Auto News Magazine

SAO PAULO - October 28, 2008: Sand’up Concept is a modular 2+2 coupé that transforms from coupé to cabriolet to pickup on the whim of its passengers. Based on Sandero Stepway – an “urban sport” vehicle only available in Brazil and Argentina, Sand’up Concept goes “topless” to give its four passengers a true cabriolet experience. It features two distinctive aluminum roof rail arches that stretch from the front of the roof to the tail lights. With the rear bench folded down, Sand’up Concept turns into a pick-up. It can also be transformed into a coupé by fitting a red hard top on the roof rails.

Sand’up Concept’s reflective gray paintwork underlines its sophisticated and robust nature while an array of red inserts accentuate its sporty side. A red bumper-integrated nudge bar tells the concept car apart from Sandero Stepway at the front. The color red also features at the back, this time in the shape of a skid plate, pierced by two trapezoidal exhaust pipes. A further red touch is the elegant edging running the length and breadth of the car and separating it into two parts. The flowing design of the upper part contrasts with the more robust forms below (emphatic wheel arches, side sills and 18-inch aluminum wheel rims). The five-spoked rims marry gloss black with the lead gray of the graphite and the red of the brake calipers to give Sand’up Concept a resolutely sporty air, enhanced by the black masks on the front and rear lights.

The contemporary sporty look expressed outside continues inside. The cabin features two shades of gray that generate movement and contrast. These dominant tones are adroitly balanced with touches of red, as on the seat backs. Aluminum inserts on the air vents and seats also repeat the refined-yet-sporty theme.

Sand’ up Concept: intelligent solutions
Sand’up Concept boasts an array of innovations corresponding to the vehicle’s multipurpose nature. In pick-up mode, Renault Design America Latina created an intelligent mechanism that lengthens the cargo bed by up to 40 cm to accommodate a range of objects. The load area can thus be extended to 1.7 meters and boasts a payload of 500 kg, for transporting scooters, jet skis, bikes and surfboards. The cargo bed can be closed using a stiff black cover to protect against the vagaries of the weather. In addition, the rear of the vehicle is accessed via a split-opening “clamshell” system that is also found on Renault Koleos.

Sand’up Concept is transformed easily into a coupé by manually attaching the hard-top roof using solid anchor points. The result is a harmonious whole, with particular attention having been paid to blending the design of the hard top and the vehicle body. Renault Design America Latina created numerous innovations to make life easier for drivers and passengers.

At the rear, the tail lights use LEDs instead of conventional bulbs to boost nighttime visibility. On the sides, traditional rearview mirrors have been replaced by two small cameras. The images they capture are displayed on a trapezoidal LCD screen mounted on the dashboard alongside a GPS.

For easier vehicle access, the doors open gull-wing style using an electro-hydraulic system similar to that on Laguna Coupé Concept. The doors are made entirely of transparent glass, giving driver and passengers remarkable lateral vision and flooding the cabin with light.

Versatility remains the strong point of Sand’up Concept inside. The bucket seats at the front slide back and forth on rails. Two small suitcases fitted into the backs of the front seats can be removed and used as overnight bags.

Sand’ up Concept is yet another example of Renault’s close interest in new automotive trends in its diverse markets around the world
The designers of Renault Design America Latina have been influenced by the pick-up market and the “sport chic” trend, both very important in Brazil. The purchase of a pick-up vehicle is essentially emotional and irrational in Brazil; customers are mainly drawn by the look of the pick-up. The Brazilians are interested in “sport chic” vehicles, expressing a sporty, urban and young attitude.

After ABT and Caractere, another tuner revealed today its customization kit for the Volkswagen Tiguan. The Austrians from O.CT tuning house thought the Tiguan could be faster and in order to demonstrate this the little SUV received some ECU tweaking, boosting the 1.4-liter TSI engine from 140 to 170 hp. A second engine upgrade can be had for a final output of 193 hp.

With this amount of power the car can hit 62 mph in just 8.7 seconds and has a top speed of 140 mph. The same ECU management is available also for the Vw Golf and Touran!

Press release and more info after the jump

It seems McLaren may have more production room after the SLR comes to an end than first thought. We’ve already seen spy shots and mock ups of P11 supercar, but it seems that McLaren is preparing another two sports cars to give it a full line up.

The most interesting of the other two is a £60,000 sports car (about $94,000 at current rates). This puts the once ultra exclusive McLaren into the Porsche 911 range. Engine choices for the P11’s little brothers have not been announced, but it is likely to come off of Mercedes’ shelf.

Posted Oct 28th 2008 11:28AM by Chris Shunk
Filed under: Green, Supercars, Ferrari, Rumormill

Ferrari has promised to make its future products lighter and more mindful of the environment, and the first example of the Italian automaker’s new direction will likely be the F430 replacement. This new Ferrari, code-named F142, is rumored to arrive towards the end of 2009 or early 2010. The vehicle will start out by weighing less than the F430, even the extra lightweight Scuderia model that tips the scales at 1250 kg. The Italian exotic could share technology and styling cues with the eco-friendly Mille Chili concept (above)from a year ago, which utilized lightweight and active aerodynamics to help reduce its CO2 emissions.

The F430’s venerable 4.3L V8 is also rumored to be shrinking, but since it will still don the prancing horse, we’re pretty sure it won’t lose much in the way of power. CAR Magazine believes that Ferrari has turned to direct injection and turbocharging to make up for any loss in the new engine’s displacement. The F142 also won’t have a soft-top Spyder option, instead for a psuedo-convertible setup with hard panels. New Ferrari models don’t typically decrease in price, and with all this added technology the price of the F142 is expected to easily exceed that of the F430. Ferrari wants to reduce emissions by 40% by 2012, and with lighter materials and a smaller engine, the F142 could be the Italian supercar the Sierra Club has been waiting for.

[Source: CAR Magazine]

Auto Express Car Reviews

By James Disdale

28th October 2008

The gloves are finally off! After 17 rounds and nine months of racing, the fight for the F1 championship will go down to the wire.

Both Lewis Hamilton and rival Felipe Massa go into the final race of the season at Interlagos, Brazil, with a chance of snatching the title. But it’s Lewis who enters the encounter as a strong favourite, thanks to a seven-point cushion over second-placed Massa.

However, the British star will still be feeling the pressure. This time last year, the 23-year-old went into the race in exactly the same position in the title chase, only to lose out following an error and technical problems with his McLaren. That resulted in Ferrari’s  Kimi Raikkonen seizing the title by a single point. This time, he is better prepared. “Last year I went to Interlagos with the title battle still up in the air and all my emotions just bubbling up and down,” said Lewis. “It was a very emotional time, because I knew it would end with either great success or huge disappointment. In the end, things didn’t end up too well for me. This time out I want a straightforward weekend that allows me to just focus on my car and my driving.” However, he will face tough opposition from Ferrari’s Massa.

The Brazilian will have home advantage as he guns for a race win and hopes that Hamilton fails to finish in the top five. Despite having to haul back that seven-point deficit, Massa is relaxed about his prospects. “For the final race I have a tougher job than Lewis in terms of the points situation,” he admitted. “But my objective for the weekend is absolutely straightforward. I only have to focus on winning the race on Sunday afternoon.”

He continued: “After that, the matter is not in my hands and we will have to wait and see exactly what and how much we have won.”

You can expect there to be drama further down the grid, too. Sebastien Bourdais of Toro Rosso, Renault’s Nelson Piquet, veteran Honda ace Rubens Barrichello and both Force India drivers have yet to be confirmed for next year. This will be their last chance to impress.

As ever, Auto Express will bring a full race report in next week’s issue, which hits the shelves on 5 November.

Honda’s small car is getting a small reduction in price. Qualifed customers can get a 36-month Civic lease for $189 a month with $1,999 down. Previously lease terms were $199 a month with $2,799down. The Civic is one of the last Honda models to get special financing. “That’s a car they didn’t have to incentivize to sell,” says Chad Jennings, finance director of Joe Marina Honda in Tulsa, Okla.

Bond is all about the Aston Martin, and now that Ford has sold the British brand, it may be having a its own bit of regret for missing out on the promotional material. Possibly to get over its quantum of solace, the Ford Ka will be featured in the new James Bond flick, ‘Quantum of Solace’ (U.S. premiere November 14th).

Unfortunately for Ford, it isn’t Bond piloting its little car, but instead the ubiquitous feisty sidekick/sex toy. But Ford is still taking the time to do plenty of shameless promotion. The actress in the movie Olga Kurylenko is having a series of promotional programs highlighting he career so far, and Ford wants you to know because she will also be likely seen with her Ka. If you’re still interested hit the jump for the press release and more info.

RUSSELSHEIM – October 28, 2008: More than 14,000 readers from the automobile magazine “auto motor und sport” (ams) can’t be wrong: The newest Opel Zafira is not only the most flexible van in the compact class, but the most attractive as well.

With this latest poll, the Zafira firmly cements its leading position among compact vans: This is the fifth time the German trendsetter has been honored with the highly coveted design prize, “Autonis” from ams magazine.

Mark Adams, Vice President Design for GM Europe, knows what it is about the Zafira that excited the Autonis voters. “The flexible Zafira embodies Opel’s competence in monocabs and we will continue to bring new design accents to this segment, as we have already indicated with our Meriva and Flextreme concept cars,” Adams said.

The Zafira’s exterior has a confident and sporty look. Its special characteristic a V-form arrow and typical Opel crease in the hood give it a powerful body shoulder and a sleek aerodynamic roofline.

After an array of discrete design modifications, the second generation Zafira still looks modern and fresh even in its fourth year of sales. Thanks to a long wheel base, wide track and intelligent packaging, the Zafira seats seven passengers in three rows. The unique Flex7 system guarantees maximal variability: With only a few smooth moves, the car can be changed to seat seven, six, five, four, three or two passengers. As a two-seater, the Zafira has a maximum 1,820 liters of storage space. Configured as a five-seater, the car has 645 liters of storage room – making it the best in its class.

Adams accepted the award at the Paris auto show from “auto motor und sport” chief editor, Bernd Ostmann.

MELBOURNE – October 28, 2008: One of the world’s most fuel-efficient cars, the smart fortwo mhd (micro hybrid drive), will be in Australia showrooms this December, just in time for Christmas.

This new and ultra-efficient version of the iconic two-seater city car brings with it the same levels of safety, engineering and driving fun as the current model except it will now be offered with further savings in fuel consumption, fewer carbon dioxide emissions as well as reduced levels of urban noise.

Studies have shown that, on average, vehicles come to a stop every 1.3 kilometres in everyday traffic. In line with this, the 52kW smart fortwo mhd uses idling phases to switch off the engine and temporarily completely avoid fuel consumption, exhaust gas and noise emissions when the car is stationary in traffic. In combination with the automated manual transmission already fitted in the production vehicle (known as softip), customers can comfortably use this function with maximum start/stop availability.

Currently, two versions of the smart fortwo are sold in Australia: the smart fortwo coupé and the convertible smart fortwo cabrio. Both come fitted with a three-cylinder one-litre petrol engine producing 52 kW of power, and customers seeking more zap can specify a 62kW turbocharged version of this engine.

The 52kW smart fortwo mhd will replace the current 52kW variant in the Australian smart catalogue. Pricing and specifications will remain unchanged for customers, who will now gain the mhd’s stop-start feature (which can be switched off by the driver at will) at no additional cost.

Powerful belt-driven starter generator
At the heart of the mhd system is a special belt-driven starter generator that supplies the vehicle’s electrical system with voltage and has a secondary function as a starter.

It is able to smoothly start up the combustion engine in a fraction of a second as soon as the driver releases the brake pedal. This dispenses with the need for a conventional starter motor that works on the flywheel of the crank assembly.

In conjunction with slightly modified gear ratios, this strategy leads to a combined-cycle fuel consumption saving of over six percent (according to ADR 81/02). The standard consumption is reduced by approximately 0.3 litres per 100 kilometres – from 4.7 litres to 4.4 litres. Depending on the traffic situation (heavy slow traffic), this figure can be improved upon further.

There is also a corresponding reduction in CO2 emissions from 112 grams to 105 grams per kilometre, representing an improvement of more than six percent.

The system was developed by smart in cooperation with Valeo GmbH and the Gates Corporation.

The mechanical assembly comprises the starter generator STARS 137 from Valeo. This generator delivers a torque of 42 Newton metres or current of maximum 120 ampere at 14 volts – enough to guarantee a reliable engine start, even at a temperature of minus 25 degrees Celsius. .

To ensure a low-slip and durable connection of the crank assembly and the starter generator, both components were given wider belt pulleys, as was the water pump that is also driven. A six-rib poly-V-belt from Gates transmits the power.

Belt tension is particularly important because of the changing loads in start/stop operation.

A coaxial spring-and-shock absorber unit that is hinged to the starter generator is supported by the engine block. The starter generator is pivoted so that it can apply the tension force to the belt drive. This ensures that both the belt section pulled by the combustion engine when it is running and the complementary belt section pulled by the starter during the start are able to reliably transmit the torque needed.

Control unit with integrated power electronics
The activities of the system are controlled by a separate control unit with integrated power electronics that is installed behind the battery recess.

This communicates with the vehicle’s other control units via CAN databus.

A three-phase cable transmits the generator power of up to 120 ampere. The power electronics regulate the power of both the starter and the generator.

An AGM battery stores the energy for the on-board electrics. The electrolyte is bound in an absorbent glass matt. Its physical properties make it more resistant to varying loaded and unloaded conditions (more cycle resistant) than conventional lead-acid batteries with sulphuric acid electrolyte.

The power electronics of the belt-driven starter generator switch off the combustion engine in idling phases, for example at traffic lights, level crossings or in stop-and-go traffic.

In view of fuel economy and comfort, the electronics switch off the engine at a speed of below 8 km/h when the driver presses the brake pedal, signalling that they want to stop. The engine starts as soon as the driver releases the brake pedal again. This guarantees an immediate response. The start/stop function can be deactivated if required with a switch on the centre console – until the next starting procedure (ignition off/ignition on).

smart fortwo: the most cost-efficient car
The smart fortwo is still Germany’s most cost-efficient car. This is the conclusion reached by experts from the prestigious market observer EurotaxSchwacke after analysing 16 vehicles in the mini car class.

They confirm previous cost calculations by numerous trade magazines and the ADAC, Germany’s largest automobile club. Owners of a smart fortwo micro hybrid drive (mhd) save around €1,700 in running costs compared with the most expensive model in this class.

The smart fortwo tops the ranking of low cost vehicles once again. After auto motor und sport, Auto Bild, Autozeitung and the ADAC, now EurotaxSchwacke GmbH also confirms that the smart two-seater has the lowest running costs in the mini car category.

No other car is cheaper to run in Germany. In the latest examination the experts compared the running costs of 16 vehicles from the mini car segment. They found that it costs €27.52 to drive a smart fortwo coupé pure mhd 100 kilometres.

For comparative purposes: the most expensive model tested costs €38.88 per 100 kilometres.

With an annual mileage of 15,000 kilometres this means that smart drivers save approximately €1,700 per year.

In addition to tax, insurance and fuel, the complex calculation of the total costs also considered wearing parts, maintenance, repairs and the vehicle’s loss of value for an ownership period of 36 months and a mileage of 45,000 kilometres.

“The running costs are also an important factor to consider when choosing a vehicle”, says Martin Verrelli, Managing Director of EurotaxSchwacke GmbH.

The EurotaxSchwacke calculations provide impressive real-world proof of the savings potential of smart’s micro hybrid drive technology, which has been successfully deployed in production vehicles since 2007.

Posted Oct 28th 2008 8:58AM by Chris Shunk
Filed under: Car Buying, SUVs, Trucks/Pickups

Pickup and SUV sales plummeted when gas hit $4 per gallon, and many thought these gas-guzzling segments would never fully recover. That may be true, but for now Americans are once again getting more comfortable with trucks and SUVs. Truck sales fell below 10% of overall vehicle sales back in May and June, but the price of gas falling from an average of $4.11 per gallon to $2.78 has helped the share of trucks rise to 14.1% of the overall market for September. Depending on how buyers react to the financial crisis, October could be even better as gas prices have continued to go down. SUVs have seen a smaller but still significant jump in overall share, going from 1.9% in May to 2.5% in September – a big improvement for a shrinking segment.

Much of the increased interest in trucks and SUVs can easily be attributed to huge incentives on the hoods of these hefty haulers, but gas prices are a big factor, as well. And while most analysts feel the truck market won’t recover until construction picks back up, we’re sure automakers are happy to see an increase in sales for their most profitable vehicles, even if it takes a pile of cash on the hood to get them moving.

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req’d, Photo by Bill Pugliano/Getty ]