Skoda is celebrating the 100th year anniversary of the Monte Carlo Rally and the 110th year anniversary of the brand’s motorsport efforts with the launch of the special edition Fabia Monte Carlo Edition. This new version made its first public appearance at Rallye Monte Carlo back in January and has now been introduced at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show.
While we’re not completely enamored with these type of cars, we do have to give the boys over at Skoda some serious love for the way they designed this special edition Fabia.The powertrain may not be on the powerful side, but Skoda certainly makes up for it by designing the special edition Fabia with a very nice red and black two-tone finish, highlighting an aggressive rally-inspired exterior that completely masks the subdued engine under its bonnet.
It may not be the fastest car out of the block, but for a car that you can take to the city for some nice, little joy-riding, the Skoba Fabia Monte Carlo is about as good an option as any B-car segment vehicle.
Details on the Skoda Fabia Monte Carlo after the jump.
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America is unlike any other country on the planet, larger than most and with the most diversified population. Why do you think they call us the “melting pot”? This diversity is for certain, but another thing that makes America unique is their taste in vehicles. Unlike many countries around the world, the United States seems to enjoy riding high, while having the luxury of a car-like ride. Seems counter-intuitive, as those that like riding high go for trucks and those that want a smooth and cushy ride opt for sedans. Yet, the crossover, or CUV, has become a bigger hit than the Whopper and that’s mighty impressive.
Nissan has come to the table a tad late, but they have made up for their tardiness with a pleasant all-rounder: the Rogue. It blended Murano style with smaller proportions and, for some, it worked. Now, three years later, Nissan has revamped the Rogue in the hopes of garnering strong sales before a major refresh is in order.
More details on the 2011 Nissan Rogue after the jump.
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Next to the impressive Vision ConnectDrive concept, BMW has also revealed an impressive package for the BMW Z4 at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show. Called Design Pure Balance, the new equipment package comes with striking interior and exterior options, and will go on sale in the summer of 2011.
The BMW Z4 Design Pure Balance is painted in a Mineral White metallic finish offered exclusively for this package. This color offers fine metallic pigmentation for a brilliant impression. However, if the white metallic hue doesn’t tickle your fancy, the new package can also be combined with other non-metallic and metallic exterior paint finishes.
Typically, a white exterior look is combined with a black interior, but BMW has gone against the grain with Cohiba Brown leather contrasted by Lotus White stitching for the seats and the same Cohiba Brown for the dashboard. Black isn’t far behind, though, as the rest of the leather trimmed elements are found in black with Umbra seams. Fineline Anthracite wood and sports seats come standard with the package.
With a name like Design Pure Balance, there is no way BMW would think to touch the inner mechanical workings of the Z4. That leaves us with the standard 3.0L I-6 engine producing 255hp and 220 lb-ft of torque.
Now if only the BMW Z4 Design Pure Balance came with Cohiba brand premium cigars. Then we’d be in business!
The Golf R has been quoted as "the strongest Golf produced," but that doesn’t seem to be enough for Volkswagen as they have decided to match that strength up with some aesthetic upgrades as part of their Volkswagen Study Golf R. This study has given way to four special versions of the Golf R which were just unveiled at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show.
"Based on the high demand and success of the Golf R, we decided to develop four high-end versions of this vehicle," says Ulrich Richter, Managing Director of Volkswagen R GmbH.
The four Golf R models come painted in "Oryx White," "Carbon Steel Grey," "Space Grey," and "Aplomb Blue" combined with high-end Nappa leather interiors and 19-inch wheels. If anyone is anticipating a power boost with this stylish makeover, don’t hold your breath. These four little hatchbacks are coming at us with zero modifications under the hood. Hey, they are already the strongest Golf model; what more do you want?
Hit the jump to read more about the Volkswagen Study Golf R.
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For all the attention electric cars have generated over the years, one niche group has never dared to tread those waters out of fear that they would compromise the luxurious and old-world lineage these brands are so often associated with. Well, it looks like one luxury automaker is prepared to dive into uncharted waters after Rolls-Royce announced that the brand will be developing an all-electric version of the Phantom.
The car, which has been dubbed the Rolls-Royce Phantom Experimental Electric (EE) or the 102EX, was recently revealed at the Geneva Motor Show and will serve as a test vehicle for the brand to gather as much relevant data as possible with the hopes of determining whether jumping through the electric car world will prove to be a worthy endeavor.
According to Rolls-Royce, the extensive testing done on the 102 EX, which comes with a revolutionary wireless charging system called ’induction charging’, will also cover a number of public test drives for potential customers to give them the opportunity to experience the company’s alternative drivetrain technology first-hand and provide that all-important customer feedback. Rolls-Royce explains ’induction charging as a technology that allows the car’s battery to be charged by just parking it over special pads buried in the ground. This process uses magnetic coupling instead of a regular cable with a 90% efficiency.
UPDATE 03/03/11: This review has been updated with the Rolls-Royce Phantom Experimental Electric 102EX’s specs, as well as new images.
UPDATE 07/04/11: The Rolls-Royce Phantom Experimental Electric 102EX isn’t headed for production, but that hasn’t stopped the British luxury maker from proceeding with the testing phase for the electric Phantom. According to Rolls-Royce, the tests have nonetheless given important data on the workings of the car’s battery and management systems, important elements considering that despite its concept status, the Phantom 102EX could still end up in production down the road.
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