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Saturday, September 12, 2009
RPMGO.com (former Auto Unleashed) |
- The Weekend Races: 12-13 September
- Brabus SV12R: Mercedes-Benz S600 on heavy steroids
- New York driver gets 56 tickets in 13 minutes thanks to wild Police chase
- General Motors Offers 60-Day Money Back Guarantee for its Cars
- McLaren MP4-12C Gets Checked Out by Jay Leno, Ron Dennis and Anthony Sheriff
- Opel Ampera Price Will Start at €28,000 in 2012
- VW Set to Unveil Golf R In Frankfurt, New Details Revealed
- Seat Will Reveal an Ibiza Sport Tourer Concept in Frankfurt
- Hot Chicks and Fast Bikes At the Playboy Halloween Party
- 55% of Opel Bought by Magna and Sberbank from GM
| The Weekend Races: 12-13 September Posted: 12 Sep 2009 01:36 AM PDT  Hello and welcome to the first edition of The Weekend Races, in which we aim to keep you up to date with the upcoming racing events which will happen in these two days. From Formula 1 to NASCAR or Moto GP, we will be offering you a few details on where they will happen so you can plan these two days. This weekend isn’t particularly filled with races, but things will pick up. First, we have the Formula 1 Italian Gran Prix, taking place in Monza. It’s going to be a pretty tough race filled with surprises, especially as Team India’s Adrian Sutil has been dominating the free practice sessions. Look forward to the qualifying races today while Sunday will see the race begin. American fans are eagerly anticipating today’s Chevy Rock & Roll 400 event, which will take place at the Richmond International Speedway in Virginia. Mark Martin starts in pole position, with Martin Truex Jr. on his side. It’s going to be a pretty tough race, filled with unpredictable events, much like any NASCAR competition. Last but not least, the International Rally Challenge (IRC) is holding the Principe de Asturias rally in the lovely Spain. Italian Giandomenico Basso is leading after Friday’s special stages and still has six more to go today. While there aren’t many races being held this weekend, things will be quite hectic in the next one. Enjoy all of these events but remember to drive safely on the road. If you enjoy this feature, don’t be afraid to show us some love in the comment section below. Read More: “The Weekend Races: 12-13 September” Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Brabus SV12R: Mercedes-Benz S600 on heavy steroids Posted: 12 Sep 2009 12:51 AM PDT  We all know Mercedes-Benz makes some gorgeous cars and, when coupled with their high performance engines, can put a smile on any car enthusiast’s face. But everything can be upgraded, at least according to the guys at Brabus which have taken the facelifted new Mercedes-Benz S600 and heavily modified both the interior and the exterior. The result? The Brabus SV12R, a monster luxury car capable of developing 750 HP, all from the massive V12 engine, outfitted with larger turbos and a bigger displacement value of 6.3 liters, as opposed to the standard 5.5 value. The torque is limited to 1,100 Nm or 811 lb-ft, but it is still impressive nonetheless. All that power goes to the rear wheels thanks to the tuned five-speed automatic transmission and, if you have a bit of extra money, through a special Brabus locking differential. All of these modifications makes this rocket reach 100 km/h or 60 mph in just 4 seconds, and you’ll be doing 200, or 124 mph in just 11.9 seconds. The maximum speed is electronically limited to “just” 340 km/h (211 mph). Customers can opt for various 21-inch alloy wheels, which came in various designs and can be wrapped in either Pirelli or Yokohama tires, which come narrower at the front and beefier at the back. Of course all of these mechanical upgrades are all packed with a sweet cosmetic one, as a new bodykit which includes LED lights in the front bumper, some aggressive side skirts and a rather decent boot lid spoiler finishing the back of the car with the quad tailpipes is included.  That’s the outside, which normally was the most important thing to Brabus, but on the inside, this new SV12R will include a custom designed Yachting trim, new from Brabus, which combines maple and tropical Wenge wood in order to create a sharp contrast with the exterior. Look forward to more pics when the car will be revealed to the public at next week’s Frankfurt Motor Show. Read More: Brabus SV12R: Mercedes S600 on heavy steroids Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| New York driver gets 56 tickets in 13 minutes thanks to wild Police chase Posted: 12 Sep 2009 12:07 AM PDT  Drivers are something almost unavoidable for many car drivers out there. Even if we got it for illegal parking on some other misdemeanor, they always have an impact on us, especially in terms of finance. But New York driver Joshua Bracci will definitely have some trouble as it seems that he acquired no less than 56 tickets while fleeing from the police in a 13-minute chase. The felonies happened on Tuesday night in upstate New York, around the town of Greece, he was clocked at a radar station doing 111 mph, and seeing how the Police weren’t very happy, he engaged them in a chase. Borrowing from a few action movies, he decided to turn off his headlights in order to make the car less visible. Luckily, a few residents spotted him and directed the police cars after him. After cornering him in a dead-end street, the officers fined the man for no less than 56 felonies including: first-degree reckless endangerment, first-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a vehicle, driving while intoxicated, reckless driving, unlawfully fleeing police, resisting arrest and criminal mischief, among several other offenses He is now residing in the Monroe County Jail with a bail set at a whopping $25,000. He is due in court on Friday and it’s a safe bet that he won’t be getting in front of the driving wheel anytime soon. Read More: “New York driver gets 56 tickets in 13 minutes thanks to wild Police chase” Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| General Motors Offers 60-Day Money Back Guarantee for its Cars Posted: 11 Sep 2009 09:00 AM PDT
The most recent? Why one pulled straight from infomercials and teleshopping ads, as the large corporation will give you a 60-Day money back guarantee for any of the cars you buy from brands like Chevrolet, Buick, GMC or Cadillac. In case after the 31st day you’re not satisfied with the car, then you’ll get your money back without any other charges or fees.
Do keep in mind though that only cars which were purchased with cash need apply, as those bought on lease contract don’t count. Also, you’ll need to be quick about it, as cars delivered by November 30 qualify for this promotion. Each household is permitted to return one car, thus avoiding any scams which would cause GM to loose even more money. Overall, this is a pretty courageous move from GM which just might make the average American trust the large corporation once more. Hopefully everyone will be happy at the end of the promotion. Read More: “General Motors Offers 60-Day Money Back Guarantee for its Cars” Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| McLaren MP4-12C Gets Checked Out by Jay Leno, Ron Dennis and Anthony Sheriff Posted: 11 Sep 2009 07:29 AM PDT Earlier today we showed you the first details and pictures of the stunning new McLaren MP4-12C supercar, which will be arriving next year from the UK-based car maker and Formular 1 team. All of the details have certainly raised your appetite for some more footage of the performance car, and thankfully to YouTube, we can now share some interesting hands-on impressions from two men which were quintessential in its creation, Ron Dennis and Anthony Sheriff and famous car enthusiast and talk show host, Jay Leno. The first video is of Jay and his visit to the McLaren UK headquarters. You can find the other two videos by clicking the link below. Here we can see Ron Dennis checking the new McLaren supercar out. Anthony Sheriff also revealed his impressions on the car. Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Opel Ampera Price Will Start at €28,000 in 2012 Posted: 11 Sep 2009 07:01 AM PDT
The hybrid model, which has been called the European Chevrolet Volt, as it uses the same technology and largely the same parts, thanks to the fact that Opel is, or at least was, under GM’s wing, will be cheaper than the fully specked Zafira model, making it a pretty good buy for any family. It also seems, at least according to vehicle line executive for the Ampera, Frank Weber, that it will prove that “a practical, electric four-seater, with cargo space” can be used as the first car in any household. This is largely due to the Voltec technology which will be able power the car for up to 60 km before the regular internal combustion engine can kick in to recharge it. Also, the fact that it will be a plug-in hybrid means that it can be charged almost anywhere by using a regular electric socket. With such a price and the promise of being great for the whole family anywhere, not just in the city, the Ampera is looking pretty good. Until 2012 though, we can’t say for sure which eco-trend might win the day in terms of cars. Read More: “Opel Ampera Price Will Start at €28,000 in 2012″ Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| VW Set to Unveil Golf R In Frankfurt, New Details Revealed Posted: 11 Sep 2009 06:44 AM PDT
Set sit on top of the GTI version of the mark VI Golf, the new version will make its debut next week in Frankfurt. Not a lot of details were revealed, but this rumored presentation will reveal that much to the disappointment of many fans, the model will see a reduction in engine size, as the previous 3.2 liter V6 used on the R32 version of the Golf V will be swapped with the 2 liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine which is currently on the spec list of the new Scirocco R, meaning that its power output will stay around the 270-280 HP range. Also it seems that it will borrow quite a lot of things from the Scirocco R, including a bodykit similar to it, twin central exhaust and a new set of five-spoke alloy rims. The meaner image will be topped by a pair of darkened headlamps, so that everyone will know you when they see you in the rear view mirror. No word yet on whether or not we will see an all-wheel-drive system on the car, but considering the Scirocco R also has the famed 4Motion system, it is a safe bet, especially if you want to control all of those angry horses under the bonnet. Stay tuned for fresh details about this reasonably priced “beast”, straight from the Frankfurt Motor Show. Read More: “VW Set to Unveil Golf R In Frankfurt, New Details Revealed” Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Seat Will Reveal an Ibiza Sport Tourer Concept in Frankfurt Posted: 11 Sep 2009 06:23 AM PDT
One of the best looking cars recently was the new Seat Ibiza, borrowing heavily from the stunning Bocanegra concept. It seems that for this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show, the Spanish manufacturer plans to tease everyone with a concept of an Ibiza Sport Tourer. According to the guys over at CarScoop, it seems that this Sport Tourer version will most likely be teased next year and might make it formal debut during the 2010 editions of either the Geneva or the Barcelona Motor Shows, which happen in March and May, respectively. No concrete details are known just yet, but perhaps we can see the Spanish car-maker adapt the Audi A3 and, as usual, offer for a much more reasonable price and with virtually the same build quality. Expect to see some new engines in this version which aren’t yet featured in the Sport Coupe or regular editions of the compact Ibiza. Read More: “Seat Will Reveal an Ibiza Sport Tourer Concept in Frankfurt” Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Hot Chicks and Fast Bikes At the Playboy Halloween Party Posted: 11 Sep 2009 06:08 AM PDT
Also, for bike lovers, there are even more reasons to join, as the Motorcycle Charity Associates’ third annual Leather Meets Lace event will be held in partnership with the famous magazine. This means that on the 31st of October, at the famous Playboy Mansion, there will be hot chicks, fast bikes, a scary atmosphere and, overall, just about anything a man could wish for. All of these things do have a purpose though, beside having a good time, as proceeds from the event will go to the Wounded Warrior Project, which supports the men and women which have served the United States in regions like Iraq or Afghanistan. “Everything transforms on the Playboy Mansion Grounds. Face your fears at the haunted house, Famous Grotto, Clubhouse, Cabañas, etc. Explore the shadows of the nearby Redwood Forest if you dare. Screaming is guaranteed. This is the most talked about, most anticipated Halloween Party, so don’t miss out! Beware: Plenty of tricks and treats are waiting for you. Come party with the world’s most beautiful women, Playmates, models, legendary painted ladies and celebrities,” read the press release for the event. Reservations and more details can be found at this webpage. If you want to support the people fighting in Iraq or Afghanistan and want to have a great time combining girls with bikes, then this is a chance you can’t afford to miss. Read More: “Hot Chicks and Fast Bikes At the Playboy Halloween Party” Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| 55% of Opel Bought by Magna and Sberbank from GM Posted: 11 Sep 2009 05:47 AM PDT
The lucky owners of more than half of the German car brand is the conglomerate formed by the Canadians at Magna and the Russians at Sberbank. GM will keep up to 35% of the stocks in the brand and its UK branch, Vauxhall, which will mean that it can still use the platforms developed by Opel and the Germans can still use elements from various other GM models. More great news are also heading to the workers from Opel and Vauxhall, which will receive 10% of stock options, thus maintaining a pretty big word on where the company will head. The final draft of the contract will be signed next week between the three parties. This move will also mean that the Swedish corporation Volvo, which is currently owned by Ford, who is also in some financial trouble, can fish the remaining investors which were interested in Opel and perhaps make them buy the Scandinavian brand in the near future. Overall, these acquisitions are some pretty good news for fans of all of the companies involved, meaning that none of them will go out of business anytime soon and business will continue as usual. Read More: “55% of Opel Bought by Magna and Sberbank from GM” Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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Friday, September 11, 2009
RPMGO.com (former Auto Unleashed) |
- HTT Plethore LC 750 Brings Canadian Flavor to Frankfurt
- Car Makers Join the Hydrogen Alliance
- “We’ve Overcome the Economic Crisis”, Renault-Nissan Boss Says
- Peugeot and Citroen Launch Their Own Dual-Clutch Gearbox
- Lamborghini Reventon Roadster Revealed by First Pictures
- Ferrari Enzo Meets a Fence, courtesy of Japanese Driver
- Lexus Shows Off Its Hot Hatch, the LF-Ch
- McLaren MP4-12C Officially Detailed: Look out Ferrari and Lamborghini
- Honda Unveils Its Dual-Clutch Gearbox, First for Bikes, Then For Cars
- First days in Munchen, the home of BMW
| HTT Plethore LC 750 Brings Canadian Flavor to Frankfurt Posted: 11 Sep 2009 04:25 AM PDT
The car, it seems, has been in development for at least six years, seeing multiple iterations, but it seems that this is the final one, which will go into production and be available worldwide at the beginning of next year. Bringing some high end power, courtesy of the 6.2 liter V8 engine which, as I’ve said, developers 750 HP. Combined with the aggressive design and the fact that it will have a central seating position, much like the famous McLaren F1 supercar, it will certainly give those at the Frankfurt show something to see. Thankfully, with the help of the guys from AutoBlog, a few pics have surfaced with the car, and we have to admit that it looks very interesting. One of the standout features will most definitely be the scissor doors, which open at a higher degree than average Lamborghinis. The gorgeous rims and large width are also impressive and will make this supercar stand out from the pack. It seems that already 10 cars have been pre-ordered by enthusiasts and plenty more will arrive when the factory will put the finishing touches and produce it. The asking price starts at 395,000 Canadian dollars, meaning it make North American pay a bit over 330k for this supercar from the North. Stay tuned for more impressions straight from the Frankfurt show floor. Read More: “HTT Plethore LC 750 Brings Canadian Flavor to Frankfurt” Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Car Makers Join the Hydrogen Alliance Posted: 11 Sep 2009 03:55 AM PDT
We’ve seen electric hybrids or fully autonomous plug-in electric cars, but one of the most interesting ways to power a car is by through the hydrogen fuel cell. We’ve seen some innovative concepts, like the Honda FCX Clarity pictured above, but it now seems that steps are being taken so that hydrogen-powered cars can become a viable option for many auto fans, as eight of the most important manufacturers in the world have joined up and formed the Hydrogen Alliance. Constituted by Daimler, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Renault-Nissan and Toyota, this alliance will collaborate in terms of developing technologies so that hydrogen-powered cars will become something profitable. The alliance has set the year 2015 as the starting point for a mass release of cars that will be powered by hydrogen. But one of the most important things that this alliance will do is to lobby governments from various countries in order to development a worldwide network of fueling stations in order for people to fill up their new cars and prevent them from running out of fuel just when you least expected. We’ve already seen parts of this network pop up in California for example, but there is plenty of work ahead both for governments and for the car-makers in order to create something worthwhile. You can be sure that large industry centers and cities will be the first to benefit from this new initiative, as the alliance has already revealed that plans are already made for certain sections of Europe, especially Germany, and span to both the United States and Asia, where South Korea and Japan being the most important. Overall, I think that this is something that should really be supported by governments. We have seen plenty of good ideas, but because the infrastructure couldn’t support it, they became obsolete. Read More: “Car Makers Join the Hydrogen Alliance” Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| “We’ve Overcome the Economic Crisis”, Renault-Nissan Boss Says Posted: 11 Sep 2009 01:57 AM PDT
But at least one corporation is doing just great, as Renault-Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn has just declared to prestigious French newspaper Le Figaro that his own company has overcome the worldwide crisis. Don’t go thinking that this will mean month-long paid vacations for everyone at Renault-Nissan, as he continued by saying that the company needs to take care of the side effects of the recession, which are still visible in some structures underneath him. The executive also highlighted that customers won’t flock to dealerships all around the world at once, but that the growth of sales will happen over a longer period of time. People will slowly start to reorganize their budgets and new cars might soon make it to the top of the purchase lists. Until then though, many people are still trying to pay out their leasing contracts or scrape enough money for fuel in order to enjoy their cars. Hopefully things will only get better in the near future for auto fans like us. Read More: “”We’ve Overcome the Economic Crisis”, Renault-Nissan Boss Says” Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Peugeot and Citroen Launch Their Own Dual-Clutch Gearbox Posted: 11 Sep 2009 01:37 AM PDT
Thinking they can do better, Peugeot and Citroen have both announced a new gearbox, entitled DCS6, which will be implemented in their SUV models, the Citroen C-Crosser and the Peugeot 4007. Although a bit strange, as many SUV drivers prefer manual boxes, especially if they intend to do a bit of off-roading, in order to completely control the engine, things keep getting weirder. The new automatic gearboxes also have slightly slower responses than the manual ones, fact highlighted by the 0-100 km/h time and the fuel economy, which has been revealed, when the boxes are coupled with the 2.2 HDi diesel engine from the two SUVs. While a human can accelerate to 100 km/h or 60 mph in just 9.9 seconds, the DSC6 box will reach it in 11.1 seconds. More importantly, especially for those of you with not a lot of money to spend on fuel, the automatic will average about 7.3 liters per 100 km, as opposed to the 7 from the manual gearbox. But for all of these technical drawbacks, Citroen will launch a new options category for the C-Crosser, that will include bluetooth connectivity and rain sensors as standard. Expect the Peugeot 4007 to follow in the same trend, when the new gearbox will be launched in January next year. Read More: “Peugeot and Citroen Launch Their Own Dual-Clutch Gearbox” Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Lamborghini Reventon Roadster Revealed by First Pictures Posted: 11 Sep 2009 01:19 AM PDT
Only the pictures have surfaced for now, but it’s safe to say that the primary goal of the engineers was to further improve the car and, of course, chopping its top off. As you can see, all of the major distinguishing features are there, including the peculiarly shaped front and rear bumpers, as well as the 18-inch wheels and custom interior, all contributing to the jet fighter look of the Italian hypercar. Be ready to fork out about the same amount of money, 1.2 million Euros or $1,0750,000 for any of the predicted 20 units which will be made. Read More: “Lamborghini Reventon Roadster Revealed by First Pictures” Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Ferrari Enzo Meets a Fence, courtesy of Japanese Driver Posted: 11 Sep 2009 12:57 AM PDT
Needless to say, things didn’t go as planned and the supercar, with all of its 650 HP, was too much for the poor guy who found himself plunging it, nose first, into a fence on the edge of a motorway from the Land of the Rising Sun. Fortunately for the guy, the car was fully insured, as you would normally do, considering there were only 400 models made, and the driver made it out without a scratch. Don’t forget that this isn’t the first exotic crash of a Ferrari Enzo, as the most famous one was committed by Hollywood actor Eddie Griffin, during the filming of racing movie Redline. He took a stunning red Enzo and crashed it while preparing for some high end races for the flick. Hopefully such exclusive cars won’t be crashed in the near future and their owners will be more careful. Read More: “Ferrari Enzo Meets a Fence, courtesy of Japanese Driver” Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Lexus Shows Off Its Hot Hatch, the LF-Ch Posted: 11 Sep 2009 12:40 AM PDT
Set to rival premium models like the BMW 1-Series and the Audi A3, this new concept is definitely looking great in the style department, with plenty of aggressive lines and an interior in the same fashion. Sadly though, Lexus was pretty scarce on the technical details, instead emphasizing the looks of the car. “The LF-Ch concept reaffirms Lexus’s commitment to Europe, combining compact dimensions, stylish five-door, full hybrid technology and low emissions to satisfy the most demanding customer requirements and to appeal to a new, younger generation of customers,” read the statement from the company. Nonetheless, Lexus has brought a pretty big innovation into the hot hatch market, as the LF-Ch will feature a fully hybrid drive-train, that can be driven in a full electric mode, unlike other mild-hybrids cars. No details were given on the precise technology implemented, but we’ll certainly find out more as the concept will be transformed into a fully functional model by the end of 2010. Read More: “Lexus Shows Off Its Hot Hatch, the LF-Ch” Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| McLaren MP4-12C Officially Detailed: Look out Ferrari and Lamborghini Posted: 11 Sep 2009 12:24 AM PDT
As you all know, McLaren has been associated with German manufacturer Mercedes for quite some time, collaborating both in Formula 1 and in terms of road cars, with the most recent example being the Mercedes McLaren SLR, which has recently reached the end of its lifecycle. After seeing that the partnership won’t continue, as the Germans already have prepared the Mercedes SLS AMG, the racing company decided to unveil its new, upcoming model, the MP4-12C. As any self respecting manufacturer with racing roots, McLaren has put together all of its Formula 1 expertise and implemented many technologies used in its track cars. This is highlighted by the fact that it has the MP4 moniker, which was used in all of the racing cars up until now. The 12 will represent the value that McLaren believes it has against its opposition while the C comes from the Carbon fiber heavily used in its body. One of the crowning achievements from the UK-based manufacturer will undoubtedly be the engine, which although isn’t of an impressive size, "only" 3.8 liter, has twin-turbos attached to the regular V8 body. Center-housed, of course, it will deliver 600 horse power and a torque of 600 Nm or 442 lb-ft. The first engine completely produced by the company, it will also have plenty of its systems borrowed from the racing team. As such, more that 80 % of the aforementioned torque will be available at under 2000 rpm, which is very impressive and will lead it to 100 km/h or 60 mph in just 3.5 seconds. For the Eco-conscious drivers out there, rest assured, as the estimated emissions are pegged at around 300 grams of CO2/km, which is great considering the top speed with be at around 320 km/h. This engine will be connected to a custom built dual-clutch gearbox from McLaren called Seamless Shift, which boasts seven speeds and specific functions which guarantee lightning fast shifts. The driving modes available will be auto, sport, launch control and winter, all of which powering the back wheels of the supercar. Another fact which needs to be highlighted will be the carbon fiber monocell which will have plenty of F1 elements and weight just 176 lbs or 80 kg. Don’t think that this means it will be flimsy and won’t resist even the smallest scratch as the new carbon fiber technology is more rigid, allowing for better suspension tuning, more resistant to crashes and, as the name implies, is all just one piece. The underside of the car will be completely flat, feature definitely taken from Formula 1 cars, in order to improve airflow. Also, if you consider the front vents on the spoiler as purely cosmetic, think again as they will deliver vital air to the engine. McLaren also suggest that even though it will have a lot of racing pedigree, there will be plenty of options to make less hardcore drivers feel right at home. From custom leather interiors to navigation or phone connectivity, all of your gadgets will feel right at home in the new MP4-12C. The estimated arrival date of the model onto the international market is estimated in early 2011, and will fight for the 150-200,000 dollar/euros/pounds price range, with companies like Ferrari or Lamborghini. Look forward to more details about this brilliant supercar in the following months. Read more: “McLaren MP4-12C Officially Detailed: Look out Ferrari and Lamborghini” Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Honda Unveils Its Dual-Clutch Gearbox, First for Bikes, Then For Cars Posted: 10 Sep 2009 11:20 PM PDT
But don’t go thinking that the next Civic, Accord or any Acura-branded models will boast it, as at first, the company which also makes motorbikes, will implement it on its two wheel models. This is due to the new systems used by the company, which make it extremely light, and thus great for bikes. More specifically, the two clutches are placed on the same line, and combined with the hydraulic circuits from under the engine, will mean a drastic weight loss for the new box. In terms of mechanics, it will have six speeds, with each clutch operating a set of three gears, one for the 1,3,5 and the other for the 2,4,6 gears. As you know, bikes don’t have reverse, so these will be all the gears for the first edition of the box. You can be sure that the one made for cars will have plenty of other features in it. The new box will also have three driving modes, D, for normal driving, S, for sport, and M, which will allow the rider to change the gears how he pleases. There are no details on when the box will be made available for cars, as further research is needed on behalf of the Japanese company, but it seems that dual-clutch gearboxes will play a big part in the future of both bikes and cars. Read More: “Honda Unveils Its Dual-Clutch Gearbox, First for Bikes, Then For Cars” Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| First days in Munchen, the home of BMW Posted: 10 Sep 2009 04:45 PM PDT After a long, but pleasant drive through Europe (especially Austria), yesterday we finally arrived to our first destination, Munchen, Germany. Though we passed through it last year, on our way to Geneva, this is the first time we’re actually staying in this city and we like it so far. I don’t what Munchen residents are saying, but we’ve got the feeling the whole city lives and breathes BMW and we’re not saying this only because we’re car fans. Their location here is huge and it includes the BMW Welt, the BMW Museum and large production facilities. After yesterday we didn’t manage to get too much rest, today we got to visit some interesting places here in Munchen, with the highlights of the day being the visit to the Welt, to the Museum and to one of their headquarters here, where we picked up a BMW 125i Coupe to drive for the next week, around Germany. A few thoughts on what we saw today: The BMW Museum. We knew that BMW had an important history, but some of the stuff we found out and saw today was really impressive. For example, we didn’t know that the Isetta’s frontal door design was inspired from refrigerators (Iso, the company which built the Isetta, was also making refrigerators) or that the M models’ names were originally longer (eq: M535i, the M was added before the car’s name), but this changed after US dealerships suggested that shorter name would make customers remember the brand and name better.  Also, it was the first time we saw the amazing GINA Concept. Oh, and by the way, it’s not true that the BMW logo represents the blades of an airplane propeller. That was just a marketing campaign back in the ’50s. Actually, the logo is inspired from the Bavarian flag (the region where Munchen is) who was the white and blue colors. The BMW Welt. After the great museum tour, we were a little dissapointed in the Welt, because it wasn’t as spectacular as we were expecting.  Don’t get me wrong, if you have the chance to visit it, don’t hesitate, do it, but be careful, because it’s actually an architecture course spiced with a little BMW marketing The BMW 125i Coupe. After the Welt and Museum tour, we went to a BMW office, where Alex arranged for us to get the car and drive it around Germany for the following week. The first impression is that the engine sounds a lot like the MINI Cooper S (though the handling is different) and that it’s not a bad car at all. We’re really anxious to the what it can do, in the following days. Oh, and I almost forgot. In the morning, while we were driving to the BMW Museum, at a stoplight we stopped behind a camouflaged new BMW 5 Series and we managed to take a few spy shots. We’ll publish all the photos soon, but what I can so far is that, from what I saw, it looks like the car will follow BMW recent design direction (the new 7 Series and the new Z4). Anyway, I think the car will be great and I can’t wait for the Frankfurt show to check it out.  I’m going to post more photos and details about the visits to BMW, but that’s going to happen later, probably in a day or two, because right now it’s 1:20 am over here and I’m really tired after an exhausting day. Take hear and you’ll hear from us soon.
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Tuesday, September 8, 2009
RPMGO.com (former Auto Unleashed) |
| Posted: 07 Sep 2009 01:40 PM PDT Every time an auto show is about to begin, the weeks before are crazy, with a lot of arrangements needed to be done for the trip and for the show. Happily, we’re done and tomorrow morning we’ll be leaving for Germany, with the Frankfurt Motor Show as our destination. But we’re not just gonna go to the show and back, because this year we’ve decided to take a small trip around Germany and visit the museums of some of the world’s most important car makers. Here’s our schedule (in case you’re around in one of these days, let us know and maybe we’ll have a drink together): Sep 8 - Leaving Bucharest by car We’ll be staying at five different hotels, so we really hope we’ll have a good internet connection to manage and keep you updated on where we are and what we’ll been doing. Another thing I wanted to let you guys now is that starting this week, we have a new member on our team, Andrei. We’ll write a more detailed post introducing him later, but just wanted you to know that we’re really happy to have him onboard, especially with him already having around 100 posts written for RPMGO (Auto Unleashed back then) last year. Also, a small update on us. As you’ve probably noticed, it was pretty quiet around here in the past month. Beside August being the last week of summer (vacation time!) we were and are also involved with another project (which we’re really thrilled about and hope it’s going to be huge) which took a lot of our time. We’re not letting you know yet what exactly it’s about, but we’re working hard to try and launch it as soon as possible, so stay tuned because it’s going to be uber-cool. Things will get back to normal this week, when Andrei will start helping us, probably on Wednesday or Thursday.
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This past weekend was filled with festival activities with plenty of classics stealing the spot light! On Monday, I saw this sleek '39 Zephyr Custom at the Matthews Festival! This is a gorgeous custom with chrome rotors to provide extra flare! Take a look!
On Saturday, at the Downtown Mooresville Cruise-In you couldn't have missed this Super Bee Six Pack Mopar with an automatic on the floor!
Take a look at Mopar Lane at the Downtown Mooresville Cruise-In! These Mopars where completely restored by Creations By Gemza; The Mopar Specialist.
This was the perfect weekend to be out cruising! The excitement began Saturday morning with Car's and Coffee. This event consists of a wide range of collectible cars. Check it out at http://charlotte.carsandcoffee.info/. The day continued with ride up to Mooresville for the Downtown Mooresville Cruise-In, which host approximately 550 classics! This is always a great event with a family atmosphere. If you're interested in seeing more please click on http://www.mooresvillenccruisein.com/.
The classic car season is drawing to a close with only a couple months remaining, and I encourage you to cruise in your classic car! Where are you cruising too?
