Author: EuroCarBlog.com

Audi has released new pics of the RS5, which is now available in pre-sales with the full commercial launch occurring in June. The RS5 performance version of the Audi A5 Coupé is equipped with a V8 4.2-litre FSI engine with 450 hp, S Tronic seven-speed gearbox and all-wheel drive Quattro technology.

The Audi RS5 has a top speed of 250 km/hr and reaches 100 km/hr in 4.6 seconds. Compared to the standard A5 model, it has oval shaped exhaust outlets, front and rear sports bumpers and honeycomb front grille. The RS5 costs around 81,000 euros. See the new RS5 gallery below.

Audi RS5 new pics

These Volkswagen Golf 7 renderings show more links again to the Volkswagen Scirocco design, suggesting that the 2012 Golf generation will have a sporty style. We know that it will have a lower and wider body with a sloping windshield design. Despite this sports focus, the new Golf will be even more environmentally friendly that it already is, continuing the larger BlueMotion philosophy currently driving Volkswagen models.

The new Golf 7 will have both hybrid and electric models, of which the former is expected to make up 20 percent of the annual one million units. The TwinDrive hybrid technology combines three electric motors with a 1.5-litre diesel unit for a range of 48 km when in electric mode only.

Other new features include a new entry-level, 1.2-litre engine with 86 hp, and we should also see the seven-speed DSG gearbox appear. Sales are expected to start in 2013 after a 2012 launch. Thanks to Jezza for the tip.

Volkswagen Golf 7 renderings

Source | Steering News

Here we finally get to hear the Ferrari 599 GTO video in English. You wouldn’t normally expect this kind of marketing blunder from a brand like Ferrari but I guess if you’ve already sold all of the 599 GTO models planned for production before sales/production actually starts, you can probably do as you please. Check out the pics of the 599 GTO official presentation at Modena’s Ducal Palace Military Academy, too. It looks like it was quite the event for anybody who was somebody enough to be able to attend.

Source | Autoblog.com

The Mercedes SL 65 AMG Black Series gets the Brabus treatment, becoming the one-off Brabus Vanish. The one-off SL 65 AMG may not be your cup of tea, but the exclusivity of the car can hardly be denied. It has the same twin turbo 6.0 V12 to which Brabus has added two larger turbines, for a total of 800 hp. The transmission system has been totally revised and a new, larger braking system has been added.

With its 800 hp the Brabus Vanish should also be super-fast due to its carbon fibre bonnet. The customer who ordered this model originally purchased it in pearl white and the current matte black finish is a kind of surface film added. On the inside we see red stitching and the Brabus and Vanish logos, which are also included on the brake calipers.

Renault has released the official images of its special edition Laguna Coupé, the Monaco GP. Just 400 models of this car have been built for the European market, and it will be available from May with three possible engine options. Power is expected to range from 150 to 240 hp, with the starting price of the car at 38,000 euros. This should include the whole package, from the pearl white tint, to the black chrome 18-inch wheels, mirrors and roof.

The interior of the Monca GP Laguna Coupé also features this black-white contrast in the interior, with black leather seats and white stitching. Other accessories included in the price include satellite navigator, twin zone air conditioning, Bosé hi-fi system with 10 speakers and USB port. The car will be all-wheel drive with bi-xeno light, LED rear lights and parking sensors. The engines available are: 2.0-litre diesel with 150 or 180 hp, a 3.0-litre V6 diesel with 235 hp, and a 3.5-litre V6 petrol unit with 240 hp at the top of the range.

The Mini Estate is celebrating its 50 year anniversary in 2010 and this video shows the celebrations at Essen during the Techno Classica historic cars event. This particular exhibition was created with the collaboration of Mini Clubs in Germany and the Netherlands, who provided some of the rarest examples of Mini Estates from their club members. See Mini Estates such as the Clubman GT and other classics in the video above.

Here are live test pics of our Alfa Giulietta test drive, in which our colleagues at Autoblog.it got to drive the new Alfa Romeo hatch over 100 km, between track driving and street driving. While the Alfa MiTo was a much-awaited car and has been an important model for Alfa and its launch into the compact segment, the Giulietta is essential to Alfa for a brand revival, and in terms of building a new, quality vehicle in a competitive segment.

The Giulietta looks better in person than in pictures, and overall the muscular design and the combination of colours and accessories is very pleasing. The front is still quite prominent and if you’re in the market for the Giulietta, you might want to splash out on some bigger wheels as the 16-inch design can get a bit lost (the 18-inch wheels on the Giulietta Quadrifoglio Verde are much more attractive), but other than that we’re looking at quite a sexy little hatch.

The thing that gives us most relief about the Giulietta is that it isn’t just constructed around Alfa good looks. The first good impressions of the interior, with a BMW 1 Series style dash, a lovely mix of leather, alcantara and metal finishes, are only confirmed the more you come into contact with this new Alfa Romeo. Let’s face it though, to compete in this segment Alfa’s new C EVO platform had to be good, comfort and safety had to be very good and price had to be appealing. It’s not an easy feat but the Alfa Giulietta seems to pull it off quite well.

Alfa Romeo Giulietta test drive

The Giulietta in this test was a 1.4-litre Multiair with 170 hp, with Distinctive package and Sport kit. You’ve only got to go a short distance before you fall in love with the steering: clean, precise and well-balanced, it makes you forget you’re driving something with electronic steering assistance, and you can just enjoy the Dual Pinion technology. The Multiair engine has 250 Nm of torque, and you can feel it. At just 2,000 rpm the acceleration is generous and you don’t have to make this car work hard to enjoy it.

If you want to play around with the DNA function, you get even more satisfaction, and this is where the Giulietta really shows what it’s made of. A different personality comes out of the car and you feel a heavier and more involved steering, overboost function, ready acceleration, active Q2 differential, a more relaxed VDC electronic stability and even a brake management system that makes for faster and more responsive braking. You can read all of that in a press release, but in the Giulietta you can actually feel it at the wheel.

Some annoying aspects are present, though, this is not a perfect car. The multimedia system controls are in a slightly uncomfortable position and sometimes the sports seats and overall noisy aerodynamics on highway drives do not make for a smooth ride. But apart from that this is a driver’s car, with an agile engine that you will appreciate in the city for its elasticity and quiet ride at low revs, and some fun steering when you want to tackle the bends a bit more. With a start&stop system, you get some decent mileage out of your fuel, with Alfa declaring an average fuel consumption of 4.6 l/100 km. We figure we probably did about 10 km/l but we did throw the car around a bit and use the sports function most of the time.

We also got to try briefly the Alfa Giulietta Quadrifoglio Verde model. At first glance, it’s a lovely looking sporty hatch, but we would have liked more exclusive features, especially on the inside as most of the elements of the sports kit seen on the previous model are apparent here, too. This 1750 Tbi engine had 235 hp and while the engine rumble was more noticeable, it’s still quite discrete for what is Alfa’s performance variant. The dedicated suspension of this model and the more powerful braking system are evident at the first turn on the track, and the Giulietta Quadrifoglio has a very exact driving style. Some understeer can occur on exaggerating with the accelerator, but the electronic assistance will never really dampen the enthusiasm of a good driver.

Quick changes of direction and hard braking are easily achieved, but the Cloverleaf is also a sweet car to drive at top speeds. The Giulietta Quadrifoglio Verde is a necessary compromise between speedy sports driving and safety, and for some the rear multilink suspension might be a little on the ‘polite’ side. The transmission, like on the other Giulietta model, is very very good, although sometimes you can be lulled into thinking there is less horse power under the bonnet that what you’ve actually got.

The Quadrifoglio version is a pleasing element to the overall Alfa Giulietta mix. It is an excellent offering for a large range of customers: it’s sparky, but sweet, and is focussed on providing control and precision in a car flexibile enough to meet many needs. You could drive it as a young woman, you could drive it as an older man, and the Giulietta will be exciting or docile enough for whoever. Alfa is counting on selling 40,000 models by the end of the year, with 50 percent dedicated to the Italian market. The long term aim is to reach 100,000 units sales per annum. With prices starting at 20,300 euros, they could make it. It’s not cheap, but it’s a very good, solid offering (and it comes in red).

Here are the videos of the new Touran, which has undergone a significant style update to bring it in line with the rest of the ‘family feeling’ of the Volkswagen range. The Touran front has been redesigned, and more structural changes have been completed down the sides of the vehicle, too. This aerodynamic touch-up has reduced the overall fuel consumption of the model even further, with BlueMotion options in the engine range running on 5.9 litres of fuel per 100 km. See the videos for a closer look, including a tour of the Touran interior after the jump.

The Renault Wind will not be available before summer and will likely appear only by September on the French market. It’s unfortunate for a spider model that would have been perfect for the warmer season, and in so doing, the Wind debut is taking a different timeline than originally expected.

The Wind was presented together with the new Megane CC which is already available for order, while orders for the former will be available only from May. It does appear, though, that some Renault Wind models will be made available to the UK market by summer, leaving us a little perplexed. The Wind is being built in Slovenia and will cost about 17,500 euros in France.

Source | Automobile Magazine

The low-cost Dacia Duster pricing has been released as the SUV debuts around Europe this month. With plenty of interest in the Duster, we’re wondering if it won’t manage to make its presence felt in the competitive SUV segment. The Dacia Duster entry level model starts at 11,900 euros and comes with a 16V 1.6-litre engine with 105 hp, or a 1.5 dCi engine with 85 or 110 hp.

The Duster is available in three different packages: Ambiance, Lauréate and Prestige. Both two-wheel and four-wheel drive is available with the all-wheel drive option costing exactly 2,000 euros more. The price jump between one package and the next is about 1,000 euros. For example, the entry level 16V 1.6 model costing 11,900 euros, costs 13,900 euros in all-wheel drive version. The Duster 1.5 dCi with 85 hp is available only with two-wheel drive with prices starting from 14,100 euros.

The 1.5 dCi with 110 hp start at 14,900 euros for the Ambiance package with 2WD and 16,900 euros for the 4WD version. The top of the range Duster features the dCi engine with 105 hp and all-wheel drive in the Prestige package. It costs 18,900 euros. After the jump is the full list of Dacia Duster pricing in Europe.

Dacia Duster 1.6 16V: 11,900 euros
Dacia Duster 1.6 16V Ambiance: 12,900 euros
Dacia Duster 1.6 16V Lauréate: 13,900 euros
Dacia Duster 1.6 16V Prestige: 14,900 euros

Dacia Duster 1.6 16V 4WD: 13,900
Dacia Duster 1.6 16V 4WD Ambiance: 14,900
Dacia Duster 1.6 16V 4WD Lauréate: 15,900
Dacia Duster 1.6 16V 4WD Prestige: 16,900

Dacia Duster 1.5 dCi, 85 hp, Ambiance: 14,100
Dacia Duster 1.5 dCi, 85 hp, Lauréate: 15,100
Dacia Duster 1.5 dCi, 85 hp, Prestige: 16,100

Dacia Duster 1.5 dCi 105 hp,Ambiance: 14,900
Dacia Duster 1.5 dCi 105 hp, Lauréate: 15,900
Dacia Duster 1.5 dCi 105 hp, Prestige: 16,900

Dacia Duster 1.5 dCi 105 hp, 4WD Ambiance: 16.900 euro
Dacia Duster 1.5 dCi 105 hp, 4WD Lauréate: 17.900 euro
Dacia Duster 1.5 dCi 105 hp, 4WD Prestige: 18.900 euro

Here are the official pics of the new Alfa Giulietta, which debuted yesterday with sales to start around Europe in May. The Giulietta is based on Alfa’s new Compact platform which focuses on driving dynamics: road grip, agility and safety, thanks to a new chassis which makes use of materials such as aluminium and steel.

The Alfa DNA system which first appeared on the Alfa MiTo, is also featured on the Giulietta, with three set-up programs of Dynamic, Normal and All Weather. The dimensions of the Giulietta are slightly larger than the 147 it replaces, measuring 435 x 146 x 180. It has a wheelbase of 263 cm and a boot capacity of 350 litres. Among the new interior features we see a pop-up display for navigation or engine updates, although the big deal for the new Alfa is the engine line-up.

The Alfa Giulietta comes with four engine options at launch date, all of which are Euro 5 compliant and fitted with start&stop technology. The petrol models are: 1.4-litre TB with 120 hp and the 1.4 TB Multiair with 170 hp. The diesel models on offer are a 1.6 JTDM with 105 hp and a 2.0 JTDM with 170 hp, both of which are second generation Multijet models. To be added later is the Giulietta Quadrifoglio Verde equipped with the 1750 TBi with 235 hp and 340 Nm. It has direct injection and a ’scavenging’ system which eliminates the turbo lag.

All of the engines come with a new six-speed manual gearbox designed for high rev performance, and in the future the Multiair and 2.0-litre JTDM engines will be offered with dual-clutch transmission. The Giulietta comes in two fit-outs – Progression and Distinctive, with two personalisation kits of Pack Sport and Pack Premium. Safety features included are a hill holder, six airbags, reinforced rear seatbelts and anti-whiplash front seats.

Other aspects are manual air conditioning, electric windows, trip computer, CD MP3 reader, six speakers etc. In addition, the Distinctive package has 16-inch alloy wheels, twin-zone air conditioning, leather steering wheel with radio controls, front arm rest with storage compartment, cruise control, fog lights and ‘Competizione’ sports upholstery. The Pack Sport is as its name suggests, and includes special suspension, 17 or 18-inch wheels, side skirts, sports pedals and sports seats available in leather or microfibre. Other touches are a brushed aluminium trim and dark interior finish.

The Premium Pack has bi-xeno lights, Blue&Me bluetooth technology, USB port, MP3 radio, steering wheel controls, rear parking sensors, rain and light windshield sensors and electronic rear vision mirrors. When the Giulietta Quadrifoglio or Cloverleaf version comes out it will have lowered suspension by 15mm at the front and 10 mm at the rear, 17 or 18-inch dedicate alloy wheels, and a larger braking system with Rosso Alfa red calipers.

While we’re dreaming of an Alfa Giulietta Quadrifoglio, overall this looks like a solid (and sexy) offering from Alfa which could prove to be an excellent car for dedicated driving fun in a daily context. It’s one of the best offerings from Alfa in a long time and so far the Giulietta future is looking bright.

In a bid for more market appeal of the Chevrolet Cruze in Europe, General Motors has teamed up with Irmscher tuning to produce the Irmscher Cruze RS. Under the Irmscher tuning, the Cruze RS gets a 25-mm lowered suspension, rear spoiler and 18-inch alloy wheels in turbine style. A new exhaust system provides an extra 36 hp for the 2.0-litre turbodiesel engine, bringing the total to 186 hp.

The Irmscher Cruze RS is especially destined for German customers, with the model available for order directly from Chevrolet dealers. It may not lure many locals away from their beloved German brands, but it’s definitely something to think about when trying to jazz-up foreign brands and give them some added selling points.

Source | CarScoop via Autoblog.com

Here’s the video of the Aston Martin Gauntlet design concept in which we get a 360-degree view of all the various components of the car and its style. Like the Gauntlet images, this is strictly a computer-generated video showing the design project from Ugur Sahin. While these kinds of projects generally give vent to the designer’s imagination, Sahin has been faithful to the Aston style, using evident inspiration from models such as the One-77 and the Vantage. Would Aston Martin consider building something like? We don’t know, but we’ve certainly appreciated the design in the meantime.

These videos of the Ferrari 599 GTO are unfortunately in Italian at this stage, but still, we’re happy to give the new supercar a closer look. The first video details the driver-car interface and discusses the marriage between track and road driving of the 599 GTO. Skipping the nifty graphics and the guy who seems to be a 15-year-old director, we pass to some track action which shows the practical take on the Formula One technology used on this street-legal Ferrari.

After the jump, the second video gives us the juicy topic of the engine development, based on the 599XX, and some more track driving from the 599 GTO. It’s all technical stuff, but at least we’ve seen that under the technology, the 599 GTO really does drive.

Source | Autoblog.it

If you wanted to know just how you can glam up your new BMW 5 Series F10, check out all the options and accessories in this 5 Series leaked catalogue. You get a look at everything including interior trim, spoke design, baby seats with BMW logos, roof racks and luggage options, floormats and multimedia entertainment. Hell, there’s even a look at snow chains and upholstery cleaner.

The leaked accessories brochure for the BMW 5-series is specific to the European market. This one is in German although another one in English is promised soon. Check out all the optional extras, otherwise known as bells and whistles, in the pics below.

BMW 5 Series accessories brochure leaked

Source | 5post via Autoblog.com

Here are all the pics of the Peugeot RCZ Nurburgring model produced for the 24-hour endurance race, which will take place from May 15 to 16 at the German track. This competition Peugeot RCZ has a powered-up version of the 2.0 HDi, with 163 hp increased to 200. Two models of the RCZ will race, one by a French team and one by German team. See the hotted-up version in the pics below.

Here are the official pics of the new Volkswagen Touran, presented at the Leipzig motor show. The new generation Touran adopts the latest Volkswagen style updates, and looks like a smaller Sharan with conventional rear doors. The first generation of the Touran sold 1.13 million units and it is hoped this new Touran will be equally as successful.

In addition to the style updates, the new Touran has a new fuel and diesel engine range of TSI and TDI models. The 1.2-litre TSI wtih 105 hp debuts and is also available in BlueMotion Technology version with Start&Stop and energy regeneration when braking. The 1.4-litre TSI in both 140 hp and 170 hp versions is available and is equipped with a seven-speed DSG gearbox which also appears on the TSI Ecofuel methane model.

The diesel engine range includes the 1.6 TDI with 90 or 105 hp, with the latter available in BlueMotion. It has a fuel consumption of just 4.6 litres per 100 km and emits 121 g/km of CO2. The common rail 2.0-litre TDI is available in both 140 and 170 hp. The new Touran is designed as a five-seater model with a third row of two seats available on the options list which also includes Park Assist technology.

In all the models the Touran has 39 miniature pockets and storage compartments throughout the cabin, and three model kits are on offer: Trendline, Comfortline and Highline. Trendline includes air conditioning, MP3 player and chrome opaque finishings. The Comfortline has light and rain sensors, anti-high beam rear view mirrors, chrome inserts, comfort front seats and tray tables for the rear seats. The Highline fit-out has Alcantara throughout, front sports seats, automatic air conditioning, 16-inch alloy wheels and roof racks.

The Audi TT gets a new look in 2010, with a restyling destined for its mid-career period, that will appear on the coupé, roadster, TTS and TT-RS models. The restyling has been presented at the Leipzig motor show and features larger air intakes, chrome elements around the fog lights, larger exhaust outlets, and more LED lights. The new restyling makes the Audi TT slightly larger, now at 419 cm long, 184 cm wide and 135 cm tall. The wheelbase measures 247 cm.

On the inside the Audi TT restyling includes more aluminium finishes and new colours, while the exterior also has four additional colour options. The engine range includes the 1.8 TFSI with 160 hp and the 2.0 TDI with 170 hp. The 2.0 TFSI that had 200 hp, now has 211 hp and has a fuel consumption of 6.6 litres per 100 km and CO2 emissions of 154 g/km. This particular engine has the new six-speed S Tronic gearbox and also comes in all-wheel drive. The top of the range options are the 2.0 TFSI with 272 hp (on the TTS), and the 2.5 TFSI with 340 hp on the TT-RS.

The Ferrari 599 GTO configurator is online for those lucky customers with enough money to afford this vehicle, and for those of us who want to play with the 599 GTO and dream of owning one. Some of the 599 GTO configurator features include classic and metallic body tints, as well as the racing livery and twin racing colours available.

Three different wheel varieties are available, and the 599 GTO can be ordered with five different caliper colours. The interior is rich in personalisation options including carbonfibre finishes, coloured stitching, personalised seatbelts – right down to the background colour of the rev counter. The 599 GTO and its options are about as race-oriented as you’ll get on a road Ferrari. Just watch out for the options price list…

Ferrari 599 GTO car configurator

The Volkswagen Golf 7 is continuing its development towards its presentation in 2012, and here is a rendering showing the Golf 7 in Scirocco style. The next generation Golf is expected to go on sale sometime in 2013, replacing the current intermediate Golf 6 model. Design is being directed by Walter de Silva who has recently declared that the new Golf will be based on the style of the first and fourth generation Golf models, with a sloping windshield and angular lines. The Golf 7 will be longer and wider than the current model, but slightly lower in height.

The Golf 7 should have a totally revamped interior with new multimedia components. A transverse engine and new platform forms the major change for the new car, which will herald a new platform for all of the VAG compact models. To keep price and CO2 emissions down, the Golf 7 will also be available with a smaller, entry-level engine: the 1.2-litre TSI with 86 hp. The Golf R with its 2.o TFSI and 300 hp sits at the top of the range.

The whole TDI engine range will comply with new Euro 6 norms in Europe, while we should also see hybrid and electric versions, with the latter called the E-Golf. Volkswagen is planning to sell approximately one million units a new, of which it believes the hybrid model will make up about 20 percent. This would make it less of a niche model than the electric Golf, and hopefully contribute to taking hybrid technology more mainstream.

Source | Autointernationaal.nl