cars new audio

Ferrari launched its program for customizing One-to-One, which will allow all its customers customize their cars and make them the closest to the model of your dreams. is the first model to incorporate a new studio and a special, dedicated to the program, was installed at the factory in Maranello and other units will be installed in other parts of the world in its most important markets.

The photos show the first model, which was customized at the inauguration of the program, the last Hall of Geneva and has panoramic roof electromechanical, whose level of transparency changes with just a touch and exchange Superfast, which uses technology from Formula 1 to carry out exchanges at 1 tenth of a second.

Lamborghini has cultivated an image for fast and exclusive supercars, but the Reventon broke the mold. Although rumors at one point suggested that the exotic automaker would increase the production run, Lamborghini stuck to its guns by producing just 20 examples as originally promised, all of which were spoken for almost immediately after the announcement was made despite a whopping million-euro price tag. Now the last one has rumbled out the factory gates in Sant'Agata Bolognese into the hands of one elated new owner.

Well, we'd be elated, but the car's owner was instead described as "understandably delighted". That's British understatement for you. The car was sold from a dealership in Birmingham, England, which had the honor of hocking the only Reventon to make it to the car-crazed UK. Fortunately for British supercars fans, the owner – whose identity was not disclosed and his face blurred out in the photo – pledges to drive the machine and will start by driving it across Europe from Italy to Engand.

Toyota's showing in Tokyo was rife with disappointments, none more so than what was over at the Lexus booth. Beyond its LF-Xh hybrid crossover, rumor had it that a revised version of the LF-A supercar would make an appearance. No such luck. Instead, the same show car we've seen over the last year stood alone, longing for refinement.

According to Winding Road's Japan correspondent, the reason for the dismal showing was a shakeup on the engineering side of Lexus' new halo. A number of "key engineers" have apparently been yanked off the project to work on other programs within Toyota, and that, partnered with problems providing power from both a V10 and a gas-electric hybrid V8, along with reaching the 218 MPH targeted top speed, has caused delays in development.

The business plan for the LF-A includes building 26 units per month, and sources suggest that sales are likely to begin in 2009 – the same year Acura will bring its own supercar to market.

There's more than a hint of Toyota's PM, i-Swing and i-REAL series about this concept. But where Toyota admits that the driver may occasionally want to get out of the pod, Suzuki sees no reason for such extravagant use of your legs when operating the PIXY. Leaving the city for a blast down the highway? Just drive your PIXY in to your SSC mothership. Want to go for a thrash though the mountains? Park up in your SSF sports-car unit. There's even a speed boat (SSJ) on the cards, not that you'd be able to smell the sea breeze. Both the PIXY and SSC appear to be hermatically sealed and were unbearably hot under the stage lights. Ideal transportation for a post nuclear war world perhaps?

We don't know what the next Acura (Honda) NSX will ultimately look like, but we do know that it will have a 5.5-liter V10 throwing down 560 hp through a torque-vectoring SW-AWD setup. The folks over at Auto Express have a cutaway view of the NSX's gizzards, and what lurks beneath the creased and chevroned skin of the next do-it-all-faster supercar could be good for a few extra heartbeats. We do hope, however, that these exterior renderings are quite a ways off. Otherwise, it might not be so bad if Acura offers a cutaway version of the actual car so that you don't have to see its body, because even under the camo, the new NSX is shaping up to be um, homely.
interesting..

[Source: Auto Express]

Retro is fast becoming an accepted design theme industry-wide with vehicles such as the New Beetle, Mini Cooper and Fiat 500 shining as examples of the genre. The same can be said of motorcycles, with such designs as the Ducati SportClassic range as well as half of Triumph's line acting as flag-bearers. Harley could be grouped into that category as well, although they've never really changed since... well, the beginning of time. Anyway, Honda is considering capitalizing on the market trend with a new design inspired by the ground-breaking CB's of the 1970's. When it was first introduced, the CB750 turned the motorcycle world upside-down and went a long way towards making the sporty English bikes of the day obsolete overnight. As an odd turn of events, though, the CB1100F seen above would be anything but revolutionary in the sporting bike game today, considering that the air-cooled engine, skinny "right-side-up" fork and dual shocks are carry-over pieces from the original design. Of course, that's why it looks retro and why many people would likely run to their nearest Honda dealership to place their orders.

By most accounts, Honda originally planned to show off the next generation NSX to the seething throngs at last year's Tokyo Motor Show. But due to the less-than-positive reception the Advanced Sports Car concept garnered at the Detroit show, Honda's designers headed back to the drawing board to redesign the front clip housing the 550 hp, 4.5-liter V10.

Now, Autocar has gotten word from a Honda insider that the NSX is bound for the 2009 Tokyo show, sporting a new front end that "has Chevrolet Corvette undertones" and is slated to for production in the fall of 2010.

The new NSX will supposedly kick off Honda's first serious attempt at producing rear-wheel-drive vehicles to rival BMW, Mercedes, Lexus and Infiniti, including new platforms that will underpin Acura's larger sedan offerings and an S2000-based Acura sports car that takes aim at the Mercedes SLK. The launch of Acura's 7-series fighter isn't due to make an appearance until 2015. For Honda' sake, let's hope they can expedite development to make it happen around the turn of the decade.

If you won a lottery that offered you million-dollar supercar or a large cash prize, which would you take? Okay, well you might be a little biased if you're reading Autoblog. So let's make this a little more challenging: what if you lived in a town with no paved roads like Norman Wells (population: 761), some 690 kilometers northwest of Yellowknife in Canada's Northwest Territories, where Louie Edgi lives with his family.

Edgi bought ten tickets for the Alberta Cash and Cars Lottery, which was giving away a Koenigsegg CCX and supports local cancer research funds, on a trip down from his northerly home-town to Edmonton, Alberta, (still considered ridiculously close to the North Pole for the rest of the world, including this Canadian-born writer) to undergo cancer treatment. Since getting the car home would have required a long trip up a winter ice road – a prospect that apparently hasn't caught on in the Northwest Territories as it has in Koenigsegg's home country of Sweden – Edgi opted for the cash instead, and is reportedly feeling a lot better about his treatment now.

This weekend's Porsche Panamera photos have everyone talking, and it had us thinking it's time for a Sunday Poll. Sportier, coupe-like four-doors are no longer a novelty; everyone's doing (or plans to do) it. So, given the choice, which one would you pick. Our candidates are a mix of cars already here, cars on the way, and one concept that seems like a lock to come to fruition. Are you beguiled or bewildered by Stuttgart's new four-door? Maybe you like Fisker's green-but-beautiful approach. How about the Mercedes CLS, which basically started this trend? VW's now in the game with the CC, and Aston's busy cooking up the production Rapide. Let's not forget Jaguar's wide-eyed kitty, the XF. And we'd be remiss if we left out the Lamborghini Estoque, a concept that has cash cow written all over it for Sant'Agata. So, throw all those pesky restrictions like budget and availability out the window. In your opinion, who's got the best take on the coupe-sedan look so far?
who knows..

This one is a sporty modification concept of Honda Tiger 200 CC. I found this in a wordpress blogger, blogged by an Indonesian local blogger. He doesn't add any information in the post he made. Well,.. I think It's an expression of their fan about how Honda will improve their next design… And I think, Honda should begin to hear their customer about what kind of design is wanted by their customer. If not,.. never dream to take over Yamaha's top market share in Indonesia. And Honda should thanks to their fans of this brilliant design ideas!

This new design transporting concept car introduced by Daihatsu in Tokyo Motor Show 2007.It looks like a Dakar rally van that's been left in the wash too long. It's a true truck with a body-on-frame design, though. It's generous ride height and copious degrees of approach and departure angles mean that the Mud Master-C can actually go places while leaving an eency-weency footprint in its wake.

Daihatsu says that there are three gullwing doors on the concept, though they're really hatches, one on each side and one on the back. The truly neat thing about the Mud Master-C Concept is that it's configurable. For instance, the mountain bike support model developed with professional cyclist Raita Suzuki (shown at right) is configured to carry a pair of bikes, but the concept can also be configured as an open bed truck capable of carrying an ATV or even a crane!

Check out more info and Daihatsu's press release after the jump, and be sure to browse the gallery to see the Mud Master-C's unique features.

The Mud Master-C also features what Daihatsu calls a hub reduction system that transfers power using gears mounted between the driveshaft and the wheelhub. It appears the system allows the driveshaft to sit higher than the center of the wheelhub, giving the Mud Master-C its impressive ground clearance. The relatively large 16-inch off-road tires help, too.

Inside the concept you'll find a dash that's comprised simply of one large screen that displays both gauges and in-car entertainment options. Being the activity vehicle it is, the Mud Master-C also features water repellant seats so that hosing mud off of them is not a problem. The seats, however, are flat as church pews, which, when combined with the concept's height and narrow width, mean turns should be taken with caution.

Daihatsu didn't mention what powers the Mud Master-C, but we're guessing it's a small gas or diesel engine mounted amidship below the floor.

Additional Info of Mud Master-C :

This small, tough transporter leverages compactness and light weight for special off-road agility and adopts body-on-frame construction for outstanding durability and cargo capability. This mountain bike support model was designed in collaboration with the leading professional cyclist, Raita Suzuki.

• A hub reduction system, which transfers driving power via gears mounted between the drive shaft and wheel hub, together with large-diameter 16-inch off-road tires, achieves 370mm ride height and generous angles of approach, departure and breakover for outstanding off-road drivability and stream-fording capability.
• The body uses highly durable, lightweight and compact body-on-frame construction. A range of attachments can be combined for a variety of applications, from outdoor sports to work in rough terrain.
• Large gullwing doors on three sides give the MUD MASTER-C great convenience, ideal for loading and unloading bicycles in the "mountain bike support" model.
• Full-cabin styling creates a strong presence.
• The interior features a simple instrument panel with large-screen LCD multi-display and the water-repellent seats, reflecting the car's rugged image.

Compiled from Autoblog.Com!

One of the most eye catching bike in Tokyo Motor Show 2007 might be this one, Yamaha Tesseract. It doesn't like common motorcycle which only have two wheel, it have four wheels. Unfortunately, you look for it in Yamaha dealer for recent time. It’s just a styling concept and have not mass produced. Y

It’s not technically a motorcycle, and “Tesseract” sounds like something Scooby-Doo would say, but who cares? It looks incredible and has enough techno-jewelry to make the most jaded gearhead drool. Mounted in that spidery chassis is a V-Twin motor that’s the basis for a hybrid propulsion unit. Front suspension is something Yamaha calls “dual scythe,” and like the Piaggio MP3, the wheels lean with the chassis into the turns to impart that authentic motorcycle-riding feel. Like the Piaggio, the frontal profile is almost as narrow as a motorcycle, which would make this a fun and interesting street ride. The extra wheel will add stability, for sure, but also make this as likely to become DOT-legal as a Tiger tank.

I find a funny concept car in our neighbor site, it's a concept car which inspirited by the “Finding Nemo” box office hit animation. This car presented in October at the Road Transport Show in Amsterdam, The Citroën NEMO Concept is now on display at the 2007 Bologna Motor Show. The concept car is colored in white, orange and black and it celebrate the famous Disney clown fish.

This crossover concepts maybe be the longest Mini ever built. With over four meters in lenght and measuring 1,8 meters in width, the new car opens a new chapter in the history of Mini. Like the Mini Clubman, the Mini Crossover Concept is not a four- door in the classic sense, a conventional arrangement of doors is to be found only on the front passenger’s side, while on the driver’s side the the vehicle comes with a conventional door for the first row of seats plus a lift/sliding door moving along the outside for convenient access to the rear and for loading the car from the side.

And by dropping the B-pillar on the driver’s side, the Mini Crossover Concept exhausts the potential of this generous opening to an even higher degree. Frameless side windows, finally, are yet another feature of this truly exceptional four-door.

The Ford EcoSport is a Compact SUV designed and built in Brazil by Ford. The EcoSport is one of Ford's best-seller models in Mexico, Argentina and Brazil. Its main competitors are the Fiat Idea Adventure, Volkswagen CrossFox and Chevrolet Tracker. Below is next Ford Ecosport that will be lauched in 2008.

All models have front-wheel drive with manual transmission as standard. The 2.0-litre model can also receive a four-speed automatic transmission and four-wheel drive. In the latter case, an electronically-controlled system lets the driver engage the rear axle from the dashboard.

Since the EcoSport went on sale, the car has sold well, consistently appearing on the 10 best-selling vehicles on Brazil list.

In late 2007 a restyling was introduced, which renewed the front to bring it closer to modern Ford pick-ups as well as the recent Brazilian Fiesta restyling, and updated the rear lights and interior materials.

This one is a newer version of Audi A4. With this new Audi A4 sedan gracing stands at last week's Frankfurt Show, Audi is attempting to inject some life into the older-shape A4 Cabrio with the addition of the S line sports specification for the 2.0L TFSI model.

This New A4 available only in the UK from December onwards, the special edition packaging adds Pearl Nappa leather, a Bose stereo system, parking sensors, and xenon headlamps.Handling is improved with 18-inch double spoke alloys and a lowered sports suspension, while the exterior dons an optional blacked out grille and unique front and rear bumpers with an integrated rear diffuser. The car's mechanicals haven't come in for an upgrade, but the 197 HP and 206 lb-ft. of torque available from the 2.0L engine should suffice until the new model arrives. Opt for the multitronic CVT and the 0-62 MPH will take you 8.1 seconds while fuel consumption stands at 28 MPG. [Source: Audi]

ZDNet reports that a biodiesel conversion specialist, Jonathan Goodwin, has retrofitted a Hummer to run on ethanol, hydrogen, biodiesel or natural gas. The car gets the equivalent to 40 miles per gallon. Goodwin's company is an alternative energy start-up, SAE Energy. The company is filling an unlikely niche in the clean tech market: making muscle cars green. He's already converted about 60 H2 Hummers from gas to diesel and about 100 H1 hummers, including a Hummer that can burn the whole menu of clean fuels.

A gas-to-diesel conversion boosts a Hummer's mileage from about 10 miles a gallon to between 22 and 24 miles a gallon. Additionally, the horsepower jumps from about 325 in the regular Hummer to 650, giving the car more power.

Goodwin, who's based in Wichita, Kan., doesn't advertise or push the services through Web sites much because it generates too many inquiries. "I really get pounded with a lot of requests when I do," he said. "But it doesn't look like I will be able to hide much longer."

Gas-to-diesel conversions are the automotive equivalent of a heart transplant. The gas-burning engine and original transmission are removed and replaced with a Duramax diesel engine, typically inserted in Chevy trucks, and an Allison transmission.

With a Hummer, little retrofitting is required. With the Impala, the center divider in the car had to be widened. In the end, though, the car still accommodated four or more passengers, unlike the two-seater Lamborghini.

The performance increase comes in part from the inherent properties of diesel engines. Overall, a diesel can deliver more torque–the rotational force applied to an object, in this case the car's crankshaft–than a gas engine. A 500 horsepower gas engine might put out 600 foot-pounds of torque. A similar diesel might put out 800 to 900 foot-pounds of torque.

The engine inserted into the 1965 Impala cranks 850 horsepower and 1200 foot-pounds of torque. The Impala was chosen because it has a stronger frame than most other mid-1960s muscle cars.

Packed with Anceltion's cool features!
Anceltion is a well known maker of the hottest aero parts. Although we would have never predicted their shift in product marketing, their quality and craftsmanship have been well maintained regardless of their change.
Being used to the luxury vehicle industry, the Skyline was chosen for their demo car because of its sporty and luxurious characteristics. The front bumper was extended not only for looks, but for aerodynamic purposes. The kit consists of 3 pieces; the front, sides and rear. Once the kit is fitted and installed, the Skyline looks to be a widebody.
The interior is filled with suede just like the high-class European rides out there. Necessary gauges are added to the panels, deterring from the look of a VIP class (luxury) cockpit. The panel switches also give the feel of a real race machine.
The rear window is made of plexiglass for weight reduction, a thick unit was installed for extended sturdiness. The balance of race and comfort is well thought and executed in this vehicle.
The main reason why the Skyline was chosen as their demo car was "We didn't fit the image of modifying a Silvia. The Fairlady Z33 looked appealing, so we chose the Skyline which was like a more luxurious version of the Z." claimed Mr. Toriyama. Their next demo car is planned to be the Z33, which is scheduled for completion in the summer of 2006.
The drifting industry fully supports aftermarket parts manufacturers that provide cool looking aero kits for FR vehicles because they shape the car scene to what it is today. The industry believes that if there are parts available to enhance the looks of a car, then there will be parts available to enhance the speed and handling as well.
We asked the guys at Anceltion if they had any interest in D1. They replied that the vehicle needs more power and the idea of a supercharger install was recently thrown out the window. This indicates that they are in fact thinking of participation in the D1 series in the near future.

The one piece front bumper (59,850 yen) is a grill less unit that looks similar to the styling of a Z33. The duct serves as a gateway for fresh air to the air filter. The carbon fiber hood (94,290 yen)is designed to match with the bumper.




The rear bumper (55,650 yen) is attached to a diffuser panel and is molded with twin ducts that redirect the incoming air. The rear is designed so that the stock fitting bumper looks wider. The side steps (49,350 yen) comes with fins and ducts as well.




These guys at Anceltion are used to working on interiors of luxury vehicles. In this V35, the panels have been removed to shave weight. The custom E-brake handle matches very well with the black and white suede lining. The in-dash roll cage was painted to fit with the color scheme of the car.



The A/C panel was relocated to the passenger seat side, and the necessary gauges were lined up in its place in the center. The gauges were set to be easy to glance at while driving. The A/C system is fully intact and in working order.





When I heard that Anceltion made a V35 demo car, I immediately thought about a V35 modified to luxury style. My perceptions were wrong, the body kit is very sporty and it's something that will sell.
The best feature of this car by far is the interior. The suede is wrapped around the switches and the gauges are lined up for easy view. My only wish is that I wish this thing had a little more power.


The quarter glass was removed and a sheet metal was welded in, and smoothed out. I'm sure there are a lot of people who dislike this style but most of the sports cars are made up like this. The paint is based off the red in a RX-8 but is layered with other colors to produce this incredible shine.



I noticed that it is very much like the Anceltion style to separate the main and side ducts on the bumper. All their body kits for the wagons and luxury vehicles are like this but with fog lights in place of the ducts.




Laying Suede on the panels might not be that special in this industry, but Anceltion took it one step further and lined the areas surrounding the function buttons as well. The switches and the gauges are placed with simplicity in mind.

Honda will launch its first automatic transmission for a diesel engine in the New Year, with the new gearbox debuting in the latest Accord. The eagerly-awaited auto ‘box for Honda’s i-DTEC engine means the Accord will appeal to a new segment of customers, particularly in the corporate market, where high mileage user choosers often will only consider an automatic transmission.

“Company car tax legislation has driven much growth in diesel sales and resulted in traditional ‘petrol heads’ re-assessing their choice of powertrain,” said Graham Avent, Manager – Corporate Sales, Cars, Honda (UK). “For many of these drivers, the final hurdle in their transition to driving a diesel is whether or not it is available as an automatic.”

Since creating its first diesel engine in 2004, Honda’s intention was to produce a high quality automatic gearbox in-house, rather than compromise the performance of its i-DTEC engine by mating it with an externally supplied transmission.

The result is a responsive ‘box that’s smooth and sporty with practically zero lag between kick-down and gear shift – especially when using the steering-wheel mounted paddles. In the saloon, top speed is 129mph with 136PS at 4000rpm and torque of 350Nm at 2000rpm. By comparison, the Tourer manages a top speed of 126mph.

The Large Project Leader for Accord, Hiroyuki Ikegami commented: “Having equipped the Accord with a newly developed engine, it would have made no sense to compromise the exceptional flexibility of the i-DTEC by mating it with an externally supplied transmission. Therefore, despite it taking more time, we have undertaken an extensive development programme for our gearbox in order to bring an automatic diesel to market.”

The new 5-speed unit uses the same straight gate layout and paddle shift system as seen on the Accord petrol automatic earlier this year. CO2 emissions are 170g/km (saloon) and 173-174g/km (Tourer) depending on model grade, while fuel economy is 44.1mpg (combined) for the saloon and 42.8mpg (combined) for the Tourer.

The Accord i-DTEC automatic will go on sale in January 2009 priced from £22,400 (Accord 2.2 i-DTEC ES saloon) and £23,700 (Accord 2.2 i-DTEC ES Tourer).

With everyone waiting on the official release of the new Z4, BMW’s new concept, PAS, short for Progressive Activity Sedan, has made an appearance again. In comparison to the spy shots we have seen a couple of weeks ago, the test mule seemed to have dropped a little tiny bit of camo tape off the headlights and changed the wheels style.

Other than that, everything is the same, consistent with BMW’s effort to use fake body panels that conceail the real shape and design.

What we know so far about the PAS? The five door crossover, as we heard recently, the BMW PAS will be marketed as a model between the 2010 BMW 5 Series and the 7 Series, of course, importing many design cues from the recently revealed BMW 7 Series. The twin-turbo 3.0 liter and the a twin-turbo V8 will be available, along with an EfficientDynamics engine, most likely the 3.0 liter diesel.



Pricing? Not cheap, expect the BMW PAS to sell at a premium price, similar to the X6.

If our sources are correct, and they were many times, we should see the first concept by January 2009.

It's official, the IIHS gives the fortwo a "good" rating.

From USA Today

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration gave the Smart two-door car its top score of five stars in side testing because of its protection against injuries.

But when NHTSA conducted the side test, the driver door unlatched and opened. The government says that could lead to a driver or passenger being ejected from the vehicle.
The vehicle received four out of five stars in the front-end crash on the driver's side. On the passenger side, it received three out of five stars.

Duh. The concern is unwarranted. Drivers need to buckle up their seat belts. This solves the problem of being ejected.

Wow, my hometown newspaper has a great article on smart and parking.
The SF Chronicle reports that cities have to rethink their parking policies with new small micro cars.


I am hoping we get free designated parking.

Toyota launched one of the biggest PR at the Geneva 2008 Auto Show. Introducing the "production ready" IQ.


I think the name IQ is a direct jab the the smart

PRESS RELEASE

World premiere of Toyota's new urban car: the iQ

• Production version of the Concept C ar iQ premiered
• 'J-Factor' underpins iQ design
• Six unique space-saving engineering innovations represent a milestone in Toyota's automotive engineering
• Revolutionary packaging concept provides ample space for a 3+1 seating configuration within a sub 3 metres length
• Small urban car with low emission engines and aerodynamics reduces environmental impact
• Manufacturing starts late 2008 with a global sales target of 100,000 vehicles for the first year of production

Read: Autoblog

Autoblog has a gallery of the new Brabus SLR (Mercedes SL) and it's little twin, the tender.

Link: Autoblog Post
Gallery: Autoblog

A snippet from Edmunds:

The 2008 Smart Fortwo has the highest SPM (smiles per mile) factor of any car we've ever driven. We spent a week behind the wheel of the world's shortest production car, but it took only about 20 minutes to realize that it would be hard to do wrong in a car that seems to make everyone happy.

Read:Edmunds InsideLine Full Review

The media is already reporting that will most likely hit $4 a gallon by summer. What else is new? Gas peaked at $3.79 in the San Francisco Bay Area. I assume we will be way above the national average. My guess, $4.30.

This is good news for smart car owners.

CNN reports a few problems for those lucky smart fortwo owners. Expect your commute and travel times to be a bit slower. The suggestion is you need to plan ahead. Why? Read on.

It's not that the car is slow. The problem is that every time you take it out, a mass of people appears with a lot of questions. Or they'll just stand in front of it to take their pictures.

On the highway, you'll need lots of extra time to change lanes. Other drivers will drive up next to you and gawk at your little car. So you'll slow down. Then they'll slow down. Then you'll speed up. And they'll speed up. You'll wave your arm to tell them to slow down or speed up so you can get over before you miss your exit. They'll smile and wave back.

Link: CNN

US News reports that Laura Bush's chief of staff, Anita McBride just got her cabrio.

And Mrs. Bush is a fan. "I think she'll be very proud of the fact that I'm driving a fuel-efficient car," says McBride. "It's the talk of the White House."

Read: US News