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BMW has released official details of the new X1 SUV (SAV). The smallest X vehicle in the range is 4.45 metres long, has a wheelbase of 2.76 metres, is 1.545 metres high and the lightest model weighs in at 1,615kg (EU). It is designed to have a low-slung rear window to make it look the sporting car that it is, and it features wide wheel arches for an aggressive squat. The signature kidney grille is as bold and muscular as it is on the 7 Series. Standard wheels coming with the range are 17-inch alloys.

Contours and sharp lines are evident all the way to the sides and back, including the “Hofmeister kink” at the C pillar. Further confirming that this is a true BMW design are the L-shaped rear lights clusters with sharp jagged edges.

Inside the X1 gives an elevated seating position to each passenger while the driver benefits from a driver-facing “surfboard” dashboard that made BMWs of yesteryear so different from their rivals. The new iDrive system is installed and can be mated to a USB port, a CD player, and six Pro Logic 7 HiFi loud speakers. A rear parking camera and/or Park Distance Control can also be specified from the options list.

Six models will be available at launch. Only one of these is petrol-powered and that is the X1 xDrive28i. Fitted to this version is the 3.0-litre straight six with 258hp (190kW) and torque of 310Nm. The rest of the lineup runs on diesel, starting with the sDrive18d making 143hp (105kW) and 320Nm of torque. Then comes the sDrive20d which produces 177hp (130kW) and 350Nm. Both these RWD vehicles are coupled with a 6-speed manual gearbox.

Higher up the rung are the manual xDrive18d with the same figures of 143hp (105kW) and 320Nm, an xDrive20d of 177hp (130kW) and 350Nm as well as the thrusty xDrive23d. It has the 2.0-litre twin turbo motor that does 204hp (150kW) and 400Nm of maximum pulling power.

Customers living in the USA will start getting their consignment of the BMW X1 some time in 2011. US-bound engines and powertrains will be confirmed closer to launch.

 

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Here is a spy video of the much anticipated Alfa Romeo Milano. The video was taken as the new Alfa hatchback undergoes testing at the Nurburgring. After many spy shots of the Alfa Milano, the video gives more of an idea as to the size and shape of the car, larger than the current 147 that it is replacing.

Of note is also the engine noise: a nice rumble. The Alfa Milano will feature some new engines, including the 1.4 litre MultiAir and, most likely, a 2.0 litre MultiJet twin turbo at 220 hp.

 

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A new promotional video was released last week showing the GTbyCITROEN concept cruising around the streets of London.  You may recall that Citroen executive Vincent Besson told members of the media attending the Geneva Motor Show that the car will be produced in a limited edition of no more than 20 units.

Those details have changed a bit since March.  Autocar is reporting that Besson officially gave the car a greenlight.  Production will initially be limited to just six, with an expected retail price in the £1.1 million range.  Expect the car to keep it’s carbon fiber body and less-than-common interior.  While we don’t mind the copper trim, we get much more excited about the driver-side switches, and the F1-inspired steering wheel.  Expect the car to recieve a 500+ horsepower V8 engine provided by an American automaker.

We would not be surprised to see Ford win the bid for these engines, as PSA Peugeot Citroen already has a cooperative agreement on four different sets of common rail diesel engines.  Using Ford engines could keep relations positive between the two companies.

In this video, we see the proposed supercar just as much as we see stupified onlookers.  Needless to say, you do not often get the chance to see a production version of a car specifically designed for a videogame.  Takumi Yamamoto, of Style Citroen, created the 4.96 meter long exterior of the car while working with his friend, Gran Turismo creator Kazunori Yamauchi.  The car will be featured in Gran Turismo 5, a videogame that may be released for the Sony Playstation this winter.

Instead of looking for the car virtually, you can check out the actual GTbyCITROEN at Goodwood from July 3rd to the 5th.  The current version of the car will attempt the 1.16 mile-long Goodwood Hill six times during the weekend.  Meanwhile, the first look at the final production model will take place at September’s Frankfurt Motor Show.

 

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I don’t recommend you watch this video if you get car sick, but otherwise, let the race begin! At the wheel of this Opel Astra is Fabrizio Giovanardi, Vauxhall driver in the BTCC championship. While he’s the only one likely to drive an Astra like this, he beats the Volkswagen Golf and the Ford Focus, saying “get a move on” as he overtakes one. Over to the video.

 

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You wanted something sporty, but due to additions to the family, a minivan is as athletic as its going to get. But if that minivan is the 2010 Honda Stream, you can still satisfy your sporty urges thanks to Mugen. The practically in-house tuner has developed a full line of interior, exterior, aero, performance, handling and cosmetic parts for the people mover — from typical Mugen mods like spoilers and wheels to a performance air filter and TypeT touring brake pads. If you add the sport suspension to your minivan, well, maybe you really do need to get a different car.

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The way we see it, the new Porsche Panamera is one of those cars you either love or hate, but under no circumstances are indifferent to. Porsche knows this very well so the Germans are trying to make the best of it in terms of publicity by constantly releasing something new on their first-ever production sports saloon. This time we have a 20-minute long video of the Panamera that shows in detail the first three variants of the car that will be available for sale in September.

The Panamera S and 4S are moved by a 4.8-liter naturally aspirated V8 engine making 400 horsepower at 6,500 rpm and 500Nm or 369 lb-ft of peak torque from 3,500 to 5,000 rpm. In the S, power is transferred to the rear wheels via a standard six-speed manual gearbox or optionally, a seven-speed double-clutch PDK transmission.

In this configuration, the five-door sports sedan the five-door sports sedan accelerates from zero to 100km/h (62mph) in 5.6 sec or 5.4sec if you opt for the PDK transmission and the Sports Chrono Plus package, and goes on to a top speed of 285km/h (177mph) or 283km/h (176mph) respectively.

The all-wheel drive 4S which is offered only with the PDK transmission, goes from 0 to 100km/h 5.0 sec (4.8 sec with the Sports Chrono Plus package) and on to a top speed of 282 km/h or 175mph.

Currently the most powerful version of the Panamera is the all-wheel drive Turbo that is fitted with a 4.8-liter turbocharged V8 cranking out 500HP at 6,000 rpm and 700Nm or 516 lb-ft of torque from 2,500 to 4,500 rpm (770Nm or 567 lb-ft with overboost in conjunction with the Sports Chrono pack).

The V8 Turbo engine is linked to a seven-speed double-clutch transmission with Porsche claiming a 0-100km/h (62mph) sprint time of 4.2 sec (-0.2 with the Sports Chrono) and a maximum speed of 303km/h or 188mph.

 

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Lorinser is not a tuner that goes out of its way to create cars that scare other motorists off the freeway. Subtle but effective is how they do it over at Lorinser. Occasionally though, they present something like this which is called the Lorinser LV8. It’s based on the Mercedes-Benz C 63 AMG and instead of pushing out 332kW (451hp) it delivers 368kW (500hp). Maximum torque is also increased to 630Nm. Subsequently the 0 - 100km/h dash can be achieved in 4.3 seconds while top speed goes up to 320km/h.

The LV8 comes fitted with 255/35 18 Continental tyres and a special Lorinser exhaust unit. The aerodynamic kit includes spoiler bumpers and side sills. Lorinser General Manager Marcus Lorinser says the car meets all the registration requirements put on road vehicles.

Look out for the LV8 at the Tuner Grand Prix on the Hockenheimring between the 26th and 27th of June.

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Even though General Motors is in the midst of bankruptcy protection, the firm’s engineers and technicians have somehow managed to stay ahead in the development of the Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid - or at least that’s what they support. On Wednesday, the automaker completed the build of the first pre-production Volt more than a week ahead of schedule. Up until now, the development team was working with prototype mules utilizing the body of the Chevy Cruze and the hybrid drivetrain of the Volt.

The model’s chief engineer, Andrew Farah, took the first pre-production Volt for a quick spin and while he was at it, GM also recorded the test drive on film. According to Farah, only a few Volts are being produced per week now but the company will soon ramp up production to create a fleet of around 80 pre-production vehicles by October.

“Most of these vehicles will be used for testing and validating the production intent design as well as developing the final vehicle software and controls - we’ll also use them to tune the vehicle’s overall driving experience,” said Farah. “Some of these Volts will have very short lives as they’ll be used in safety and structural integrity testing.”

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Fiat has released the first video of the Fiat 500C, in which we also get a demonstration of the remote control open and close mechanism of the little car. While road handling will be something to examine in the future, Fiat says it’s made improvements. The Fiat 500 cabrio debuts in dealerships in Italy on July 4th.

 

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Fiat has released some new, but expected details about the Fiat 500C.  The soft-top homage to the 50’s classic was introduced at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year.

Keeping a flat fabric roof, the car is very reminiscent of the original Fiat 500 from 1957.  However, the car does receive the benefit of 50 years of automotive technological and spatial advances.  Now with four reasonably comfortable seats, the car has the dimensions of 355 cm long x 165 cm wide x 149 cm high.  These are the same measurements as the base model, making the car 58×33x17 centimeters bigger than the original.

Still, the increase in size is not nearly as egregious as the MINI reboot, and people worldwide seem to like it.  58% of new 500 purchases came from outside of Italy, mostly from other parts of Europe.  Part of the excitement is due to Fiat’s “open-source approach,” using constant feedback from the car’s fans and users and “continually evolving” the product.

One fear was that the 500C would suffer from reduced storage space, and that the boot would be harder to access.  Not so, says Fiat.  Engineers used “parallelogram hinges” to hang over the boot, allowing the latch to open smoothly.

When the electric sliding fabric top is opened, turbulence is kept to a minimum.  Fiat wanted its passengers to be able to communicate without excessive windnoise, and they added a windstop to make their efforts more effective.  With a glass rear window and automatic climate control, the car should be enjoyable no matter what season.  Also interesting is the placement of the third brake light.  Built right into the soft top, the third light should be easy to spot no matter what vehicle is trailing.

What might be the car’s biggest problem is the potential for blindspots.  With any hope, the mirrors have been designed in a way to make this as minimal a problem as possible.

Fiat took a page from competitor MINI with the design of the top, allowing customers to choose from three different colored fabrics.  Ivory, red, and black are the choices, no matter what body color is selected.  Also available is leather upholstery, an Interscope HiFi audio system, and the popular Blue & Me Map navigation unit.

The same three engines are available on both the 500 and 500C, including the 69 hp 1.2-liter petrol, the 100 hp 1.4-liter petrol, and the 75 hp turbodiesel 1.3-liter unit.  A five-speed manual comes standard on all three cars, but the Dualogic automatic transmission can be purchased as an option for the petrol models.

First test drives of the new Fiat 500C will begin in Italy on July 4, exactly two years after the new 500’s introduction.

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New details have been released for both the 2010 Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG and S65 AMG facelifts.  With a starting price of €115,700 before tax, the S63 AMG short-wheelbase brings a 525 horsepower, 6.3-liter V8 engine producing up to 630 Nm of torque.  A long wheelbase model is available for an additional €6,000.

At €185,900 the S65 AMG is hardly cheap, but the 612 horsepower delivered by the 6.0-liter biturbo V12 may be enough to convince new customers.  The V12 delivers a massive 1000 Nm of torque, guaranteeing a 0-100 km/h time of 4.4 seconds, 0.2 seconds faster than the S63.  Both cars are electronically limited to 250 km/h.  On the S63 the driver controls the AMGSPEEDSHIFT 7G-Tronic transmission, while the S65 utilizes a five-speed automatic.

Impressively, Mercedes did not have to degrade the performance of these two vehicles to improve fuel economy.  Both “consumption and CO2 emissions” were reduced “by up to 3 percent.”

From the looks of these two cars, it seems many of the 8,000 current S-Class AMG customers may get a little jealous.  A new arrow-shaped radiator grille - with twin chrome louvres on the S65 - is an effective status symbol on a car that commands respect.  AMG-spec LED daytime lights are mounted just above the air outlets on either side of the front apron.

At an angle, this leads nicely into the new sidesills, which blends with the new side mirros to form a defined line to the car’s rear.  At the back, a new rear apron has a body-color diffuser built in, replacing the black diffuser on previous models.  52 LEDs are shaped in a “double ‘C’” pattern to make up the taillights.  Redesigned quad exhaust pipes appear in chrome.  “6.3 AMG” and “V12 Biturbo” badging is featured prominently.

The two cars separate at the wheels, where the S63 uses 19-inch multispoke wheels, while the S65 uses a 20-inch set.  Both wheels are painted in Titanium grey, with glossy finishes.  The bigger wheels can be purchased as an option on the S63.

A healthy amount of equipment comes standard, including the Active Body Control AMG sports suspension.  ABC provides stabilizes the car when gusts of wind blast the vehicle from the side.  The system adjusts “the wheel load distribution within milliseconds” and works with the Electronic Stability Program to reduce the effects of crosswinds.  Torque Vectoring Brakes improve cornering by adjusting the caliper pressure on the inner rear wheel.  AMG Adaptive Brakes are also included, using a double floating brake caliper at the front.

Inside, the S-class AMG comes with a healthy amount of leather, and multifunctioning AMG sport seats which will gladly give you a massage should you need one.  Both vehicles feature the AMG analogue clock, and AMG aluminum shift paddles that connect to a Direct Select gearshift.  A piano black lacquer crossed with carbon fiber AMG trim is also available.

You can read more details, including information about the Split-View COMAND system, in the press release below.  The 2010 Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG and the 2010 Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG go on sale at the end of the month.

 

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Following up on our previous story with the first photographs of the Mugen Honda Civic Type R hatchback, we now bring you an official promotional video of the special edition hatchback that’s inspired from the JDM Civic Mugen RR sedan. In spite of the fact that in the two-and-half minute long film, Mugen describes the model as a ‘UK Spec’ edition, in the press release, Honda’s dedicated tuning arm makes word of Euro-wide availability. Apparently, we’ll have to wait for Mugen to clear things up.

We’re still short on official info about the range of upgrades, but aside from the overly-aggressive aero kit, it is rumored that the hot hatch has received a similar treatment to the Japanese market Civic Mugen RR sedan.

If true, this means that we’ll most likely see a modified version of the Civic Type R’s 2.0-liter VTEC engine delivering close to 240HP, a limited slip differential (already available on the limited run Civic Type R Championship White), chunkier tires, tweaked suspension and a high-performance brake system.

Also expect a pair of body-hugging bucket seats from Recaro while it is possible that Mugen may eliminate certain comfort features in the interior in order to shave a few pounds.

What we can say for certain is that the Mugen Civic Type R will arrive on European shores sometime at the end of summer. In the meantime, and until Honda’s official tuner reveals more details, check out the high-quality promotional film below.

 

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The new Opel Astra brings into the compact class its own interpretation of the brand’s award-winning design language of combining sculptural artistry with German precision first seen in the Insignia. Its strong sporty lines and elegant details add to a new handsome look.

The exterior of the new generation Astra, which debuts in September at the IAA in Frankfurt, boasts a strong cab-forward, fluid silhouette. Inside, high quality materials and a total re-think of the design add to the excitement of driving a compact car. Moreover, Opel has added innovative extras – higher quality materials, more storage, improved seats and safer bumpers – to give the Astra comfort, health and safety features not usually seen in the compact class.

“The design of the new Astra takes all the best Opel has to offer and delivers it to the compact class,” says Mark Adams, Vice President of Design for GM Europe. “We have built a five-door hatchback that is as beautiful as it is safe, comfortable and practical.”
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In its civilian form, the Skoda Fabia hatchback is an affordable, no-frills supermini that comes with all the usual qualities you’d expect from any Volkswagen Group model. The rally-spec Fabia S2000 is an entirely different story. Presented for the first time as a concept study at the Geneva show in 2007, the Fabia S2000 has been developed ever since to compete in the Super 2000 category.
It features a 2.0-litre four-cylinder naturally-aspirated engine based on the VW Group’s standard 2.0 FSI unit, a six-speed sequential transmission and an advanced four-wheel drive system with three passive differentials. But enough with the talk. Time to sit back, turn up the volume and enjoy the video that was shot during the official presentation of the rally-car earlier this month (June 2009).

 

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We have a special treat for you all today: two minutes of video featuring the Audi R8 V10 5.2 FSI Spider as it attacks the Nürburgring.  With the roof sealed throughout the entire footage, we get the chance to see this car in motion from many different angles.  The driver of the car did appear to hold back a bit in the corners, due to occasional bursts of rain, but the car’s capabilities are pretty evident.

The new V10 convertible is expected to be introduced during September’s Frankfurt Motor Show, where it will share the stage with the new Audi A5 Sportback.  Contrary to recent reports, Audi does not plan to make the R8 Spider V8 available in the immediate future, but it may become available when the next generation R8 is released.  Its engine at launch will be the 5.2-liter V10 producing 525 horsepower, with the six speed manual transmission as standard.  Customers will be allowed to purchase the R-tronic transmission, which automatically taps the throttle on each downshift, as an option.

With the big V10 engine, that gets a maximum 391 ft-lb of torque, a top speed just shy of 200 mph is expected.  In around four seconds, the car should hit 60 mph from a standstill.  Audi’s R8 Spider will come with a fabric top, like the rest of their convertibles.  They will not offer a folding hard top for the vehicle.

The company has suggested that no official photos or teasers will be released for the new R8 spider before its debut.

There had been speculation that Audi would also debut the 2011 Audi A8 at the Frankfurt show.  However, that appears to be untrue.  Car and Driver is reporting that the vehicle’s launch will take place in early 2010 at the Detroit Auto show.  A private introduction may also take place earlier in Florida.  The magazine believes the automaker does not want the new A8 to have to compete for attention from Frankfurt.  Audi also wants to protect sales of the current A8, and will hold off the launch a bit until interest in the current A8 subside.

 

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