| Tuesday, May 29, 2007 |
2008 Audi R8 Coupe quattro review |
 The 2008 Audi R8. The ultimate execution of Audi engineering. Race inspired and derived from the Le Mans dominating R8 machine. Built from the ground up to assume its rightful position as the leader in innovation, technology, design, and performance.
its the best thing ever no car even close to compares its the car of dreams if you want a sports car get this its worth it
2008 Audi R8 Reviews:
Forbesautos Review the Audi R8 and gave out”Audi — a subsidiary of Volkswagen — has not released other details about how it will turn the Le Mans quattro into the R8, and what specifications the production car will have. Frankly, part of the reason for running a piece about the new vehicle is to revisit the glory of the showcar.”
| Pros: | Engineering Perfection | | Cons: | wish the V10 was available |
Interior Design and Special Features
The R8 continues Audi's tradition of originality in interior design, employing a cockpit-style theme that the company calls monoposto, an arc of controls that wraps around the driver in the style of a single-seat racing car. Aluminum is a prominent element of the R8's creative surface treatments, and the flat-bottomed steering wheel is certainly unique. The car's long wheelbase and roomy cabin allow room for tall drivers, and long doors ease access. Unusual for a high-end sports car, the R8 offers plenty of storage spaces and useful cupholders. Audi says there's space behind the seats to store two golf bags. There's also a small capacity (3.5-cubic-foot) front trunk.
Safety
The 2008 Audi R8 protects both occupants with seat-mounted side airbags and knee-protecting airbags. Antilock disc brakes, traction control and stability control are all standard.
Hardware
Like other Audis, the R8 offers all-wheel drive, which is standard equipment. But aside from its 4.2-liter V8 engine, which also powers the RS4 sedan, this is unlike any Audi now or ever.
The engine is mounted behind the cockpit, covered by a glass hatch for passersby to peer through with envy, À la the V10 in the Lamborghini Gallardo, the R8's distant corporate cousin.
It feeds thrust -- 420 horsepower, 317 pound-feet of torque -- primarily to the rear wheels, and makes wonderfully satisfying V8 noises while doing so.
Audi offers two transaxles for the R8: a six-speed manual (standard) and a six-speed automatic (R-tronic) with steering wheel paddles for manual shifting. Regardless of choice, the R8 will sprint to 60 m.p.h. in just over 4 seconds.
I prefer the manual transmission because it's quick and precise, the aluminum shift gate is way cool and the R-tronic costs $9,000.
That shift gate, by the way, looks very much like the one employed in the Gallardo.
And speaking of Gallardo similarities, the R8 is also noteworthy for exceptional chassis rigidity, the prerequisite that separates the agile from the ordinary.
You might conclude from all this that the Audi is a slightly tamer -- and much less expensive -- version of the Lambo, since Lamborghini is, after all, an Audi subsidiary.
But according to Audi's development engineers, that conclusion would be wrong. For all their mid-engine design similarity, the R8 and the Gallardo share almost no structural elements and not a scrap of sheet metal.
At a glance
Model: Audi R8 Transmission: Six-speed manual or R tronic sequential Price: £76,825 (manual) to £82,025 Engine: Mid-mounted 4.2-litre V8 FSI petrol, delivering 420PS at 7,800rpm Torque: 430Nm from 4,500 to 6,000rpm Acceleration: 0-62mph in 4.6 seconds; 0-124mph in 14.9 seconds Top speed: 187mph Economy: 19.8mpg on combined cycle C02 emissions: 349 g/km First UK deliveries: July
Labels: Audi
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posted by Algreen  |
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| Monday, May 28, 2007 |
2007 Dodge Caliber Review |
 Daimler Chrysler was smart when it introduced its new Caliber compact model in Detroit last month. Rather than deriding the trusty old Neon themselves, which would have been oh-so taboo, they had comedian extraordinaire David Spade do it for them. The Birmingham, Michigan born star of "Saturday Night Live" and the popular sitcom "Just Shoot Me", the latter in which he played the unlovable slime ball Dennis Finch, joined Joe Eberhardt, Chrysler Groups Executive Vice President Global Marketing, Sales and Service on stage and contributed his usual off-hand humor, interrupting the straight mans monologue of Caliber attributes with comments like, "Dude, anything looks good when you compare it to a Neon."
First Glance: Dodge's cure for the gas-price blues
The compact car segment is on the upswing. As soon as gas prices rise, the size of cars drops. Just look at what's coming for 2007, and you'll see entry-level sedans, coupes, and hatchbacks are hitting hard.
Dodge's popular Neon was one of the oldest vehicles in its lineup, and now the Neon name has become a part of Dodge history. Enter the Caliber, a compact vehicle that Dodge feels will bring emotion back into the segment. The Caliber is a five-door vehicle that offers the functionality of an SUV with the looks of a sleek coupe. That's accomplished via a black graphic applique that runs from front to rear, helping to mask the dimensions a bit so you can't tell from the outside that the Caliber is actually 4 inches taller than the Neon it replaces.
The headlights and taillights are big and bold, and the large signature crosshairs grille combined with pronounced wheel flares give the vehicle substance that's usually lacking in low-priced products. There's no question this is a Dodge; the family styling cues are there: a shorter greenhouse (the glass area) and a more raked (slanted) windshield, which deliver a sportier overall appearance. It's attractive, unique, and should appeal to a wide range of buyers.
Interior
Step inside the Caliber and the Dodge legacy is loud and clear. If function tops your list of must-haves, this is good. If glitz is your thing, this is less good.
The instrument cluster and center stack are the picture of efficiency. Gauges are large, round and gleefully legible. The center stack presents the stereo face and climate control panel in stark relief with functional knobs, buttons and switches and trimmed in matte metallic plastic or not-very-convincing wood grain.
The shift lever extends from the base of the stack; the notched gate on the CVT makes ratio selections intuitive, the manual gearbox less so, but not bad for a front-wheel-drive. The power point serves neither the cell phone holder nor a radar detector well; located at the extreme base of the center stack, it leaves cords either draped over the center console's cup holders or dangling down the dash between the instrument cluster and the center stack.
The MP3 player/cell phone holder flips up out of the front of the center console armrest and, while properly sized for an iPod or similarly shaped MP3 device, adapts best to candy bar-style cell phones. Also, the sliding armrest covers a range of three inches, which is helpful for drivers of shorter stature, but when all the way forward, it blocks the rearmost of the two cup holders.
As the Caliber is relatively tall, standing more than four inches above the Neon, the seats are closer to chairs than cushions bolted to the floor. This eases climbing in and out.
The front seats are comfortable, but far from plush, with decently bolstered back cushions. Bottom cushions, or squabs in designer lingo, are more flat than sculpted and a bit short on thigh support. Front-seat headroom is impressive, topping the five-door Mazda3 hatchback by almost two inches, the five-door Ford Focus ZX5 hatchback by almost an inch. It falls short of the Pontiac Vibe and Toyota Matrix by about a half inch. Legroom up front is adequate, equal to the Mazda3, bettering the Focus by a full inch and matching the Vibe and the Matrix. A cautionary note about the driver's seat-height adjustment, however: It pivots at the front, which means trading legroom for height.
The rear seat is a bench and legroom is somewhat cramped, trailing all four competitors. Rear-seat headroom, however, tops both the Focus and the Mazda3, by about a half-inch, but loses to the Vibe and the Matrix by almost an inch. The Caliber bests the Focus and Mazda3 in cargo room (by more than 8 and 16 cubic feet, respectively), but falls short of the Matrix and the Vibe (by more than 5 cubic feet.) Compared with the old Neon, the Caliber is roomier and offers more than three times the Neon's cargo space.
Miscellaneous storage scores mixed ratings. The bi-level glove box, with a compartment on the top of the dash in addition to one in the traditional location, earns high marks, especially the innovative Chill Zone. But front door map pockets will hold maybe a paperback and a map, there are no map pockets in the rear doors, and the front seatbacks are bare of any magazine pouches. Illuminating the cup holders (there are only two, and they're in the front console) helps at night, though sliding the center armrest all the way forward pretty much blocks the rear holder.
Visibility out the front is good. Like many other modern designs, the hood drops away so quickly it disappears from sight; you may want to learn where the fenders are before you have to navigate a dark parking garage. The large backlight frames a good picture of what's behind, and the tall greenhouse and rear quarter windows show what's in the side mirrors' blind spots.
The stereos generate quality sounds, with the top level, Boston Acoustic setup rivaling home systems of only a few years ago. Called MusicGate, the Boston Acoustics system features nine speakers, including 3.5-inch tweeters, a subwoofer and a pair of speakers in a boom box attached to the inside of the rear liftgate and that swings down for tailgating or whatever when the liftgate is open. It's capable of entertaining the neighborhood.
2007 Dodge Caliber
•What is it? Replacement for the Neon small car, but nothing at all like Neon. Caliber is a small, four-door hatchback sedan, similar to Toyota Matrix/Pontiac Vibe, available with front-wheel (FWD) or all-wheel drive (AWD).
Dodge calls it a sports tourer. By any name, it's manufactured at Belvidere, Ill.
•How soon? Arriving at dealers now.
•How much? Starts $410 less than Neon. SE starts at $13,985, including $560 destination charge. SXT starts at $15,985. R/Ts being manufactured now come with AWD standard and start at $19,985.
R/T with FWD will be available this summer, priced less.
•Who'll buy? Dodge says they'll be twentysomethings probably buying their first new cars, and fortysomething parents buying for their kids. Median annual household income, $55,000; college grads, 35%.
•What's the drivetrain? Standard on SE and SXT: 1.8-liter, four-cylinder rated 148 horsepower at 6,500 rpm, 125 pounds-feet of torque at 5,200 rpm; five-speed manual transmission.
Optional on SE, SXT: 2-liter four-cylinder rated 158 hp at 6,400 rpm, 141 lbs.-ft at 5,600 rpm; continuously variable automatic transmission. Ratios range from 2.349 to 1 to 0.391 to 1.
Standard on R/T: 2.4-liter, four-cylinder rated 172 hp at 6,000 rpm, 165 lbs.-ft. at 4,400; CVT, all-wheel drive.
•What's the safety gear? Front and side-curtain air bags
Anti-lock brakes and seat-mounted side-impact bags for front occupants are optional. Anti-skid control will be optional later this year.
•What's the rest? Standard on all models: AM/FM/CD stereo; power steering, brakes; tilt-adjustable steering column; rear-window wiper, defroster. Other features vary according to model. More at www.dodge.com.
•How big? 2.5 inches longer, 1 inch narrower and a little smaller inside than Matrix. Caliber's 173.8 inches long, 68.8 inches wide, 60.4 inches tall on a 103.7-inch wheelbase. Passenger space is listed as 95.2 cubic feet. Cargo space is 18.5 cubic feet behind rear seat, 48 cubic feet when rear seat is folded. Weights range from 2,966 to 3,308 pounds depending on model and equipment. Rated to tow up to 2,000 pounds, depending on model.
•How thirsty? 1.8-liter engine is rated 28 miles per gallon in town, 32 on the highway. 2-liter, CVT is rated 26/30. 2.4-liter, CVT, AWD is rated 23/26. Regular-grade (87 octane) gasoline is specified for all.
Trip computer in 2.4-liter, CVT, AWD test vehicle showed 21.1 mpg mainly around town.
•Overall: Nice idea; could use a bit more finesse.
Labels: Dodge
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| posted by Algreen |
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2007 Ford Focus RS review |
 Ford Focus RS
When Ford launched its 220bhp Focus ST at the Geneva show, company officials were keeping schtum about an even hotter RS version in the pipeline. But now we've caught the flagship model undergoing cold-weather testing.
Whilst the ST, which arrives in late 2005, gets 220bhp from Volvo's turbocharged five-cylinder 2.5-litre engine and is more powerful than the previous-generation Focus RS (200 bhp), the RS will be quicker still, with the T5 unit tuned for a good 250 bhp-plus and fitted in combination with the Volvo AWD system.
Ford plans hottest hatch of all
Ford is rumoured to be considering a 350bhp, four-wheel-drive, six-cylinder turbocharged proposal for the next-generation Focus RS. Right now the Blue Oval’s executives at the company’s headquarters in Cologne, Germany are considering a plan to fit Ford’s new flagship hot hatch, due out in 2007, with a new turbocharged in-line six-cylinder engine.The advanced powerplant (right) has been developed by Volvo as a replacement for the Swedish car maker’s current six-cylinder engine, and is planned to make its debut in the new S80 due out next June. Conceived for both transverse and longitudinal applications, the four-valve-per-cylinder unit is based around a die-cast aluminium cylinder block for an all-up weight of 180kg. It is also claimed to be 1mm shorter than Volvo’s five-cylinder engine – a feature that makes it suitable for a whole range of different models, including the new Focus RS. Three different versions of the engine are planned: a base naturally aspirated 3.2-litre and a pair of performance-oriented turbocharged 3.0-litre units. The former receives variable cam timing (VCT) on the inlet valves, with the latter two adopting a system operating both the inlet and exhaust valves as well as a variable-vane Garrett turbocharger. In 3.2-litre guise, the new six-cylinder produces 235bhp at 6000rpm along with 236lb ft of torque at 3500rpm – an increase of 38bhp and 26lb ft over Volvo’s current 2.9-litre engine. The turbocharged units deliver 285bhp and 295lb ft in light-pressure guise, with the high-pressure unit pumping out a BMW M3-beating 350bhp and 332lb ft. It’s this latter specification that Ford’s Motorsport boss, Jost Capito, may use to thrust the Blue Oval back to the very top of the European hot-hatch ranks. If Ford’s plans come to fruition, the new RS will boast a whopping 133bhp and 96lb ft more than the upcoming Focus ST, whose turbocharged 2.5-litre five-cylinder engine generates 217bhp along with 236lb ft of torque. Unlike the front-wheel-drive ST, the new RS is being developed around new four-wheel-drive underpinnings. This promises to endow it with spectacular levels of grip and traction. One problem, however, is the lack of a suitable six-speed manual transmission for the new car. The gearbox in the Mondeo ST TDCi is rated to 295lb ft, although insiders say measures are being taken to upgrade it for use in performance-oriented Volvos.
Here we go again: AutoExpress claims the new Focus RS has been canned..AGAIN! Motoring News
Ford Focus RS
According to our sources, the firm will not use the famous RS badge on the current or imminent facelifted MkII machine - due late in 2008 - because of concerns over CO2 emissions.
One potential RS customer, who had placed a deposit for the car at his local dealership, said: "I'd handed over the cash 18 months ago, not wanting to miss out. But I was told staff had to return it, as the project has been abandoned on environmental grounds."
A Ford spokesperson revealed: "Our commitment to performance cars meant that we did build a number of Focus engineering mules to test and develop high-performance parts for future products. Sadly, we never got to the point where we were ready to begin developing a business case for an RS-badged Focus."
Auto Express last scooped these cars in Issue 933. It's believed that prototypes offered around 300bhp and four-wheel drive. But the spokesperson was keen to dismiss the claim that the decision was eco-based.
"It's worth bearing in mind that it's not the green issue which is driving this decision - cars have to be profitable. While Britain is the home of RS, there's not enough interest across other markets for us to earn the kind of money that's going to give the vehicle a green light," said the spokesperson.
However, there is still hope for fast Ford fans. Potential RS versions of the MkIII Focus, due in 2010, are possible.
Labels: Ford
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| posted by Algreen |
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| Thursday, May 03, 2007 |
2007 Fiat Linea review |
 The new model clearly has an international vocation; it was designed by the Fiat Style Centre, and its exterior styling is elegant, dynamic and typically ‘Italian’. The aim was to appeal to the public with uncluttered, smooth lines which confirm the new Fiat family feeeling (from the Grande Punto to the new Bravo), while they offer a new reading of the stylistic elements of the great Italian motoring tradition in the saloon segment.
This extraordinary stylistic heritage has now produced the Fiat Linea, a 4-door saloon that is sleek and elegant, but with generous dimensions that put it at the top of its class: it is 4.56 metres long, 1.73 metres wide, 1.5 metres tall and has a wheelbase of 2.6 metres, as well as a 500 litre luggage compartment.
The Fiat Linea’s generous equipment is dedicated to the protection of driver and passengers and the customer can choose from a wide range of gasoline and diesel engines that combine excellent performance, low fuel consumption and absolute respect for the environment, coupled to both manual and automatic transmissions.
The Fiat Linea range is very comprehensive to cater for a clientele that considers cars of this class as a real investment, because it represents the family’s main car, and it will adapt to the various markets where it is sold. In most of these, at its launch, the range will offer two engines (90 bhp 1.3 Multijet and 77 bhp 1.4 16v), three specifications (Active, Dynamic and Emotion), and 11 body colours. The range also proposes equipment worthy of a higher segment, such as certain sophisticated climate and infotainment devices that improve the comfort and quality of the time spent on board: from automatic climate control, the Blue&Me® system with USB port, a radio with CD-player (including MP3 files) and Cruise Control, down to rain, dusk and parking sensors. In other words, there are endless possible combinations, all offering excellent value for money and the best price-content ratio.
News
Auto Shanghai 2007: Fiat Looks for Opportunities in China
Currently, Fiat has just one small production plant in China: a joint venture with Nanjing Auto, where a small number of Palio and Siena cars are being produced each year. Now that Nanjing Auto is focusing on reviving MG, Fiat is looking for a new angle to make its way in the China market.
At the Shanghai show, many visitors were attracted to the stylish new Bravo hatchback. As Fred Duan, commercial director of Nanjing-Fiat, put it: "When you buy an import car in China, you want something special." Bringing in the Bravo would provide a halo effect for the brand, but it wouldn't be a mainstream product. The midsize Linea — which was the centerpiece of Fiat's stand here — could do that job, but the business case has not yet been made for its local production.
Fiat is also trying to find new partners. Sergio Marchionne, Fiat's energetic CEO, said in a recent interview that his company is "in the position of choosing with whom it wants to develop cars in China." One potential candidate is Chery. The two companies have signed a deal that will see the Italian company using Chery's self-developed ACTECO engines in its China-market models. Chery recently ruled out the possibility of buying Nanjing's stake in the Nanjing-Fiat venture — but there are other options, one of which is for Chery to assemble Alfa Romeos.
Another potential candidate is the largely unknown Zotye Holding. Zotye, which produces a Daihatsu Terios look-alike, recently bought the ailing Jiangnan Automobile plant in Hunan province. According to Zotye officials, the company is in talks with Fiat to assemble up to 100,000 Lancia cars a year at the Jiangnan plant.
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I suppose this car is intended to compete against Octavia, Focus 4d, and the likes. But being based on the G.Punto, i think it will be handicapped from the very beggining (suspensions and engines choice). Wouldn't it have been much better to base it on the upcoming Bravo? This is a retoric question, the answer is obvioulsy yes...unless the price tag justifies it.The car itself is beautiful, a really good surprise. And it can't be a copy of the C4 sedan because developing a car takes much more than 6 months, you know....
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