Lamborghini Aventador

After months of spy shots, rumors, speculations and scanned photos, this is the new Lamborghini Aventador, the successor of the highly-acclaimed Murcielago. The new Aventador 700-4 is the company's top dog and hopes to be even more successful than its predecessor. The design of the new supercar was inspired by two previous Lamborghini cars, the Reventon and the Sesto Elemento. It also has the air intakes of the Murcielago, but the similarities with other models stop here.

Lamborghini Aventador

It has a newly developed carbon fiber monocoque chassis and an all-new massive V12 6.5-liter engine that cranks out 700 hp (515 kW) @ 8,200 rpm and 509 lb.-ft (690 Nm) of torque @ 5,500 rpm. This impressive engine is mated to an IRS – Independent Shifting Rod transmission. The gearbox needs only 50 milliseconds to shift gears and it is considerably lighter than a traditional dual-clutch unit while at the same time it is more compact in comparison to a standard manual gearbox.

Lamborghini Aventador

The car is able to sprint to 60 mph in only 2.9 seconds, onto a top speed of 350 km/h. Fuel consumption (not like it matters) will be 17.2 liters / 100 km in the combined cycle and CO2 emissions stand at 398 g/km.

Lamborghini Aventador

All that power is transmitted through all the four wheels via the Haldex full-time electronic AWD system that has a self-locking rear differential and an ESP-controlled front diff. The new Aventador has three driving modes to offer: Strada, Sport and Corsa.

Lamborghini Aventador

The Italian automaker installed on its latest creation an F1-inspired pushrod suspension and aluminum wishbones. A fast car needs high-performance brakes and the Aventador comes with carbon ceramic disc brakes that will stop this monster efficiently.

Lamborghini Aventador

Safety-wise, aside from the one-piece design of the car, the driver will be protected by the front, head/thorax and knee airbags. The Aventador's info and readouts are located on a TFT LCD screen, similar to the one we've already seen in the Reventon.

Source: Carscoop

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Finally! Lamborghini Aventador In All Its Glory

Rolls Royce 102EX

The newest addition to the Rolls Royce EX concept series is the 102EX, also known as the Phantom Experimental Electric. The company will bring it to this year's Geneva Motor Show to gauge feedback from the automaker's clientele, shareholders along with the general public to find out if they would like an electric-powered Rolls Royce.

Rolls Royce 102EX

The engineers used the aluminum spaceframe from the Phantom as the foundation of the 102EX and installed not one, but two electric motors (145 kW each) as well as a lithium-ion battery. The latter uses five lithium-cobalt-manganese-oxide "pouch cells" sized at four, eight, ten, thirty-six, and thirty-eight cells in a formation that imitates the shape of a regular engine and transmission.

Rolls Royce 102EX

Charging the 102EX is done by three individual 3kW chargers that permit both single-phase and three-phase charging at 20 hours and 8 hours, respectively. The engineers over at Rolls Royce are also testing induction charging, which uses a big transfer pad located on the floor and an induction pad, installed under the car.

Rolls Royce 102EX

These electric motors offer a combined power of 389 hp (290 kW) and 800 Nm of torque (available instantly) in comparison to the regular Phantom that offers 453 hp (338 kW) and 750 Nm. According to the current estimates made by the automaker, this big EV can do 124 miles (200 km) and is able to reach 60 mph (100 km/h) in less than 8 seconds, onto a limited top speed of 99 mph (160 km/h).

Rolls Royce 102EX

The exterior finish of the Rolls Royce 102EX is finished in four coats of Atlantic Chrome which is a shade of paint that uses ceramic nano particles in order to offer a special reflective surface. The car's fuel cap has been customized so that it will offer a charging point with LED indicators that can show the current charge status: blue for the initial stage; flashing blue while charging; green when the batteries are fully charged; flashing green when the charging solenoid is removed and red/flashing red when there is a problem in the system.

Rolls Royce 102EX

The aforementioned Atlantic Chrome is also available inside the cabin of the 102EX, where the gauges have been modified in order to offer information about the car's electric drive train. Rolls Royce also installed a switch in the front center armrest that was designed for controlling charging and also houses a readout that exhibits the 102EX's charge status.

Rolls Royce 102EX

It wouldn't be a proper Rolls Royce if it wasn't dominated by a luxurious feeling. For this reason, they've used Corinova leather for the interior that uses a "natural vegetable tanning process" and is entirely chrome-free and instead of using wood, it utilizes aluminized foil weave.

Source: Carscoop

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Geneva Preview – Rolls Royce 102EX EV Study

Skoda VisionD Design Study

Skoda will be bringing to the 2011 edition of the Geneva Motor Show the new VisionD Design Study along with a new logo. The concept car will preview the company's new design direction and it will be a sharp-looking five-door hatchback. The automaker said the short overhangs and the long wheelbase will allow the car to offer above-average interior space, while the dynamic roof line gives the VisionD Design Study a "high degree of visual majesty."

Skoda VisionD Design Study

Thanks to the absence of the third lateral glass and the fluent integration of the tailgate into the car's overall line, the vehicle has a very dynamic look, quite attractive for a Skoda. In the front it has a big and sharp-edged grille that is interrupted in the middle upper part by the aforementioned new logo. The fog lights and the headlights have rectangular, thin shapes, while the taillights are high-placed and have a trapezoidal form and cover well the rear flanks.

Skoda VisionD Design Study

Inside the cabin, there is a modern look that offers a center console which is dominated by the generous touchscreen display, a complex instrument panel with two large round-shaped displays and simple cylindrical-shaped controls for the car's climate system.

Regarding the new Skoda logo, the most important modification would be the winged arrow, which now becomes much more visible and larger in comparison to the old one. The automaker said that the color has also changed from "natural green" to a new "SKODA Green" and the contour of the logo has a chrome appearance.

Skoda VisionD Design Study

More information about the Skoda VisionD Design Study will be revealed today when the car will have its official debut at the 81^st edition of the Geneva Motor Show. Stay tuned.

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Geneva Preview – Skoda VisionD Design Study

Last month we've mentioned that the Romanian SUV, the Dacia Duster will get the engine from a Nissan GT-R for a specially-prepared car that will participate to this year's Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. It seems that the car will not be getting a Japanese engine as the engineers over at Renault Sport Technologies will prepare a one-off 850 hp version of the car that meets the Pikes Peak regulations.

The Dacia Duster has previous racing experience as famous F1 driver Alain Prost drove the Romanian SUV in the Andros Trophy ice-racing championship last year. This time, the Duster will be driven by Jean-Philippe Dayraut who managed to win the Andros Trophy for three times. Further details about the car will be revealed in a few weeks by the Romanian automaker.

The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb will be held on June 26 this year and it is a 12.42 mile (20 km) course that has 156 turns. Beginning at 9,390 feet (2,862 m) and ending at 14,100 feet (4,301 m), the race is quite difficult taking into consideration the fact that the rarefied air slows reflexes, saps muscle strength and at the same time lowers the power of the engine by 30% at the summit. Add to this the fact that the road surface alternates gravel with asphalt, it isn't a race for everyone.

Source: Carscoop

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Dacia Duster At The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb

Ford BTCC Focus Race Car

Ford will unveil this week at the 81^st edition of the Geneva Motor Show the first touring race version of the all-new Focus, ahead of its scheduled track debut that will occur at the end of this month in the British Touring Car Championship at Brands Hatch.

Ford BTCC Focus Race Car

The car was developed by Arena Motorsport with technical support from the Blue Oval, and it will be the first car to come out from a global initiative of the automaker to support private teams around the world in developing one common race car to meet the S2000 specifications.

Ford BTCC Focus Race Car

In order to fulfill the local regulations, the UK-based Arena Motorsport Team Aon chose a Ford turbocharged 2.0-liter engine, instead of using the 1.6-liter Ford EcoBoost power unit that other teams will use in championships, in line with the international regulations imposed by FIA.

Ford BTCC Focus Race Car

The automaker announced that the new BTCC Focus Race Car will take part in all of the 10 races in the 2011 British Touring Car Championship.

Source: Ford

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Geneva Preview – Ford BTCC Focus Race Car

Volkswagen Bulli

The German automaker Volkswagen will bring this week to Geneva a new concept model named Bulli, which is a development of the Microbus study from 10 years ago. It will be a more compact car if we look at its dimensions: 3.99 meters long, 1.75 meters wide and 1.70 meters tall. It will have a 2.62 wheelbase and can accommodate six people, three in the front and three in the back (3+3).

Volkswagen Bulli

The 370-liters boot volume can be extended to 1,600 liters when the rear bench is folded. The VW Bulli can be turned into a camper van thanks to the seat system that can be transformed into a large reclining surface.

Volkswagen Bulli

In the center console, VW has installed a removable iPad that acts like an infotainment touchscreen, controlling various functions like the Bluetooth hands-free phone, media center and the navigation system.

Volkswagen Bulli

The Bulli has been fitted with an electric motor that is linked to a battery, allowing the concept to cover up to 185 miles (300 km) on a single charge. The output of this motor is 85 kW and the torque value is 199 lb.-ft (270 Nm), available instantly.  The 40-kWh lithium-ion battery can be charged in less than an hour at an electric refueling station, according to the automaker.

Volkswagen Bulli

The Volkswagen Bulli is able to sprint to 60 mph in 11.5 seconds, onto a top speed of 87 mph (140 km/h). This concept can also incorporate traditional petrol and diesel power units, with displacements between 1.0 and 1.4-liter.

Volkswagen Bulli

The German manufacturer didn't say anything about the possibility to start making the car, but admits it "”has the potential to establish a new, fifth brand of people carrier next to the Caddy, Touran, Sharan and its large counterpart – the Caravelle."

Source: VW

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Geneva Preview – VW Bulli

Bentley Supersports Ice Speed Record

A couple of weeks ago Bentley managed to break the ice speed world record by hitting a top speed of 205.48 mph (330.70 km/h), a record that was set by Juha Kankunen. In order to celebrate this important achievement, the automaker announced that it will roll out a special edition Supersports Ice Speed Record edition which will be unveiled this week at the 81^st edition of the Geneva Motor Show.

Bentley Supersports Ice Speed Record

The car will feature a W12 twin turbocharged 6.0-liter engine that produces 631 hp (640 PS / 471 kW) and 590 lb.-ft (800 Nm) of torque. Thanks to this massive power unit, the car will be able to sprint to 60 mph in 3.8 seconds and to 100 mph in only 9.4 seconds.

Bentley Supersports Ice Speed Record

The car will also get large diameter (420 mm front / 356 mm rear) carbon ceramic brake discs with 8-piston calipers in the front for offering fade-resistant stopping power. The 20-inch, 10-spoke wheels are wrapped around with Pirelli 275/35ZR20 ultra high performance rubber.

Bentley Supersports Ice Speed Record

Bentley announced that they are going to make only 100 units of the Supersports Ice Speed Record and all of them will be built at the company's Crewe plant.

Bentley Supersports Ice Speed Record

No information regarding the price of this limited edition was revealed.

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Bentley Supersports Ice Speed Record Announced

Seat IBX Concept

Leaked online yesterday, Seat has revealed its new concept car, dubbed IBX. They say that it is an urban sports utility vehicle that was developed for an active lifestyle. Looking at the car, it resembles a little with the BMW X6 and combines the versatility of an SUV with the elegance of a coupe.

Seat IBX Concept

The car measures 4.25 meters in length, 1.80 meters in width and 1.62 meters in height and is powered by an advanced hybrid powertrain. The Spanish automaker said that in electric model, the IBX Concept is able to drive for up to 28 miles (45 km). Seat said that they are at the moment considering both a direct injection TSI and TDI engine for the combustion unit. Also in the works there is a 4WD system.

Seat IBX Concept

This relatively compact crossover model is a little bit smaller than the Volkswagen Tiguan and appears to be a follow up on the automaker's 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show Tribu concept, a car that never got the green light for production. However, this time the Spanish automaker says that the IBX demonstrates "a possible expansion of the SEAT product portfolio."

Source: SEAT

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Geneva Preview – Seat IBX Concept

2012 Ford Ranger Wildtrak

Ford has announced that it will bring to this year's edition of the Geneva Motor Show the revised version Ranger Wildtrak and it will come with a new 2.2-liter Duratorq TDCi diesel power unit that will provide the pickup truck a towing capacity of up to 3350 kg and increased payload capacity. Inside the cabin, the driver will get a rear view camera system, voice control, Bluetooth as well as other gizmos.

2012 Ford Ranger Wildtrak

The updated model will have an 800 mm water-wading capability and a 230 mm ground clearance. Ford will put on sale three versions of body styles, two ride heights, 4×2 and 4×4 drive trains. Other engines that are going to be available with this pickup truck include a Dagenham-built, 4-cylinder 2.2-liter diesel that will develop 150 PS and a peak torque of 375 Nm, along with a more powerful 4-cylinder 3.2-liter diesel engine that will provide 200 PS and 470 Nm of torque.

2012 Ford Ranger Wildtrak

The automaker has not revealed any pricing information about the 2012 Ranger Wildtrack, but they've said that the pickup truck is going to be available starting with this November.

Source: Ford

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2012 Ford Ranger Wildtrak

Ford B-MAX

Set to be unveiled this week at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show, Ford's new B-MAX concept model has a very interesting door concept that features an integrated B-pillar construction and twin sliding doors. The automaker said that this new door concept of the B-MAX is ready for mass production. The concept previews the automaker's upcoming small MPV, designed in order to replace the current European-spec Fusion model and rival the Opel Meriva.

Ford B-MAX

This almost production-ready minivan is based on the Fiesta platform and by eliminating the traditional B- pillar; the automaker said that the car will provide the best-in-class access to the cabin without having to compromise safety. With both front and rear doors open, the aperture measure 1.5 meters, which is about twice in comparison to what competitors have to offer, according to Ford.

Ford B-MAX

The minivan measures a little over 4 meters in length and is 110 mm longer and 110 mm taller than the 5-door Fiesta hatchback. The company said that the B-MAX will provide enough room inside for five passengers. The rear seats can be folded 60/40 and by doing so, the minivan can provide a flat load floor that can extend up to 2.35 meters in length when the front passenger seat is also folded.

Ford B-MAX

Under the hood there is an all-new 3-cylinder 1.0-liter that benefits from the EcoBoost technology and features the company's auto start/stop system. This power unit uses direct fuel injection, turbocharging and twin variable cam timing, managing to achieve significant reductions in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. At the moment, this engine is in its final development stage and it will replace the larger conventional 4-cyinder power units in the near future.

Ford B-MAX

The production version of the Ford B-MAX will be launched in the next two years.

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Geneva Preview – Ford B-MAX