New Car Prices and Reviews

Presenting a bold vision of what the firm’s future flagship could look like, the concept takes inspiration from Lamborghini models past and present, including the Countach and Reventón.

According to the German magazine Autozeitung, BMW is planning an ‘extreme super sports car’ with hybrid drive and 600hp. The technical basis is ready, but the developers are waiting for the green light from management. The new supercar is expected to be revealed by the spring of 2013.

The new model, rumoured to be called the M8, will be based on the Vision EfficientDynamics concept unveiled at the IAA 2009. Compared to the concept, the upcoming car will be five inches longer, 1.24 meters high, 1.90 meters wide, and will feature a 2+2 configuration.

The hybrid combination consists of a V10 engine from the current M5 and two electric engines; one at the front and one at the back. The first electric motor will deliver 80-115hp and the back one will deliver more than 50hp.

An all-new aluminum chassis, carbon fiber bodywork, fine Kevlar bucket seats, and several magnesium and plastic parts will be developed to ensure that the M8 will weigh just under 1500 kilograms. A sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 3.8 seconds should be possible. Top speed shall exceed 300km/h.

V-10

McLaren Automotive, the world’s newest sports car company, recently announced that Ghassan Abdul Rahman Al Sulaiman Trading Est. - Al Ghassan Motors - will be the company’s local partner in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Al Ghassan Motors will begin selling McLaren Automotive’s first car, the MP4-12C, from spring 2011, with the Kingdom expected to be one of McLaren Automotive’s biggest markets in the region. Globally, initial interest in the much anticipated 12C has already exceeded the first year’s allocation.
Ian Gorsuch, McLaren Automotive’s regional director for the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific, said: “The Kingdom is one of our top markets, and the extremely positive feedback we have received so far from potential customers is evidence of the strength of the McLaren brand there.”
“At McLaren Automotive, we believe that by combining an excellent product with the highest standards of customer care we will be able to lay down the foundations for our enduring success. By joining forces with Al Ghassan Motors, whose reputation and experience in the Saudi market have proved highly attractive to us, we will ensure our customers receive the very best on both fronts.”

Only a month after it first went on sale in Europe and a week in the U.S., BMW's brand-new 5-Series sedan, codenamed F10, is sold out in all-markets with customers having to wait up three to four months for deliveries, according to company officials.

"The 5-Series is at the core of the BMW brand and we knew it was going to be a very strong vehicle for us," said Ian Robertson, BMW's sales boss, today in an interview at an industry conference in Bilbao, Spain. "In the U.S., where it's doing very well, it could come to between 15 percent and 17 percent of our business as we ramp up," Robertson added.

Analysts like Georg Stuerze from UniCredit in Munich suspect that the new 5-Series, which shares as much as 70 percent of its technology with the company's flagship model, the 7-Series, appeals more to consumers than its predecessor because of its less divisive styling language.

Stuerze also suggests that the new 5er is 'stealing' market share from Audi's A6 because it will be soon replaced by an all-new model.



Nevertheless, Bloomberg reported that all three premium automakers in Germany are recording significant sales growth this year with BMW announcing an 11 percent increase in deliveries in May. Mercedes claimed sales were up 17 percent with the help of the new E-Class (+84%) while Audi saw a 15 percent increase in deliveries.

Whilst the car was on display at one of the few public showings, Tarmac managed to get a drive in the prototype. Whilst the test car is based on the Tiida model, the running gear is very similar to that which will be seen in the production Leaf in a few years time.Having announced that they were to be building the Leaf EV at their Washington plant in the UK, Nissan have been taking the car around the UK on a whistle-stop tour of Europe.

First impressions of the concept car are good. It looks, too all intents and purposes, like a regular car. This of course is for good reason, as regular cars are what people actually want. With the best intentions in the world, electric quadricycles like Reva's G-Wiz will never become commonplace as they can't offer the space and pace that people accept from the cars they're used to.

To this end then, the Leaf is off to a good start. It's a five-door hatchback with space for five, a good boot, and an inoffensive shape that manages to retain a bit of character. The front is modern and equipped with large headlights similar to those on the Ford Fiesta, and the rear has a hint of the last-generation Renault Megane about it. Even the interior is much like a normal car, with normal controls and two hooded instrument clusters. Only the large digital display in the centre console really hints at the Leaf's high-tech drivetrain.

From this point, the package starts looking quite different from regular cars. The shape has been specially designed for aerodynamic efficiency - those lights split airflow over the mirrors to reduce drag, and thanks to LED technology consume less power, too. The large Nissan badge on the nose sits on a hinged flap that opens up to reveal two charging points, one for quick chargers that can provied up to 80% charge in half an hour, and the other for a more leisurely charge. Range is around 100 miles which doesn't sound like a lot, but most research seems to suggest that the majority of journeys in the UK are over fewer than eight miles, so even if you didn't put the car on charge every night most people would still have enough for ten journeys.

The test car didn't have regenerative braking but the production Leaf will do. As such, the brakes felt quite sharp, having probably been beefed up in the test car to make up for the lack of engine braking. Normally, simply backing off the power would see significant braking from the motor - to the point where using the car's brakes would be an uncommon occurence in town.



Of course, this is very much price-dependant. The number being thrown about at the moment is around £27,000 which is a lot for a small family car, but as with any technology the early adopters will bear the brunt of higher prices and this will bring down the unit cost for the manufacturers.


The Nissan Leaf is a good car even at this early stage, and a serious indication by Nissan that electric cars can walk the walk as well as talking the talk.

Car finishes are very delicate and require special care. Avoid washing your car at automated car washes as this is a sure way of damaging your cars paint work. The best method to clean a car is still doing it by hand. You will need two buckets filled with clean hot or cold water and a wash mitt.

Only use the best car wash products on the market. Do not use any household cleaners as it will damage your cars paint. Park your car in the shade, use a hosepipe to remove and soften the dirt on your cars paintwork. Open the tap just a little as you want a slow flow of water, don't use a strong jet of water because the high pressure will blast dirt particles into the clear cote that protects the base coat. Start with the roof and work your way down.

When you have hosed the car down, open the tap for a stronger jet of water and remove the dirt under the wheel arches, reduce the flow and hose the tires and rims. Follow the directions of the car wash liquid and mix the required quantity into one of the buckets with water. Place both buckets next to the car; dunk the wash mitt into the bucket with the car wash liquid and start washing the roof working your way down. Rinse the mitt frequently in the bucket with clean water. When you have finished washing the car, take the hosepipe and rinse the car to remove the soap suds from the cars paint. Most people don't dry the car, but for the best results dry the car preferably with a microfiber towel or a chamois leather. Use a separate towel or chamois leather for the mags. For the best protection of your cars paintwork polish your car at least once every three months. Always follow the instructions on the polish container. If your car has mags use a good brand of mag cleaner and polish to put the shine back on them. Clean the windows with window cleaner and use tire polish to polish your cars tires. Never use dirty water, cloths or abrasive polishes. When you are finished you can step back and admire your bright and shiny car, knowing that the paintwork on your car will stay in a superb condition for years to come.

Subaru fans would soon have their prayer for a sports coupe from the Japanese maker answered. Subaru plans to launch their own version of the Toyota FT-86 soon. But until this happens there is the other Subaru coupe from the Italian design firm Beestudio albeit in a conceptual study form.

Subaru Impreza Berlinetta the name given to this concept is aimed to be a high performance two-seater sports car. It uses the platform of the Impreza STI but has been turned around such that the turbocharged engine would now be fitted at the rear-end of the Berlinetta.

The body panels would be made of fiberglass, aluminium or carbon fiber which would help in reducing overall weight of the car. The chassis would be from steel tubes which would also contribute towards lessening body weight of the car.

Honda may have come up with the first fun hybrid car. The Insight, Prius, Camry, and Fusion are all very practical hybrids, and Lexus makes a few comfortable cruisers. But the 2011 Honda CR-Z made us want to drive fast. We wanted to find the most winding road around and torture the car through the corners.

Honda obliged during our preview drive, prescribing a twisty route north of San Francisco we've previously used to test the BMW M3, Porsche 911, and Audi R8. Those cars had it all over the CR-Z for power and speed, but the plucky little CR-Z showed its stuff in the turns. Honda also set out an autocross course so we could really thrash the CR-Z, a test that we haven't previously seen a hybrid put through.

The CR-Z certainly has its quirks. In other markets it is produced with 2+2 seating, but Honda removed the rear seats for the U.S., launching it as a two-seater. We assume Honda thinks Americans are too fat to use the tiny rear seats. We're not going to argue the point.

The CR-Z's hatchback design means it offers decent cargo space in back; removing the rear seats adds an oddly formed cargo area immediately behind the front seats, the two spaces divided by the former rear seat back rest.

Honda this week gave automotive journalists their first chance behind the wheel of the 2011 Honda CR-Z Hybrid. Honda’s goal with the all-new two-seater is to combine the fuel parsimony of a hybrid with the sportiness of the company’s classic CRX coupe—and to offer it as the most affordable hybrid on the market.

The fuel economy rating of the standard six-speed manual is 31/37 mpg, with the optional automatic (CVT) rated at 35/39 mpg.

"The CR-Z is as much about the driving experience as it is about our commitment to fuel efficiency and affordable hybrid technology," said John Mendel, executive vice president of sales at American Honda Motor Co. "We lit the fuse on hybrids," Mendel said.

Did they succeed? On affordability, the answer is yes. The MSRP of the CR-Z, which goes on sale on Aug. 24, is not official, but is expected at less than $20,000. That does make it the lowest priced hybrid on the market—and the only one available with a manual transmission.