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Archive for March, 2009

Alfa Romeo 159

Friday, March 13th, 2009

By Michael Goetz

Alfa Romeo chose Geneva to debut the mid-cycle updates to its beautiful 159 series of sedans and wagons.

The car line is Alfa’s entry in Europe’s high-volume C-segment but sales are wanting; the new Giulia is expected to replace the 159 sometime late next year.

Alfa Romeo 159

In addition to some face-lifting, the refreshed 159s feature will be available with two new Euro 5 compliant engines: the 170-hp 2.0-litre common-rail turbo-diesel; and the 200-hp 1.75 litre TBi petrol powerplant. The latter is said to hustle the 159 from 0 to 100 km/h in 7.7 seconds, and will top the car out at 235 km/h.

The sedan is offered in a TI sporting edition, featuring lowered geometry, bigger tires on 19-inch rims, miniskirts and large aluminum brakes with red calipers.

A show of hands — who would like to see the proposed Chrysler-Fiat entity bring Fiat’s Alfa Romeo brand back to North America?

Tags: Alfa Romeo 159, Geneva 2009, Michael Goetz
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Lagonda Concept – Resurrection or Heresy?

Friday, March 13th, 2009

By Marc Lachapelle

Aston Martin stunned the press in Geneva not so much by confirming the return of the Lagonda brand – which had been announced by CEO Ulrich Bez in Paris last September – as by unveiling a bold, bodacious Lagonda Concept that basically is… a luxury SUV. To top it off, one powered by a V12 gasoline engine. The outcry of purists was instantaneous. How could Aston Martin build any kind of vehicle with ‘utility’ in its job definition?

Well, that’s exactly the point: it is not an Aston Martin but a Lagonda. And this marque, now a century old, first came to prominence with a victory in one of the most gruelling motoring events of the time: the Russian Reliability Trial. This endurance drive took entrants to St-Petersburg, Riga, Kiev and Moscow. American-born Wilbur Gunn built the first Lagonda in 1909 and won the event in 1910 with his 16/18hp Lagonda Tourer.

Aston Martin Lagonda Concept

Lagonda went on building cars with a reputation for robustness and reliability, plus a taste for effortless trans-continental drives, for decades. In 1935, a lightweight version of the Lagonda M45 also won the 24 hours of Le Mans. Lagonda was sold to then Aston Martin owner David Brown in 1947 and cars bearing this distinct name were quietly produced until the late 80s.

Following Aston Martin’s return to profitability and the impressive expansion of its model portfolio, the consortium is reviving the Lagonda marque that has been dormant for twenty years in order to expand its reach. Astons are sold in 30 countries but the plan is to sell Lagonda vehicles in 100 countries, including Russia. The undeniable success of the Cayenne (the 250,000^th has just rolled off the assembly line) and its substantial contribution to rival brand Porsche’s bottom line has obviously not gone unnoticed.

The Lagonda Concept is a four-seat luxury touring vehicle with exterior design inspired by Lagonda’s long heritage as well as the design of modern speedboats. In keeping with the times, the production version of this concept will likely be available with other propulsion technologies such flex-fuel engines, clean diesels and hybrid systems.

Tags: Geneva 2009, Lagonda Concept, Marc Lachapelle
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BMW Alpina B6 GT3

Friday, March 13th, 2009

By Michael Goetz

After sitting in the stands for 20 years, reknowned BMW tuner, Alpina, returns to the starting grid in 2009, and will do so with a very tricked out 6 Series — the B6 GT3.

BMW Alpina B6 GT3

Alpina will field two race cars in the FIA GT3 European Championships and selected 24-hour endurance races (we’re guessing, but the latter looks like Nurburgring and Le Mans). But as the B6 GT3 will be available to “clients and collectors and race teams alike,” expect to see more than just that pair on racetracks this season.

The car is obviously modified with a lots of go-faster stuff, including race-ready electronic control systems, and various safety and areodynamic parahphenlia. The B6′s 4.4-litre V8 will be fitted with a unique radical compressor, based on a similarly-designed unit in the BMW Alpina B6 S. Net result is 530 horsepower and 725Nm of toque.

Tags: BMW Alpina B6 GT3, Geneva 2009, Michael Goetz
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GUMPERT Apollo Speed

Friday, March 13th, 2009

By Michael Goetz

You’d think the brains at Germany-based GUMPERT could be more gamefully employed at some other endeavor than trying to make really, really fast cars for really, really rich people, but we’re glad they’re not. We get to behold creations like the GUMPERT Apollo Speed, which the specialty firm unveiled at Geneva.

While the other models in the franchise (Apollo, Apollo Sport, and Apollo Race) are said to be optimized for “performance for racetracks, lateral acceleration and grip in all situations,” this new toy is about top end speed. Hence the modfications to reduce drag, such as the lowered body, the removal of the rear wing, fixed wheel covers, fully enclosed underbody, revised tail section, and smaller, roof-mounted intake.

GUMPERT Apollo Speed

Like all Apollo models, power comes from an Audi V8 fitted with dual turbochargers, available in three states of stupendous tune: 650 or 700 or 800 horsepower. Maximum speed is said to be over 360 km/h.

But for all its high-end shanagens, the Apollo Speed is still a street car, with leather or Alcantara interior, a/c, DVD player, etc. And the removeable steering wheel makes it easier to get settled into the driver seat (embedded in the monocoque) and get strapped into that four-point harness. Such luxury.

Tags: Geneva 2009, GUMPERT Apollo Speed, Michael Goetz
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NLV Quant by Koenigsegg

Friday, March 13th, 2009

By Michael Goetz

Well, if you’re known for building 1,000-hp plus super cars, and you figure you need to roll out something green, it probably won’t be an electric moped. So no big surprise then, I guess, to see Swedish mojo maker, Koenigsegg, join forces with NVL Solar AG, to eventually produce the all-electric high-performance NVL Quant.

This sexy number will seat four, and ingress and egress is by way of two, huge gull wing doors. The bodywork incorporates aluminum and carbon-fibre body panels. Combined with a carbon-fibre chassis, the Quant is expected to weigh less than 4,000 lbs.

NLV Quant

The two motors connected to the rear wheels make a combined output of 512 hp and 527 lb-ft of torque, so motivation should be, well, electricfying. The motors will be getting juice from NLV’s proprietary battery system.

According to Koenigsegg, it should take only 20 minutes to fully charge the batteries. Helping to get the expected range of 300 or so miles, is a four-wheel regenerative braking system, and a clear photovoltaic coating on the car’s exterior, to capture solar power (the latter only to be used to power accessories).

The car displayed at Geneva was not running, but apparently running prototypes are presently being assembled.

Tags: Geneva 2009, Koenigsegg, Michael Goetz, NLV Quant
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BMW Alpina B7 Bi-Turbo

Friday, March 13th, 2009

By Nauman Farooq

Most people would be very content with the performance of BMW cars, especially any of their ‘M’ models.

However, some yearn (and can afford) a lot more. That is where Alpina comes in, a company that has been modifying BMW since 1965. Their models are now even covered under BMW’s warranties.

In Geneva, they launched their latest road-rocket, the B7 Bi-Turbo. This is based on the new BMW 750i, and tunes it’s 4.4-liter, twin-turbo V8 to 507 hp.

BMW Alpina B7 Bi-Turbo

Power is fed to the rear wheels via a six-speed automatic gearbox. When provoked, it will sprint from 0-100 km/h in 4.7 seconds and onto a top speed of 280 km/h, that won’t make the O.P.P. very happy if you try it here.

Visual differences on the Alpina include a tasty body kit and truly massive 21-inch rims. Instead of run-flat tires, you get higher performance conventional rubber, so just pray that you won’t get a flat.

Inside, Alpina dresses things up with their own selection of leather and wood trim, and you can bet every gadget you could possibly wish for is available on this car.

The previous generation B7 was sold in North America, so here’s hoping this one will be too.

Tags: BMW Alpina B7 Bi-Turbo, Nauman Farooq
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Magna Steyr mila ev concept – Turn-key electric platform

Friday, March 13th, 2009

By Marc Lachapelle

Concepts are all about visual impact and yet, the most important elements of Magna Steyr’s ‘mila ev’ concept are the bits you cannot see. In fact, the concept is simply a showcase for the fully-developed propulsion platform that lies beneath.

The platform was developed by Magna Steyr, the vehicle engineering and assembly division of Magna International, one of the world’s largest automotive suppliers, based in Aurora, Ontario. Magna claims that the platform can be used as a fully-integrated system to build an electric vehicle without any “modification, retrofitting or conversion of an already existing concept”. Better still, thanks to flexibility built into the platform, the end product can be powered by “natural gas, fuel cells or hybrid drive.”

Magna Steyr mila ev concept

The mila ev concept itself is about 4 metres long, on a 2.5-metre wheelbase. It is powered by a 67-horsepower electric motor fed by lithium-ion batteries developed by Magna Steyr. It can run up 150 kilometres on a 2.5-hour charge. There are solar cells on the roof to corral more electrons and side mirrors have been replaced by wind-cheating rear-view cameras.

There you have it. Go ahead. Create a snazzy new concept and Magna Steyr will fit it with the powertrain of your choosing – including full electric propulsion – and even build it for you with its proven Flex Plant technology. It’s that simple.

Hype and fiction, you think? At the Detroit show in January, Magna and Ford announced that they had struck up a ‘development partnership’ to launch a lithium-ion battery-powered electric vehicle in 2011. These guys are serious.

Tags: Geneva 2009, Magna Steyr mila ev concept, Marc Lachapelle
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Mercedes-Benz E Class Coupe

Thursday, March 12th, 2009

By Mike Goetz

Big coupes are making a big comeback, and here’s one from Mercedes-Benz, who has a long history of making them.

Obviously based on the new E Class Saloon, which debuted in Detroit, the E Class Coupe shown in Geneva cuts a great profile, thanks to no B-pillars, and fully retractable side windows.

Mercedes-Benz E Class Coupe

The automaker contends that, with a Cd-figure of 0.24, this model is “the world’s most aerodynamically efficient series-production car.” It offers all the technical pyrotechnics of the sedan, such as AGILITY CONTROL suspension, which adjusts automatically to driving conditions.

The big news under the hood is two new four-cylinder engines. The diesel in the E 250 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY Coupe features two-stage turbocharging, piezo injectors, and the latest common-rail technology. It is purported to offer 36 percent more power than the previous four-pot diesel, while consuming 17 percent less fuel (approximately 5.3 L/100 km).

Under the hood of the E 350 CGI BlueEfficiency Coupe is the newly developed direct-injection “petrol” four-cylinder engine, rated at about 7.0 L/100 km. E Class Saloons and Coupes will continue to also offer V6 (diesel and petrol) and V8 powerplants.

The sleek coupes will effectively replace the CLK. Look for E Class convertible and station wagon models to debut later this year at the Frankfurt show.

Tags: Geneva 2009, Mercedes-Benz E Class Coupe, Mike Goetz
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Ruf Greenster

Thursday, March 12th, 2009

By Mike Goetz

When it comes to powertrain developments, tuning firms make it their business to be ahead of the curve. So no surprise then, that Ruf, a Porsche specialist, is planning to build a series of electric-powered 911s, to become one of the first electric sports cars to come from Germany.

The Ruf Greenster on display at Geneva features a 270 kW Siemens electric motor with 695 lb-ft of torque, but a future version of the car could have a twin motor set-up.

RUF Greenster

The lithium ion battery pack is compact enough that the car still has good storage space in the front trunk.

The firm claims that the battery pack can absorb and release power very quickly, enabling more regenerative braking capacity and the ability to fully charge in only one hour, from a 400V outlet.

Styling is in the “speedster” mode, with a chopped windshield and other minimalist aesthetics. They’re planning to have examples ready by 2010.

Tags: eRUF, Geneva 2009, Mike Goetz, Ruf Greenster
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Rolls Royce 200EX concept

Wednesday, March 11th, 2009

By Nauman Farooq

Many are calling it ‘the baby Roller’, however that is just in perspective really, because the Rolls Royce 200EX concept is no compact hatchback.

In fact, at 212.6 inches long, it is 13 inches longer than a BMW 7-series. However it is smaller than the Phantom, even though not by much (435mm shorter to be exact).

You don’t get a downsized engine either, this one still gets a V12, so if you are a bit of an environmentalist, this car won’t be for you.

Rolls Royce 200EX concept

Neither will it be for those who have recently been hit hard by the global economic crisis, as this car will be priced at over $350,000.

For that sort of money, you get the softest leather seats, cornsilk carpets, and cashmere blend headliner. Plus your choice of wood grain and all the chrome you can wish for.

The car sitting at the Geneva Motor Show might say ‘concept’, but don’t be fooled because this car is production ready. Expect to see the production version at the Frankfurt Motor Show later this year.