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Friday, September 11, 2009
RPMGO.com (former Auto Unleashed) |
- HTT Plethore LC 750 Brings Canadian Flavor to Frankfurt
- Car Makers Join the Hydrogen Alliance
- “We’ve Overcome the Economic Crisis”, Renault-Nissan Boss Says
- Peugeot and Citroen Launch Their Own Dual-Clutch Gearbox
- Lamborghini Reventon Roadster Revealed by First Pictures
- Ferrari Enzo Meets a Fence, courtesy of Japanese Driver
- Lexus Shows Off Its Hot Hatch, the LF-Ch
- McLaren MP4-12C Officially Detailed: Look out Ferrari and Lamborghini
- Honda Unveils Its Dual-Clutch Gearbox, First for Bikes, Then For Cars
- First days in Munchen, the home of BMW
| HTT Plethore LC 750 Brings Canadian Flavor to Frankfurt Posted: 11 Sep 2009 04:25 AM PDT
The car, it seems, has been in development for at least six years, seeing multiple iterations, but it seems that this is the final one, which will go into production and be available worldwide at the beginning of next year. Bringing some high end power, courtesy of the 6.2 liter V8 engine which, as I’ve said, developers 750 HP. Combined with the aggressive design and the fact that it will have a central seating position, much like the famous McLaren F1 supercar, it will certainly give those at the Frankfurt show something to see. Thankfully, with the help of the guys from AutoBlog, a few pics have surfaced with the car, and we have to admit that it looks very interesting. One of the standout features will most definitely be the scissor doors, which open at a higher degree than average Lamborghinis. The gorgeous rims and large width are also impressive and will make this supercar stand out from the pack. It seems that already 10 cars have been pre-ordered by enthusiasts and plenty more will arrive when the factory will put the finishing touches and produce it. The asking price starts at 395,000 Canadian dollars, meaning it make North American pay a bit over 330k for this supercar from the North. Stay tuned for more impressions straight from the Frankfurt show floor. Read More: “HTT Plethore LC 750 Brings Canadian Flavor to Frankfurt” Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Car Makers Join the Hydrogen Alliance Posted: 11 Sep 2009 03:55 AM PDT
We’ve seen electric hybrids or fully autonomous plug-in electric cars, but one of the most interesting ways to power a car is by through the hydrogen fuel cell. We’ve seen some innovative concepts, like the Honda FCX Clarity pictured above, but it now seems that steps are being taken so that hydrogen-powered cars can become a viable option for many auto fans, as eight of the most important manufacturers in the world have joined up and formed the Hydrogen Alliance. Constituted by Daimler, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Renault-Nissan and Toyota, this alliance will collaborate in terms of developing technologies so that hydrogen-powered cars will become something profitable. The alliance has set the year 2015 as the starting point for a mass release of cars that will be powered by hydrogen. But one of the most important things that this alliance will do is to lobby governments from various countries in order to development a worldwide network of fueling stations in order for people to fill up their new cars and prevent them from running out of fuel just when you least expected. We’ve already seen parts of this network pop up in California for example, but there is plenty of work ahead both for governments and for the car-makers in order to create something worthwhile. You can be sure that large industry centers and cities will be the first to benefit from this new initiative, as the alliance has already revealed that plans are already made for certain sections of Europe, especially Germany, and span to both the United States and Asia, where South Korea and Japan being the most important. Overall, I think that this is something that should really be supported by governments. We have seen plenty of good ideas, but because the infrastructure couldn’t support it, they became obsolete. Read More: “Car Makers Join the Hydrogen Alliance” Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| “We’ve Overcome the Economic Crisis”, Renault-Nissan Boss Says Posted: 11 Sep 2009 01:57 AM PDT
But at least one corporation is doing just great, as Renault-Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn has just declared to prestigious French newspaper Le Figaro that his own company has overcome the worldwide crisis. Don’t go thinking that this will mean month-long paid vacations for everyone at Renault-Nissan, as he continued by saying that the company needs to take care of the side effects of the recession, which are still visible in some structures underneath him. The executive also highlighted that customers won’t flock to dealerships all around the world at once, but that the growth of sales will happen over a longer period of time. People will slowly start to reorganize their budgets and new cars might soon make it to the top of the purchase lists. Until then though, many people are still trying to pay out their leasing contracts or scrape enough money for fuel in order to enjoy their cars. Hopefully things will only get better in the near future for auto fans like us. Read More: “”We’ve Overcome the Economic Crisis”, Renault-Nissan Boss Says” Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Peugeot and Citroen Launch Their Own Dual-Clutch Gearbox Posted: 11 Sep 2009 01:37 AM PDT
Thinking they can do better, Peugeot and Citroen have both announced a new gearbox, entitled DCS6, which will be implemented in their SUV models, the Citroen C-Crosser and the Peugeot 4007. Although a bit strange, as many SUV drivers prefer manual boxes, especially if they intend to do a bit of off-roading, in order to completely control the engine, things keep getting weirder. The new automatic gearboxes also have slightly slower responses than the manual ones, fact highlighted by the 0-100 km/h time and the fuel economy, which has been revealed, when the boxes are coupled with the 2.2 HDi diesel engine from the two SUVs. While a human can accelerate to 100 km/h or 60 mph in just 9.9 seconds, the DSC6 box will reach it in 11.1 seconds. More importantly, especially for those of you with not a lot of money to spend on fuel, the automatic will average about 7.3 liters per 100 km, as opposed to the 7 from the manual gearbox. But for all of these technical drawbacks, Citroen will launch a new options category for the C-Crosser, that will include bluetooth connectivity and rain sensors as standard. Expect the Peugeot 4007 to follow in the same trend, when the new gearbox will be launched in January next year. Read More: “Peugeot and Citroen Launch Their Own Dual-Clutch Gearbox” Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Lamborghini Reventon Roadster Revealed by First Pictures Posted: 11 Sep 2009 01:19 AM PDT
Only the pictures have surfaced for now, but it’s safe to say that the primary goal of the engineers was to further improve the car and, of course, chopping its top off. As you can see, all of the major distinguishing features are there, including the peculiarly shaped front and rear bumpers, as well as the 18-inch wheels and custom interior, all contributing to the jet fighter look of the Italian hypercar. Be ready to fork out about the same amount of money, 1.2 million Euros or $1,0750,000 for any of the predicted 20 units which will be made. Read More: “Lamborghini Reventon Roadster Revealed by First Pictures” Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Ferrari Enzo Meets a Fence, courtesy of Japanese Driver Posted: 11 Sep 2009 12:57 AM PDT
Needless to say, things didn’t go as planned and the supercar, with all of its 650 HP, was too much for the poor guy who found himself plunging it, nose first, into a fence on the edge of a motorway from the Land of the Rising Sun. Fortunately for the guy, the car was fully insured, as you would normally do, considering there were only 400 models made, and the driver made it out without a scratch. Don’t forget that this isn’t the first exotic crash of a Ferrari Enzo, as the most famous one was committed by Hollywood actor Eddie Griffin, during the filming of racing movie Redline. He took a stunning red Enzo and crashed it while preparing for some high end races for the flick. Hopefully such exclusive cars won’t be crashed in the near future and their owners will be more careful. Read More: “Ferrari Enzo Meets a Fence, courtesy of Japanese Driver” Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Lexus Shows Off Its Hot Hatch, the LF-Ch Posted: 11 Sep 2009 12:40 AM PDT
Set to rival premium models like the BMW 1-Series and the Audi A3, this new concept is definitely looking great in the style department, with plenty of aggressive lines and an interior in the same fashion. Sadly though, Lexus was pretty scarce on the technical details, instead emphasizing the looks of the car. “The LF-Ch concept reaffirms Lexus’s commitment to Europe, combining compact dimensions, stylish five-door, full hybrid technology and low emissions to satisfy the most demanding customer requirements and to appeal to a new, younger generation of customers,” read the statement from the company. Nonetheless, Lexus has brought a pretty big innovation into the hot hatch market, as the LF-Ch will feature a fully hybrid drive-train, that can be driven in a full electric mode, unlike other mild-hybrids cars. No details were given on the precise technology implemented, but we’ll certainly find out more as the concept will be transformed into a fully functional model by the end of 2010. Read More: “Lexus Shows Off Its Hot Hatch, the LF-Ch” Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| McLaren MP4-12C Officially Detailed: Look out Ferrari and Lamborghini Posted: 11 Sep 2009 12:24 AM PDT
As you all know, McLaren has been associated with German manufacturer Mercedes for quite some time, collaborating both in Formula 1 and in terms of road cars, with the most recent example being the Mercedes McLaren SLR, which has recently reached the end of its lifecycle. After seeing that the partnership won’t continue, as the Germans already have prepared the Mercedes SLS AMG, the racing company decided to unveil its new, upcoming model, the MP4-12C. As any self respecting manufacturer with racing roots, McLaren has put together all of its Formula 1 expertise and implemented many technologies used in its track cars. This is highlighted by the fact that it has the MP4 moniker, which was used in all of the racing cars up until now. The 12 will represent the value that McLaren believes it has against its opposition while the C comes from the Carbon fiber heavily used in its body. One of the crowning achievements from the UK-based manufacturer will undoubtedly be the engine, which although isn’t of an impressive size, "only" 3.8 liter, has twin-turbos attached to the regular V8 body. Center-housed, of course, it will deliver 600 horse power and a torque of 600 Nm or 442 lb-ft. The first engine completely produced by the company, it will also have plenty of its systems borrowed from the racing team. As such, more that 80 % of the aforementioned torque will be available at under 2000 rpm, which is very impressive and will lead it to 100 km/h or 60 mph in just 3.5 seconds. For the Eco-conscious drivers out there, rest assured, as the estimated emissions are pegged at around 300 grams of CO2/km, which is great considering the top speed with be at around 320 km/h. This engine will be connected to a custom built dual-clutch gearbox from McLaren called Seamless Shift, which boasts seven speeds and specific functions which guarantee lightning fast shifts. The driving modes available will be auto, sport, launch control and winter, all of which powering the back wheels of the supercar. Another fact which needs to be highlighted will be the carbon fiber monocell which will have plenty of F1 elements and weight just 176 lbs or 80 kg. Don’t think that this means it will be flimsy and won’t resist even the smallest scratch as the new carbon fiber technology is more rigid, allowing for better suspension tuning, more resistant to crashes and, as the name implies, is all just one piece. The underside of the car will be completely flat, feature definitely taken from Formula 1 cars, in order to improve airflow. Also, if you consider the front vents on the spoiler as purely cosmetic, think again as they will deliver vital air to the engine. McLaren also suggest that even though it will have a lot of racing pedigree, there will be plenty of options to make less hardcore drivers feel right at home. From custom leather interiors to navigation or phone connectivity, all of your gadgets will feel right at home in the new MP4-12C. The estimated arrival date of the model onto the international market is estimated in early 2011, and will fight for the 150-200,000 dollar/euros/pounds price range, with companies like Ferrari or Lamborghini. Look forward to more details about this brilliant supercar in the following months. Read more: “McLaren MP4-12C Officially Detailed: Look out Ferrari and Lamborghini” Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Honda Unveils Its Dual-Clutch Gearbox, First for Bikes, Then For Cars Posted: 10 Sep 2009 11:20 PM PDT
But don’t go thinking that the next Civic, Accord or any Acura-branded models will boast it, as at first, the company which also makes motorbikes, will implement it on its two wheel models. This is due to the new systems used by the company, which make it extremely light, and thus great for bikes. More specifically, the two clutches are placed on the same line, and combined with the hydraulic circuits from under the engine, will mean a drastic weight loss for the new box. In terms of mechanics, it will have six speeds, with each clutch operating a set of three gears, one for the 1,3,5 and the other for the 2,4,6 gears. As you know, bikes don’t have reverse, so these will be all the gears for the first edition of the box. You can be sure that the one made for cars will have plenty of other features in it. The new box will also have three driving modes, D, for normal driving, S, for sport, and M, which will allow the rider to change the gears how he pleases. There are no details on when the box will be made available for cars, as further research is needed on behalf of the Japanese company, but it seems that dual-clutch gearboxes will play a big part in the future of both bikes and cars. Read More: “Honda Unveils Its Dual-Clutch Gearbox, First for Bikes, Then For Cars” Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| First days in Munchen, the home of BMW Posted: 10 Sep 2009 04:45 PM PDT After a long, but pleasant drive through Europe (especially Austria), yesterday we finally arrived to our first destination, Munchen, Germany. Though we passed through it last year, on our way to Geneva, this is the first time we’re actually staying in this city and we like it so far. I don’t what Munchen residents are saying, but we’ve got the feeling the whole city lives and breathes BMW and we’re not saying this only because we’re car fans. Their location here is huge and it includes the BMW Welt, the BMW Museum and large production facilities. After yesterday we didn’t manage to get too much rest, today we got to visit some interesting places here in Munchen, with the highlights of the day being the visit to the Welt, to the Museum and to one of their headquarters here, where we picked up a BMW 125i Coupe to drive for the next week, around Germany. A few thoughts on what we saw today: The BMW Museum. We knew that BMW had an important history, but some of the stuff we found out and saw today was really impressive. For example, we didn’t know that the Isetta’s frontal door design was inspired from refrigerators (Iso, the company which built the Isetta, was also making refrigerators) or that the M models’ names were originally longer (eq: M535i, the M was added before the car’s name), but this changed after US dealerships suggested that shorter name would make customers remember the brand and name better.  Also, it was the first time we saw the amazing GINA Concept. Oh, and by the way, it’s not true that the BMW logo represents the blades of an airplane propeller. That was just a marketing campaign back in the ’50s. Actually, the logo is inspired from the Bavarian flag (the region where Munchen is) who was the white and blue colors. The BMW Welt. After the great museum tour, we were a little dissapointed in the Welt, because it wasn’t as spectacular as we were expecting.  Don’t get me wrong, if you have the chance to visit it, don’t hesitate, do it, but be careful, because it’s actually an architecture course spiced with a little BMW marketing The BMW 125i Coupe. After the Welt and Museum tour, we went to a BMW office, where Alex arranged for us to get the car and drive it around Germany for the following week. The first impression is that the engine sounds a lot like the MINI Cooper S (though the handling is different) and that it’s not a bad car at all. We’re really anxious to the what it can do, in the following days. Oh, and I almost forgot. In the morning, while we were driving to the BMW Museum, at a stoplight we stopped behind a camouflaged new BMW 5 Series and we managed to take a few spy shots. We’ll publish all the photos soon, but what I can so far is that, from what I saw, it looks like the car will follow BMW recent design direction (the new 7 Series and the new Z4). Anyway, I think the car will be great and I can’t wait for the Frankfurt show to check it out.  I’m going to post more photos and details about the visits to BMW, but that’s going to happen later, probably in a day or two, because right now it’s 1:20 am over here and I’m really tired after an exhausting day. Take hear and you’ll hear from us soon.
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