AUTHENTIC CARS

Ford India is currently riding high on the success of the Ecosport. But its big SUV Endeavour has not been able to hold its own against rivals like the Toyota Fortuner. Still, Ford isn't giving up on large SUVs. This is why the American company plans to bring the new Endy here towards the end of 2015.      Based on the Ranger pick-up, like the previous versions, Ford, however, plans to assemble the new model in India before it goes on sale here. Ford may even localise a lot of the parts to further reduce prices. This will help make the Ford more competitive with the other SUVs in the Rs 20-25 lakh space. And it may be exported from India too.   Based closely on the new Everest Concept, which looks both chunky and modern at the same time, the new Endeavour's face is dominated by a bold, chrome-heavy, EcoSport-like trapezoidal grille. There are big wheel arches, chunky chrome-capped wing mirrors, and a faux vent just behind the front wheel arch. Almost all ...

Ford’s 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine has been voted the 2014 International Engine of the Year, winning the award for the third consecutive year. A panel of 82 automotive journalists from 35 countries also named the engine ‘Best Engine Under 1.0-litre’ again for the third year in a row, at the Engine Expo 2014 in Stuttgart, Germany.   “To deliver the complete package of eye-popping fuel economy, surprising performance and real refinement, we knew this little 1.0-litre engine would have to be a game-changer,” said Bob Fascetti, VP, Ford Powertrain Engineering. “Through our One Ford approach to development, the EcoBoost continues to set the benchmark for power combined with fuel efficiency from a petrol engine.”   Ford vehicles equipped with the 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine are globally available in 72 countries. In India, it powers the top Titanium EcoBoost and Titanium (O) EcoBoost petrol variants of the Ford EcoSport.    The engine’s compact turbocharger spi...

Ford has unveiled its new Edge crossover for the North American market at the Ford Go Further Consumer Event in Michigan, USA.    The new Edge, as described by Ford is an upscale utility vehicle and is based on the same platform that underpins models sold internationally such as the Mondeo sedan. The interesting bit is that this car could come to India in the future because it has the right recipe. It will be made in right hand drive and will also come with a diesel engine in some markets, making it well suited to the Indian market.   The new Ford Edge crossover is loaded with tech features such as adaptive steering, active noise cancellation system, and front split view camera to name a few.    According to Ford, adaptive steering system which is on offer on the Edge continually changes the steering ratio with the vehicle speed, which it claims optimises the steering response anywhere between parking speeds and highway cruising speeds.   ...

Honda has begun work on readying a mid-cycle update for the CR-V, which is expected to come with cosmetic updates on the exteriors and mildly tweaked interiors.   As seen from the spy pictures, the updated CR-V’s front will see styling changes such as a new front grille with honeycomb treatment and twin slats. The headlamps are re-worked and the bumper gets new foglamp housings and a more prominent air-dam. At the rear, expect re-profiled tail-lamps and bumper.   Honda launched the current-generation CR-V in India in February 2013, which is available with 2.0-litre and 2.4-litre petrol powerplants. Expect the carmaker to roll out the updated CR-V in India shortly after the international launch.

The Audi RS7 has received a series of subtle styling modifications 18 months after it was first revealed at the 2013 Detroit motor show.   Among the mild visual changes brought to the plush performance liftback is a lightly reworked front end. It features a restyled single frame grille set within a slightly more structured bumper, bringing its appearance into line with less powerful versions of the A7 revealed earlier this month. The RS7 also gets reworked LED headlamps as standard. Audi is making its Matrix LED headlamps an option on the new car. They come with darkened graphics to provide the car with greater visual differentiation.   Further stylistic tweaks include tail lamps with new LED graphics and restyled 20-inch wheels. Inside, Audi has added revised instruments, modified shift paddles and altered controls for the air vents. The optional MMI (Multi Media Interface) Plus infotainment system also receives an updated Nvidia graphics processor for faster ...

Porsche is considering a break in tradition by adopting a turbocharged engine for the next 911 GT3 RS. The 911 GT3 has had widely publicised fire problems with its highly tuned, naturally aspirated 468bhp 3.8-litre flat six engine. Porsche engineers are understood to be concerned at the prospect of trying to reliably extract enough extra power from the naturally aspirated engine to warrant an RS badge. As such, a turbocharged engine is instead being considered. This would comfortably deliver the extra power needed without compromising reliability. It would also fit in with the current turbocharging ethos in the supercar segment. Meanwhile, the 911 GT3’s rear-wheel steer system is understood to be under consideration for future models of the Cayman. It will be the first Porsche sports car to get the firm’s upcoming four-cylinder turbo petrol engine, which is believed to run an output of about 400bhp.

The new BMW X6 is the second-generation model of the coupé-like SUV that pioneered a new and lucrative market niche when it was launched in 2008. Set to make its public debut at the Moscow motor show in August, the second-gen X6 is the latest in a long line of new BMW models revealed in recent months. Despite a slow start in the midst of a global financial downturn, the first-gen X6 proved highly successful. BMW claims global sales of more than 2,50,000; that’s an annual average of over 40,000 units throughout its six-year production cycle. The second-gen BMW X6 has been comprehensively re-engineered in a joint development programme with the recently introduced third-gen X5, alongside which it will be produced at BMW’s US factory in South Carolina. The styling of the new SUV has been progressed using an evolutionary approach that retains a similar silhouette to its predecessor’s but with even bolder detailing at the front and rear. The body of the new SUV receives a more st...

This Zagato-bodied Lamborghini Gallardo could make production in a limited run. Collector Albert Spiess originally commissioned the model as a one-off for the Villa D’Este Concours D’Elegance in Italy recently. The model, known as the Lamborghini 5-95 Zagato, has been given the approval of Lamborghini and Volkswagen Group design director Walter Da Silva. Its carbonfibre body is the work of Stephane Schwarz, designer of the original Nissan Qashqai, while the mechanical package is taken from the Gallardo LP570-4. Zagato and Lamborghini have collaborated on several cars, dating back to 1965 when the Italian brand conceived two examples of the Lamborghini 3500 GTZ, a shortened, rebodied version of the 350 GT. Spiess, who has an enormous array of Italian exotica, wanted a modern collectible car. Spiess said, “I always appreciated the ability of Zagato to create timeless lines with a forceful visual impact. I believe that a sensual design inspired by nature, together with...

The new Cayenne SUV from Porsche is almost ready ahead of its debut at the Paris motor show in October. The updated model gets visual changes and also a new powertrain.    The Cayenne facelift gets significantly redesigned front and rear bumpers. The rear end gets a particularly slimmed-down design and new taillight clusters. A lower bumper on the facelift now encloses the dual exhausts and a new pseudo diffuser.    In the front, Porsche has given the Cayenne facelift extensive re-engineering. The redesigned bonnet now stretches between both wing tops, with its leading edge running the full width of space between the new headlight designs. The new front bumper is also a little deeper than that of the current model; the main grille and side intakes subtly reshaped. Overall, the Cayenne’s chin is lower, eliminating the ‘amphibious vehicle’ look of the current car.   Under the bonnet, the facelift is expected to get a new-generation hybrid system b...

Bentley's first SUV looks set for production with design close to the firm's original design sketches, as this latest test mule was spotted wearing production bodywork.  The SUV, which is said to be targetting a 321kph top speed when it goes on sale in 2016 in the international market, has only previously been seen disguised under the Audi Q7 bodywork. Previous mules have been testing the car's electrical system, running gear and powertrain. The electric system will feature more than 50 ECU 'brains'. The main feature of the new SUV is its large, prominent mesh front grille. Oval headlight clusters can also be seen alongside large dual air vents, lower down on the front bumper. Those air intakes will be vitally important in keeping the SUV's twin-turbocharged W12 engine cool. Large light clusters can also be seen at the rear, alongside prominent rear-end styling and large oval-shaped dual exhausts. The design stays relatively true to the original ...

Mercedes-Benz has revealed a facelifted version of the CLS and CLS Shooting Brake in a series of official photographs ahead of a planned public premiere for the swoopy four-door saloon and five-door estate at the upcoming Goodwood Festival of Speed. Set for UK sale from September, the lightly reworked CLS receives a number of subtle mid-life changes and an extended line of options, including Mercedes-Benz’s latest Multibeam LED headlamps as well as new AMG Line Plus and Night packages that further extend the range of individualisation possibilities. There is very little to distinguish the facelifted CLS from the car it replaces. External stylistic changes amount to little more than an altered front bumper boasting greater structure and larger air ducts, a subtly reshaped grille with a so-called diamond pattern plastic insert and revised headlamps that now come as standard with LED operation for both the low and high beam as well as the daytime running lamps. It’s a similar ...

The new McLaren P1 GTR will offer more power, performance, grip and downforce than the standard car. The 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8 has been tuned to deliver 986bhp, it will come with track-focussed slick tyres and the track has been widened. So far McLaren has only released this sketch, but the P1 GTR is also set to have more aggressive and distinctive styling. It’s also thought that it will have a fixed rear wing, rather than the automatically deploying one on the standard car. Exact production numbers have yet to be set, but only existing McLaren P1 owners are eligible to buy the GTR version. It’s understood that all 375 of them have been contacted and the ones that have responded positively will put down a deposit. P1 GTRs will only be built after the P1's production run has finished, which is thought to be by the middle of 2015. Next year will also be the 20th anniversary of the Le Mans-winning F1 GTR. Buyers of the P1 GTR will become part of the GTR programme...

Nissan has released the first official pictures of its new virtual concept car, dubbed Concept 2020 Vision Gran Turismo. The Japanese manufacturer says the concept is "a vision of what a high performance Nissan could look like in the future". Some reports have suggested the 2+2 model points to future styling for the next GT-R. Nissan says it gave its designers free reign with the concept, with the brief to create a dream car for a fantasy garage featured in the Gran Turismo 6 video game. The concept was penned by Nissan designers in London, with engineering input from the firm's technical centre in Japan. The Vision Gran Turismo concept will be available to download for Gran Turismo 6 from next month. Hinting that the concept could become a real-world reality, Nissan has said that it "believes the real-world is ready" for the concept. The model is the latest to get its debut in virtual reality. Earlier this year Mercedes-Benz revealed its own AMG...

McLaren will unveil two new models at next week's Goodwood Festival of Speed. One of them is expected to be a GT3 version of the 650S from McLaren GT, the company's sports car racing arm. McLaren has revealed a solitary, heavily cloaked image of one of the new machines. Few details are available, although McLaren suggests it is "track-focused" and the sponsors' decals and central wheel nuts on the pictured car suggest it is a full competition car. McLaren GT is the division of the company that's been responsible for the design, development and production of the 12C GT3 race car, the 12C GT Can-Am Edition and the 12C GT Sprint. With the 650S road car effectively superseding the 12C, it seems logical that the company will follow suit with its racers. McLaren's second new car at Goodwood is a special example of the 650S developed by McLaren Special Operations (MSO), the division which creates exclusive custom designs and bespoke one-off projec...

The new Bentley Continental GT3-R has been revealed, the “fastest-ever accelerating” and “most dynamic road car” in its history, as the British marque seeks to refocus its brand image as offering “performance-focused luxury”. Just 300 examples of the model - which, the company says, was directly inspired by the Bentley GT3 race car - will be built at a price yet to be announced. The new GT3-R is based on the Continental. It is a strict two-seater and powered by a newly retuned version of the familiar 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 engine. This now delivers 572bhp and 71.4kgm of torque from just 1700rpm. The GT3-R also weighs 100kg less than a GT V8 S. The engine is hooked up to an eight-speed ZF automatic gearbox, which has shorter gearing than in other Continental GT models. Bentley claims that the GT3-R will accelerate from zero to 100kph in just 3.6sec. The engine’s exhaust system is all new and made from titanium, saving 7kg, and has been acoustically tuned to deliver a “unique ba...