Video & Photos: Roewe 550 Receives 5 Stars in Chinese-NCAP Crash Tests

Here you can see video of the Roewe 550 being tested in front of journalists and photographers. Within one minute and 14 seconds, you see the Roewe 550 smashed up in three different tests, with a normal speed and slow-motion shot of each impact.


The SAIC Roewe 550 has received a five-star crash rating from the Chinese arm of the European New Car Assessment Programme (EuroNCAP). C-NCAP, in conjunction with the China Automotive Technology and Research Center in Tianjin, China, gave the rating on six-star scale.


This ties the mark for the safest rated Chinese car. The Chinese-made Chery A3 and a car by Hongqi have also been awarded the ranking. Foreign autos Mercedes-Benz C200, produced by a joint venture called Beijing Benz-DaimlerChrysler Automotive, and the FAW-Volkswagen Bora have also received rankings at that level, according to an English-language newspaper in China.


Such dramatic increases leads one to speculate on the integrity of the tests. Still, over thirty percent of models tested in 2008 got two- or three-star rankings, according to the China Daily. The China Daily is a state-run newspaper in the People's Republic of China.

C-NCAP tested 28 cars this year, in four batches of seven models. The safety rankings have drastically improved over the last two years, with 46 percent of vehicles receiving a five-star rating in 2008. That is an increase of 10 percent on 2007 figures, and a 38 percent increase over 2006.

The Roewe 550 is based on the Rover 75, using a chassis with reduced length.
via:World Car Fans

SHO-time for 2010 Ford Taurus Spy

Could it be? Right in the midst of my own personal search for a mint Gen 1 (1989-1991) Taurus SHO comes pictoral proof that Ford may be resurrecting the Super High Output model. What we have here is one of many images published by Jalopnik showing the "SHO" moniker in its traditional font on the passenger side dash of a 2010 Ford Taurus.
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Branew_ Nissan 370Z Tuning Package

At the upcoming 2009 Tokyo Auto Salon that runs from January 9 to 11, Japanese tuning firm Branew will launch a complete performance package for the freshly revealed Nissan 370Z.


Branew's tasty exterior kit that will also be available in carbon-fiber, consists of a front spoiler, side steps, rear spoiler and a rear wing. The sport coupe's looks are complemented by a set of multispoke alloys that will be offered in various sizes.


Performance-wise, Branew has developed a new sports exhaust system and reprogrammed the 3.7-liter V6's ECU. In terms of handling, the Japanese tuner has upgraded the 370Z's brake system and added a new sport suspension kit. Further details will be released with the car's debut at the Tokyo Auto Salon in January.
Source: carscoop

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Spied: New 2011 Porsche Cayenne Interior

Looking at the spy shot of the interior one can see a major update coming within the interior with simililarities to its bigger brother car the Panamera which means lots more buttons and a shift lifter positioned higher for better driving comfort.

To see a picture of the Porsche Panamera interior and the similarities click here. The Cayenne itself does not appear to have as much as a slope in with the new control unit as the Panamera does.


The exterior of the Cayenne was refreshed not too long ago and from these camouflaged photos it appears that the next Cayenne will receive new integrated LED lights below the current positioning of the headlights units. LED lighting is already found on the new Porsche 911. Overall this upgraded Cayenne is shaping up to be a more exciting model from Porsche and it is giving drivers more features that they want such as the LED lights and the more efficient layout of interior controls just to name a few.


Surrounding the shift lifter on both sides are a plethora of buttons for the driver, which should include window controls, lock controls, and controls for the navigation unit just to name a few. Controls for the dual climate buttons appear to be positioned underneath the navigation unit. Above the shift lever there appears to be a MMI like control knob although we cannot confirm this addition. It would though seem likely since the Audi Q7 features this piece of technology already. Overall the positioning of the controls gives the interior a more sexy, sporty, and streamlined look.
Source: luxvelocity.typepad.




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2009 Honda Insight Leaked Brochure Includes Sporty Modulo Version

2009 Honda Insight Hybrid Sedan The brochure that was uploaded on the Honda enthusiast site called Temple of Vtec also reveals a picture of the Insight Modulo. For those wondering, Modulo is the name Honda gives to jazzed-up versions of factory-designed cars. The accessorized Insight pictured above features a sporty bodykit with a front spoiler that incorporates an extra set of (fog?) lights, side skirts, a rear apron and larger alloy wheels. Finally, we also learn from the leaked brochure that the JDM Insight will be offered in three trim levels, G, L and LS.


Despite Honda's attempts to keep a tight lid on any information concerning the new Insight hybrid sedan, a set of scans from the official Japanese market model (JDM) brochure have been leaked online, two weeks before the car's worldwide premiere at the Detroit auto show on January 11. Honda had released a three-quarter front shot of the production version but the brochure scans give us our first glimpse of the 2009 Insight's more conservatively styled rear-end along with the hybrid's interior which remains for the most part unchanged compared to the Paris Show Insight Concept.


Another site called 'Insightman' posted a more detailed article with plenty of data sourced from an unnamed Japanese car magazine that supposedly gathered the information from a product preview meeting for Honda dealers in Japan. We've included the 'spec-sheet' of the JDM Insight below, but since it's unofficial info from an unnamed source, we wouldn't take it too seriously.


As for the information that Honda has verified up until now, the production Insight will be equipped with a mild hybrid powertrain developed from the one found in the Civic IMA, combining an electric motor with a small displacement petrol engine and a CVT gearbox. The Insight will go on sale worldwide in the spring of 2009 with U.S. prices said to start from around $18,000 to $19,000.

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Hyundai Genesis Coupe to Star in Race-Inspired Super Bowl Ads

Hyundai will air its first two television advertisements for the new 2010 Genesis Coupe during the Super Bowl XLIII on Sunday, February 1, 2009. The two distinct 30-second spots will see race driver Rhys Millen getting behind the wheel of the 306HP Genesis Coupe 3.8L V6. Millen will navigate the rear-wheel drive sports car around the 2.54-mile, 12-turn race track at Road Atlanta in Northeast Georgia to show off the Genesis Coupe's capabilities.
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Lexus LF-A Supercar Still Alive Despite Cost Cuts

What is expected to end up happening is that the 500hp Lexus will be built to a limited number of only 500 examples. Whether that includes the cabriolet or not remains to be seen.


Toyota is really serious about bringing to market the Lexus LF-A sports car by 2011. This despite the current economic situation, especially pronounced in the financial services and automobile manufacturing sectors. The company is holding firm on its commitment to Formula One as well, even though "to keep it up at the current level [of spending] is extremely difficult", according to CEO Katsuaki Watanabe. Rival Honda recently pulled the plug on its NSX as well as its F1 programme.


Earlier this year the LF-A teased crowds at the Nurburgring 24 hours and more recently at Toyota's Motorsport Festival at the Fuji Speedway. A small number of LF-A prototypes are rumoured to be on a short list to compete at various racing championships once again in 2009.
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Lotec released 2009 Sirius sketches

The name of Lotec you are probably familiar: It is a small German preparer who beyond his work on tuning the cars made of the mark to the star, has also embarked on many projects more ambitious. There had been the single C1000, 850-horsepower supercar built at the request of a wealthy emir. Lotec had also dwelt on a Ferrari Testarossa with the key to a monster of 780 horses.


Christmas is not likely to arrive late this year: SSC Aero, Gumpert Apollo or even the amazing Danish Zenvo ST1, means of locomotion supersonic no shortage at this time of Eve. This is just an old sea serpent appears to join the party.


Finally, Lotec became known delirious with Sirius, a supercar whose drawing (rather heavy) dates back to 1992 and who intends to display more than 1,200 horses to a top speed of over 400 km / h.


And to get back to days at a time when more than one thousand of horses is no longer a sufficient means to distinguish itself, provides a new Lotec Sirius for the year 2009. Obviously, it is still at the stage of photoshop but there is no doubt that his claims should be up to its predecessor.
Source: leblogauto



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Official: Jaguar XF Diesel S details have emerged

Jaguar has introduced a new 3.0-liter V6 turbodiesel engine for the European market 2010 XF that will be offered with outputs of 240 HP and 275HP in S form. The dual turbocharged 3.0-litre AJ-V6D Gen III diesels are a direct development of the 207 HP 2.7-liter AJ V6 that was jointly engineered with the PSA Peugeot-Citroen group. Both units are matched to Jaguar's six-speed ZF 6HP28 automatic transmission. In standard form, the 3.0 V6 diesel produces 240 HP (16 percent more than the 2.7 V6) allowing the XF to go from 0 to 60mph (96 km/h) in 6.7 seconds and reach a maximum speed of 149mph (240 km/h).


On the outside, the Diesel S XF is distinguished by a set of newly designed 19-inch wheels, an aerodynamic boot lid spoiler and discreet 'S' badging.

Along with the presentation of the new diesel-powered models, Jaguar said that it has also performed 'significant trim and specification changes' that include the introduction of a new luxurious Portfolio version.


The more powerful XF Diesel S that delivers an output of 275HP and a massive 600Nm (443 lbs-ft) of torque, accelerates from 0-60mph (96 km/h) in just 5.9 seconds, 1.8 seconds quicker than the 2.7-litre model, while the car's top speed is electronically limited to 155mph (250 km/h). The XF Diesel S has a combined average fuel consumption of 42.0mpg UK or 35mpg US – an improvement on the 2.7-litre diesel of 12 percent – and a CO2 emissions rating of 179g/km.


In the UK, pricing of the new XF 3.0-litre diesel model starts from £33,900 while the new 3.0-litre Diesel S starts at £36,900. These new Jaguar XF models will be available in Europe from March 2009.
via:carscoop




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2008 25 Hours of LeMons at Thunderhill: In the pits and on the track

Imagine this: text-message updates on your favorite LeMons teams that includes their last lap time and overall position. Or real-time telemetry data streaming online. How about pictures and analysis, straight from the track and beamed down through the tubes right into your home? Fantasy? Hardly.

When you get hundreds of die-hard DIY types together for a weekend of wheel-to-wheel racing, anything's possible. Unless, of course, the one necessary component – a stable internet connection – is missing from the equation. And so concludes our overall coverage of the 2008 24 Hours of LeMons at Thunderhill. After battling wonky wifi and sketchy EVDO connections, we bailed on the race late last night so we could give you a brief snippet of the action outside of Willows.
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Jeremy Clarkson's Car of the Year: the Corvette ZR1

Feel free to read that headline as many times as necessary, but yes, it's true: Clarkson-san wrote "Out of nowhere, my car of the year," the Corvette ZR1. The man who pooped on the spearhead of electric cars has given an American high horsepower pushrod V8 the gold and glory. And this is after comparing the ZR1's predecessors to Big Macs: "Cheap, plastic and at the right time, and in the right place, sort of just what you want."
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Make your EVO X still uglier with bumpers of G

A Lancer is in my eyes all a terrible ugly car (the hatchback is only a little) but it is the Japanese tunert G (never heard of) succeeded in the EVO X still ugly to do. How? Simple mounting an asymmetrical front and a shovel on the cake kofferklep.


The result is, in my humble opinion, disgusting to mention. But there are certainly people who love it. Want to know more? Then you can take a look at the site of G. My stomach turns, in any case of it.


via: autoblog

ZatAvondRepo: How do you build a Gallardo LP560-4

Did you always want to know how a Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 in each other schroeft? And what has Lamborghini all changes to the original design of the Gallardo LP560-4 to develop? Then you certainly following report of a small viewing just fifteen minutes.




via:autoblog.nl



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Autosport's Car of the Year For Ginetta G50

Lawrence Tomlinson bought historic British car maker Ginetta in 2005, and in just three years his team has hit it over the wall with the maker's first car under his tenure: the Ginetta G50, has taken Autosport's number one slot in its Top 10 Cars of the Year.


The G50's attractions are obvious: It is light (1,750 lbs), powerful (300 horsepower six-cylinder), and relatively inexpensive (£35,000-or around $51,000 USD). It comes in three flavors for now: Roadgoing coupe, G50 Cup Car, and a GT4 model for the FIA GT4 series.


The Cup Car had its own one-make race series in Britain, and that was so successful it also won an award in Motorsport News. Coming in 2009 for Ginetta: a G50Z for GT3 competition, an electric Ginetta G50, and expansion onto the Continent with a one-make series in Spain fielding the Ginetta G20.
via:carworld123

Detroit Auto Show: 2009 Saab 9-5 Griffin Edition

The current-generation Saab 9-5 is one vehicle in serious need of an update. However, Saab will be showing a special edition of the 9-5 -- the Griffin -- at the Detroit Auto Show next month.
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Audi releases the A3 Black Edition for each of the 3 A3 variants

Audi releases the A3 Black Edition for each of the 3 A3 variants - the 3-door hatchback, 5-door fastback and the cabriolet.

The Black Edition, in standard Brilliant Black paint (other paints are optional and cost extra), features goodies such as a de-chromed front grille, 18-inch alloy wheels from the S-line in an exclusive dark titanium finish, and privacy (tinted) glass extended from the B-pillar in the closed top models. For the cabriolet, there is black outlining of the roll bars and shoulder line.
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Spied: Nissan GT-R FIA GT Spec Race Car

Nissan have recently been testing their latest race car prototype which is most likely for the FIA GT racing at circuits in Japan. Above we can see a photo of the car testing at Fuji Speedway. AutoSport magazine with another set of spy pics also just hit news stands in Japan.


Giant AP Racing brakes from the SuperGT series cars find there place behind the Rays forged aluminium wheels which are also taken straight from SuperGT. The rear wing is also a new GT spec item which may have some relation to it’s SuperGT cousin.


Some of the obvious changes we see hint at some significant upgrades. Front bumper is replaced with a carbon item with a more aggressive splitter, the front fenders are flared out and built from carbon as well. The wide body continues along the side skirts to the rear quarters which are bulked out and vented for the rear brakes.
via gtrblog.com



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