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Week in Photos: December 29 - January 4
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Closing off the month of November it’s time for our ‘This Week in Photos’ post. This week check out photos of the new 2010 Porsche Panamera, 2010 Mazda3 5-door, 2009 MINI Cooper Convertible, GM HydroGen4 Concept, edo competition Ferrari FXX, Zwickenpflug BMW M3 Coupe, and the 2010 Mercedes-Benz GLK.
Click through for a full week’s worth of galleries.
The new 2009 Nissan 370Z is faster, lighter, more powerful and every bit better than its predecessor - the Nissan 350Z. Unveiled at the 2008 LA Auto Show, the 2009 Nissan 370Z is the first full redesign of the Nissan ‘Z’ lineup since its introduction in 2003.
Power for the new 370Z will come from a 3.7L VQ37VHR engine with VVEL (Variable Valve Event and Lift) that makes 332-hp with a maximum torque of 270 lb-ft. Mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox that will allow for a 0 to 60 mph time in the low 5 second range and a top speed that is electronically limited to 155 mph. The Nissan 370Z is also available with a 7-speed automatic with paddle shifters as an option. Estimated fuel-economy comes in at 18/26 mpg (city/highway).
The new 2009 Nissan 370Z will hit North American dealerships in January 2009 with prices starting at $29,930. It will be offered in two trim-levels including 370Z and 370Z Touring which adds heated leather-seats, HomeLink Universal Transceiver, Bluetooth, 8-speaker Bose audio system, XM Satellite Radio, cargo cover and aluminum pedals. Nissan will offer two packages including a Sport Package and the Navigation Package. Sport Package adds 19-inch RAYS forged wheels and Bridgestone Potenza tires, aerodynamic front and rear spoiler, larger Nissan Sport Brakes, SynchroRev Match and Viscous Limited Slip Differential. The Navigation Package adds a hard drive-based navigation system, 9.3GB Music Box hard drive and iPod connectivity.
Keep checking back here for the latest coverage on the 2009 Nissan 370Z. Have something to say? Start a discussion in the Comments section below.
The new 2009 MINI Convertible has been unveiled prior to its 2009 Detroit Auto Show Debut. Orders are being taken now with prices starting at $24,550 for the 2009 MINI Cooper Convertible and $27,450 for the 2009 MINI Cooper S Convertible. Deliveries for both models will begin on March 28, 2009.
The 118-hp 2009 MINI Cooper Convertible is capable of going from 0 to 60 mph in 8.9 seconds with manual transmission and 10.2 seconds with an automatic. The MINI Cooper S Convertible does 0 to 60 mph in 7 seconds flat when mated to manual and 7.2 seconds with an automatic transmission.
The soft-top MINI Cooper Convertible drops its top in 15 seconds flat and can operate when the car is in motion up to 20 mph. Its sophisticated wheel suspension, power steering, powerful brake system and Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) are all standard features.
Follow the jump for the high-res image gallery.
2009 MINI Cooper S Convertible:
Remember the Volkswagen Concept Pickup that was revealed in September? Yes, it’s the awkward looking concept that hints at a high-volume production European vehicle set to hit markets late next year.
Volkswagen has released a promo for the Concept Pickup showing its capabilities Baywatch style. After watching the promo, we’re left wondering whether the production Volkswagen pickup will be good for heavy-duty jobs like our beloved Ford F150 or the Toyota Tundra.
Production of the Volkswagen pickup will kick off in mid-2009 in Pacheco, Argentine mid-2009 with a total of 100,000 units planned annually. No word yet on when the production Volkswagen pickup will arrive in North American markets.
Follow the jump for the video.
Volkswagen Concept Pickup:
Nissan announced earlier this week that it will be yanking its display at the 2009 Detroit and Chicago Auto Shows to save money due to a sluggish automotive market. Well, Nissan dealers in metro-Detroit are taking matters into their own hands and have decided to takeover the Nissan and Infiniti display at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show when the show open in January.
“The ultimate, core purpose of auto shows is to create excitement among consumers and generate sales. That’s what we’re doing,” Doug Fox, co-chairman of the NAIAS and an Ann Arbor Nissan dealer, told Detroit Free Press.
Usain Bolt, the fastest man in the world and 100 and 200mm Olympic Champion at Beijing 2008, fulfilled his dream of driving a Ferrari F430 Spider at Monte Carlo on the Formula One city circuit. It may be time to purchase yourself a very fast car Bolt.
Bolt is attending Monaco for the World Athletics Gala, promoted by the IAAF where he will receive the “Athlete of the Year” award.
We’re just wondering when Bugatti will sponsor Bolt. The faster man in the world meets the fastest car in the world.
Usain Bolt Drives the Ferrari F430 Spider:
The Essen Motor Show in Germany is underway and Marangoni has just revealed its latest creation called the Marangoni M430. The car is based on the new Alfa Romeo Mi.To and is inspired by the Ferrari F430. You’re hardly going to forget the Marangoni in a hurry with its striking gullwing doors, red tires that are wrapped in 18-inch black wheels, and a body-kit that gives the cute little Mi.To something to be aggressive about.
Performance is also enhanced courtesy of Mariani. The 1.4T turbocharged unit has been hiked by 64-hp for a total of 220-hp. Complimenting the extra output is upgraded braking system with 330×26 discs and 10-pot calipers.
Marangoni has also added a new rear-diffuser and an upgrade two-tone interior.
Marangoni M430 - Alfa Romeo Mi.To:
It’s been rumored for some time now but according to AutoWeek, which is a pretty reliable source, BMW will drop the use of high-revving, naturally aspirated engine in its ‘M’ high-performance cars to turbocharged direct-injection units as early as next year.
According to high-ranking BMW sources, the future of the 4.0L V8 and the 5.0L V10 is now in question and both engines will most certainly make way for turbocharged engines in the coming years. Sources confirmed that the next ‘M’ vehicle to get a turbocharged engine will be the X6 which will arrive next year to compete with the Porsche Cayenne GTS and the Mercedes-Benz ML 63 AMG.
The X6 ‘M’ edition will carry BMW M’s new twin-turbocharged V8 which is based on the 5.0L 4.4L V8 already found under the X6 xDrive50i. The unit will match the output of the current generation M5 at 500-hp. It will also find its way under the hood of the next-generation M5 in 2010.
By: Omar Rana - Editor in Chief.
At the 2008 LA Auto Show, BMW let me have a shot at driving its latest creation - the 2009 MINI Cooper E. I had the chance to spend a half hour with the battery-powered MINI E in downtown LA before I had to return it to BMW. But before I get into the details of my test drive I have to say; driving an electric-car is a totally different experience than driving a car with a normal gasoline engine.
Power comes from a lithium-ion battery pack that feeds power to an electric motor that turns the front wheels pumping out 204-hp with a maximum torque of 162 lb-ft. MINI says that 0 to 60 mph comes in 8.5 seconds with a top speed of 95 mph but driving in downtown LA traffic, I wasn’t able to test out those figures.
Click through to read more and check out the high-res image gallery of the 2009 MINI E test drive.
Chris Harris, one of the most popular UK motoring journalists and former Road Test Editor at AutoCar magazine, has now joined the team of Drivers-Republic. To make it short and sweet so you can get back to your families on this wonderful Thanksgiving day - you will be able to get a dosage of Drivers-Republic’s DR TV right here on eGMCarTech.
Chris Harris will chime in on his latest drives and provide us with his insight to the latest test drives at Drivers-Republic (you actually saw his Tesla Roadster first drive yesterday).
So we’d like to welcome Chris and the Drivers-Republic team to the stateside automotive scene and look forward to their coverage. We’ll bring you you more DR TV later today.
According to a report by Bloomberg, GM is considering dropping Pontiac, Saab and Saturn as a way to cut costs and to increase the chance of the Detroit Big 3 getting $25 billion in federal loans. Bloomberg cited anonymous sources that said GM is considering eliminating or selling the brands to help it avoid running out of money - which it recently said could happen as soon as the second-quarter of 2009.
No GM spokesperson has commented on the report as of yet but it is widely believed that the move could be included in the restructuring plan GM will submit to Congress on Tuesday. Congress had asked Mulally, Wagoner and Nardelli to come up with a plan that would display that the company’s would become profitable enough to repay the $25 billion in federal loans.
GM has already announced that it is selling its Hummer brand. We’d love to hear what you think - so let us know what you think of this report and whether GM should sell the brands listed.
Follow the jump and hug it out in the comments section.
Just in case you had any doubts that consumer interest is in high-performance gas-guzzling vehicles is dying, Mercedes-Benz has announced that it will establish 175 new AMG Performance Centers worldwide by the end of next year. The Performance Centers will offer a more personalized and elite service to AMG customers that cashed out thousands for their mighty beast.
The AMG Performance Centers will target a total of 15 countries including the U.S., China, Japan, and of course European countries.
Check out this excerpt from the press release that will give you a brief idea of what to expect from these AMG Performance Centers:
Yes, we were a little disappointed that some of the models from the 2008 Paris Motor Show didn’t make it over the the 2008 LA Auto Show, but the City of Angels had its own reason to shine with some outstanding model debuts. While we would’ve loved to see the Lamborghini Estoque, 2010 Volkswagen Golf GTI, BMW X1 and the Toyota iQ we were more than satisfied with the world debut’s of the 2010 Ford Mustang, 2009 Nissan 370Z, Lamborghini Gallardo LP 560-4 Spyder, 2009 Infiniti G37 Convertible and many others.
Click through to see our list of the Top 10 2008 LA Auto Show Debuts that stole the show.
Copyright 2008 eGMCarTech. All rights reserved.
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