2011 Porsche Cayenne TITAN EVO XL 600 by speedART

German tuner SpeedArt has announced plans to introduce the Titan EVO XL 600 at the Geneva Motor Show.

SpeedArt’s new tuning kit is based on the Cayenne Turbo and, as its name suggests, updates to the engine allow the SUV to get 600 HP (up from a standard 500 HP) and 627 lbs-ft of torque. Adding to the package is a new flashy bodykit with striping similar to the Porsche 997 GT3 RS MkII and many other new components, including new front and rear bumpers, side skirts, and a new exhaust system. Finishing the sporty look of the Cayenne is a new set of 23-inch forged alloy wheels.

On the technical side SpeedART outfittes the SUV with a new exhaust system and a performance upgrade. The Porsche Cayenne Diesel receives 50 extra horsepower, the Hybrid 70hp, and the Turbo 100hp and 150Nm of torque. So the ‘600′ in the name of the program stands for the 600hp power upgrade in the Porsche Cayenne Turbo. A 650hp and 700hp program are in the making.




Press Release

speedART TITAN-EVO-XL 600

The newest innovation of the german Porsche Tuner speedART is called TITAN-EVO-XL 600 and it is based on the new Porsche Cayenne Turbo. Here´s an overview of the speedART modifications:

Aerodynamic:
The wide body version of speedARTs aerodynamic-kit for the Cayenne 958 is called TITAN-EVO-XL and consists of the sporty front chin spoiler, the rear diffuser and the wider fender flares including the new door planking. As a result we get a whole new wide-body-design which fits optimally to the performance increased engine of the new speedART Cayenne.

Performance:
speedART provides different power kits for the Turbo engine. The strongest version of the original 500 hp engine will perform 600 hp and 850 NM of torque and will consist of a motronic-update as well as a modified exhaust system. Especially for hot countries improved intercoolers are being prepared. A power upgrate for about 650 - 700 hp is also in preperation.

Sound:
A sport exhaust system (optionally with sound switch control) and 2x100 mm twin tailpipes has been developed from speedART for the new Cayenne. As a result the sporty sound of the V8 engine and the performance upgrade are both even more accoustically emphasised. As top of the range a sport exhaust manufactured in leight weight Titian is optionally availiable.

Wheels:
In interaction with the more sporty driving performances we mount a forged 23" wheel of the type speedART CTS-FORGED. This forged and weight optimised single piece wheel set is available in 11x23'' with 315/25 ZR23 tyres. Through the special forged technology the weight of our CTS rim is only 16,8 Kg which means there won´t be any additional consumption or comfort losses because of the bigger wheels. Obviously there are also modular 22" wheels availiable as a forged version.

Suspension:
For vehicles with air suspension we offer a special electronical lowering module.

Interior:
As a highlight speedART provides single carbon shell-type seats and a multi-media-unit with iPad and iPod-docking-station.

2011 Geneva Preview: Lexus LFA Nurburgring Package

Lexus just releases new photos and details for the Lexus LFA Nurburgring Package ,which will debut at the Geneva auto show next week.

The package celebrates Lexus’ class victories at the 24 Hours of Nürburgring last May. Lexus isn’t actually adding to LFA production; instead, the automaker says that 50 of the 500 cars set to be built will be equipped with the package.

Available in Matte Black, Black, White or Orange, the interior can be had in Black and Red, Black and Pur­ple or all Black. Plus, all Nurburgring editions get added carbon  fiber interior bits, plus carbon racing seats.

Power is also on the up. From the standard 4.8-litre V10 with 560 PS (412 kW / 553 bhp) comes a new power figure of 570 PS (419 kW / 562 bhp) and reduced gearshift times. Performance times are also down; 0 - 62mph flashes by in 3.7 seconds and top speed is 325 km/h (202 mph).

The automated manual six-speed transmission’s shift regime has been recalibrated too, swopping gears in only 15 miliseconds, thereby enabling the LFA Nürburgring package to sprint from 0-100km/h in only 3.7 seconds.




Press Release

LEXUS PRESENTS LFA NÜRBURGRING PACKAGE

• Lexus reveals special performance package for its LFA supercar at the Geneva motor show
• Nürburgring Package offered as an option on a maximum of 50 cars - just 10 per cent of the total LFA production run
• Designed for more track-focused performance through additional aerodynamic elements, lowered suspension and engine revisions
• 10bhp increase in power from V10 engine to 562bhp ensures LFA's 0-62mph acceleration time of 3.7 seconds is maintained
• LFA production underway since December, with one hand-crafted car completed per day
• Use of advanced, automated Carbon Fibre Reinforced Plastic (CFRP) production processes serves as a test bed for future models

To celebrate the LFA's hat-trick of class wins at the Nürburgring 24 Hours race, Lexus has created the Nürburgring Package, an array of aerodynamic features, suspension adjustments and revisions to the 4.8-litre V10 engine that give the supercar a more track-focused profile. Shown in public for the first time at the Geneva motor show, the performance option is available on just 50 of the 500 cars that will be built. These versions will be crafted during 2012, the second full year of LFA production.

To sharpen the car's circuit driving performance even further by increasing downforce at high speed, the Nürburgring Package introduces modifications and additions to several key carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) components. These include a larger front spoiler, fin-type side spoilers, a canard fin and a fixed rear wing.

To ensure the LFA maintains its 3.7-second acceleration time from nought to 62mph, in spite of the increased drag, the V10 engine has been revised to increase maximum power by 10bhp to 562bhp. Shift times in the six-speed sequential transmission are just 0.15 seconds.

In terms of handling modifications, the package features suspension tuning and a 10mm reduction in the ride height. Exclusive mesh-type wheels are introduced, fitted with dedicated high-grip tyres.

Exterior colour choices are restricted to matte black, black, white or orange, with interiors finished in black and red, black and purple and all-black. Cars delivered in Europe will feature a carbon fibre centre console and door trims, with carbon fibre sports seats finished in Alcantara.

Customers who specify the package will also be offered one-to-one driving tuition from a Nürburgring chief instructor and a year's pass to enjoy their car on the famous Nordschleife circuit.

CFRP parts manufacturing

LFA production began in December with just one hand-crafted car completed per day. A team of 175 people are involved in CFRP parts manufacturing, vehicle assembly and painting.

CFRP is exceptionally strong, rigid and lightweight, and accounts for about 65 per cent of the LFA's body structure weight. This amounts to a saving of about 100kg, compared an equivalent all-aluminium body.

Lexus is producing and assembling the CFRP components in-house, with a view to future development of the technology. It is a time-consuming process, compared to working with steel or aluminium, but the LFA project provides a valuable test bed for new, automated processes which will be used in the manufacture of future Lexus and Toyota models.

Different manufacturing technologies are used according the shape, role and required properties of each component.

• Pre-preg: this is an industry-standard composite sheet material made of carbon fibre, pre-impregnated with epoxy resin. It is used for the LFA's main structural elements, such as the dash, side and cross-members and panels.

• Resin Transfer Moulding (RTM): this is dry sheet fabrication, with epoxy resin injected into the mould. It is mainly employed in the LFA's secondary main frames, such as the crash boxes, roof side rails and vehicle floor.

• Carbon fibre - Sheet Moulding Compound (C-SMC): this is used for fabricating the upper body components and frames that have complex geometries.

Adhesive bonding

The LFA assembly line moves through five consecutive processes, each of which has been digitally validated. For the first four - sub-assembly, underbody, small aluminium parts and main body - adhesive bonding is used. Final assembly of the aluminium parts is by mechanical fastening.

This is the first time Lexus has used adhesive bonding for main body assembly, a process that has required new quality control measures to be implemented to ensure each of the five stages involved in the bonding meets the required criteria.

2012 Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid More Photos and Details【Video】

Volvo has released more details for the V60 Plug-in Hybrid, which will debut at the Geneva Motor Show.

Volvo's safety tests take place in several different stages: at component level, for whole systems and the complete car is safety-tested virtually in the computer, and physically in Volvo Cars' technically advanced crash-test centre.

2012 Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid powered by five-cylinder 2.4-litre D5 turbo diesel with 215 horsepower and maximum torque of 440 Nm that drives the front wheels, and a 70HP-strong electric motor that receives its juice from a 12 kWh lithium-ion battery pack and motivates the rear wheels. The car also features a six-speed automatic transmission.

With the diesel engine driving the front wheels and the electric motor mounted at the rear axle, the V60 plug-in hybrid sprints to 100km/h in 6.9 seconds when in 'Power' mode - a full second quicker than the regular V60 using the same diesel engine.

Inside, cabin has a revised instrument cluster, Elmo leather upholstery, and a new infotainment system with a variety of hybrid-specific functions.

Volvo admits the cost of the battery pack means the purchase price of the V60 Plug-In Hybrid will be higher than a conventional internal combustion model, although it says this will be offset at least partially by the savings in fuel costs, which it predicts will be around one-third that of the standard diesel. Volvo will announce pricing closer to the vehicle’s on sale date.





Press Release

Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid - a sneak preview of the production model arriving in 2012

At the 2011 Geneva Motor Show, Volvo Cars will be unveiling the V60 Plug-in Hybrid - a virtually production-ready car with carbon dioxide emissions below 50 g/km.
The Plug-in Hybrid, which will be launched on the market in 2012, is the result of close cooperation between Volvo Cars and Swedish energy supplier Vattenfall.

"No industry or organisation can tackle the climate challenge all by itself. It is our mission to develop carbon dioxide-lean cars, but a sustainable future must be created jointly by everyone in society. This project shows how cooperation between experts in different areas brings us closer to the transition from individually carbon dioxide-lean products to a climate-smart lifestyle," says Stefan Jacoby, President and CEO of Volvo Cars.
In January 2007, Volvo Cars and Vattenfall launched an industrial partnership whose aim was to test and develop plug-in technology. This cross-border initiative resulted in the foundation of a jointly owned company - V2 Plug-in-Hybrid Vehicle Partnership,

Half the CO2 emissions, full driving pleasure
Development work has been jointly financed. Now the project is on the threshold of introducing the market's first diesel plug-in hybrid. It's an attractive car type that gives the user access to the very best properties of both an electric car and a diesel-powered vehicle: very low fuel consumption and CO2 levels, combined with long range and high performance.
"One important aspect of the project was to retain the Volvo V60's excellent driving pleasure, high safety standard and luxurious comfort. At the same time, average CO2 emissions and fuel consumption will be halved compared with what is available on the market today," says Stefan Jacoby, and adds:
"We're taking a giant step forward towards our "DRIVe Towards Zero" vision, that is to say the hunt for zero emissions. In fact, when the V60 Plug-in Hybrid is run solely on electricity and recharged using renewable energy, we've already reached that goal."

Cheaper fuel costs
When powered solely by electricity, the V60 Plug-in Hybrid has a range of up to 50 kilometres. The car's total operating range is up to 1200 km. Carbon dioxide emissions will be an average of 49 grams per kilometre (EU Combined) and fuel consumption will be 1.9 litres per 100 km.
The cost of the battery pack means the plug-in hybrid will be more expensive to buy than a Volvo V60 with a conventional combustion engine. On the other hand, fuel costs will be one-third compared with a conventional combustion engine. The cost of running on electricity in Sweden has been calculated at about 2.50 kronor per 10 km. The exact cost will vary from one market to another.
The plug-in hybrid can be charged via a regular household electricity socket at home or when parked somewhere else. Charging time is about five hours if the car is recharged at home.

Electric power offers a range of benefits
Electrification of the transport sector is an important step in the fight against climate change. Electricity is a highly beneficial fuel:

• An electric motor is almost four times as efficient as a regular combustion engine. This means that an electrically powered car consumes less energy and thus produces lower emissions, even if it is powered by a blend of electricity sources that include fossil fuels.
• European electricity production has an emission ceiling. This means that even if all vehicles were to run on electricity, electricity production itself is not allowed to produce more carbon dioxide. This emission ceiling will be gradually lowered over a period of time.
• Electricity is an excellent source of energy. It does not risk running out, and it can be produced virtually without any CO2 emissions. For instance, Vattenfall is working towards halving the company's emissions by 2030 and becoming climate-neutral by 2050.
• Emissions from millions of exhaust tailpipes are transferred to a small number of production facilities, which are easier to control and which will operate on the basis of the EU's trade in emission rights, something that does not apply to the transport sector at present.
• Electric vehicles use relatively little electricity and the increase in consumption will be more than covered by ambitious expansion plans for renewable energy sources throughout Europe. A single wind-power station, for instance, produces sufficient renewable energy to power 3,000 electric cars. Vattenfall will offer buyers of the plug-in hybrid a contract including electricity from renewable sources.

Rapid expansion of renewable electricity production
Electricity production is undergoing rapid expansion. Wind-power is being commercially introduced on a large scale and is continuing to expand, biofuels will replace fossil fuels on a broad front, wave-power is expected to enter commercial operation within ten years, and new technology to clean CO2 emissions from coal-fired power stations is currently under development.

At Volvo Cars, work progresses on the V60 Plug-in Hybrid in parallel with development of the Volvo C30 Electric, which runs entirely on electricity.
"These two car types complement one another. With a plug-in hybrid the driver is entirely independent of recharging stations when driving long distances. The future electric-car market will feature a mixture of both all-electric cars and plug-in hybrids," says Stefan Jacoby.
The third leg in Volvo Cars' electrification strategy is empowering the upcoming engine generation with hybrid technology.