Ariel Atom 3.5 (2012) first official pictures

 

 

First Official Pictures

10 October 2012 16:20

It's difficult for Ariel to come up with a mid-life refresh for its cars - there simply aren't that many bits to fiddle with in the first place. Still, the boys from Somerset must have succeeded, because what we have here is the freshly updated Ariel Atom 3.5.

As the name suggests, it's a development of the Ariel Atom 3, with a crop of minor visual  tweaks and some mechanical changes too, keeping Caterham and BAC looking over their shoulders.

What exactly is new on the 2012 Ariel Atom 3.5?

You'll do well to spot the visual changes: they come in the form of new triple-lens front light clusters with LED indicators, and full LED rear lights.

Ariel claims more and more of its customers are using their cars as 'regular transport' (respect is due) and Ariel has tried to make the Atom less of a daylight-only proposition. The only other cosmetic difference is a reprofiled bonnet panel.

Anything different under the Ariel Atom's skin?

What little skin there is, yes. The exoskeletal chassis has seen changes brought on from lessons learned in the Mugen Atom and 500bhp V8 model.

In 3.5 guise, the Atom is stiffer, and boasts its best-yet torsional rigidity. The dampers and engine mounts have also been revised to take advantage of the stronger base.

And what of that engine? The Atom still comes in two flavours of Honda VTEC four-cylinder, which in normally aspirated guise screams out 245bhp. However, the supercharged version has had power lifted in the Atom 3.5, up from 300bhp to 310bhp, with changes to the intake, mapping and fuel system also liberating more mid-range poke.

You'll be reading your rapidly increasing speed from an all-new single-screen LCD instrument display, which sits below a row of F1-style gearshift change-up lights. A data logger can be added to the driver display to give real-time information including lap times and a G-force calculator.

Volkswagen to launch budget brand, priced from £4800

Motor Industry

11 October 2012 15:36

Volkswagen is planning to launch a new budget brand to challenge the likes of Dacia – and the bargain basement minis will be sold in Europe too.

Prices for the yet-nameless new cheap VWs will start from just €6000, or £4800, according to paperwork seen by CAR.

How can VW build city cars so cheaply?

Volkswagen plans to build the new range of basic cars in China or India, through its existing partnerships in both countries. These are basic vehicles along the lines of Renault's successful Dacia brand - but because of VW's global scale it will bring them to Europe for sale here.

Three vehicles are on the drawing board:

• A simple saloon, €6000 or £4800
• A boxy estate, €7000 or £5600
• A back-to-basics MPV, €8000 or £6400

These will be simple vehicles based on existing architectures from the VW group – platforms which have already been amortised. CAR's sources suggest that the Polo/Golf box of bits will underpin these new budget VWs.

The PQ24/25/35 architectures will mean front-wheel drive and reasonable, if not class-leading, dynamics and all engines will be EU6 compliant. Early Noughties Golfs and Polos weren't that bad, were they?

Won't the budget Volkswagens affect sales of the Up?

These new cheap VWs will be aimed at emerging markets, so will be very basic. A couple of airbags and ABS is your lot – you'll have to pay extra if you want air-con or other such niceties. Styling will be very rudimentary: boxy shapes are stiffer and require fewer pressings and these cars will require half as many pressings in the body shop as a new VW Golf Mk7.

The baby Volkswagen will also be bigger than the Up, stretching between around 4000-4200mm. It's quite a different kettle of fish compared with the classy Up premium small car.

What will the new brand be called?

No word yet on the identity of Volkswagen's 13th brand. Senior sources have suggested to CAR that it'll be a new badge, not plundered from VW's extensive back catalogue.

A final decision is due to be taken by VW's board in winter 2012. Word is the world budget car plan is at a very advanced stage – we understand production is scheduled to begin in the final quarter of 2014.

Porsche Cayenne Turbo S (2012) first official pictures

First Official Pictures

12 October 2012 10:30

If you're a Porsche Cayenne buyer, it's unlikely you're too bothered about the political (in)correctness of your vehicle. Still, Porsche has somewhat injected a modicum of common sense into the new flagship model: the Cayenne Turbo S. Despite gains of 42bhp and 37lb ft over the already potent Cayenne Turbo, Porsche claims the Turbo S suffers no drop in fuel efficiency or inferior CO2 output.

Still, hardly sensible is it, this new Cayenne Turbo S?

Would you expect anything less? Those engine gains (courtesy of a remap only) take total power of the bi-turbo 4.8-litre V8 up to 542bhp and 553lb ft, and to the door of the BMW X6M, which boasts 13bhp more but 'only' 501lb ft of twist. As you'd expect with Porsche, you also get a myriad of acronyms to help make sense of that bonkers output: the Turbo S has active 'PASM' suspension, and PDCC - that's Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control, which counteracts body roll and boosts the car's agility when being driven like the clappers.

Also on board is Porsche's torque-vectoring system (PTV Plus) which marshals power to whichever wheel has most grip, while locking the rear differential to maximise traction for those 21-inch alloys.

With all that power and gadgetry colliding, performance figures are suitably eyebrow-raising. Launching from 0-62mph in 4.5sec (0.2sec quicker than your boggo Turbo), the Cayenne Turbo S tops out at 175mph - a whole 3mph faster than the standard Cayenne Turbo. And yet, Porsche insists the Turbo S is still good for 24.6mpg and 270g/km.

It's quicker then. What else sets my Turbo S apart from lesser Cayenne-kind?

Gloss black headlight surrounds, mirrors, and grilles are your first clue, along with the aforementioned 'Turbo II' style rims, also trimmed in gloss black. Thing is, you can order black exterior trim and Turbo S-style alloys on any Cayenne - even the £46k Diesel, so it's really only the extra badging that provides exclusive bragging rights.

Inside the Cayenne's rather gorgeous cabin, you can specify exclusive two-tone leather combinations, like the black/Carrera red you see in our pictures on the right. Carbon trim is the other main piece of cockpit Turbo S addenda.

Go on then: how much?

The economy figures may stay the same, but the price very much does not. Arriving in UK showrooms from January 2013, a Cayenne Turbo S will set you back £107,460 as standard. That's a mighty £19,734 more than a standard Cayenne Turbo, though some of that is offset by the natty wheels and driving aids fitted as standard.

Spec a Cayenne Turbo up to 'S' levels and the initial £87,726 price sails past £97k, plus you miss out on the extra poke. So there is method somewhere among the madness, you see.

Lamborghini Gallardo (2012) new Spyder and Super Trofeo racer

 

 

 

First Official Pictures

18 October 2012 13:02

Lamborghini has pulled the wraps off a facelifted version of the Gallardo Spyder, just a couple of weeks after showing the restyled coupe at the 2012 Paris motor show. We've also been given our first look at the revamped Super Trofeo racer, which gets similar styling tweaks and an improved aero package.

First up, the facelifted soft-top Lambo

Or, to give the car its full moniker, the Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 Spyder. The collection of letters and numbers sandwiched in the middle tells you the mechanical bits stay unchanged for the Spyder, meaning a 5.2-litre V10, 543bhp (560HP) driving all four wheels, on the facelifted car a new two-tone 'Apollo' design, incidentally.

The changes come in the shape of restyled front and rear bumpers with a sharp triangular theme, and a larger rear vent for better engine cooling. It's on sale from November, and prices will still hover around the £160,000 mark.

And what about the new Gallardo racing car?

The 2013 Super Trofeo model also gets the styling changes, but of far more note are the fully functional aerodynamic upgrades, courtesy of an enormous new rear wing and front winglets. Overall, there's a 120% improvement in aerodynamic efficiency over the 2012 race-going model.

Thanks to re-modelled brake ducts, the new Gallardo LP570-4 Super Trofeo has a 50% improvement in thermal performance with improved front brake cooling. Meanwhile, downforce is also much better: the road-sticking force is up 128kg in low downforce set up and 160kg in high downforce trim.

Also, good news if you're an American gentleman racer with a soft spot for the exports of Sant'Agata. Following its success in Europe and the Far East, Lamborghini is to take the Super Trofeo series Stateside from 2013, according to boss Stephan Winkelmann.

Dacia Sandero (2012) priced from £5995

First Official Pictures

18 October 2012 14:30

Buying advice doesn't come more pragmatic than this: if you want a brand new car for the least possible amount of money, then this is your next drive. It's the new Dacia Sandero, which has been officially priced at £5995.

That's £2000 less than the cheapest Citroen C1, and £3800 less than a similarly-sized Ford Fiesta. 

Exactly how much car do I get for a fiver under six grand?

The £5995 base model comes in 'Access' trim, complete with a 1.2-litre 74bhp four-pot petrol engine, capable of a claimed 47.9mpg and 137g/km of CO2. You don't get alloy wheels, but you do get daytime running lights and pre-wiring for a dealer-fit radio option. It's back to basics motoring, at last!

On the engine front, the most exciting option is that of the 0.9-litre 89bhp three-cylinder effort, good for a claimed 54.3mpg and 120g/km of CO2. It's the same unit that'll see duty in the new Renault Clio, and should provide the best balance of economy and thrummy three-pot fun in the Sandero. You can also have a 74.3mpg diesel engine, for the princely sum of £8395, though that comes as standard with CD/radio, USB connectivity, Bluetooth and electric front windows.

Is there an options list for the Dacia Sandero?

Yes, though you'll still struggle to spec a fully-loaded Dacia Sandero into five-figure territory. Optional goodies include a seven-inch touchscreen infotainment interface (only for top-spec Laureate models) at £250, plus leather seats (£600) and alloy wheels for £425.

You can also extend the standard three-year warranty to five years, and choose practical add-ons like a protection and or touring pack, comprising extras like an alarm and rear parking sensors, and a luggage net and roof bars.

Nissan Extrem SUV concept (2012) first official pictures

First Official Pictures

23 October 2012 09:01

Nissan is looking to bring a splash of colour and outlandish design to Brazil's streets with their latest creation: the Extrem SUV concept. It's an eye-grabbing response to the 'more affordable locally produced vehicles, which tend to be conservative in design, colour and specification', according to company Senior Vice President Shiro Nakamura.

What niche does the Nissan Extrem fall into?

 

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If the love-it-or-hate-it Nissan Juke is the marque's jacked-up supermini crossover, the Extrem is the rakish, sportier version of that: a sort of X6 to the Juke's X5, if you will. The Extrem has a two-door bodystyle and a heavily raked glasshouse, and inside it's set up like a sports car too, thanks to the 2+2 seating arrangement.

It's certainly another bullish-looking Nissan design in the Juke mould, which is exactly what the team behind it were after. Nissan's designers nicknamed the Extrem 'The Baby Beast', admitting the look they wanted was close to a road-going rally car, with a butch stance and muscular surfacing. Spot the gills behind the front wheels that look like exaggerated GT-R vents and you'll see what they're on about.

Brazil has played a part too: Nissan wants the Extrem to reflect the diversity and flamboyance of the country - appropriate, since the Extrem makes its debut at this week's Sao Paulo motor show. Much of the design was based in Sao Paulo, while the metallic orange paint is said to reference Brazilian nature. The patterns atop the roof are a hat tip to what Nissan calls 'iconic Brazilian graphics'.

Are there any fantasy concept car touches?

As much as we'd like them to, it'd doubtful the see-through A-pillars will feature in production Nissans; ditto the hidden door handles fitted flush with the body.

Unlike the hydrogen Nissan Terra concept we saw in Paris last month, there isn't a 22nd century powertrain under the bonnet. Nissan have touted that a production Extrem would share drivetrain components with the Juke, though most likely the sportier engines, in the same way that Mini doesn't offer its more spritely Coupe and Roadster models in anything less than Cooper spec.

So, a 1.6-litre turbocharged Extrem with either two or part-time four-wheel drive isn't too far a stretch to imagine, even if Nissan states the Extrem is just a design study to gauge reaction at the moment. Given that the Juke-R Nissan crafted purely as a stunt eventually got a factory run (at £400,000 a pop) we wouldn't be too convinced of Nissan's word that the Extrem is 'only a concept'.

Why the Brazilian influence?

The world's eyes will be turning to Brazil in the next few years for the FIFA World Cup and Olympics, but the volume car makers are already setting about a foothold in the country, thanks to its booming economy and demand for new vehicles. Nissan wants to introduce eight new models into Brazil by 2016, and gain a 5% market share two years earlier than that.

New 2013 Buick Verano Turbo 250HP Priced at $29,990, Only $1,155 Less than the Regal Turbo

A couple of months ago, Buick unwrapped a new flagship model for its 2013 Verano series aptly named Turbo and powered by an Ecotec 2.0-liter force-fed four-cylinder engine delivering 250-horses at 5,300 rpm and 260 lb.-ft. (353 Nm) of torque at 2,000 rpm.

Buick has now announced pricing with the turbocharged compact sedan to arrive at dealerships this fall starting at $29,990, including a destination charge of $885.

Buick's pricing strategy brings it very close to the larger Regal Turbo that features a 2.0-liter force-fed four with 270hp and which starts at $31,145 or $1,155 more than the turbocharged Verano.

The Detroit-based automaker quotes a zero to 60mph (96km/h) sprint time of 6.2 seconds and EPA-estimated 20 mpg city and 31 mpg highway ratings for the Verano Turbo fitted with a 6-speed manual gearbox that is available as a no-cost option.

Buick said fuel economy ratings for the standard six-speed automatic will be announced closer to production.

Standard features include a Bose 9-speaker audio system, leather-appointed upholstery, push-button start, rear park assist and rear-view camera, radar-based side blind zone alert and rear cross-traffic alert, heated front seats and a heated steering wheel, while a power sunroof and navigation are optional.

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