Whoops

Vw launched their motorsport site. Racing the Polo Cup on Grand Turismo 4 has been fun.

Check out the new site http://www.volkswagen-motorsport.com

Posted by karl at 12:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Lately Audi has been in the news a lot releasing and announcing more and more cars including the RS4 and the newer models of the 2006 A4 and A6. Now Audi has made another model announcing the arrivals of the 2006 Audi S8. The S8 will hit markets in Tokyo this month, the legendary car that was universally known from the best car chase movie of the year, Ronin.

There have been several rumors surrounding the S8, from the wheels used to the subtle front spoiler design. The front spoiler was designed to be similar to the one of the Audi A8, however American dealers went into consideration that the S8 should have a more ‘in your face’ class of front end.

The 2006 S8 is alleged to have a V10 engine, the same as the Lamborghini Gallardo, delivering more then 450 horsepower. The S8 will have more of a controlled handling and will be lighter then most V12’s such as the Volkswagen W12 which means better performance overall.

As stated previously, the S8 will be hitting markets in Tokyo this month but shortly later in roughly March 2006, the Audi S8 arrival in Europe will transpire.

NO announcements have happened on the North American market arrival situation.

Posted by daniel at 03:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

The original Mini Cooper was a very distinctive small car designed by the British motor corporation by Alex Issigonis, and manufactured in England. The Mini began its public life on the 26th of August. Alec could not have dreamed of the impact this car would have on the world of culture, society, and automobiles itself. It was designed for an affordable car which could seat 4 adults while being small enough to travel safely.

The Mini will always be remembered threw the 1960s. Threw those 10 years the design changed greatly. In 1961 the first Mini hit the streets with a 997cc engine producing a massive 55bhp and from there followed a range of other’s from the rare 970cc Cooper S. From there on everyone wanted a Cooper, and everyone who was anyone in that time had a Cooper, from the Beatles, to peter sellers and much more.

In the 1970s there was a certain dark era of the mini, where there was many attempts to kill it off, starting with the end of the Cooper and the Launch of the Metro, but regardless the Cooper still marched on with just enough people buying it to keep it alive. The 70’s Coopers were plain and dull leaving the public with a sour taste of the car.

The re-launch of the Cooper in the 1990s brought back what it needed. Perhaps the biggest change came in the 1997s with the introduction of the twin-point engine. The engine was introduced as standard in both the Mini and Cooper models along with safety features such as Air bags, and side impact door’s.

The launch of the Mini by BMW in 2001 gave a whole new look. Thou it took away from the size of the classic’s it was revolutionized with its new amazing look’s and more powerful engines. From there on the

Posted by daniel at 01:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

As introduced by BMW in February, the much anticipated BMW 130i will be released. Great for those who can’t afford the higher end BMW’s. It will have an Inline-6 engine and will be the only car in its class that offers straight-6 power in both front and rear wheel drive. The 130i may be cheaper them most of the other models, but it still is as powerful then most and even more powerful then 630i and the 530i. The engine will develop 265 horsepower with the maximum torque at 232 lb-ft at around 3500 RPM. It will accelerate from 0 – 100 km in 6 seconds but only has a top speed of 250 km/hour. However fuel consumption is great, as it goes 31 miles per gallon in the city.

The ‘M’ version of the car will show a few additions to the vehicle. In the front, the M models have a lower front spoiler designed for better aerodynamic performance. In the rear, a cut out venture in the bumper in the rear bumper for a nicer, sportier look. 18 inch double spoke alloy wheels and a newer suspension will also be available. To top it off the paint job will have a high gloss shadow line finish.

The 130i will be available as a coupe, convertible and the arguably nice hatchback. Although the hatchback will not be available in North American continents, the 2006 130i coupe and convertible will be available for us sometime in 2007.

Posted by daniel at 11:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The hybrid serious, its growing more and more, not that long ago, only a few existed, now they are growing more rapid then ever. Hybrids are now getting more and more popular

Now if you compare the Toyota Prius Hybrid, and the GMC Sierra Hybrid, most people would wonder how can both of these have the same miles per gallon, the simple answer is no, they dont. All hybrids run on electrical power, as well as conventional combustion engines added. The extent to which the electric power helps out the gasoline determines the level of the hybrid. There are three levels of hybrids:

Full Hybrid vehicles can be run completely on batteries when operating on lower speeds, it can also help out the engine so not as much gasoline is needed. The Toyota Prius' hybrid would fall into this category.

A less electric powered hybrids would be the Honda Civic Hybrid and the Honda Insight. The hybrid level. The engine can be shut down completely, but most of the time only when it is idle. It is not as effective as the Full Hybrid vehicles.

Then of course there is the mild-hybrid vehicles. The Chevy Silverado Hybrid and the GMC Sierra hybrid would fall into this category. Really, you still save gasoline but not by a lot, the hybrid only helps these vehicles when its stopped and at very low speeds.

I would recommend picking up the first two levels of hybrids, but I dont think the mild-hybrid is worth the extra cash on the Chevrolet Silverado and the GMC Sierra 1500 Hybrid.

Posted by daniel at 10:40 PM | Permalink

The gas powered part of the engine system is a 3.3 L 3MZ-FE V6, very similar to the one found in the RX 330. It produced, 211 hp JIS (155 kW) and 288 Nm (212 ft·lbf). The gas engine is aided by a maximum of two additional electric motors, one driving the front wheels, producing 167 hp JIS (123 kW) and 333 Nm (245 ft·lbf) and connected to the CVT gearbox, and the other driving the rear wheels, producing 68 hp JIS (50 kW) and 130 Nm (95 ft·lbf). The whole system, called THS II, produces a maximum of 272 hp JIS (200 kW). Under normal driving conditions, only the front motor and petrol engine will be used. The rear motor will only be used under full-throttle acceleration or when the front wheels lose traction. The petrol engine will switch off automatically and the car will be electrically driven when either stationary, decelerating, or being driven at a slow speed. A Ni-MH battery is responsible for powering the motors, and it is charged during deceleration.

The assistance of the electric motor increases the vehicle's performance; the 400 h Hybrid can reach 60 mph (97 km/h) in less than 8 s, quicker than the petrol-only RX. Despite the increased performance, the RX 400 h Hybrid consumes roughly the same amount of petrol as a compact four-cylinder saloon and it qualifies as a Super Ultra Low Emission Vehicle (SULEV) in America. Under the Japanese "10.15 mode" fuel consumption standard, the Harrier Hybrid can run 17.8 km per litre of fuel (compared with the standard coil-sprung V6 3.0 L Harrier, which returned 9.4 km/L). In Japan, it qualifies as a "4-star" LEV-car, where it produces 75% fewer emissions than the standard specified in Heisei 17 (i.e. year 2005).

Posted by karl at 08:26 PM | Permalink

According to detnews.com the famous BMW model cars have gone up, this time by 8.2 percent.

Compared to last years results at this time of the year, BMW sold almost 30,000 more models then last year, probably thanks to the BMW 645 and the BMW 525i.. and of course the new BMW 3 series modles of 2005.

...For the quarter, the company sold 292,207 vehicles, up from 269,974 during the first quarter of 2004, fueled by growth in Portugal, Russia and the Caribbean.

Despite the record numbers, shares of BMW were down half a percent to $44.98 in Frankfurt trading.

Overall deliveries of BMW-branded cars were up by 7.8 percent to 239,387 from 222,087 in the year-ago period, thanks in part to the success of its BMW 1 Series line which was launched in September 2004.

Sales of BMW's Mini brand were up 10.3 percent to 52,694 cars from 47,774.

But sales of its luxury unit, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, were down with just 126 Phantoms being sold, a 9.4 percent drop from the 139 sold during the first three months of 2004.

Germany was the company's biggest sales area, with 65,680 cars sold there, followed narrowly by the United States, where 65,536 cars were sold. ...

My guess is that next year 2006, BMW dealerships will sell even more, thanks to the highly anticipated 2006 BMW M3, and the 2006 BMW 3 series. Next year at this time i bet BMW will have sold at least 300,000 cars.

Posted by daniel at 08:28 PM | Permalink

According to FinFacts.com, the first-quarter sales of the Mercedes Car Group decreased to 247,000 (7 percent) and the revenue decreased to 10.4 BILLION Euro's (11 percent).

The division reported a first-quarter operating loss of EUR 954 million, compared with an operating profit of EUR 639 million in Q1 2004. The result for the first quarter 2005 was affected by expenses relating to the realignment of the smart business unit of EUR 800 million. At smart there was an operating loss from ongoing business activities.

Even though Mercedes is having a non-successful year compared to last years totals, I think the Mercedes Benz history of making countless amounts of money overtakes this small loss.

I think Mercedes will recover easily and even increase compared to last years totals.. Mercedes released their SMART model to Canada and I'm sure that will help then and now that Winter is out of the way and the covertable tops can actually be removed, this is when Mercedes will Shine, not only in Canada.. but all around the world.

Posted by daniel at 12:59 PM | Permalink

Mitsubishi's sales in the East Asian country of Indonesia has been weak of late and because of it, Mitsubishi is simply not producing cars in Indonesia in the future. But will the people of Indonesia miss the Mitsubishi dealerships selling used and new vehicles such as the Mitsubishi GTO and the infamous Mitsubishi Pajero? By the stats and sells, it doesnt look like it will affect them in anyway, it seems that they don't care.. they have enough top brand cares to choose from and I dont think the demand for a vehicle is as high there as it is in North America.

Production volumes at the plant had nearly halved to 4,890 units in 2004 from 8,670 in 2003 and over 10,000 in 2002 as Mitsubishi Motors lost customers to domestic rivals such as Toyota (from reuteres.co.uk)

Mitsubishi is popular and successful in so many more countries, especially in Canada and the United States, so IF ANYTHING, i think this move helped Mitsubishi, another smart move by the company.. first bringing mitsubishi dealerships to Canada and now moving mitsubishi dealerships OUT OF INDONESIA.

Prime example of the Rich getting RICHER!!

Posted by daniel at 10:06 PM | Permalink

The First Quarter Sales Report was released by Volvo a while ago and according to Automotive.com, Versus last years sales in the first quarter, Volvo went down 10.3 percent, even though Volvo introduced countless of new SAFETY options.

According to the chart made by volvocars-pr.com, the lovering Volvo XC90 is actually selling more then last years first quarter total, not by alot, but still an increase.

The Volvo S60, the Volvo V70, the Volvo S80 and the Volvo C70 were among the few Volvo cars that went down in sales this year.

Overall, sales in North America (United States, Canada and Mexico) totaled 13,204 units. Sales in Canada were up 10 percent in March, while sales in Mexico continued to show growth with an increase of nearly 20 percent for the month. Year-to-date, VCNA is off slightly with sales down 2.5 percent compared to 2004. http://www.automotive.com/news/25/11347/

Posted by daniel at 04:17 PM | Permalink

Audi parts are amongst the best, and the Audi Allroad - Audi RS6 is one of my favorite of audi parts. The car has an amazing interior, it has everything you wanted in a vehicle, and it has so much space built inside it as well and IS THE ONLY car that has a saloon and Avant version.

The ultimate top-of-the-range version in the A6 model line has been created by quattro GmbH and developed in conjunction with AUDI AG. The V8 biturbo engine of the Audi RS 6 has an output of 331 kW (450 bhp) and offers the performance of a thoroughbred sports car. With its innovative Dynamic Ride Control (DRC) suspension system and 8-piston high-performance brake system, it opens up new dimensions of operating dynamics. The design of this exclusive sports car is deliberately restrained.

The Audi RS 6 embodies a unique high-tech package. Its immense power characteristic, quattro permanent four-wheel drive, high-performance brake system and innovative DRC suspension set new standards in the segment of high-performance vehicles.

( GermanCarFans.com )

Even Audi Tuning is so flexible, its like buying Nascar Decals, you can do whatever you want and has the biggest variety of Nascar Decals ( Audi Parts ) that you want.

There is lots of quality Audi Forums out there, at an Audi Forum, if you have ANY problem at all, theres a chance other Audi owners may answer the question without you needing to leave your home and spending any money.

Audi is a good brand, go to your Audi Dealer and see for yourself, its the most support you can find ( From my experience ).

Posted by daniel at 07:43 PM | Permalink

The 2006 Audi A3 is something special, its More than what's new, its what's next.

The 2006 A3 's exterior includes Power outside mirrors including defog, power back window wiper, and polycarbonate covers on the headlights just to name a few.

The 2006 Audi A3 performance is amazing for its class. It inludes over 200 HP with Audi dsg transmission, and course its a front-wheel drive vehical. Including a Turbo-charged engine, the A3 performance is as follows: (AudiCanada.ca)

0-100 km/h in seconds: 6.7 (DSG); 6.9 (6-speed manual) Top track speed: 209 km/h¹ Fuel economy estimates (city/highway)²: DSG: 9.7/7.2 manual: 10.2/7.1

The New A3 has lots of amazing options on to be added on as well. The Sport Package, being one of my favorites includes color stitching of your choice on new sport seats, 16 spoke 17 inch rims, a brand new suspension, aluminum trim, and of course a rear roof spoiler.

The Cold Weather Package, of course includes, heated seats in the front, but also makes the outside front mirrors heated, and the windshield nozzles heated, so you dont get killed when its 50 below!

Other Packages include the Sound package, the Premium package and the Convenience package package. All that I would say are worth the extra money 100%.

The upgrade that is absolultly neccesary is the 200 HP Audi DSG transmission instead of the regular six-speed one, the Audi DSG transmission makes the car so much better.

The car has everything, at least consider it!

Posted by daniel at 01:59 PM | Permalink

According to Fourtitude.com, the popular Audi cars such as the 2005 Audi RS6 and the 2005 Audi TT Coupe, broke a record for vehicle sales in the first quarter of 2005 with 195 004 cars sold worldwide an increase of 1.8 %.

Strong growth was achieved especially in Europe, at 9.8 percent. Some individual markets clearly bettered this: for example, sales in Great Britain were up by 10.2 percent to 25,724, in Spain by 21.6 percent to 14,395, in France by 24.2 percent to 10,090 and in Belgium by 39.6 percent to 7,547 units. High increases were also recorded in Eastern Europe. The sales volume in Russia, for example, expanded by 48.8 percent to 1,225 new cars. Sales in Germany were up by 1.8 percent to 56,141 units, clearly defying the general market trend.

The markets in which Audi recently set up its own importer companies, such as Australia and South Korea, also set new records.

Obviously, the popular 2005 Audi Quattro and the Audi A4 have had successful sales for years, but I think Audi should introduce a few other cars similar to the Audi RS6 or even introduce what BMW did with their 1 series cars, a less expensive car than previous years.

The Audi RS6 is one of my favorite cars, its a car you can use in any situation, all for yourself or even if you have a fairly large family.

Posted by daniel at 06:55 AM | Permalink

After Audi announced that their new upcoming vehicles were to be named the Q7 and the Q5, Nissan took action to prevent confusion. Nissan has used the name Q45 and the QX4.

newkerala.com wrote:

Nissan has requested the court bar Audi from using Q7, Q5 or any other names that infringe on its 'Q Marks.'' The company seeks unspecified damages from the Volkswagen AG subsidiary, and reimbursement for legal costs.

Of course, if you want the full article go to:
http://www.newkerala.com/news-daily/news/features.php?action=fullnews&id=89959

Personally, I would do the same if i were Nissan, I would get confused as a consumer with half the cars in the world featuring the Q.

Posted by daniel at 09:12 AM | Permalink

The Chrysler 300C was the best selling car of 2005 in North America and the Volkswagen Golf was the best selling car of 2005 in Europe. Of course theres 5 different continents including the demanding ASIA!

Here's a full more detailed article on the worlds most popular car of 2005 and the best seller in most continents outside America and Europe. Reuters.co.uk wrote:

China's economic boom has boosted car ownership in recent years although auto sales have recently stalled following the introduction of restrictions on auto loans as the government sought to curb an overheating economy.

Analysts expect car sales in China to rise 10 percent this year, slowing from 15.2 percent growth in 2004 to 2.33 million units and a doubling of the market in 2003.

ACNielsen was more upbeat, saying demand in China should accelerate again this year.

"Demand in the automotive market in China slowed a bit in 2004, reaching a temporary plateau, but will pick up again in 2005 as China is moving comparatively rapidly from an underdeveloped market with limited brand/model choice to a mature replacement market with increased competition," ACNielsen said in its report.

The survey covered 14,100 people in 28 countries across the globe.

For the full article on the top car sellers in 2005 in the world go to:
http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsArticle.jhtml?type=motoringSummary&storyID=695028

Pretty coool stuff in my opinion, Im sure Toyoto isn't to far behind in sales here in America either, its gotta be near the top in every country!

Posted by daniel at 08:54 PM | Permalink

As I talked about the best sellers in 2005 in North America with the Chrysler 300C leading the way, its a different story in Europe. The ever so popular Volkswagen Golf is the best seller in Europe. Peugeot and Opel car models were also top sellers in 2005.

For a full report, heres what CARkeys.co.uk had to say:

The Volkswagen Golf remained the most popular car in the region last month, and indeed the best seller for the whole of 2005 so far. Next up were the Peugeot 206, Ford Focus, Peugeot 307 and Opel/Vauxhall Astra. The highest-placed Renault, in sixth, was the Megane, but thanks to the strength of other models Renault is still the top manufacturer, around 10% ahead of Volkswagen, with Opel/Vauxhall, Ford and Peugeot closely matched in third to fifth places.

What none of the above reveals is the extraordinary performance of the Astra. While most other mainstream models have suffered from reduced sales (with the exception of the Focus, which has enjoyed a modest improvement), Astra sales have shot up by around 60%. This also means that GM's European arm is the only major volume manufacturer to have scored better results in February 2005 than in February 2004.

There are some bigger surprises further down the list, none more astonishing than that of smart. It has been known for some time that smart is in trouble, and as reported earlier this week there is high-level talk within DaimlerChrysler that the brand should be ditched altogether. But smart sales have improved by around 35% since this time last year.

BMW had a very good February and is well up year-to-date, thanks in no small way to the new model ranges it has introduced, while Skoda is also in an impressive growth period.

Obviously the driving conditions are affecting the sales, it cant be changed, Europe and America will always be different.

Posted by daniel at 11:31 PM | Permalink

The 2005 Geneva Car Show is one of the greatest car shows annually. It features cars from Volkswagen to Ferrari to Lamborghini. It is the time of year where car companies can introduce their new 2005 car models to the universe in one of the most beautiful countries in the world, Switzerland.

I found a pretty cool article at VWVortex on the 2005 Geneva Car Show, heres a little portion of what they had to say:

It’s almost ironic to report that Geneva, Switzerland is home to one of the world’s most important international auto shows each year. Ironic, because though it’s true the Swiss love their automobiles, the host city of Geneva is about as unfriendly to cars as any in Europe - narrow streets constructed with horses rather than cars in mind, confusing traffic patterns, and some of the briefest of green signal lights ever experienced, causing outrageous back-ups any time of the day. After 5 pm it can take well over an hour or two to find a parking spot for the evening.

Still, as mentioned the Swiss are as car-crazy as the rest of us, and the geographic and political nature of their country means that a more eclectic mix of automobiles would be very hard to find. Tax-free bank accounts seem to support an unusual number of exotic vehicles, and German, French and Italian machinery is everywhere you look. Add to the mix a dab of Cadillac CTSs, Ford Crown Victorias, and the odd Mustang GT, and it becomes obvious Geneva is more than fit to host one of the year’s most important international automotive events each year.

For the full, excellent article on the car show, check out VWVortex.com.

Posted by daniel at 11:42 PM | Permalink

God Bless the amazing creater of this car, object, whatever you want to call it. The Enzo Ferrari , the F430 Ferrari , F50 Ferrari , 360 Ferrari Spyder , 430 Ferrari , F50 Ferrari , F1 Ferrari ... the list gets bigger and bigger and better and better.

Ferrari even released a new model , of course its a beautiful 1 FORMULA1 Ferrari 2005. The German and the Brazilian drivers of Ferrari in Formula1 is going to win it again , like always.

The best car, made by the gift of italians. FORZA ITALIA .

Posted by daniel at 12:48 AM | Permalink

This car is definitly one of the best in the history of all cars. The Murcielago Lamborghini , the Diablo Lamborghini , the Gallardo Lamborghini and the Countach Lamborghini are upon the best.

The 2005 Lamborghini models made the famous Lambo company a lot better and you should be seeing more of them in the future. When i was in Portofino couple months ago , Lamborghini replicas , and of course the real Lamborghini models were seen everywhere. My favorite had to be the 2005 Lamborghini Murcielago Roadster , amazing!

All this talk is a dark desire , but at least im letting the rich with famous lifestyles know where to look for their car exotic model car , sorry my grammar isnt good because im drooling over what im typing !!

Posted by daniel at 08:45 PM | Permalink

The Smart just made its entrance into Canada and the USA about half a year ago. I first saw this car couple years ago in Europe not knowing it existed and just standing there starring at it like an idiot. I don’t know what makes this car my favorite. Its not a slow car either, it can do 0 – 60 in under 10 seconds for most Smart models.

These cars aren’t as expensive as you think either, in the United Kingdom; the car sells for under £10,000… for those of you that aren’t familiar… that’s under $20,000 CANADIAN, not AMERICAN!

I’d love to spend my cash and get this car, but it’s a tad (yea, just a tad!) to small. I rather go buy a Volkswagen or a reliable Toyota.

Posted by daniel at 08:36 PM | Permalink

Rumors have been circulating that there will be a new Supra introduced by Toyota in the near future. The expected release date is late 2005 or early 2006 but the date has been changed many times already so no one knows what to expect. The Supra will have either a V6 or the powerful V8 engine. As of now everything is as good as a rumor and nothing is guaranteed, lets just keep our fingers crossed that this rumor will become reality.

Posted by daniel at 09:15 PM | Permalink