All About Car's: August 2009

2009 Ferrari Scuderia Car Picture

2009 Ferrari Scuderia Car Images

2009 Ferrari Scuderia Rear View

2009 Volkswagen Golf GTD Car Images

2009 Volkswagen Golf GTD Car Wallpaper

2009 Volkswagen Golf GTD Interior

2009 Volkswagen Golf GTD Car Picture

PSA Peugeot Citroen in Russia

Mhmm… Crisis in Russian? Do you know as it looks? Do you know what is it?

PSA Peugeot Citroen in Russia

That’s a photo of some airport near St. Petersburg in Russia. A few years ago it was looking like this. Today its looking like this.

PSA Peugeot Citroen in Russia

Now it’s stiffly stuffed with unsold PSA Peugeot Citroen cars.

PSA Peugeot Citroen in Russia

Russian PSA’s dealers say that they got too much overstocked with this inventory and now they simply use all free territories available to cheap pack them with thousands of cars.
As we know it’s not too good for cars to stand at open air under the Russian weather which is far not stable.

Officially Official: Happy 50th - MINI Coupé Concept

Rumors have been swirling for months about what BMW would do on August 26, 2009 for its Mini brand. After all, that is the fiftieth anniversary of the public debut of Alec Issigonis' original Mini. With most of the speculation revolving around either a coupe or some kind of cropped windshield speedster, it turns out the reality was somewhere in between. Unlike the original coupe of the Sixties that simply had a fastback replacement for the standard square-back roof, the new MINI Coupé Concept completely replaces everything from the beltline up. The upright windshield that has been part of the Mini look from day one is finally swept back and a truncated roof covers the remaining two seats.

All pretenses of being a four seater has finally been dispensed with for the new coupe. The shape of the roof indicates that should Mini move ahead with production, and it could easily be replaced by a folding fabric unit to create the anticipated speedster model. What's more, dumping the rear seats means Mini could theoretically add a hefty brace back there restoring some of the structural integrity lost in the standard convertible, or perhaps restore some cargo room as compared to the Cabrio. At this point, it's unknown if those B-pillars are are tinted glass or just big solid blind spots, but visually, the lower half of the car remains pretty standard R56 John Cooper Works.

Although we don't have images of the interior yet, it sounds like it's largely standard Mini, although there are two clocks hanging off the sides of the steering column mounted tachometer much like the so-called Openometer in the convertible. One tells time while the other is a stopwatch for recording laps. The MINI Coupé Concept will be shown publicly at the Frankfurt Motor Show next month alongside the production version of the new Crossover.

TECHART program for Porsche Boxster/Cayman

Porsche upgrader TECHART presents its new individualization options for the newest Boxster and Cayman models. Features include two Aerokits, daytime running lights, a set of sport springs, as well as carbon interior packages. "Our upgrade options enhance both the exterior and the interior, fulfilling our clients' desire for more individual exclusivity," explains Tobias Beyer, spokesperson for TECHART Automobil GmbH.

First Drive: 2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor

After spending a couple of days with the 2010 F-150 SVT Raptor in California's Anza Borrego desert, we came to the conclusion that Ford's SVT wondertruck is at least 15 different kinds of awesome. After all, how many SVT-badged, factory fresh rides come equipped with three stage Fox shocks, 12-inches of clearance and 35-inch BF Goodrich rubber? We can only think of one, and we drove it in orange.

Motor Trend also spent time with the Raptor at Anza Borrego, and they had cameras rolling on the ground and in the air. The 6:27 video is chock full of information about the Raptor, but perhaps more importantly, it's also filled with rolling footage of Ford's off-road super truck doing what it does best: tackle tough terrain. MT hits speeds of 75-100 mph while behind the wheel, sliding effortlessly across some pretty inhospitable environs. In the video, the publication's Ed Loh also tests out the Raptor's hill descent mode, which crawls down steep grades without the need to touch the gas or brake pedal. Hit the jump to watch the Raptor tackle hill and sand at Anza Borrego, and if you're anything like us, you'll be looking for the nearest dune and any excuse to get behind the wheel of Ford's new desert rat rod.

2009 Cadillac Escalade Hybrid

The Cadillac Escalade Hybrid combines the luxury and presence of a Cadillac with an advanced 2-Mode power train for real fuel savings with style.
Standard equipment includes Magnetic Ride Control, 22-inch chrome wheels, power liftgate, remote start, Bluetooth compatibility, and a rear-view camera. Available as a 4x2 or 4x4 the Escalade Hybrid 2-mode hybrid system conserves energy by using an electrically variable transmission, a 300-volt storage system and a 332-hp 6.0L Vortec V8 engine with Active Fuel Management. The nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) battery includes an 8 year/100,000 mile warranty.
The Cadillac Escalade Hybrid is all new for 2009.
NHTSA Frontal Crash Test has awared 5 star to cadillac Escalade Hybrid.
The Ferrari Story

2009 Cadillac Escalade Hybrid

2009 porsche 911 carrera 2 tiptronic S

2009 porsche 911 carrera 2 tiptronic S Picture

2009 porsche 911 carrera 2 tiptronic S Interior

2009 porsche 911 carrera 2 tiptronic S Wallpaper

New Bentley Mulsanne makes world debut at Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance

Bentley Motors unveiled the Mulsanne, the company’s all-new flagship grand tourer, at the prestigious Pebble Beach Concours D’Elegance in Monterey, California. The Mulsanne is inspired by the company founder W.O. Bentley’s crowning achievement in 1930, the 8-litre. And it was W.O.’s own sensitively conserved company car hat shared the podium with the new Mulsanne in Pebble Beach. This early motoring masterpiece represented the last big Bentley that was designed, engineered and built from the ground up by Bentley engineers - until now.

Mercedes-Benz SLR Stirling Moss - 'Open Motoring' Gains a New Meaning

The Mercedes-Benz SLR Stirling Moss, the final hurrah for the fabled SLR line, has a production date of June 2009 and is the culmination of everything SLR. The SLR Stirling Moss has a radical design, with no roof or even proper windshield. It is as if Mercedes-Benz is flaunting the fact that all SLR drivers own a couple more cars, and the retro race-roadster design is the only thing they could respectfully apply legendary British race car driver Stirling Moss's name to.

Stirling Moss--the car--is styled unlike anything else on the market, even from boutique car builders. It looks every bit the modern interpretation of the classic race speedster Mercedes is going for, and while the modern SLR McLaren heritage is clear, this new edition is wholly different. While the new open supercar Mercedes was again developed in conjunction with McLaren, this one drops the McClaren name in favor of honoring the most famous of Benz pilots.

2010 Mercedes-Benz SLR Stirling Moss Specifications

Drivetrain
Layout	Front Engine, RWD
Engine
Type:	Supercharged AMG-Sourced V8
Engine & Transmission
Displacement cu in (cc):	5.4 liters
Power bhp (kW) at RPM:	478 kW/650 bhp
Exterior
Body Type	2 Door, 2 Seat Open Speedster
Materials	Carbon Fiber Exterior/Carbon Fiber, Aluminum, Leather Interior
More Info...
Release Date	Production Begins June 2009
Performance
Acceleration (0-100 km/h)	Less than 3.5 seconds
Top Speed	217 mph
Bhp per Liter	118.2 bhp per liter

Base Price: 2010 Mercedes-Benz SLR Stirling Moss - EUR 750,000 (USD $1.05 million)

2010 Hyundai Equus - Wow!

HYUNDAI TO SELL ITS FLAGSHIP SEDAN IN U.S. CRAFTED TO RIVAL MERCEDES, BMW, LEXUS AND THE WORLD'S MOST PRESTIGIOUS LUXURY AUTOMOBILES, MARKING ANOTHER STEP IN HYUNDAI'S GROWTH AS A LEADING BRAND

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif., 08/12/2009

Hyundai is shaking things up at the annual Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance by announcing its intention to launch its most premium luxury sedan in the U.S. next year.

Hyundai’s flagship, badged as the Equus in the Korean market, will be on display and on the roads surrounding the annual gathering of collectible classic luxury automobiles throughout the week, giving attendees a glimpse of the company’s most prestigious model.

“We showed the car at the New York Auto Show earlier this year, and the response was fantastic,” says John Krafcik, Hyundai Motor America president and CEO. “Since then, we’ve had a fleet traveling around the country, capturing input from our dealers and consumers. Here, too, the response was extraordinarily positive, and similar to the market reaction to the award-winning Genesis, so we’ve decided to bring it to the U.S.”

Hyundai’s flagship sedan, developed under the codename “VI,” launched this year in Korea. The Equus nameplate used there has adorned the company’s flagship model for 10 years, where it enjoys a reputation for quality and luxury in a place where Japanese and European luxury marques such as Lexus, BMW and Mercedes are coveted.

Here in the U.S., the runaway success of the 2009 Hyundai Genesis, which has garnered worldwide critical acclaim and remarkable sales success, gave Hyundai reason to consider expanding its brand further into the upper echelon of automotive luxury. But it was dealer and consumer response to a summer-long tour that saw Equus sedansvisiting Hyundai showrooms across the country that solidified the decision.

DETAILS OF U.S. PLANS TO COME

Hyundai’s new flagship sedan is built on Hyundai’s all-new, innovative, premium rear-wheel-drive architecture, shared with the North American Car of the Year Genesis sedan and the performance-focused Genesis Coupe.

The new sedan will be sold in the U.S. beginning in late 2010. Pricing, packaging, specifications, and the final name of the car for the U.S. market will be announced closer to launch.

Ukraine's Ridiculous Rides, and you’ll never guess who they belong to

Mayor of Kiev, Leonid Chernovetsky is a connoisseur of fine automobiles and apparently just being related to the man has its benefits. Between the two sons and one daughter their garage includes a Maybach, Rolls Royce Phantom and the Mercedes Benz Mclaren SLR,Porsche 911, Spyder and a trio of Rolls Royce Drophead Coupes amongst a few other high end machines.

The women in Chernovetsky’s life are no strangers to controlling incredible amounts of power. It is said that his wife drives the MercedesMcLaren SLR super car with its 5.4 liter supercharged V8 that pumps out 626 HP and will accelerate from 0 to 60 MPH in just 3.8 seconds and hit a top speed of 207 MPH. The daughter enjoys her time behind the wheel of this Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder daughter with its 5.0 Liter V10 that makes a screaming 520 HP and will go to 0 to 60 MPH in only 4.3 seconds on its way to hitting a top speed of 195 MPH.

Chernovetsky’s male offspring are no strangers to the finer things in life. Like this Porsche 911 gt by techart covered in a stunning matte gold finish. The 3.6 Liter flat 6 engine has been tuned to produce 630 HP, go from 0 to 60 MPH in 3.2 seconds and hit a top speed of 215 MPH. Of the three Rolls Royce Drophead Coupe’s the youngest son is most often found in the white version with a 6.75 Liter V12 that makes 453 HP and goes from 0 to 60 MPH in 5.9 seconds.

Toyota Camry 2010

TechArt GTstreet RS based on Porsche 911 GT2

TechArt GTstreet RS based on Porsche 911 GT2 - High Quality Wallpapers

Hyundai waits until Pebble Beach to announce that the Equus flagship sedan will be sold in the U.S.

The Korean automaker Hyundai waited until the perfect moment to announce that the Equus flagship sedan will in fact be making its way into dealerships right here in the U.S. The announcement came from the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance after much anticipation and speculation as to whether the American market was ready for an ultra premium sedan from Hyundai, and judging by the Genesis sedan’s warm reception, it looks like we are.

Hyundai Motor America president and CEO John Krafcik said that "We showed the car at the New York Auto Show earlier this year, and the response was fantastic,... Since then, we’ve had a fleet travelling around the country, capturing input from our dealers and consumers. Here, too, the response was extraordinarily positive, and similar to the market reaction to the award-winning Genesis, so we’ve decided to bring it to the U.S.” In the states Hyunudai hopes to steal a few luxury buyers from the likes of Mercedes, BMW and Lexus.

Congratulations are in order for the Korean automaker making a bold move and not being afraid to ruffle a few feathers at the world’s greatest car show. So while the 2009 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance will be featuring names like Buggatti and Bentley and celebrating a century of Morgan, Audi and the designs of Zagato; Hyundai has given everyone something else to think about.

2010 Ford Taurus SHO Best Car Images

2010 Ford Taurus SHO

2010 Ford Taurus SHO Interior

2010 Ford Taurus SHO Wallpaper

Dodge Viper ACR Wing Stronger Average Spoiler

The elephantine rear airfoil bolted to the rear deck of the Dodge Viper ACR is not only highly functional, but it gets credit as being the first mass-produced carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) wing on a production vehicle. Rear wings on high performance vehicles are designed to counter lift. Without aerodynamic aids, most vehicles become less stable and have reduced gri, as velocities increase (worst case, the vehicle actually flies as did the Mercedes CLR at Le Mans in 1999).

Chrysler's SRT Performance Group was tasked with building a faster variant of the Dodge Viper with the ACR, yet cutting weight at the same time. The team did extensive studies of wing profiles before settling on a 72-inch wide wing manufactured out of CFRP. While most wings have a structural core or ribbing, the ACR's hollow wing is comprised of just four layers of epoxy/carbon fiber weave with an outer UV-resistant clearcoat.

The wing is amazingly strong (as evidenced by the picture at right), yet it weighs just 7.5 lbs, 50 to 80 percent less than an aluminum or thermoplastic counterpart. Working in conjunction with a variable-geometry front splitter and dive planes, the oversized rear wing helps the Viper ACR achieve its targeted 1,000 lbs of downforce at 150 mph. That's enough to help Dodge's supercar sustain a cornering load of 1.5 Gs at speed – superior to many GT racing cars.

Porsche Carrera GT: Matte Black edition by Gemballa

Finally somebody heard our cry for a matte black Porsche Carrera GT, now available in the form of the Gemballa Mirage GT.

"It's everything that the other Mirage GT Editions boast -- 3.7-second 0-to-60, 208 mph top speed, 670 horses -- but it's nasty, as in Doom on Wheels, with nothing but silver accents over light-eating black paint"

The BMW e24 6-Series - Classic

The car that started it all, won the world cup rally two times for BMW and took many other victories. The old school 6 series is a car meant to be driven. With the engines said to go as far as 500,000 miles the e24 6-series is the best built Bimmers of all time. The 635csi came with a inline 6 engine with 215 hp and 304 torque. It gets great gas mileage, 18 in the city and 28 on the hwy. The M6 version was the best car probably you could get back then, with a inline 6 and 282 hp and 333 torque doing 0-60 mph in 6.1 seconds. Back then this is considered a rocket, and even right now not many vehicles could do this.This is still fast. The 6 series one of my favorites a real classic both representing the great legendary handling and power.

Lazareth creates a 500-horsepower Ethanol Powered quad

French automobile and motorcycle builder Lazareth has managed to shoehorn an entire BMW V12 engine into one of its crazy Wazuma quads. While there isn't much that's environmentally friendly about a 500-horsepower supercharged V12 from BMW that's powering a rather large and impractical quad platform, Lazareth has decided to attempt to give the machine a bit of eco-cred by running the engine on E85.

Why use ethanol in a decidedly performance-minded machine? We'd guess Lazareth's decision to run E85 as a fuel is due to its superior octane rating, which allows the engine to run a higher compression ratio than with gasoline. If you're interested in adding an ethanol-burning, V12-powered road rocket to your own personal stable of vehicles, all you need to do is write Lazareth a check for €200,000 ($283,000) and await your delivery.

Geiger Cars Corvette Z06 Black Edition

For years the Corvette has been representative of the very embodiment of the quintessential sports car amongst true motorsport fans. Thanks to Corvettes newest models and their successful racing prototypes performing world wide - most notably in the legendary 24 hour race at Le Mans - the Corvette has evolved to rightfully inspire fear in the eyes of supporters of Porsche and Co.

The Corvette C6 ’s acquisition price of almost 75,000 Euro is one trait that is not to be underestimated. Relative to its features and talents it’s a good value for the money. Although it takes a little more than 10,000 Euro on top to attain the status of the fierce Z06, when compared to the Porsche 911 or the Audi R8 the Vette is a true bargain.

GeigerCars, the American car specialists situated in the Bavarian metropolis of Munich present their own Black Edition of the Corvette Z06. Its modification is not flashy nevertheless it embodies very striking customizations. The Z06 is powered by the familiar V8 block engine possessing a phenomenal 7 liters of capacity, 505 horsepower and an impressive torque of max 5638 lb-in (469.8 lb-ft) at 4,800 revolutions per minute. Thanks to Geiger’s own exclusive Tuning Kit the addition of an extra 78 horsepower is mustered up – increasing maximum performance up to an impressive 583 horsepower. The modifications include an exhaust header with high-performance catalytic converters, a stainless steel exhaust system with four 100mm size tailpipes, an airbox incorporating a 100mm size airflow meter. The v8 motor gains considerable fierceness due to the customized throttle valves, a modified intake system, new valve springs, valve heads made of titanium steel and not to mention the installation of a specially designed camshaft.

An overhauled engine management system ensures that the 8 cylinders generate its 583 horsepower performance smoothly. The total price for this impressive Tuning Kit lies at 13.999 Euro. Untypical for an American vehicle, the Geiger Corvette is outfitted with a 6 gear manual transmission, adding only more fun to the overall package. Thanks to a curb weight of only 1.48 tons a level of road performance is attained that would make any Porsche fan go pale in the face.

Driving pleasure is increased significantly by GeigerCars own low rider design with adjustable high performance shock absorbers. In the front, 10x18 black varnish alloy wheels with 275/35 ZR18 tires mediate contact to the road. In the back 12x19 black varnish alloy wheels with 325/30 ZR19 tires perform their task with pride. With so much torque to tame, it isn’t a problem in the least that the back tires won’t always have everything perfectly under control. Quite the contrary, the brake away tail end only prompts a little smile on your face if you’re one of the more trained drivers- besides; the Corvette Black Edition from Geiger also has a front spoiler as well as a modified rear end diffuser.

Ferrari 458 ITALIA - Ferrari’s innovative new V8

The Ferrari 458 Italia is a completely new car from every point of view: engine, design, aerodynamics, handling, instrumentation and ergonomics, just to name a few.

A two-seater berlinetta, the Ferrari 458 Italia, as is now traditional for all Ferrari’s road-going cars, benefits hugely from the company’s Formula 1 experience. This is particularly evident in the speed and precision with which the car responds to driver inputs and in the attention focused on reducing internal friction in the engine for lower fuel consumption than the F430, despite the fact that both overall displacement and power have increased. However, Ferrari’s track experience makes its presence felt in the 458 Italia not only in terms of pure technological transfer but also on a more emotional level, because of the strong emphasis on creating an almost symbiotic relationship between driver and car. The 458 Italia features an innovative driving environment with a new kind of steering wheel and dashboard that is the direct result of racing practice. Once again input from Michael Schumacher - who was involved from the very start of the 458 Italia project - played an invaluable part.

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