Reviews

Porsche 977

A new Porsche 911 is always fascinating because it’s interesting to see how after more than 40 years of development the Porsche team still manages to bring changes and improvements to this icon model.

The new 997 bodyshell combines the sleek modern looks of the 996 series with the popular retro styling cues from older 911s. The front end is completed with round lights and separate parking/fog/indicator lights. This change, combined with wider hips echoes the last of the air-cooled 911s, the 993. Other changes in the bodyshell are the new door handles, wing mirrors and the stylish cut of the rear wings into the bumper/lights.

Even if the 997 looks a lot like the previous model, the 996, the new car is actually 38mm wider which creates a more aggressive appearance. With each new model introduced, Porsche has aimed to reduce the drag co-efficient helping the 911 slide through the air more effectively, and so aiding performance. The same thing has been done with the new car, and if we compare the 993 Cd of 0.34 to the 997`s 0.28 we can see how far the aerodynamic game has moved on. The latest body shell and rear wing combine with new underbody paneling to also offer increased levels of down force for this latest evolution of Porsche’s finest.

The latest Porsche model is the best handling 911 ever. Improving a car’s rigidity helps ensure the suspension can work more effectively and while not making such a quantum leap as the team did with the 996. Porsche improved torsional rigidity by 8% and added as much as 40% more flexural strength.

For the new car, Porsche wanted to improve crash safety so they added two new air bags located in the side of each front seat back-rest, designed to protect the thorax. They kept the previous two front and two side airbags, which means that now there are six in total. For the same reason, crash safety, the reinforced body shell features further protection such as a more extensive use of super high strength steel.

The latest model is also 50 kg heavier than the 996. The reason is that modern crash safety regulations kind of force the new cars to come with increased weight, despite the usage of a large range of weight saving measures, including an aluminum bonnet.

Aside from the crash safety improvements, much of the additional weight can be attributed to the higher standard specification of the new cars. Power to weight is similar with the latest car offering 233 bhp per tone against it’s predecessors 238 and the new models improved aerodynamics must help it post Porsches claimed performance figures, which are identical to the 996.

Fiat 500

Fiat debuted the 500 city-car in Brazil as it was presented to the media prior to the market release later this month. Before December 2009, the 500 will spread throughout Latin American, as it will be

launched in Colombia, Barbados, Panama and Jamaica. The car is already sold in Argentina, Chile, Curacao, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru, the Dominican Republic, Saint Martin and Paraguay. For the Brazilian market, the 500 will be available in two trim levels, Sport and Lounge. There will be only one engine available, the 1.4 litre, 100bhp 16v petrol mated to either a 6 speed manual or a 5 speed Dualogic semi-automatic transmission. To adapt the car for the country’s requirements, the 500 was revised and received new suspension with increased flexibility of both the spring and the shock absorber. On the safety front, 500 comes with twin front, side and a driver knee airbag, ABS with EBD, ESP and hydraulic brake assistance.

BMW 320D

I really did feel like a ten year old. It’s that time in your life when you do not bother about a Yana Gupta passing by but ogle at some of the cars zooming past. And the ogle gets complimented by a salivating mouth if that car reads BMW
on its bonnet. Days spent with the 320d were reminiscent of my childhood years. I was instantly smitten by the looks of this car. Oozing individuality, the BMW helps you make an impact where-ever you go in it. It makes you stand apart. Even in a fast-moving city like Mumbai, where nobody has time for anything, the BMW 320d turned more heads than I had anticipated. It felt good. Damn good.
First look and a person’s eye gets hooked, such is the aesthetic quotient of the BMW 320d. That characteristic kidney grille dominates the front end of the car which is helped by the double round headlamps to make it appear very in-yer-face. One Bangle adopted the bold and controversial design philosophy for which a lot of criticisms were raised. contribution to the design world? Terms like ‘flame surfacing’ and ‘opposing curves’. Then came along a bloke by the name of Adrian van Hooydonk. He took the stylus and did some critical changes to the original design. What resulted were lines and curves of a gorgeous looking machine which shouts “I AM MEAN” from all sides.

BMW 320d Side I wanted to absorb everything about her, so I parked the car, climbed out and walked around it. Noticed every curve, every line. Walked around it again. Then moved away from the car. Then I observed. The shape of the car is very coupe-like, which is a darn good thing! It is characterized by the long bonnet and the C pillar which merges with the small-looking boot. As is typical of BMWs, the short overhangs do their bit to add to the coupe-like styling. The shoulder-line and waist-line are pronounced and make the car look elegant and lustrous
The run-flat R16s are housed neatly in the wheel-arches and lend an aggressive look to the Bimmer with some help from the neat and massive five-spoked alloy wheels. The rear is as smart and taut as it can get. I even liked the outside rear-view mirror design. But, like the famous saying goes – nothing’s perfect – even the BMW 3 Series isn’t. That chrome bit on the hood above the grille looks a little odd and could have been better carried out. Perhaps could have been a bit more slender. Argh, now this is nitpicking really! The bottom line is, this is a damn good-looking example of an automobile.

So we know that the BMW 320d looks fine. Good that. And it is bloody solid too! The sheet metal exudes strength while the shut lines add to the feel of fit and finish. The doors shut with a reassuring ‘thud’ and the overall stance makes it look very balanced and sturdy.
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Koenigsegg CC

The CCX is the latest of the Koenigsegg CC family.CCX stands for Competition Coupe X. The CCX commemorates the 10th anniversary of the completion and test drive of the first CC maiden prototype, which rolled out from the R&D Department in 1996. The CCX – literally, Competition Coupe X (the X is for the 10th anniversary of Koenigsegg’s first test vehicle, the CC – features a 4.7 liter V8 based Ford’s popular modular V8, twin-supercharged Koenigsegg motor with a six-speed manual transmission.

The CCX can accelerate from 0–62 mph (100 km/h) in 3.2 seconds and from 0–124 mph (200 km/h) in 9.8 seconds. According to Koenigsegg it has a top speed of 259 mph (417 km/h), although this has not been officially verified. On 15th June 2008, a standard fully equipped CCX was independently timed by SportAuto in achieving a record 0-186-0 mph (0-300-0 km/h) in 29.2 seconds, beating SLR McLaren 722, Lamborghini Murcielago LP640, Porsche 997 GT2, Alpina B6 S, Corvette Z06.

Lightning GT

Lightning GT is an electric powered sports car from the Lightning Car Company based in united kingdom. The Lightning GT mixes British sports car styling with racing car technology and state of the art NanoSafe™ battery power and Hi-Pa Drive™ electric motors.
The stylish body is crafted from carbon fibre/Kevlar.

Advantages of electric vehicles is that they offer maximum available power to the wheels at any speed, unlike a petrol engine where maximum power is only obtained high up in the rev range. To help effectively deliver this power to the road the Lightning GT uses electronically controlled traction control which negates wheel spin and unbalance in the power being applied

2010 Ferrari 458 Italia

2010 Ferrari 458 Italia is trendy sports car . The new bodykit features a fusion of Italian exotics and Japanese tuning to produce the same aerodynamic performance while weighing several pounds less than the stock vehicle. One of the body modifications is a new front bumper that features new air intakes. No word yet on performance upgrades but judging on ASI’s previous work there is sure to be a boost in power. Some other mods to look for is a dry carbon rear wing set as well as a front rake system. Soon to be available will be diffuser fins and as ASI center tip exhaust system and 19-inch forged custom alloy wheels.

Hyundai i20 Diesel

Hyundai i20 Diesel

The Hyundai i20 has been on the market for a little while now and is a popular choice amongst motorists, the Hyundai Getz will make way for the Euro styled i20 in Europe and overseas markets Australia is likely to follow suit during 2010, As you can see from the image above the Hyundai i20 is a great looking small hatchback and the main focus was not just a new style but Hyundai have also addressed the many handling concerns that Hyundai i30 owners complained about, You can expect the Hyundai i20 to have improved road handling a more power engine and better fuel to KM/MPH ratio’s.

The new five door i20 hatch has an extended wheel base which effectively provides much better road control, loads more interior spacing and really has a much safer on road feel about it.

“Hyundai president Kun Hee Ahn says the i20 will offer more standard equipment than its European rivals, as well as more interior space, strong fuel economy and competitive road manners.”

This is good news as there were many unhappy Hyundai i30 owners after various complaints and defects it would seem Hyundai is making a good come back and has listened to previous complaints and acted upon them to produce a much better family friendly model.

The new diesel model of the i20 blue has a numerous amount of modifications to help make it more fuel efficient and driver friendly.

Quick specs:

• The 1.4 CRDi diesel engine @ 66kW / 220 Nm
• six-speed manual gearbox
• New aerodynamic improvements reducing drag (much better fuel economy)

2009 Porsche Cayman S PDK

2009 Porsche Cayman

The newest car from Porsche is the 2009 Porsche Cayman S PDK, this model is highly sort after and is now available so expect to see a few of these on the streets in the near future. The Porsche Cayman S has been overhauled and now has loads of extra features and upgrades over the past releases one of the biggest talking points of the Porsche Cayman S is direct fuel injection, Porsche claim that the combination of direct fuel injection and the new seven-speed twin-clutch transmission gets a 20HP boost bring the total HP of the Porsche to 265HP, the extra power is not going to trick anyone into purchasing a Porsche Cayman S PDK but anyone who can afford the hefty price tag and is looking to stand out from the crowd will certainly have this on his/her shortlist.

The Porsche Cayman S has been rebuilt from the ground up using successful methods the have used in the past and redeveloped some of the points that were receiving negative feedback,  take for example the rock hard suspension in previous Porsche models which made the car very hard to drive for more than a few minutes at a time, anyway Porsche have added a brand new suspension kit and have married it to the new Porsche Active Suspension Management variable-shock system making this car a pleasure to drive long term now and not just as a weekend car to turn heads.

Porsche have listened to feedback and acted upon it making a great car even better.

Volvo XC90

Volvo XC90 preview

Volvo has just released several new models  Volvo S40,  Volvo S60,  Volvo S80,  Volvo  V50,    Volvo V70,  Volvo XC60,  Volvo XC70,  Volvo C30,  Volvo C70 and the Volvo  XC90 which is the model we are going to preview today.

The Volvo  XC90 is feature packed and suits people of all different needs whether you are taking the kids to school or exploring mountain sides the Volvo XC90 is built around you.

Please read the rest of this article to view the full specs. Read more…

KIA Soul

KIA Soul

The KIA Soul is the latest offering from south Korea car maker KIA motors, you can get details from salesperson that wears KIA ID lanyards.  The uniquely styled five door hatch comes in three different levels of style, SOUL, SOUL2 and SOUL3 boasting a 1.6 litre petrol or turbo-diesel technology. Some people have labeled this car as a CUV (Compact Utility Vehicle) the KIA Soul has already won a 5 star safety award due to the 5 airbags, low emission output, and has more space than most other model cars in the same size category.

KIA soul has the same DNA as a small car, the same style as a luxury car, and the power to match a sports car. The Soul is great for start stop city driving yet begs to be taken on long road trips, we got a chance to take this baby for a test drive a short time ago and well with a little concern as to the overall driving experience i was shocked that i actually could see myself owning one of these, the test drive could not of gone any better i can now highly recommend the KIA Soul to anyone in the market for a small economical car, this car handled everything we could throw at it and yet still seemed to have more to give. You can even get nascar emblems for this car and have the same racing feel.

Engine:

• 1.6 litre CRDi 94kW/260Nm / 1.6 litre petrol 91kW/156Nm

Features:

• Air Conditioning, power windows, power mirrors, keyless remote entry, LCD illuminating, floating stack center design, a load of safety features.

Price:

• From $20,990 drive-away (less with trade-in)

Conclusion: A great small car with a big heart and loads of personality, i regard this car highly and would recommend the KIA Soul to anyone who does a lot of start stop driving, this car is very fuel efficient yet still has plenty of power under foot. You will need to test drive the KIA Soul to get a better understanding of this article but i will give you a word of warning (leave your wallet / checkbook at home) or you might just end up with a KIA Soul in your driveway, Very impressive small car.