In a three way match-up, we have the Mercedes GLK in one corner, the Audi Q5 in another and the BMW X3 in the final corner. Two of these models are new, fresh and healthy where as the third is old and frail and should be ready for a pounding. That is why BMW are putting their foot to the metal on the development of their all-new X3 to stave off the threat of its two main rivals. We have seen this latest prototype before, that annoying black and white camoflage is hardly forgettable, however a close inspection reveals a few details on the model have developed since we last saw it. The prototype now sports what appears to be full production style headlight and taillights as opposed to the temporary ones we had seen previously. We can also see the front bumper shows its full shape and the grille has extra covering placed over it leading us to believe the full styling is hiding beneath.
The next generation BMW X3 will be slightly longer than the current model allowing a little extra space in the interior as well as a larger market space for the smaller X1.
The R8 is the first production Audi bearing the name and genes of a successful racing sportscar and is therefore an excellent base from which to build up our first big customer sport programme,” explains Head of Audi Motorsport Dr Wolfgang Ullrich. "Ever since the R8 was unveiled we’ve been inundated with enquiries about a race version. With the Audi R8 we will offer customers a racing sportscar equipped with high-calibre technology and the typical Audi qualities, but which is nevertheless easy to handle.”
The Audi R8 conforms to the production-based GT3 regulations allowing the car to be fielded in numerous national and international race series. Because the GT3 regulations prohibit the use of four-wheel drive the Audi R8 comes with the typical GT rear-wheel drive. The power is transmitted via a newly developed six-speed sequential sports gearbox. The suspension uses almost exclusively components from the production line. A comprehensive list of safety equipment guarantees the highest-level of passive safety. A modified front end and a large rear-wing generate the required downforce for the race track.
Just as the A5 uses the A4 platform, so the A7 will be based on the new A6. But the next-gen A6, which means a lightweight aluminium platform with various steel reinforcements.
Air suspension will be standard on high-end models, and unless sales don’t surpass the expected 40,000 units, four-cylinder power won’t happen. Instead buyers will be offered a based 2.8-litre V6 FSI or the new supercharged 3.0-litre V6. Oil-burning owners will pick between a 2.7-litre, and a 3.0-litre V6 with either one or two turbos. Then if you can make sense of it all, there will be various six and seven-speed manuals, autos and dual-clutch S-tronic boxes.
Audi will slot, no make that shoehorn, its 5.0-litre twin-turbo V10 into the A7 to create an RS7, while the S7 will use a detuned version. Never fear though, because a hybrid version will be on hand to balance your polluting ways.
Audi is readying this stunning new R3 sports car, a mid-engined little brother to the R8 supercar. The Audi R3 would – in effect – replace today's TT. ‘At the moment, both programmes run alongside each other, but as soon as production engineering begins, we must decide between the competing front- and mid-engine layouts for the TT,’ explains a source from Ingolstadt. ‘To keep the Audi a safe distance from the Boxster and Cayman, we are concentrating exclusively on four-cylinder engines.
Futuremark, creators of the industry standard benchmarking software for graphics performance for OpenGL ES and DirectX APIs, has created a demonstration for Audi’s In-Car Graphics System future concept to be shown for the first time at NVISION in San Jose. It delivers a fully rendered car dashboard and all instruments shown in a 3D view, including 3D navigation using stunning and realistic effects and viewsas well as a 3D car infotainment system with vehicle info and cool 3D environmental controls rendered in real-time for on-road Automotive usage. “We are delighted to work with Audi due to their professional expertise in the car industry,” said Petri Talala, Vice President and General Manager of the Handheld and Embedded Group at Futuremark Oy., “Audi is a leader in this field with sophisticated, real-time rendered and high quality content available for future infotainment systems, and being able to have our graphics engine experts and artists contribute to this effort is very special for Futuremark
The Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance is starting today, but here's the first on location spy shot of the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport, the ultimate roofless supercar.
We haven't seen any photos of the Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG Black Series except for the press photos and a few wallpapers we scrounged up. As far was we know, no one has actually seen the car in person outside of Mercedes-Benz, let alone photographed it. So imagine our surprise when we spotted one headed our direction while trying to crash the Ferrari-owners-invited-only North American debut of the Ferrari California in Monterey. We instantly forgot about trying to catch a glimpse of the Ferrari and turned our lenses towards the Black Series.
According to previous reports we are likely to see the Audi A5/S5 Cabrio hit the autoshow circus in January in Detroit, to aid us in our anticipation of the model we now bring you the latest rendering/photoshop of the top-spec S5 model.
So far only one photo has surfaced of a prototype being tested on the streets, it was extremely blurry but did at least reveal a very important detail about the roof. Audi have resisted the temptation to go for the more stylish hard-top, they will instead stick with a electric folding soft-top which will delight the more performance demanding consumers due to its lighter weight.
The S5 will retain the 349hp 4.2-liter V8 engine from the Coupe whilst the regular A5 will also inherit its sibling's engine line up as well. Additionally the Cabrio is also expected to offer its all-new supercharged 290hp 3.0-liter TFSI engine which debuted in the facelifted A6.
We recently learned that the pop-top Bug will make its public debut at the Pebble Beach Concourse d'Elegance in a couple of weeks. What we didn't know was that Gooding & Company will be auctioning the first order slot on August 17th, right after the best-in-show trophies are handed out at Pebble Beach.
Even with its top speed limited to just 217, this will be one of the fastest open top cars around. We'll get you more details as they become available, but for now, get thee to Pebble if this is the the car you've been waiting for. And bring more than $2,250,000, the expected starting price. Bugatti is planning to build just 80 of these Grand Sports.
The Porsche GT9 by 9ff looks fast, let's see if it can be faster than a Bugatti Veyron.
The front end is borrowed from a 911 GT3, although the rest of the chassis is unique, and has been constructed using strong yet lightweight carbon and kevlar fibre. With its low roof, the car is only 1.18 metres tall, while an extreme bodykit practically scrapes the road surface. Both features are crucial to help achieve the 254mph top speed – 1mph higher than a Veyron!
Under the bonnet, the GT9’s engine is sourced from the 996-generation Porsche 911 Turbo. Reworked turbos, dry sump lubrication and a gold-finished induction plate boost power to 973bhp and torque to 964Nm. And as the car weighs only 1,326kg, it should cover 0-60mph in 3.4 seconds. Potential buyers need to be just as quick to get their hands on a GT9, though – only 20 examples will be made, each with a price tag of £394,000.
Nothing's official until now .... but have a look how the Audi R8 Spider might look like when it will hit the roads.... It will be more than a audi R8, very nice !
The euphoria currently surrounding the fifth generation new 2009 BMW 7 Series will go unchecked for a while to come, at least until the car is launched. In the UK this will be 15th November 2008. Still a while off, but if you cannot wait, read on.
7 Series as the epitome of BMW excellence, is meant to be the height of dynamic driving tool mashed with comfort levels associated with this competitive segment, as well as environment-friendly propositions. With all this in mind, BMW has created the 730D, which with its new engine, aims to overthrow any and every other rival of this level. The 3.0-litre turbo diesel has shed 5kg compared to its predecessor, thanks to all-aluminium construction. Yet it produces class-leading figures of 245 hp/180kW and 540Nm of torque, spread from 1,750 rpm to 3,000rpm. The 730D spits 192 g/km of CO2 , sprints to 62mph from naught in 7.2 seconds and tops off at 153 mph.
More stunning are figures delivered by the 740i/L and 750i/L. The former misleadingly uses the multi-award-winning 3.0-litre straight six engine (mated to a standard 6-speed automatic gearbox) famous for its two turbos to crank out 326 hp/ 240kW and a stump-pulling 450Nm. For the current range-topper (we are still a while away from 760i and at least a year and half away from the M7) the 750i/L, down was the way to go, from 4.8 to 4.4-litre V8. But this time again, two turbos assist in conjuring 407hp/ 300kW and a boat-hauling 600Nm in torque. Unlike the previous car with its gear stalk located behind the steering wheel, the use of X5/ X6/ 5 Series centrally-located gearlever ensures driver will be able to change gears too in semi-auto mode.
To help harness all this potency is Drive Dynamic Control, a system that lets the driver customize his/ her preferred suspension and other settings relating to driving style and comfort levels. A host of other technological marvels will accompany each new 7 Series, depending on options taken. For instance, the lane departure will be available as well as Integral Active Steering which allows the rear wheels to turn by up to 3 degrees for optimum parking ability and other advantages. iDrive has been simplified even further than what we saw in the facelift version of the car and features a ‘return’ function to take you back one step if you wish. Graphically it is advanced as well, and offers 3D visualisation. Just as one or four others in the market today, the 7 Series offers an internal 8G hard drive that can store up to 100 CDs – I guess depending on whether you have Jim Reeves or speeches by Margaret Thatcher in them – and can be accessed easily through iDrive.
Because I don’t have the whole Internet to explain the new BMW 7 Series I’ll stop here. But before I go, check out the video presentation of the car and enjoy motionally what it can do.
Several spy shots are all over the internet, depicting the next BMW 5 Series which is due for unveiling in 2010 and goes on sale in most world markets in 2011.
Several existing technologies will feature in the 5 Series, including further improved iDrive, FlexRay processing, the electro-magnetic handbrake, HUD, as well as Active Steering. Bigger, wider and longer than current 5, new car grows in size but not by much. BMW’s new double-clutch M-DCT gearbox with 7 speeds is part of the package. Currently the ‘box can handle close to 600Nm in torque.
Key engines will be the 3.0-litre twin turbo petrol, 2.0-litre twin turbo diesel, the hybrid and the 4.4-litre twin turbo V8. Three brand new engines will also feature, introducing themselves through the 5 and include a new compact super diesel making well over 700Nm. Later in 2013 the mighty M5 should be seen boasting over 450kW under the hood. What is unclear at this point is if that power will come force-fed or by natural means. BMW spokespersons have said the company does not rule out turbocharged M cars, "as long as they keep to the traditions of what an M car stands for". Be assured though that whatever it is, it does not yet exist and will debut as a brand new engine.
Spy photographers have stumbled across the new 5-series-based BMW Progressive Activity Sedan (PAS), also known as V-Series or RFK, in the American desert and showing frameless doors for the first time.
In its early stages of development BMW's PAS was falsely pegged as Munich’s answer to the Mercedes R class, much in the same way the X6 was falsely pegged as a Mercedes CLS competitor. But now, these spy-shots of the PAS clearly show it’s a true fastback, allowing more headroom than in the X6 while being significantly smaller than the Mercedes R-Class. This car-like approach seen on this prototype seems better-suited to BMW’s values than a full-size van, and although these spy-photos do not reveal all of the car’s design, enthusiasts might be a bit disappointed by the car’s rational coupe like design.
The V-Series, PAS, RFK or whatever you want to call it, is expected to debut in September 2009 at IAA in Frankfurt.
BMW CEO Norbert Reithofer has announced that BMW will be producing a four-door Gran Turismo car based off of the CS Concept that debuted in Shanghai this year.
Part of the speech given by the BMW's CEO
Here is an outlook until 2012:
We would like to confirm the announcement of the BMW X1. This model is going to complement the successful X family, together with the BMW Concept X6 presented at the Frankfurt Motor Show.
Furthermore, we decided to manufacture a four-dour Gran Turismo based on the CS concept study showcased in Shanghai.
Another result of our strategy is that we will not build a space-functional concept. It will be replaced by a fundamentally altered concept. What I am talking about here is a new segment. We currently call the concept Progressive Activity Sedan or PAS in short. Expect this concept to introduce its own interpretation of the sedan and to surprise you with intelligent features.
As far as Rolls-Royce is concerned, we would like to confirm our plans for the third variant of the Phantom: a coupe. Moreover, we reevaluated and confirmed an additional Rolls-Royce model during our strategic review. It will slot in below the Rolls-Royce Phantom in terms of both size and price.
At MINI, we opted for a further model in the sports activity vehicle segment.
We will continue to extend the range of products under our BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna Motorcycles brands in the years ahead.
Further product decisions beyond the planning horizon until 2012 have been taken. Nevertheless, we cannot provide any details at this point.
Available in dealerships in early September, both Cayman and Boxster special editions finally break the 300 bhp mark with the 3.4-liter flat six producing 8 bhp more for a total of 303 bhp (223 kW) via a new sports exhaust.
The Boxster S Porsche Design Edition 2 is available in Carrara White, 19-inch SportDesign wheels, side air intakes, the centre console and the dials on the three round instruments are also finished in white plus grey stripes extending lengthwise along the body.
Also included is the Porsche Design Edition 2 Chronograph men’s wristwatch from the Dashboard Collection features a white face and was developed especially for this very special Boxster. The Cayman S Sport will only see 700 units made, as distinguished by the number plaque on the glove box.
The Cayman S Sport gets PSM, 10mm lowered suspension, plus alcantara in the interior, Sports Chrono package and of course the RS style graphics.
Previously : BMW has announced 2009 model year updates for the BMW M3 sedan. Coinciding with the recently revealed 3-Series sedan facelift, the M3 will follow suit with matching LED rear lamp clusters plus modifications to the bumper and rear lid.
The interior receives new air vents located in the centre of the cockpit, a newly designed storage area under the armrest on the centre console, pearlescent chrome light switch cluster, new start/stop ignition button and rotary controls for the air conditioning.
Starting in the autumn, all M3 variants will be equipped with crash-active headrests that reduce the risk of cervical injury in the event of a rear end collision. Also, more choices of exterior colours will be available including grey metallic for the M3 sedan and all new Le Mans blue metallic (pictured above) for the whole range.
Slotting above the MINI Crossman and below the X3, the X1will not be an SUV, but instead more of a crossover with lower ground clearance.
The X1 will serve as a cheaper entry point into the brand as well as a new X model in a new market segment.
Well suited to the American market, this particular prototype has an automatic transmission.
We expect to see the X1 debut in Frankfurt 2009 and arriving in showrooms in 2010. To be built in BMWs Leipzig plant in Germany, the X1 is based on the 1 Series E87 platform and is expected to come in at around €32,000 in Germany.
Spy video of the SLR Speedster, exploded onto the web last week, giving a first view of the special edition SLR 722 model in action. Now photographers have caught it on and around the Nürburgring circuit in Germany giving us a closer look at the body.
As a modern day interpretation of the 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Sir Stirling Moss drove to victory in the demanding Mille Miglia race, the special edition SLR 722 model with its roofless design and low rising windscreen is expected to make its official debut any day now.
Only 75 units will be produced, and as a result of its lack of roof, loses about 440 pounds off the SLR's kerb weight making it the fastest top-speed of any SLR at 217mph. 0-186mph in 26 seconds.
The 997 facelift was officially unveiled early last month, and now, spy photographers have caught the next generation platform, speculated as type 998.
At first glance, the prototype seen in these photos, wears the body of the current 997 generation, but closer inspection shows a roll cage, fender extensions, which indicate a wider wheel base, and imprecisely fitting exhaust pipes. The next generation 911 is expected to hit in 2011.
