AUTHENTIC CARS

Audi has taken the wraps off its facelifted R8 ahead of its public debut at the Paris motor show in September. The facelifted car incorporates new features on the inside and out. Tweaks to the car's exteriors include a redesigned bumper and new LED headlights. The R8's rear also features a new bumper and light cluster design, a new ‘R8’ logo, a restyled rear diffuser and rounded single exhaust pipes in each corner. The engine options remain unchanged. The facelifted R8 will come with the previous model’s entry-level 424bhp 4.2-litre V8 and the 518bhp 5.2-litre V10, but Audi has replaced the current model’s six-speed automated manual R-tronic gearbox with a new seven-speed S-tronic dual-clutch transmission. Audi claims the new gearbox decreases CO2 emissions by 22g/km, while also slashing 0-100kph sprint times by 0.3sec; the entry-level car now dispatches 0-100kph in 4.3 seconds, with the V10 version hitting the mark in 3.6 seconds. Joining the R8 line-up is a more focus...

Fiat unveiled a new crossover, christened the 500X, at a recent media conference in Turin, Italy. The 500X appears to blend elements from an SUV and a hatchback, and Fiat’s sources have said that the crossover model will measure around 4.2 metres in length. The crossover will be offered in both front-wheel- and all-wheel-drive. The powertrain line-up will most likely include Fiat's 0.9-litre two-cylinder turbocharged TwinAir petrol engine, and a 1.3-litre Multijet turbo diesel. The 500X will be the fifth model in the 500 range, after the 500 three-door hatchback, the 500C convertible, the Abarth-branded performance versions, and more recently, the 500L five-door minivan. The Fiat 500X will be built at the Italian company's Mirafiori plant with production expected to start next year. It’s still too early to say whether Fiat will include the 500X in its India portfolio. But, looking at the company’s lukewarm performance in the Indian market, newer models like the 500X woul...

Mitsubishi has introduced a new Cedia variant called the Select and it offers a host of new features. These include MapMyIndia’s android-based 3G tablet that can multitask making calls, web-surfing, and more. Adding juice to this tab will be the 12-volt supply for charging that will provide seven hours of entertainment as you wait in hour long traffic jams.  Being portable, the tablet can be mounted either on the windscreen or at the back of the head-rest in case your car is driver-driven. The Cedia Select also comes with a 4-speaker Kenwood DVD player with 6.1-inch touchscreen interface and a reverse parking camera. Obviously the jewel of this car is the 2.0 liter 113bhp petrol engine that has won several INRC and other rallies. Carrying the sporty them inside is the three-spoke black leather steering and oyster leather seats. When you drive down like a pseudo rally car driver it will be comforting to know the Cedia sports safety features like front airbags. To drill the sporty th...

Effective August 1, 2012, Volkswagen will take over all the remaining shares of Porsche that it does not already own, amounting to a 50.1 percent stake. In return, Porsche will receive a consideration amounting to around Rs 30,000 crore, plus one ordinary share of Volkswagen. This merger comes on the back of an announcement last September that it would not be possible to implement the amalgamation of Volkswagen and Porsche on economically feasible terms before the second half of 2014. The two companies have since been exploring alternate ways of achieving their common goal of an integrated automotive group that can be implemented at an earlier point in time. “The accelerated integration will allow us to start implementing a joint strategy for Porsche’s automotive business more quickly, to realise key joint projects more rapidly and hence to leverage additional growth opportunities in attractive market segments. It will also enable Volkswagen AG and Porsche AG to concent...

McLaren Automotive has launched its second model, the 616bhp, twin-turbo V8-engined, open roofed 12C Spider. Based on the same super stiff carbon fibre MonoCell chassis as its hardtop sibling, the all-new McLaren MP4-12C Spider will be capable of 315kph with its innovative retractable hard-top roof down. Seen in these official pictures for the first time, the new open-top McLaren can match its coupé sibling from zero to 100kph - taking 3.1sec - despite having a 40kg weight penalty. The MP4-12C Spider features a two-piece retractable hard-top that is stowed behind the seats when not in use. The compact design of the system lets the Spider keep the glass engine cover of the coupé. The roof can be positioned up or down in 17 seconds and at road speeds of up to 35kph using buttons mounted on the inside edge of the driver’s door. A glass screen between the two buttresses can be operated independently of the roof. This can act as a windbreak with the roof down, or for ventilation with t...