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Toyota TS030 Hybrid (2012) first pics of new Le Mans racer

By Ben Pulman

First Official Pictures

25 January 2012 10:30

Toyota has unveiled its new Le Mans challenger, the TS030 Hybrid. The TS030 name designates this car as the successor to the TS010 and TS020 (better known at the GT-One) which competed at Le Mans in the 1990s – TS stands for Toyota Sport.

What? This Toyota TS030 is a hybrid racecar?

That’s right – and would you expect anything less from a company that’s been at the forefront of producing hybrid road cars? The engine is a 90-deg V8 with a 3.4-litre capacity, the maximum allowed for naturally aspirated petrol engines under Le Mans rules.

Toyota is currently testing two hybrid packs, a front-mounted AW Aisin unit and a rear-mounted Denso motor. A maximum of 500kJ of energy can be recovered (it’s stored in a Nisshinbo super capacitor) but it can only be deployed through one axle.

Toyota’s Motor Sport Division in Japan produces the hybrid powertrain, while Toyota Motorsport GmbH in Germany builds the carbonfibre chassis. The bodywork is also carbonfibre, the windscreen is built from lightweight polycarbonate, the gearbox is a transverse-mounted six-speed sequential unit, suspension is by double wishbones with pushrods, the brakes are carbon and the 18in wheels are forged from magnesium.

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Caterham F1 unveils its 2012 challenger

By Marcus Roberts

First Official Pictures

25 January 2012 11:28

It's that time of the year when all the new 2012 F1 cars are unveiled. In the next fortnight, most of the major Formula 1 teams will announce their new race cars ready for the 2012 F1 season. The rules are changed, so are the cars. This page will update with all the new 2012 F1 cars as they are unveiled. Stay tuned!

Caterham CT01: the new Caterham 2012 F1 car

Caterham launched its 2012 campaign on 25 January with a substantially redesigned version of last season's Lotus - the new CT01. It's the first Formula 1 car to carry Caterham branding.

Finnishing in 10th postition for the 2011 season, Caterham F1 now aims to move up the rankings and start scoring some Formula 1 World Championship points, according to Mike Gascoyne, the team's chief.

What's new on the 2012 car?

As always in Formula 1 aerodynamics have been the main focus for improvement by Caterham over the winter. The team's used the Williams F1 wind tunnel to augment its development.

A new slightly higher and more compact platypus-style nose cone has been added, incorporating a new stepped design that is to become more common across the grid this season. As a result of this the suspension rods now rise slightly above the top of the nose line. It's an interesting interpretation of the 2012 technical regulation changes, which prevent teams using higher front wings for the upcoming 2012 F1 season.

What about the engines?

Caterham will be using the same Renault Sport F1 engine and Red Bull Technology gearbox from the 2011 car. A move that Gascoyne says will give the team its 'first year of real stability' by 'knowing exactly what we're working with.'

KERS - Kinetic Energy Recovery System

A first for one of the smaller teams, this year's Caterham CT01 will feature the KERS system for the first time, allowing the car to utilise heat energy recovered from the brakes as an electrical boost of up to 80bhp. A move that Gascoyne says will put Caterham on par with its rivals.

Will we see more of this on cars to be launched in early February? 

The Caterham CT01 appears to have significantly slimmer side pods, with a far smoother line as it moves to the back the car. There is also a notable change to the exhaust system following the FIA’s ban of exhaust blown diffusers that were used during the 2011 season by many teams, including Lotus.

And the drivers?

Caterham has retained both Finn Heikki Kovalainen and Italian Jarno Trulli as their drivers for 2012, although rumblings suggest Vitaly Petrov may yet take Trulli's seat.

Diary dates: when the 2012 F1 cars will be unveiled

McLaren Vodafone Mercedes - 1 February 2012
Scuderia Ferrari - 3 February 2012
Force India - 3 Februrary 2012
Lotus F1 Team -  5 Februrary 2012
Sauber F1 Team - 6 Februrary 2012
Red Bull Racing - 6 Februrary 2012
Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team - 21 February 2012
Scuderia Toro Rosso - TBC
Williams F1 - TBC
Marussia F1 Team - TBC
HRT F1 - TBC

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BMW X6 M50d (2012) leads facelifted X6 range

By Tim Pollard

First Official Pictures

25 January 2012 23:00

BMW is facelifting its most controversial model, the X6. And what better way of tidying up this coupe-cum-SUV than adding a diesel M version?

The new X6 M50d is among the first of a new range of stop-gap M models to slot between the full M GmbH cars and the trim-level M Sport models. It'll sit alongside the new BMW M550d xDrive also unveiled today.

It has a new upgraded version of the same 3.0-litre straight six TwinPower turbodiesel, with greater boost from three turbochargers to deliver 376bhp and a monstrous-sounding 546lb ft of torque.

It's the most powerful diesel BMW has ever built.

So the new BMW X6 M50d (2012) is quick, right?

Oh yes. This is another fast four-by-four to spark fierce debate in chartrooms up and down the land. It hits 62mph in 5.3 seconds - enough to embarrass many Porsches.

BMW defends such high-riding lunacy by pointing out that the new X6 M50d also averages 36.7mpg and CO2 emissions stand at 204g/km.

And what's all this about the X6 being facelifted?

BMW has indeed refreshed the X6. As you'd expect from any of Germany's premium car manufacturers, this is a modest facelift. Any untoward blinking, and you may indeed miss it.

The chrome grille is a little wider and the detail bars are new; the foglamps are repositioned; active LED headlamps are now available; out the back, you'll find a rear lamp cluster with subtly different graphics and those now-trademark horizontal light bars that make the latest 5-series so distinctive at nighttime.

It's not all cosmetic. Much of the front-end tidy-up in fact improves engine cooling and breathing, while new flaps beneath the front apron are designed to boost stability.

And if the X6 M50d isn't fast enough, can I still waste my money on an X6 M?

Naturally. If you've got a spare £85,680 lying down the back of the sofa for an X6 M. The new super-diesel SUV-coupe-thing X6 M50d costs considerably less at £62,260, landing in UK dealerships on 16 June 2012.

You can order the same spec X5 M50d for a couple of grand less; it wears a price tag of £60,325 and has the same breathed-upon 3.0-litre twin-turbodiesel.

>> Click 'Add your comment' to vent your spleen - or defend - the new BMW X6 M50d

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BMW M550d xDrive (2012) - BMW launches a diesel M saloon

By Tim Pollard

First Official Pictures

26 January 2012 09:49

BMW has launched its first diesel M car: the new M550d xDrive in saloon and Touring estate forms. It's part of a strategy to fill the gap between the exclusive M GmbH division cars and the top-end cosmetic M Sport trim lines with a new range of M lite: BMW M Performance Automobiles.

Developed by the engineers responsible for the M3, M5 et al, the new M550d xDrive is powered by a new high-output version of the 3.0-litre straight six turbodiesel packing not one, not two, but three turbochargers.

No wonder it puts out 376bhp and 546lb ft of torque. It's claimed to be reviver than normal turbodiesels, topping out at 5400rpm, though few drivers will need to extend it that far thanks to the sky-high torque figure.

Before you get too excited about the M550d xDrive, Brits be warned: it's not coming here. BMW GB just doesn't think there's demand for a car even faster than a 535d and knocking on the door of M5 money - and xDrive hasn't been engineered for right-hand drive.

BMW M550d xDrive: in detail

Munich's 2993cc straight six has given a thorough going-over. There's an aluminium crankcase, piezo direct injectors squirting diesel into the cylinders at 2200 bar and three turbos.

Two are small blowers; one is activated at engine speeds just above idle and its low moment of inertia lets it build boost quickly from very low speeds. As revs pass 1500rpm, the flow of exhaust gas reaches the larger turbocharger.

From 2700rpm a vacuum-modulated exhaust flap opens allowing exhaust gas to flow past the second small turbocharger creating additional charge pressure. BMW says this allows maximum 376bhp to be developed continuously from 4000 to 4400rpm.

The addition of a third turbo makes the engine slightly heavier than a 535d, but only by around 5kg.

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Kia Rio three-door (2012) first official pictures

By Marcus Roberts

First Official Pictures

26 January 2012 12:08

Nearly a year on from the unveiling of the five-door Rio, Kia today launched the three-door Rio supermini.

What’s different on the three-door Rio?

It's lost two doors, stupid!

Not a huge amount has changed from the five-door: it has the same wheelbase and manages to keep the Rio's 288-litre boot space. A new more European style blade swoops down the side profile, reminiscent of a Vauxhalll Corsa.

All the features and trim levels mirror the five-door Rio's, including the helpful Hill-start Assist Control, which stops the car from rolling backwards when moving off on a steep gradient.

And the price of the new 2012 Kia Rio 3dr?

Kia says the three-door Rio will be £600 cheaper than the five-door model, with a starting price of £9995.

Does that spell the end of cut-price Korean bargains? The Ford Fiesta three-door costs from £9495, while the end-of-line Peugeot 207 costs the same at £9995. Make no mistake: Kia is nudging prices upmarket. 

Should I buy a Kia Rio three-door?

We noted that the five-door was overshadowed by its rivals at the time - the plastics of the interior didn't quite match up to rivals' on our first review of the Rio 5dr. But at a lower price point, the sleek Rio may start to appeal more.

The 2012 three-door Kia Rio is on sale now.

BMW M Performance Brand Kicks off with New M550d, X5 M50d and X6 M50d, All Powered by a Tri-Turbo Diesel

The first examples of BMW's newly launched M Performance Automobiles lineup were introduced today ahead of their world premiere at the Geneva International Motor Show in the second week of March. The new models are the M550d xDrive sedan, M550d xDrive Touring, X5 M50d and X6 M50d, and as their names suggest, they're all powered by the same diesel engine and feature the Bavarian firm's xDrive all-wheel drive system.
And before you get your hopes high, we'd better tell you that none of them are planned for the US market.
BMW's M Performance Automobiles sub-brand was created to offer a diverse lineup of models with a wide choice of engines including diesels not only to compete with Audi's S range, but as we reckon, also to avoid further dilution of the M division.
The four introductory models debut a new 3.0-liter inline-six diesel with three-turbochargers delivering 381-horsepower and a whopping 740Nm (546 lb-ft) of peak torque, all of which the driver will find on tap as low down as 2,000 rpm.
This is the first time that a BMW engine employs the use of three turbochargers. The system comprises two comparatively small turbochargers and one large turbo, which join forces to deliver the amount of power required by the driver.
BMW has also fitted all models with a system that imitates the engine sound in the interior through the audio system.
"The system’s digital signal processing technology exchanges data directly with the engine management, allowing it to base its precise transmission of the engine’s timbre on the revs at any one time, the amount of torque being produced and the car’s speed over the road," says BMW.
An eight-speed Sports automatic gearbox and BMW's all-wheel-drive system, tuned to suit each individual model, transfer power to the road.
In terms of performance, the M550d xDrive sedan is the fastest hitting 100km/h (62mph) from standstill in 4.7 seconds while consuming 6.3lt/100km on average (37.3mpg US or 44.8mpg UK). Note that the fuel consumptions listed in the chart below are in Imperial mpg (aka UK) and not U.S. mpg figures.
All four models benefit from modifications to the chassis components, including M-specific tuning of the suspension, bodyshell mounting, engine and transmission mounting, springs and dampers, all standard and optional chassis control systems, and the Servotronic mapping for the hydraulic steering.
In addition, the 5-Series based models ride on 19-inch wheels, while the X5 and X6 (seen here in its facelifted form, more on that later) on 20-inch alloys.
Each model series gets a bespoke aero package, which includes new front and rear bumpers, a roof or a boot-lid spoiler and conspicuously Audi-like gray trim for the exterior mirrors.
Inside, the M Performance versions of the 5, X5 and X6 models get sports seats in black or dark grey upholstery with contrast stitching and embossed M logo, an M leather steering wheel with gearshift paddles, BMW Individual roof liner in Anthracite and interior trim strips in Brushed Aluminium Shadow (X5/X6) or Aluminium Hexagon (5er).
The European launch of all four cars is set for April. Below you'll find the selling prices (including 19% VAT) in Germany:

BMW M550d xDrive -------------- 80 800 EUR
BMW M550d xDrive Touring ----- 83 750 EUR
BMW X5 M50d-------------------- 82 300 EUR
BMW X6 M50d---------------------85 800 EUR

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