The Chevrolet Volt: Around Town and Beyond
The First Pre-Production Chevrolet Volt Built at Detroit-Hamtramck Drives Off the Assembly Line
Pre-production Chevrolet Volts are being built at the Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant to test the assembly process.
Watch as the very first Volt build at Detroit-Hamtramck rolls off the line, driven by plant manager Teri Quigley.
Audi Perfection – The unique Audi quality
Audi: For more than a century, perfection down to the last detail is a standard for us.
Tanner Foust drifts his Rockstar Energy Drink Scion TC Drift Car on a legendary stretch of Mulholland Highway known as “The Snake”.
Watch Tanner unleash his 600hp NASCAR V8 powered Scion drift car on this famed road. There were no rehearsals and most of the film is of Tanner¹s first run on a clean stretch of road. And, yes, the road was closed.
WARNING: The following video was performed by a professional driver on a closed course. Do not attempt what you are about to see
Mercedes-Benz E-klasse Luxury Limousine Concept
The most respected Limousine after Rolls Royce belongs to Mercedes W126, majority of that tagged with 1000 SEL, 560 SEL or 500 SEL. Below is the list of manufacturers of the W126 Limousines.
Please check the big brother of Mercedes W126 with 2010 technology!
ADAC: Citroen Nemo fails the moose test
Honda’s History
All about Honda’s History
Honda Motor Company, Ltd. is a Japanese multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.
Honda is the world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycles as well as the world’s largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than 14 million internal combustion engines each year.
Honda surpassed Nissan in 2001 to become the second-largest Japanese automobile manufacturer. As of August 2008, Honda surpassed Chrysler as the fourth largest automobile manufacturer in the United States.
Honda is the sixth largest automobile manufacturer in the world.
Honda was the first Japanese automobile manufacturer to release a dedicated luxury brand, Acura in 1986. Aside from their core automobile and motorcycle businesses, Honda also manufactures garden equipment, marine engines, personal watercraft and power generators, amongst others.
Since 1986, Honda has been involved with artificial intelligence/robotics research and released their ASIMO robot in 2000. They have also ventured into aerospace with the establishment of GE Honda Aero Engines in 2004 and the Honda HA-420 HondaJet, scheduled to be released in 2011.
Honda spends about 5% of its revenues into R&D!
From a young age, Honda’s founder, Soichiro Honda had a great interest in automobiles. He worked as a mechanic at a Japanese tuning shop, Art Shokai, where he tuned cars and entered them in races.
A self-taught engineer, he later worked on a piston design which he hoped to sell to Toyota. The first drafts of his design were rejected, and Soichiro worked painstakingly to perfect the design, even going back to school and pawning his wife’s jewelry for collateral.
Eventually, he won a contract with Toyota and built a factory to construct pistons for them, which was destroyed in an earthquake. Due to a gas shortage during World War II, Honda was unable to use his car, and his novel idea of attaching a small engine to his bicycle attracted much curiosity. He then established the Honda Technical Research Institute in Hamamatsu, Japan, to develop and produce small 2-cycle motorbike engines.
Calling upon 18,000 bicycle shop owners across Japan to take part in revitalizing a nation torn apart by war, Soichiro received enough capital to engineer his first motorcycle, the Honda Cub.
This marked the beginning of Honda Motor Company, which would grow a short time later to be the world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycles by 1964.
Read more about Honda
Porsche Presents 918 Spyder High-Performance Concept
Porsche Presents 918 Spyder High-Performance Concept Sports Car
This car is a high-performance mid-engined concept sports car with ultra-efficient, low-emission drive technology.
With the release of the 918 Spyder, the company is further increasing its competence in hybrid technology.
The prototype combines high-tech racing features and electro-mobility to offer a fascinating range of qualities.
2010 Honda Everus Concept Car
“Last year, Honda’s sales achieved an all-time record of 580,000 units in China,” Honda president and CEO Takanobu Ito said during a press conference held at the Chinese event.
“Honda will continue its efforts to become the ‘automaker closest to customers’ in China, by introducing environmentally-responsible models and through further collaboration with its partners, Guangzhou Automobile and Dongfeng Motor.”
Few details are known about the Everus although Honda does say it will be the first production Li Nian model.
Reports suggest the Civic-sized offering may ride on a stretched City sedan, which itself is built off a stretched Fit platform.
This concept car has been presented for BEIJING Auto Show 2010
BMW’s Wind Tunnel Plus Model Equals Nice Video
BMW vs Audi Advertising War
Audi in Hong Kong attacked by an aggresive advertising campaign made by BMW. The war betwwen BMW and Audi still continue!
In this latest offensive, BMW has purchased a huge ad space on a billboard directly above Audi of Hong Kong. A massive advertisement for the new 5-Series sits on a wall over the showroom windows, all but completely displacing the Audi dealership from view.
2010 Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon Full Test Video
2010 Buick LaCrosse
2011 Hyundai Sonata Lee Hyundai Fayetteville
2011 Hyundai Sonata, equipped with a 4 Cyl. engine and an automatic transmission. Enjoy this great car with features like MP3 Player, Electronic Stability Control, Satellite Radio, EBD Electronic Brake Dist, EBA Emergency Brake Asst, Vanity Mirrors, Side Impact Door Beams, and much more.
Enjoy the drive and have peace of mind in this 2011 Hyundai Sonata
2011 New Hyundai Equus
Hyundai aims to break down the barriers of owning a luxury car with the introduction of its all-new flagship, the 2011 Hyundai Equus.
Equus will compete with the best luxury sedans in the world on all levels including amenities, performance, advanced technologies, design and ownership experience when it arrives at select Hyundai dealerships in the late summer of 2010.
Hyundai Equus broadens Hyundai’s lineup of premium vehicles and like Genesis, is built on Hyundai’s world-class rear-wheel-drive architecture.
It is powered by the award-winning 4.6-liter Tau® V8. The Tau inside the Hyundai Equus will produce an estimated 385 horsepower using premium fuel and 378 horsepower using regular fuel. With technology rivaling more expensive luxury sedans, Hyundai Equus showcases features such as a lane departure warning system, electronic air suspension, smart cruise control and a Lexicon® audio system.
When Genesis was introduced, Hyundai promised that its rear-wheel-drive architecture would spawn more products in other segments. Hyundai Equus is the third of those products, this time riding on a lengthened Genesis architecture.
Hyundai Equus is 7.2 inches longer (203.1 inches vs. 195.9 inches) than Genesis. Hyundai Equus boasts an excellent 52/48 front-to-rear weight distribution for exceptional handling and more refined steering characteristics.
Hyundai Equus reduces interior noise levels and improves ride and handling with a stiff, light weight body structure. The use of high-tensile steel in critical areas in the unibody provides Hyundai Equus with significantly higher dynamic torsional rigidity and a lower body structure weight despite having a spacious interior cabin.
Headlining the Hyundai Equus’ performance capabilities is Hyundai’s Tau 4.6-liter V8 engine, a two-time Ward’s 10 Best Engine winner, mated to a ZF 6-speed automatic transmission with SHIFTRONIC® manual control.
The Tau V8 delivers an estimated 385 horsepower and 333 lb-ft of torque (378 horsepower and 324 lb-ft using regular fuel) to fit the demands of luxury consumers. This powertrain combination will launch Hyundai Equus to 60 miles per hour in less than 6.4 seconds. On premium fuel, the Tau V8 produces more horsepower than the powerplants found in the Lexus LS 460, Mercedes-Benz S550, and Audi A8 and nearly the same power as these competitors on regular fuel.
The design of the Hyundai Equus is handsome and pleasing to the eye. The rear-end treatment is progressive with bold taillights, strong shoulders and an overall look of precision. This look is accomplished through fully-integrated asymmetrical exhaust tips and rear LED turn signal indicators.
The side silhouette is refined, with character lines that accent the rear fenders. Up front is a subtle horizontal radiator grille and well-proportioned headlamps with jeweled detailing. LED turn signals are inside the HID headlamps along with an adaptive front lighting system with white LED position lamps.
The lower air intakes are bold and add to the positive reaction of the overall design. To assist in parking, and navigating blind corners and alleys in urban driving, there is an optional forward-view cornering camera integrated into the grille.
2011 Hyundai Accent Verna
This new Accent Looks Amazing , makes the last gen accent look 10 year old. The Toyota Yaris is got nothing on this one, I think hyundai has been doing a very good job on their new fluedic sculpture design of their new vehicles
Sexy blonde with a Dartz Prombron Red Diamond Edition
Introduced at Top Marques Monaco the Dartz Prombron Red Diamond Edition is one of the most special vehicles on the roads in Europe and Arabia.
The unique luxury armoured truck is equipped with gold plated, bulletproof windows and bulletproof 22 inch alloys.
A tungsten exhaust and tungsten badging and gauges, complemented by white gold gauges encrusted with precious gem stones also add to the list.
Extra kevlar coating, just in case you happen to be driving through a war zone, and a Rogue Acoustic Audio System to ensure you can’t hear the carnage are all included.
Near this amazing tuned car you can see a sexy girl that promote this superb machine.
Photo: Car Scoop for more photos | GT Spirit for more photos and information. Thank you
Rolls boss drives China strategy
Ian Robertson, chairman of the legendary auto maker, says its cars have become symbols of achievement
China’s market for luxury autos is unlike any in Europe or North America, says Ian Robertson, chairman of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.
There are complex regulatory challenges and different fashions but there is also a rapidly growing appetite for luxury goods, including high-end autos. And while sales of luxury cars still lag behind those in the West, the complex China market is of growing importance to the brands at the upper reaches of the industry, Mr. Robertson says.
BMW AG, whose brands include Rolls-Royce, BMW and Mini, recorded sales in China of 90,563 vehicles last year, far fewer than the 241,727 vehicles sold in the U.S.
“The American market is older and more established, with millions of drivers already in the premium segment and loyal to the brand,” says Mr. Robertson, who is also a member of the board of management at BMW responsible for group sales and marketing.
But China became the world’s largest car market by sales in 2009 and the growth in China’s appetite for luxury autos is compelling. It represents a boon for an industry that has faced serious challenges in other markets during the global financial downturn.
BMW’s sales in China jumped 37% last year, compared with a 25% to 30% decline in some markets. China is already the biggest market for BMW’s top-of-the-line 7-Series, by a factor of about two. Last year, the German auto maker said it will invest in a huge factory in Shenyang, China, expected to open in 2012, which will have an initial capacity of 100,000 cars a year.
“In February we sold 96% more cars in China than during [February 2009.] It could have been more, but we ran out of cars,” says Mr. Robertson.
BMW’s global rivals are well aware of the opportunities. Mercedes-Benz says its sales in China in February were up 160% compared with the same month in 2009. Volkswagen, owner of the Audi brand, reported a 61.7% jump in China sales for the period.
Mr. Robertson discussed his thoughts on the Chinese luxury-car market with William Snyder in Geneva during the International Motor Show The following interview has been edited.
WSJ: Why is China seeing such spectacular growth numbers while much of the world’s auto market tanked in 2009?
Mr. Robertson: Chinese consumers never changed their spending habits, even when the global financial meltdown hit. Consumers had total faith that the government had fixed the problem. That’s why they kept buying cars.
WSJ: What factors in China dictate your sales strategy?
Mr. Robertson: There’s an automotive hierarchy in China unlike any in Europe and North America. The 5-Series is a car for midlevel managers and the 7-Series is for executives—and you won’t ever see that line crossed. This hierarchy comes from a market still developing the middle and upper classes.
The 5- and 7- Series have become symbols of achieving “membership” in those demographics. We don’t see lines drawn like this in North America or Europe. It’s a lifestyle difference in these markets, whereas it’s a class difference in China.
WSJ: How are you appealing to that hierarchy?
Mr. Robertson: BMW has made design concessions to cater to the Chinese market. China is the only market that carries a 5-Series with a long wheelbase. [It was introduced in 2007.] The extended wheelbase creates a roomier backseat, making it comfortable enough to be an “arrival and departure car,” by which I mean a car with a chauffeur. We’re seeing more and more people wanting to drive themselves, but China is still a “driven-in” car market. We’re not just targeting the high-end buyer. I see segmentation increasing.
WSJ: BMW’s premium and tailor-made brand, Rolls-Royce, is also gaining popularity in China, surpassing Japan as its largest market in Asia and making up just over 10% of global sales in 2009. How does the Rolls-Royce market in China compare to the U.S. or England?
Mr. Robertson: Bespoke in the U.S. is more difficult because dealers believe they need on-lot stock. Americans don’t like to wait. It takes three to six months in China to deliver a Rolls-Royce and this has become a status symbol and selling point. The customers in China like to brag about how long it will take to build their cars.
WSJ: What worries you about China?
Mr. Robertson: We know where legislation will be in the U.S. over the next couple of years. But China may suddenly take huge regulatory steps to reduce carbon emissions or change safety regulations. We don’t have the legislative awareness like in other countries.
The 2009 truck law [that defined a truck as being longer than 5.9 meters (19.5 feet) and meant the standard Rolls-Royce Phantom could not cruise China’s city streets at night] is a perfect example. It took three months of engineering to adjust the Phantom’s length.
WSJ: Is China the main strategic focus for the BMW Group for the next few years?
Mr. Robertson: I believe the premium market in the U.S. still has the most potential. American buyers tend to replace their cars in the premium category, a pattern that hasn’t had a chance to develop yet in the newer Chinese marketplace.
Source article | Wall Street Journal by William Snyder
2010 Cadillac CTS-V
2010 Cadillac CTS Coupe
This great video of 2010 Cadillac CTS Coupe gets your heart pumping in excitement as it shows the CTS evolution over the years.
