AUTHENTIC CARS

Set to debut in just a few weeks at the  2012 Geneva Motor Show  is Bugatti’s latest model, the Veyron Super Sport Vitesse. The stunning supercar is the result of combining the record-breaking  Veyron Super Sport  with the more lifestyle-oriented  Veyron Grand Sport . And contrary to  previous reports , the ultimate open-top Bugatti brings with it the full 1,200 horsepower and 1,106 pound-feet of torque of the Veyron Super Sport’s quad-turbocharged 8.0-liter W-16 engine, though we don't expect it to match its 268-mph world record speed. The increased power is made possible by the four enlarged turbochargers and intercoolers. The chassis has also been modified to support the power increase. Speaking at the unveiling of the new Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse, Bugatti CEO Wolfgang Dürheimer said, “The rapid success of the Super Sport convinced us to increase the performance of the Bugatti roadster. Once again our engineers worked hard to demonstrate that...

As the Geneva Motor Show approaches the new cars keep on coming, and this is the new Audi RS5 - a quicker, softly resculpted version of the 2010 RS5. The 0-100kph dash has been whittled down to 4.5 seconds (preciously 4.6 seconds), fuel economy improved from 11kpl to 11.5kpl, and CO2 emissions have been pared down from 252g/km 246g/km. Outside, you get a marginally different grille, rerouted LED lights and an almost-indistinguishable new bumper. Inside, there's a bit more kit offered as standard - DVD navigation, Bluetooth, cruise control and an iPod connection. It keeps the Lambo-derived 444bhp 4.2-litre V8, seven-speed S tronic ‘box and quattro four-wheel drive system as standard. And, indeed, the heavyweight price tag - you'll need Rs 45.54 lakh to get your hands on one. It goes on sale in April. ....

Ferrari will showcase an updated version of its California droptop at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show. The revised California is now lighter and more powerful. The engine- a 4.3-litre V8 now churns out 483bhp, up by 30bhp thanks to new exhaust manifolds and engine mapping.  Ferrari has built a lighter, more powerful version of the California, and will show off the revised grand tourer at next month’s Geneva motor show. The torque curve has also been modified and is higher across the engine’s rev range, with maximum torque of 51.43kgm at 5000rpm. The updated car is lighter too as a result of new aluminium fabrication techniques and construction technologies being used in the manufacturing process of the chassis. According to Ferrari, the Califronia’s structural rigidity, is not affected by the weight reduction. The car’s 0-100kph time is now 3.8sec, about one-tenth of a second faster than the previous version. Ferrari has also produced an optional ‘Handling Speciale’ package o...

Porsche has revealed the name of new baby-SUV. It will be called “Macan”. It was earlier referred by a working name “Cajun”. The German carmaker has also released a teaser image of the new Macan. According to Porsche, the name Macan is derived from the Indonesian word for tiger and combines suppleness, power, fascination and dynamics which will be the core characteristics of this new SUV.  The Macan is part of Porsche’s new-model strategy known internally as “Strategy 2018”. The Macan SUV will be manufactured in Porsche’s Saxony production-line in Leipzig, Germany in 2013. This plant is being expanded into a fully-fledged production unit including body assembly line and paint shop with an investment of 500 million Euros. This makes it one of the biggest building projects in Porsche’s corporate history. With this expansion, there will be an addition of 1,000 new jobs as well. The Macan will be the 5 th  model in Porsche line-up and will be based on Audi Q5 which is manufactu...

Volvo has added an entry-level diesel variant for its S60 and S80 saloons and XC60 SUV line-up. This new variant, called the D3, comes with a 2.0-litre diesel engine that churns out 163bhp. All entry-level D3 variants get standard leather interiors. In addition to the recently added D3 variant, the XC60 also comes with a 205bhp, 2.4-litre engine which is sold as the D5. For the S60 saloon, the new engine adds to the earlier line-up that includes a 205bhp, 2.4-litre diesel engine in D5 trim and a 306bhp, 3.0-litre petrol motor, the T6. The Swedish carmaker’s flagship S80 saloon now comes only with two diesel engine options – the D5 that has the same 2.4-litre motor churning out 205bhp, and the D3. The S60 D3 is priced at Rs 23.2 lakh, the XC60 D3 at Rs 33.2 lakh and the S80 D3 at Rs 31.2 lakh. Volvo says all prices are introductory and will go up by Rs 70,000 on all D3 variants from March this year.

BMW has achieved supercar levels of performance with its new 552bhp M6 coupé and convertible. The two are BMW’s fastest ever two-door road cars, with a top speed of nearly 305kph. They’re powered by a twin-turbocharged 4.4-litre V8. The new M6 coupe will debut at next-month’s Geneva motor show and the cabriolet will be revealed at the New York motor show in April this year.  The latest M6 coupé and convertible are closely related to the recently introduced M5 saloon, sharing its potent twin-turbocharged 4.4-litre V8 petrol engine and seven-speed, dual-clutch gearbox. With 552bhp and 69.4kgm of torque, the engine develops 52bhp and 16.8kgm of torque more than the naturally aspirated 5.0-litre V10 of the previous-generation M6. It has sufficient reserves, says BMW, to compensate for the increase in kerb weight to 1850kg (the previous M6 coupé weighed 1710kg) and to propel the fixed-head car from a standstill to 100kph in 4.2sec and to 200kph in 12.6sec Drive is channelled to...

Aston Martin has finished refining the styling of its V12 Zagato, the ‘baby One-77’ that will become a new hand-built flagship for its compact Vantage range when it goes on sale later this year. The car was shown in concept form at the Villa d’Este last May and the Frankfurt show last September, and it raced as a prototype in June at the Nürburgring 24-hour race. It will make its debut in showroom-ready trim at the Kuwait Concours d’Elegance next week. Production - strictly limited to 150 units - is due to begin in September. The V12 Zagato marks the 50-year relationship between Aston Martin and Zagato (the pioneering DB4 GT first appeared in 1961 and was sold during 1962). It is the first Zagato-badged car ever to have been designed entirely in the UK. The V12 project was agreed between Aston Martin boss Ulrich Bez and the Italian company’s head, Andrea Zagato, in early 2010, and they set their designers a direct competition to come up with a production theme. The British design w...

Mitsubishi has revealed its all-new Mitsubishi Outlander ahead of its world debut at next month’s Geneva motor show. The new Outlander line-up will include a plug-in hybrid model for some markets. The new Outlander was most recently previewed at the Tokyo motor show as the PX-MiEV II concept car. The production Outlander sports very little changes over the concept, featuring a slightly softened front end with circular fog lights, a revised front grille and a different lower front bumper. The concept car’s sleek wing mirrors have also been replaced with more conventional units. No rear image has been revealed in an overall design that Mitsubishi calls “solid, simple, safe”. Mitsubishi claims the interior, which has also yet to have been pictured, sports a similar design to the current car. The seven-seat interior features plenty of padded surfaces and a soft-touch finish, a new dashboard for “better driver concentration”, a new multi-function steering wheel and a clearer instrument p...

Nissan has unveiled the Nissan Invitation, a B-segment concept for the Geneva motor show that combines the cuteness, compactness and agility of a hatchback with the generous cabin space of a baby SUV. With the Nissan Invitation, the firm is signaling its plan to continue launching progressive crossover designs into Europe’s mainstream market sectors . The new Nissan “previews a forthcoming mainstream model due in Europe in 2013”. Insiders say it is a more dynamic replacement for the sober but successful Micra-based Note. When it hits production, the new Note will sell alongside the company’s funky Juke crossover and the economy-minded Micra hatchback to underscore Nissan’s commitment to the fast-expanding B-segment. Nissan is promising an ultra-frugal version – likely to be powered by the supercharged 1.0-litre engine already used in the Micra in some markets. All versions will be eligible to wear Nissan’s Pure Drive badge, available only to the fuel-highest-efficiency models. The ...

According to AMG, petrol engines have obvious benifits of sound, weight, agility and response AMG has no plans to follow its rival BMW M into producing high-performance diesel engines. AMG boss Ola Kallenius said such a move would introduce too many compromises to its performance-focused line-up.Citing the example of AMG’s new twin-turbo 5.5-litre V8, he said: “The technology of performance gasoline engines is converging with diesel tech. direct injection; downsizing and turbocharging are all having an effect. “We looked at diesel a few years back, but petrol engines have obvious benefits of sound, weight, agility and response.”

Codenamed LB736, will be powered by a retuned V10 engine, production to be limited to only 1500 units a year. Lamborghini is close to revealing a dramatically styled and luxuriously equipped SUV concept that previews its long-touted third model line, a senior source at parent company Audi has confirmed. The SUV concept is set to get its first public airing at the Beijing motor show in late April. The production version will go on to join the successor to today’s Gallardo and the recently introduced Aventador in what will be at least a three-strong Lamborghini line-up in 2016. “I can’t comment in detail, but the speculation in the press is largely correct,” the source said about reports outlining Lamborghini’s plans to gauge public response to an LM002 successor with an SUV concept. Conceived as an upmarket rival for the likes of the Maserati Kubang and soon-to-be-confirmed Bentley SUV, the new Lamborghini is set to sell in small numbers — likely to be fewer than 1500 units a year. P...

Fiat has released the images of its new five-door hatchback, ahead of its global debut in Geneva. The Italian carmaker Fiat SpA have released the first images of the Fiat 500L, a new larger four-door version of the sub-compact car. The new Fiat 500L is slated for its global unveiling at the upcoming 2012 Geneva Motor Show in March. The 'L' in the Fiat 500L stands for Large and aptly so, since the hatchback is actually quite large and easily eclipses the Fiat Panda in size. The company says that the 500L has MPV-like passenger space that is combined with the feel of a small SUV and has restrained the dimensions and the efficiency of a B-segment car. The five-seater, Fiat 500 is 414cm long, 178cm wide and 166cm high, which is an increase of 6cm, 1.5cm and 1.7 cm respectively over the standard 500.  The new Fiat 500 will be launched in Europe by the end go 2012 and will come with an initial engine range comprising of two petrol engines, TwinAir and 1.4-litre and a 1.3-litre M...

Mercedes-Benz has launched the facelifted version of its full-size GL-Class SUV, known as the GL-Grand Edition. The new GL features a reworked front-end that gets a bigger grille with three horizontal chrome-bars and a slightly-larger and more prominent three-pointed star at the center. The front bumper is re-profilied as well and the head-lamps now get dark-tints too. Additional styling updates include new paint shades and re-styled 20-inch alloy wheels. Interior enhancements for the Grand Edition include black / porcelain and black / maroon leather upholstery, velour floor mats and a ‘Grand Edition’ badge on the centre console. Standard on all GL-class models are features like the 4MATIC all-wheel drive, AIRMATIC air suspension, Direct-Steer system and the Adaptive Damping System. It also gets PARKTRONIC and COMAND APS system with a reversing camera. Additional features include off-road ABS, Downhill Speed Regulation (DSR) and Hill-Start Assist.   The GL ‘Grand Edition’ comes...