Nissan’s impressive trio of the 2013 Patrol, Sentra and the new Nissan Altima debuted to strong reviews at the 2013 Qatar Motor Show, which wrapped up earlier this month in Doha. The Sentra and Altima have been completely redesigned for 2013, while the Patrol – a luxury SUV that seems to keep getting better and better – has become a Middle Eastern favourite, and was actually designed with the Read the rest of this entry »
From our ‘About Time’ file comes news that the DeLorean DMC-12 will be brought back from the dead and rebuilt in a new EV form. The DMC-12 was made famous by the popular Back to the Future blockbuster movies and has enjoyed an iconic status ever since. With legions of fans for the vehicle a modern-day rebuild makes plenty of sense and is destined for much publicity.
Planning to build a new DMC-12 in electric form is a collaboration effort between the reborn DeLorean Motor Company and an electric car startup company named Epic EV. DMC is now operating out of Texas, U.S.A and expects to put the new electric vehicle into production by 2013. Epic EV is a firm started by Aptera co-founder Chris Anthony and currently has other electric-powered projects in the pipeline.
Little is known about the car itself at this stage but early reports say it will a power output of around 195kW and a top speed of 200km/h. It will cost around $100,000 USD. In terms of styling expect the gullwing doors from the original to remain, but the engine layout may shift from the rear and who knows where the batteries will go. Read the rest of this entry »
The upcoming 2013 Ford Escape is set for its official reveal at next month’s Los Angeles Auto Show, but details on engine options have already leaked out. According to unconfirmed reports the next Escape will be fitted with three four-cylinder engine options for global markets and two of those engines will use turbocharging.
The base model Escape will be fitted with the 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine already working in the current model Escape but its the two new EcoBoost motors that will be of more interest. The turbocharged 1.6-litre unit is already making waves in Europe and will motivate the mid-spec Escape. This fuel-efficient mill outputs around 135kW of power. Read the rest of this entry »
Aston Martin’s DBS has been on the scene for five years now and the DB9 on which its based has been on sale for eight years. Both models are in their twilight years, but its been revealed that they’ll have to keep going a few more years yet. The replacement is expected to be all new, but won’t be available until 2015. Till then Aston Martin is planning a comprehensive facelift for the DB9 family.
The high-end DBS will be the first model to receive the changes before the updates are used on the rest of the model line. Expect to see some design cues borrowed off the One-77 supercar, this will show the influence of new design boss Marek Reichman.
The new touches will see a fully updated front fascia which drops the company’s trademark shape in favor of a new single grille/air dam. There will also be re-shaped bonnet vents and sharper lines all around. Read the rest of this entry »
Theres been some rumours flying round that Honda was going to revive its diminutive Beat convertible and now according to reports the rumours could be true.
The Beat was originally produced for the Japanese domestic market in its kei class from 1991 to 1996. Only 33,600 Beats were produced in total with a few even making it here to NZ. The orignal Beat used a three-cylinder engine that produced just 47kW but with a kerb weight of 760kg, mid mounted engine and a rear-wheel drive format it was still a bit of fun.
Now it would appear that Honda are at working on a new Beat with the model expected to debut as early as 2013. It will be offered in a roadster form based on the CR-Z platform and feature styling based on Honda’s OSM concept car (pictured). Read the rest of this entry »
Dodge has just released a teaser image of its next generation, 2013 Viper, pictured above.
Looks just like the old Viper? Well, sadly it is, the car in the photo is actually a test mule for the 2013 Dodge Viper, built on a 2010 chassis. This teaser image was taken during a cold weather testing session for the Viper’s new stability control system. Along with the image came the announcement that Dodge will equip the next-gen Viper with stability control, which should be one of many advancements for the long-serving model.
Few other details have been released so far on the much anticipated Viper but word is that it will come out with between 600 and 700 horsepower but engine size and induction remains unknown.
The car manufacturer announced that the future Dodge Viper will come on the market towards the end of 2012, when it will compete in the “Super Car Olympics”. Read the rest of this entry »
While it’s not totally uncommon for a sleek European sedan to be called feminine, it’s never been a term you’d really use for the Dodge Viper. But that may all change according to an odd recent announcement. Speaking at the Automotive News World Congress in Detroit, the head of Chrysler design boss and head of the Dodge brand, Ralph Gilles, told the press that the next generation of the Dodge Viper is going to be “drop-dead beautiful” and have a look inspired by “a naked woman on the beach”.
A completely new design is a good idea considering sales of the previous generation model steadily declining over the years with only 392 sold in 2010, when production ceased.
Gilles also confirmed that the new model won’t be based on the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione, and clarified that it’s not going to have Ferrari powerplants either. He also went on to state that the next Viper would try to steal buyers away from traditional foe the Chevrolet Corvette and also the Porsche brand. But neither Porsche or Chevrolet are probably too worried at this point. The Dodge boss was also confident regarding the cost-effectiveness of the Viper, stating that it will be profitable.
The all-new 2013 Dodge Viper is scheduled to be first show next year – without any tan lines.
Rumors about a hybrid drivetrain for the next generation 2013 Mitsubishi Evo XI being surfacing last year. Now, some actual details about Mitsubishi’s latest halo car have been published. Apparently, the hybrid system of the 2013 Mitsubishi Evo XI will include an electric motor driving the front wheels and a conventional 2.0 litre petrol engine that will drive the rear wheels only when required.
It’s not clear yet if the gasoline engine of the 2013 Mitsubishi Evo XI will be turbocharged or not. But the combined hybrid powertrain of the next gen Evo should output around 350 hp and will be able to get the car from 0 to 100 km/h in around 4.5 seconds. So it won’t be slow.
The hybrid powertrain won’t be the only new tech in the Evo. Mitsubishi engineers have been working on two new vehicle systems – Active Steering and the Roll Control Suspension. Rumors say the 2013 Mitsubishi Evo XI will benefit from both systems and it will have the next generation Active Yaw Control for the rear axle.
On one hand, all this extra gear will certainly improve the overall car, but on the other hand it will add to its weight and cost.
We’ll just have to wait and see if Mitsubishi will go with the hybrid option on the next 2013 Evo XI or if it will be included in an expanded Evo model range.
Rumors about a hybrid drivetrain for the next generation 2013 Mitsubishi Evo XI being surfacing last year. Now, some actual details about Mitsubishi’s latest halo car have been published. Apparently, the hybrid system of the 2013 Mitsubishi Evo XI will include an electric motor driving the front wheels and a conventional 2.0 litre petrol engine that will drive the rear wheels only when required.
It’s not clear yet if the gasoline engine of the 2013 Mitsubishi Evo XI will be turbocharged or not. But the combined hybrid powertrain of the next gen Evo should output around 350 hp and will be able to get the car from 0 to 100 km/h in around 4.5 seconds. So it won’t be slow.
The hybrid powertrain won’t be the only new tech in the Evo. Mitsubishi engineers have been working on two new vehicle systems – Active Steering and the Roll Control Suspension. Rumors say the 2013 Mitsubishi Evo XI will benefit from both systems and it will have the next generation Active Yaw Control for the rear axle.
On one hand, all this extra gear will certainly improve the overall car, but on the other hand it will add to its weight and cost.
We’ll just have to wait and see if Mitsubishi will go with the hybrid option on the next 2013 Evo XI or if it will be included in an expanded Evo model range.