Monday, May 31, 2010

2011 Saleen S302 debuts this weekend


The first Saleen vehicle launched this year, following the successful launches of the 435S and S281 in 2009, is the 2011 Saleen S302, which will make its official debut this weekend at the Carlisle Ford Nationals. Based on the 2011 Ford Mustang 5.0, the S302 is available in both coupe and convertible body styles

The performance machine is based on Ford’s latest 5.0-liter Mustang GT but picks up a performance air filter and exhaust to liberate a total 425 horsepower at 6,500 rpm and 395 pound-feet of torque at 4,250 rpm. Drive is sent rearward via a six-speed manual transmission and limited-slip differential. Stopping power comes from 12.4 inch vented discs up front and smaller 11.8 inch discs out the back.

Exterior features include 20-inch, 7-spoke alloy wheels with Pirelli P-Zero high-performance tyres, a strong but elegant front grille and a simple integrated rear wing.

For its interior, the S302 has leather sport seats with Ultrasuede inserts, chevron-like Ultrasuede red tabs in the seatback bolsters, and it also offers unique treatments of the gauges, steering wheel, center console and shifter. Contrasting Saleen logos are seen in the door panels. The door sill plates also have Saleen logos that illuminate when the door is opened.

This speedy ride is equipped with safety features such as Advance Trac with Electronic Stability Control, dual-stage front airbags, front seat side-impact airbags, SOS post-crash alert system, SecuriLock passive anti-theft system, LATCH child seat system, remote keyless entry, and illuminated entry.


2011 Saleen S302 2011 Saleen S302 2011 Saleen S302 2011 Saleen S302 2011 Saleen S302 2011 Saleen S302 2011 Saleen S302



Press Release

Saleen Performance Vehicles is unveiling the latest product in its premiere line of high-performance cars, the 2011 Saleen S302. The debut will take place this weekend at the Carlisle Ford Nationals in Carlisle, PA. This is the first Saleen vehicle launched this year, following the successful launches of the 435S and S281 in 2009.

The Saleen S302 is based on the 2011 Ford Mustang 5.0 and builds on the Saleen tradition of offering limited-edition, high-performance vehicles for enthusiasts who are looking for an exhilarating driving experience, with refined drivability for real-world road conditions.

Available in both coupe and convertible body styles, the S302 boasts a premium level of design consideration, both exterior and interior, with performance to match.

"We've taken high performance vehicles to the next level with this S302 Saleen," said Michael Timarac, Brand Manager, Saleen Performance Vehicles. "The S302 is being built now and will be in dealerships in the coming weeks. I'm proud of this product and those who value performance vehicles will agree that the S302 is one of the best American exotic vehicles available on the market."

The S302's exterior design features carefully crafted sculptural detailing, with lines and forms that flow naturally and suggest suppleness, power and agility. It features an understated yet imposing grille and front fascia, and a refined treatment of the familiar Saleen extended rear fascia and trunk lid with a simple, elegant, integrated wing.

The S302's 5.0-liter V8 engine produces 425 hp and 395 lb.-ft. of torque, sent to the rear wheels through a six-speed manual transmission and a limited-slip differential with 3.73:1 final drive ratio.

The interior features new, leather sport seats with Ultrasuede inserts, highlighted by chevron-like Ultrasuede red tabs in the seatback bolsters, and unique treatments of the gauges, steering wheel, center console and shifter. There also are contrasting Saleen logos in the door panels, and Saleen logos in the door sill plates that illuminate when the door is opened.

Additional exterior highlights include unique, 20-inch, 7-spoke alloy wheels with Pirelli P-Zero high-performance tires, and Saleen S302 fender badging.

About Saleen Performance Vehicles

Saleen Performance Vehicles is a manufacturer of limited-edition, high-performance cars and trucks, headquartered in Troy, Michigan. Saleen vehicles embody sophistication in engineering, styling and performance, resulting in a dynamic driving experience that is both exhilarating and refined. For more information, please visit the Saleen Performance Vehicles website at www.saleen.com.

New Concept Of Nissan XTrail Cars

Blue Elegant Cars Nissan XTrail
Blue Elegant Cars Nissan XTrail

Silver Fast Cars Nissan XTrail
Silver Fast Cars Nissan XTrail

Red Elegant Cars Nissan XTrail
Red Elegant Cars Nissan XTrail

Black Luxury Cars Nissan XTrail
Black Luxury Cars Nissan XTrail

White Cars Nissan XTrail Concept
White Cars Nissan XTrail Concept

Luxury Cars Nissan Skyline

Yellow Elegant Cars Nissan Skyline
Yellow Elegant Cars Nissan Skyline

Blue Fast Cars Nissan Skyline
Blue Fast Cars Nissan Skyline

Elegant Cars Nissan Skyline Concept
Elegant Cars Nissan Skyline Concept

Black Elegant Cars Nissan Skyline
Black Elegant Cars Nissan Skyline

Green Cars Nissan Skyline
Green Cars Nissan Skyline

Cars Mazda MX5 Classic

Silver Mazda MX5 Classic Concept
Silver Mazda MX5 Classic Concept

Black Mazda MX5 Classic
Black Mazda MX5 Classic

Red Mazda MX5 Classic
Red Mazda MX5 Classic

White Mazda MX5 Classic
White Mazda MX5 Classic

New Cars Mazda CX9 Concept

White Luxury Cars Mazda CX9
White Luxury Cars Mazda CX9

Red Elegant Cars Mazda CX9
Red Elegant Cars Mazda CX9

Silver Luxury Cars Mazda CX9
Silver Luxury Cars Mazda CX9

Blue Luxury Cars Mazda CX9
Blue Luxury Cars Mazda CX9

Black Elegant Cars Mazda CX9
Black Elegant Cars Mazda CX9

Kia Soul Hamsters return (U.S)

The new advertising campaign for the 2010 Kia Soul will be top-heavy with hamsters. The South Korean carmaker is even rolling out a line of "Hamstar" clothing for followers of the cuddly creatures.


Kia said the clothing, which is featured in the advertising, will "soon be available for purchase by fans at http://www.hamstarclothing.com/."

The ad campaign likens the Soul to other "boxy rides — represented by toasters, washing machines and cardboard boxes," said Kia Motors America in a statement. The hamsters also rap the title song's lyrics, "You can get with this, or you can get with that."

"Given the success and popularity of the hamsters in the initial Soul launch with a spot that won Nielsen's Automotive Ad of the Year, it made sense to bring them back for a new campaign," said Michael Sprague, Kia Motors America vice president of marketing. "The newest experience is rich with details in the hamster world."

The full commercial can be seen here.

Press Release:

Kia Motors America (KMA) officially released a new advertising campaign, titled “This or That,” for the 2010 Kia Soul. “This or That” is the rebirth of the initial Kia Soul award winning advertising campaign created by David & Goliath, KMA’s advertising agency of record, and brings back the loveable Hamsters due to popular demand. Soul is a unique and highly personalizable urban passenger vehicle and the new spot builds on its creative theme in the style of a music video set to the classic hip hop track “The Choice is Yours” by notable 90’s hip hop group Black Sheep. The new campaign launches today on cable TV networks Comedy Central, Fuse, MTV, MTV2 and Spike and runs through July. Beginning 28th May it will appear in movie theaters across the country as well as have a presence online at Pandora, Facebook, Social Vibe’s PetVille, KMA’s Kia.com. and a YouTube contest.

“Given the success and popularity of the hamsters in the initial Soul launch with a spot that won Nielsen’s Automotive Ad of the Year, it made sense to bring them back for a new campaign,” said Michael Sprague, vice president, marketing of KMA. “We know the Soul target audience is digitally savvy and that they viewed the first commercial multiple times online, so the newest experience is rich with details in the hamster world and integrated Soul content for them to discover during repeat viewings.”

“Hamstar™” logoed clothing, as seen in the spot, will soon be available for purchase by fans at www.hamstarclothing.com (check soon for details).

Cruising through an urban landscape behind the wheel of an Alien Green Kia Soul, the hamsters in “This or That” cleverly compare Soul’s unique styling and plethora of personalizable creature comforts to other boxy rides – represented by toasters, washing machines and cardboard boxes – while rapping the title song’s lyrics, “You can get with this, or you can get with that.”

A recipient of “Best Family Cars for 2010” by Edmunds.com and Parents Magazine, “Best Hatchback of 2010” by Cars.com, “2010 Top Cars for Families” by Motherproof.com, and 2010 “Top 10 Coolest New Cars Under $18,000” from Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com, Soul is available in four trims, Soul, Soul+, Soul! (exclaim) and Soul sport, as well as four special editions, including the recently unveiled special-edition Ghost Soul. Other special-edition Soul vehicles include Ignition Soul, Denim Soul and Shadow Dragon Soul. Pricing for the versatile five-door begins under $14,000.

Soul stands out from the crowd with modern, unique styling aimed toward the young and young-at-heart and offers a unique combination of style, value and personalization options. An available Audio Upgrade Package includes speaker lights that can pulse to the beat of the music or add mood lighting to the interior cabin, enhancing the overall personal lounge feeling. The Soul+ offers funky black cloth seats with “glowing” Soul logo inserts while the Soul! trim comes with a distinctive sand-black interior with houndstooth-patterned inserts, and the Soul sport presents a bold red-black interior trim with red-trimmed cloth seats and metal-finish interior accents.

Vauxhall/Opel Calibra to make a comeback?

Ever since Vauxhall/Opel pulled the covers off the sleek GTC Concept back in 2007, there have been rumours circulating on the Internet and the media about a production version of the study that would essentially replace the Calibra of the 1990s.


A report claims that the four seater coupe is still under consideration but if it gets the go-ahead, it could go on sale as early as 2013, which sounds believable given that the car would be a coupe version of the Vauxhall/Opel Insignia/Buick Regal.


It is said that in order for GM to start making a profit off the Calibra's descendant, Vauxhall/Opel will need to build a minimum of 30,000 units a year, and that's where Buick comes in...

"We would feel a lot more confident about some of these projects if Buick, Chevrolet in North and South America and Saab were sharing volumes and risk," an unnamed GM Europe source said. Since Saab is no longer a part of GM, it’s easy to presume that this statement has been made either in the beginning of 2010 or last year...

If GM does give the go ahead for the Insignia coupe project, chances are that it will be sold Stateside.

Ford F-150 SVT Raptor proves popular (U.S)

The Ford F-150 SVT Raptor with the optional 6.2 litre V8 is shifting like there’s no tomorrow, with 3,000 orders already booked for the $41,995 pick-up.


The V8, taken from those used in Ford's Super Duties, has a unique cam profile to help get extra power for the Raptor. The final result is 411bhp and 434 lb-ft of torque.


SVT chief functional engineer, Kerry Baldori explains, "We spent a lot of time developing our desert durability test so that it's very close to replicating the Baja 1000. Desert testing proved to be a very quick way to learn about the reliability of the truck and it put another level of extreme loads on the engine that our normal durability testing doesn't cover."

Ford is likely to see orders inflating once the SuperCrew arrives in 2011.


Photo Gallery: 2010 Nissan Juke