Infiniti G37 Rally ‘Safety’ Car

Infiniti G37 or Work Car Zero is in fact a safety car. This car is a clear indication of Infiniti’s preparation for the 2011 Spain Rally Championship Season. Infiniti is not only pacing the rally cars for the season but also accountable for providing safety cars for GT Championship of Spain.

It is basically a G37 Coupe with six-speed manual gearbox that is equipped with an aluminum sic-cylinder engine capable of generating 320 HP and torque of 360Nm. The engine is mated to a standard limited slip differential.

If we look at the car closely, we come to know that it is almost with standard specifications with a minor tweaks such as installation of roll bar by VIMESA, Bilstein dampers, outdoor light and siren, brake pads, brake liquid by GALFER, SPARCO racing seats and seatbelts, a fire-extinguishing system, communication equipment, GPS, and Michelin high performance Pilot SuperSport tires.

The car is prepared for the World TT Champion, Marc Blazquez who drives for Nissan along with Salvador Belzunces who serve as a co-pilot with the Blazquenz.

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Alfa Romeo Comeback to US Market Delays

Alfa Romeo yet again fails to make its comeback in the US market on time and resources said that the vehicle will now make its comeback in 2013 instead of 2012. This has been confirmed by the Fiat-Chrysler CEO, Sergio Marchionne who said that the company needs another year to get things right for the Alfa Romeo comeback.

It seems that Marchionne is not pleased with the design of the vehicles they are planning to offer in the US market. It is for this reason he has directed the team at Turin to make necessary alteration before they offer their mid-sized sedan cum wagon, Alfa Romeo in the market.

Why Marchionne doesn’t seem happy is quite justifiable as most of the designs in Alfa Romeo lineup are based on the European market tastes and Americans certainly have different tastes than Europeans.

The debut time for Alfa Romeo for US markets is set for 2013 by the company, however, production site is not yet revealed by the company.

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Subaru XV Concept Teaser Revealed

Subaru has unveiled the first teaser images of their next XV Concept which is marked as the company’s new Crossover. This XV Concept from Subaru will make its world debut at the 2011 Shanghai Auto Show.

According to Subaru, the XV Concept integrates the practicality with comfy and stylish design. This is imply awesome as we have the examples of Forester and Legacy Outback where we can see the brilliance of Subaru in the making of superb, remarkable and working 4×4 crossover. This teaser image of XV Concept also reveals the class of Subaru technicalities and functionalities.

Like any of the other Subaru model, this XV concept also features a Symmetrical AWD system, legendary reliability, comfort and loads of purposeful experiences. Along with XV Concept version, Subaru will also bring its Outback model’s cut body and Boxer engines, Chinese rally car and Symmetrical AWD and horizontally Opposed Boxer Engine technologies.

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Steering Wheel Issue Ended Up in Recalling of Chevrolet Cruze

There are recent reports that in United States, 2,500 units of Chevrolet Cruze 2100 are going to be recalled by the General Motors and the numbers are 400 for Canada. According to the company, the units are recalled because of an improperly fastened steering wheel.

However, the General Motors didn’t explain its point on what they exactly mean by improperly fastened steering wheel. There can be a number of different possibilities that one can assume like improperly fastened steering wheel means it suddenly falls off, or it may loose control of the vehicle etc. General Motors should have explained this point clearly.

The General Motors’ stance on this matter is that there are no reports of any serious damage or injuries caused due to this defect, and we are sure enough that this problem is restricted to some limited number of cars. But we still believe that for such a reputable vehicle this is a kind of major defect that can have a serious affect on its sales.

Obviously, the Cruze is among the vehicles which have been credited as best-selling GM vehicles in 2010. The reputation of vehicles from GM is still cruising high.

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Mopar Challenger V-10 Drag Pak Sets Records

Recently, in the NHRA Division 1 National Open event in Atco, NJ, Mopar Challenger Drag Pak, the alone factory built, V-10 powered race-ready dragster has set new speed and time record.

The car was driven by Dave Thomas who hardly owned the car for two weeks broke both elapsed time and speed records in the AA/SA class in a test session where the car covered 7.43 seconds of elapsed time at 143.90 mph.

The first run we made in the car was last Sunday,” said Thomas, who backed up his record with a 9.46 ET run. “We only had eight passes in the car prior to our first run down the track yesterday, which was the record-setter. I know I could have gone quicker. On the second run, the car left good but I let off at the end of the pass.

It is important to mention here that the 2011 Mopar Challenger V-10 Drag Pak is the only 500-plus cubic-inch V-10 drag race package car that was revealed at the Dodge Viper Owners Invitational in October, 2010. The design and idea of this vehicle is purely based on the 2011 Dodge Challenger. It is manufactured in a Stock Eliminator and Super Stock configuration and some of the characteristics features include competition wheels and tires, a Mopar solid rear axle with performance gear ratio, a complete interior with gauge package, a complete competition fuel system with fuel cell, and a 2-speed drag race transmission with integrated roll control.

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Audi Reveals A3 e-tron

It seems that Audi is keen to produce e-tron version of the whole lineup. The e-tron version we are going to discuss here is based on one Audi’s A3 Sportback.

This e-tron version is powered by an electric motor capable of generating 100kW (136 HP) and 270 Nm of torque. The electric motor sends all this power to front wheels. The A3 e-tron is based on a single gear transmission and is therefore doesn’t contain any gearbox. In A3 e-tron version the battery pack is positioned under the boot so it won’t have any apparent effect on the standard version.

The e-tron sprints from 0 to 100km/h in 11.2 seconds with a top speed of 145 mph. the average range of e-tron is 140 km. keeping in view the class and size of the car in mind, these figures are certainly more than enough.

Similar to many other electric cars, the only disadvantage associated with it is its extended recharge time. Almost nine hours are required to recharge the battery with a 230V household outlet, even on 400V it requires four hours, one too many.

Except for some graphics and instrument cluster, the car looks pretty much like the standard version.

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BMW Z4 GT3 – Revised and Re-tuned

2010 was not a good year for the GT3 racing version of BMW Z4 and to make up for that this car has undergone some tweaks for the new season. In the anticipation of the new season, the car is revised and re-tuned to improve the performance and efficiency.

The revised GT3 BMW Z4 features an extended bonnet, long wheel base, narrow wheel arches and also the compartment of drive is towards the rear side. The car is powered by 4.4-L eight-cylinder engine rather than the production version that contain six-cylinder engine. In order to improve the performance and efficiency of the vehicle, the engineers at BMW Motorsport re-tuned the aerodynamics of the car as well.

For the weight reduction, carbon fiber is used in front and rear wings, roof, bonnet, fenders and several other components. The revised edition does have a rigid, precision steel tubing safety cell.

The revised edition leaves the option open for the drivers to make necessary modifications and customization when needed. The modern ECU 408 is introduced for the improved engine management along with Power400 electronic control unit mated to a six-speed sequential gearbox with paddle shifters.

The price set for this revised edition BMW Z4 is Euro 315,000.

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Edo’s Mercedes SLR 722 Black Arrow

You are right the car given in the image below is Mercedes McLaren SLR then you must be surprised about its look. These looks are given to it by Edo Competition who certainly had a tough time bringing this car before us.

We know that this SLR is no more in the production lineup of Mercedes as the people always want some change and rightly so. Edo Competition given its car the name 722 Black Arrow where 722 represent the power of the vehicle that it is capable of generating 722 HP. The major change that Edo brought into it is they have turned it from Silver Arrow to Black Arrow. You might be confused yet!

Honestly speaking, there is everything remarkable about the car except for its name. On its exterior, it has a smooth black finish with a red-colored 722 written on its doors and bonnet. It also features 21-inch black rims. In the interior, Edo introduces bucket seats with leather/alcantara skins, alcantara steering wheel along with shift pedals, custom made carbon fiber pieces for the dashboard, center console and door panels as well.

Some of the additions that are made by Edo include custom sound system featuring navigation phone, TV and iPod integration and also a reversing camera.

Under the hood, Edo has made some modifications that resulted in remarkable 722 HP at 7100 rpm and torque of 890 Nm. Some of the major modifications are improved intake system, new exhaust headers, high flow catalytic converters, air filters and also modified drive ratio and ECU. The car sprints from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.4 seconds and has a maximum speed of 345 km/h or 214 mph.

Don’t expect low price for this vehicle, though we are not sure of the price but it will be on higher side for sure.

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Suzuki Swift X-ITE with All New Sporty Looks

Suzuki is known for manufacturing remarkable little cars and Suzuki Swift is one such car which is known to be the most liked car all across the world. Its new model X-ITE is even better than its previous models.

At this time, this vehicle is offered for sale only in Germany with much sportier and aggressive body kit that includes improved front and rear bumpers, new side skirts, some graphics, a roof spoiler and lettering on both the sides. Suzuki Swift X-ITE also features 17-inch alloy wheels with dark finish that perfectly fit in with the sporty theme of the vehicle.

Interior also receives some sporty theme in the form of aluminum accents, aluminum pedals, aluminum knobs, stainless steel door sills, and embroidered floor mats. No tweaks are made under the hood but still it appears to be classy car.

For those who prefer aesthetic over performance this would be an ideal choice.

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Volvo C30 Black Design For Italy

Britain is known for admiring almost all the special editions of the hatchbacks; however, Volvo announced the same for Italy this time.

It is important to note here that hatchbacks are very popular in Italy and all the major manufacturers are already making hatchbacks that suit the market demands in Italy. So, it is test for Volvo here to bring something that is essentially good for the customers in Italy. Perhaps, C30 black design from Volvo is the best option to bring here.

Volvo limited the production of C30 Black Design to 600 units. This vehicle is available in two-tone color. The black bits found on the surface are more like carbon-look film and are prominent on roof, pillars, side mirrors, and around the grille. The vehicle is supported on 17-inch matt-black alloy wheels.

There are three exterior colors for C30 Black Design including orange, grey and white. It will be offered in three types of engines as well where two are diesel engines, 113 and 148 HP and one petrol engine capable of generating 143 HP. The company has not yet disclosed the price of this vehicle.

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