05 Ekim 2007 06:16 · askenazseferad
· Etiketler
Georg Kacher is first behind the wheel of Ferrari's and Porsche's latest sports cars: the 430 Scuderia and 911 GT2. Elsewhere, we take Britain's 13 most exciting performance cars to Cadwell Park to annoint the best, salute the late Colin McRae, question the sense of the Mini Clubman and discover the future of the petrol engine. Plus news of the small cars that are reshaping the global car industry, columns by Gavin Green and Mark Walton, the day Senna 'drove' a Sinclair C5 and what the new Peugeot 308 and Subaru Impreza are really like to drive.
05 Ekim 2007 06:14 · askenazseferad
· Etiketler
Suzuki Kizashi 2, X-Head and PIXY: the lowdown
The Japanese car industry is enjoying the run-up to the Tokyo Motor Show at the end of this month, with a steady stream of new metal - and typically madcap concept cars in particular.
Suzuki is the latest manufacturer to provide us with teaser shots of its wares. The Kizashi 2 (above left) is a further derivative of its Frankfurt concept for a future Mondeo rival. This one looks more like a coupe version, with a lower roofline and a smaller grille, and it's powered by a 3.6-litre V6 driving the just-for-show monstrous 22-inch alloys.
While the Kizashi previews a future production car, Suzuki's other show cars are all about showing off. The X-Head is a Tonka toy vehicle with looks chunky enough to qualify for a sci-fi film cast, while its interior seeks its inspiration from wetsuits, apparently. What's the point of it? It's designed to showcase Suzuki's knowledge of tough working vehicles, so imagine it pounding the beaches of Baywatch, rather than your child's sandpit.
Take a deep breath, because Suzuki's next Tokyo treat is an especially crazy one. The PIXY is a step up from a Segway - it's a mobility pod to transport one in upright, telephone booth style. Naturally, the PIXY is electric for zero emissions around town and its claimed range is 20 miles. If your battery runs out, there's a mother ship called the Suzuki Sharing Coach that can carry two PIXYs.
It's easy to scoff at the more outrageous cars shown at Tokyo, but we have to remember the cultural backdrop. Japanese show-goers love to be wowed by far-out-there concepts and are less incredulous than some western observers. And even the maddest show cars often have a kernel of serious research within.
Maybe it's the slightly mad, visionary concepts that have brought Japanese manufacturing to its position of engineering dominance today.
05 Ekim 2007 06:12 · askenazseferad
· Etiketler
Let me guess…some fuel-guzzling, turbocharged behemoth? |
It might be a diesel, but yes, it’s still all of the above. Ths is VW’s new R50. Due to be unveiled at the Australian International Motor Show later this month it’s the latest car from VW Individual, the same engineering group responsible for the Golf R32, Passat R36, and the Bluemotion range, including the Polo.
The Touareg R50 has VW’s 4.9-litre V10 diesel but with a ‘generous’ increase on power. Expect the standard 313bhp to rise to around the 350bhp mark, while the 553lb ft should climb to a round 600. The standard car only does 22.4mpg and pumps out 333g/km, so while that’s better than a Cayenne Turbo’s 19mpg and 358g/km, the power increase surely won’t do it any favours.
Completing the package are bigger wheels and tyres, tweaked suspension and a new bodykit. VW's press release gave no indication on price but this R50 will definitely be more than £60,000 when it arrives in the UK in spring of 2008.
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