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Monday, December 7, 2009
RPMGO.com (former Auto Unleashed) |
- Top Gear Season 14 Episode 4 review
- Cadillac CTS Coupe won’t see a convertible version
- Video: Two Lamborghini Gallardo models filmed by helicopter around Los Angeles
- Aston Martin reveals US and UK Rapide pricing, the super sedan starts at $199,950 / £139,950
- LA Auto Show: Audi A3 TDI is the 2010 Green Car of the Year
- GM to sell control of Chinese joint venture and half of Indian subsidiary to SAIC for much-needed cash
- Renault presents fully-working prototypes of Fluence and Kangoo Z.E. electric vehicles, will showcase them around Europe
- Seat Tribu won’t enter production until company is confident it will sell
- LA Auto Show: Hyundai presents the attractive new Tucson crossover
- Mitsubishi says next generation Colt to be launched worldwide, ponders on plug-in or all-electric US version
| Top Gear Season 14 Episode 4 review Posted: 07 Dec 2009 04:39 AM PST  Practicality, common sense, decency, thorough advice … these are just the few things BBC’s Top Gear show isn’t about, and the fourth episode of season 14 further proved that by trying to deliver some decent advice to airport administrations, the average consumer and the bonkers performance SUV fans. Hit the jump to find out how many reasonably priced cars Guy Ritchie destroyed and if a Renault Twingo RS is a decent choice for the normal consumer. What followed was a great news segment, where the boys tackled the fact that Top Gear wants an equal blend of men and women on the show, with certain members of the Village People appeared. The next topic was the BMW M5 CSL, which sadly won’t be sold, but did reveal a great debate about the racing colors teams use nowadays. Last but not least, the new Audi A8 was talked about (shortly) and its designer, Mick Dick (needless to say where the discussion degenerated). Next up, some of the most useless cars were presented, the BMW X5 M, the Audi Q7 V12 TDI and the new 5-liter Supercharged V8 Range Rover. Why would someone want a performance, gas guzzling SUV which is rendered almost useless off road is beyond me. At the end of the segment, the Overfinch Range Rover was presented which, in case you didn’t read our article, was customized for hunting enthusiasts and alcoholics. The Star in a reasonably priced car was famed director Guy Ritchie, which, due to some horrific weather conditions, managed to wreck four cars, four tires and a gearbox. The trailer for his upcoming movie Sherlock Holmes was also shown, but his lap was much more impressive. The last segment was made at the request of the same viewer from Belfast which wanted reasonable and sensible car buying advice from Top Gear last season about the Ford Fiesta. And we all know what happened with the chase the little car had with a Corvette through a shopping mall. Now, Jeremy decided to thoroughly test out the new Renault Twingo RS through the streets, harbor and sewers of Belfast. What resulted is almost equal to the amount of fun he had with the Fiesta at the beginning of the year. Overall, a great show which highlighted what Top Gear is all about, having fun … with cars. Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Cadillac CTS Coupe won’t see a convertible version Posted: 07 Dec 2009 01:53 AM PST  Cadillac was beginning to loose its edge on the performance market until it released the CTS model, which immediately saw the CTS-V high performance sedan. The model already proved it can stand up with all the other four-door performance cars, and now, with the CTS-V Coupe preparing for launch, it will take the fight to that segment of the market. But with the regular CTS lineup now including a sedan, a station wagon and the new coupe, it seemed logical that Cadillac would be preparing a convertible right? Well you’re wrong about that, as the company recently denied the plans for a convertible CTS Coupe, saying that such a variant isn’t on the drawing board. Too bad though, as there were certainly many people which hoped for such a model. Luckily though, they won’t mind all that much with settling for a regular CTS Coupe. Source: InsideLine via Autoblog Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Video: Two Lamborghini Gallardo models filmed by helicopter around Los Angeles Posted: 07 Dec 2009 01:43 AM PST  Lamborghini fans, it doesn’t get much better than this. A helicopter pilot decided to see if he can keep up with not one but two Gallardo models and chased them all around Los Angeles, bringing a camera man with him for the ride. The two blue models, one hardtop, one convertible, offered him quite a challenge, going through the beautiful landscapes of LA, from the shoreline to the hills. While I would have opted in playing the great sound from the 5.2-liter V10 engines, the soundtrack is alright. Hit the jump to witness 2 and a half minutes of Lamborghini bliss!
Source: Autoblog Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Aston Martin reveals US and UK Rapide pricing, the super sedan starts at $199,950 / £139,950 Posted: 07 Dec 2009 01:23 AM PST  Aston Martin has just revealed the pricing details of its upcoming Rapide super sedan, which will go on in spring of 2010, around the world. For its local UK market, the prices will start from £139,950, and will undoubtedly rise depending on what options you will want with the four-door model. US customers, on the other hand, won’t pay that much for the Rapide, as a base model will cost $199,950, much lower than what normal exchange rates would convert the UK price. Of course such a decision was made to keep the super sedan under the psychological $200k limit. Although many Aston Martin fans will deny that the Rapide can even be compared to the Panamera, it is worth to note that Porsche’s super sedan costs much less than the Aston, and even the top of the range Panamera Turbo, has a lower price tag, and also trumps the 470 HP that the Rapide develops from its V12 unit. Rich people, the choice is your, but if you want an Aston Martin Rapide, then you need to get on the pre-order list as soon as possible. Source: Aston Martin Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| LA Auto Show: Audi A3 TDI is the 2010 Green Car of the Year Posted: 07 Dec 2009 01:03 AM PST  The 2009 Los Angeles Auto Show wasn’t just about new concepts, new cars or interesting technologies, as it was also the place where the Green Car Journal awarded the Audi A3 TDI model the 2010 Green Car of the Year title. This marks the second year in a row for a TDI model to win the prestigious award, as the Volkswagen Jetta TDI managed to win the 2009 edition of the competition. The Audi faced stiff competition as the other four finalists were the Toyota Prius, Mercury Milan Hybrid, Honda Insight and Volkswagen Golf TDI. Considering it manage to win last year, and had two finalists in this year’s event, the TDI engine is showing that you don’t need a hybrid to be green. Who knows what the future will hold for the oil-burner which just celebrated 20 years of existence. Source: Green Car Journal Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Posted: 07 Dec 2009 12:49 AM PST  It seems that General Motors is bent on repaying the bailout money the US and Canadian government gave the financially struggling corporation last summer and is willing to even sell one percent of its Chinese joint venture to SAIC, the biggest automaker in the Asian country, alongside half of its India subsidiary. Those of you who haven’t been following the Asian operations of GM should note that it is currently present in China thanks to a 50:50 joint venture with SAIC, and in India through a wholly-owned subsidiary. It is now willing to sell one percent of the aforementioned venture, thus lending control of SAIC to the Chinese joint venture, and to set up a new 50:50 venture in India, with the same company. The main reason behind this is that the company needs cash right now in order to pay up the loans it has. But don’t go thinking that this is a desperate move, as sources indicate that the 1 percent might be bought back, at a premium, when GM is earning more money, thus keeping its presence solid on one of the most profitable car markets in the world. Let’s hope this gamble comes true, and pays off for both GM and for the tax payers. Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Posted: 07 Dec 2009 12:28 AM PST  During the conference held in Copenhagen, Denmark, last weekend, about climate change and how developed countries will take measures to lower their emissions, Renault took the change and presented two fully-working prototypes of its Fluence and Kangoo Z.E electric vehicles, which are planned to arrive around 2011 in select European markets, like Denmark or Israel. The prototypes will travel around Europe and stop in various cities, where potential customers can test them out and see if it is worth waiting and saving up for the eco-cars, which are part of the French company’s push onto the EV market, which isn’t fully developed on the old continent.  In case you didn’t read our first article about the Fluence Z.E., it will be built at the Bursa plant in Turkey, alongside the regular Fluence, and will be powered by a 93 HP motor, which develops a torque of 226 Nm available from the start. The lithium-ion battery will be mounted behind the back seat, reducing the trunk space of the model, and also adding to the weight. It can be charged in three ways, either through a conventional 220V socket, which will completely charge it in 6 to 8 hours, through special quick charge stations which have 400V sockets, completely filling it up in 30 minutes, or by using the QuickDrop system, which in three minutes sees a brand new battery mounted in your car. Overall, the new Fluence Z.E., alongside the other models Renault has planned for the EV market, is looking extremely interesting. Source: Renault Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Seat Tribu won’t enter production until company is confident it will sell Posted: 07 Dec 2009 12:08 AM PST  We haven’t really heard a lot from Spanish Volkswagen Group member Seat for quite some time, except the occasional motorsport domination celebrations, but it seems that things are still quite busy. One of its oft-rumored upcoming models, the Tribu compact crossover is now, according to a source, under constant re-evaluation, due to the harsh economic climate where such a model might not be viable, at least for a few more years.
For those of you who forgot, the Tribu was unveiled at the 2007 edition of the Frankfurt Motor Show and was the first design penned by former Lamborghini artist Luc Donckerwolke. While it was presented as a three-door crossover, it is likely that it will be produced as a five-door model. But one thing which might tip the balance in favor of the Tribu is that Seat’s Martorell plant will commence building the new Audi Q3 in 2011, and as the Tribu shares the same platfom, we might see a couple of essential components swapped between them, and Seat would produce the Tribu without spending a lot of money. Would you like to see the Tribu be produced as soon as possible? Leave a comment with your view. Source: Autocar Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| LA Auto Show: Hyundai presents the attractive new Tucson crossover Posted: 06 Dec 2009 11:53 PM PST  For the 2009 edition of the Los Angeles Auto Show, South Korean carmaker Hyundai prepared two new and attractive surprises for its US market, the new Sonata, which we revealed last week, and the new Tucson (or ix35 as it is known in Europe now), which both offer a new design plus great fuel economy, cementing Hyundai’s place as the most economic car brand in the USA. Sporting a design born at the company’s Frankfurt studio, the new Tucson definitely looks out of this world, and besides retaining almost the exact dimensions, both inside and outside, you can’t really say it has anything to do with the last generation. It will first be available with the 2.4-liter Theta II four-cylinder engine, which develops 176 HP and 168 lb-ft of torque, with a fuel average of 23 mpg in the city and 31 on the highway, in front-wheel drive, in case you want all four-wheels to power the Tucson, you’ll get numbers around 21 and 28 mpg. Those of you with a hunger for more power might see a GDI (Gasoline Direct-Injection) unit next year, and those who want even better fuel averages might see a lighter 2.0-liter engine in a Tucson “Blue” edition. All these engines will be offered with a six-speed manual or automatic gearbox. While on the outside the new design will certainly turn some heads, on the inside things are even more interesting, with passengers benefiting from increased space, as well as a few more storage spaces and an enlarged trunk. For that extra effect, you can order a panoramic sunroof as an option. Expect the new Tucson to be available in showrooms in a few weeks, but with such great qualities, it won’t stay there for long. Enjoy the photo gallery below! Photo Gallery: 2010 Hyundai Tucson
Source: Hyundai Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Posted: 06 Dec 2009 11:20 PM PST  We revealed last week that Mitsubishi is planning on releasing its Colt city car in the USA. After a heavy dose of rumors after that, the Japanese company has decided to issue a concrete statement, which details its plans for its small car. Mitsubishi won’t bring the current generation Colt (pictured above), which can be found in Europe or Asia, but the next generation of the model, which will be smaller, packed with engines ranging from 1.0- to 1.3-liter and might see the light of day in 2012. As for the US, the company said that it is studying the possibility of a plug-in version as well as an all-electric one, and will decide which it will launch onto the North American market. Source: Automotive News via Autoblog Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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