Posted on 29th June, 2011 by admin
Filed in Miscellaneous | Leave a comment
Rolls-Royce has been conducting thermal tests on its Phantom Experimental Electric prototype, the 102EX. The Phantom Experimental Electric (EE) spent a week at Warwickshire’s MIRA1 research centre, with engineers monitoring it to see how it copes in varying conditions, ahead of its world tour.
Amazingly, the EE’s 96 cells can cope temperatures as high as 500C, which will be handy for when it visits the likes of Dubai and Los Angeles later this year. Before that it will be appearing at the 2011 Festival of Speed this weekend, even taking part in a hillclimb or two on Thursday.
[Source: Rolls-Royce]
READ MORE »
Posted on 28th June, 2011 by admin
Filed in Miscellaneous | Leave a comment
Ahead of its début at the 2013 Monte Carlo Rally, Volkswagen will not only be developing and perfecting its 300 hp Polo R WRC car, but assessing prospective pilots for the Baby VW rally car.
The Volkswagen team will be taking part in selected rallies throughout 2011 to gain valuable experience, borrowing a machine from elsewhere in the Volkswagen brand – a 270 hp Škoda Fabia S2000 SWRC car – to give potential future drivers a chance to shine.
Volkswagen Motorsport Director Kris Nissen has stated that, apart from established WRC stars, the team would be willing to take on younger drivers – if they impressed him under competitive conditions, saying: “It would be great if we could find a new Walter Röhrl or Michèle Mouton using this approach.”
The first event will be next month’s Finland Rally, with the team running two cars; the first driven by 22-year-old Andreas Mikkelsen, and the second by 26-year-old Joonas Lindroos.
Good luck guys!
[Source: Volkswagen Motorsport]
READ MORE »
Posted on 28th June, 2011 by admin
Filed in Miscellaneous | Leave a comment
Following on from the superb ‘Walls’ promo for its 1 Series M Coupé, BMW has just released a follow-up that’ll have any vertigo sufferers reaching for the sick bag. Filmed on top of the world’s highest helipad, you have to wonder why the driver bothered with a helmet… READ MORE »
Posted on 28th June, 2011 by admin
Filed in Miscellaneous | Leave a comment
Along with six partners, Volkswagen is conducting a fleet study in electric mobility. Based around the use of twenty Golf Variant twïnDRIVE models, the project will run until June 2012. Thanks to its plug-in hybrid drive drivetrain, the Golf is capable of travelling up to 57 km (35 m) purely on electrical power, and for further distance its small internal combustion engine provides for a total range of around 900 km (558 m).
Cleverly, the driver can program the car (via the radio-navigation system) to utilise the E-motor – purely for city driving, but switch to the internal combustion engine when enhanced performance is required.
According to plans by the federal government, by 2020, Germany’s number of pure electric vehicles will have reached one million units.
[Source: Volkswagen]
READ MORE »
Posted on 28th June, 2011 by admin
Filed in Miscellaneous | Leave a comment
BMW has just added its new super-frugal X1 sDrive20d EfficientDynamics Edition model to the X1 range. Powered by a 163 hp four-cylinder diesel engine, average fuel consumption is 4.5 litres/100 km, and with a CO2 emission level of 119 grams per kilometre this is the most efficient X model to date.
Standard features include Auto Start/Stop function, brake energy regeneration, electromechanical power steering, and a disengageable air-conditioning compressor. The sDrive20d EfficientDynamics Edition also comes with reduced rolling resistance tyres.
[Source: BMW]
READ MORE »
Posted on 28th June, 2011 by admin
Filed in Miscellaneous | Leave a comment
Rolls-Royce is presenting this one-off Drophead Coupé at Masterpiece London 2011 in Chelsea. Apparently designed for the perfect weekend get-away, the special Coupé features bespoke luggage and a one-off Asprey jewellery box – tucked away in the glove compartment – for those times when you just can’t decide which diamonds to wear on your picnic…
Further details include yacht-style teak decking with mother-of-pearl inlays, engraved tread plates, white dials and controllers. Mother-of-pearl also features in the clock. As you’d expect, the colour is also unique to this model – Mazarine Blue – chosen from a palette of 44,000 different shades.
Recession? What recession?
[Source: Rolls-Royce]
READ MORE »
