Thursday, June 30th
Porsche Cayman S Revealed
It is early morning and Porsche's engineers are peeling back the disguise that covers the secret Cayman S, exposing it to the world for the first time. There is not a spy photographer in sight, but we have joined the test team putting the car through its paces in South Africa. There is no doubt that it looks fantastic. Out in the early morning sun, the newcomer appears even hotter than its bigger brother, the 911. Pitched as an alternative to the Mercedes SLK and BMW Z4, it is set to hit UK showrooms in November at £44,000. Flared wheelarches...........[
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Wednesday, June 29th
The More Efficient Volvo XC90 D5
Volvo XC90 D5 Location is everything, even when it comes to engines. While Volvo's D5 diesel unit has always been near the top of the class in the S60 saloon, it has never offered as much appeal in the heavier XC90 off-roader. This model's power and refinement are no match for the BMW X5 3.0d so, to make its SUV more desirable - and keep up with the competition - Volvo has reworked the 2.4-litre five-cylinder oil-burner. A larger turbocharger, an improved injection system and a redesigned combustion chamber have raised power from 163bhp to 185bhp, and torque from 340Nm...........[
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Tuesday, June 28th
BSA aims to be top alloy wheels manufacturer
BSA International Bhd Group (BSA) is confident of being ranked among the world's top 10 alloy wheel manufacturers by 2007, said executive chairman Tan Sri Cam Soh Thiam Hong. He said after the Liaoning province investment conference in Kuala Lumpur yesterday that the future was bright for the group. Soh said the global demand for aluminium alloy wheels was expected to be mainly driven by the original equipment manufacturing (OEM) sub-sector and the group had the infrastructure in place to meet the demand from the OEM market. The group owns a factory in Fushun city, Liaoning province. Soh said the...........[
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Monday, June 27th
Wraps Off New Benz S-Class
After months of spy photos and rumors, DaimlerChrysler has released the first official images of the much-awaited new Mercedes-Benz S-Class, set to replace the current generation which has been on the market for almost seven years - an eternity for high-luxury car standards. MB’s new flagship sedan will makes its world debut at September’s Frankfurt Motor Show, presenting several technological innovations to regain the class-leader status obtained back when its predecessor was launched in 1998. Wrapped in a clearly Maybach-inspired exterior with hood, doors and trunk made of aluminum, the new S-class has grown in every dimension as is de...........[
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Friday, June 24th
Now You Can Be Schumacher's Teammate - For $1.8m
Ever thought of being a Ferrari Test Driver? Us, too. Believe it or not, the Ultimate Dream Job is now available - sort of. The legendary Maranello-based sports-car maker has removed the wraps on its FXX project, a limited run of tweaked-beyond-recognition Enzos available to selected customers. “Limited” and “selected” here mean really limited and selected: only 20 FXX units will be made, at a cool asking price of 1.5 million Euro (or 1.8m U.S.). That pile of money will buy not only the unique thrills a 6.26-liter V12 churning out 800 horses can provide, but also the condition of...........[
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Thursday, June 23rd
Controlled Race Nights for America
This article comes from speedtv.com, and hopefully gives rise to something we can expect to see in Britain really soon... Sport Compact Only has announced the next event in its signature racing and lifestyle series, SCO Nights, which will take place from 5 p.m. to midnight on Saturday, June 25, at Firebird Raceway in Chandler, Ariz. The event, which promotes safer alternatives to street racing, will provide teens and tuners an outlet to take their modified street vehicles to the track and race against friends, arch rivals, and even police vehicles in a safe and monitored environment. A popular feature...........[
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Wednesday, June 22nd
The Porsche 911 Carrera 4
The Carrera 4 is back, but can the latest 4x4 evolution of Porsche's 911 finally silence its critics? Previous generations of the car have been slammed for lacking the dazzling road manners of the basic rear-engined, rear-wheel-drive machine. The extra weight and stiffer front suspension brought by the change from two to four-wheel drive has long been blamed for deadening the model's steering feel and reducing agility. But development takes its time at Porsche. After all, the basic 911 concept is more than 40 years old, and the 4WD version is approaching its 20th birthday. Surely the firm has got...........[
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Tuesday, June 21st
17" Alloy Wheel Mega deals for £450 available from Topgear
Topgear now have 8 fantastic Alloy Wheels Mega deals for you to choose from. This means you can have a 17" Alloy Wheel and tyre package for your car from as little as £450 delivered to your door, ready to fit to your car. We have all of these alloy wheels in stock ready to go so why not get and order them now and your car could be looking cool for the summer. Click here for Alloy Wheel Mega Deals...........[
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Smarter Seatbelts Eye Accident Roll Reversal
A revolutionary safety system from the inventor of the curtain airbag could change the way motorists buckle up. Swedish firm Autoliv has unveiled its latest innovation, which it says will prevent injuries in rollover accidents. The device focuses on stopping occupants moving. A key element of the set-up is its reverse seatbelt arrangement. With the new system the strap starts at the inside edge of the front seat, not the door pillar. The buckle is located at the base, near the door, instead of by the handbrake. An airbag on the chair's inside edge prevents the occupant slipping out of...........[
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Monday, June 20th
Lamborghini Considering Four-Seater GT
With its lineup currently limited to the Murcielago and Gallardo super-sportscars, Audi-owned Lamborghini is analyzing possibilities to expand its model range in the next few years. One of the most intriguing concepts is a four-seat GT car inspired by the Marque’s Espada model from the 1970’s. Possibly a direct rival to Ferrari’s 575, the new car would likely boast V12 power mounted up front and driving the rear wheels. According to British magazine Autocar, the concept, presently dubbed the Lagartijo - the name of a fighting bull, as is de rigueur with the products from the Sant’Agata Bolognese manufacturer ...........[
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Friday, June 17th
Teifi Valley Flyer Achieves 2nd Podium Position
Sebastian Ling started cautiously in the RSAC Scottish International Rally at Dumfries, the third round of the British Rally Championship. Sebastian wanted to ensure that the differential problems he experienced with his Hyundai Accent at the last two B.R.C. rallies had been completely eradicated. Another factor in his uncharacteristically conservative start was that he had a fellow Celt, David Moynihan of Cork co-driving for the first time. The pair finished the first day in 5th place 24 seconds behind the leader gaining confidence in the car and each other. "Conditions were tricky due to the hanging dust" Sebastian said. It...........[
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Thursday, June 16th
Bold New Vectra Gets A Grilling!
Here it is at last! And there will be no mistaking the identity of Vauxhall's latest family car thanks to its massive new V-shaped chrome badge. The company has unveiled the first official pictures of its Vectra ahead of the family favourite's launch at September's Frankfurt Motor Show. And that bold grille is getting even bigger! Taking design cues from the latest-generation Astra, the Vectra's styling is intended to be much more distinctive than the current car. All-new from the A-pillar forward, the Vauxhall features prominent headlamps which stretch further up the bonnet. Alterations at the rear are less dramatic...........[
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Wednesday, June 15th
Lotus Elise Moves out of UK
From East Anglia to East Asia - production of a new Lotus is heading out of Norfolk for the first time ever. The famous sports car manufacturer is running out of room at its home in Hethel, near Norwich. And now bosses say they could shift production of the firm's forthcoming new Esprit - the first details of which were revealed on its 2005 calendar - to a plant in Malaysia. That's where parent company Proton is based. The Esprit was axed last year, and the popular Elise two-seater now takes up all the UK factory's capacity. A Lotus spokesman...........[
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Tuesday, June 14th
Lotus Announces New "Circuit Car"
Lotus Announces New "Circuit Car" Written by: Business Wire Norwich, UK – 6/13/2005 The all-new lightweight and high-performance track day Lotus “Circuit Car” was announced June 11 by Kim Ogaard-Nielsen, CEO of Group Lotus, to privileged Lotus Club International members at the annual Lotus Club International Gala Dinner held at Norwich City Football Club. Based on the Lotus Elise Aluminium chassis, and weighing in at approximately 1320 pounds, the single-seater car (with an option of two seats) has been designed and engineered solely for Track Day and Club Racing. The lightweight composite bodywork of the visually dramatic open-topped circuit car...........[
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Monday, June 13th
TVR Devilish New Concept Car
Here's a new red devil from TVR. This is the first official picture of the Tuscan 2 convertible - and its release by the Blackpool sports car maker has been accompanied by some very exciting news. It relates to the proposed bid to buy MG, as exclusively revealed last week. A spokesman for TVR told Auto Express: "Our owner Nikolai Smolensky has put in a bid to the administrator. It's not from TVR; it's a personal one. He's a sports car fan and likes British machines. If there's an opportunity to be explored, he'll take it." The spokesman added there...........[
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Friday, June 10th
The Aston Martin DB9 Volante
Aston Martin DB9 Volante No wonder James Bond had his DB5 kitted out with gadgets to beat the baddies. If ever there was a car to make a secret agent stand out rather than blend in, it is a new Aston Martin. Now the experience is being elevated to a new level with the Volante, a convertible DB9 that allows you to hear your admirers as well as see them. There is no doubt the DB9 is one of the best-looking cars on the market, and the drop-top's roof mechanism is neatly packaged. In reality the Volante is pretty much...........[
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Thursday, June 9th
Subaru's Facelift Revealed
Subaru’s latest Impreza facelift has been revealed, and the company’s new-style grille takes the Scooby into more radical territory. The new car is coming to the UK in October, following a Japanese launch this month. There will be few engineering upgrades – the 2005 update already has a wider track and longer wheelbase – but there will be a power increase, although figures have yet to be confirmed. The new nose was first seen on the B9 Scrambler at 2003’s Tokyo Motor Show, before making it to production on the R1 city car and B9 Tribeca 4x4. (the bulletin and...........[
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Wednesday, June 8th
Alloy Wheel Manufacturer BSA Success
ALUMINIUM alloy wheels manufacturer BSA International Bhd expects 60% growth in turnover to RM240mil for this financial year ending Dec 31 as it now has an alloy wheel manufacturing plant in Fushun, China. Group executive chairman Datuk Soh Thiam Hong said the operation in China had been progressing smoothly, and the plant could produce up to one million wheels a year. “Our target for the next two years is to tie up with carmakers in China. We are in talks with them to supply alloy wheels,” he said after the company AGM in Rawang yesterday. Soh said the Fushun facility...........[
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Tuesday, June 7th
London Cars Hit the Limit
Strict EU air pollution limits are being breached in central London according to the government’s own monitoring stations. As of the beginning of 2005, levels of tiny PM10 particulates in the air must not breach a fixed limit more than 35 days each year. An air-quality monitoring station on London’s Marylebone Road has found the limit has been breached on at least 36 days already this year. Other areas, including Camden in North London, are likely to breach the limits later this year. It’s thought that more-extensive monitoring would reveal that the problem could be widespread in the capital. PM10s...........[
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Monday, June 6th
Not Your Kids 'Tuner' Car
Want a new grille? How about a flat-screen TV in your trunk? Older drivers spend big money to accessorize cars - even if their resale value is, well, zero. Article by Clayton Collins | Staff writer of The CS Monitor EPPING, N.H. – Squinting through aviator sunglasses, Jim Sama inches through traffic. The 50-something businessman, who runs a mobile dent-removal firm in Arlington, Mass., is driving his company truck. But he's not on the job today - and this is no ordinary truck. A gleaming green, the 2000 Dodge Dakota crew cab sits on 22-inch rims, puts out exhaust through...........[
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Friday, June 3rd
Clio 3dr Makes Grand Entry
After looking at some of the unreachable new vehicles like the new Ferrari, it's a breath of fresh air to find a model that is actually affordable to the general public and possibly also worth looking forward to. The RS is the model performance fans will yearn for but it's the base Clio which will make up the bulk of sales. Even in basic trim, the latest French supermini retains its sleek style. Meanwhile, the cabin will merge the practical attributes of the Modus supermini-MPV with the Mégane hatch's higher-quality materials. Entry-level models will be powered by a choice of...........[
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Thursday, June 2nd
Lamborghini Murcielago to Break 600hp Mark
We just had to report on this streamlined lime-green piece of power, certainly something to look up to when modifiying your own car. 600hp might be a little out of our league, but we can always dream... The photo and following article was taken from www.speedtv.com and was written by Cassio Cortes For some people - especially those willing to fork out more than $280,000 for a brand-new Lamborghini Murcielago - 572 horsepower just isn’t enough. Aware of such realities, the Audi-run sports car maker from Sant’Agata Bolognese is readying an all-new V12 engine for its flagship supercar. According to...........[
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Wednesday, June 1st
The Ferrari Superamerica
Take a 200mph Ferrari 575 Maranello, chop off its metal roof and replace it with a carbon fibre and glass panel, and you get the most desirable convertible on the planet. Enter Ferrari's new 575 Superamerica, which also lays claim to being one of the coolest and most indulgent cars ever built. The newcomer will be sold in limited numbers, and the production run of 559 (one less than marketing bosses thought they could shift) has already been snapped up. The price? If you stick with the six-speed manual box, £191,000 will cover it. Fancy the paddle-operated F1 system? That...........[
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