Fisker's Karma plug-in goes on tour this month

DETROIT -- Fisker Automotive is taking its Karma plug-in hybrid on a 10-week tour of its dealerships across the United States and Canada starting April 2010.



For many of the 1,600-plus people who have deposited $5,000 for the sedan, the events will be first time they have seen the Karma in person, said Marti Eulberg, Fisker's vice president of global sales and marketing.

The dealership events will not include test drives of the sole touring Karma. Ride-and-drive events will be held later this year, she said.

Fisker expects the customers who put down the first 1,600 deposits to take delivery on their Karmas in the first quarter of 2011.



The tour will stop in 42 cities in 26 states, plus three Canadian provinces. Fisker has 37 retailers in North America, with several dealers owning more than one showroom.

People who have made Karma deposits won't be able to see which options and trim levels will be available until the third or fourth quarter.

The tour was the retailers' idea, and dealers can invite prospects, Eulberg said.

The West Coast accounts for the largest concentration of Karma deposits, but Florida, Arizona, and parts of the East Coast also have done well in attracting interest.

BMW 6-Series coupé spied New 6-series From BMW Cars

BMW 6-Series coupé spied
Fresh 6er gets a sleek new look with more space and efficient engines.



BMW's 6-Series is playing it smooth! These latest spy-shots reveal a cleaner overall design for the sleek coupé including a flatter and smoother rear-end that signals the end of the current car's Chris Bangle design.

Other exterior changes include a longer, wider and even taller design which should help boost the space in the previously cramped interior. Meanwhile, fresh side sills and headlights complete the new look.



Under the bonnet, the 4.7-litre V8 in the current model is likely to be replaced by the 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 which features in the 7-Series range and produces 402bhp. A 3.0-litre twin-turbo diesel engine will also be borrowed from BMW's executive saloon. The M6 model gets the 547bhp from the X5 and X6M cars and will sprint from 0-62mph in just over 4 seconds.

The standard 6-Series will go on sale in the middle of next year and will start at around £60,000.

Under the bonnet, the 4.7-litre V8 in the current model is likely to be replaced by the 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 which features in the 7-Series range and produces 402bhp. A 3.0-litre twin-turbo diesel engine will also be borrowed from BMW's executive saloon. The M6 model gets the 547bhp from the X5 and X6M cars and will sprint from 0-62mph in just over 4 seconds.



The standard 6-Series will go on sale in the middle of next year and will start at around £60,000.

Nissan March Nissan plans to launch their next generation small car modelin 2010

Nissan plans to launch their next generation small car model Nissan March in 2010, in India. The Nissan March would mark Nissan’s entry into the automatic passenger car market.



Shouhei Kimura, Nissan Motor India managing director said: “It will be launched in the ‘A´ segment category in India and will have 80% of localization.”

At this point, there is no information on the number of cars to be produced for India, or on the price of the Nissan March when it is launched here. As an A-segment car, the March would be competing against the Hyundai Santo, Chevrolet Spark, the Hyundai i10 etc in India.

This might be a good car alright in the A-segment – but somehow those faux-Beetle looks are not very convincing. The front treatment is European – shoddy European, in my opinion. The rest is tolerable. But like Renault did with the Logan, changing the front grill design of the Nissan March to suit Indian tastes would not be too difficult.

The Nissan March will be manufactured at Nissan’s plant in Oragadam. The Nissan March is one of the nine cars that Nissan plans to launch in the Indian market – the company already sells the Nissan X-Trail SUV in India. Renault Nissan will invest Rs.40 billion ($833 million) in the plant, that would have a capacity to manufacture 4,00,000 cars every year for local and overseas markets.

Kimura also said that the Nissan March would be included in the 110,000 units that would be exported by the second half of 2010, following the signing of an MOU with Ennore Port Ltd.

Nissan plans to scale up the number of units for export to 1,80,000, over the next few years.

Most of the exports of the passenger vehicles and LVCs would be aimed at the European markets.



The Nissan March will be built on Nissan’s new platform.

Kimura was quoted as saying, that since Ennore Port Ltd sanctioned 1,40,000 sq.m of land for exports, the Nissan March would be exported from the Oragadam plant.

The development of a ‘A’ platform is part of intiatives taken for Nissan GT 2012, Nissan’s new five year business plan.

The Nissan March would be launched from Nissan’s Thailand plant first, and then from India. Nissan has said that in its global manufacturing network, India is one of the five leading competitive countries to produce and export the Nissan March.



Nissan has not revealed how many units of Nissan March would be manufactured in India.

Ennore Port will invest Rs 110 crore to create a multi-cargo berth facility for Nissan. Ennore Port and Chennai Port Trust will together handle around 5,00,000 cars by 2011.

The Chennai Port Trust and Ennore Port are working to build infrastructure to match expansion plans of car manufacturers.

The 2010 Nissan March, that is in the design stage, is expected to have a more aggressive or sporty feel to attract male buyers.

Hyundai Avante 2010 A Brand New Car From Hyundai

Hyundai Avante will be the refurbished version of the Elantra. The innovative details and contemporary looks have added to the appeal of Hyundai Avante. Hyundai Avante will have a roomy cabin, advanced instruments and soothing blue backlighting. Twin front airbags, digital climate control and refined machine make up the other features. The car looks best from the rear with the corolla type tail lamps and chunky bumper. Hyundai Avante would have 2 litre DOHC petrol engine and a 1.6 liter CRDi diesel engine. It would be priced between Rs. 9-11 lakh.

Lamborghini Minotauro Design Concept-2020

Andrei Avarvarii, a student getting his Master's degree at Milan's Scuola Politecnica di Design, designed this tasty electric Lamborghini concept. With assistance from Lamborghini Design head Filippo Perini, he used a "soft design language" in penning the Minotauro.



The concept would use four electric motors and split the power 30%/70% front to rear. A Li-Tec flat-cell battery out back and a KERS system in the front would be providing the power.

The press release goes on to explain the bonus of no big, bad V12 out back: "The absence of a big V12 engine in the rear creates enough room for a third passenger in a central position." That's right, seating for three







While the driver's door would be normal, the passenger side's would be bigger to provide access to the back seat.

But the coolest design idea of all? Look no further than those triangular intakes/exhausts. "[They] serve for battery cooling and visually replace the traditional exhausts...[and] also act like the tubes of a subwoofer, channeling the sound of the electric motors, placed behind them."

Then there's the fact that owner's would theoretically be able to upload their own track ghosts to an online community.

If a real racetrack has been / is being covered, the GPS would record car placement / track time, allowing people worldwide to challenge an owner's record.

BMW M5 Sedan -2012 Realistically Rendered

A member of the F10 bimmer forums has put his photoshop talents to good use creating a series of realistic renderings of the upcoming 2012 (or 2011, depending on which side of the Atlantic you're on) BMW M5 Saloon.













Due to arrive in 2011, the Bavarian automaker's new high-performance super saloon will be powered by a downsized, 4.4-liter twin-turbocharged V8 engine that was first used on the X5M and X6M.

In those two models, the V8 produces 555HP at 6,000 rpm and 680Nm or 501-lbs/ft of peak torque. However, it has been suggested that BMW's M division may further tweak the twin-turbo engine boosting output closer to the 600HP mark.

New Honda CR-Z Coupe Launch Film for Europe, Middle East and Africa

Honda has released a new promotional film for its recently revealed CR-Z mild-hybrid coupe. The 90 second film was commissioned by Honda Motor Europe and will be used for press and marketing across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.



The film was produced by Gaucho Productions, a London-based film and digital agency. Directed by Ben Hume-Paton and produced by Kwok Yau, the clip was shot over a day and two nights in southern Spain. You can watch it after the jump.

Video Of 2012 Porsche Boxster Spied During Winter Testing

Porsche engineers were caught on film recently testing the next generation of the Boxster roadster that is due to be revealed at a major international motor show sometime next year.

Just like the upcoming successor to today's 911 (see the spy shots here), the Boxster prototype looks no different from the current model, but that shouldn't come to as a surprise to Porschephiles that are used to the company's evolutionary approach to design.

The new Boxster will share many parts with the next 911 while the German engineers will most likely try to further reduce the car's weight to improve handling as well as to boost fuel efficiency.



The engine line-up and transmissions including a six-speed manual and seven-speed dual clutch PDK will be carried over with minor changes from the current model.

There have been rumors circulating around the net that Porsche may also introduce a smaller displacement yet powerful four-cylinder engine, however, this has not been confirmed.

Sales of the next generation Boxster will most likely start towards the end of 2011 or early 2012.

Robbie Maddison jumps Corinth Canal

Robbie Maddison, Australian Freestyle Motocross called 'Maddo', rewrites history by performing a long jump his motorcycle over 90 meters on the Corinth Canal, Greece.

To open the season the Red Bull X-Fighters has taken another firm, leaving everyone breathless.

Hyundai Equus-2011 Debuts in New York, Takes on Lexus LS and Mercedes S-Class

It's clear that Hyundai is leaving no stone unturned these days in its quest to dominate the automobile market in every segment. At the New York Auto Show, the South Korean automaker introduced the North American production version of its all-new flagship model, the 2011 Equus that's already on sale in its home market.

Hyundai is pitting the Genesis sedan's big brother against rivals such as the Lexus LS 460 and Mercedes-Benz S 550, but at a much lower price as the Equus will launch in the U.S.A. this summer with a starting price in the mid $50,000 range.

"We've applied the lessons in engineering excellence we've learned with Genesis to the Equus, while adding a new level of customer experience that will further differentiate our take on luxury from the traditional premium brands," said John Krafcik, president and CEO, Hyundai Motor America.

Built on a lengthened version of the Genesis' rear-wheel-drive architecture, the Equus is 7.2 inches longer (203.1 inches vs. 195.9 inches) than its smaller brethren. In South Korea, Hyundai also offers a LWB version of the car that measures a Rolls-Royce-like 215-in. (5,460mm) in length.

It is powered by the firm's 4.6-liter Tau V8 engine that delivers an estimated 385 horsepower and 333 lb-ft of torque (378 horsepower and 324 lb-ft using regular fuel).

The V8, which is hooked up to a ZF 6-speed automatic transmission with SHIFTRONIC manual control, launches the Equus from zero to 60 miles per hour in less than 6.4 seconds.

Other highlights include an electronically-controlled air suspension and Hyundai's Vehicle Stability Management system (VSM) that optimally manages Electronic Stability Control (ESC), the electronic parking brake, smart cruise control and the seatbelt tensioning system.

Frazer Nash Le Mans Replica Sport Cars

Frazer Nash was a British automobile manufacturer and engineering company founded by Archibald Frazer-Nash in 1922. The company was founded in 1922 by Archibald Frazer-Nash who had, with Henry Ronald Godfrey founded and run the GN Cyclecar Company.

The company produced around 400 cars until the mid-1930s, notably a series of famous chain drive models.

They became importers and assemblers of BMW cars in 1934 and sold them as Frazer Nash-BMW. They were the official British BMW importer until the outbreak of war in 1939. In 1954 the company started to sell Porsche cars, becoming the official importer for Great Britain in 1956. This lasted until 1965 when Porsche Cars Great Britain was set up.

Eighty-five more cars were produced from 1948 to 1957. These cars were largely a direct evolution of the sporting BMW 328. In the choice of Bristol engines the cars were natural successors to the imported BMWs, the Bristol engine being a development of that of the BMW 328. Models include the Le Mans Replica, the Mille Miglia, the Targa Florio, the Le Mans Coupé and the Sebring. Competition successes included a third place at Le Mans (1949) and a win in the Targa Florio (1951). These post-war cars are very highly prized by collectors. The company participated in the 1952 Formula One season, the cars driven by Tony Crook and Ken Wharton.

london performance car rental service, rent a Ferrari rent Aston Martin Range Rover rental, Lamborghin in london, see london in style.

Performance and Prestige car rental in London. No7 Agency London operates an extensive range of vehicles including Rolls Royce, Bentley, Aston Martin, McLaren, Ferrari, Porsche, Lamborghini, Mercedes, BMW, Audi, Range Rover, limousines and many others. The range also includes more economical family cars, SUVs and mini vans to suite all needs.

Volkswagen Touran 7-Seater MPV Receives Second Mid-Life Facelift

The Volkswagen Touran has been unveiled at the Leipzig Motor Show. Featuring fresh styling, pioneering technology and a range efficient new petrol and diesel engines, the 2011 Volkswagen Touran is set to build on the strong reputation of the 1.13 million examples of the compact MPV sold across Europe date.













Powering the Touran is a range of highly efficient new forced induction engines that promise greater performance and economy while delivering fewer emissions. The entry level petol engine is a new 1.2 litre TSI unit delivering 105 PS. It;s joined by a 1.4 litre TSI engine developing 140 PS.
The 2011 Volkswagen Touran will go on sale in the UK in September with the first models arriving in October. Priced and specification will be announced nearer this time.

2011 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible: First Official Photos of Production Model.

General Motors has opted to unleash the first official pictures of the production-ready 2011 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible.





No specific details were released but we do know that the soft-top version of the new Camaro is pegged to enter production at GM's Oshawa plant in Canada during the first quarter of 2011, with sales set to start around April.





GM has also confirmed that the both the Coupe and Convertible variants of the Camaro will make their way over to Europe in the second quarter of 2011.






The Camaro Convertible will be offered with the same 3.6-liter V6 (re-rated for the 2011MY) and 6.2-liter V8 powertrains as the coupe model.

2011 Honda CR-Z first drive: We couldn't wait, so we drove one in Japan

On the eco auto side of things, the 2011 Hybrid CR-Z boasts LED daytime running lights and turn signals in the mirrors, as well as three driving modes, Eco, Normal and Sport. The mode can easily be changed from the dashboard.
The Honda pamphlet gives the details on the new hybrid hatch CR-Z including a four-cylinder, 112 horsepower 1.5 liter engine which is assisted by a 14hp electric motor. The engine is capable of generating 107 lb-ft of torque with an integrated Motor Assist system adding another 57 lb-ft at a mere 1000rpm.
Not exactly a bolt of lightning, the 2011 Hybrid CR-Z goes from 0 – 60 mph in 9.7 seconds.







When the Honda CR-Z concept debuted, it stoked car reviewers' hopes that Honda would return to building affordable and fun-to-drive small cars -- like the Honda CR-X, a model that was discontinued in 1991 but is legendary among tuners. The CR-Z concept looked like the CR-X, but added a hybrid powertrain, leading enthusiasts to hope for a fuel-efficient hot hatch. When the production CR-Z took the stage at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show, however, many in the automotive press were left disappointed.

Price Expected to start at just over $20,000