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Monday, January 4, 2010
RPMGO.com (former Auto Unleashed) |
- Top Gear Season 14 Episode 7 review
- Video: 9ff TR 1000 is the world’s fastest Porsche 911 at 391 km/h (243 mph)
- New Honda CR-Z leaked photos showcase the hybrid in action, no more brochures
- Video: See Travis Pastrana’s record-breaking New Year’s jump in a Subaru Impreza WRX STI
- Future Audi A7 to offer A8 quality for slightly higher A6 price
- Next Mercedes-Benz S Class to feature plug-in hybrid version
- Video: Maybach 62 trades paint with Bentley Continental in Russia, repairs to cost as much as a new car
- No, the Lexus LFA’s V10 engine won’t be used on a possible GS F
- Buick targets youger, under 70, audience with 2011 Regal
- New details surface about the Audi S1, it will rival the Mini Cooper S with its 180 HP
| Top Gear Season 14 Episode 7 review Posted: 04 Jan 2010 04:43 AM PST  In what is the first episode in 2010 and the last of the current season 14, Top Gear has went all out and tested quite a few interesting vehicles, besides some rather awkward ones. Until the summer of 2010 though, this is the final bang of the popular TV series. Did it do alright or did it disappoint? Hit the jump to read our review and watch some snippets of video. Next up was the rather unusual news segment, which revealed that the show had been recorded in the middle of December, due to time and money constraints. This prompted some talk, much about Saab, and how the presenters can’t really say for sure that they expect the new 9-5 or not. After much talk, the guys decided to test out some of the new electric transportation methods, seeing as how in order to save the Earth we will all buy them sooner or later. While James tried to assemble an electric bicycles, Richard used an electric skateboard while Jeremy something which can hardly be described as practical. Needless to say, the things which were already assembled resulted in some serious crashes in the studio. Jeremy then decided to showcase just how little money was left and tested out the BMW X6 in Britain … and Australia, and Switzerland, and Spain and Hong Kong. The obvious result was that the X6 is pretty much useless no matter in what conditions you use it, and with its high price tag, it’s useless in this economy. Watch the segment below before its yanked off of YouTube. Next up was James with the Vauxhall/Opel Insignia VXR, the performance edition of the sedan, which, in lack of any ideas and money (thanks to Jeremy), was tested alongside one of the inventors of the road signs used in Britain today. Yeah, seriously. Last but not least, like any end of the year edition, the Top Gear awards were given. which you can watch below. Overall, a proper goodbye to season 14. Until the summer of 2010, we can only dream about what the boys will film. Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Video: 9ff TR 1000 is the world’s fastest Porsche 911 at 391 km/h (243 mph) Posted: 04 Jan 2010 04:19 AM PST  A few weeks ago we showed you the impressive 9ff GT9-R, which promises to output around 1120 HP, and reach speeds of 414 km/h (257.2 mph). Sadly, in the quest for speed, the 9ff team modified it so much that it isn’t even considered a Porsche 911 anymore. In order to make things right, the team has now presented the 9ff TR 1000, which after a “few” modifications, like an improved intercooler, sport camshafts, a new crankshaft, a sport air filter, a revised ECU and a new performance exhaust system, will squeeze 1000 HP and 1040 Nm of torque from its flat-six engine. The performance figures, you ask? Why 0 to 100 km/h in 3.2 seconds, and will be able to reach an astonishing 391 km/h (243 mph), which was achieved on the ATP test track in Papenburg, Germany. But besides the whopping figures, what’s more mind boggling is that it will be a one-off creation, which was reportedly commissioned by a Greek millionaire for his 25-year-old girlfriend. Just let that sink in a little before hitting the jump to see a video of the performance model. Source: WorldCarFans Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| New Honda CR-Z leaked photos showcase the hybrid in action, no more brochures Posted: 04 Jan 2010 01:45 AM PST  I think we can officially call the Honda CR-Z one of the world’s worst kept secrets. Set to be revealed at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show which will begin next week, the model has been appearing in leaked photos since last month, when brochure scans flooded the Internet. Now, new leaked pics have appeared, this time from a presumed video, which showcase the CR-Z on the road, in its full hybrid glory. The new pictures showcase just a slightly tweaked design of the concept that has been shown at various conventions up until now, with slight touches being added to the front fascia.  We already previewed the inside thanks to another brochure, and the overall feeling of this new model is quite good. For those of you who have forgotten, it will use a 1.5-liter gasoline engine in tandem with an electric motor, resulting in a combined 126 HP. Source: Autocar Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Video: See Travis Pastrana’s record-breaking New Year’s jump in a Subaru Impreza WRX STI Posted: 04 Jan 2010 01:06 AM PST  As we revealed a few months ago, rally car driver Travis Pastrana was preparing to welcome 2010 with a huge bang, and planned to attempt a record-breaking jump in his Subaru Impreza WRX STI rally car. While confidence was high, previous practice jumps didn’t really go according to plan. Did he make it? You’re going to have to hit the jump to find out, and then ponder on how your New Year’s experience compared to Pastrana’s. Source: Autoblog Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Future Audi A7 to offer A8 quality for slightly higher A6 price Posted: 04 Jan 2010 12:51 AM PST  The upcoming Audi A7 is the company’s answer to things like the BMW 5 Series GT or the Mercedes-Benz CLS, but what it will actually offer for existing Audi consumers is a blend of the flagship’s A8 quality with a more reasonable price tag, closer to the A6. Audi’s head of exterior design, Achim Badstubner, has talked with Autocar and revealed that currently, there is a considerable price gap between a fully decked out A6 and the base A8, a gap which the A7 will gladly occupy. The A7 will use the platform of the A6, sharing the same wheelbase, but will still use engines from both lineups, and the interior will be closer to the A8. Badstubner also highlighted that a two-door A7 won’t be made, saying that coupes of such size aren’t the way his company wants to go. If it will be marketed properly, I think the A7 has quite a lot of potential. What do you think? Leave a comment with your thoughts. Source: Autocar Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Next Mercedes-Benz S Class to feature plug-in hybrid version Posted: 04 Jan 2010 12:35 AM PST  Yes, you read the title right, Mercedes-Benz has just revealed that the next generation of its flagship S Class limousine will see a plug-in hybrid version, with the technology then set to be implemented in other classes. In a new effort to boost its green cred and to attract people which have the money to spend on luxury hybrids, Mercedes promises figures around over 80 mpg and just 100 g/km of CO2 emissions. This will not only be due to the electric motor running in tandem with the gasoline one, as aerodynamic improvements and weight reductions will also be a part of the new S Class.
Don’t expect a purely plug-in electric variant though, as the Mercedes exec ruled it out almost immediately.
While it hasn’t been dated exactly, the new S Class generation is certain to keep on bringing innovations to the Mercedes lineup. Let’s hope that the promises of such great fuel figures from the heavy limousine will become a reality. Source: Autocar Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Posted: 04 Jan 2010 12:17 AM PST  Let’s say you’re a rich Russian man. After years of being forced to blend in and drive some awkward cars, capitalism has brought forth a wide selection of luxury vehicles, like the Bentley Continental or the Maybach 62. But when it snows, leave those cars in the garage and just use the spare change for an SUV or something, and prevent incidents like this recent one, where a Continental and a Maybach have traded paint due to slippery road conditions in Russia’s capital, Moscow. No major damage was caused, but you can clearly easily say that the repairs on both vehicles will cost as much as a new reasonable car. Hit the jump to see a video of the Russian news filming the aftermath. Source: WorldCarFans Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| No, the Lexus LFA’s V10 engine won’t be used on a possible GS F Posted: 03 Jan 2010 11:59 PM PST  While we were busy partying, a few rumors emerged on the Internet regarding the possible Lexus GS F, which was often speculated as a BMW M5/Mercedes-Benz E63 killer, and that it might use a slightly tamed version of the V10 unit from the newly revealed Lexus LFA supercar. Although it was quite a stretch, as the current trend in the car industry is to go for smaller engines, with both the upcoming F10-generation BMW M5 and the future performance Mercedes models to go for smaller displacements units, the rumor did ride a strong momentum. That is, until a Lexus Europe representative released a small statement on Twitter, saying that while he will not comment on the possibility of a GS F model, the V10 on the LFA is completely bespoke, and won’t be used on any other car. That’s a smash for that piece of speculation, but it seems that we might hear about the GS F in the future, so those of you left craving for a Japanese performance sedan might still have their wish fulfilled. Source: Autoblog and Lexus Europe’s Twitter Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Buick targets youger, under 70, audience with 2011 Regal Posted: 03 Jan 2010 11:43 PM PST  I’m from Europe so I haven’t really been exposed with US brands like Buick when I was young, but what I did get from various American movies or TV series was that it was for old people. A new study shows that while the average auto buyer age is around 52, Buick buyers average out at around 70. Now, however you put it, and with all the respect for its buyers, things aren’t pretty. But they are changing though, largely thanks to the 2010 LaCrosse, which has attracted buyers averaging around 55. But the true turnaround for the brand, at least according to its new CEO, Brian Sweeney, will be the 2011 Regal. The model will use its Opel Insignia roots and be marketed in a more aggressive manner at “coffee shops, art fairs and wine festivals,” or in a word, where Buick execs heard younger people hang out. What do you think? Will the Regal and LaCrosse finally eliminate the “Buick is for old people” stigmata? Source: Automotive News via Autoblog Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| New details surface about the Audi S1, it will rival the Mini Cooper S with its 180 HP Posted: 03 Jan 2010 11:30 PM PST  Even though it is due to be revealed at the end of this year, at the Paris Motor Show, the new Audi S1 has been recently detailed, complete with power ratings, and whether or not it will use the Audi’s trademark Quattro system. First off, the new S1, which will be the performance version of the upcoming Audi A1 city car, will share many things with another upcoming model, the Volkswagen Polo GTI, including the same 1.4-liter turbocharged direct-injection four-cylinder engine, which will be slightly tweaked to offer 180 HP and around 184 lb-ft in the S1. Expect a more aggressive styling to be used, including revamped bumpers, lower ride height, chrome-tinted mirror housings and a set of 17-inch wheels to be employed on the new model. But according to Audi’s Michael Dick, it seems that the S1 won’t be using the quattro system, as it would’ve just added more weight. Instead, it will use a front-wheel drive system, and take the fight to models like the Mini Cooper S or the Alfa Romeo MiTo Cloverleaf. Will the A1/S1 gamble pay off for Audi? Sound off in the comments below. Source: Autocar Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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