Monday, November 23, 2009

2010 BMW 5-Series revealed – partially!

These pictures appeared on BimmerPost forums brake the embargo on the new generation of BMW 5-Series F10 which will go on sale in 2010. And the first thing you notice looking at these partially revealing shots is that all that lunacy which made the previous model so different and therefore so popular, is gone! Crazy head lights are a no no in this new model and as expected it looks like a smaller version of the 7er. In fact it seems that BMW wants the new 5-Series to be just a discrete executive saloon, exactly like Mercedes E-class.
The car will be officially and fully unveiled real soon, so stay tuned for more pictures and details on it. And for now just take your time to imagine the rest of the car through the cover!!!

Parents name newborn after their car

A couple have named their new daughter Kia after she was born in the backseat of their Kia automobile.
The British couple was racing to a hospital in the UK when their newborn decided the trip was taking too long.
The baby, who was going to be named Tilley until her early arrival, was born just before her father made it to the hospital.
The umbilical cord was wrapped around her neck, but hospital staff were waiting in the parking lot and quickly cut it off.
Kia arrived two weeks early, weighing 6 lb, 7 oz.
As a bonus to having a healthy third child, the couple was rewarded with a new car from Kia Motors.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Volkswagen Amarok - Not coming to the U.S.

Two months from now, Volkswagen will be expanding its involvement in the annual Dakar Rally in South America. Just as they did last January, factory-backed teams will be competing in the 5.600 mile race through Argentina and Chile. However, this time, those outfits will be fielding four race Touaregs rather than two. Perhaps more interesting is official word that VW's new Amarok pickup truck will be the official support truck of the for the entire rally. Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has struck a deal with the race organizers, and as a result, the specially outfitted Amaroks will travel the same route as the competitors carrying media, checking out route conditions, and carrying VW crews and race organizers. The Amarok will be built by VW in Argentina starting in 2010, but the automaker has repeatedly said the truck won't be offered in the U.S. market. Learn more by checking out the official press release after the jump.
- Autoblog

Friday, November 13, 2009

BMW defies logic with six-cylinder Concept 6 motorcycle


BMW is known the world over for its excellent brand of inline-six cylinder powerplants. In most cases, those supremely smooth and powerful engines power the German company's cars and trucks. Apparently, that won't always be the case, though, as BMW has just revealed its new Concept 6 motorcycle at the EICMA Show in Milan.As the name implies, the Concept 6 boasts an engine with six cylinders, and the best news is that the mill is destined for a new production model in the near future. Expect to see a replacement for the long-running LT series of touring bikes, bringing BMW more in line with the standard-setting Goldwing from Honda.Looking at the actual concept itself, the chassis appears to be heavily based on the current production K-Series unit, and the powerplant is tilted at the same 55-degree angle as the current four-cylinder. Bodywork is suitable for concept duty, with a futuristic take on the old-school Cafe Racer look.Power? BMW's being a bit coy at the moment, suggesting that it makes as much horsepower as the current 1.3-liter four (over 150, to be sure) and as much torque as any other motorcycle engine in production with a stout 96 lb-ft at 2,000 RPM. With a redline of nearly 9,000... you can imagine that there's plenty of power on tap.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

2010 Automobile of the Year: 2010 Volkswagen GTI


Yes, the VW GTI is our Automobile of the Year. Again. The last-generation car got the nod only three years ago and now its successor, the sixth-generation GTI, walks away with the trophy as well. How is it that, for the first time since we started naming an Automobile of the Year exactly twenty years ago, we have deemed a single make and model vehicle worthy of our top award not once, but twice? It's very simple. Because the Volkswagen GTI continues to burn the affordable-enthusiast-car flame like no other vehicle in the world. Because the new, Mark 6 GTI, although only a mild update to the Mark 5 GTI, made a good thing even better. Because, as we pointed out in our February 2007 issue, the GTI is "the right car for our times. Hell, it's the right car for any time." And because, as we also stated three years ago, "what the world really needs now is not cars that are fast, but cars that are practical, fuel-efficient, and fast." Not to mention affordable and fun. The 2010 VW GTI is all this, and more.
We've said it before, but it's worth repeating: It's one thing for an automaker to create a car for fifty, or seventy-five, or a hundred thousand dollars or more that gets our pulses racing. Cars that cost that much certainly better be exciting to drive, rewarding to own, and well-built, with quality interiors. But it's another thing entirely, a real achievement, when an automaker creates a car that starts at only $24,239 - well within the reach of most new-car buyers - that is, as our West Coast editor, Jason Cammisa, says, "just as much fun to drive and with just as much street cred as cars costing three times as much." Volkswagen alone has managed to do this, with varying degrees of success, longer than any other automaker: the first GTI reached the U.S. in 1983 and single-handedly created the whole "pocket rocket" genre. Lots of other cars, most recently two successive generations of the Mazdaspeed 3, have attempted to replicate the GTI formula, but none have quite cracked the code.
The key to that code, of course, is the blend of athleticism, practicality, and performance that was the basis of the original GTI and which was resurrected so well in the Mark 5 edition. In 2007, we grooved to the remarkable 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine and even went so far as to say that we might take the dual-clutch DSG transmission over the standard six-speed manual. Both gearbox choices have carried over to the 2010 car, but it's a little-known fact that the 2.0T engine was, as of mid-2008, new. Code-named EA888, it's still a 2.0-liter turbo four, and it still makes 200 hp and 207 lb-ft of torque in the GTI, but it reflects a ground-up redesign of VW's four-cylinder engine and offers as its biggest benefit improved fuel economy. The 2007 GTI with DSG was rated at 22/29 mpg by the EPA, while the 2010 GTI DSG jumps to 24/32 mpg. Underneath its attractive new sheetmetal, the GTI is pretty much the same car as it was before, but a bigger rear antiroll bar effectively eradicates the car's understeer on the racetrack. VW also added so-called XDS programming to the stability control system to mimic a limited-slip differential, helping the GTI put its power down more efficiently. And as good as the GTI is on the road, with crisp steering, a supercommunicative chassis, and a firm but well-damped ride, on the track the car is a revelation. During our Automobile of the Year and All-Stars evaluation drive program, we drove a rich selection of the hottest new cars for 2010 during a day at GingerMan Raceway in southwest Michigan, including a Chevrolet Camaro SS, a Ford Mustang GT, a Porsche Panamera S, a Jaguar XFR, a BMW Z4, and a Porsche Cayman S. As exhilarating as they all were, the GTI was not in the least bit out of its league as it jostled among them on GingerMan's entertaining road course. Check out the logbook commentary from pit lane: "Remarkably competent on the track," said tech editor Don Sherman. "Superb handling and good feedback," seconded road test coordinator Mike Ofiara, who has a Mark 3 and a Mark 5 GTI at home. "Oodles of fun," enthused contributor Preston Lerner, adding, "front-wheel drive never seemed to be an issue." Copy editor Rusty Blackwell ordained it "the best slicer and dicer on the market today," while editor-in-chief Jean Jennings succinctly called it "a superb little rocket." Before we hit the track, Cammisa bemoaned the fact that stability control cannot be fully switched off, but even he admitted, at the end of the day, that "it's really a nonissue, as it still lets you get away with murder."
The GTI also distinguishes itself from other pretenders to the pocket-rocket throne with its interior, which we already admired in the Mark 5, especially the retro plaid upholstery (happily, it carries over to the Mark 6, and leather is optional). "The interior of the Mark 6," enthused Cammisa, "is a huge improvement on something that really didn't need much help to begin with." Luxury doesn't come at the expense of function, though: "I love the firmly bolstered seats, the flat-bottomed steering wheel with red stitching and aluminum accents, the driving position, and the great outward visibility," noted senior editor Joe Lorio. "And the back seats are spacious, with room for a six-footer to sit behind a six-foot driver."
Pocket rockets like the GTI have a reputation of being cars for callow young men, and indeed we have a few of those on our staff. But what's cool about the 2010 VW GTI is its universal appeal. From our editors who were not yet born when the GTI debuted in 1983, to those of us in our forties, to septuagenarian design editor Robert Cumberford, who calls the GTI "a perpetual good-value proposition for performance and practicality," we all like and admire the GTI and would happily have one in our own garages.
At a time when the world's economy is in shambles and fuel consumption and CO2 emissions are on everyone's minds, there remains only one car that ticks all the enthusiast boxes without setting off a single wretched-excess alarm. That's the Volkswagen GTI, and that's why it is, once again, Automobile Magazine's Automobile of the Year.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

New spy shots of the 2011 Kia Sportage

Spy photographers have caught another prototype of the third generation Kia Sportage crossover. This time, the new-look Sportage has not been spotted in Korea, but near Kia’s R&D centre in Germany, which is responsible to take on Sportage’s design, powertrain and handling development.
Even though the exterior is covered with heavy camouflage, it is evident that new exterior design is a huge step up from the current model. Details that stand out on the 2011 Sportage are a roof line slightly lower than with the current model, short front and rear overhangs, sleeker side profile, stretched headlamps, as well as interestingly shaped windshield!

Spied: 2011 Kia Optima

Spied: 2011 Kia Optima/K5 (TF)

Friday, November 6, 2009

2009 SEMA: Kia shows its Sinister Soul


LAS VEGAS, November, 2009 – Kia Motors America (KMA) returns to the Las Vegas Convention center and brings stylized and enhanced concept vehicles for display at the 2009 SEMA Show.
Also returning this year to the KMA booth are DJ-spun tunes by a local artist to help fully showcase the enthusiast-focused White Forte sedan and Black “Sinister” Soul, based on the highly popular compact sedan and urban passenger vehicles launched earlier this year.“The SEMA Show offers manufacturers the freedom to really push the boundaries of customization, which is exactly what we have done with the White Forte concept and Black Sinister Soul concept,” said Michael Sprague, vice president of marketing, KMA. “These two vehicles expand upon the design evolution of the Kia brand and convey the extensive personalization and customization options we provide for consumers and tuners.”Black “Sinister” SoulBased on the emotion-evoking and highly personalized Soul urban passenger vehicle, the Black “Sinister” Soul offers aftermarket enthusiasts an even more aggressive stance than the production version. Lowered and enhanced with 20-inch black rims with machined accents and smoked-out headlamps and tail lamps, the Black “Sinister” Soul presents an impressively menacing profile.A matte sinister black exterior paint job by Buck Wild Designs with Spectral gray accents and black-out custom trim, the Sinister Soul is like none other on the road. Inside is an all-black color scheme with silver-gray accents on the upper seatbacks, as well as an upgraded sport shifter to complete the look.Also special to the Sinister Soul is the 11-speaker 1,300-watt sound system, provided by Infinity Audio Systems. For the serious audiophile and enthusiast, Infinity outfitted the Sinister Soul with powerful performance and space-efficient components. The advanced Infinity Kappa Series Class-D full-range 500-watt amplifier drives 125 watts per channel through four channels. Two Reference Series 6-1/2-inch two-way loudspeakers and two Reference Series 6-1/2-inch component systems deliver increased bass output and higher efficiency, along with edge-driven textile dome tweeters for greater power handling and reduced distortion at high output levels.For those looking to up the bass with low-frequency effects, Infinity employed a pair of 12-inch single voice coil (SVC) subwoofers, driven separately by an 800-watt amplifier. Both subwoofers and both amplifiers are housed in a specially-designed, sealed enclosure with a surprisingly compact footprint. The subwoofer enclosure has been designed to fit into the rear of the Soul hatch area and can be easily removed if the extra transportation or storage space is needed.White Forte SedanJoining the black Sinister Soul this year at SEMA is a sleek, modified concept of the Forte sedan. Sporting 18-inch 5Zigen wheels, a custom catback exhaust and a lowered stance, this new Forte concept offers a decidedly spunkier profile aimed directly at the tuner crowd. The concept version also benefits from a Kia-designed accessory body kit and rear spoiler, as well as a custom paint job with blacked-out roof and side mirrors.The upgraded interior with gunmetal accents and a carbon fiber sport shifter also improve upon the already technologically-focused interior of the production Forte. For the enthusiast and audiophile, Infinity Sound Systems outfitted the White Forte concept with a nine-speaker, 360-watt sound system with a subwoofer built into a custom enclosure on the right side of the trunk. http://blogs.automotive.com/6602250/auto-shows/2009-sema-kia-shows-its-sinister-soul-white-forte/index.html

Thursday, November 5, 2009

2010 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup Street Edition coming to U.S. in 2010

Volkswagen of America announced today that the Jetta TDI Cup “Street” Edition will hit North American dealerships in January 2010. Like the TDI Cup race car, the “Street” Edition is equipped with the optional TDI Cup Edition Kit, which includes a new front bumper, side skirts and rear valance that are found on the TDI Cup race cars.The Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup is powered by a 2.0L clean diesel that makes 140-hp and a maximum torque of 236 lb-ft. Power is transmitted to the wheels via a 6-speed manual transmission or a DSG automatic transmission. All ”Street” Edition Jetta TDI’s feature larger brakes with red calipers, sway bars and European sport tuned suspension from the performance oriented GLI.
Pricing for the 2010 Jetta TDI Cup edition starts at $25,000 and it qualifies for a $1,300 Advanced Lean Burn Technology Motor Vehicle Federal Income Tax Credit.Press Release:
Jetta TDI Cup ‘Street’ Edition Racing Into Dealer Showrooms Soon
HERNDON, Va., Nov. 4 /PRNewswire/ — Volkswagen of America, Inc. today announced the Jetta TDI Cup “Street” Edition will be available in dealer showrooms January 2010. The concept debuted in Las Vegas during the 2008 SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association) show. Following the SEMA show the concept was displayed at TDI Cup races throughout the country, where it was well received by enthusiasts and consumers alike.
“Since our inaugural TDI Cup series in 2008 we have received numerous inquiries as to whether or not we would offer a TDI Cup replica vehicle,” said Mark Barnes, Chief Operating Officer, Volkswagen of America, Inc. “We’re thrilled to announce that a special edition Jetta TDI Cup Street Edition will be available in dealer showrooms early next year. What makes this special edition so unique is that it features the optional, race inspired, TDI Cup body kit package combined with our clean diesel engine. The Jetta TDI Cup Street Edition is one exceptional special model that is as fun-to-drive as it is to look at,” added Barnes.
The similarities between the TDI Cup race car and the “Street” Edition equipped with the optional TDI Cup Edition Kit are apparent at first glance — the TDI Cup “Street” Edition Kit features the front bumper, side skirts and rear valance that are found on the TDI Cup race cars. The enhancements to the TDI Cup “Street” Edition go well beyond cosmetics. All “Street” Edition Jetta TDI’s feature larger brakes with red calipers, sway bars and European sport tuned suspension from the performance oriented GLI.
The TDI Cup “Street” Edition is powered by the award winning 2.0-liter clean diesel engine that produces 140 horsepower and an impressive 236 lbs.-ft. of torque. The engine makes use of an advanced electronically controlled turbocharger and common rail direct injection technology, and can be mated to either a six-speed manual transmission or the highly acclaimed DSG® transmission.
Other standard upgrades on the Jetta TDI Cup “Street” Edition include sport seats with Interlagos cloth, and a leather-wrapped, multi-function steering wheel that features paddle shifters when equipped with the DSG transmission. Completing this dynamic special edition is a set of 18 inch Charleston wheels with performance all-season tires. This special edition starts around $25,000–staying true to the brands mantra of offering affordable German engineering that is a whole lot of fun to drive.
The Jetta TDI Cup “Street” Edition, like the Jetta TDI, Jetta SportWagen TDI, Golf TDI and Touareg TDI qualifies for an Advanced Lean Burn Technology Motor Vehicle Federal Income Tax Credit. The tax credit on the “Street” Edition is $1,300.
Like all 2010 models, the Jetta TDI Cup “Street” Edition also comes standard with Volkswagen’s Carefree Maintenance Program, with this program there are no charges for the scheduled maintenance described in the vehicle’s maintenance booklet for the length of the New Vehicle Limited Warranty — three years or 36,000 miles, whichever occurs first.via egmcartech.com

2012 BMW 3 Series Sedan Spied In Transit

2012 BMW 3 Series Sedan Spied In Transit