Bentley teases biofuel supercar

Bentley will take a large share of the spotlight with the vehicle you see above. It has no name yet, and no technical specifics have been released, but what Bentley has revealed is that this will be the marque's fastest, most powerful production car yet.And while the fuel price is increasing from one day to another day,this Bentley Supercar will runs on biofuel. Visually, the grilles all have a blackout treatment, and sizable vertical intakes occupy the front bumper's outer edges. The hood also sports a pair of vents, presumably to help extract engine heat.

Given that the 600-horsepower/553-lb-ft Continental GT Speed currently owns the "most powerful production Bentley" title, look for more extreme ratings on this new, obviously Continental-based monster. As for the biofuel half of the equation, we expect to see an ethanol-drinking version of the twin-turbocharged W12 that propels the rest of the Continental range.

Source: Bentley

2009 Aston Martin LeMans LMP1 Race Car

Aston Martin to challenge for overall Le Mans win

In conjunction with the 50th anniversary of its only overall win in the Franco Enduro, Aston Martin is set to tackle the 2009 24-hours of Le Mans in this - a pair of Gulf liveried LMP1 race cars.
Racing the cars will be Jan Charouz, Tomas Enge and Stefan Mucke along with Darren Turner who was part of the team that raced the DBR9 GT1 crew in 2007 and 2008. Harold Primat is the newest addition to the team and one other driver will be announced shortly. Unfortunately, Aston won’t be campaigning in the GT1 class in bid to focus all its efforts on its LM

The new car which is based on the 2008 Charouz Racing System Lola will be powered by the same production-based Aston Martin V12 engine which, last year, helped Aston Martin secure its second successive Le Mans GT1 title with the DBR9. It also powered the Charouz car to a new La Sarthe lap record for a petrol car.

Aston Martin Racing is developing the car in conjunction with Lola, Michelin, Koni and BBS and continues its relationship with major partner Gulf Oil and official clothing partner Hackett.
In 2009, the ACO is introducing new regulations aimed at balancing the performance of petrol and diesel engined prototypes making the LMP1 category more appealing and relevant to Aston Martin.

To focus maximum energy on the LMP1 programme, the Works team will not defend its GT1 title at Le Mans. However, Aston Martin Racing will support any of its official partner teams and customers competing at the race.

The Le Mans 24 hour race will be held over the weekend of 13-14 June.

Ferrari SUV Launching Next Year?

A Ferrari SUV might take some getting used to. The idea to produce SUV actually has been around for some years and this is the freshest artist rendition. It’s an SUV by the definition of a vehicle with four doors, raised ride height, mostly fitted with a 4WD system and takes the shape of a station wagon/ tourer.

Ferrari give codename “Ferrari FS 599 Fuoristrada” .The SUV will be constructed out of aluminium and carbon fiber composites for weight-efficiency. Engines come from the naturally aspirated V8 found in the California and the 599 GTB’s V12 powerplant. They produce in excess of 400hp and 600hp each respectively.

Renderings of a Ferrari SUV have appeared before based on speculation that the Italian company was working on its first ever SUV. At the time Porsche was riding high with the great success of its Cayenne and premium brands like Mercedes-Benz and BMW had been building MLs and X5s for years before.

As the world's economy is still under recession, there’s no clear direction as to whether the project is still going ahead or not. However,with the recent announcement of an alliance with Ferrari parent Fiat and Chrysler LLC of America new possibilities have arisen. Such possibilities include a common SUV platform that can be shared with Jeep, Alfa Romeo and Ferrari itself. Product assembly could even be in the US just like Mercedes with the old ML and BMW with the X5 and X6.

Source:zerotohundred

Ford announces dual clutch PowerShift gearbox

Ford Motor Company announced today it will introduce an advanced dual-clutch PowerShift six-speed transmission in North America in 2010 for the small-car segment.

The new gearbox will deliver the fuel efficiency of a manual gearbox with the convenience and ease of a premium automatic transmission,making it a key enabling technology as Ford targets best-in-class or among-the-best fuel economy with every new vehicle it introduces in North America.

Overall, Six-speed transmissions already have helped vehicles such as the 2010 Ford Fusion achieve best-in-class fuel economy, while at the same time allowing the Ford Flex and Ford Escape to achieve unsurpassed fuel economy in their respective segments.
Ford is leveraging six-speed transmissions, advanced internal combustion engines such as EcoBoost, hybrids, full electric vehicles, vehicle weight reduction and electric power-assisted steering to improve fuel economy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions fleet-wide by 30 percent by the year 2020.

Compared to traditional automatic four-speed transmissions, PowerShift can help reduce fuel consumption by up to 9 percent depending on the application.

PowerShift provides the full comfort of an automatic with a more sophisticated driving dynamic, thanks to uninterrupted torque from the dual-clutch technology, which consists essentially of two manual transmissions working in parallel, each with its own independent clutch unit. One clutch carries the uneven gears – 1, 3 and 5 – while the other the even gears – 2, 4 and 6. Subsequent gear changes are coordinated between both clutches as they engage and disengage for a seamless delivery of torque to the wheels.PowerShift, unlike conventional automatic transmissions, does not need the heavier torque converter or planetary gears. In addition, the dry-clutch derivative eliminates the need for the weighty pumps, hydraulic fluids, cooling lines and external coolers that wet clutch transmissions require. As a result, the dry-clutch PowerShift transmission can weigh nearly 30 pounds less than, for example, the four-speed automatic transmission featured on today's Ford Focus.

Differentiating PowerShift even further in terms of its customer appeal is its shift quality, launch feel and overall drive dynamic, which are all facilitated by an expert blend of Ford-exclusive electro-mechanical systems, software features, calibrations and controls. These unique driving features include:

• Neutral coast down – The clutches will disengage when the brakes are applied, improving coasting downshifts and clutch robustness as well as reducing parasitic losses for increased fuel economy.

• Precise clutch control in the form of a clutch slip to provide torsional damping of the engine vibration – This function improves noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) at low engine speeds and enables lower lugging limits for improved fuel economy.

• Low-speed driving or creep mode with integrated brake pressure – This function simulates the low-speed control drivers are accustomed to from an automatic transmission. The amount of rolling torque in Drive and Reverse is precisely controlled, gradually building as brake pressure is released.

• Hill mode or launch assist – Prevents a vehicle from rolling back on a grade by maintaining brake pressure until the engine delivers enough torque to move the vehicle up the hill, providing improved driver confidence, comfort, safety and clutch robustness.

source:ford

Lexus Supercar for Melbourne

Show stopper: The Lexus LF-A Roadster is set for Melbourne.

By DAVID HASSALL

Lexus LF-A Roadster to star at the Melbourne International Motor Show

LEXUS is bringing its V10-engined LF-A Roadster to this year’s Melbourne International Motor Show, where it will be one of the star exhibits along with the BMW M1 Homage and Audi Q5.

While the Seoul motor show is the latest to be hit by the global downturn – with more than half Korea’s 22 mostly import brands having pulled out of April’s event – the Melbourne show in March will benefit from the expected cancellation of the 2008 Sydney show.

Show organisers say that at least one manufacturer is planning a mid-show global model launch synchronised with the Geneva Auto Salon, which opens a week after Melbourne. This may refer to the highly-anticipated turbo-charged Mazda3 MPS.



From top: Volkswagen Robust concept, Lotus Evora, Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 Spyder and Honda Insight.

And Volkswagen, which has a larger presence at the show this year, is expected to show a HiLux-style one-tonne ute that could be a significant model for the company in Australia from next year.

The VW Robust concept first appeared at a commercial vehicles show in Germany four months ago and previews the first pick-up to be produced by a European carmaker, though it will be built in Argentina with South America and Australia as its major markets.

Other confirmed MIMS starters include the first new Lotus for 14 years, the Evora, Bentley Continental GTC Speed, Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 Spyder, Lexus RX350 and Japan’s new hybrid twins – Toyota’s third-generation Prius and the Honda Insight.

The eye-catching Lexus LF-A will appear at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre from February 27 to March 9, having previously been a star attraction at the 2008 Detroit and Tokyo motor shows.

Toyota’s luxury brand has just come off an extremely disappointing year in Australia, but Lexus Australia boss John Roca hopes that the LF-A’s Australian debut will kick-start a new era for the brand in this country.

“The 2009 Melbourne show will debut Lexus’ most exclusive and powerful vehicle, the LF-A Roadster concept,” said Mr Roca.

“The LF-A is the ultimate representation of L-Finesse design and would be a fantastic halo vehicle for the brand, if produced.”

The LF-A is a pet project of Toyota’s president-elect Akio Toyoda, the grandson of the company’s founder, who reportedly convinced the board to proceed with production plans for the car, despite the global downturn.

With a carbon-fibre and aluminium body, the LF-A Roadster concept car is powered by the same 360kW V10 engine as the coupe, has a top speed of 330km/h, stands only 1219mm high and features rear-mounted radiators and a speed-adaptive rear spoiler.

An LF-A coupe prototype has lapped the famed Nurburgring circuit in less than seven and a half minutes – faster than Nissan’s GT-R.

Lexus will also show the latest version of its top-selling model, the RX350, which is expected to go on sale in March.

Audi’s new Q5 may not be as sexy as the BMW and Lexus, but it is sure to shake-up the mid-size premium SUV when it is launched locally a few months after the show as a serious rival to the BMW X3 in particular.

Making its Australian debut at the Show, the Q5 was surprisingly first presented globally at the Beijing motor show last April to underscore the growing importance of the Chinese market.

Audi defied the downward spiral of the local luxury vehicle market last year by recording its fourth successive year of record volumes, gaining some 30.2 per cent, and expects the all-wheel drive Q5 will add further incremental growth.

Another newcomer – at least for Melbourne – will be the Peugeot 308CC, which famously made its local debut at the Sydney motor show last October only a week after making its global premiere in Paris.

The French carmaker’s latest coupe-convertible features a Mercedes-style “air scarf” front seat heating system and will go on sale here late this year.

Melbourne show organisers say that, while Holden will again be the biggest single-stand exhibitor, BMW has taken extra space and will be the biggest overall exhibitor at this year’s event, with a two-stand display that will include “several still-secret production BMW models” as well as the M1 Homage.

Porsche 2009 GT3 RSR

Porsche recently unveiled its latest GT2-class racing car, the GT3 RSR.

The GT3 RSR is powered by a rear mounted six cylinder engine with displacement now up to 4-liters to the 3.8-liter of last year. What is baffling is that last years car produced 465hp@8000 rpm but this years car puts out 450hp@7,800rpm, the difference is not much and it could be down to sacrificing power for reliability. Torque is the same as last year at 430Nm@7,250rpm.

The rev limiter kicks in at 9000, and Porsche says that the new car’s torque curve is better-optimized than the outgoing car’s.

Technical Description Porsche GT3 RS

Engine:
Water-cooled, six-cylinder boxer engine; four valves
per cylinder; dry sump lubrication; individual throttle
butterflies; fuel injection; air restrictors 2 x 29.5 mm.

Bore:
102.7 mm

Stroke:
80.4 mm

Capacity:
3,996 cc

Power output:
331 kW (450 bhp) at 7,800 rpm

Max. Torque:
430 Nm at 7,250 rpm

Max. revs:
9,400 rpm

Transmission:
Six speed gearbox with sequential jaw-type shift;
oil/water heat exchanger; single-mass flywheel;
hydraulic disengagement lever; three-plate carbon-fibre
clutch; rear wheel drive; limited-slip differential 45/65%.

Body:
Monocoque body (basis GT3 RS) of hot-galvanised steel;
aerodynamically optimised front end with front spoiler;
aerodynamically optimised front underfloor; adjustable
rear wing; 90-litre safety fuel tank with fast filling function;
air jack; welded-in safety cage; bucket-type racing seat
(on driver’s side only) with flame-resistant seat cover;
six-point seat belt adapted for use of the HANS
Head and Neck Support; electric fire-extinguishing system.

Suspension:

Front:
McPherson spring strut axle; Sachs four-way gas
pressure dampers; double coil springs (main and ancillary
spring); front axle arms adjustable for camber; adjustable
sword-type anti-roll bar on both sides; power steering.

Rear:
Multi-arm axle with rigidly mounted axle sub-frame;
Sachs four-way gas pressure dampers; double coil springs
(main and auxiliary spring); rear axle tie-bar reinforced
and infinitely adjustable; adjustable sword-type anti-roll
bar on both sides.

Complete suspension infinitely adjustable (height,
camber, track).

Brakes:
Brake system with balance bar control.

Front:
Single-piece six-piston aluminium fixed callipers;
inner-vented, 380 mm in diameter; racing brake pads.

Rear: Single-piece four-piston aluminium fixed callipers;
inner-vented, 355 mm in diameter; racing brake pads.

Wheels:

Front:
Three-piece BBS light-alloy wheels (11J x 18-34);
central bolt;

Rear:
Three-piece BBS light-alloy wheels (13J x 18-12.5);
central bolt.

Electrical System:
Motec display with integrated data recording; multi-function
display with integrated gearshift indicator; adjustable
traction control; battery: 12 volt, 50 Ah, 140 Ah alternator.

Weight:
Approx. 1,220 kg complying with A.C.O. regulations,
1,245 kg complying with FIA regulations.

source:zerotohundred

Jaguar’s Reborn XJ220

Jaguar is getting ready to reinvent its stunning XJ220, it looks likely to make a dramatic appearance at a major international motor show in the next 18 months.

According to our network of spies, the revolutionary sports car is being developed by the firm’s best engineers as a rival to the Audi R8. It’s based on an all-new aluminium chassis, which has been developed using the same know-how behind both the XJ and XK models.

The car will have aluminium panels stretched over an alloy and composite tub, while under the bonnet is likely to be a tuned version of the 503bhp 5.0-litre supercharged V8, set to power the eagerly anticipated XFR. A mildly modified version of this engine has already propelled a near-showroom-spec XFR to an incredible 225mph on the Bonneville salt flats in the US. The new supercar is likely to match this figure, while the sprint from 0-60mph should take less than four seconds.

The two-seater is tipped to be called the XE, and has been styled by a team led by Ian Callum.

Meanwhile,at the front, there’s an oval grille,framed by narrow, ultra-efficient LED headlamps. A steeply raked windscreen keeps the car’s overall height as low as possible, while the wide rear end supports buttress C-pillars, similar to those on the new Ferrari 599 GTB. As in the R8 and Ferrari’s F430, the engine will be visible through the rear windscreen.

Wide air intakes dominate the model’s front end, and deep scoops in the flanks help feed cooling air to the supercharged engine.CO2 emissions will be less than 300g/km, and the good things the powerplant will be capable of running on biofuel-blended petrol . Liberal use of lightweight materials, including aluminium and carbon fibre, will further improve the machine’s fuel efficiency and performance.