Most people would be happy enough to stand out from the usual traffic with such cars as the Rolls Royce Phantom or even Bugatti’s Veyron. Not Nigo, the creator of clothing label ‘Bathing Ape’ (BAPE).
With that vivid pink hue, the Veyron looks like something Barbie might have thrown up. The Phantom, on the other hand, receives a camouflaged look. Fortunately the cars haven’t been painted, it’s just a vinyl wrap covering their bodyshells.
As expected, Audi’s R8 supercar has been an instant success.
The first 400 allocated for the UK have already found buyers, with a further 50 potential customers patiently waiting for one from the second batch. Audi are currently producing 15 units a day at their Neckarsulm plant.
The Audi R8 comes on the European market sometime during the first half of 2007 and will be available in the United States by Autumn 2007.
More spy photos of Audi’s hot TT have emerged. TheTT-RS will compete against the BMW Z4 M coupe and Porsche Cayman S. Power will be courtesy of Volkswagen’s new turbocharged 2.5L five-cylinder unit. Expect over 300 bhp running through the quattro all wheel drive system.
The retractable carbon fibre rear spoiler is a nice feature.
Ten weeks before the start of the 2007 Dakar Rally, Volkswagen’s factory team has completed the development programme for the Race Touareg 2 with an intensive test in Tunisia.
“The test runs in Tunisia went very well. We were able to complete our entire programme,†said Volkswagen Motorsport Director Kris Nissen. “The test took place in two different regions: in the high sand dunes near El Borma close to the Algerian border and on the camel grass stretches near Ksar Ghilane in the north of Tunisia. In the UAE Desert Challenge one Race Touareg 2 representing the latest technical evolution for the Dakar Rally will be entered while the second factory car will compete with the 2006 World Cup specification and a few new components. As the next item on our agenda in the weeks ahead, we’re going to concentrate on the logistical preparation for the Dakar Rally and the preparation of the competition vehicles. This means we’re right on schedule.”
Volkswagen Group has almost doubled its third quarter operating profit, hitting €991 million, helped by cutting costs and jobs in their VW brand department.
Chief Financial Officer Hans Dieter Poetsch, stated “Although we have made significant progress in improving our competitiveness, we are still not satisfied with what we have achieved. This is the year in which we set the course for the future and the long-term success of our company. Our goal is clear: We want to generate profit before tax of €5.1 billion in 2008.”
VW now just needs to make a ‘mere’ €124 million in the final three months of this year to reach its target.
French company, PGO Automobiles have taken vulgarity to a whole new level by sticking 300,000 Swarovski crystals all over this Porsche Speedster replica.
PGO have been ripping off the classic Porsche Speedster for twenty years. This appalling act of decadence has been carried out on their updated Speedster II model. Even the seatbelts and lights haven’t escaped the ‘treatment’.
Thankfully, this is a one off car. No doubt Paris Hilton and P Diddy will be fighting for the keys to it.
Last month we told you that the Bugatti Veyron had yet to be officially clocked hitting its 250+ mph top speed, meaning the Guiness World Record was still held by SweÂden’s crazy 245mph Koenigsegg CCR.
Bugatti plans ‘put the record straight’ today at VW’s Ehra-Lessien track in Germany. Castrol, sponsoring the event, are obviously confident of the missile-like capabilities of the Veyron, telling a German Newspaper that “388 km/h is not fast enough!â€
We all know its top speed. What we want to know is - How fast the Stig can drive it around the Top Gear circuit!
Mercedes-Benz Accessories GmbH is now offering two new mobile navigation units as a retrofit solution, aimed in particular at A-Class, B-Class and C-Class customers. The StreetPilot II and StreetPilot II Plus offer ergonomic on-board integration, deliver clear voice output and feature a high-resolution TFT colour monitor.
An advantage of the dashboard mount is that it allows the system to be integrated into the vehicle electronics, the advantage here being that the spoken directions are output via the on-board loudspeakers. The radio is automatically switched to a quieter mode, ensuring that the driver can hear the information clearly.
The user-friendly two or three-dimensional maps, with zoom function, provide different perspectives for enhanced orientation. At confusing intersections the system automatically switches to the optimum display mode. The high-resolution, non-reflecting TFT colour monitor, which is 7.1 centimetres wide, 5.3 centimetres high and has a diagonal measurement of 8.9 centimetres, features automatic day/night-time settings, ensuring a glare-free image. The user can adjust the brightness to suit requirements.
GermanCarFans are running more pictures of the forthcoming Porsche Panamera have surfaced. The ‘Mercedes CLS fighter’ was photographed testing in Germany at the legendary Nürburgring circuit.
The ‘entry-level’ model will be powered by Volkswagen’s 3.5L six-cylinder engine with 300 bhp. Further up the food-chain, Porsche’s own direct-injection eight-cylinder petrol engine will be available in naturally-aspirated guise producing 350 bhp and a twin-turbo version, kicking out 560 bhp.
Seven months. Thirteen cities. 650 test-drives. Over 15,000km. The Diamond Anniversary Tour celebrates sixty years of uninterrupted production at Crewe in a series of exciting events spanning across Australasia and South East Asia.
The Diamond Anniversary Tour highlights the history, the people and the future of Crewe. Now in its seventh decade, the Bentley factory at Crewe has produced some of the 20th century’s most coveted motoring creations, from The Mark VI to the original Continental R-Type to The Mulsanne Turbo to the current range of cars that continue to reshape the luxury car market.
Today, the factory at Crewe is a state-of-the-art facility that employs around 3,900 people and makes an invaluable contribution to the local economy.
Volkswagen have revealed plans to produce their Golf GTI Edition 30, to mark the 30th anniversary of the GTI.
With a powerful 230 bhp (30 bhp up on standard - 1 bhp per year of GTI production) 2.0 litre turbo FSI engine, the Edition 30 is closely related to the production model and responds to the wishes of GTI enthusiasts. The options package, a profile of desired equipment, is a reaction to the numerous wishes from customers.
Especially prominent are the flat black 18-inch alloy wheels, the lower front and rear panels, the side skirts in body finish and the darkened tail lights. A plaque on the right side of the rear hatch with the text “Edition 30†identifies this GTI as one of just 1500 models in existence.
The interior includes top-quality, part-leather sport seats sporting the distinctive “Interlagos” diamond pattern in the cloth centre section.
The red-stitched leather steering wheel is trimmed with a clip bearing the text “GTI” on a red background. Another eye-catcher is the foil with the text “Edition 30†on the door sill. A special highlight is the gear stick knob in the form of a golf ball. Floor mats trimmed in red finish the package off.
At the recent ITS (Intelligent Transportation Systems) congress, in London, SEAT presented a León model which features the latest technological breakthroughs devised by SEAT from research into new forms of driver and vehicle interaction.
After two and a half years of work at the SEAT Technical Centre, this prototype has been developed in response to the European Union’s ambitious AIDE project (Adaptative Integrated Driver- Vehicle Interface). The ultimate goal is to increase driving safety, drawing from available vehicle-generated information to communicate aspects concerning the surroundings, the vehicle and the driver. This makes the car intelligent enough to take decisions that affect driving safety.
The following are a few practical examples of the possibilities featured on the León prototype:
When the driver takes their eyes off the road and the vehicle senses danger, a warning light appears on the dashboard and another warning sound can be heard.
The vehicle emits a warning sound and sends vibrations through the steering wheel if it detects that the driver is falling asleep.
If there is an incoming call while on a roundabout, the vehicle recognises the situation and puts the call on hold until exiting the roundabout.
