The smallest SUV in BMW’s line-up made today its official debut. Set for a first appearance at the Frankfurt Motor Show, the new BMW X1 will go on sale in Europe by the end of the year, while in the USA it has been confirmed for 2011.
In Europe the new SUV will be offered with a choice of four engines - one gasoline and three diesels - and will be available in rear-wheel drive and xDrive all-wheel drive configurations.
The BMW X1 xDrive28i is powered by a straight-six gasoline engine that delivers 258 hp and a peak torque of 228 lb-ft. It sprints from 0 to 60 mph in just 6.8 seconds and reaches a top speed 127 mph, all this with a fuel consumption of 30.0 mpg.
The BMW X1 xDrive23d is powered by a 2,0 liter four-cylinder diesel engine that develops 204 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. It sprints from 0 to 60 mph in 7.3 seconds and reaches a top speed or 127 mph. The X1 xDrive20d delivers 177 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque. It sprints from 0 to 60 mph in 8.1 seconds and can hit a top speed of 127 mph.
The BMW X1 xDrive18d and the BMW X1 sDrive18d deliver 143 hp and 236 lb-ft of torque and sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 10.1 seconds and 9.6 seconds respectively , while top speed if 121 and, respectively, 124 mph.
Full details in the press release after the jump.
> More
.
MINI has been one of those rare manufacturers that never seem to go out of its comfort zone. Part of it, we can say, is by design. After all, with one of the most recognizable cars in history (the Cooper), MINI could thrive under the Cooper banner just fine. So when word came out that MINI was coming out with a Roadster – predictably called the MINI Roadster – then you could say that it turned a few heads.
Word is being spread that MINI is close to releasing the MINI Roadster, possibly just in time for the Frankfurt Motor Show. The news was first reported by the French car magazine, L’Automobile and was likewise confirmed by the UK’s Autocar magazine.
From the few snapshots we’ve seen of the MINI Roadster, it looks quite like a loaded version of the MINI Cooper, complete with raked windshield and a retractable soft top – giving it a uniquely bad ass look that’s far removed from the conservative style of the Cabriolet. More so, the MINI Roadster has been reported to feature a low center of gravity, giving it superior driving performance than the Cooper.
As far as the engine is concerned, the Roadster is set to come with the same 1.6 L twin scroll-turbocharged engine, capable of exhausting up to 211 horsepower and up to 280 Nm peak torque with Overboost deployed.
It doesn’t strike us as coincidence that MINI is releasing the Roadster – along with the much talked about MINI Crossman SUV - on the very same year they’re celebrating 50 years of the Cooper’s existence. There have been no confirmed dates as to when the Roadster, and the Crossman for that matter, will be released for production.
What we all know is that barring the unforeseen, both vehicles will be on-hand for the Frankfurt Motor Show, making it a must-attend occasion for all MINI aficionados from all over the world.
The Swedish automaker Saab, will finally unveil the new 9-5 sedan at the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show in September. The four door model will soon be followed by a wagon version for the spring of 2010. The future also holds a 9-4X SUV, a vehicle aimed directly at competing with other compact crossovers like the BMW X3 and Audi Q5.
The future 9-5 will be built on the same Epsilon 2 as its European GM cousin, the Opel Insignia, except the Saab will get a stretched wheelbase. Word on the street is that the car company that was born from jets will offer two different types of suspension, standard and premium, as well as optional four-wheel drive and a series of engines ranging from an economic four cylinder diesel to a high performance 2.8 Liter turbocharged V6.
What we need to ask ourselves here in America is, how will the elimination of non essential GM brands here in the U.S. affect the automotive conglomerate’s new car lineups around the world. Could this beautiful 9-5 face an early grave due to the cutbacks here on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean?
In a recent interview with Automotive News Europe, Renault’s CEO, Patrick Pelata announced that the French automaker is preparing a new compact city car to compete head to head with vehicles like the Smart ForTwo, Toyota iQ, Fiat Topolino and future Volkswagen Up!
There is no concrete information about the future petite Renault, but rumors say that it will be built on the same platform as the company’s current Twingo model. There is also a possibility that Renault will produce an electric version inspired by the Kangoo BeBop Z.E. An electrified city car would be all the more feasible due to the European automaker’s ties to the Nissan-NEC next generation lithium ion battery pack.
You can expect to see something along the lines of a concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September. A production version should follow shortly after.
The English automaker Mini will officially add a fifth model to their lineup, after the forthcoming Mini crossover, this September at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The upcoming Mini Speedster will be a strictly two-seater and offer a much more attractive alternative to the Mini Cabriolet. The Mini Speedster will be offered with the standard engines that are offered in the Cooper’s lineup, but in keeping with the speed theme there will also be a 1.6 Liter turbocharged four cylinder making 208 HP, just like the unit found in the Mini Cooper JCW.
Speedsters are sportier versions of cabriolets; unlike roadsters they still have a convertible top, but going with the whole speed theme, they are shorter and much more minimalistic. The windshield on a speedster is usually raked further back than standard models, this makes the open air speedster look like it is at speed even when standing still. Behind the occupants, speedsters tend to have some sort of a double hump structure on the rear sill that helps the air flow over the occupant’s heads and give the profile a much more complete look. It is not necessary for a speedster to feature more aggressive bodywork, but that is the case with the new Mini.
The German automaker Volkswagen is currently preparing an all-electric concept to debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September. The concept electric vehicle will be intended as a direct competitor for the Opel Ampera. According to inside sources, Volkswagen is coming along well, and the development of the electric drive train is already at an advanced stage.
The all-new all-electric V dub will be the next addition to the automakers eco-friendly line-up consisting of the Golf Twin Drive, the TDI Hybrid and Up! city car. The technological innovations that are being used to make the future concept will be most definitely find their way into production models in the near future.
Now that the open air alternatively fueled Bluesport roadster has been put on hold until further notice, it looks like VW is concentrating on making their proven seller, the Golf, a much greener option for new car buyers.
The Mercedes SLS AMG is scheduled to make its official debut this September at the Frankfurt Motor Show, but Benz still hasn’t dropped its guard. The new super sports coupe from Mercedes has been spotted testing at the Nurburgring racetrack in Germany, and it is still wearing a disguise. One thing we can tell underneath all that camouflage is that the running lights appear to be made up of forward thinking LEDs.
The future gullwing will be powered by a 6.2 Liter AMG hand-built V8 that delivers 571 HP. The car will be balanced almost perfectly with a front/rear weight distribution of 48%/52% and will sprint from 0 to 60 MPH in only 3.8 seconds and won’t stop until it reaches a top speed of 195 MPH.
After teasing their fans, the German Automaker Opel has just revealed official details about the new Astra, a vehicle that will make its world debut at the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show. The car’s exterior is easily identifiable as an Opel, while the interior features the latest in technology.
The new Astra line-up will be full of options. There will be 8 different engine choices, all of which are shifted by six speed transmissions. The diesel options range from 1.3 to 2.0 Liters making anywhere from 95 HP up to 160 HP. While gas burners will displace from 1.4 to 1.6 Liters pumping out from 100 HP to 180 HP.
The new generation Astra is built on a whole new platform, featuring a longer wheelbase, wider track and a reengineered rear axle. Like the Insignia it comes with the fuel saving Opel FlexRide electronic aide that offers the driver the option to drive in Standard, Sport and Touring mode.
Press release after the jump.
> More
Opel will officially bring the next generation Astra model to Frankfurt Motor Show, but before they do that the guys and girls in their PR department decided to have some fun at our expense. They released a few teaser images of their attractive little family car. These photos give new meaning to the term “teaser”. All I can say is, look at those arches.
The German GM car builder will offer a five door and a three door model, the GTC. The automaker will also release an OPC (or VRX for the Vauxhall fans) factory hot-rod model to compete with the Volkswagen GTI in the hot hatch category. Good news for larger families and open air cruisers, Opel is considering producing a four door sedan, a full sized wagon and a convertible model for the Astra family.
The next generation Astra will share the same platform as the future Chevrolet Volt and has been engineered to accept a wide variety of gasoline and diesel power plants, including the new 1.4 Liter turbocharged four cylinder engine being developed by GM. The factory tuned OPC will feature a boosted 2.0 Liter making 240 HP. That should be enough to make the Astra a serious sport compact competitor.
.
In the ever-important battle for king of the hybrid limousines, BMW is trailing both their countrymen from Mercedes Benz and the Japanese luxury carmaker Lexus. Lexus has the “V12 image” set with their LS600h and the Germans have just revealed their new S400 Hybrid. It may appear like BMW has fallen by the wayside, but they might just be playing possum, because the Bavarian automaker has an ace up its sleeve for the company’s home show in Frankfurt.
BMW will unveil the 750hi, a hybrid 7 Series powered by a 4.4 Liter biturbo engine pumping out 407 HP and a fuel saving automatic transmission. The internal combustion engine will be paired with an electric motor with energy regeneration technology. One thing is for sure; the BMW’s unit will definitely won’t be outshined by the 20 HP unit in the Mercedes S400 BlueTEC HYBRID.
Pages: 
Picture Gallery
Post a comment
RSS -
Webmaster free news |
Linux Consulting