Swedish manufacturer Volvo has revealed that it is set to trial the all-electric version of their C30 hatchback, called the C30 Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV). From 2011 they will offer 50 cars for trial – each one lasting for about 2 years.
Category Archives: Car Launches
BMW unveils sporty version of Z4 as well as an M Sport package
BMW has unveiled a sportier version of the Z4 called the sDrive35is (Sounds like the name of some appliance), as well as an M Sport package for the stock Z4. They will make their first live appearances at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show.
Special Edition Alfa Romeo Brera Released
Alfa Romeo has teamed with fashion specialists Italia Independent to create a special edition Brera.
On the outside, it gets a titanium paint shade, 18″ turbine style wheels, red-brake calipers and an aluminum fuel cap.
The inside gets some changes as well. There are carbon fibre bits everywhere, along with black leather and red stitching, as well as some Italia Independent logos.
As for the underpinnings, the car is available with either a 2.2L four-cylinder engine developing 185hp or a 3.2L V6 putting out 260hp. You can choose between FWD and AWD as well.
Only 900 units will be made, and they will be sold in Europe, Japan and Australia. Pricing starts at about 41,000 USD for the 2.2 and 57,000 USD for the 3.2.
This looks interesting, but I’m not too sure about that paintjob, looks a bit odd on the pictures.
Source: Autoblog
Dodge Rolls Out Another Viper Special Edition
As promised, Dodge has rolled out another special edition of the Viper. It’s called the SRT10 ACR-X, and it gets its own racing series.
Ferrari Reveals One-off P540 Superfast Aperta
After giving us the gorgeous P4/5 one-off a few years ago, Ferrari’s special programme (The kind of thing that sucks up your wallet but builds a car just for you) has now spawned this thing. It’s called the P540 Superfast Aperta and it makes no sense to me. I just know the ‘Superfast’ bit sounds really good. This car has been built for an American client and it took Ferrari 14 months to get it finished. It’s based on the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano only that it has been strengthened as the roof has been chopped off. The so-called American client is Edward Walson who thought that a one-off Ferrari is a sensible gift for Christmas, for himself. The performance is still there mainly due to the Enzo engine present in the 599 as well. It has 620 hp and 608 nm of torque but the most important thing is the new body style the car has received.
Source: Autoblog
Volkswagen Reveals Special Edition Tiguan
Volkswagen has revealed a special edition of the Tiguan called the Track and Avenue. The car is designed for customers demanding more luxury.
Changes on the inside (The most important ones since this car is designed to be luxurious) include sports seats lined in an ultra-soft leather, which is also used on the door inserts. Then there’s Volkswagen’s RCD 150 audio system with a six-inch screen, hooked up to Dynaudio speakers. Lastly, they’ve added climate control and a leather wrapped multifunction steering wheel.
On the exterior, you get a 25-degree off-road front end with off-road styling. It’s not all show and no go though, as this front end doesn’t just look like it’s meant to go off-road, it is indeed designed to be good when attacking the rough stuff. I have a sneaking suspicion the rest of the car isn’t though. It also gets Bi-Xenon headlights and fog lamps, a silver diffuser and 19-inch alloy wheels. Two colours are offered: Oryx White Pearl Effect or Island Grey Pearl Effect (Which is the colour used in the pictures, even though it looks more green than grey on the pictures).
VW will offer a few drivetrain options with the car: A 135-hp 2.0L diesel hooked up to an automatic transmission, a 165hp 2.0L diesel with a six-speed manual, or a 190hp 2.0L gasoline engine with either an automatic or manual transmission.
Pricing begins at about 56000 USD for the gasoline engined car with a manual transmission. Sounds like quite a lot if you ask me.
Source: WorldCarFans
Tata Nano heads for Europe
The Nano Europa will have different styling compared to its Indian counterpart
Tata’s Nano, the world’s cheapest car, is heading to Europe in 2011, and full details have already been released.
Aston Martin updates V8 Vantage
News from Aston Martin this time as the British car maker has launched its 2010 revised V8 Vantage. The changes aren’t actually that big and I don’t see this as a facelift, just as an SE version. The looks are pretty similar to the old Vantage as well, only that you get more choice now: You can choose new 19-inch forged rims like the one you see in the picture above, a new bonnet and clear rear lights. Bear in mind the car does not come standard with those, they are optional extras.
Aston has also worked, like about every other car maker in the world right now really, at reducing CO2 emissions. To lower the output, they remapped the ECU and fiddled with the gear ratios as well so now it produces 315g/km, 13 less than the old Vantage.
More optional extras have been added to the interior as well so now you can spec your Aston with lightweight seats, or if you aren’t interested in the 17kg weight loss, a banging 1000W Bang & Olufsen sound system for your favourite music. If you fancy yourself a V8 Vantage you can get your order in now and expect it to be delivered in early 2010. Just remember it costs £83,191.
Source: Autocar
Renault Announces 2 Entry-Level Rally Cars
Renault has announced two Twingo based rally cars, meant to race in low-level rallying while still being good daily drivers. These are the Twingo RenaultSport R1 and Twingo RenaultSport R2.
They both come equipped with a four-cylinder 1.6L engine, putting out 160hp and 160nm of torque, 27hp more than the stock Twingo. The engine has been hooked up to a five-speed sequential gearbox with a dog clutch and wheel-mounted shifter (Not to be mistaken for paddle-shifters, the shifter is simply mounted to the steering column).
The exterior gets very little changes, just an optional roof mounted air intake as well as some new wheels.
The interior gets quite a few changes though. There are racing seats and harnesses, an LED instrument panel, roll cage, and racing wheel. There are also quite a few bits missing compared to the standard model, for the sake of saving weight.
The kit will cost about $40,000, but you need a standard Twingo to apply the kit to, which will set you back another $16,000 or so. Not too cheap if you ask me.
That’s why there’s the R1. The R1 is supposed to be a cheaper version of the R2 kit. They’ve removed some things like adjustable suspension and a limited slip differential to make it cheaper. Renault hasn’t released pricing on the R1 yet though.
Source: WorldCarFans