Mercedes revealed today the E-Class coupe ahead of the public unveiling scheduled for the Geneva Motor Show in March. Unlike its predecessor, the CLK, which stood in-between C-Class and the larger E-Class sizes, this model leaves no question to where it fits in the family lineup.
The design of the coupe version takes many of its cues from its sedan brother, especially the rectangular headlights. One of the hallmarks that carries over from the CLK is the absence of a b-pillar, which means with all the windows down the car gets the cool open look and hardtop convertible feel. Mercedes also claims that the slick looks makes the E-Class coupe "the most aerodynamic model in the world." The coupe has drag coefficient of 0.24, which betters the super-slick Prius’ .25.
Like the sedan, the E-Class coupe will be offered internationally with a choice of engines with four, six and eight cylinders, with output between 200 and 382 hp. The base version is the E250 CDI that develops 200 hp and a peak torque of 368 lbs-ft and has a fuel consumption of about 44 mpg. The top version should be a V8 gas engine that powers the E500/550 models and develops 383 hp and 390 lbs-ft.
Sales will begin in Europe in May, and U.S. sales should begin shortly there after. European prices will start from 44,684.50 Euro for the E 250 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY Coupe and will go up to 66,045.00 Euro for the E 500 Coupe.
It’s a wagon...It’s an SUV...It’s the Audi A4 allroad quattro. Audi will officially unveil the A4 allroad quattro in March at the Geneva Motor Show, but it is already letting the details out. The car will go on sale in early summer at a base price of €37,100. That’s about $47,500 at current rates, but Audi has confirmed the A4 allroad will not make it to the U.S. Audi sold the original A6-based allroad North America, but it was pulled in 2006 due to weak sales.
The A4 allroad quattro will be offered with a choice of three engines: 211 hp 2.0-liter TFSI, 170 hp 2.0-liter TDI diesel, and 240 hp 3.0-liter TDI diesel.
These are available with either a six-speed manual transmission or dual-clutch S tronic transmission depending on engine choice.
The A4 allroad shares a resemblance with the Audi A4 Avant on which the allroad is based. Some distinguishing elements include the higher ride height, wider stance (less than an inch more than the A4 Avant), and two-tone paint created by the body cladding. For lovers of crossover vehicles, the allroad is one of the first and best examples. It combines the car and SUV together in a package that’s more car (and thus, more fun) than almost anything else out there.
We didn’t have our full production team in Geneva to be able to do an in-depth video on the new BMW Z4 roadster, so we’ll let BMW do it for us. Yes, this is a little promotion heavy, but it does actually have some good info for BMW fans.
The AlpinaAlpina B6 GT3 made its world debut today at the Geneva Motor Show. Based on the BMW 6 Series Alpina will enter two B6 GT3 race cars in the FIA GT3 European Championship.
The B6 GT3 is powered by a 4.4-litre V8 with what Alpina is calling a radial compressor (centrifugal supercharger), taken from the BMW ALPINA B6 S. The power plant produces 530 HP and 725Nm of torque.
"Due to the low centre of gravity, it feels more like a Formula race car than a Touring Car," says test driver Andreas Bovensiepen. The driver also said that the car handled its first 300 Km/h run beautifully and that he is very impressed with the lack of problems during the shake down runs. The car is still undergoing testing before the beginning of the 2009 racing season.
At the Geneva Motor Show the design shop Zagato presented the Perana Z-One sports car. The vehicle will be available for sale to discerning European buyers by this coming July. The Perana Z-One will be priced at less than 50.000 Euro ($63,000).
The Perana Z-One is powered by a 6.2 liter Chevrolet V8 engine that delivers 439 hp and a peak torque of 583 Nm. Gears are shifted through a 6 speed manual transmission.
With a power to weight ratio of 328 hp/tonne, the Z-One makes the 0 to 60 MPH sprint in less than 4 seconds and is capable of going from 0-100 MPH in less than 10 seconds.
Reflecting the pure passion from this brand new sports car, the proportion and volume of the Z-One is even tighter than traditional sports car styling, the body is accentuated by a couple of long dynamic curves with keen edges that visually integrate important design elements like the air vents. Surfaces defined by those cutting edges are even more sculpted maintaining the modern Zagato style that the designers have been developing for over a decade.
The German coachbuilders at Wiesmann revealed their MF4 Roadster at the Geneva Motor Show; it is a completely new vehicle that pays homage to the classic MF3. Like the MF3 Roadster, the MF4 is also hand-built and will be priced at 128,900 euros ($163,000) for a standard version and at 137,900 euros ($174,500) for the higher performing MF4-S Roadster.
Weismann is offering two BMW engines for their new model. The first powers the standard version: a 4.8 liter V8 that produces 367 HP and for the MF4-S: a V8 with 420 hp and a displacement of 3999 cm3. The engines are mated to either a traditional automatic transmission or a 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox.
The MF4-S Roadster can sprint from 0 to 60 mph in just 4.4 seconds and will hit a top speed of 186 mph.
The Tata Nano is definitely not the kind of car that catches a lot of buzz. However the Pr1ma Concept, revealed at the Geneva Motor Show, is. With this concept Tata Motors has taken a huge step forward. The vehicle was designed by Pininfarina, and offers an indication of how the next generation of Tata saloons might be interpreted. The focus is on the distinctive, elegant design.
Conceived to provide a luxurious level of comfort, this 4-door has a straight-forward but very refined design. All this combined with twisting lines give the car the personality of a coupe. It is a solution that immediately adds value, compared to the basic essential design usually associated with the Tata brand.
The Tata Pr1ma addresses a higher segment of drivers; the external and internal measurements are larger than those of the Indigo, thanks in part to a longer wheelbase. The design balances fluidity and tension, and the result is an elegant look, that manages to be both classic and modern. This type of creation is what the Indian automaker needs to elevate themselves to the next level of automotive manufacturing. You may even see them popping up here in the U.S.
A new electric vehicle made its world debut at the Geneva Motor Show. The Protoscar Lampo, a concept car powered by two BRUSA electric motors (one rear and one front), optimized for maximizing acceleration and regenerative braking respectively.
Both engines deliver a total output of 268 HP and a torque of over 325 lb-ft (440 Nm). The lightweight Lithium-Ion battery pack with a capacity of 32 kWh allows for a range of over 124 miles (200 km).
The Lampo uses the most common energy in the world: the sun. It is a zero-emission vehicle that offer the same performance as a traditional sports car.
Skoda has just revealed at the Geneva Motor Show their Fabia Sports Design Concept, a preview of a future vRS version for the successful Fabia. According to a Skoda spokesman, the future vRS will be "somewhere between the Sports Design and our S2000 rally car in looks." The production version is expected to debut in 2010.
The Sport Design Concept features a two-tone color scheme both in and outside the car, black alloy wheels, a unique front and rear bumper (complete with diffuser), a dark chrome surround for the grille and blacked out headlights.
A production version will be powered by a 1.4-liter TSI gasoline unit from the Volkswagen family. This would replace the turbo diesel mill currently in action.
The Pininfarina BlueCar is not just a concept revealed at the Geneva Show. It will also go into production in Italy at Pininfarina starting from 2010. It will be produced between 2011 and 2017, and by 2015 the company hopes to sell around 60,000 units.
An elegant compact MPV with automatic transmission, conceived as a four-seater five-door, the Pininfarina BLUECAR is supplied by LMP (Lythium Metal Polymere) batteries, combined with a device for energy storage (“supercapacity”), manufactured in the Bolloré plants at Quimper (Francia) and Montreal (Canada), which retrieves and stores energy during braking and makes it available when the vehicle re-starts. This means greater acceleration, an increased range and longer lifespan for the car’s battery.
The LMP battery can be recharged at a traditional mains plug and range is 250 km. At equivalent weight, this battery stores five times more energy than a traditional type and recharges in just a few hours. As it does not require any maintenance, it has a life-span of about 200,000 km and provides unparalleled safety. The battery is housed below the floorpan and between the two axles. Due to its low centre of gravity, roadholding is outstanding. Moreover, the electric car produces no gas or fine particle emissions and no noise: LMP batteries thus make a real contribution to the fight against atmospheric pollution.
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