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Wednesday, September 16, 2009
RPMGO.com (former Auto Unleashed) |
- MINI reveals Coupe and Roadster Concepts, photos and controversial ad included
- Audi’s electric e-Tron concept unveiled, 4,500 Nm (3,319 lb-ft) of torque
- President Obama Wants 35.5 mpg (6.6 liters/100 km) fuel consumption by 2016
- Brand new Toyota Land Cruiser revealed, photos and video included
- Lotus returns to Formula 1 next season
- Audi unveils R8 Spyder, powered by 5.2 liter FSI engine
- Lamborghini formally unveils the Reventon Roadster, gives $1.6 million price tag
| MINI reveals Coupe and Roadster Concepts, photos and controversial ad included Posted: 16 Sep 2009 05:00 AM PDT  As Vlad revealed last month, MINI was preparing the Coupe Concept for its premiere at the Frankfurt Motor Show, which is going on these days in the German city. But besides that concept, the BMW-owned company also revealed the Roadster Concept, which is basically a convertible version of the Coupe, featuring a folding soft top. Except the roof, the models are the same, and are due to enter production soon, at the Oxford plant in the United Kingdom. Besides a more aggressive line, the chassis shared by the two concepts will be more rigid and have a larger boot. Equipped with the turbocharged 1.6 liter engine, capable of delivering 175 horses and 240 Nm, the new model will borrow from the MINIMALISM concept, as it will carefully balance a good fuel economy with sporty driving. As an added bonus, a special dial will be outfitted beside the revcounter, which will reveal just how ecological is your driving, and signal the best time to change gears. Either way, if you prefer a normal roof on your car or a manually foldable one, these two new MINI concepts will definitely satisfy you. Further details on price, when they will enter production and feature lists will be added once they are available. Until then, enjoy this rather controversial ad of the two models. Read More: “MINI reveals Coupe and Roadster Concepts, photos and controversial ad included” Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Audi’s electric e-Tron concept unveiled, 4,500 Nm (3,319 lb-ft) of torque Posted: 16 Sep 2009 04:30 AM PDT  We’ve revealed to you, a few days ago, the splendid Audi e-Tron concept, telling you that it might be an fully electric or hybrid version of the R8, but now the Ingolstadt manufacturer has shocked almost everyone present at the Frankfurt Motor Show by revealing that it will actually be a bit smaller than the R8 supercar, bu capable of developing a bit amount of power: 230 kW or 313 HP, with a huge torque of 4,500 Nm (3,319 lb-ft). This is due to the four fully electric motors of the e-Tron, which will be distributed two on the front axle and two on the rear, for perfect weight balance. This has also allowed the engineers to implement Audi’s famous Quattro four-wheel drive technology, as 70 % of the power will go to the back axle, while 30 to the front. As far as performance figures go, the e-Tron makes a good stand for fully electric supercars, reaching 100 km/h (62 mph) from a standstill in 4.8 secnds. It will be able to accelerate to 200 km/h (124 mph), and will keep on going for about 248 km (154 miles) as this is the current autonomy of the model. The lithium-ion battery, which will power the e-Tron will be located in front of the rear axle and add 470 kg (1036 lb) to the overall weight of the car, which is around 1,600 kg (3,527 lb), a full 20 kilos slimmer than the 5.2 FSI V10 Audi R8 supercar. Overall, the model is very impressive and will certainly peak the interest of many potential buyers. No word yet on whether this Audi e-Tron concept will enter production, so we’ll just have to wait and see. Read More: “Audi’s electric e-Tron concept unveiled, 4,500 Nm (3,319 lb-ft) of torque” Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| President Obama Wants 35.5 mpg (6.6 liters/100 km) fuel consumption by 2016 Posted: 16 Sep 2009 01:03 AM PDT  Are you a fan of SUVs, supercars or big pick up trucks? Well you’d better start buying your dream model with the engine of your choice soon, as United States president Barrack Obama has just announced that by 2016, all US-made cars must have the minimum fuel economy of 35.5 mph (6.6 liters/100 km). The president, on a visit to a General Motors manufacturing plant in Lordstown, Ohio, alongside his Environment Protection Agency administrator, Lisa Jackson, has revealed the new regulations with which US companies must comply. “This action will give our auto companies some long-overdue clarity, stability and predictability,” revealed Obama. The new standard with which the auto industry’s fleet must comply is 35.5 mpg (15 km/liter or 6.6 liters/100 km), until the year 2016. This proposal will being its effect starting with 2012 models, until the ones arriving in 2016. The new standards call for the auto industry’s fleet of new vehicles to average 35.5 miles per gallon (15 kilometers per liter) by 2016. According to Jackson, this new measure and efficiency requirement will equal the effect of taking 42 million cars off the road, by conserving almost 1.8 million barrels of oil. Do you think that this new limit will be something beneficial to the car making industry or will it, as Top Gear’s Jeremy Clarkson put it at the end of the last season, mark the end of fast supercars? Leave a comment on the situation. Read More: “President Obama Wants 35.5 mpg (6.6 liters/100 km) fuel consumption by 2016″ Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Brand new Toyota Land Cruiser revealed, photos and video included Posted: 16 Sep 2009 12:33 AM PDT  As the Frankfurt Motor Show is in full swing, Japanese automaker Toyota decided to reveal the first pieces of information, pictures and video of its newest top-of-the-range SUV, the Land Cruiser. This model will also be the base for the North American Lexus GX. The new heavy SUV will offer a new, revamped line of engines, including the 3-liter D-4D diesel engine, which is capable of delivering 171 HP with a torque of 410 Nm. This particular motor will push the large car from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in just 11.7 seconds, and up to 175 km/h. Not very fast, but considering the flaunted fuel economy of just 8.1 liters/100 km (29 mpg US) and the CO2 emissions of 214 g/km, it will be very attractive for eco-conscious SUV drivers (if there is such a thing). This new model will also benefit from a stiffer chassis, which is reinforced by 11%, as opposed to the older model. The soundproofing has also been worked upon, with engineers trying to prevent the noise of the engine and drivetrain from interfering with the inhabitants of the car. A new electronically-adjustable suspension will also be outfitted, which will adapt to the driving conditions on the fly.  The most expensive version will also feature the option of fitting a variable suspension, which will have three steps, and an electronically-controlled pneumatic one, on the rear axis. Besides all of these rather obscure purely technical upgrades, a new driver aid, in the form of a rolling assistance one will be enable, which will improve the performance of the engine and braking system. Four cameras, positioned at the corners of the car, will feed to a monitor revealing the surroundings to the driver. Overall, these are some serious upgrades, which will be launched with the new model at the end of this year. Here is a video of the new Toyota Land Cruiser. Read More: “Brand new Toyota Land Cruiser revealed, photos and video included” Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Lotus returns to Formula 1 next season Posted: 15 Sep 2009 09:43 AM PDT  That’s right Formula 1 fans, you read right, British car manufacturer and prestigious racing company Lotus will be making a comeback into the most popular motorsport of them all, Formula 1. The new team will be one of the four new teams which will join the championship next season, alongside Campos GP, Manor and US F1. There’s a catch though, while the central headquarters will be based in Norfolk, the traditional place for Lotus, most of its research, development and testing will be done in Malaysia, at the Sepang Circuit. While this may seem odd, the details, revealed by the new team, do make it clearer: the main financial backers will be the Malaysian government and a consortium of entrepreneurs from the Asian country. This will be manifested by the team principal, Tony Fernandes, who founded Tune Group, the company behind Air Asia, among other corporations. He will team up with Mike Gascoyne, who will be technical director, after almost 20 years spent at other F1 teams like Jordan, Renault, Toyota and, more recently Team India, which was a big surprise this current season.
Even though the new company bought the rights and the history of the Lotus Team brand, the implication of the Norfolk company is still undecided, even though Malaysia-based Proton now owns the makers of the Elise or Evora. “That has to be defined and it’s under discussion with Proton and Tony Fernandes. I think we’ll be able to clarify that in the coming days,” revealed Gascoyne. Overall though, considering the heritage behind the Lotus name in Formula 1, which is tied to drivers like Jim Clark, Graham Hill or the late Ayrton Senna, it will be a sight for sore eyes for many F1 fans all around the world. More details will be given when they are available. Read More: “Lotus returns to Formula 1 next season” Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Audi unveils R8 Spyder, powered by 5.2 liter FSI engine Posted: 15 Sep 2009 06:54 AM PDT  Just as the VAG group’s Lamborghini announced a convertible version of the Reventon supercar, the Reventon Roadster, Audi, the parent company of the Italian automaker, also decided to shed the official light on the R8 Spyder, the convertible edition of its own supercar, the R8. Powered by the 5.2 liter V10 FSI engine, capable of delivering 525 HP with a torque of 530 Nm, available at 6,500 rpm, the new convertible will also feature both a manual and an automatic gearbox, which will be coupled to Audi’s patented Quattro all-wheel drive technology. The Ingolstadt manufacturer also highlighted that the automatic transmission will get a better fuel economy, 13.9 liters/100 km (16.9 US mpg), as opposed to the manual transmission, which achieves 14.9 (15.8 US mpg). In terms of performance, the new convertible R8 is only a tad bit slower, reaching 100 km/h (62 mph) from a standstill in just 4.1 seconds, .2 seconds slower than the coupe R8. Its top speed though is an impressive 313 km/h (195 mph).  The lightweight (30 kg/66 lb) cloth folding roof will be down in just 19 seconds at the press of a button, even at speeds up to 50 km/h or 31 mph. The reinforcements are particular in the area of the main window, which is now coated with anodized aluminum, via Audi’s Space Frame technology. but also around the A and B pillars, sills, center tunner, rear wall and floor. But even though a lot of modifications have been made, the manual transmission-equipped R8 Spyder will weight only 25 kg (55 lbs) more than the average R8. Other enhancements have been made around the engine cover, which received a redesign, as it now houses two arched cowls which go down to the spoiler lip and have multiple air vents. Speaking of vents, the side ones will not be coated with the same color as the rest of the body, eliminating the two-tone look of the old R8.  Inside however, the R8 Spyder will hold a very interesting pieces of technology, as the leather on the seats is covered with a special pigment that is able to reflect the infrared component of the sunlight, enabling your seats to stay up to 20 degrees Celsius cooler than the air surrounding them at any given time. The new Audi R8 Spyder will be launched in Germany in the first quarter of 2010, with an asking price of €156,400. With any luck, it will also arrive onto other territories, like the United States, in the summer or fall of next year for around $230,000. Read More: “Audi unveils R8 Spyder, powered by 5.2 liter FSI engine” Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Lamborghini formally unveils the Reventon Roadster, gives $1.6 million price tag Posted: 15 Sep 2009 06:21 AM PDT  We revealed last week that Italian supercar maker Lamborghini will unveil a convertible edition of its extremely exclusive Reventon supercar in Frankfurt. As the show is already underway, the company formally revealed the Reventon Roadster, of which only 20 will be made, as well as details regarding performance and price. As you know, the normal Reventon made its debut in 2007 at the Frankfurt show, and now the roaster model will follow in the tradition. The new jet-fighter supercar will have a targa roof, as well as a few other distinguishing features, as opposed to the older model, which also saw just 20 cars made. Each of these new machines will cost you about €1.1 million or $1.6 million, without taxes and will be delivered starting with October of this year.
 Measuring the same as the normal Reventon, the new Roadster will see the addition of two hidden pop-up bars, which, in case of an rollover, will deploy in a few miliseconds, saving the life of the passengers. The engineers from the Italian manufacturer also revealed that the body of the car, made almost entirely out of carbon fiber, was so stiff to being with, that only a few modifications needed to be made in order to support the removal of the roof. As such, the Roadster is fatter by just 25 kg (55 lbs) than the normal edition, tipping the scale at 1,690 kg or 3.725 lbs.  On the inside, the Alcantara leather will contras with the carbon fiber, wrapping the two bucket sport seats. Also, three LCD displays will keep true to the jet-fighter theme of the Reventon, replacing any old analog dials. The normal Reventon engine only saw a slight tweak, in terms of horse power, as the Roadster has 670 horses, 20 more than the original. The torque numbers are the same, 660 Nm (487 lb-ft) which is available at 6,000 rpm. The six speed automatic gearbox and the four-wheel drive, courtesy of Audi, are the same as the old Reventon. All of these technical numbers convey into a 0 to 100 km/h or 62 mph time of just 3.4 seconds, and will take the Roadster to a dizzying 330 km/h (205 mph). Revel in these pics and await new ones, straight from the show floor in Frankfurt. Read More: “Lamborghini formally unveils the Reventon Roadster, gives $1.6 million price tag” Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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