Thursday, August 30, 2007

New Jaguar XF Details

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Jaguar has unveiled full details and photos of the first car that will carry Jaguar’s new design language - the Jaguar XF. The Jaguar XF is a 4-door sedan with a sexy roofline (drag coefficient is 0.29cD), and I think it proves Jaguar still has it - the ability to create beautiful and fast cars that has been part of the Jaguar philosophy.

On the inside, the Jaguar XF features the new JaguarDrive Selector, the first rotary dial-based shift-by-wire shifter which Jaguar thinks is more precise and intuitive while saving space at the same time, allowing better utilization of interior space.

There is also plenty of geekery on the interior for those who are into that kind of stuff. For one, the XF’s air-conditioning vents present a flush dashboard surface until the ignition is switched on, at which point they elegantly rotate to the open position. JaguarSense uses touch and proximity control to manage the overhead console lights and glovebox release. The parking brake uses Jaguar’s Electric Paring Brake which you can operate from a small chromed release in the center console. This parking brake automatically disengages when the shifter is put into Drive.

2008 Honda Accord Coupe Details

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The design language of the Honda Accord sedan and Honda Accord Coupe did not surprise us that much as we’ve already seen a close-to-production concept version sometime back in January this year.

The Honda Accord Coupe Concept was exhibited at the 2007 Detroit Motor Show and now the final production 2008 Accord Coupe is a close production representation of that concept. You can already expect aftermarket parts that mimic the clear smoked tail lamps on the concept coupe to be used on the production coupe.

The 2008 Honda Accord Coupe, like the sedan has been completely redesigned for the 2008 model year. The Accord Coupe is available in either a 190 horsepower 2.4 liter inline-4 i-VTEC DOHC form or a 268 horsepower 3.5 liter V6 i-VTEC SOHC form.

The V6 engine in the coupe differs from the one in the sedan as it’s valvetrain does not have the Variable Cylinder Management feature, thus reducing valvetrain inertia thanks to the reduced weight. This means the non-VCM V6 engine has a better torque curve at low to medium engine speeds compared to the VCM-equipped V6 engine. The Accord Coupe V6 can also be specified with a 6-speed manual transmission while the V6 sedan is only available in automatic.

Toyota TRD Aurion full details

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Toyota has released full details on the Australian market Toyota TRD Aurion that was first shown in March this year. The Australian Toyota Aurion is basically the same car as the Toyota Camry we get from Thailand locally, however Australian specs call for much larger engines. While the Aurion already gets a 3.5 liter V6, the Aurion TRD has it’s powertrain supercharged with a four-lobe Eaton Twin Vortices Series supercharger to produce 323 horsepower at 6,400rpm and 400Nm of torque at 4,000rpm, matched to a 6-speed automatic with sequential shifting that sends power through the front wheels.

This engine is found in both the 3500S and 3500SL variants of the Toyota Aurion TRD. The Toyota Aurion TRD 3500S comes with a sports suspension, 19-inch wheels and special TRD body kit, while the Toyota Aurion TRD 3500SL adds Smart Entry, Smart Start, full leather interior, parking sensors, dual-zone air-conditioning and a special rear bumper reinforcement to add rigidity to the car. 0 to 100km/h for both cars is rated at 6.1 seconds which will definitely knock you back into your chair, and it goes on to a top speed of 250km/h.

To reign in all that power, the TRD Aurion is equipped with 325×32mm front ventilated discs with twin 40.5mm piston aluminium calipers, and 310×18mm ventilated rear discs with single 40.5mm piston aluminium calipers.

Subaru Impreza German Engineers

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A bunch of German engineers take the new Subaru Impreza on a spin around the track and end up wishing they built it. It’s quite funny looking at serious guys in lab coats bobbing their heads to the music.

Mitsubishi Concept-CX

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The Mitsubishi Concept-cX is powered by a 1.8 liter turbodiesel that uses a variable geometry turbocharger and is compliant with Euro 5 emission standards. It is mated to Mitsubishi’s new Twin Clutch SST dual clutch automated transmission. It drives power to all four wheels using an electronically-controlled 4WD system.

The 4100mm long compact SUV uses a special environmentally-friendly plant-based resin interior that it calls Green Plastic.

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Ford Focus 2.0S First Impression Test Drive

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There are a few cars that one would look forward to getting into in order to experience something because it has a certain reputation surrounding it. You have the BMW 3-Series with the expectations of its fantastic 50:50 weight balance, or the Mercedes Benz S-Class because it is seen as the pinnacle of comfort at under a million ringgit. The Ford Focus is one of those cars that you approach with anticipation.

Chevrolet Aveo notchback

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The new Chevrolet Aveo 1.4 liter notchback sedan’s 1.4 liter DOHC E-TEC II engine puts out 94bhp at 6,200rpm and 130Nm of torque which peaks at a low enough 3,400rpm. This is mated to a 4-speed auto transmission that uses a gate shifter. The low engine speed at which peak torque is achieved is likely thanks to the usage of a Variable Geometry Intake System, which varies intake manifold dimensions to suit engine speeds. To help reduce NVH, the engine rests on three hydraulic suspension bushes to reduce engine vibrations. 0 to 100km/h acceleration takes 11.9 seconds, while top speed is rated at 170km/h.

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The lastest Ford Verve. It's a damn cool vehicle!

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