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Tuesday, May 4, 2010
RPMGO.com (former Auto Unleashed) |
- Ferrari won’t launch four-door models, CEO says
- Volkswagen Polo R set to arrive after GTI?
- Video: BMW gets Dynamic Car Identity proposal with rotating roundel
- GM might not bring Chevrolet Orlando MPV to the US
- Veritas RS III might enter the FIA GT1 World Championship
- Video: Fiat 500 Abarth race car goes sideways on two wheels
- 2011 Buick Regal models get flex-fuel capability
- GM recalls 40,000 2005-2006 Chevrolet Corvette models over steering issues
- NHTSA investigates 2007 Dodge Caliber over sticky accelerator pedal
- Nissan celebrates 40th anniversary of first Z-car championship win with BRE 370Z
| Ferrari won’t launch four-door models, CEO says Posted: 04 May 2010 02:19 AM PDT  The newest trend among luxury sportscar manufacturers, besides reducing weight and keeping emissions as low as possible, is the introduction of four-door sedans. We’ve seen the Porsche Panamera or the Aston Martin Rapide, so a lot of people are wondering what’s the next luxury carmaker that will go for four. According to Amedeo Felisa, the boss of Ferrari, you can scratch the Italian sportscar manufacturer from that list, as he proclaimed that a four-door model won’t appear in the future from his company.
Those who really want a four-door Ferrari should opt for a Maserati, according to Felisa. He also revealed that the research in hybrid technology or the appearance of start-stop systems was imposed on the company due to emissions regulations, but that four-doors aren’t in any other rule book. As you may remember, McLaren’s Ron Dennis also revealed that his own company will stick to making sportscars without four-doors, in order to keep the brand pure. Source: Autocar Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Volkswagen Polo R set to arrive after GTI? Posted: 04 May 2010 01:57 AM PDT  Volkswagen revealed at the beginning of the year that its new R performance division (think BMW’s M or Mercedes-Benz’s AMG) will improve a lot of models currently in the range of the German company. It seems that after the Scirocco R and the Golf R, the next model to receive a performance upgrade will be the Polo hatchback. As you may remember, VW launched the Polo GTI hot hatch (pictured above) two months ago in Geneva, with its 1.4-liter TFSI (twincharged) engine developing 170 HP. For the Volkswagen Polo R, engineers plan on adding an even more potent 1.6-liter turbocharged engine, capable of a whopping 210 HP. This unit will no doubt be connected to a DSG gearbox but, unlike the Golf R, will send its power only to the front wheels, as the Polo’s platform doesn’t support AWD, like the Golf’s. We were extremely pleased with the upcoming Polo GTI so the aspect of even more power being squeezed out of the compact hatch should make things even hotter for the 2010 World Car of the Year winner. Source: Autocar Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Video: BMW gets Dynamic Car Identity proposal with rotating roundel Posted: 04 May 2010 01:37 AM PDT  Car logos often need to inspire both the essence of the brand and its elegance, as opposed to other ones. This is especially true with luxury carmakers, that often want to surprise the customer with brand elements. In recent times we’ve seen things like wheel hubcaps that ‘float’, staying still while the wheel rotates, or the disappearing Rolls Royce hood ornaments. A company, Zafira Consulting & Trading, took things one step further, and proposed a novel idea to BMW. The Bavarian company should make their famous roundel logo move, specifically rotate, to elevate its brand above the rest. In order to drive the point home, the company released a video with the ‘dynamic car identity’ (aka the rotating roundel), both alone and on a Z4 roadster. While we won’t see this on stock BMW cars, we’re pretty sure tuners will definitely be interested in this, in order to give their BMW a more unique feel. Hit the jump and check out BMW’s dynamic logo. Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| GM might not bring Chevrolet Orlando MPV to the US Posted: 04 May 2010 01:21 AM PDT  GM, after recuperating from its troubled 2009, began hyping up the future lineup its mainstream brand, Chevrolet, will boast this year and in 2011 on the US market. Among cars like the Cruze or the Volt was the Orlando seven-seater, already presented in concept form last year. Now, according to a new report, the Orlando might not be visiting American shores, as GM plans to launch it on other markets like Europe or Asia. Why would it do such a thing? The family needs in the US market can easily be satisfied by other choices from the Chevrolet lineup, like the Equinox, Traverse of Malibu, all vehicles with a bit more popularity behind them than the all-new Orlando, according to a GM representative. Another reason behind this rather surprising decision might be the Chevrolet Volt MPV5 extended-range electric vehicle concept, that was showcased in Beijing last month, which might make it to the USA as an eco-friendly people carrier. Source: Automotive News via Autoblog Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Veritas RS III might enter the FIA GT1 World Championship Posted: 04 May 2010 01:02 AM PDT  The FIA GT1 World Championship saw two races of its 2010 season already held, lining up fabulous racers like the Nissan GT-R, Ford GT1, Aston Martin DBR9 or other such rides. But according to the newest rumor, it seems that motorsport competition might get even more exotic, as luxury carmaker Veritas might bring the stunning RS III into the FIA GT1 World Championship. The company is rumored to be working a fixed-roof racer, up to the GT1 safety spec. For those who forgot the Veritas RS III is powered by a the same BMW V10 engine found on the current generation M5, capable of 500+ HP. Given that the racing alterations will no doubt increase the output, it seems the RS III might offer an interesting fight if it will enter the competition. An official announcement is expected at the beginning of summer, and the company might enter the car towards the end of the 2010 FIA GT1 World Championship. Source: Motorpasion via Autoblog Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Video: Fiat 500 Abarth race car goes sideways on two wheels Posted: 04 May 2010 12:17 AM PDT  We cover quite a lot of motorsport competitions around here, but seeing as how many involve big, heavy cars that can barely overtake one another on intricate circuits, most don’t have a huge appeal. Luckily, the crazy guys at Abarth decided to prepare the Fiat 500 city car for racing duty in the Trofeo Abarth 500 competition. Do you want proof of how awesome this race series is? How about this stunning piece of racing showcased by Danish driver Benny Simonsen, who went too fast in corner and lost control of the 500’s back. If he was in a proper racing car like a tourer or a F1 vehicle, he would have just spun out. But given the crazy nature of the Fiat 500, with a high center of gravity and short wheelbase, the car went sideways for a period, then on two wheels. Luckily the Danish driver kept his cool and got the Abarth 500 back on all four wheels. Hit the jump and check out this great racing video. Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| 2011 Buick Regal models get flex-fuel capability Posted: 04 May 2010 12:01 AM PDT  Those eagerly awaiting the 2011 Buick Regal, which will be heavily based on the European Opel/Vauxhall Insignia sedan, will be in for a special treat this fall. Before you ask, no, the Regal GS concept won’t appear alongside its regular brethren, as this surprise will cater to the more eco-friendly Buick fans. The first models, made in Germany, are already being shipped out to dealerships with the normally aspirated 2.4-liter engine. This fall, the 2.0-liter direct injection turbocharged unit will also make an appearance. At that time, both engines will gain flex-fuel capability, meaning you can either fill the tank up with regular gasoline or E85 ethanol. For those not in the know, this technology is borrowed from Saab, as the Swedish company used flex-fuel capable engines for its 9-5 sedan, that rides on the same platform as the Regal. GM hopes that this turbocharged and direct injected engine will be able to offer almost the same average, no matter the fuel it uses. Normally, running on E85 ethanol worsened the fuel average by 15%, but according to GM, future iterations of this engine will make fuel averages even across the board. Source: Buick via Autoblog Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| GM recalls 40,000 2005-2006 Chevrolet Corvette models over steering issues Posted: 03 May 2010 11:42 PM PDT  The NHTSA and General Motors have announced a new recall, affecting 2005 and 2006 Chevrolet Corvette sportscars. About 40,028 vehicles will be recalled to dealerships over a faulty steering column. More specifically, cars with tilt and telescoping steering columns may see the signal sent to the vehicle electronics weaken over time. This will prompt, in some cases, the ‘Service Active Handling System’ light to turn on, and, in extreme events, can even engage the brakes on one side of the car, resulting in a crash. As such, Corvettes built between March 2004 and January 2006 will be called back to dealerships where a fix will be implemented, free of charge. Owners can also contact GM at 800-630-2438. Source: NHTSA via Kicking Tires Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| NHTSA investigates 2007 Dodge Caliber over sticky accelerator pedal Posted: 03 May 2010 11:29 PM PDT  Seeing as how Toyota was forced to issue one of the biggest recalls in history due, largely, to faulty accelerator pedals, you can be sure that the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) will thoroughly investigate any other such case. As such, it has announced yesterday that all 167,000 2007 Dodge Caliber models will be examined, as recent claims have appeared that point to a faulty accelerator pedal that, after being depressed, won’t return to its idle position. Chrysler says that this problem might appear on the 10,000 vehicles available at launch, as the parts supplied were from CTS Corp, the same company who was responsible for the sticky pedals in Toyota’s recalled models. The Pentastar carmaker confirmed that Caliber models have brake override functions, so you will be able to stop the model even if the gas pedal is pressed. Until the NHTSA completes its investigation, Chrysler has invited those with Calibers manufactured between March and April of 2006 to visit dealerships for a free pedal checkup. No incidents stemming from this problem were reported as of yet, but we’ll know more after the federal inquiry will be completed. Source: Detroit News Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Nissan celebrates 40th anniversary of first Z-car championship win with BRE 370Z Posted: 03 May 2010 11:14 PM PDT  As most of you know, Nissan is commemorating this year the 40th anniversary of its performance Z-badged cars. But besides the birth of the iconic range, the company is also celebrating 40 years since it first won a prestigious championship in the USA, thanks to the Datsun 240Z. The competition was the SCCA (Sports Car Club of America) Championship, held at Road Atlanta in 1970. The team that led the Datsun to victory was Pete Brock’s Racing Enterprise (BRE), with driver John Morton behind the wheel. In order to properly celebrate the first victory of a Japanese car in front of German or British models, Nissan teamed up once more with BRE to create a special 370Z model, decked out in the iconic livery sported by the Datsun 40 years ago. Even though it was customized to be up to the SCCA T2 specifications, the BRE 370Z is just a show car and will be showcased around the country this summer, including the Nashville ZCon in July. If you still want to celebrate Z cars, the 40th Anniversary special edition 370Z is still available in Nissan dealerships. Source: Nissan Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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