2011 Porsche Cayenne SUV gets Sleeker Spy Photos

Not surprisingly, the Cayenne's dashboard looks very similar to the Panamera sports sedan featuring a five-gauge cluster and a center stack dominated by a large screen with the climate controls positioned underneath. Flanking the gear lever on the elevated lower console are the suspension controls and numerous other buttons.


Porsche is putting the final touches on its second generation Cayenne SUV that is anticipated to be introduced at a major car show in the first half of 2010. These new spy pictures suggest that the next Cayenne will be far better looking than its graceless predecessor adopting a smoother design language and more dynamic proportions accentuated by the lowered roofline, smaller rear window and steeper angle of the rear tailgate.


The direct-injection powerplants are expected to be carry-over units from the Panamera. A VW Group-sourced V6 petrol producing around 300-horsepower will serve as the entry-level engine, while the range will top out with Porsche's 4.8-liter V8 delivering 400HP in naturally aspirated form and 500HP in turbo spec.


Word from Germany is that Porsche's engineers have worked overtime to reduce the SUV's weight as much as 200kg or 440 lbs over the current model with obvious benefits in handling, fuel economy, CO2 emissions and of course, performance figures.


The V8 models will most likely feature Porsche's seven-speed double-clutch PDK transmission as standard.

Porsche will also offer the new Cayenne with a V6 gasoline-electric hybrid powerplant as well as a V6 diesel engine.

The next Cayenne will be built on a modified version of the Panamera's platform that will also be shared with the second generation VW Touareg.
Source:carscoop

REPORT: Aston Martin Cygnet Available Only to Aston Owners

The New York Times has shed a little light on the subject, reporting that only owners of full-sized Astons will be eligible to purchase the Cygnet. Aston Martin CEO Ulrich Bez said in the winter issue of Aston Martin magazine that "this concept is akin to an exclusive tender for a luxury yacht." If that doesn't make sense to you non-yacht owners, think of it as a 105 mph golf cart for Aston owners.


There are few automakers on earth as exclusive as Aston Martin, so we were more than a little surprised when the English exoticmaker announced it was going to build the Cygnet, a city car based on the prosaic Toyota iQ. After all, we chastise automakers for rebadging all the time, but Ford, Honda and General Motors products don't have anywhere near the exclusivity of Aston Martin. Then there is the Cygnet's reported $35,000 price tag. Some Aston purists were a little taken back by the "modest" $120,000 price tag of the V8 Vantage, so a $35,000 Toyota with a Rapide grille probably won't go over well with more than a few loyalists.


To further help the Cygnet stay exclusive, Aston only plans to build 2,000 copies of the iQ-based city car and there are no current plans to sell the mini car in the U.S. market, so it might be fair to say this is a bit of a commuter special for Londonites. Even still, while this novel sales plan may help to mitigate potential brand degredation that Cygnet skeptics suggest it may bring about, we can't help but wonder how the thousands of non-Cygnet toting Aston owners will feel about their favored brand dipping a foot into the House of Toyota.
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Quick Spin: TPCRacing Cayman S Turbo picks up where Porsche left off

When Porsche introduced the Cayman in 2006, one thing was abundantly clear: Porsche had muzzled its midship coupe to prevent cannibalizing 911 sales. Despite a more favorable weight distribution and an unflappable chassis, the Cayman lacked the power to exploit its excellent underpinnings, even in "S" guise. So like its Boxster sibling, the Cayman was destined to play second fiddle to Porsche's iconic rear-engine flagship. From a business perspective, Porsche's decision made sense. For enthusiasts, it was yet another bitter pill from Zuffenhausen.


Levitas began producing race cars back in the late Eightes, and over the course of the next decade and a half he managed the turbocharger programs for the Nissan 300ZX, Mazda RX7, Lotus Esprit and Consulier GTPs in the IMSA Supercar Series. Mike's background and advanced aeronautical training eventually led him to build some of the best Porsche race cars around. Porsche Club racing, Motorola Cup action, and a brief dip into Mercedes sedans eventually led him to the Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series.


The result is the TPCRacing Cayman S Turbo Kit. Producing around 485 horsepower, it's packing more ponies than – until recently – nearly any vehicle in Porsche's lineup, save the GT2. And that's only with 5.5-pounds of boost. With such a low amount of pressure, the turbo kit puts barely any additional stress on the stock internals of the 3.4-liter flat-six.


TPCRacing sells its Cayman Turbo Kit (with intercooler) for a buck less than ten grand. It includes nearly everything needed for installation: a cat-back exhaust, turbocharger, liquid-to-air intercooler, new intake plenum, all brackets/plumbing/fitting/hardware/clamps, upgraded injectors and custom silicone piping. The ECU needs to be shipped to TPC for reprogramming, but anyone with a fair amount of mechanical aptitude can do the installation. The total tab for our tester was about $12,000 according to the owner. Of course, he also went nuts with suspension, brakes, wheels, tires and body mods that more than doubled that figure.


We got a chance to sample the full-on intercooled turbo kit and, needless to say, it's like no Cayman we've met before. It's a mid-engine Jekyll and Hyde. In normal commuter duty the TPC drives exactly like any other Cayman on the road. That's to say it has near perfect handling, with some of the best brakes and most precise steering ever engineered into a road-going vehicle. But dip into that throttle a bit deeper and... whoosh! As if a giant hand dropped down from the sky and gave you a gentle shove, you're hurtled along into extra-legal speeds in seconds.
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Audi targets BMW with 7.3 billion euros in new product investment - Confirms Q5 hybrid end of 2010

• 7.3 billion euros total investment from 2009 through 2012

• Around 5.9 billion euros for new products and future technologies

• Number of models to increase from 34 now to 42 in 2015

Audi will continue to invest heavily in new products and forward-looking technologies in the future: plans for 2009 through 2012 envisage total investments of 7.3 billion euros for fixed assets.


In coming years the Audi Group will continue to invest strongly in its future. Approximately 5.9 billion euros, in other words about 80 percent of its total investment in fixed assets, will be devoted to new product development, further optimization of conventional drivelines and the development of electric and hybrid models. By 2015, the Audi brand will have enlarged its product portfolio from currently 34 to 42 models. "With our planned investments in new products and mobility concepts, for example electric propulsion, we are creating a basis for our company's future growth," says Axel Strotbek, Member of the Board of Management for Finance and Organization at AUDI AG.
Next year Audi will launch a series of new cars. The A1, A7, A8 and R8 Spyder will be added to the product portfolio during 2010. At the end of 2010 Audi will unveil the Audi Q5 Hybrid, which will reach the market at the start of 2011 as the brand's first full hybrid model. As Strotbek points out: "We will be in a position to finance all our planned investments from our operative cash flow."


At the German locations and elsewhere, future policy is now being implemented: from 2009 through 2012 approximately 3.8 billion euros will be invested at the Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm plants. "This is a firm commitment to our German facilities. Audi is facing the technological upheaval in the automobile world in a farsighted way. The will to work and high qualifications of employees at our German plants are a firm foundation for the necessary changes," states Peter Mosch, Chairman of the Audi General Works Council.
About 2.5 billion euros will be invested at Ingolstadt and about 1.3 billion euros at Neckarsulm. A new transmission and emissions center will be opened at the Ingolstadt plant, and other investment priorities will be stamping tools for the new Audi A1 and the manufacturing structures for the A3 and A4 models. The investment focus in Neckarsulm will be on the A6, A7 und A8 models and new engine-function test rigs.
Source:Audi via worldcarfans

FORD FIRST TO ENABLE iTUNES TAGGING WITH LAUNCH OF NEW HD RADIO CAPABILITY IN ITS LINEUP

• Ford is the first auto manufacturer to offer HD RadioTM technology with iTunes® Tagging capability; this new functionality will be available next year

• HD Radio technology captures free digital radio broadcasts, which eliminate static, fadeout and other problems associated with conventional analog radio signals; the result is FM audio that's comparable to near-CD quality and AM audio that sounds like today's FM broadcasts

• HD Radio digital technology provides a number of advanced services not available with an analog radio. Extra FM channels, called HD2/HD3 channels, are delivered, as well as useful on-screen Program Service Data such as artist name and song title

DEARBORN, Mich., Dec. 29, 2009 - iTunes Tagging and crystal-clear radio sound through HD Radio technology are the latest features on Ford's growing list of factory-installed customer conveniences and technologies that will be newly available in 2010.

HD Radio receivers pull in digital radio signals and play them with dramatically improved sound. FM stations, for example, have near-CD quality, making it convenient for customers to select songs they want to download and purchase.

"iTunes Tagging and HD Radio technology are strong new additions to the growing collection of Ford convenience features and technology we're offering customers to make driving even more enjoyable," said Mark Fields, president of The Americas. "This is another example of Ford's commitment to bring the widest variety of factory-installed customer-focused technology, features and conveniences to millions of people."
In 2010, Ford vehicles will offer familiar terrestrial radio, HD Radio technology, SIRIUS® Satellite Radio as well as Internet radio through Ford SYNC® from a Bluetooth®-streaming audio-capable smartphone.

"Ford continues to lead the market in bringing advanced capabilities to popular vehicles. We are very pleased that HD Radio technology is an integral part of Ford's broad offering of new features," said Jeff Jury, COO of iBiquity Digital Corporation, the developer of HD Radio technology.

Like the song? You can tag it
The world's first implementation of iTunes Tagging in a factory-installed HD Radioreceiver will launch in 2010 on select Ford vehicles. Through the SYNC system, iTunes Tagging will provide Ford customers with the ability to capture a song they hear on the HD Radio receiver for later purchase. With a simple push of the "TAG" button on the radio display, the song information will be stored in the radio's memory.

Up to 100 tags can be stored on SYNC until the iPod is connected to receive the download of metadata. When the iPod is then synced to iTunes, a playlist of "tagged" songs will appear. Customers then can preview and, if desired, purchase and download tagged songs from the iTunes Store.

All HD Radio-enabled receivers in Ford vehicles also will provide Program Service Data - information that appears on the radio screen and includes song title, artist name and more.

Familiar controls with better quality
HD Radio technology enables more listening options and increased sound quality by using the same radio interface customers are used to as well as the same antennas and analog tuners with an added digital decoder inside the radio. Additionally, HD Radio-enabled receivers provide listeners with unique advanced services.
To operate, there's no difference from today's radio operations - customers just tune in their favorite stations. If the station is broadcasting with HD Radio technology, the system automatically picks up the signal and will transition to digital audio once decoded.

Exclusive to HD Radio receivers are HD2/HD3 channels, which resemble mini-stations that could be spun off the "mother" station or completely new content for the local market. HD2/HD3 channels are found directly adjacent to the main (HD1) channel on the dial if available.

If additional HD2/HD3 channels are available, the radio will indicate how many on a multicast information bar. Users may tune up to the new available channels like they would tune to any other analog station. Users also may store HD2/HD3 presets, just as they do with today's radio.

HD Radio technology enables better audio and exclusive unique content choices
One significant benefit of HD Radio technology is that the sound quality of the broadcast is dramatically better because of the digital transmission - FM sounds like a CD and AM sounds like terrestrial FM broadcasts. Also, the sound itself is much clearer and more consistent, without issues such as pops or hisses. Unlike analog broadcasts, digital broadcasts aren't susceptible to interference, fadeout and other issues.

Most stations use the additional HD2/HD3 channels to provide more unique coverage of sports, music or other niche programs often tailored for their individual markets - all for free. For example, in Dallas there is now a dedicated 24/7 Cowboys channel on 105.3-HD3. In Pittsburgh, there is a dedicated 24/7 Penguins channel on 105.9-HD2.Broadcasters may choose any genre they wish for their additional channels.

Nearly 2,000 radio stations in the U.S. currently broadcast in digital HD Radio sound, with more than 1,100 stations also airing HD2/HD3 channels. Approximately 85 percent of the U.S. population is served by a station broadcasting with HD Radio technology.
via:worldcarfans

New Honda Beat: Next-Generation Kei Roadster Speculated

Our knowledge of the Japanese language is non-existent so we can't share any details from the article (any help would be hugely appreciated) but we assume from the side air-vents that the design proposal is for a rear-engined roadster - something like the poor man's Porsche.


We don't know if the rendering / story is based on actual inside information or pure speculation, but it would be interesting to hear your say about whether or not a model like this could be successful in markets outside Japan in today's world of downsizing and greener cars.


Remember the original Beat, Honda's pint-sized, two-seater roadster with the mid-engine, rear-wheel drive layout of the 1990s? Well, Japan's Best Car magazine is doing what it does best by speculating on the return of the Beat in Honda's car range.



via:carscoop

MINI E Electric Car Performance in Winter Testing

Recent snowfall gave me a chance to experience driving the MINI E electric car in snow and ice conditions, and the frigid northeast weather has been a test of its batteries.


I am leasing the MINI E for a one year period as a part of BMW’s field test trial, and am among 449 other drivers in California, New Jersey, and New York. At this point, after six months of driving, the car has just over 7700 miles.


There has been a pronounced decline in battery range in the cold weather. On a recent trip at a temperature of 23 degrees Fahrenheit and including a two-hour 110 volt charge in the middle, the battery meter hit zero miles/zero percent after just 55 miles (see graphic). The car is billed as having a 100 mile range.
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