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China's new little car

This is not a joke and they do sell for $600.00.  They won’t be able to make them fast enough--good just to run around town. Only a one seater however - Talk about cheap transportation.  It looks like Ford, Chrysler and GM missed the boat again!
China launches $600 car that will get 258 mpg.  This $600 car is no toy and is ready to be released in China next year.  The c (Volkswagen) branding.  Volkswagen did a lot of very highly protected testing of this car in Germany,  but it was not announced until now where the car would make its first appearance.  The car was introduced at the VW stockholders meeting as the most economical car in the world is presented.  The initial objective of the prototype was to prove that 1 liter of fuel could deliver 100 kilos of travel.
Spartan interior doesn't sacrifice safety.  The aero design proved essential to getting the desired result.  The body is 3.47 meters long and just 1.25 meters wide, and a little over a meter high. The prototype was made completely of carbon fiber and is not painted to save weight.  The power plant is a one cylinder diesel, positioned ahead of the rear axle and combined with an automatic shift controlled by a knob in the interior.  Safety was not compromised as the impact and roll-over protection is comparable to the GT racing cars.
The Most Economic Car in the World will be on sale next year:
Better than Electric Car 258 miles/gallon: IPO 2010 in Shanghai
This is a single-seat car
From conception to production: 3 years and the company is headquartered in Hamburg, Germany.
Will be selling for 4000 Yuan, equivalent to US $600.
Gas tank capacity = 1.7 gallons
Speed = 62 - 74.6 Miles/hour
Fuel efficiency = 258 miles/gallon
Travel distance with a full tank = 404 miles

Mini Coupe Cooper SD (2012) long-term test review

By the CAR road test team

We switch our Mini Coupe off its run-flats on to ‘normal’ tyres. Does it improve the ride? - 16 May 2012
Everyone that has been a passenger in the Mini has quickly commented on how hard and unyielding the ride is. Yes, I know the Coupe is pitched as the sportiest model in the Mini range after the hotshoe GP, but an unyieldingly harsh ride quality doesn’t automatically deliver sporting dynamics, something many manufacturers can’t get their head around.
So here’s the good news. On ‘standard’ Continental Contisport 3 205/45 R17 tyres – ie non-runflats – the Coupe’s ride quality has significantly improved. The brittle jaggedness that had the Mini crashing and thumping over every intrusion on runflats has been rounded off. There’s a welcome degree of compliance and give in the way the suspension now absorbs ruts and ripples. Yes, the ride can still only be described as very firm but it’s now less aggressive and harsh.
The handling hasn’t been adversely affected by this step up in compliance and comfort either. Body control remains exceptional, and the Mini can still be whipped through corners at silly speeds with the slightest flick of the wrist. The Coupe never feeling anything but taut, alert and agile. Superb brakes, too. So if you have the choice, opt for the standard tyres and get a tin of puncture foam. Your spine and filings will thank you.
With the UK being such an important market for the Mini brand, I’m surprised that a hefty chunk of the Coupe’s development didn’t take place over here. If Mini’s engineers could have created a car better equipped at dealing with our crappy craggy roads as well as delivering exceptional handling, I’m convinced we’d see more Coupes on the road.
By Ben Whitworth

The Mini survives a collision - 1 May 2012
Some idiot drove into me last week. The optically-challenged octogenarian obviously didn't see me – the Coupe being tricky to spot being bright red with twinkling daylight running lights and all – because he entered the mini roundabout and tried to drive straight through me. The offside rear took the full brunt of the collision, but despite it sounding like a grenade had detonated in the Coupe’s boot and resulting in the nose of the retiree’s Civic looking mashed and mangled, damage to the Mini was visually superficial. The rear left wheel was deeply scuffed and the black plastic wheelarch lining was lightly scratched. And that was it.
After we swapped details, which took a while as the Honda driver had difficulty juggling his pipe and my pen, I gingerly attempted to complete the rest of my trip home – less than a few hundred yards – at walking pace, fully expecting the car to crab sideways and the cabin to fill with wince-inducing graunching and grinding noises.
There was no such anticipated ruckus and no wayward dynamics. The Mini rode and handled exactly the way it had done before the collision, but I was absolutely livid. The Mini had just been fitted with winter tyres – hence the switch to standard alloys – and was absolutely immaculate after a meticulous valet, but the Honda-Mini interface now meant I wouldn’t be able to drive the Coupe until the damage was repaired and the tracking was realigned.
The next morning I inspected the Mini thoroughly. Apart from the kerbed alloy and marked wheelarch lining, there was nothing I could see or detect that looked out of place. A few slow runs up and down the road further convinced me I would be able to trundle it up to Vines of Guildford – the Mini  bodyshop closest to my office in Godalming – without further damage to the car, myself and the West Sussex and Surrey countryside.
Vines were very good in all respects. I dropped the car off later that week for them to assess and repair. I was offered a courtesy car – something the other driver’s insurance was very keen for me to have – but as I was only a few miles down the road and the job would take a day at most, I took Vines up on their offer to drop and collect me from their premises using their customer shuttle service – a Volkswagen Caravelle driven by an plummy avuncular chap who used to work in advertising. The alloy was replaced, as was the black wheelarch lining and despite the impact, the checked suspension and tracking were found to be fine. All a bit of non-event after a rather dramatic end to a day’s commute.
By Ben Whitworth

Nissan Juke-R (2012) goes into production

 car magazine online

Nissan has announced that its Juke-R prototype will enter limited production on a build-to-order basis. Yes, really.
Nissan Juke-R (2012): why so serious?
The Juke-R is the result of the Nissan Europe Technical Centre in Cranfield teaming-up with UK motorsport engineering firm RML to stuff the powertrain of a Nissan GTR into a Nissan Juke bodyshell to create 'the world's fastest crossover'. Nissan and RML (known for its WTCC and BTCC championship-winning cars) have previous form in the small car/big engine game, having administered a bootload of BTCC engine to 2003's mid-engined Micra R, and following that with a Nismo-tuned 350Z engine for the Micra 350SR.
Nissan Juke-R (2012) turns internet stardom into production reality
The Juke-R grew up under the watchful gaze of social media, and elicited a suitably viral buzz-generating amount of Facebook likes, Twitter tweets and 'OMG ORSUM!!!1! ROFLOL o_O)' comments on Youtube. Then in January 2012 Nissan took the Juke-R to visit the shy and retiring automotive scene in Dubai. Juke-R acted as pace car to the Dubai 24hr GT endurance race, and proceeded to dispatch high-end European exotics from Mercedes, Ferrari and Lamborghini in made-for-video street racing demo. That helped seal the half-pint GTR's unlikely street cred, and led to demand for replicas which Nissan and RML have seen fit to satisfy.

Buying a Juke-R
Nissan is holding three firm offers for production Juke-Rs, and that initial sales commitment has opened the door to expanding production. The production model will differ from the prototype in having the upgraded 2012 model year GTR powertrain. Those three cars will be delivered in late-summer 2012. If you want to express your interest in owning a Juke-R of your own, send an email to Nissan via this address: Juke-R@Nissan.co.uk If you have to ask the price, you clearly don't get the concept. Go back to wishing for a GTR-based Infiniti supercar LOSER!!!1! lol

New Mercedes ML-Class revealed

Daniel DeGasperi
SMH
This third-gen model, codenamed W166, will offer a 2.1-litre twin-turbo diesel rated at just 5.0L/100km, despite healthy 500Nm/150kW outputs. A seven-speed automatic transmission is standard, and teams with stop-start and brake energy regeneration tech to help the ML250 Bluetec variant achieve the class-leading fuel figure.

Other ML models set to launch include a 3.0-litre V6 ML350 Bluetec and 5.5-litre twin-turbo V8 ML63 AMG (the latter understandably without a ‘Bluetec’ tag). Later next year a diesel-electric ML300 Hybrid will debut, teaming the ML250’s turbo-diesel with a 15kW electric motor.

While the ML’s exterior and interior are all-new – with a CL-style wide-mouthed front grille and deeper, more prominent side character creases – it retains the basic proportion of the current generation. The Merc SUV’s platform is shared with the new-gen Jeep Grand Cherokee, however the ML remains a five-seat-only proposition

Mini Coupe

Ninemsn
BMW has released its first official images of the forthcoming Mini Coupe, along with full details on the new two-door bodystyle and available drivetrains.

Designed as a premium compact coupe, the two-seat three-box Mini is 20mm longer than the hatch (at 3734mm) with an identical 2467mm wheelbase. It is the same width, but 29mm lower (1384mm). Its track (both front and rear) is pushed out by 4mm.

The Mini Coupe’s styling features include a flat silhouette, “helmet roof”, integral roof spoiler and an active rear spoiler that extends automatically at 80km/h.

Although the Coupe is strictly a two-seater, a large, high-opening tailgate and a wide through-loading system that can be opened from the driver’s or passenger’s seat, is standard.

Powertrains available internationally include 90kW atmo 1.6 (Cooper), 135kW turbo 1.6 (Cooper S) and 155kW turbo 1.6 (Cooper JCW) petrols, and a 105kW/305Nm 2.0-litre turbo diesel. All hook up to a six-speed manual or (with the exception of JCW) six-speed automatic gearbox.

BMW Australia is yet to announce which of these variants will arrive here when the Mini Coupe launches locally in November

Mercedes launches C-Class facelift

Daniel DeGasperi
Mercedes launches C-Class facelift
Mercedes launches C-Class facelift
Mercedes launches C-Class facelift

2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor - First Drive Review


BY MIKE SUTTON

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•2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor - First Drive Review
•2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor - Auto Shows
With flamboyant, seven-foot-wide bodywork plastered with “digital mud,” an industry-first long-travel suspension, and a résumé that includes a third-in-class finish at the Baja 1000, Ford’s 2010 F-150 SVT Raptor is about as subtle as the feeling one gets sitting on a cactus. Naked. That a street-legal, 6000-pound pickup designed to traverse the open desert at 100 mph even made it past Dearborn’s Byzantine and conservative product-review board is a miracle in itself. But after a grueling and secretive development period—during which Ford’s marketing department was heard talking of driving the truck “right up Toyota’s ass”—it did. And we can confirm after some thrilling seat time near California’s Anza-Borrego Desert State Park that the Raptor is one of the most formidable off-road production vehicles ever built.

No Comparisons

Ever-greater performance vehicles come out all the time. And with each new iteration, we usually can sum up their placement on our automotive totem pole by referencing how much quicker they are than this, or how they grip the road better than that. But there are no formal benchmarks for the Raptor; this is way beyond Rovers, Hummers, and Unimogs.

A track widened seven inches over a normal F-150, with reinforced underpinnings suspended by unique front coil springs and rear leaf springs, are what give the Raptor its impressive front/rear suspension articulation of 11.2 and 12.1 inches, respectively. Cool details abound the chassis, too, particularly the “SVT” stampings on the aluminum control arms. But the magic lies in the massive, three-stage, internal-bypass shocks from Fox Racing. Commonly found in purpose-built racing trucks and pre-runners, these high-end units compress progressively, with a firm initial stage for good body control and softer second and third stages that allow maximum wheel travel at high speeds off road.

Specifications
VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, 4-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 2+2-door truck

BASE PRICE: $38,995

ENGINE TYPE: SOHC 24-valve V-8, aluminum block and heads, port fuel injection

Displacement: 330 cu in, 5400cc
Power (SAE net): 310 bhp @ 5000 rpm
Torque (SAE net): 365 lb-ft @ 3500 rpm

TRANSMISSION: 6-speed automatic

DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 133.0 in Length: 220.9 in Width: 86.3 in Height: 78.4 in
Curb weight (C/D est): 6000 lb

PERFORMANCE (C/D EST):
Zero to 60 mph: 8.3 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 17.8 sec
Top Speed (governor limited): 100 mph

FUEL ECONOMY:
EPA city/highway driving: 14/18 mpg

On the highway, the Raptor feels much like the softer-sprung, four-wheel-drive F-150 on which it’s based, with the shocks keeping the body from flopping about during transitions. Get the Raptor in its element, though, and it gobbles up rough terrain like a Ferrari tackling a chicane. Traversing a winding desert wash with large rocks, undulations, and two-foot-tall whoops, we frequently reached highway speeds with little drama. Ford’s more experienced pilots regularly hit the truck’s 100-mph speed governor over the same section. That the company’s own press photos show the truck launching all four wheels several feet in the air speak to what the Raptor was built for. We of course had to try, more than once, and almost succeeded—albeit by accident—in clearing a two-lane fire road at what felt like 50 mph. That landing was a little rough, but the truck rarely bottomed out during our drive and we never wished for a neck brace or kidney belt.

More Than Just Fancy Shocks

If the Raptor’s added width and trick dampers are its foundation, its myriad electronic and drivetrain upgrades make up the total package. At each corner are beefed-up disc brakes (13.8 inches in front, 13.7 in the rear) surrounded by 17-inch alloy wheels and SVT-specific, 35-inch BFGoodrich all-terrain tires. Differentials with 4.10:1 gears help turn the hefty rolling stock, and the rear axle sports an electronic locker that can spool both wheels together for maximum traction. Ford’s two-stage electronic-stability-control system also sports a special off-road mode that raises the threshold for yaw and anti-lock-brake intervention, sharpens throttle response, re-maps the six-speed automatic to hold gears longer, and allows the locking diff to stay activated up to the vehicle’s top speed. A new hill-descent-control system also is included and worked great to limit our speed while crawling down steep slopes lined with jagged rocks and deep holes.


All this hardware makes for very high handling limits off road, and we quickly learned that owners will need to build up the skill—and bravado—to make the most of it. Because of the inherent nature of the bypass shocks, the Raptor actually seemed to ride smoother the faster we hit obstacles; hold back or stab the brakes and the front end would compress violently over whoops. Even more exhilarating was the high-speed stability afforded by the wider track. With the off-road electronics, the wheels can be locked up initially for better braking on loose ground, while also permitting gratuitous, Scandinavian-flick rally turns at speeds that would send normal trucks into barrel rolls. A Land Rover-esque off-road-driving school might not be a bad idea here, Ford.

Still an F-150 Underneath

Yet, second only to its prowess off road, the Raptor’s most surprising attribute is that it performs much like a regular F-150 everywhere else. Sure, it’s a couple inches taller (which you notice behind the wheel) and nearly one foot wider (which you really don’t), but on the pavement it’s quiet, composed, and about as well behaved as one could expect from such a dirt-oriented setup. Braking performance felt respectable and the extra cushion in the suspension made for a compliant ride with less of the rear-axle hop common with unladen pickups. Road noise and tire roar also weren’t bad, owing mostly to the softer compound employed in the special BFG rubber.

Inside is a mostly standard F-150 cabin, which is a pretty pleasant place to start. Nicely bolstered sport seats kept us supported and comfortable, while the contoured steering wheel felt great when sending commands to the revised steering rack. Other touches include white-faced SVT gauges and new console-mounted controls for the off-road electronics and auxiliary power switches. Optional Molten Orange seat inserts and trim help brighten the mostly dark interior, but we could live without the center-console appliqué, which looks like a cheap sticker from the local auto parts store. Even without the huge F-O-R-D spelled out across the new grille, the Raptor is instantly recognizable as an F-150, albeit one with ultra-aggressive proportions and an imposing stance. And there are plenty of cool details here, too, including skid plates galore, functional heat extractors on the hood and fenders, beefy hydroformed bumpers, and LED marker lights in the grille and on the flared wheel arches. Available colors are limited to orange, black, blue, or white.

Specifications
VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, 4-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 2+2-door truck


BASE PRICE: $38,995


ENGINE TYPE: SOHC 24-valve V-8, aluminum block and heads, port fuel injection


Displacement: 330 cu in, 5400cc
Power (SAE net): 310 bhp @ 5000 rpm
Torque (SAE net): 365 lb-ft @ 3500 rpm


TRANSMISSION: 6-speed automatic


DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 133.0 in Length: 220.9 in Width: 86.3 in Height: 78.4 in
Curb weight (C/D est): 6000 lb


PERFORMANCE (C/D EST):
Zero to 60 mph: 8.3 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 17.8 sec
Top Speed (governor limited): 100 mph

FUEL ECONOMY:
EPA city/highway driving: 14/18 mpg

Wait for the Boss

Our only real complaint with the Raptor is the 310-hp, 5.4-liter V-8 that comes with the $38,995 base price. Feeling woefully over-taxed by the vehicle’s mass and large tires, it strains to move the truck up hills and out of corners with any verve. The six-speed automatic helps, and the issue isn’t as bad in the dirt, where the suspension allows you to build and keep momentum. But we frequently had the throttle mashed to the floor just to get moving at a normal pace. Fortunately, a new Boss 6.2-liter V-8 will be available early next year, packing around 400 hp and adding $3000 to the sticker. Other major options include a luxury package (power heated mirrors and front seats, dual-zone climate control, an upgraded stereo, and adjustable pedals), moonroof, navigation, and the aforementioned body graphics.

Although a fully loaded Raptor should top out near $50K, the package seems like a bargain, considering it is still drivable everyday, can tow 6000 pounds, and carries a factory warranty. And then there’s the off-road performance, which would require at least $20K in modifications on top of an F-150 FX4 ($36,065 base) to match. Ford says its Dearborn truck plant will be able to turn out up to 5000 or so Raptors annually and that there also will be plenty of performance accessories available in the near future. As it is, the Raptor is the most unique SVT-engineered vehicle next to the 550-hp Ford GT supercar, and that’s saying something. Maybe it’s time we define a new category of vehicle: the supertruck.