If, like us, you think Hyundai's on a stylistic roll, wait until you see this. The new Hyundai i-oniq concept car signals the next stage of Hyundai's Euro-focused design lanuage.
The i-oniq concept car will be shown at the 2012 Geneva motor show on 6 March.
Hyundai i-oniq concept (2012): the lowdown
Like a mash-up of Nissan 350Z headlamps at the front and a sporting shooting brake at the rear, the i-oniq's purpose is to show there's more to come from the Koreans in chapter two.
It's a hybrid 'sports hatchback', according to Hyundai. It's a range-extender hybrid, whose 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol engine charges a lithium ion battery.
You can travel 70 miles on electric mode, using just the 108bhp e-motor; when the internal combustion engine is topping up electricity levels, the range swells to nearer 400 miles - with a claimed 45g/km of CO2.
Hyundai design: the next chapter
The i-oniq espouses the next iteration of 'fluidic sculputre', the current mantra at Hyundai's design studios in Frankfurt.
What's new? The combination of 'gentle feature lines and muscular surface treatment, conveying both premium and sporty qualities evident in both the exterior and interior of the car,' says Hyundai.
It further points to the ‘penthouse roof’ and LED headlights on i-oniq. At 4.4m long, this concept is smidge longer than a BMW 1-series coupe.
Hyundai Motor Europe chief Allan Rushforth said: 'The i-oniq concept has been created to reflect the new thinking that runs through the Hyundai brand.
'It has a bold design, inside and out, that provokes contemplation on the future of automotive possibilities, and a powertrain that highlights one of the ways in which we could power future products – wrapped in a package that exudes premium qualities.'
Chủ Nhật, 22 tháng 4, 2012
Seat Toledo concept car (2012) first pictures
Seat will whisk the covers off the new Seat Toledo concept car at the 2012 Geneva motor show. Stand by for some confusion: the old Toledo was a supersized MPV with a dodgily designed boot, but the new 2013 model will follow the much more conventional three-box design showcased here.
As you can tell by the ready-to-roll interior and surprisingly unshowy exterior, this Toledo is 'a close-to-production study'.
Seat Toledo concept car (2012): the lowdown
Seat admits the Toledo will go on sale in Spain in late 2012, which points to a UK on-sale date in early 2013.
It's a five-door hatchback, despite that three-box shape, and stretches to 4480mm long. There's a large 500-litre boot, easily accessible thanks to the large tailgate.
Seat first launched the Toledo in 1991 and it's popped up only occasionally in the range. The two generations of Toledo have sold 860,000 units in Europe.
The design story
Following IBE, IBX and IBL concepts, this is one of the first production Seats to espouse the latest Spanish design look.
James Muir, president and big cheese at Seat, said: 'The Seat Toledo Concept illustrates our idea of the perfect mid-range car. It is an excellent combination of emotional design, top-level functionality and dynamic driving characteristics. The subsequent production model, our new Toledo, will write a whole new success story with its clear SEAT identity, its excellent quality standard and exceptional value-for-money.
‘Following the Mii family and the new Ibiza, the new Toledo marks the next wave in our model offensive and growth strategy.’
As you can tell by the ready-to-roll interior and surprisingly unshowy exterior, this Toledo is 'a close-to-production study'.
Seat Toledo concept car (2012): the lowdown
Seat admits the Toledo will go on sale in Spain in late 2012, which points to a UK on-sale date in early 2013.
It's a five-door hatchback, despite that three-box shape, and stretches to 4480mm long. There's a large 500-litre boot, easily accessible thanks to the large tailgate.
Seat first launched the Toledo in 1991 and it's popped up only occasionally in the range. The two generations of Toledo have sold 860,000 units in Europe.
The design story
Following IBE, IBX and IBL concepts, this is one of the first production Seats to espouse the latest Spanish design look.
James Muir, president and big cheese at Seat, said: 'The Seat Toledo Concept illustrates our idea of the perfect mid-range car. It is an excellent combination of emotional design, top-level functionality and dynamic driving characteristics. The subsequent production model, our new Toledo, will write a whole new success story with its clear SEAT identity, its excellent quality standard and exceptional value-for-money.
‘Following the Mii family and the new Ibiza, the new Toledo marks the next wave in our model offensive and growth strategy.’
VW Cross Coupe at 2012 Geneva motor show
This is the new Volkswagen Cross Coupe, which will be unveiled at the 2012 Geneva motor show...
Hang on! Haven’t we seen the VW Cross Coupe before?
Yes, but not in red. Or more importantly, not with a plug-in hybrid TDI powertrain. Volkswagen unveiled the first Cross Coupe at the 2011 Tokyo motor last autumn with a plug-in electric-petrol powertrain; now it sports a TDI system, continuing a preview of VW’s first plug-in hybrid set-up.
The Cross Coupe shown in Tokyo featured two electric motors (one front, one rear) and a direct-injection and turbocharged (TSI) petrol engine. This new Cross Coupe has a similar set-up, only with a direct-injection and turbocharged (TDI) diesel engine. Thanks to its ability to run on purely electric power during the NEDC fuel consumption test, this TDI-powered Cross Coupe will apparently return 157mpg and emit just 46g/km CO2. Impressive, but almost impossible to achieve in the real world, as this is a 302bhp and 1858kg SUV with a 138mph top speed.
302bhp, huh?
That 302bhp power figure is the total system output, the TDI engine aided by the twin electric motors. VW hasn't released any more figures on the specific outputs of the engine and two motors, but the Cross Coupe is four-wheel drive, and the rear wheels aren’t driven by the TDI engine, but the rear-mounted electric motor. When the rear axle is being driven by the rear electric motor, it’s powered by the other, nose-mounted electric motor, acting as a generator fuelled by the TDI engine. Thanks to the flow of electrical engine front-to-rear, there’s no need for a conventional driveshaft, so the lithium-ion batteries sit in that space instead.
What else?
The rest of the Cross Coupe is predominantly unchanged, bar the switch from silver to red paint of course. That means an angular SUV that previews how a more sporting version of VW’s next-gen Tiguan could look – think of this four-seat 4x4 as an X6-style version of Volkswagen’s compact faux off-roader. At 4345mm long the Cross Coupe is longer than a Golf but shorter than a Tiguan, while the width (1868mm) and height (1523mm) also put it between the aforementioned VW pair.
Underneath the red skin the Cross Coupe is based on Volkswagen’s new modular transverse matrix (MQB) and its grey Tokyo sibling was the first model to be publically shown that was underpinned by the company’s clever new flexible architecture.
Hang on! Haven’t we seen the VW Cross Coupe before?
Yes, but not in red. Or more importantly, not with a plug-in hybrid TDI powertrain. Volkswagen unveiled the first Cross Coupe at the 2011 Tokyo motor last autumn with a plug-in electric-petrol powertrain; now it sports a TDI system, continuing a preview of VW’s first plug-in hybrid set-up.
The Cross Coupe shown in Tokyo featured two electric motors (one front, one rear) and a direct-injection and turbocharged (TSI) petrol engine. This new Cross Coupe has a similar set-up, only with a direct-injection and turbocharged (TDI) diesel engine. Thanks to its ability to run on purely electric power during the NEDC fuel consumption test, this TDI-powered Cross Coupe will apparently return 157mpg and emit just 46g/km CO2. Impressive, but almost impossible to achieve in the real world, as this is a 302bhp and 1858kg SUV with a 138mph top speed.
302bhp, huh?
That 302bhp power figure is the total system output, the TDI engine aided by the twin electric motors. VW hasn't released any more figures on the specific outputs of the engine and two motors, but the Cross Coupe is four-wheel drive, and the rear wheels aren’t driven by the TDI engine, but the rear-mounted electric motor. When the rear axle is being driven by the rear electric motor, it’s powered by the other, nose-mounted electric motor, acting as a generator fuelled by the TDI engine. Thanks to the flow of electrical engine front-to-rear, there’s no need for a conventional driveshaft, so the lithium-ion batteries sit in that space instead.
What else?
The rest of the Cross Coupe is predominantly unchanged, bar the switch from silver to red paint of course. That means an angular SUV that previews how a more sporting version of VW’s next-gen Tiguan could look – think of this four-seat 4x4 as an X6-style version of Volkswagen’s compact faux off-roader. At 4345mm long the Cross Coupe is longer than a Golf but shorter than a Tiguan, while the width (1868mm) and height (1523mm) also put it between the aforementioned VW pair.
Underneath the red skin the Cross Coupe is based on Volkswagen’s new modular transverse matrix (MQB) and its grey Tokyo sibling was the first model to be publically shown that was underpinned by the company’s clever new flexible architecture.
Mini Countryman JCW at 2012 Geneva motor show
This is the Mini Countryman John Cooper Works, set to be unveiled at the 2012 Geneva motor show. It’s the most powerful Mini so far, with 215bhp, and the first JCW product to boast four-wheel drive. Timed to coincide with much vaunted success in the World Rally Championship… Oh. Wait. That’s been a fiasco hasn’t it. Err…
So if we ignore the withdrawal of Mini’s works WRC team, what can you tell us about the Mini Countryman JCW?
It’s Mini tried-and-tested recipe, slotting a John Cooper Works variant atop a range already sporting Cooper and Cooper S variants – it’s also the sixth JCW model amid Mini’s current line-up. There’s chunky bodywork, 18in alloy wheels, strengthened anti-roll bars, 10mm lower suspension, and a sports exhaust system with chrome-tipped tailpipes.
And inside there are JCW-spec door sills, sports seats with contrasting red stitching, piano black trimmings, a sports steering wheel, and darkened backgrounds for the rev counter and speedo.
But the Countryman JCW is also the first four-wheel drive JCW model, and the most powerful yet. The turbocharged and direct-injected 1.6-litre engine produces 215bhp at 6100rpm (other JCW models currently boast 208bhp) and 207lb ft – with a 221lb ft overboost function. The All4 four-wheel drive system helps this Countryman to claw its away to 62mph in seven seconds dead, and in normal driving conditions 50% of the power is sent to the rear, but this can be the full 100% in extreme conditions.
A six-speed manual is standard, but a six-speed automatic is available for the first time on a JCW product: both reach 62mph in the same time, the manual is 1mph faster flat out (140mph vs 139mph), and they respectively return 39.2mpg and 167g/km and 39.2 and 187g/km CO2.
Sales of the Mini Countryman JCW start in autumn 2012.
So if we ignore the withdrawal of Mini’s works WRC team, what can you tell us about the Mini Countryman JCW?
It’s Mini tried-and-tested recipe, slotting a John Cooper Works variant atop a range already sporting Cooper and Cooper S variants – it’s also the sixth JCW model amid Mini’s current line-up. There’s chunky bodywork, 18in alloy wheels, strengthened anti-roll bars, 10mm lower suspension, and a sports exhaust system with chrome-tipped tailpipes.
And inside there are JCW-spec door sills, sports seats with contrasting red stitching, piano black trimmings, a sports steering wheel, and darkened backgrounds for the rev counter and speedo.
But the Countryman JCW is also the first four-wheel drive JCW model, and the most powerful yet. The turbocharged and direct-injected 1.6-litre engine produces 215bhp at 6100rpm (other JCW models currently boast 208bhp) and 207lb ft – with a 221lb ft overboost function. The All4 four-wheel drive system helps this Countryman to claw its away to 62mph in seven seconds dead, and in normal driving conditions 50% of the power is sent to the rear, but this can be the full 100% in extreme conditions.
A six-speed manual is standard, but a six-speed automatic is available for the first time on a JCW product: both reach 62mph in the same time, the manual is 1mph faster flat out (140mph vs 139mph), and they respectively return 39.2mpg and 167g/km and 39.2 and 187g/km CO2.
Sales of the Mini Countryman JCW start in autumn 2012.
BMW Concept M135i at 2012 Geneva motor show
This is the BMW Concept M135i, which will be revealed at the 2012 Geneva motor show, and it previews a future hot 300bhp-plus 1-series.
So what is the BMW Concept M135i?
It’s a glimpse at a future BMW M Performance automobile. M Performance? It’s BMW M Division’s new sub-brand, to sit above the M Sport kits that adorn most 520ds but below its full-on M-cars. The first M Performance models have been X5, X6 and 5-series models fitted with a complex triple-turbocharged straight six diesel engine, but this is the first petrol-powered vehicle. And knowing the history of BMW show cars prefixed with the ‘Concept’ tag, the hot 1-series you see before you will make production very soon. BMW says this ‘pre-series concept car offers a fascinating outlook on a corresponding offer in the premium compact segment’.
Anyway, the BMW Concept M135i. It’s our first look at the new three-door bodystyle of the 1-series, but more importantly it’s the most performance-focused version of the latest One. The 135i tag signifies a turbocharged 3.0-litre straight-six engine with over 300bhp, of course it's rear-wheel drive (though we hear rumours of a four-wheel drive variant for left-hand drive markets), and BMW says the suspension has been ‘meticulously modified’.
Blue-painted brake calipers (in line with those fitted to the latest M5 and M6) are a move to help differentiate M Division’s hotter models from lesser BMWs, and clamp discs that are part of an M sports braking system. The wheels are 18in alloys, shod with Michelin Pilot Super Sport tyres, and there’s a full bodykit upgrade too, from bumpers, to dark chrome-trimmed exhausts pipes, mirror caps in Ferric Grey and side window surrounds in gloss black, the latter two both trademark features of BMW M Performance automobiles. The less said about the tricolor stripes the better though
So what is the BMW Concept M135i?
It’s a glimpse at a future BMW M Performance automobile. M Performance? It’s BMW M Division’s new sub-brand, to sit above the M Sport kits that adorn most 520ds but below its full-on M-cars. The first M Performance models have been X5, X6 and 5-series models fitted with a complex triple-turbocharged straight six diesel engine, but this is the first petrol-powered vehicle. And knowing the history of BMW show cars prefixed with the ‘Concept’ tag, the hot 1-series you see before you will make production very soon. BMW says this ‘pre-series concept car offers a fascinating outlook on a corresponding offer in the premium compact segment’.
Anyway, the BMW Concept M135i. It’s our first look at the new three-door bodystyle of the 1-series, but more importantly it’s the most performance-focused version of the latest One. The 135i tag signifies a turbocharged 3.0-litre straight-six engine with over 300bhp, of course it's rear-wheel drive (though we hear rumours of a four-wheel drive variant for left-hand drive markets), and BMW says the suspension has been ‘meticulously modified’.
Blue-painted brake calipers (in line with those fitted to the latest M5 and M6) are a move to help differentiate M Division’s hotter models from lesser BMWs, and clamp discs that are part of an M sports braking system. The wheels are 18in alloys, shod with Michelin Pilot Super Sport tyres, and there’s a full bodykit upgrade too, from bumpers, to dark chrome-trimmed exhausts pipes, mirror caps in Ferric Grey and side window surrounds in gloss black, the latter two both trademark features of BMW M Performance automobiles. The less said about the tricolor stripes the better though
Thứ Hai, 16 tháng 4, 2012
e-cell SLS AMG to impress?
AMG's first electric supercar, the SLS e-cell, will deliver true racetrack performance. That's the promise of Mercedes-AMG boss, Ola Källenius.
The Benz performance arm displayed the chassis and powertrain of the all-electric supercar at the recent Geneva Motor Show. Configured in a carbon-fibre backbone arrangement with four chassis-mounted synchronous electric motors and open-wheeler-style pushrod suspension, the display showed the extent of the differentiation of the electric car from the petrol V8-powered Gullwing with which it will share its styling.
Källenius told motoring.com.au that the e-cell would be offered as a production car and that the company would build it in the "triple digits". He said AMG was serious about the performance and range the car would deliver.
"Here we’re breaking new ground -- a little bit with a philosophy of 'build it and they will come' [but] our e-cell SLS will be on the pricelist, certainly for an exclusive clientele, of course, [but it] will be a product that you can actually buy and drive...
"We will launch the car, its official launch, this year and deliveries will start in 2013," Källenius told motoring.com.au.
According to Källenius many aspects of the car are still not finalised but examples have already been tested at the Nurburgring. He's coy when quizzed on the car's final power and torque outputs and performance claims.
"Well, I looked at the stand out there and it said 392kW and 880Nm. Who knows, it could be more," he teases.
"Actually, we don’t know [the final output]."
Range is targeted at 200km – of "enthusiastic" driving... Though with a caveat.
"We are going for 200 kilometres plus... so that you can actually use the car... "
"Enthusiastic, has, of course, certain definitions. If you drive flat out on the Nordschleife it will be less than that. Then again, if you drive a gasoline car flat out on the Nordschleife you don’t get much more than five laps or so, anyway."
Källenius would not comment on the electric car's laptime at the legendary circuit.
More than 500kg of the pure-electric plug-in e-cell's final kerb weight will be battery. However, the new chassis arrangement effectively lowers the centre of gravity of the electric car a further 27mm when compared to the hardly top heavy standard SLS, explains Källenius.
There's no gearbox; rather, the four electric motors drive a wheel each via short and stout driveshafts. Braking is via a mix of electrical regeneration and carbon-composite four-wheel discs. Unsprung weight is kept to conventional levels, AMG claims.
Källenius says the car is also a technology 'step-change' for the company. Indeed, he termed the e-cell: "a double step forward in one go".
"With the power and torque available from the first millisecond, [that] the e-cell car will have, the driving experience is absolutely mind boggling. But it’s not just a quest to make the best and most fascinating high-tech, supersports electric car, it’s actually the foundation, in terms of building up the know-how for performance electrification inside the company.
"It’s [also] our first hybrid body construction with carbon-fibre married to an aluminium space frame.
"Electrification will enter into the performance segment at some point in time. We decided we will use the e-cell project to build up the technical knowledge inside the company.
"[With that knowledge] Then you can combine it in any shape or form you like further on. Whether you do a small add-on, like a KERS [Kinetic Energy Recovery System], or if you go full-blown into a plug-in hybrid...
"The market environment will decide when the time is right to do that," Kallenius said.
Read the latest news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at carsales' mobile site...
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The Benz performance arm displayed the chassis and powertrain of the all-electric supercar at the recent Geneva Motor Show. Configured in a carbon-fibre backbone arrangement with four chassis-mounted synchronous electric motors and open-wheeler-style pushrod suspension, the display showed the extent of the differentiation of the electric car from the petrol V8-powered Gullwing with which it will share its styling.
Källenius told motoring.com.au that the e-cell would be offered as a production car and that the company would build it in the "triple digits". He said AMG was serious about the performance and range the car would deliver.
"Here we’re breaking new ground -- a little bit with a philosophy of 'build it and they will come' [but] our e-cell SLS will be on the pricelist, certainly for an exclusive clientele, of course, [but it] will be a product that you can actually buy and drive...
"We will launch the car, its official launch, this year and deliveries will start in 2013," Källenius told motoring.com.au.
According to Källenius many aspects of the car are still not finalised but examples have already been tested at the Nurburgring. He's coy when quizzed on the car's final power and torque outputs and performance claims.
"Well, I looked at the stand out there and it said 392kW and 880Nm. Who knows, it could be more," he teases.
"Actually, we don’t know [the final output]."
Range is targeted at 200km – of "enthusiastic" driving... Though with a caveat.
"We are going for 200 kilometres plus... so that you can actually use the car... "
"Enthusiastic, has, of course, certain definitions. If you drive flat out on the Nordschleife it will be less than that. Then again, if you drive a gasoline car flat out on the Nordschleife you don’t get much more than five laps or so, anyway."
Källenius would not comment on the electric car's laptime at the legendary circuit.
More than 500kg of the pure-electric plug-in e-cell's final kerb weight will be battery. However, the new chassis arrangement effectively lowers the centre of gravity of the electric car a further 27mm when compared to the hardly top heavy standard SLS, explains Källenius.
There's no gearbox; rather, the four electric motors drive a wheel each via short and stout driveshafts. Braking is via a mix of electrical regeneration and carbon-composite four-wheel discs. Unsprung weight is kept to conventional levels, AMG claims.
Källenius says the car is also a technology 'step-change' for the company. Indeed, he termed the e-cell: "a double step forward in one go".
"With the power and torque available from the first millisecond, [that] the e-cell car will have, the driving experience is absolutely mind boggling. But it’s not just a quest to make the best and most fascinating high-tech, supersports electric car, it’s actually the foundation, in terms of building up the know-how for performance electrification inside the company.
"It’s [also] our first hybrid body construction with carbon-fibre married to an aluminium space frame.
"Electrification will enter into the performance segment at some point in time. We decided we will use the e-cell project to build up the technical knowledge inside the company.
"[With that knowledge] Then you can combine it in any shape or form you like further on. Whether you do a small add-on, like a KERS [Kinetic Energy Recovery System], or if you go full-blown into a plug-in hybrid...
"The market environment will decide when the time is right to do that," Kallenius said.
Read the latest news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at carsales' mobile site...
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NEW YORK MOTOR SHOW: Toyota large sedan concept
Only a teaser sketch of the back end of this new Toyota concept has been revealed, but it has sent media outlets into a frenzy of speculation, particularly in the USA, where the suggestion is that this vehicle is our first look at a new-generation Toyota Avalon.
However Toyota Australia’s Manager, Public Relations, Mike Breen, told motoring.com.au this is not the case, "However we understand some publications have been speculating on this."
Breen did hint that the new concept wasn’t created just to sate the wildest fantasies of its designers, and could indeed be the precursor of an all-new global model from the world’s second largest car maker.
"Toyota has many design centres around the world, including Australia, each working collaboratively to predict, as best they can, future design trends. The primary purpose of a 'concept' car is to use the feedback from the media and consumers to confirm the company's future design direction," said Breen. "The outcome is to provide a design which will appeal to a global market."
So all eyes will be on the New York Motor Show next week when the concept breaks cover, and though likely to be less extravagant than the teaser sketch, the Toyota show car may have taken a leaf out of the Kia design book (which in turn took some of its cues from Audi). The concept will feature a smoothly sloped rear end that looks more like an Audi A7 or a Mercedes CLS-Class than a traditional Toyota sedan.
The company calls the new styling "elegant yet athletic".
If Toyota did decide to build a new global model in the next half decade, roughly the size of a Holden Caprice, Breen said it would be too early to say if such a vehicle would arrive Down Under: "We have insufficient information to provide an informed opinion."
"There is no suggestion this model, if it were to reach production, would be considered for the Australian market," Breen elucidated.
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However Toyota Australia’s Manager, Public Relations, Mike Breen, told motoring.com.au this is not the case, "However we understand some publications have been speculating on this."
Breen did hint that the new concept wasn’t created just to sate the wildest fantasies of its designers, and could indeed be the precursor of an all-new global model from the world’s second largest car maker.
"Toyota has many design centres around the world, including Australia, each working collaboratively to predict, as best they can, future design trends. The primary purpose of a 'concept' car is to use the feedback from the media and consumers to confirm the company's future design direction," said Breen. "The outcome is to provide a design which will appeal to a global market."
So all eyes will be on the New York Motor Show next week when the concept breaks cover, and though likely to be less extravagant than the teaser sketch, the Toyota show car may have taken a leaf out of the Kia design book (which in turn took some of its cues from Audi). The concept will feature a smoothly sloped rear end that looks more like an Audi A7 or a Mercedes CLS-Class than a traditional Toyota sedan.
The company calls the new styling "elegant yet athletic".
If Toyota did decide to build a new global model in the next half decade, roughly the size of a Holden Caprice, Breen said it would be too early to say if such a vehicle would arrive Down Under: "We have insufficient information to provide an informed opinion."
"There is no suggestion this model, if it were to reach production, would be considered for the Australian market," Breen elucidated.
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Motoring iPad issue 19 out now
Issue number 19 is here for your motoring enjoyment with more interactive doodads, widgets and cool stories and photography to pore over – all in stunning HD on the iPad. It's great to keep the iPad App magazine from motoring.com.au as your own guilty little pleasure, but if you like it, let your iPad toting friends know about it as well.
This fortnight we take you through a day-by-day diary of a Swiss Alp trek in the new Volkswagen Passat Alltrack. More than a family wagon, it's jacked-up and ready to take on the world. And wayward hunters in Liechtenstein...
For those who like things a bit more sedate, slip into cruise mode with the Morgan Plus 4, a classically styled roadster that offers the reliability and performance of a modern car.
And then it’s over to the whitegoods: Toyota are optimistic of breaking sales records with their new Camry Hybrid, and we put it through it's paces in a road test to see what all the fuss is about. A Camry drive maybe within our reach, but the chance to get behind the wheel of the new Mercedes-Benz C 63 AMG Black series is rare – but you can ride shot-gun with us through every exhilaration.
Then for something completely different, feel the force from a dozen feet above the ground in a 46 wheeler big rig! The power and handling of a 12-speed Scania R 730 'B' double gives a great insight into the daily drive of a longhaul trucker.
Issue 19 of the motoring.com.au App is informative and entertaining… It’s totally interactive, free, and it’s waiting to be downloaded at the App Store now.
This fortnight we take you through a day-by-day diary of a Swiss Alp trek in the new Volkswagen Passat Alltrack. More than a family wagon, it's jacked-up and ready to take on the world. And wayward hunters in Liechtenstein...
For those who like things a bit more sedate, slip into cruise mode with the Morgan Plus 4, a classically styled roadster that offers the reliability and performance of a modern car.
And then it’s over to the whitegoods: Toyota are optimistic of breaking sales records with their new Camry Hybrid, and we put it through it's paces in a road test to see what all the fuss is about. A Camry drive maybe within our reach, but the chance to get behind the wheel of the new Mercedes-Benz C 63 AMG Black series is rare – but you can ride shot-gun with us through every exhilaration.
Then for something completely different, feel the force from a dozen feet above the ground in a 46 wheeler big rig! The power and handling of a 12-speed Scania R 730 'B' double gives a great insight into the daily drive of a longhaul trucker.
Issue 19 of the motoring.com.au App is informative and entertaining… It’s totally interactive, free, and it’s waiting to be downloaded at the App Store now.
Savage Rivale conjures up four-door convertible
The folding metal hardtop for convertibles is hardly a novelty these days, having been around for the past 15 years, but have you ever wondered why there aren't any four-door versions of the same in existence?
The answer lies in the obvious packaging difficulties of stashing a huge lid in the vehicle's hindquarters if the traditional three- or five-piece arrangement were used.
Well, the puny and obscurely named Dutch carmaker Savage Rivale has pioneered an ingenious solution, which it plans to demonstrate on its equally peculiarly named Roadyacht GTS sedan.
The vehicle, which makes its public debut (albeit in fixed roof form) at next month's Top Marques show in Monaco, is equipped with a novel Retractable Telescopic Multi Panel (RTMP) roof mechanism, developed by Inalfa Roof Systems, and the beauty of said system is that it splits the folding roof into several glass panels, enabling it to retract within a compact space.
You can see how the system works via an animated video below.
If the clever roof system finds acceptance among mainstream manufacturers, it could potentially create a whole new genre as it doesn't seem that far-fetched to imagine there would be a ready and willing market for a convertible that offers four doors as well as the security and refinement of a hardtop.
In the meantime, Savage Rivale stands to gain a jump on the field if the innovative sedan/drop-top makes it to production. That said, most of these projects never make it past the rendering or scale-model phase, so we're not holding our breath.
For what it's worth, the car looks decent in the rendering and video sequence, with rakish lines that appear inspired by offerings from the likes of Pagani and Koenigsegg.
Technical details about the Roadyacht GTS are sketchy, but as far as we know, its carbonfibre body is draped around a chrome molybdenum frame, while propulsion duties are taken care of by Corvette-sourced 7.0-litre LS7 V8 that's been tweaked to pump out just shy of 450kW and 750Nm, relayed to the rear wheels by a six-speed auto.
The car allegedly features height-adjustable Koni dampers and a tailor-made air-suspension system, while stopping power comes from huge discs with eight-piston calipers up front.
Although there are no images of the cabin, there are said to be multiple touch screen displays that enable control of the doors, climate controls and entertainment. And, befitting the car's nautical moniker, the floor is decked with wood.
Read the latest news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at carsales' mobile site.
The answer lies in the obvious packaging difficulties of stashing a huge lid in the vehicle's hindquarters if the traditional three- or five-piece arrangement were used.
Well, the puny and obscurely named Dutch carmaker Savage Rivale has pioneered an ingenious solution, which it plans to demonstrate on its equally peculiarly named Roadyacht GTS sedan.
The vehicle, which makes its public debut (albeit in fixed roof form) at next month's Top Marques show in Monaco, is equipped with a novel Retractable Telescopic Multi Panel (RTMP) roof mechanism, developed by Inalfa Roof Systems, and the beauty of said system is that it splits the folding roof into several glass panels, enabling it to retract within a compact space.
You can see how the system works via an animated video below.
If the clever roof system finds acceptance among mainstream manufacturers, it could potentially create a whole new genre as it doesn't seem that far-fetched to imagine there would be a ready and willing market for a convertible that offers four doors as well as the security and refinement of a hardtop.
In the meantime, Savage Rivale stands to gain a jump on the field if the innovative sedan/drop-top makes it to production. That said, most of these projects never make it past the rendering or scale-model phase, so we're not holding our breath.
For what it's worth, the car looks decent in the rendering and video sequence, with rakish lines that appear inspired by offerings from the likes of Pagani and Koenigsegg.
Technical details about the Roadyacht GTS are sketchy, but as far as we know, its carbonfibre body is draped around a chrome molybdenum frame, while propulsion duties are taken care of by Corvette-sourced 7.0-litre LS7 V8 that's been tweaked to pump out just shy of 450kW and 750Nm, relayed to the rear wheels by a six-speed auto.
The car allegedly features height-adjustable Koni dampers and a tailor-made air-suspension system, while stopping power comes from huge discs with eight-piston calipers up front.
Although there are no images of the cabin, there are said to be multiple touch screen displays that enable control of the doors, climate controls and entertainment. And, befitting the car's nautical moniker, the floor is decked with wood.
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Volkswagen to buy Ducati for €750 million?
Italian newspaper Correrie di Bologna is reporting that the Volkswagen Group has officially made an offer to buy Ducati, putting €750 million on the table for the well-known motorcycle brand.
Current Ducati owner, Investindustrial, owns a 70 percent majority stake and has previously suggested it would be willing to sell Ducati Motor Holdings for between roughly €850 million and €1 billion.
Investindustrial bought the company for roughly half of the €750 million it may end up collecting from the VW Group, a buyout which occurred in 2005 when Ducati was sold off by Texas Pacific Group.
The German-based Volkswagen Group has the first right of refusal on any deals conducted with Ducati, and has until the end of April before other bidders can enter the fray.
In 2011 Ducati saw a 43 per cent increase in global sales in what was a tough year for motorcycle sales. The gains were largely fuelled by American demand for the Diavel power cruiser (pictured).
VW overlord Ferdinand Piech's first motorcycle was a Ducati. And indeed, Piech has made no secret of his desire to acquire the company for some years now.
A contingent of Volkswagen Group engineers has reportedly visited the Ducati manufacturing plants in Borgo Panigale, Bologna already. Ducati wouldn't be the first Italian brand under the Volkswagen Group umbrella, which also owns exotic car marque Lamborghini, which it acquired in 1998 and whose Sant'Agata base is not far from Ducati HQ.
But don't expect any VW-badged motorcycles just yet. In 2006 Volkswagen revealed the VW GX3 reverse trike but if Volkswagen did buy the company it would likely keep the motorcycle research and development separate from its other brands.
Read the latest news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at carsales' mobile site.
Current Ducati owner, Investindustrial, owns a 70 percent majority stake and has previously suggested it would be willing to sell Ducati Motor Holdings for between roughly €850 million and €1 billion.
Investindustrial bought the company for roughly half of the €750 million it may end up collecting from the VW Group, a buyout which occurred in 2005 when Ducati was sold off by Texas Pacific Group.
The German-based Volkswagen Group has the first right of refusal on any deals conducted with Ducati, and has until the end of April before other bidders can enter the fray.
In 2011 Ducati saw a 43 per cent increase in global sales in what was a tough year for motorcycle sales. The gains were largely fuelled by American demand for the Diavel power cruiser (pictured).
VW overlord Ferdinand Piech's first motorcycle was a Ducati. And indeed, Piech has made no secret of his desire to acquire the company for some years now.
A contingent of Volkswagen Group engineers has reportedly visited the Ducati manufacturing plants in Borgo Panigale, Bologna already. Ducati wouldn't be the first Italian brand under the Volkswagen Group umbrella, which also owns exotic car marque Lamborghini, which it acquired in 1998 and whose Sant'Agata base is not far from Ducati HQ.
But don't expect any VW-badged motorcycles just yet. In 2006 Volkswagen revealed the VW GX3 reverse trike but if Volkswagen did buy the company it would likely keep the motorcycle research and development separate from its other brands.
Read the latest news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at carsales' mobile site.
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