Ferrari SUV Launching Next Year?

A Ferrari SUV might take some getting used to. The idea to produce SUV actually has been around for some years and this is the freshest artist rendition. It’s an SUV by the definition of a vehicle with four doors, raised ride height, mostly fitted with a 4WD system and takes the shape of a station wagon/ tourer.

Ferrari give codename “Ferrari FS 599 Fuoristrada” .The SUV will be constructed out of aluminium and carbon fiber composites for weight-efficiency. Engines come from the naturally aspirated V8 found in the California and the 599 GTB’s V12 powerplant. They produce in excess of 400hp and 600hp each respectively.

Renderings of a Ferrari SUV have appeared before based on speculation that the Italian company was working on its first ever SUV. At the time Porsche was riding high with the great success of its Cayenne and premium brands like Mercedes-Benz and BMW had been building MLs and X5s for years before.

As the world's economy is still under recession, there’s no clear direction as to whether the project is still going ahead or not. However,with the recent announcement of an alliance with Ferrari parent Fiat and Chrysler LLC of America new possibilities have arisen. Such possibilities include a common SUV platform that can be shared with Jeep, Alfa Romeo and Ferrari itself. Product assembly could even be in the US just like Mercedes with the old ML and BMW with the X5 and X6.

Source:zerotohundred

Ford announces dual clutch PowerShift gearbox

Ford Motor Company announced today it will introduce an advanced dual-clutch PowerShift six-speed transmission in North America in 2010 for the small-car segment.

The new gearbox will deliver the fuel efficiency of a manual gearbox with the convenience and ease of a premium automatic transmission,making it a key enabling technology as Ford targets best-in-class or among-the-best fuel economy with every new vehicle it introduces in North America.

Overall, Six-speed transmissions already have helped vehicles such as the 2010 Ford Fusion achieve best-in-class fuel economy, while at the same time allowing the Ford Flex and Ford Escape to achieve unsurpassed fuel economy in their respective segments.
Ford is leveraging six-speed transmissions, advanced internal combustion engines such as EcoBoost, hybrids, full electric vehicles, vehicle weight reduction and electric power-assisted steering to improve fuel economy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions fleet-wide by 30 percent by the year 2020.

Compared to traditional automatic four-speed transmissions, PowerShift can help reduce fuel consumption by up to 9 percent depending on the application.

PowerShift provides the full comfort of an automatic with a more sophisticated driving dynamic, thanks to uninterrupted torque from the dual-clutch technology, which consists essentially of two manual transmissions working in parallel, each with its own independent clutch unit. One clutch carries the uneven gears – 1, 3 and 5 – while the other the even gears – 2, 4 and 6. Subsequent gear changes are coordinated between both clutches as they engage and disengage for a seamless delivery of torque to the wheels.PowerShift, unlike conventional automatic transmissions, does not need the heavier torque converter or planetary gears. In addition, the dry-clutch derivative eliminates the need for the weighty pumps, hydraulic fluids, cooling lines and external coolers that wet clutch transmissions require. As a result, the dry-clutch PowerShift transmission can weigh nearly 30 pounds less than, for example, the four-speed automatic transmission featured on today's Ford Focus.

Differentiating PowerShift even further in terms of its customer appeal is its shift quality, launch feel and overall drive dynamic, which are all facilitated by an expert blend of Ford-exclusive electro-mechanical systems, software features, calibrations and controls. These unique driving features include:

• Neutral coast down – The clutches will disengage when the brakes are applied, improving coasting downshifts and clutch robustness as well as reducing parasitic losses for increased fuel economy.

• Precise clutch control in the form of a clutch slip to provide torsional damping of the engine vibration – This function improves noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) at low engine speeds and enables lower lugging limits for improved fuel economy.

• Low-speed driving or creep mode with integrated brake pressure – This function simulates the low-speed control drivers are accustomed to from an automatic transmission. The amount of rolling torque in Drive and Reverse is precisely controlled, gradually building as brake pressure is released.

• Hill mode or launch assist – Prevents a vehicle from rolling back on a grade by maintaining brake pressure until the engine delivers enough torque to move the vehicle up the hill, providing improved driver confidence, comfort, safety and clutch robustness.

source:ford

Jaguar’s Reborn XJ220

Jaguar is getting ready to reinvent its stunning XJ220, it looks likely to make a dramatic appearance at a major international motor show in the next 18 months.

According to our network of spies, the revolutionary sports car is being developed by the firm’s best engineers as a rival to the Audi R8. It’s based on an all-new aluminium chassis, which has been developed using the same know-how behind both the XJ and XK models.

The car will have aluminium panels stretched over an alloy and composite tub, while under the bonnet is likely to be a tuned version of the 503bhp 5.0-litre supercharged V8, set to power the eagerly anticipated XFR. A mildly modified version of this engine has already propelled a near-showroom-spec XFR to an incredible 225mph on the Bonneville salt flats in the US. The new supercar is likely to match this figure, while the sprint from 0-60mph should take less than four seconds.

The two-seater is tipped to be called the XE, and has been styled by a team led by Ian Callum.

Meanwhile,at the front, there’s an oval grille,framed by narrow, ultra-efficient LED headlamps. A steeply raked windscreen keeps the car’s overall height as low as possible, while the wide rear end supports buttress C-pillars, similar to those on the new Ferrari 599 GTB. As in the R8 and Ferrari’s F430, the engine will be visible through the rear windscreen.

Wide air intakes dominate the model’s front end, and deep scoops in the flanks help feed cooling air to the supercharged engine.CO2 emissions will be less than 300g/km, and the good things the powerplant will be capable of running on biofuel-blended petrol . Liberal use of lightweight materials, including aluminium and carbon fibre, will further improve the machine’s fuel efficiency and performance.

Bugatti Veyron 16.4

The Bugatti Veyron is currently the most expensive and fastest sports car in the world. Hailed by many as the greatest automobile ever made, it features all the most recent automotive advancements in one package.

The 2008 Bugatti Veyron 16.4 is powered by by a mid-mounted and quad-turbo 8.0-liter W16 engine. Its 1,001 hp and 922 lb-ft of torque are delivered to all four wheels via a beefed-up seven-speed version of VW/Audi's excellent dual-clutch sequential gearbox (DSG). The transmission has two automatic modes , normal and Sport and may also be shifted manually via paddles on the steering wheel.

Published reports consistently have the Veyron hitting 60 mph from rest in under 3 seconds, and the car will attain extralegal velocities at a similarly dizzying rate. That 253-mph top speed must be enabled via a separate key, however; otherwise, the Veyron is limited to a mere 233 mph.

The 2008 Bugatti Veyron 16.4 is so fast that it needs an eponymous adjective. In a straight line, no other four wheeled conveyance can touch it. What's more, the Veyron's handling is nearly as impressive, no mean feat given its considerable heft. The only thing lacking and this is more of an esoteric issue is a lack of emotional involvement. Designed to perfection, the Veyron doesn't quite generate the visceral appeal that otherwise might come about in cars like the Ferrari F430 or Porsche 911 GT3 RS that take a more raw and hard-edged approach to performance.

As one might expect in a $1.5 million car, the Veyron's cabin is pretty fancy. The leather upholstery is opulent and omnipresent, and extensive aluminum trim adorns the center stack, steering wheel and other controls. The gauge cluster features a somewhat gimmicky "power gauge" that supposedly displays real-time horsepower production. The Veyron's bathtub like high beltline, obtrusively thick A-pillars and low seating position don't bolster its credentials as a driver's car, but there's a lot of room in there, even for taller folks.

2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class gets AMG sports package

For those more interested in the way their car looks or goes around corners than how fast it accelerates, Mercedes-Benz has announced an AMG sports package that will be optional with any powerplant available for the new 2010 E-class.The new package will hitting a European market in March.

The pricing is depends on the engine chosen by customer.However,the start price for the basic package at around 3,000 Euros (around $3900 USD). For that sum, the buyer gets a unique set of aprons along with side skirts and 18-inch AMG alloy wheels which are painted in sterling silver with a high sheen finish and are shod with 245/40 R18 wide base tyres at the from and 265/35 R18 tyres at the rear.

Meanwhile in inside, a set of microfiber and faux-leather seats for your bum join a three-spoke leather-wrapped steering wheel with shift paddles for your hands and aluminum pedals for your Piloti-clad feet. Performance oriented bits include a suspension drop of 15 millimeters along with perforated brake discs with silver-painted calipers up front and bearingthe Mercedes Benz logo.

Peugeot 408 sedan

These are among the images of the new Peugeot 408 sedan lurking in the shadows showing a sleek sporty profile with large 5-spoke rims. The new peugeot model 408 will replace the current Peugeot 407 .The Peugeot 407 was launched since 2004 with several body variants such as a station wagon, a two-door coupe and a sedan.

The Peugeot 408 looks like to be ready on the road, begging the possibility of a Geneva Motor Show debut in this coming March. On the other hand it would be a surprise to see an all-new model since the 407 just received a minor facelift in 2008.

The current Peugeot 407 range has an assortment of engines including petrol and diesel.Peugeot 407 power up wit 1.8 litre petrol engine that can produce 114hp (85kW) and 1.6 HDi turbo diesels to the 2.7 HDi V6 making 201hp (150kW) and a sweet 440Nm of torque.

Peugeot could be preparing for a busy year. Recently the French manufacturer unveiled the new 3008 crossover while a 7 seater variant of the 3008 is coming soon.

Pagani Zonda R

One of the most desirable supercars on earth had been show to the public. The supercars brought by The Pagani brand has finally release out the Zonda R which is the ultimate racing machine.This supercar even can be drive on the road too. While it may not look it at first glance, the Zonda R shares only about 10% of its components with the Zonda F. that means from the start it was designed for its own unique purpose.

The Zonda R is powered by Mercedes-Benz’s AMG engine. It’s the 6.0-litre V12 powerplant.This type of engine can be found in the racing CLK GTR that has successfully competed in GT championships. This powerful engine is angled at 60 degrees, light in weight and produces humongous figures of 750hp (552kW) and 710Nm of torque. Pagani Zonda R is equipped with 6-speed sequential gearbox model that sends power to slick tyres. Lubrication is a dry sump with a separate oil tank.

To match the stability with the speed of this supercar, the Zonda R has had its wheelbase increased by 47mm, overall length is up by 394mm while the track increased by 50mm. Bodywork was optimised to increase downforce even at low speeds, while an aerodynamic package of a bonnet with flaps, adjustable rear wing, and rear diffuser give the car exceptional cornering ability. While the car corners the driver is sitting comfortably inside a cabin that hugs and gives him a sense of stability and safety.