Your Car 007: Desember 2012

Minggu, 23 Desember 2012

2013 Range Rover HSE Riding on Vossen's Concave 22-Inch Rims [w/Video]

The creative minds at Land Rover may have found a way to shave up to nearly 1,000 pounds (~450kg, depending on the engine and equipment grade) on the new 2013 Range Rover over the model it replaces, but the premium SUV continues to have a very large footprint and as such, there's no denying that it looks better with bigger wheels. Read more »

The 2014 Mercedes-Benz E-Class was officially revealed about a week ago and is clearly more than your typical middle-cycle facelift. Last time we checked, even though it sports a more aggressive face, the 2014MY has…18 engine options, at least in Europe, and none of them bears the AMG moniker.

But fear not, there’s going to be a new E63 AMG alongside the rest of the new E-Class range at the upcoming Detroit Motor Show. In fact, we’ve already snapped the new car doing the mandatory rounds in the Nordschleife a couple of months ago as well as a camouflage free model in Spain.

U Design: VW Ayoreo Design Concept for a More Affordable Alternative to the Tesla Model S

It's been a few years since the first modern-era electric cars started to become available to the masses, and even though they haven't exactly set the market on fire, they're slowly gaining pace in the automotive marketplace.

Over the next few years, we're going to see many new battery-powered models going on sale, be that with pure electric drivetrains like the BMW i3 or EV's with a range extender such as the Cadillac ELR Coupe.

Along with carmakers, automotive designers are also preparing for the things to come. Erik Sætre, a Norwegian Industrial design-engineering student who is currently doing an exchange year at the UK's Coventry University, sent yourcars-007 a concept study he created for an all-electric Volkswagen four-door coupe named the Ayoreo.

"The Volkswagen Ayoreo is a coupe designed to enter the EV market in 2013," Sætre tells us. "The goal was to achieve a fairly simple and clean surface language with incorporated industrial elements, like its rear view cameras. A more affordable option than the Tesla S, but hopefully a more appealing one then the Nissan Leaf."

If you're pushing your gas pedal to the metal with your engine sounding like a jumbo jet during liftoff but you're still moving slower than a hungry turtle dashing through peanut butter, then we'd say that's a sign there's something seriously wrong with your ride.

Try telling that to this Croatian woman who was driving a Peugeot 206 CC in the city of Zagreb. No, really, we dare you, try telling her.

yourcars-007 tipster and reader Luka C. explains:

The first-ever legislation imposing limits on the level of noise emitted by motor vehicles in Europe was introduced in 1970, when the European Union harmonized its member states’ varying requirements into a uniform rule. It has been updated from time to time since then, of course, with the latest legislation been put into effect in 2007.

Since half of the EU's urban population is exposed to noise levels above 55 db because of ambient road noise and medical research has shown that persistent exposure to high levels of traffic noise may impede one’s health, the EU’s Environmental Committee thought it was about time they took another look at the legislation.

Ford Focus ST vs. VW Golf R and…Subaru BRZ in MT's Head2Head

What are the criteria for comparing one car against another? Well, basically, they should belong to the same category; have similar performance stats and, perhaps more importantly, be close in price.

The new 2013 Ford Focus ST and the soon-to-be replaced VW Golf R that are featured in latest episode of "Head 2 Head" from Motor Trend are a match in two out of these three criteria: they're both compact hatchbacks and each gets a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine producing 256hp in the VW and 252hp in the Ford.

For as long as we can remember, Lincoln has been trying to reinvent itself, admittedly, without much success.

The company's latest efforts include appointing Max Wolff of former Cadillac fame as its head designer, the opening of a dedicated 40,000 square foot styling studio and let's not forget, the roll out of the new MKZ mid-size sedan.

Despite receiving some updates for 2013, which consist mainly of two new colors, new seats and an audio system, the Defender’s replacement is long overdue.

Land Rover, of course, knows this very well; as a matter of fact, it hopes that the next Defender will do for the brand, in terms of image and sales, what the Evoque has done for its Range Rover luxury sub-division: become a sales hit, bring new buyers to the brand and update its image.

The fans over at Lego's Cuusoo have spoken and their wish is the famous Danish plastic brick company's command.

And what exactly did the people wish for at Cuusso, which is an official site where you can share your Lego set concepts with the hope that someone from the company's head honchos in Denmark will like your idea?

With U.S. deliveries having started since June, Tesla Motors is now introducing its Model S all-electric luxury saloon in the European market – but only in its higher-end versions.

For the time being, Tesla announced that it will offer only the 60- and 85-kWh battery pack versions, leaving the 40-kWh edition out of the Model S' European range.

A female state trooper from Texas has been suspended following allegations of an illegal and humiliating “roadside body cavity search” during a routine traffic stop.

According to KVUE news, two Irving women, Angel Dobbs, 38, and her niece, Ashley Dobbs, 24, were driving along Highway 161 on July 13, when they were pulled over by state troopers Kelley Helleson and David Farrell for allegedly throwing a cigarette butt out the window of their car.

In the dascham footage released by the women and their attorney this week, Helleson is seen prepping herself by wearing a latex glove and performing an extensive…cavity search on both females.

It's never a bad idea to look to the past for inspiration, just as long as you don't forget the needs and wants of the future when doing so.

French designer Marc Devauze looked at Bugatti's glorious past and chose the brand's most successful racecar ever, the 1920's Type 35 that won over 1,000 races including the Grand Prix World Championship as well as the famed Targa Florio, for inspiration in creating his award winning TypeZero Concept.

Don’t worry, Porsche is not attacking Ferrari or Lamborghini. An "Italian torpedo" is lawyer slang for when someone files a lawsuit in a certain court while the other party does the same in a different country. Italian courts can take years to decide on jurisdiction, so the case stalls; hence the term.

That’s exactly what Porsche has done, filing a lawsuit against the Pendragon fund in the Regional Court of Stuttgart 11 days before Pendragon filed its own lawsuit against the company in London.

Oops…it looks like GM may have overlooked to add a secondary hood latch on its 2010-2012MY Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon twin pickup trucks, built from November 9, 2009, through August 28, 2012. Read more »

When McLaren presented the P1 Concept at this year's Paris Motor Show, it told us that its new supercar was 97 percent production ready in terms of its exterior design.

If you have been wondering what kind of changes that 3 percent represents, then you'll be happy to know that the British carmaker answered that question during a private event in New York City that was attended and filmed by Jason Thorgalsen.

Earlier this month, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced that it wants the U.S. government to make black boxes, or event data recorders (EDRs) as is the official term, mandatory in all new vehicles that will be built after September 2014.

According to the NHTSA, almost all new passenger cars and light-duty vehicles (96 percent, to be precise) currently on sale have the EDR capability built in, and 91 percent already have them installed by their manufacturers.

You might not know it yet, but large and empty buildings can actually be an ideal place to burn some rubber and engage in what Australians and New Zealanders like to call hooning.

The crew from LuckyBelt explains:

"Last month we were lucky enough to have access to an old empty factory for the afternoon the day before it was knocked down in Perth, Western Australia. This was the result."

For the month of December, Hyundai has issued two separate recalls for its 2012 model year Veloster sports hatch in the States.

The first recall action affects 13,500 Velosters manufactured from November 1, 2011, through April 17, 2012, and equipped with panoramic sunroofs.

In November, Suzuki's automotive division in announced that it would be shutting down its operations in the United States. On Thursday, December 20, American Suzuki Motor Corp successfully filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, in Santa Ana, California, winning permission to close its automotive operations, while re-organizing its motorcycle and boat businesses.

But that's not all that went down in the court as U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Scott Clarkson also approved Suzuki's request to borrow $50 million to import extra cars from Japan. Confused? Well, allow us to explain.

Here's another design concept for a small crossover model utilizing the platform hardware from the Volkswagen Up! family of mini cars.

We say another one because Volkswagen itself introduced a very-near production study at this year's edition of the São Paulo International Motor Show in Brazil in October.

In many parts of the world, including Australia and New Zealand, it's already December 22, which means the world did not come to an end on December 21, as some, well, scratch that, hundreds of millions of people who misinterpreted the Mayan calendar believed for quite some time now.

For MINI USA, such misconceptions (see NASA's video below) are a good opportunity for some playful marketing with the German-owned British carmaker placing a full-page ad in TheNew York Times, with the headline, “Well, So Much For The 2014 Models.”

If it's attention you seek on the road, nothing says "look at me" more than a lime green finish for your ride, which in Kahn Design's case, is said to be a green pearl shade borrowed directly from Lamborghini's color palette.

Besides the eye-catching exterior color that's accentuated by the gloss black roof and center section of the bonnet, Kahn's Range Rover Evoque RS250 includes all the usual styling goods we've come to expect from the British tuner such as an aero kit with new bumpers, side sills, wheel arch extensions, spoilers, and a unique grille.

We've scolded drivers for not giving way to pedestrians in the past, though, foot-travelers should also keep a visual lookout for oncoming vehicles, especially under harsh weather conditions.

We can't say for sure who's at fault here since the covered up grandma (according to the poster) from Minsk seems to have a green light, but so do the cars coming from the other side of the road.

Cumulative worldwide sales of Lexus hybrid vehicles broke the half a million mark at the end of November 2012, the company announced today. This milestone was reached seven years after the market introduction of the brand's first hybrid model, the RX 400h in 2005. Read more »

Qoros might be a brand new name in the automotive world having been formed by China's Chery Automobile Co. and Israeli investment firm Israel Corp. in late 2007, but it sure has picked up quickly on how the business works.

Borrowing a page from much older and established companies in the industry, Qoros' teaser design sketches of the exterior of its first production model left promises of a dynamically styled saloon, which as you can see, doesn't really apply to the real life car that we will come to know as the GQ3.

Fantastic Four: A Brief History of the Ferrari F150's Illustrious Ancestors

Not all Ferraris are born equal. True, each and every one of them is a bona-fide supercar (with a lemon or two thrown in from time to time; no one gets it always right…). Among all the models built over the years, though, there are four that stand out.

During an interview published in Ferrari’s official magazine, the automaker's Technical director Roberto Fedeli said that people inside the company feel the term “supercar” isn’t strong enough for these cars. “We call them ‘the special cars’”, he said. “Let’s refer to them as our ‘specials’”.

Chrysler has revealed a new special edition version of its 300 sedan dedicated and named after Detroit's Motown record label, in advance of its world premiere at next month's 2013 North American International Auto Show. Read more »

These festive days, every company and their mother are tapping into the Christmas atmosphere – yes, carmakers included.

Among other initiatives for the holiday season, the Ford Motor Company launched a special app that allows users to either use preloaded images of one of its models or if they prefer, just take a picture of their own ride's grille, and then with the magical help of software, make the cars say what’s on their mind.

It's no secret that diesel engine options are necessary for any carmaker looking to succeed in the European market, even more so in mainstream segments.

Chinese-owned MG has been building and selling its MG6 in the UK since last summer, but up until now, it only offered a petrol engine in a category that's dominated by diesels, which in some models, make up for more than 80 percent of sales.

We're going to guess that Taiwanese authorities placed a slab of concrete in front of this zebra crossing to protect pedestrians from vehicles, but it also seems to work as a punishment tool for impatient drivers.

Take this gifted driver of a black Toyota sedan, who not only disregarded the red light but also tried to make a quick illegal left turn.

Automotive designer Alex Imnadze, whose name might not ring a bell right away, but you may remember him from one of his concepts for a Lamborghini supercar that we showed you earlier this month, sent us his latest project for a Ferrari super saloon.

Unlike the Lamborghini coupe study, Imnadze's new Ferrari concept has a name; it's called the Quattroporte, though, as you can imagine, this wouldn't sit well with the Fiat Group's other supercar-maker, Maserati…

With the 2013 North American International Auto Show in Detroit approaching closer, more and more automakers are opening their cards, though, most of the times, not to the extent we would all like…

Toyota, for example, announced on Thursday that it will host the world premiere of a new study called the Furia through a teaser video and a simple statement saying that it will be an "an exciting new sedan concept".

The New Year will bring two special edition models to Volkswagen's UK showrooms, the spicier looking Scirocco GTS and the…spicier sounding Beetle Fender, both of which have been presented in these pages as they're already offered in other markets. Both cars will be available for order in the UK on January 2. Read more »

Hate it or love it, sex sells - even on eBay Motors. Unlike this eBay seller that laid false claims about a young woman posing on a 1977 Datsun 280Z being his daughter for some extra spicy attention, the owner of this black 2008 Audi R8 GT is letting the pictures speak for themselves.

We don't get the opportunity to learn the young woman's name, but we do get to know a little about her preferences in underwear and lingerie, and that she fits comfortably on the R8's door.

As one would expect, Nissan is going to display several vehicles at Japan's largest tuning event of the year, next year's Tokyo Auto Salon 2013 with NAPAC, which will be held from January 11 to 13. Read more »

Just because some of the best drifters in the world come from the Land of the Rising Sun, doesn't mean that they're all immune to mishaps. On the contrary; they happen all the time.

But if you’re still in doubt, here's a video compilation of drift crashes made by our friends over at Japan's Car@nifty.

BMW's new urban electric mini has been spied wearing its production front and rear end parts, and in particular, the bumpers and lights. Previously, i3 prototypes were fitted with fake front and rear panels.

While it’s clear that the overall shape and styling will resemble the original i3 Concept car displayed at the 2011 Frankfurt Show, the production model's exterior will be toned down a notch with less fancy detailing.

Even though it hasn't been that long since General Motors and PSA Peugeot-Citroen announced big plans for an elaborate partnership, the two companies have failed to come to an agreement on a number of projects.

After dropping plans to jointly develop a small car for Latin America and a dual-clutch gearbox earlier this year, we now learn that GM and PSA have also scrapped plans for a joint mid-size car program that would have seen models like the next-generation Opel/Vauxhall Insignia, Peugeot 508 and Citroen C5 sharing parts.

The baby Aston Martin carriage that is the Cygnet mini may have found its long lost ancestor in the face of this classic Mini with a Mercedes-Benz W114/W115 snout - in case you don't remember, that's the codename of the E-Class saloon of the late-1960s, which was built through the mid-1970s). Read more »

Like most high-end carmakers these days, McLaren Automotive is also venturing into the retail business with a range of products that are sold from its recently launched McLaren eStore.

Just before Christmas, the British carmaker released a new line inspired by its MP4-12C sports car series that includes a variety of accessories, clothing and luggage with a price to match its name…

With rumors floating around since October, today it was finally confirmed that the Fiat-Chrysler Alliance will build the new Fiat 500X and a closely related Jeep-badged small crossover at the company's Melfi assembly plant in Italy beginning in 2014.

The announcement was made on Thursday at the Fiat plant in Melfi with company Chairman John Elkann and CEO Sergio Marchionne presenting the production plans. Italy's Prime Minister Mario Monti was also in attendance.

Sometimes people like to criticize other drivers for not acting promptly when faced with a danger on the road, but truth is, it's one thing watching it from the comfort of your home through a video and a completely different experience when you're sitting behind the wheel and have only seconds - if not less, to make a decision. Read more »

This morning, Subaru issued a release on its updated for the new model year Stella kei-car that goes on sale in Japan on January 5, 2013.

Enhancements include the introduction of a new "Smart Assist Collision" system that alerts the driver when a potential collision with another vehicle, a motorcycle or even a pedestrian ahead is detected via visual and audio notifications.

It's been a year and a half since Volkswagen displayed the Golf R Cabriolet Mk6 Concept at the 2011 edition of the Wörthersee GTI meet in Austria, and even though the company has already presented the hatchback versions of the seventh generation Golf, it appears that the Germans will finally go ahead and produce the car.

VW released a video in which it simply states, "Take a look at the new Golf R. It boosts the level of adrenaline in just a few seconds and is now open to the top. The Golf R Cabriolet."

Leave it to a German tuner with a tongue twister name like Schwabenfolia to go all lime green with a limited edition sports car like the BMW 1-Series M Coupe, of which a little over 6,300 units were produced during a ~1-year run.

But fear not, as Schwabenfolia didn't actually paint the Bavarian coupe, instead, it applied a lime green foil wrap, which is priced at €2,150 (US$2,850).

EVO Drag Races Shelby GT500 Mustang and Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Coupe

The Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Coupe and the Ford Shelby GT500 Mustang are two different cars from two separate schools of thought that we seriously doubt will ever be cross-shopped by consumers even in North America where they are both available. In Europe, even if one wanted to, you can't officially buy the Ford.

Despite their many differences, there's one thing that both cars lay claim to being good at: straight line acceleration, and it is this aspect of the two sports models that UK car magazine EVO set out to put to the test with a good ol' fashion drag race.

BMW is one of many carmakers that gradually ease up on the camouflage on their prototype models as they edge closer to revealing the production version.

Such is the case with the next X5 that's due to launch next year, possibly at the Frankfurt Auto Show in September, though we wouldn’t rule out an earlier reveal.

In these fresh scoop photos, the third generation of the X5 has done away with many layers of foil wraps allowing us to see the sharper and more protruding nose with the production headlamps, the elongated shape of which bring to mind those found on the F30 3-Series, and the more upright double kidney grille.

You know your cat may be having some kind of serious issues when it pokes its face into a running SUV's tail pipe and takes a few whiffs of the exhaust gasses.

We are going take a wild guess here and assume that this crazy feline is from Russia – well, at least that's what the title of the video suggests.

Despite the (in)famous 2012 Civic episode, there seems to be no bad feelings between Honda and Consumer Reports (CR). The publication may have dropped the 2012 Civic from its recommended list pressuring for a quick redesign, but Honda can relax as far as its U.S. market best-seller is concerned.

In fact, it may even smile as CR has put the 2013 Accord at the top of its class in four-cylinder guise while it notes that the V6 version is “challenging the Toyota Camry for the top spot” in its ratings.

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