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Saturday, April 21, 2007
Rob Good: This vehicle is said to be based on the next generation 7 series, so you can imagine how long it will be. It is also very wide at over 79 inches. The new 7 is expected to have up to 700 HP and the CS concept is expected to have up to 600 rubber melting hp to propel the vehicle from 0-60 in the 4 second range.

I think the CS looks a little like the Dodge Charger in the front which is different. I am not to keen on the large holes in the rear bumper for the exhaust outlets though. Good to see BMW coming up with new vehicles.... Roll em out.
What do you think?

Saturday, April 7, 2007
The GT500KR will be easily the most powerful of a bunch that also includes the 500-horsepower GT500 and the 319-hp Shelby GT, as well as the limited-edition Shelby GT-H produced for use in Hertz rental fleets. Tried to reserve one for a trip I am taking to Hawaii in June, but they are already reserved for that time....
The GT500KR revives a name last used 40 years ago. It will be powered by a version of the standard GT500's supercharged 5.4-liter V8 that makes about 40 hp more. That would bring the total to 540 hp, although Ford is not yet ready to commit to that number officially. Lets make it 100 more HP to give the Viper a run for the money.
Whatever the specific increase turns out to be, it comes from the Ford Racing Power Upgrade Pack, which includes a cold-air intake and a louder low-restriction exhaust. The KR should also feel a bit faster thanks to recalibrated ignition timing and electronic throttle settings, which promise quicker throttle response which is just what is needed.
The engine will be bolted to the same Tremec six-speed manual transmission as used for the regular GT500, although the KR version gets a shift linkage with 25 percent shorter throws and a big, white ball on the shift lever. The KR also gets a boost in acceleration from a shorter, 3.73:1 final-drive ratio (in place of GT500's final-drive ratio of 3.31:1).
More aggressive dampers and springs along with stiffer anti-roll bars and a strut-tower brace, all unique to the KR, should help provide for entertaining handling and a pretty hard-core ride. The production version will come with 18-inch wheels and not the shiny 20-inchers of the show car pictured here. Although the smaller wheels likely will have "Shelby" engraved on the rim, just as these show-car wheels do.
The shape of the bulging hood is a deliberate retro touch, with two long, narrow air intakes up front, just like the original '68 model. It's a decidedly modern interpretation, though. It's constructed of carbon composite (Ford expects that you'll be able to see the weave texture through the paint on production versions), and has two stainless-steel hood latches, where pins would have gone on a '68 GT500KR.
Only 1,000 KRs will be built (with final fitting done at Shelby's facility in Las Vegas), so collectors will surely be lining up, as well as ponying up a considerable amount of money. The KR should list for about $50,000, although we'd be shocked if you could get one for less than $70,000. Unlike the '68 model, no convertible version will be available.
One could also choose to simply build a KR for oneself. All of the mechanical upgrade parts will be available from Ford Racing or Shelby at the same time as the genuine KRs go on sale. The only piece currently not planned to be sold separately is the carbon hood, but with some imagination someone resourceful could probably get their hands on one.
This car looks good and is going to be one fast Stang.... I love the modern muscle car wars that are going on at the moment.... I will admit that even though it is a Ford, I want one.

Friday, April 6, 2007
The new CLK 63 AMG Black Series output has been upgraded by 19 kW/26 hp over the standard CLK63 to 373 kW/507 hp, and the Black Series accelerates from zero to 100 km/h in 4.3 seconds which is 0.3 seconds faster than the standard model. The top speed (electronically limited) is 300 km/h. Fun fun.
Wonder if Mr Giltrap will be taking delivery of one?
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
It’s no surprise that the Drophead Coupé is a spectacular feat of engineering and design. Clearly a development of the current Phantom, the new two-door, four-seat convertible nevertheless uses 1300 newly-developed parts, including a number of features first seen on 100EX, the experimental model shown by Rolls-Royce in 2004. Immediately noticeable are the brushed steel bonnet and A-pillar, plus the teak decking for the rear hood cover.
Front opening coach doors have been homologated for the new car and add considerably to the ease of access to the rear seat, as well as to the overall aesthetics. Unique to Rolls-Royce, the doors dramatically transform the Phantom Drophead Coupé’s looks, giving a side profile reminiscent of classic sports cars of the 1960s. They are also important in aiding the overall stiffness of the body, as the rear hinged doors allow for an uninterrupted A-pillar.
Power is supplied by the same 6.75-litre naturally-aspirated V12 found in the current Phantom, giving a 0-60mph time of 5.7 seconds.
The car is a beauty. I particularly like the color they choose in these photos. I am guessing that the new Rolls Royce will be close to $400,000 when they arrive. Beverly Hills, Palm Springs and Miami are tipped to be the best markets in the US for this car.....

Now all they need is a turbo charger or two and close to 600 HP. :-)
Henrik Fisker helped design many of the current Aston Martins on the road today which makes every future vehicle he pens worth mentioning. The Fisker Tramonto and Latigo CS are great looking vehicles, but their basic shape and stance were borrowed from the Mercedes Benz SL and the BMW 6 series. The Artega GT Coupe is definitely a departure from what Fisker has done in the past, but it just isn't ground-breaking. Production is expected to reach 500 units per year and the price tag should be around $100,000.
Looking good...
Thursday, February 8, 2007
Tuesday, February 6, 2007
Volkswagen's new CEO Martin Winterkorn intends to fill "lucrative market niches" with new models over the coming years. The plan aims to boost profit while shrinking capacity.
"The Volkswagen brand is far from tapping its full potential," Winterkorn said in a letter to employees obtained by Bloomberg.It's unclear what niches Winterkorn plans to fill, but the forthcoming Scirocco and Tiguan could arguably fall into this category. Oddly, Winterkorn is rumored to have considered canceling the Passat coupe, Scirocco and Tiguan projects, but too much had already been invested in their development.
Labels: Volkswagen







