Monday, August 31, 2015
Fiat Tipo 6 Four Passenger Demi Tonneau
During the brass era of automobiles, from about 1900 to 1915, pretty much every car was a luxury car. Before Ford’s 1908 Ford Model T put the nation on wheels starting in 1907, automobiles were primarily seen as playthings for wealthy folks. Even Fiat, who’s known these days for more pedestrian economy cars and family vehicles, started out as a luxury manufacturer.
Fiat is one of the pioneers of the automotive age. The company built its first car in 1889. In addition to its forays into racing, Fiat was known for its luxury cars, and was one of the top importers of chassis into the U.S. Like most high-end cars of the time, early Fiats were sold as bare chassis and had coachbuilt bodies installed to the owners’ specifications. The bodies alone could cost as much as $4,000 in some cases. The first car to blend Fiat’s racing and luxury disciplines was the 60 HP, built from 1903 to 1907. The model range featured a pressed steel chassis and a massive 60 horsepower four-cylinder engine. The 50-60 evolved into the Tipo 6, like this example recently shown and sold at Pebble Beach. Popular with affluent American customers, the Tipo 6 was one of the most luxurious cars of its time.
Fiat was one of the best-known European manufacturers during the brass era. The company produced a range of vehicles, but it was the staggeringly expensive big-bore models that captured the attention of the public, and they were owned by royalty and dignitaries. The cars were low-production vehicles, with less than 100 built in most cases, and very few of them have survived the ensuing century.
Continue reading for my full review of this special Fiat.
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Mercedes-AMG C63 DTM
It’s been less than two weeks since Mercedes-Benz unveiled the new 2016 Mercedes-AMG C63 Coupe, and Stuttgart has already announced that a new DTM car based on the new two-door is underway. The race car will be ready just in time for the 2016 Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters season as a competitor for the updated 2014 BMW M4 DTM and 2014 Audi RS5 DTM.
The new Mercedes-AMG C63 DTM is set to replace the current 2012 Mercedes-Benz C-Coupe DTM, which the Germans have been using since 2012, when regulations changed to allow coupes instead of sedans.
"The new Mercedes-AMG C63 Coupe will again set new standards for driving dynamics and design. So, the vehicle provides the ideal basis for our DTM car,” said head of Mercedes-AMG DTM, Ulrich Fritz. "I’m already looking forward to seeing the new Mercedes-AMG C63 DTM compete in 2016. Our aim with this vehicle is, of course, to continue the Mercedes-Benz success story in the DTM."
There’s no word as to when the new race car will be unveiled, but we should see it in the metal by the end of 2015 and in action in early 2016, before the next DTM season commences in May. For now, Mercedes-Benz has only released a handful of sketches of the car. Find out more below.
Continue reading to learn more about the 2016 Mercedes-AMG C63 DTM.
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Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8A Cabriolet
Best in Show at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance this year was awarded to a 1924 Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8A owned by the Patterson Collection of Louisville, KY. The exotic-sounding Italian name should make it clear that this is a serious chunk of automobile, but not everyone knows just how serious. Though the name hasn’t matched the staying power of its peers, Isotta Fraschini was, back in the Roaring Twenties, the car one chose when a Duesenberg wasn’t ostentatious or extreme enough. Yeah, this car is that serious.
Back when the Duesenberg Model J was a high-level automotive object of lust that cost about four times the price of the average house, an Isotta Fraschini went for even more than that. These coachbuilt vehicles were the automotive equivalent of haute couture, sold as bare chassis and powertrains. The wealthy, high-profile buyers — among them, Clara Bow, Rudolph Valentino, William Randolph Hearst and Benito Mussolini — were free to select a coachbuilder to provide any body style that was desired. Even Rolls-Royce (who was also one of Isotta Fraschini’s competitors at the time) doesn’t get that bespoke anymore.
The Tipo 8A was introduced in 1924 as the successor to the Tipo 8. The chief difference was a much larger and more powerful engine. The car was a success among the glitterati, inspiring imitators and envy alike during the late Twenties and early Thirties.
Continue reading for my full review of this very special Italian luxury classic.
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Volkswagen Golf Cabriolet
As one of the biggest automakers in the world, Volkswagen’s got a lot on its plate, so much so that I can understand if some of its models don’t get nearly the same amount of attention as the others. But what’s happening with the Volkswagen Golf Cabriolet is a real head-scratcher even by VW’s standards.
Volkswagen released the seventh-generation 2013 Volkswagen Golf Mk. VII in 2012. Since that time, the model has given birth to a handful of variants, including the 2015 Volkswagen Golf Sportwagen, the 2017 Volkswagon Golf Alltrack, and the 2015 Volkswagen e-Golf, to name a few. Conspicuous by its absence in that list is the Golf Cabriolet, which has yet to receive a seventh-generation makeover. Well, Volkswagen has just announced the first details of the 2016 Golf Cabriolet and the key takeaway is…it’s still based on the sixth-generation 2009 Volkswagen Golf.
Yep, Volkswagen’s soldiering on with the Mk6 Golf Cabriolet in a dumbfounding attempt at trying to convince the market that there’s still some appeal left in a version of the Golf that has been replaced three years ago. I mean, really, Volkswagen?
The obvious reaction here is “why?” but if you look past the notable changes on the car and read between the lines of the announcements and press releases, it does appear that the company’s just releasing the Golf Cabriolet just for the sake of releasing it, as if there’s an absence of conviction in trying to make the model a viable competitor in a market that’s already teeming with new offerings from rival brands.
Volkswagen did give the new-old Volkswagen Golf Cabriolet some new exterior and interior digs. At least those things are worth something, right?
But overall, the 2016 Golf Cabriolet still has the look of a car that was built half-heartedly by a company that now doesn’t appear to be interested in building a seventh-generation-based Golf Cabriolet. Hopefully, that’s not the case, but with a move like this, it might very well be.
The 2016 Volkswagen Golf Cabriolet will make its debut at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show.
Continue reading for my full review of the face-lifted Golf Cabriolet.
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BMW M2
The 2012 BMW 1 Series M was an amazingly fun and agile car, but its limited two-year run from 2010 to 2012 results in the 1 Series M being more of a unicorn than a track-slaying monster. Fortunately, the 2017 BMW M2 is on the way, and it should deliver a similar combination of high power and light weight as its predecessor, while being produced in larger numbers for more track enthusiasts to enjoy.
BMW has yet to confirm when the BMW M2 will be going into production, but the spy shots from last year do suggest the littlest M offering could be ready sooner rather than later. As is the case with most BMW products, it will most likely debut later this year before going on sale in Europe in early 2016 for the 2016 model year and eventually arriving in the U.S. as a 2017 model.
Updated 08/31/2015: The guys over cvdzijden caught the upcoming BMW M2 during its final testing sessions at Nurburgring.
Click past the jump to read more about the 2017 BMW M2.
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Tatra T87
History has been cruel to any number of cars, and even carmakers, but the story of Tatra and the T87 might bring a tear to the eyes of some enthusiasts. Tatra was a Czechoslovak company from the days when that was a thing. It is mostly famous for making the V570, the car Ferdinand Porsche is said to have ripped off for the design of the Volkswagen Beetle. A lawsuit from Tatra over the design was only stopped by the Nazi invasion of Czechoslovakia. But it was the T87 that was Tatra’s real masterpiece. Far from being a “people’s car,” the T87 was a marvel of design and technology at the time.
WWII was obviously hugely disruptive to a lot more than just the automotive industry, but it was ultimately also the reason why so few T87s were ever made. The car has never really managed to break out of the near-obscurity it was born into in 1936. It was produced after the war, all the way up until 1950, but it never really took off in terms of sales. But one showed up at Pebble Beach this year, and that’s always a good enough reason to sing its praises once again.
Continue reading for my full review of the Tatra T87.
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Smart Fortwo Cabriolet
Smart took the automotive world by surprise when it unveiled the ForTwo Cabrio at the 1999 Frankfurt Motor Show. A year later, the Germans launched the smallest production cabriolet, taking the micro car industry into a new era. It’s been 15 years since then and Smart has revealed the third-generation ForTwo Cabrio, which is set to break cover officially at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show in September.
Based on the third-gen 2015 Smart ForTwo we already saw in 2014, the ForTwo Cabrio has been redesigned from the ground up. The styling is all-new inside and out, the chassis has been rebuilt for greater comfort, while the drivetrains are both more powerful and fuel-efficient.
"Our new smart cabrio really exudes joie de vivre in the city – which is what our brand stands for", said Dr. Annette Winkler, head of the Smart brand. "I am sure that we will delight our present 220,000 cabrio customers and win lots of new fans with this successful lifestyle icon."
The micro convertible will arrive on U.S. soil in the first half of 2016, a few months after it goes on sale in Europe. By the time it hits showrooms on this side of the Atlantic, it will join the ForTwo coupe, set to reach U.S. soil at the end of September 2015, and the 2015 Smart Fortwo Brabus Tailor Made program the brand announced earlier this year.
Continue reading to learn more about Smart ForTwo Cabrio.
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Suzuki Baleno
Suzuki introduced two new concept cars at the 2015 Geneva Auto Show: the 2015 Suzuki iM-4, which previewed a mini SUV, and the 2015 Suzuki iK-2, which provided a sneak peek of a new subcompact hatchback (supermini) for the European market. With the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show only a month away, the carmaker announced that the production version of the iK-2 concept is set to make its global debut in Germany using the Baleno name.
Details are slim as of this writing and Suzuki provided just one photo of the hatchback, but the Japanese did say the Baleno "harmoniously combines stylish design, spacious interior, and new technologies." (Same old, same old, so far.) The teaser also suggests the Baleno borrows heavily from the concept car, but also uses several styling features seen on the Swift.
As for the Baleno moniker, it’s not exactly new. Suzuki is actually reviving a name it used for a compact car it produced between 1995 and 2007. Sold with this name in Asia, Australia, and Europe, the Baleno was launched as the Cultus Crescent (later renamed Cultus) in Japan and marketed as the Esteem in North America. The original Baleno was offered as a three-door hatchback, four-door sedan and station wagon. In some markets, it was sold with Maruti and Chevrolet badges.
The full details will be revealed on September 15th in Frankfurt. Until then, let’s have a look at what we already know about the new Baleno.
Updated 08/31/2015: Suzuki dropped two new official images for the upcoming Baleno concept car which will be unveiled next month in Frankfurt.
Continue reading to learn more about the Suzuki Baleno.
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Hyundai N 2025 Vision Gran Turismo
The Vision Gran Turismo project has provided quite the list of poster-worthy concept vehicles from some of the biggest automakers in the world. The 2015 Volkswagen GTi Supersport looked positively gnarly. The 2015 SRT Tomahawk was sheer and utter madness. And don’t even get me started on the 2015 Chevrolet Chaparral 2X. To this day, I still can’t wrap my head around that thing. Today, though, isn’t the day to reminisce on what’s already been launched. Today is the day all of us welcome another virtual concept to the Vision Gran Turismo roster. It comes by way of Hyundai, and it’s called the N 2025.
There aren’t that many details about the N 2025 out yet. The N 2025 will make its debut on Sept. 15th at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show.
The company did drop some teaser photos of the concept before the covers are officially pulled. Best remember, though, as exciting as it is to see the N 2025 in all its glory, don’t expect to see it as a production race car. Not today, not tomorrow, and certainly not in 2025.
The "N" in the concept’s name is only a mere mention of the company’s upcoming "N" performance division. Sure, the concept might include some designs and technologies that Hyundai could implement in the future, but like all the VGT concepts, the N 2025 is meant more for the virtual world than the real one.
Continue reading for my full review of the N 2025 Vision Gran Turismo Concept.
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Lamborghini Veneno Roadster Spotted In The Wild: Video
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Dixon Edges Out Montoya To Take Fourth IndyCar Championship
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AmericanMuscle Mustang Celebration Goes Off With A Bang
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Jeremy Clarkson To Earn Top Bucks For Amazon-Produced Top Gear
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Police & Autonomous Vehicles: How Will That Work, Exactly?
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Future Ford GT Owners, Your Ordering Process Draws Near
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Twin-Turbo Gallardo Hits 234.86 MPH Over Half Mile, Sets New Record: Video
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NHTSA Says 2015 Is Shaping Up To Be A Deadly Year For Drivers
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2016 Shelby GT350 Driven, 2017 Mercedes-AMG GLS63 Spied, 2017 Volvo S90 Leaked: Car News Headlines
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Mainstream Autonomous Cars, 2016 Smart ForTwo, 2016 Shelby GT350: What’s New @ The Car Connection
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Petrol and Diesel prices to drop from midnight
In light of the recent reduction in prices of crude oil, petrol and diesel prices will be slashed effective midnight. A litre of petrol will now cost Rs 2 less than before, while cost of diesel will be reduced by 50p. Earlier this month too petrol as well as diesel prices were slashed. In fact, this is the fifth reduction in fuel prices since July 2015. To keep the price of petrol in sync with the international rates, Oil marketing companies review the international rates every fortnight. And thankfully for the end user, prices of crude oil have been falling in the recent past.
Petrol price in Delhi will not stand at Rs 61.20 per litre as opposed to Rs 63.20, while cost of diesel is now Rs 44.45 per litre against Rs 44.95 earlier.
A statement on the Indian Oil Corporation Limited website read, "Since last price change, there has been a decrease in international prices of both Petrol andamp; Diesel. However, INR-USD exchange rate has depreciated during this period. The impact of both these factors warrants a downward revision in prices, the impact of which is being passed on to the consumers with this price decrease."
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Suzuki iM-4 maybe called Ignis
With the kind of congested roads we have, a sub-compact car is the preferred choice for a lot of car buyers. Earlier this year at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show, Suzuki showcased the iM-4 small SUV. While it has been off the radar since then, recent reports suggest that when the car hits the production line, it could be called the Ignis. For those not familiar with the Ignis name, Suzuki sold it in the international market from 2000-2008. A rendering of the production-spec model was posted on a Suzuki Instagram fan page and it looks pretty similar to the iM-4 concept.
The production version of the iM-4 concept will sport a 1.0-litre 3-cylinder Boosterjet engine that is expected to make its debut in the Suzuki Baleno hatchback. The Euro-spec Swift's 1.2-litre Dualjet engine might also be on offer along with the Fiat sourced 1.3-litre diesel unit.
As far as India is concerned, it is unclear whether Maruti Suzuki will bring the Ignis to India. The Manesar-based car maker has already been working on a compact SUV for the Indian market codenamed YBA. Spy shots of the YBA have already been making their rounds on the internet and it is evident that it draws a lot of influence from the XA Alpha Concept showcased at the 2012 Auto Expo.
Rendering Source:
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Apollo Tyres expands Manchester United partnership to 129 countries
Taking its association with Manchester United Football Club a step ahead, Apollo Tyres has announced the extension of its partnership to the whole of Africa, Malaysia, Vietnam, Philippines, Singapore, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Brunei. This is in addition to the existing association spanning 67 countries in Asia, Europe and few countries of Africa.
Commenting on this association, Marco Paracciani, Chief Marketing Officer, Apollo Tyres Ltd, said, "The last two years of our association with Manchester United Football Club has helped increase the awareness for the 'Apollo' brand across select markets. This expansion will help us in our brand building journey in the African and South East Asia regions and support our growth initiatives in various countries in the regions."
This association between the two organisations has resulted in the introduction of Apollo and Manchester United branded tyres in India, Thailand and the UK. Last year, a 'Go The Distance' football pitch, made using recycled rubber, was also inaugurated at Old Trafford in the UK. Similarly, the two organisations also came together to nurture young football talent from India.
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Maruti Suzuki Upcoming Hatchback Baleno Spotted Testing in India
It is no secret that Maruti Suzuki is developing a new premium hatchback which has been codenamed YRS. Recently Suzuki announced that the new premium hatchback will be christened Baleno in the international market and the car will be officially unveiled at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show in September. Pictures of the pre-production prototype undergoing testing have surfaced on internet.
The new Maruti Baleno will be a premium Hatchback positioned above the Swift, and just like the Maruti S-Cross will be marketed through Maruti's upmarket Nexa showrooms across India. The task on hand of the new Maruti Baleno is cut-out as it will rival the likes of the Hyundai Elite i20, Honda Jazz and the Volkswagen Polo. Talking about styling, the Maruti Baleno hatchback will have a Y-shaped grill and sweptback headlamps reminiscent of the Swift. The swooping roofline and the raked C-pillar give it a European look and feel. It is likely that Maruti Suzuki will load the new Baleno hatchback to the brim with features.
Expect the new premium hatchback from Maruti to get goodies like start/stop button, touch screen infotainment system, Bluetooth, climate control and the works alongwith cruise control to set it apart from its rivals. The new Maruti Baleno hatchback will get both petrol and diesel engine options. Expect the diesel engine to be the tried and tested 1.3-litre DDiS unit producing 90 PS of power. The petrol variant might get two engine options one of which would be the 1.2-litre displacement powerplant while it will be unveiling a new 1.0-litre dual-jet Booster jet engine. According to Suzuki the new 1.0-litre turbocharged motor is an all-new unit and all the details regarding the new mill will be unveiled at the e 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show on September 15th.
Pic Courtesy: Carwale.com
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Hyundai introduces AVN system on the Elite i20 and i20 Active
The Hyundai Elite i20 is the highest selling hatchback in its segment with an array of features to its list. We had mentioned earlier that Hyundai was set to introduce a touchscreen infotainment system on the Elite i20 and the i20 Active to keep up with the competition, and here comes the official announcement of the same. ().
According to Hyundai, the new AVN system provides 'Technology with Human Touch'. The company through its media release stated the newly introduced AVN system features a large 7-inch touch screen display with pre-loaded maps, satellite-based voice guided navigation, rear camera display and complete in-car entertainment and connectivity features.
The AVN system gets equipped with an integrated hands-free Bluetooth connectivity that lets the user sync their phones with it and implement functions on screen including dialling, answering, accessing phonebook and syncing their favourite songs.
The navigation system also receives a suggestive keyboard that helps users search locations thus helping them to reach their destination conveniently.
The AVN is currently available on the Hyundai Elite i20 Asta (O) which comes with a price tag of Rs 7,16,547 for the petrol variant and Rs 8,28,496 for the diesel variant. The Hyundai i20 Active SX which comes priced at Rs 7,92,045 for the petrol variant and at Rs 9,16,685 for the diesel variant (all prices Ex-Showroom Delhi) also receives this new AVN system.
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Nissan Leaf Vs. Ford Focus Electric: Compare Cars
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Don’t Bet On The S660 Arriving Stateside, Says Honda’s Local Chief
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Volkswagen Ordered To Sell 19.9 Percent Stake In Suzuki
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2016 Ford GT Race Car Tests At Sebring, Sounds Nasty: Video
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Top 5 SUVs of 2015
Gas prices won’t always be so low, but while they are, automakers are taking full advantage of the revived popularity of SUVs and crossovers. As such, every mainstream automaker now offers at least one type of SUV or crossover, and even high-end brands like Bentley, Rolls-Royce and Lamborghini are getting in on the action. On top of that, the overall quality of these vehicles has improved immensely since their initial popularity took hold in the 1990s.
As if defining the “best” SUVs and crossovers wasn’t already hard enough, the vast diversity, improved quality and sheer volume of vehicles on the market these days makes it almost impossible to narrow down the list to just five, but here goes. On a purely subjective level, I’ve chosen my Top 5 SUVs and crossovers that are currently on sale, but be sure to sound off in the comments which vehicles you think I missed.
Continue reading for the full story.
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Carmakers Spend Billions on Technologies That Some Buyers Disregard
Carmakers love to brag about the technology that they can cram into cars, and any press release announcing a new or updated model will be accompanied by a long list of the advanced features it offers. This is especially true when it comes to infotainment technology, and this makes sense since this is the technology that the customer is likely to have the direct contact with. But a new survey from J.D. Power suggests that much of that may be a waste of time, as customers aren’t using the features very much.
The survey tracked the use of 33 different technological features being sold on new cars and found that at least 20 percent of customers weren’t using 16 of them at all. Among the least used features were in-vehicle concierge (43% never used); mobile routers (38%); automatic parking systems (35%); head-up displays (33%); and built-in apps (whatever that means) (32%). In essentially every case of a technology not being used, the reason given was that the owners did not find it useful, and only had it because it was bundled with other features. The survey was for those in the first 90 days of ownership, as after that, it’s generally found that features owners haven’t used yet won’t ever be used.
Continue reading for the full story.
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