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Thursday, November 12, 2009
RPMGO.com (former Auto Unleashed) |
- New details on the 2011 BMW M5 appear
- Cadillac Converj might enter production soon
- Mercedes-Benz builds 400 meters of slot car track, goes right through the new E Class Estate
- Performance Chevrolet Volt SS model is a “possibility”, GM’s Bob Lutz says
- New Volvo models will appear if Geely buys it from Ford
- Renault revives Gordini brand, set to launch hot hatches Twingo, Clio and Megane under it
- Lumma unveils the CLS 730 RS, a massive 730 HP BMW M5
- GM appoints its executive VP Nick Reilly as Opel and GM Europe CEO
| New details on the 2011 BMW M5 appear Posted: 12 Nov 2009 02:50 AM PST  While it is still held in high regard, the current generation BMW M5 is nearing the end of the 5-Series’ life cycle, meaning that the M division is already working hard with the next iteration of the performance saloon. Talking to Autocar, the development director of the M division, Albert Biermann, revealed quite a lot of interesting details. First off, as you might have guessed, the biggest change is dropping from a naturally aspirated V10 to a turbocharged V8 engine, already employed on the M-badged models of the X5 and X6 SUVs. The reasoning behind this “blasphemy” is the new strategy to cut fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, the Efficient Dynamics one.
Don’t go thinking that this will mean a drop in performance for the new M5, codenamed F10M, as the engine develops on the SUVs around 555 HP, and according to Biermann, the torque will increase from the current generation’s 383 lb-ft (at 6,100 rpm) to almost 500 lb-ft at just 1,500 rpm. Besides the new engine, the new M5 will also get a new cooling system, in order to dissipate the heat from the new power unit, but also the M3’s 7-speed DCT dual clutch automatic transmission and many weight saving solutions, including a carbon fiber roof and bootlid. A plethora of many other changes are also prepared, according to Biermann, but we’ll have to wait until the end of 2010/beginning of 2011 to see a production-ready model of the next generation M5. Are you excited about it? Leave a comment below. Source: Autocar Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Cadillac Converj might enter production soon Posted: 12 Nov 2009 01:42 AM PST  It seems that GM is bent on having a larger presence in the all-electric car market and the upcoming Chevrolet Volt won’t be the only model it has planned, as sources are now indicating that the Cadillac Converj concept, shown at the Detroit Motor Show, might make its way into production. But before you start celebrating this decision, bear in mind it is only a rumor and it won’t be until some time has passed since the late 2010 release of the Volt that GM would launch another electric vehicle, based on the Voltec system. Either way, the Converj made a lot of heads turn in Detroit, and might certainly be on the most attractive electric vehicles coming from GM. While we can’t know for sure, various executives like Bob Lutz are backing up a production version of the Converj, which shouldn’t change its look too much from the concept version. Would you be interested in such a model like the Cadillac Converj? Leave a comment below and share your opinion with us. Source: DetroitNews via Autoblog Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Mercedes-Benz builds 400 meters of slot car track, goes right through the new E Class Estate Posted: 12 Nov 2009 01:24 AM PST  Estate models are catered to a specific niche of the market, generally to people looking to drive their families around and have enough space for all of the luggage. But at least according to Mercedes-Benz, owning an Estate doesn’t meant you can have fun. This concept is represented by a brand new video which shows the Mercedes team build an 400-meter (around a quarter mile) slot car track in a studio, with several pieces of the 1,275 used on it going through the E Class Estate model. Built beforehand on a computer, the track can be lapped by 1:32 DTM models in a lengthy 4 minutes and 40 seconds. Hit the jump to see the video of this interesting project.
Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Performance Chevrolet Volt SS model is a “possibility”, GM’s Bob Lutz says Posted: 12 Nov 2009 01:03 AM PST  When thinking about the upcoming Chevrolet Volt all electric car, many things come to mind, if you’re an American tax-payer, things which aren’t so good towards GM, but according to the corporation’s top PR man, Bob Lutz, “performance” might just be another word which will come to mind. According to the executive, a performance version of the Chevrolet Volt, presumably badged as an SS model, might appear at some point in time: “I would not discount that possibility.”. Lutz also says that such a thing can be easily achieved: “If we want to sacrifice a little bit of fuel efficiency in the interest of performance and still get over 200 miles per gallon, we can do that any time.” While this shouldn’t mean that people should refrain from buying a Tesla Roadster for example in hopes of the Chevrolet Volt SS, there is hope that GM will cater to the performance electric car market in the future, using the Volt or another car. Source: Autoblog Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| New Volvo models will appear if Geely buys it from Ford Posted: 12 Nov 2009 12:47 AM PST  According to recent sources close to the Chinese carmaker Geely, which is now the preferred bidder by Ford to sell the Volvo brand, it plans to release around three new models withing the first four years, and thus boost sales to around 1 million units globally. It seems that the Chinese carmaker is definitely prepared for the job and if the deal goes through, it will build a new manufacturing plant in China, which will produce around 300,000 units per year. These new models will be more luxurious, and increase Volvo’s presence in the upmarket segment. Many of these models will be sold in Geely’s native China, where it projects that up to 200,000 units can be sold each year, even though Volvo is barely managing to sell 12,000 But the sources also say that the deal between Ford and Geely over Volvo will be made after thorough negotiations, as there are many issues due to the intellectual property rights and technologies shared by the two companies. Source: Autocar Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Renault revives Gordini brand, set to launch hot hatches Twingo, Clio and Megane under it Posted: 12 Nov 2009 12:34 AM PST  While the news that Peugeot has retired the GTI performance badge from its hatchback lineup has certainly made a lot of fans sad, its local French rival, Renault, has made a pledge to stay true to its racing heritage and announced that it will revive the iconic Gordini brand. For those of you not familiar with Renault’s history (you should check out the video after the jump), one of its most famous racing engineers was Amédée Gordini, which prepared famous models like the R8 Gordini for rallying and various other motorsports. Now, this brand will be revived and used for the hatchback lineup from the French company, with models like the Twingo, Clio and Megane set to use it in the near future. The Gordini models will be even more exclusive than the RenaultSport (RS) ones, although no big mechanical upgrades will be made. The only deciding factor will be various retro styling touches, primarily the racing blue with white stripes paint scheme.  The first model to bear the Gordini badge will be the Twingo Gordini RS model, which is teased in the picture at the beginning of the article, and set to be unveiled Renault’s store on the Champs Elysees in Paris on November 25. Other models that will join the Twingo will be the Clio and Megane, sometimes next year. Are you excited about this revival? Share your thoughts in the comments section below, and hit the jump to see a video presentation of the Gordini history of Renault models.
Source: Autoblog Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Lumma unveils the CLS 730 RS, a massive 730 HP BMW M5 Posted: 12 Nov 2009 12:16 AM PST  Is the BMW M5, with its 500 HP not satisfying your need for power? Then Lumma Design has just the thing for you, as it has released word of new tuning and performance package for the current generation BMW M5 E60. Dubbed the CLS 730 RS, it has seen its V10 bi-compressor engine go from the stock performance numbers to a massive 730 HP and 700 Nm of torque. This translates to a 0 to 100 km/h time of 4.2 seconds, reaching 200 in 10 seconds, 300 in 29.5 and topping out at 367 km/h (228 mph). Of course, all of this power needs to be contained, so the team added a custom braking system using 405mm discs, with six pistons at the front and four at the rear. Covering the discs will be a set of lightweight three-piece 21-inch forged wheels, which sticks the car closer to the road after it has been lowered by 45mm.  Other options in the CLS 730 RS package are a carbon fiber boot and bonner, door handles, entrance sills, fenders and the casings of the mirrors. The exhaust system was also replaced, as well as the stock interior, which now sees materials like carbon fiber, leather and suede. Overall, this crazy M5 is definitely something only true enthusiasts would want, if you’re looking for something less powerful, then Lumma can equip you with a 530 HP CLR 500 RS tuning kit. Source: WorldCarFans Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| GM appoints its executive VP Nick Reilly as Opel and GM Europe CEO Posted: 11 Nov 2009 11:58 PM PST  The roller coaster ride through which General Motors put Opel is coming to an end, as after deciding last week that it will keep the German company, the US company has now appointed a new CEO for it and with it for its European branch. But surprisingly, the man who will replace Carl-Peter Forster won’t be Bob Lutz, who was reported as a shoe-in for the position, but another executive VP of GM, Nick Reilly. He will be taking control of the German company and ensuring stability until a new man is appointed by the US corporation. This was after Forster revealed that it should have been for the best if GM sold the company to Canadian partsmaker Magna. Hopefully all of these changes won’t affect the German company and we can expect more great cars from it. Source: Autoblog Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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