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New McLaren sports car unveiled in Bahrain

The British car manufacturer famed for its motor racing connections has unveiled its latest high powered sports car for the first time in Bahrain.

The MP4-12C made its debut at the Royal Bahrain Golf Club over the weekend. A unique feature of the new luxury sports car is its one piece chassis, known as the carbon Monocell, which has been seen before in motor sport racing, but now in sports cars for leisure and domestic use.

The MP4-12C hopes to rival the likes of the Lamborghini and Ferrari. With a 3.8 litre V8 twin-turbo engine producing 600 brake horse power, a duel clutch gearbox, and the ability to hit 60kmph in less than 4 seconds with a top speed of 322kmph, the new McLaren sports car is certain to cause a stir in the world of luxury sports cars.

Those wishing to drive away in their very own McLaren sports car will have the choice of 17 different colours and the choice of 14 different internal trims. A number of extra features can be added to the car to customise it to a customer’s personal preference.

However this high performance car comes at a price, and that price is believed to start at £168,500.

McLaren’s sports car will go on sale in Europe early next year, before being sold in the Middle East.

by Andrew LloydNovember 29, 2010no comment

Elvis Presley’s Mercedes to be sold at auction

A classic Mercedes-Benz 600 once owned by the King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley, is due to go on sale at Bonham’s end of year sale next week.

The Mercedes sports car, formerly owned by Elvis, will be one of the highlight’s of the Important Motor Cars and Fine Automobilia auction due to take place in Mercedes-Benz World in Weybridge Surrey on December 6^th.

According to the auction house Bonham’s, the Mercedes-Benz 600 is one of only a handful of cars to have been registered in Elvis Presley’s name. The luxury sports car was one of two Mercedes owned by the legendary singer before he gifted the top of the range ride to his friend, James Leroy Robertson.

In 2005 a UK buyer purchased the Mercedes from a car dealer in Memphis who then had the sports car shipped over to Britain. Because of the car’s illustrious links to the iconic singer, the Mercedes 600 is estimated to fetch between £150,000 and £200,000 when it goes under the hammer in Surrey next week.

Another vehicle due to be sold at Bonham’s auction early next month which is causing a stir is a vintage 1936 Rolls Royce Phantom lll which was one of just 24 Phantom lll’s to be sold to the US. The vintage limo also has another claim to fame as it featured in a chase scene for fantasy film, Pan’s Labyrinth.

by Simon BerryNovember 25, 2010no comment

Jaguar marks its 75th anniversary by releasing a new app

Luxury car maker Jaguar are planning to mark their 75^th anniversary with the unveiling of a brand new app which charts the iconic brand’s rise to fame.

The latest Jaguar model, the C-X75, features heavily in the new application launched by Jaguar. The new model was debuted at the Los Angeles Auto Show recently and caused quite a stir amongst the visitors.

The new app has been described as a “Jaguar Encyclopaedia” as it looks back over the luxury car brands history, the cars which helped make the brand the icon it is today, and how Jaguar has developed over the years, and also its plans for the future.

With archive images, videos and interviews with the people behind the cars, the Jaguar app is a must for any car enthusiast. Those of you who are excited at the prospect of the new C-X75, the application offers exclusive videos of the new car, and in-depth interviews with the people behind the concept.

The app, which can be viewed on iPhones and iPads, can be downloaded for free online.

Jaguar also organised a procession of 75 Jaguars to drive en-convoy from Coventry Transport Museum to Goodwood Revival, via London’s Mayfair Hotel, as part of the 75^th anniversary celebrations. Jaguar models from the vintage vehicles dating back to the 30’s, to the latest models and everything in between took part in the celebratory procession.

by Susan TaylorNovember 23, 2010no comment

Aston Martin’s Cygnet goes on display in Harrods shop window

The latest offering from Aston Martin, the luxury city car the Cygnet, has gone on display in top London department store Harrods.

The luxury car maker chose the world’s most revered department store for the Cygnet’s world debut. Car fans can now get the first glimpse of the luxury mini-Aston Martin while doing a bit of shopping in London’s Knightsbridge.

The new Cygnet is due to go into production next year at Aston Martin’s manufacturing plant in England. Orders are already being taken for the snazzy city car by Aston Marin dealers in Europe.

The Cygnet is made for city driving with a light, compact design and excellent fuel efficiency. The 2-door Cygnet also boasts the famous Aston Martin grille, and has inverted rear lights for a stylish look.

With a starting price of approximately £30,000, the Cygnet is much pricier than the Toyota iQ minicar which shares the same 1.33 litre engine as the Cygnet and has a starting price of £10,228. The reason for the hefty price tag, according to Aston Martin, is that each Cygnet is handcrafted with everything from the door panels to the bumpers being made with the best materials, by the best craftsmen.

The Cygnet, which is billed by Aston Martin as “luxury city car” will be on display in Harrods’ shop window until December 11^th.

by Simon BerryNovember 17, 2010no comment

Jaguar XJ wins big at the Scottish Car of the Year Awards

The accolades are flooding in thick and fast for the Jaguar XJ with the new car model scooping the gong for Best Luxury Car at the Scottish Car of the Year Awards this week beating the BMW 5 series and Audi A8.

This is the second big award the Jaguar XJ has won recently after the Professional Driver Magazine crowned the luxury ride its 2010 Car of the Year at its annual awards ceremony.

The new Jaguar model is available for sale in dealerships across the UK. The award-winning XJ is available in three different engine sizes and four different trim levels, and is also comes with both petrol and diesel engines.

The 3.0 litre V6 petrol engine offers respectable fuel consumption of 40 miles to the gallon which is an important consideration for private hire and chauffeurs to consider.

Prices for the diesel engine Jaguar XJ with a basic luxury specification start at £52,500. The next step up is the Premium Luxury specification, followed by the top of the range Portfolio boasting a 5.0 litre engine. Jaguar also offers a supercharged version of the XJ which comes with in sports trim only, and offers an impressive 470 brake horse power.

The Volvo S60 Saloon and the Kia Sportage Joined the Jaguar XJ as the biggest winners at this year’s Scottish Car of the Year Awards.

by Anita KumarNovember 11, 2010no comment

Audi to create noise for their silent electric engine

Audi engineers are reportedly looking to sci-fi movies in order to come up with a suitable sound to attribute to their electric powered engines.

The Audi E-Tron Electric supercar is due for release in 2011, and the luxury car manufacturer is in the process of creating a noise for its quiet engine.

Generally speaking, all electric powered car engines are completely silent until they hit approximately 15mph, and even after getting up to speed, the eco-friendly engines give off very little noise. Although this may be regarded as a plus point for drivers with no interference from noisy engines, it’s a different story for pedestrians.

Organisations who work on behalf of the blind are calling for electric powered engines to make some kind of noise in order to warn pedestrians that a car is approaching. Cars which make no noise provide a serious hazard for all pedestrians, but especially so for blind or partially sighted pedestrians who rely heavily on their hearing to keep them safe while out and about.

Engineers with Audi want to create a distinctive sound for their electric powered engines so that the vehicle sounds like a car, but a noise that also reflects the futuristic concept that electric powered car represents. The Audi E-Tron is due for release next year so we won’t have too long to wait before we hear what they’ve come up with.

by Andrew LloydNovember 9, 2010no comment

Audi shows off illuminated floor mats at Las Vegas Show

Audi have unveiled a brand new optional feature for their vehicle interiors at the recent Speciality Equipment Manufacturers Association (SEMA) Show is Las Vegas.

The illuminated floor mats are lit up with special LED lighting and each mat can be customized to the customer’s requirements. Audi owners will have the chance to choose the colour, graphics and materials used on the new breed of glowing floor mats.

Car manufacturers are striving to come up with new ideas to make their interiors stand out from the crowd. One of the bosses of the After Sales department at Audi say the introduction of the new illuminated floor mats is in reaction to the “high expectations” of their customers for a top specification finish on their new Audi.

The mats are illuminated with special LED lighting which doesn’t give off heat. It is hoped the after sales feature will add an extra dimension to the Audi interior as well an additional ambient lighting facility.

The illuminated mats are an after sales component which will be available through Audi dealers in North America only initially.

As well as the light-up floor mats, Audi also revealed another exciting new feature at the Las Vegas SEMA Show. Audi have created a wireless device which allows passengers to charge up mobile devices such as iPods and iPhones while on the move.

by Anita KumarNovember 4, 2010no comment

Mercedes Benz tops the annual AutoScout 24 survey

Mercedes Benz was revealed as the big winner of this year’s internet auto survey organised by the online automobile marketplace, AutoScout 24.

The awards are now in their 9^th year with 230,000 participants across Europe taking part in the vote to discover the most sought after cars of the moment.

The Mercedes Benz SLS AMG beat 343 other vehicles to be named the most desired car, as voted for by the AutoScout 24 users. The SLS AMG model was found to be the super sports car most Europeans wanted to own. It topped the poll in both the sports car and coupe categories.

And the good news didn’t end there for Mercedes, with the R-Klasse being voted the most popular van and compact van in the online survey.

Top quality German engineering, cutting edge design, and state of the art technology all came together to ensure the Mercedes SLS AMG was the big winner of the survey. The AutoScout 24 poll has now become an annual event, with 230,000 people taking part from across 7 different European countries.

Other car makers were also rated highly among the AutoScout 24 crew including the Fiat500 Twin Air and Opel Astra Sports Tourer.

by Andrew LloydOctober 29, 2010no comment

Electric Audi beats the Nissan Leaf in charge challenge

The newly developed electric Audi A2 has beaten the Nissan Leaf’s charge longevity in a recent test.

The German car maker’s new electrically powered Audi A2 succeeded in covering 372 miles during a7 hour journey with just a single charge, beating the Nissan Leaf’s record of covering 100 miles with a single charge.

Audi say the secret to their success is down to a new technology battery which the company has been developing in conjunction with inventor Mirko Hanneman. The new style battery is 97% efficient and uses DBM Energy’s KOLIBRI AlphaPolymer Technology. The batteries can be charged from any socket point, however if a high DC voltage socket point is used, the car will be fully charged in just 6 minutes.

The test saw the electric powered Audi finish its 372 mile trip with power to spare. The driver didn’t attempt to conserve energy while travelling as the Audi’s in car heaters were also in use during the trip. The electric Audi A2, known as the Lekker Mobil, travelled from Munich Southern Germany to the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin as part of the test drive.

Nissan’s version of the electric car, The Leaf, is able to cover 160km which is approximately 100 miles, in a single charge. The Nissan Leaf is due to go on sale in the US and Japan at the end of the year, with plans to expand into the European market in 2011.

by Anita KumarOctober 28, 20102 comments

German scientist creates car that acts as its own chauffeur

Scientists in Germany have designed a car which drives itself, making it the second self-driving car concept to be revealed this month after we brought you news last week that Google are working on a similar project in California.

Germany’s self-driving car, known as the MIG (Made In Germany) was masterminded by computer scientist Raul Rojas and created along with his team at Berlin’s Free University.

The inconvenience of forgetting where you parked your car will become a thing of the past thanks to the new technology used in the design of the MIG. Using an iPad or smartphone, the new design car will track the signal using its inbuilt GPS system to locate where the call is being made from. The car’s computer then plans a route, and provides the caller with an estimated time of arrival.

The autonomous car works by creating a 3D image of its surroundings which allows it to navigate around other road users and objects. The car is fitted with sensors to detect objects to avoid collisions. According to the makers of the MIG, it has been equipped with the artificial intelligence to adhere to the Highway Code enabling it to give way to traffic, for example. It’s also able to navigate traffic lights independently.

The car’s self-driving system can be overridden via the iPad which can be used to turn the technology off and enable it to be driven by a human. Mobile devices can be used to link up to the car’s electronic system creating a remote control access to the car’s system.

It’s not known when, or even if, this kind of self-chauffeuring car will be available for legal use on roads. It’s believed further trials will be needed and also changes in the law before the self-driving car can become a reality.

by Simon BerryOctober 18, 2010no comment

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