Electric Volvo C30 Coming To Detroit Auto Show

Volvo has some ambitious plans for the future. In addition to the market launch of a plug-in hybrid in 2012, work is currently under way on evaluating the viability of an entirely electric-powered car.

At next month’s 2010 Detroit Auto Show, Volvo will present this car, the battery-powered all-electric C30 that we first read about back in September.

However, the C30 soon to be shown in Detroit actually takes the company one step further in the development process. It features both a complete interior and full instrumentation, as well as enhanced battery packaging.

The next step in 2010 is a factory-built series of test cars. Selected users will drive the test fleet during a two-year trial period in order to provide Volvo with valuable experience. Not just technical but also behavioural.

The electric C30 is like any other regular C30, however, driving the front wheels is an electric motor housed under the bonnet, just like the engine in a conventional car. One of the priorities within the project was to find the optimal placing of the battery. Volvo engineers found that the prop shaft tunnel and the place where the fuel tank normally is located were the best places. These locations are within the car's optimised crumple zone in the most common collision scenarios. Since the car runs solely on electricity, it requires a larger battery with higher capacity (24 kWh) than in the case of the plug-in hybrid (12 kWh).

The most obvious difference inside the car is the new instruments facing the driver. The gauges and graphics are somewhat different to those in a conventional Volvo. The instrument panel shows in principle only road speed and energy consumption. However, it also integrates a number of new symbols such as a gauge for battery charge status and other relevant information for this type of vehicle.

The driving experience is also different to that in a conventional car. The electric C30 has no gears and the motor's power is delivered seamlessly, with full power available immediately.

Most expensive Hyundai won't come to the UK

Hyundai Equus

Hyundai has just unveiled the new Equus. Priced between about £70,000 and £80,000 in its home market, it is the most expensive car ever produced by the Korean manufacturer.

With its five-litre V8 engine, it is aimed at the BMW 7-Series and Mercedes S-Class; a special bullet-proof version will be used by the Korean president. Hyundai says that the Equus is unlikely to be imported into the UK.

Given the rapid progress being made by the Korean manufacturers, Hyundai's ability to make a convincing car for this price bracket isn't in doubt. On the other hand, experience shows that even when the mainstream car-makers produce vehicles that are as good as those from the prestige brands, these struggle to be taken seriously by badge-conscious buyers – the best recent example being the Volkswagen Phaeton.

The most expensive model in Hyundai's current UK line-up is the rarely-seen £27,000 Genesis saloon; the Grandeur, which slots into the Hyundai range between the Genesis and the Equus, isn't sold here at all. In the long-run, if it is to compete convincingly at the top end in Europe, Hyundai probably needs to create its own luxury brand – as Toyota did with Lexus – or acquire one of the existing premium manufacturers. Both of these options are expensive, but neither would be beyond the resources of Hyundai-Kia, which is now the fourth largest car-maker in the world.

Mercedes' 2010 E550 Coupe wins the E-class beauty contest

Is the 2010 Mercedes E550 Coupe pretty? This is no trivial matter. After all, why would you buy an E Coupe when for about the same money you could get Mercedes' new E Sedan? The mid-size four-door Benz is the standard by which all Mercedeses are measured. It's the company's bestselling model worldwide and the unimpeachable choice for every Beverly Hills tennis pro and real estate agent who ever lived. The E Sedan is bigger, more practical, more richly equipped. It's a car every bit as tightly nailed together, offering performance nearly equal to that of the sports-minded E Coupe. Only one reason: The E Sedan is beastly looking. In my review of June 12, I said the sedan was "very proper and Swabian and gloriously unartistic." In the months since, my opinion has only soured. I hate the way the car slumps at the head like a pole-axed buffalo. I loathe the over-shaved, winnowed taper around the grille. I detest the graceless quadrangle of windows on the sides. I gag on the exaggerated accent lines on the fuselage that don't visually intersect with anything in particular. It's a terrific machine, but really, the E Sedan's homeliness has a kind of malign ambition about it. Meanwhile, the E Coupe, the replacement for the long-lived CLK Coupe, is lovely. The grille -- with two horizontal bars supporting a softball-sized Mercedes emblem -- looks tougher, more masculine and declarative. The black-mesh intakes in the lower bumper are deeper and more aggressive. On the E Coupe, the accent lines actually give the shape some visual velocity, converging like metal contrails at the rear of the car with the deco-like fender flares. The roofline arches exquisitely over a pillarless canopy (that is, there's no "B" pillar roof support). Low, wide and rakish, the E Coupe design has an organized, coherent energy about it, a godly brow to the E Sedan's low forehead.

2010 Abarth Fiat Grande Punto SuperSport

Powered by a 180 HP 1.4, 16v engine that develops 270 Nm of torque at only 3,000 rpm, the Abarth Grande Punto "SuperSport" reaches a top speed of 215 km/h and accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in just 7.5 seconds. This superb performance confirms the car's true racing spirit.

Further contributions to performance come from the modified suspension (one of the features of the "SS" kit), which includes new, more rigid and lower springs, 215/40 R18 tyres and specially designed 7.5 J X 18 alloy wheels. Thanks to this new kit the car has gained a far sportier setup and a roll centre some 20 mm lower. On top of this, the braking system has been equipped with perforated discs front and rear and performance brake pads at the front.

Inside, the Abarth Grande Punto "SuperSport" boasts "Abarth Corsa by Sabelt" leather seats (homologated and lightened in keeping with the car's racing spirit) and an Abarth Blue&MeTM MAP satellite navigation unit with a telemetric function developed in conjunction with Magneti Marelli. In all there are four functions that make this innovative device stand out. The first function, called "monitoring", displays the main acquired in-car parameters (engine rpm, vehicle speed, gear engaged) that are transferred from the Blue&MeTM to the PND (Portable Navigation Device) via Bluetooth. The second function, "Track", accessible if the driver is on one of the circuits present in the device's SD memory, displays a set of additional information such as the car's position on the track (ascertained by GPS) and lap time. The third function, "configuration", makes it possible to store telemetric data for a track and associate it with a personalised session (identified by the driver's name, circuit, date). The information recorded may be retrieved easily and also analysed at a later stage using the fourth "analysis" function.

MANSORY Vitesse Rose

MANSORY just doubled their world-premieres for the 63rd Frankfurt Motor Show. Back to Back with the new generation Chopster, MANSORY will unveil an exclusive limited edition of the Bentley Continental GT Speed named – Vitesse Rose. The MANSORY’s name Vitesse Rose stands for velocity and the dominating Rose colour of the luxurious coupe. The manufacture of the extravagant Continental GT Speed is limited to only three cars.

As we know MANSORY is a synonym of premium quality products and the Vitesse Rose don’t make an exception. The exclusive aerodynamics pack components are made of PU-RIM which guarantees the perfect quality and integration with the original Continental GT Speed design. The front and the rear apron are connected with side skirts and forms a unit that not only present a visual and colour-coordinated refinement but also improves the dynamics of the car. LED daylight running lights are integrated in the front apron for additional passive safety, and in combination with the carbon fibre bonnet enhances the contrast look of the two-door car.

Mazda MX-5 Superlight images

New images of the Mazda MX-5 Superlight have emerged on the evo website. The Superlight will make its debut at the Frankfurt IAA along with pretty much anything else with wheels. Expect the Mazda PR department to hit the ground running with these in the next day or so.

New Golf GTI launched in New Zealand

Volkswagen New Zealand has recently launched a Golf GTI section on their website. Surely, Australia can’t be that far away now! After all, new model GTIs have been in the country for at least a month.

Although, to be fair, it’s probably not worth expecting the New Zealand and Australian model roll outs for Volkswagen to follow any sort of sequence, especially as Kiwis get the lovely Scirocco coupé and Australia doesn’t.

A quick glance of the Volkswagen NZ Golf spec sheet (130kb PDF) shows that Kiwi-bound GTIs are only available in five doors and all fitted with the six speed DSG transmission. No Golfs over the pond are available with a manual box.

Other tidbits of note are the prices. Entry level pricing for the GTI is over NZ$57,000 (AU$46,000) and the 18″ Detroit style alloy wheels featured in most of Volkswagen’s press shots are a NZ$2000 (AU$1620) option. Previously in Australia those wheels have only been available over the parts counter for a not so attractive AU$4500.

Until we hear otherwise, the best guess for a local GTI release is October/November. Hopefully the former of those two options.

Miss Tunning 2009 Pictures Car Babes

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Changes for 2010 Nissan Titan and Frontier Pickup Trucks

Nissan has announced minor updates for its Frontier and Titan pickup trucks for 2010.

2010 Nissan Frontier
The midsize Nissan Frontier received several styling updates last year, including a new grille and wheels, and a name change for its off-road package, from "Nismo" to "PRO-4X." The sole exterior change for 2010 is the debut of a new paint color, called Night Armor.

Standard safety and security equipment is added to the 2010 Frontier, including side curtain airbags on all models and stability control for V-6 models.

Other changes include the increased availability of the Frontier's five-speed automatic transmission for XE models, standard Active Brake Limited Slip (the truck's ABS system is used as a virtual limited-slip differential) for all SE and LE V-6 models, and standard hill start assist and hill descent control for all SE and LE models with four-wheel drive and an automatic transmission.

2010 Nissan Titan
There are no exterior styling changes for the Titan except for the addition of two new paint colors: Blue Steel and Navy Blue.

Nissan is hoping the slow-selling Titan half-ton benefits from the introduction of a new Value Truck Package for its midlevel SE trim. The SE Value Truck Package includes cloth captain’s chairs, a tow hitch, a Bluetooth hands-free phone system, an eight-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, fog lights and more, at a savings over purchasing those items separately, though pricing hasn't been announced yet.

The PRO-4X off-road Titan receives a new chrome badge for its tailgate, plus a standard receiver hitch, seven-pin wiring harness and trailer brake pre-wiring for towing as part of the SE Value Truck Package.

For work truck users, vinyl floors have been added to the entry-level King Cab XE model.

Similar to the Frontier, the Titan also receives standard side curtain airbags, and stability control is now standard for every Titan, as well as Active Brake Limited Slip to control wheel slip using the truck's ABS system instead of a mechanical limited-slip differential.

2010 Nissan Titan Pickup Price List

Nissan has announced the pricing for their brand new 2010 Titan pickup which has now undergone sale in the US market. The new 2010 Titan will feature a new SE Value Truck Pacakge with a set of cloth chairs, a tow hitch, Bluetooth Hands-free, an 8-way power-adjustable driver’s seta and fog lamps.

The enhancements will also include a set of side and curtain air bags, a new Vehicle Dynamic Control and standard Active Brake Limited Slip system as well as two new colours, Blue Steel and Navy Blue.

The Titan pickup will be powered in a King Cab and Crew Cab body style where there will then be a choice of 4×4 and 4×2 drive configurations. The 2010 Titan base model will start at $26,320 while the Titan XE King Cab 4×2 will cost $28,870.

2010 Nissan Titan XE King Cab 4×2: $26,320
2010 Nissan Titan XE Crew Cab 4×2: $28,870
2010 Nissan Titan XE King Cab 4×4: $29,170
2010 Nissan Titan XE Crew Cab 4×4: $31,720

There will also be a long wheel base model with a price tag of $30,970 for the 4×2 model and $33,850 for the 4×4 model.

The engine will be a 317-horsepower 5.6-litre V6 unit connected to an automatic gearbox.

2010 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG photo gallery

The Gullwing has landed! Just a few days out from the car’s official debut Mercedes-Benz have released a suite of images showcasing the SLS AMG ‘Gullwing’.

There is an extensive press release below that outlines all the goodies you would expect such a car to have, from creature comforts to technological details. Of course, the gullwing doors get plenty of mentions, along with the awesome (on paper at least) 570bhp 6.3 litre V8 engine from AMG. There’s even a couple of trick new paint colours including AMG Alubeam silver, which is said to “shine like liquid metal”. There’s also two matte colours in designo magno Allainte Grey and AMG magno Sylvanite Grey. They sound pretty cool too.

This is one car that has had plenty of previews out there in internetland, including a leaked ordering guide. So, without further ado here are 36 45 wallpaper-friendly images of the big Benz supercar which is due in Australia around the middle of 2010.

UPDATE: Nine more pictures added!

Audi’s brown bomber

In one of the first non-official leaks in the lead up to the Frankfurt Motor Show we can get a sneak peak at the Audi R8 Spider. It’s a bit brown isn’t it!

More details as they come to hand.