Aston Martin V-12 Vantage

Aston Martin unveiled the production version of its most potent and focused car at Geneva. This new car combines the V-8 Vantage's compact 2-seat dimensions with the power of the company's 5.9-liter V-12—to the tune of 510 bhp and 420 lb.-ft. of torque. Aston is predicting a 190 mph top speed, along with 0–62 mph (100 km/h) dispatched in a scant 4.2 seconds.
Although the V-12 engine weighs 220 lb. more than the standard car's V-8, carbon-ceramic brakes, lighter forged aluminium wheels, lightweight inner rear quarter panels and optional lightweight seats have resulted in the overall curb weight that's only 110 lb. heavier than its V-8 sibling's. And the weight distribution is near perfect, at 51/49 front/rear.

"More" has to be taken with a pinch of salt, as Aston only expects to build 300–500 examples a year at its Gaydon factory. Deliveries will begin this fall.

Honda S2000CR

Premier Performance

Nothing exemplifies Honda racing skill and ingenuity like the S2000 CR “Club Racer.” A firmer suspension, quicker steering ratio and fully functional front and rear spoilers have been specially designed to connect driver, vehicle and road.

Compete

The CR is a true competitor. Feel free to maximize its potential at club racing events.

Performance

A purist’s dream, the factory-tuned CR sports an aerodynamic design and stiffer suspension settings for increased rigidity and downforce. The CR proudly draws upon the S2000’s racing heritage, but delivers more in terms of sheer performance.

Lighter

With racecar-like suspension and lower weight, the CR’s performance is second to none. Drivers rave about its cornering, braking and acceleration. To accomplish this, the audio system and air conditioning are offered as options and the spare tire has been replaced with a tire-repair kit. This, along with other modifications, lightens the racy roadster by nearly 100 pounds from the original S2000. Add in a taut new chassis, quicker steering ratio, “stickier” tires, and track-inspired has never felt so meaningful.

Exclusive standard features:

• Firmer springs and dampers
• Stiffer front and rear stabilization bars
• Quicker steering ratio
• Larger rear P255/40 R17 tires
• Bridgestone Potenza RE070 tires
• All-new 17" dark gray 5-spoke alloy wheels
• Fully functional aerodynamic front and rear spoilers
• Yellow and black fabric
• Yellow-stitched seats, shift boot and steering wheel
• Spherical aluminum shift knob
• Removable aluminum hardtop
• Body-colored roll-bar cowlings
• Sport-tuned exhaust silencer

Performance features:

• Skidpad pulls .95G
• Slalom speed 71mph
• Coefficient of lift reduced approximately 70% over original S2000
• Over 2-seconds per lap faster around Japan’s Tsukuba Raceway than the original S2000
• Possibly, the world's fastest-moving art exhibit.

Flawless

The S2000’s flawless contours and sculpted lines leave admirers longing for a second glance.

Nimble

Flaunting lightweight alloy wheels, a chiseled nose and high-intensity discharge (HID) headlights, the S2000 is truly something to behold.

Attractive

Indulge in a long, deep gaze. With something this attractive, it’s rude not to stare.

Slip down into the cockpit and take command.

Power Up

Remote entry, power windows, mirrors ,door locks and an electrically powered soft top with glass rear window ease your access.

Stow Your Cargo

Stow your gear in the center console storage compartment and large door pockets.

Information-Ready

A digital, easy-to-read instrument panel reports vital information. The electrically powered soft top and integrated roll-bar speakers stand ready.

Lift Off

Slide down into the leather seats, set the electronically controlled air conditioning to your ideal zone. Intuitively-placed left-hand audio-system controls and steering wheel-mounted cruise control keep you seamlessly connected even while under way. All systems go. Jet pilots shouldn't get to have all the fun.

Lighter means faster.

Honda engineers turn simple ideas into revolutionary vehicles.

Powerful Thinking

The S2000 sports a powerful, 2.2-liter, high revving engine while the high X-bone monocoque frame provides excellent rigidity and load distribution.

Quite a Rush

Are you ready for 237 hp at 7800 rpm and 162 lb-ft of torque at 6800 rpm? And with the S2000’s performance-oriented suspension, you’re in store for a rush of adrenaline.

S2000 CR - Extreme Performance

The factory-tuned, lighter weight S2000 CR provides more aggressive and track-oriented suspension settings, increased body and chassis rigidity and aerodynamic spoilers tuned for reduced lift and enhanced balance at high track-racing speeds.

Every S2000 comes with standard safety features.

Safety First

While the anti-lock braking system (ABS) helps you maintain steering control during hard stops, the power-assisted 4-wheel disc brakes and Vehicle Stability Assist™ (VSA®) with traction control add a further measure of stopping power and sure-footedness.

Drive with Confidence

The Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) monitors the pressure in all four tires, and alerts the driver if pressure in any tire becomes significantly low.*

Reinforced Cockpit

The S2000 offers added protection thanks to side-impact door beams and other body reinforcements to door pads, side sills and floor of the cockpit.

*For optimal tire wear and performance, tire pressure should be checked regularly with a gauge. Do not rely solely on the monitor system. See your local Honda dealer for details.

For three decades, Honda has played a leading role in meeting environmental challenges.

Fewer Emissions

Even though our engineers designed a red-blooded racing machine, they also made sure that the S2000 controlled emissions.

Environmentally Conscious

In fact, this racing marvel achieves 18 mpg city/25 mpg highway* and has earned a Low-Emission-Vehicle rating (LEV-2) from the California Air Resources Board (CARB).

Fuel Efficient

Its 16-valve DOHC VTEC® engine provides fuel economy that compares favorably to other high-performance sports cars.

*Based on 2009 EPA mileage estimates, reflecting new EPA fuel economy methods beginning with 2008 models. Use for comparison purposes only. Do not compare to models before 2008. Your actual mileage will vary depending on how you drive and maintain your vehicle.

Source : automobiles.honda.com

BMW Z4 2.5si Roadster

Prepared to be obsessed.

The new BMW Z4.

Create an idea and it will live for a moment. Touch the senses and it becomes timeless. This is what makes the BMW Z4 so immensely compelling: it is a vehicle that was created to excite every sense. Its unique design and premium-quality craftsmanship will fascinate you. Its brilliant handling and splendid performance will exhilarate you. This is not only represents one side of BMW’s new design language, but also sets new roadster standards in many areas: Self-confident, powerful, sporting and aesthetic. Every time you experience it: the BMW Z4 will provide you with extraordinary moments of unforgettable pleasure. For all your senses.

2006 S3X SUV Environment-Friendly Hybrid cars from GM Daewoo

GM Daewoo motors introduced their 1st hybrid cars which is expected to enter mass production in 2006. It will be available as a gasoline and a diesel-powered engine. This will be the first vehicle designed by GM Daewoo since GM brought Daewoo in 2002.

These hybrid cars i.e S3X would be more fuel efficient then regular gasoline powered cars and would have a maximum speed of 100 kph which is far behind Prius and Hyundai Hybrid Click which have 161 kph and 165 kph respectively. GM Daewoo plans to boost its speed of hybrid car to 150 kph before its launch. Other then hybrid car GM also displayed "Hy-Wire" concept car which would run on hydrogen based fuel cells.

BMW hybrid car or BMW hydrogen powered car

Is BMW coming with BMW hybrid car. No, BMW is not coming with BMW hybrid car but hydrogen powered cars and fuel cell cars. BMW German carmaker's H2R is the world's fastest hydrogen powered car that has speed upto 185 miles per hour.

Generally, hydrogen-powered vehicles operate on fuel cells. In BMW Hydrogen, powered car uses a modified 6-liter, 12 cylinder combustion engine for its propulsion. Engine in BMW emits only water thus making is one of the most environment friendly car in the present times.

BMW hydrogen powered car has higher degree of efficiency due to higher combustion pressure of the hydrogen-air mixture. Though hydrogen powered BMW hybrid car would give a no exhaust car but the sources through which the hydrogen come is very damaging to environment. The sources might be either fossil fuel like natural gas or by the use of grid electricity both of which releases hydrocarbons while production.

BMW is also developing fuel cell cars. It is developing combustion engine as the sum total of features and characteristics offered by it has got largest number of advantages all in one.

2010 Camaro Concept

The Camaro concept made its first appearance at the 2006 North American International Auto Show, with styling that wowed the crowd and the styling will not change all that much when the car goes into production. The fifth generation Camaro will be based very closely on the concept, which is powered by a 400 horsepower aliminum small block LS2 V8, has a T56 six speed manual transmission and what GM says is a sophisticated chassis with four wheel independent suspension.

The engine is fitted with Active Fuel Management cylinder deactivation technology to save fuel, enough says GM for the concept to get 30mpg or better.

While the concept does have four seats, the ones in the rear are for very short people only, as there's not much room in there.

"Millions of people of all ages fell in love with the Camaro for all of the right reasons," said Ed Welburn, GM vice president, global design. "Camaros were beautiful to look at and offered performance that could rival expensive European GTs. Yet they were practical enough to drive every day and priced within the reach of many new car buyers."

And then, after the Camaro coupe came the convertible at the North American International Auto Show in 2007. The production convertible will follow the coupe, with an on-sale date in late 2009. This time the concept came in orange pearl paint, with gunmetal gray racing strips.

Tom Peters, General Motors' director of exterior design for rear-wheel-drive and performance vehicles, says they wanted to make the car stand out more: "We opted to go with bright metal accents, as opposed to satin finish, for things like the exhaust tips and fuel filler, and even the rear lights have a polished look. The wheels are different, too. We wanted to do an update of the redline tires from the 1960s, but instead of the red line going around the tire, it's actually on the wheels."

The changes to the concept are obviously around the rear end of the car. Even though the car is a concept it has been engineered to take a folding roof in the trunk. The windshield will be taller on the production version as well. The roof itself is not fitted, and there's the possibility that a hard top folding roof may be on the production car.

And by the way, it seems that the story of Bob Lutz walking in on the team developing the Camaro concept when it was close to its completion and simply saying 'no' and then walking out again was slightly incorrect. It was actually General Motors' Chairman and CEO, Rick Wagoner who ordered a redesign at the last minute. Apparently the design was far too closely styled after classic Camaros.

Future Cars - Camaro Concept

The Camaro concept made its first appearance at the 2006 North American International Auto Show, with styling that wowed the crowd and the styling will not change all that much when the car goes into production. The fifth generation Camaro will be based very closely on the concept, which is powered by a 400 horsepower aliminum small block LS2 V8, has a T56 six speed manual transmission and what GM says is a sophisticated chassis with four wheel independent suspension.

The engine is fitted with Active Fuel Management cylinder deactivation technology to save fuel, enough says GM for the concept to get 30mpg or better.

While the concept does have four seats, the ones in the rear are for very short people only, as there’s not much room in there.

"Millions of people of all ages fell in love with the Camaro for all of the right reasons," said Ed Welburn, GM vice president, global design. "Camaros were beautiful to look at and offered performance that could rival expensive European GTs. Yet they were practical enough to drive every day and priced within the reach of many new car buyers."

And then, after the Camaro coupe came the convertible at the North American International Auto Show in 2007. The production convertible will follow the coupe, with an on-sale date in late 2009. This time the concept came in orange pearl paint, with gunmetal gray racing strips.

Tom Peters, General Motors' director of exterior design for rear-wheel-drive and performance vehicles, says they wanted to make the car stand out more: "We opted to go with bright metal accents, as opposed to satin finish, for things like the exhaust tips and fuel filler, and even the rear lights have a polished look. The wheels are different, too. We wanted to do an update of the redline tires from the 1960s, but instead of the red line going around the tire, it's actually on the wheels."

The changes to the concept are obviously around the rear end of the car. Even though the car is a concept it has been engineered to take a folding roof in the trunk. The windshield will be taller on the production version as well. The roof itself is not fitted, and there’s the possibility that a hard top folding roof may be on the production car.

And by the way, it seems that the story of Bob Lutz walking in on the team developing the Camaro concept when it was close to its completion and simply saying ‘no’ and then walking out again was slightly incorrect. It was actually General Motors' Chairman and CEO, Rick Wagoner who ordered a redesign at the last minute. Apparently the design was far too closely styled after classic Camaros.

Ford Reflex Concept

Ford uses a lot of words to describe its Reflex concept car. Words like bold, innovative, American, sporty . . . and from what I can tell, all the words fit. But I think the best word is one Ford doesn't use: family.

Let's face it, most of the newest car innovations fit a family about as well as a studio apartment! While Ford never says so, the innovations designed into the Reflex concept make it look like they were designed with family in mind. A hip sporty family, that wants to go green, but a family.There are the reverse butterfly doors which make it easy to get in and out of front or back, and mean a parent is no long bumping into the door installing a car seat, or buckling baby in. And speaking of car seats, it comes with one; built right into the rear seat. When is the last time your car came with one of those?

Then there is the rear seat itself - you know how some vans split their row seats 60-40 for easy removal? Well Ford did something similar in the Reflex, for a different reason. The rear seat is divided into one seat, and a small 'love seat' that can easily and comfortably fit two full size adults . . . or, you can push a button, and the love seat is divided in two small seats, perfect for children.

Safety is also a major consideration, and in addition to the standard safety features - and not so standard ones, like side curtain airbags - Ford has added some innovation here too. The inflatable seat belts that reduce injury to second row passengers, is nice. The BeltMinder™, that lets you know if someone in the rear seats isn't buckled up, is even better.

Ford doesn't stop innovation there either. The solar roofs fans, that power themselves to keep the car cool when it's sitting in a summer parking lot, are a very sweet extra. The solar head and tail lights, that absorb sunlight during the day to use when you turn the lights on - and charge the battery - are a very nice touch as well, and boost the fuel economy nicely.

Not that the Reflex needs help boosting the fuel economy. The diesel electric hybrid gets up to 65 mph, while giving all the benefits of all wheel drive. Of course, some things - like how it handles - will need to wait until Ford starts offering test drives.All in all, there is only one minor issue I can see with the concept. Did they have to use white for the interior? I really hope that mesh cleans easily, because speaking for every parent I know, white and kids just do not mix well!