now, the Legacy has resolutely kept beat with its own drummer, and the current car is little different. While nearly everything else goes with the surefire formula of front-wheel drive and a choice of either inline-4 or V6 power plants, the Legacy keeps on rocking its standard all-wheel-drive and horizontally opposed four- and six-cylinder engines, including one thats turbocharged. Then theres the styling, which has always stood out from the crowd -- for better or worse. Despite setting itself apart in such key areas, however, the Subaru Legacy is still a viable family sedan, with top crash test scores, decent four-cylinder fuel economy and comfortable driving dynamics.
However, some of the Legacys quirks do have downsides. Standard all-wheel drive has obvious traction benefits in poor weather, but the associated mechanical inefficiencies keep the Legacy from being as competitive in fuel economy and acceleration as it could. The turbocharged 2.5GT isnt available with an automatic transmission, which limits its widespread appeal. Also, increasingly common electronic features like Bluetooth, iPod control and navigation are either haphazardly designed or only available in the top-of-the line Limited model with navigation.
Certainly, being a bit different means the Legacy is unlikely to ever match the mighty Accord and Camry for sales supremacy, but it does mean that it has burrowed out a little niche for itself. Still, there are others to consider. The Ford Fusion and Suzuki Kizashi also offer all-wheel-drive, while the Mazda 6 is a good choice for driving enthusiasts. The new Hyundai Sonata is also a class-leading, well-rounded family sedan. Yet, if youre the sort of person who doesnt automatically follow the crowd, the 2011 Subaru Legacy is a solid, non-conformist choice.
The Legacys interior design is sleek and sophisticated, but you better like silver paint, because the center stack is covered with it. Though the interior plastics look upscale, most of them are hard to the touch and lack the more premium feel found in models such as the Ford Fusion.
The seats are comfortable and the Legacys provide plenty of headroom and rear seat legroom. In terms of technology, iPod control and streaming Bluetooth audio are available, but you have to ante up for the top-of-the-line Limited trim in order to get it. Weve also noticed the nav systems functionality is hampered by fussy controls and small touchscreen icons. You should also note that sound quality from the base sound system is poor and we highly recommend the available Harman Kardon upgrade system. Trunk space is an average 14.7 cubic feet.
Outside, the 2010 model is much more assertive than the outgoing car, which itself was a bit of a shrinking violet. After the departure of designer Andreas Zapatinas and his Edselian B9 Tribeca, the Pleiades brand seemed to lose a bit of its design nerve and the will to create a unified corporate face. But now, it finally seems to be seeking out its mojo once again with this new Legacy.
Were not entirely sure this is a good thing, as the Legacy has gone from understated confidence to a jumble of incomplete ideas (Chrysler Sebring hawkeye headlamps, chrome-happy "wing" grille, hulking flared fenders to emphasize the cars all-wheel drive) that fail to live in complete harmony with each other. Well leave final judgment up to you, only with the knowledge that the whole package looks better on the street than it does in photos (particularly when fitted with larger alloys that dont get lost in the cartoonishly overemphasized wells) and our divisiveness towards it softened over time. Thankfully, Subaru sales have never been predicated on beautiful sheetmetal, and we cant see this model being any different.
Open up the wider-angle, newly-framed doors (the old, rattle-prone sashless jobbies are gone), and a significantly larger and much-improved interior awaits. Dominating the instrument panel is a silver-effect center stack topped with a birdbath-like information display. The vertical array houses the usual complement of audio and HVAC controls (along with an eight-inch navigation screen if so-optioned), and it has a deep storage pocket for odds-n-ends. Plastics are nicely grained and solid fit-and-finish was in evidence, but greater use of soft-touch surfaces and more sincere-looking faux wood trim on Limited models wouldnt go amiss.
All the controls are easy to reach and intuitive to use, with the exception of a too-crowded and too-low panel that houses the power mirror controls, electronic parking brake, hillholder and traction control defeat buttons, trunk release, gauge brightness control, and a couple of odd-looking blanks. Its simple enough to use once you get the hang of it, but wed prefer to see the parking brake located on the center console and a larger, separate trunk release. We were a bit surprised not to see the availability of some sort of keyless start system, but as theyre often more trouble than theyre worth, the absence isnt worth grousing over.
In addition to its obviously heightened quality, the big story with the 2010s interior is its newfound space. In particular, rear accommodations are now genuinely large, with an extra four inches of legroom thanks to the longer wheelbase and deeply scooped-out front seatbacks. Our six-foot, five-inch co-driver had no trouble getting comfortable, and even when he was in situ, there was plenty of knee- and toe-room left behind him for full-grown adults. Total EPA volume is up by 9% to 117.7 cubic feet and betters that of the Toyota Camry and Volkswagen Passat, while trunk space swells by 29% to 14.7 cubic feet (more capacity than Hondas larger Accord).
At the bottom of the lineup, the 2.5i continues with a mostly carryover 2.5-liter, 170-horsepower four-cylinder. Subaru says that a new resin-based intake manifold lowers the engines weight and improves low-end torque, which stands at 170 lb-ft. -- now at 4,000 rpm versus 4,400 rpm before. Subaru also says that improved cooling and a revised catalyst will boost fuel economy figures above the 20/27 (manual) and 18/25 (automatic) before. The 2.5i will now come standard with a six-speed manual (versus a five-speed in 2009) and it will offer a CVT automatic rather than the four-speed conventional automatic from before.
The 2.5GT features a revised 2.5-liter turbocharged boxer four with 265-horsepower and 258 lb-ft (a 22 horse and 17 lb-ft. improved over the old model). A modified turbocharger and a reduction in rpms required for peak torque -- the torque curve is flat from 2,000 rpm to 5,600 rpm, Subaru says -- make it both faster and more efficient than before. A six-speed manual and five-speed automatic remain available.
At the top of the range, the 3.6R model gets an uprated version of the 3.0-liter flat-six previously offered. Subaru says that the 3.6-liter six, which now uses regular fuel, puts out 256-horsepower and 247 lb-ft. of torque (compared to 245/215 from the outgoing engine). It�€™ll be paired to a five-speed automatic exclusively.
The CVT in the 2.5i, which is expected to make up the bulk of sales if historical figures are to be considered, is the first longitudinally-mounted CVT system in an all-wheel-drive car.
Every 2011 Legacy comes standard with stability and traction control, antilock disc brakes, front side airbags and side curtain airbags. In Edmunds brake testing, the 2.5i came to a stop from 60 mph in a good distance of 121 feet and the 3.6R was in the same ballpark. The 2.5GT stopped in an excellent 111 feet.
In the governments new, more strenuous crash testing for 2011, the Legacy earned an overall rating of four stars out of a possible five, with four stars for overall frontal crash protection and four stars for overall side crash protection. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety also gave the Legacy its perfect score of "Good" in the frontal-offset, side and roof strength tests.
reference:autos.aol.com,www.leftlanenews.com,www.edmunds.com
Sunday, September 29, 2013
Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet 2013 Photos
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Here’s Why Qoros Renamed its Compact Models from GQ3 to 3
You know the saying, "what goes around, comes around". Well, now so does Chinese-Israeli startup Qoros, which last year, took Kia to German courts to ban the Korean company from using the "Quoros" moniker for its flagship rear-wheel drive saloon in Europe because it sounded too close to its own brand name.
For several months, Qoros was advertising its first ever production and concept models under the GQ3 nameplate, when all of a sudden last week, the automaker released photos of the cars named the "3".
At the time, there was no explanation, but on Tuesday, German news daily Die Welt came out with a report saying the reason for the name change has to do with a court order won by Audi in Hamburg, Germany, on January 14.
What happened is that Audi objected to the appearance of the letter "Q" in the "GQ3" name because it uses it along with a number for its SUVs and crossovers.
Qoros told Autonews Europe that Audis complaint came as a surprise, since it had trademarked the "GQ3" name in Europe, and had notified Audi. A Qoros spokesman said that "GQ3 was a preliminary name for the sedan and not final", adding that the company will challenge the courts decision "to keep its options open."
Articles Source : Carscoop
Saturday, September 28, 2013
2011 Aston Martin Rapide
Despite the piddling amount of miles their owners tend to accumulate on them, Aston Martins have always been intended for long-distance grand touring rather than the sort of high-adrenaline pavement-pounding that other exotic sports cars get. With rare exception, an Aston puts a priority on getting its passengers rapidly to their destination in comfort and grand style. Well, for two people at least. If you wanted to bring along anyone else, their age could not exceed their hat size, or in the case of two-seat models, it would probably be best if they were simply imaginary.
Times have changed, thanks to the 2011 Aston Martin Rapide. If it looks like a DB9 stretched to accommodate an extra pair of doors and seats, thats because its pretty much exactly that. Under the skin is Aston Martins customary bonded-aluminum unit body and rear-mounted transaxle, while the 6.0-liter V12 is shared with the DB9. The Rapide is much larger, however. Beyond the 9.8 inches of additional wheelbase, the Rapide is 12 inches longer overall and 10 inches wider. This sedan actually takes up more real estate than the Porsche Panamera, even though it looks smaller and sleeker.
So its based on the DB9 and looks like the DB9, but does the Aston Martin Rapide drive like one as well? Well, to put it one way, the term "four-door sports car" has rarely been so apt. There is an agility that you just wont get in other super sedans, while at the same time, theres the same sort of ride comfort that has made Aston Martins such brilliant touring cars. Then theres the V12, which offers effortless thrust and the sort of grandiose noises that beautifully blur the line between muscular and sophisticated -- like Metallica performing with the London Philharmonic. Unfortunately, such sounds might not make up for the fact that cheaper ultra-luxury sedans like the Panamera, Jaguar XJ Supercharged and Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG are notably quicker.
The Rapide has other disadvantages relative to its rivals as well. While its hatchback-style trunk and rear bucket seats provide a level of practicality that a GT coupe never could, the Rapide still doesnt deliver the sensible four-door function of a sedan. The backseat suffers from a lack of hip room, while leg- and headroom are only sufficient until you realize its competitors are limousines by comparison.
As such, the 2011 Aston Martin Rapide isnt quite a sedan in the traditional sense. Nevertheless, the addition of a respectable amount of convenience to the DB9s mix of performance, handling and stunning good looks creates the kind of package that might encourage even Aston owners to accumulate more miles.
Four full-grain leather seats provide ample room for adults of all sizes. Sitting in the backseat, my 6’ 1” frame fits comfortably all around. Headroom is excellent, so too is leg and hip room. Elongated seats provide superior support for the lower back, extending upwards well beyond the norm to provide integrated headrests in a molded, yet completely accessible package.
Walnut dash trim is standard along with Iridium Silver and Graphite metallic accents. On this day, our vehicle is equipped with the optional Piano Black fascia trim, red stitching on the seats and a rear seat entertainment system with 6-disc DVD player and wireless headphones.
Storage is surprisingly good given the stout dimensions of the trunk, but don’t expect to carry four large suitcases and four people all at the same time. With this in mind, Aston Martin provides the ultimate luxury add-on, stylized luggage designed to fit in place while looking the part. Front door pouches are a useful size as are the stitched leather center console cupholders. The standard umbrella is perfect for those times when the weather turns rainy, which in jolly old England happens frequently.
;The Rapide is based on the same platform as Aston Martins other cars, and its unmistakably a family member.
Aston Martin keeps the Rapide lightweight through the extensive use of aluminum, magnesium alloy and composite along with the more traditional steel. Exterior features include:
Aston Martin keeps the Rapide lightweight through the extensive use of aluminum, magnesium alloy and composite along with the more traditional steel. Exterior features include:
- Standard 20-inch alloy wheels
- Optional 20-inch silver or graphite wheels
- Standard front parking sensors
- Standard gray brake calipers
- Optional black, red and silver calipers
ENGINE
Performance comes by way of a mid-mounted all alloy 48-valve 6.0-liter V12 engine. It produces an astounding 470 horsepower at 6000 rpm and 443 lb-ft of torque at 5000 rpm. Matched to a rear mid-mounted 6-speed “Touchtronic 2” gearbox with electronic shift-by-wire control, it accelerates to 60 mph in 5.0 seconds while reaching a top speed of 184 mph.
A rear-wheel drive sports car of the highest caliber, the standard rack-and-pinion set up with Servotronic speed-sensitive power-assisted steering performs at maximum level as we soon discover leaving the parking lot on a British-style fish and chips pub crawl.
Fitted with 20-inch alloy wheels and 245/40/20 front, 295/35/20 rear Bridgestone Potenza high-performance tires, we make our way north and west out of the gated entrance at Aston Martin Headquarters in Gaydon, England.
Independent double wishbone suspension front and back features anti-dive geometry, coil springs, anti-roll bar and mono tube adaptive dampers. The rear adds anti-lift geometry to keep the vehicle firmly in place.
Driving Impressions
Climb into the 2011 Aston Martin Rapides snug driver seat and you might think youre actually in a DB9. Not only are the controls around you practically identical, but the way the car effortlessly cruises down the highway or confidently takes a corner makes it feel like a sports car, not a luxury sedan. The automatic transmission is remarkably smooth, the steering is light and precise and the V12 sounds incredible. Best of all, it still manages to offer a compliant ride in true Aston tradition.Because of the Rapides long, low-slung body, there is an elevated risk of high centering on curbs and driveways. Owners simply must be mindful of their pretty Aston Martins underbody and chin spoiler.
source:www.cars.com,www.autoguide.com,www.autoguide.com
2012 Chevrolet Equinox Review Spec Picture and Price
2012 Chevrolet Equinox
A new crossover SUV that combines the output of the Chevrolet manufacturer of two flavors of sport and luxury, with a large capacity machines and support All-While-Drive AWD and luxurious look of the headlights and a solid body makes the Chevrolet Equinox is a good option.
2012 Chevrolet Equinox Exterior
Aerodynamic body design that is suitable for Off Road as well as large wheels make the Chevrolet Equinox is a very handsome and charming, sharp headlights striped further adds to its image valor.
2012 Chevrolet Equinox Interior
With a blend of two colors that decorate the interior of the Chevrolet Equinox create distinctive feel of luxury and not only that space that is wide enough to feel relief for drivers and passengers. Form of sport-style tachometer and speedometer to make the driver into the image of Sporty becomes more viscous in the Chevrolet Equinox. An LCD screen complete with MP3 player is ready to accompany you in the driving.
2012 Chevrolet Equinox Engine
Chevrolet Equinox Crossover SUV is All-While-Drive (AWD) that uses the engine capacity of 4-Cylinder Engine 2.4Liter capable of generating power up to 186HP.
2012 Chevrolet Equinox Picture
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European Built 2013 Nissan Leaf to Debut at the Geneva Motor Show
The new Note wont be the only European-built Nissan model making its debut at the Geneva International Auto Show next week, as the Japanese carmaker will also display the updated Leaf.
Up until now, the pure electric vehicle hatch has been built solely in Japan, but Nissan is rolling out locally built versions of the Leaf for Europe and North America. In Europe, series production will begin at the companys UK plant in Sunderland alongside the Qashqai, Note and Juke. The Leafs lithium-ion batteries are already being manufactured at a new facility nearby on the Sunderland site.
"By sourcing Nissan LEAF and its batteries in Europe, we are underlining our faith not just in the ability of the Sunderland facility to build our most technically advanced car, but also in the fact that electric vehicles can be considered a genuine alternative to conventionally powered vehicles," said Paul Willcox, senior vice president, Sales and Marketing, Nissan Europe.
Like its Japanese and American counterparts, the European-built 2013 Leaf comes with more than 100 changes, including some subtle design updates to improve aerodynamics, a faster charging option, a wider range of regenerative braking and enhanced energy management, while Nissan has also dropped pricing by €3,000 (roughly $4,000).
In Geneva, Nissan will also display the 370Z Nismo, 2013MY GT-R, Juke Nismo and the Resonance concept, next to the new Leaf and Note.
Friday, September 27, 2013
Datsun 240Z
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