2012 Jaguar XF Pictures
Kamis, 10 November 2011
Mercedes Benz LKS 2012 solar roof to be unveiled at Geneva Auto Salon 2011
When it went on sale in the United States in 2005, the E-class–based CLS popularized the “four-door coupe” shape via a plunging roofline and a slim greenhouse, and would earn 40,000 sales in the U.S. over the next five years. It also spawned a number of copycat designs such as the Audi A7, the Volkswagen CC, and the Jaguar XF.
The second-generation CLS, which goes on sale here early next summer as a 2012 model, isn’t as pretty as the first one. The new body is a mixture of unimpeachable proportions and jarring design details. The overall envelope is elegant, but Mercedes embroiders it with brash details such as aggressive air scoops around the front bumper and sharp creases along the flanks.
As with virtually every car that comes to market these days, the CLS is bigger than the vehicle it replaces. The wheelbase has grown from 112.4 inches to 113.2, and the overall length is now 194.5 inches, up from 193.6. The car is slightly taller and wider, at 55.8 and 74.1 inches, respectively. The running gear comes from the new E-class sedan, but the CLS has a slightly wider track in front and back.
Although it’s still a striking car, the CLS places equal emphasis on its bevy of safety features. There are nine standard airbags and no fewer than 12 assistance systems. New among these are three active systems to help with parking, staying in the appropriate lane, and monitoring blind spots. The latter doesn’t merely alert a driver to a car in a blind spot; it uses the brakes to tug the CLS away from an approaching vehicle.
More important to enthusiasts, Mercedes is using its new 4.7-liter, direct-injection twin-turbo V-8 in place of a naturally aspirated 5.5-liter engine. (It seems that Mercedes’ naming conventions have followed BMW’s lead, in that they tell you absolutely nothing about what’s underhood.) This engine made its debut in the CL550, where it was rated at 429 horsepower. In the CLS, the power is down to 402, although that’s still 20 more horses than in the previous CLS550. The old engine made 391 pound-feet of torque, which grows here to 443, available from 1600 rpm.
Mercedes claims the twin-turbo engine is 10 to 15 percent more fuel efficient, thanks to the smaller displacement, direct injection, and a stop-start system that will not come to the U.S. on this engine, instead waiting to appear on the upcoming AMG model. The engine is mated to a seven-speed automatic transmission, and all-wheel drive will be available later. Performance should remain similar to that of the previous model; the last CLS550 we tested managed the 0-to-60-mph sprint in 4.7 seconds. But by the middle of next year when the car launches here, it’s likely that Mercedes also will introduce the CLS63 with a twin-turbo 5.5-liter V-8 making about 550 horsepower.
Compared with the previous model, the new CLS interior provides a little more shoulder room (up by 0.9 and 0.5 inch, front and rear), thanks to slimmer door trim. The interior quality is also better, with actual metal rather than plastic on some of the switches, real wood panels, and gorgeous, thick leather. The old, fiddly COMAND system used to access the navigation, audio, and telematics is gone, replaced by an iDrive-style controller. Overall, the quality and ambience come close to those of the S-class.
Over the road, the CLS550 provides something similar to the E550 experience—which is to say, biased toward luxury rather than sport. The engine sounds good, but it’s very muted, and under full throttle the V-8 growl fades beneath a blanket of turbo whoosh. The power delivery is sensational, though, with no perceptible turbo lag.
The air suspension and continuously variable damping combine for a plush highway ride. Ultimately, however, it lacks a convincing degree of athleticism: Though precise and linear, the new electric power steering provides far more feedback than does the chassis, which is pretty inert.
The CLS is still an expressive machine, and it remains a stylish alternative to an E550 sedan. We just wish it had a little more fire. Perhaps the upcoming CLS63 AMG will satisfy that desire.
2009 Alfa Romeo 159 Autodelta J4
When automakers take a concept vehicle to a motor show, they offer all kinds of information about what the future production model would come with. However, every so often a car maker, let’s say Honda shows off a concept vehicle with no details, such as the Honda Skydeck Concept.
The SkyDeck is widely seen as a potential successor to the Odyssey, Honda’s current mini-van.This vehicle was on show at the recent Tokyo Motor Show, but Honda said that this six-seat MPV Hybrid is theoretical.
The interior of the car looks like something from the future, the first two rows are cantilever mounted to a center tunnel, the second row of seats are able to slide forward and can be stored under the front seats.
How far off is the SkyDeck? Who knows. For now, it’s just a concept car – a glimmer in the eye of a few top Honda designers.
In 1979 the Jaguar XJ received a facelift which included:
· Thicker and incorporated rubber bumpers with decorative chrome on top edge· Flush door handles for increased safety
· One-piece front door glass without a separate 1/4 light
· Grille with only vertical vanes
· Reverse lights on the larger rear light clusters
· Revised roofline with shallower glass area
Saturday, February 26, 2011
2011 Lamborghini Gallardo LP 570-4 Superleggera Pictures
0 comments Posted by philip nevada at 6:50 PM
2011 Lamborghini Gallardo LP 570-4 Superleggera Super Car
2011 Lamborghini Gallardo LP 570-4 Superleggera Wheel
2011 Lamborghini Gallardo LP 570-4 Superleggera Side View
2011 Lamborghini Gallardo LP 570-4 Superleggera Interior
2011 Lamborghini Gallardo LP 570-4 Superleggera Rear View
2011 Lamborghini Gallardo LP 570-4 Superleggera Car Picture
2011 Lamborghini Gallardo LP 570-4 Superleggera Rear Side View
2011 Lamborghini Gallardo LP 570-4 Superleggera Taillights
2011 Lamborghini Gallardo LP 570-4 Superleggera Exhaust Tuesday, February 22, 2011
2011 Simbol Design Sports Cars Lavazza GTX-R The New Super Sports Cars
0 comments Posted by philip nevada at 12:30 AM
Simbol Design's Lavazza GTX-R body made of carbon-Kevlar built atop a tubular steel frame. And since German powerplants have emerged as the new crate engine of choice for niche manufacturers from Spyker and Wiesmann to Gumpert and Pagani, the Lavazza packs a BMW-sourced 5.4-liter V12, picking up Lamborghini's tractor-origins mantle with an electro-pneumatic transmission reportedly sourced from a bus. Sources differ on the engine's output – alternately claiming 489 horsepower or 620 – but either way, 0-60 mph times quoted around the four-and-a-half second sound conservative.
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