Advertise with my Blog Best Autos: February 2011

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Aston Martin DB9 Black

Aston Martin DB9 BlackNiche car manufacturers like Aston Martin never enjoyed a peaceful life - the fragile sports car market is pretentious and forever changing. Adapting to such an unstable environment is difficult for any sports car manufacturer, whether we're talking about Ferrari, Porsche or Aston Martin. However, the British company has bright plans concerning their future, plans well supported by the current range of Aston Martin models. The three main pillars that ensure Aston's success are the DB9, the V8 Vantage and the V12 Vanquish. Let's have a quick look at each of these fantastic cars. The DB9 is equipped with a 6.0 L 450 brake horsepower (335 kW) V12 engine borrowed from the Aston Martin V12 Vanquish. The DB9 is a direct competitor of the 911 Turbo model from Porsche and the F430 Ferrari. According to Wikipedia, Aston Martin will be revealing the DB9 LM along with the DBS and the V8 Vantage N400 in Frankfurt Motor Show. The DB9 LM commemorates Aston's GT1 class victory in the Le Mans 24-hour race in the year.

Thursday, February 10, 2011

2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

All those rumors about Chevrolet readying the Camaro ZL1 for a debut at the Chicago Auto Show turned out to be true as the guys from the Camaro5 forums snapped these pictures of GM's poster signs from the show floor. It won't be long before Chevrolet presentation starts, but you can get an idea of what to expect in the preliminary details posted after the jump.

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Nissan Esflow Coupe Concept that runs on Electricity at Geneva

The time has come for Nissan to release its plans for the rapidly approaching Geneva Salon. For this year's edition of the show, the Japanese automaker has prepared an impressive sports coupe concept named the ESFLOW. It has most of the right ingredients to satisfy purists, including a rear-wheel drive layout, a 0 to 100km/h [62 mph] sprint time of under 5 seconds, two seats and an aggressive design, but there's a catch: it runs purely on electricity.  

The Japanese automaker claims it has "captured the excitement of a sports car and the environmental benefits of an electric vehicle and blended them into one dramatic two-seater concept".
The ESFLOW has been created from the ground up as a pure electric vehicle using technology introduced in the Leaf EV. The concept model runs on two electric motors with an unspecified output that are placed above the axis of the rear wheels, in a mid-ship position. These motors independently control the left and right wheels, with Nissan claiming that the torque is optimized to ensure vehicle stability and control as well as efficient power regeneration.
The company says the electric motors produce enough torque in an instant for the car to reach 100km/h (62 mph) in under 5 seconds.


The motors are powered from the same laminated lithium-ion battery packs used in the Leaf, but in ESFLOW the packs are located along the axis of the front and rear wheel. The batteries are said to offer a driving range of over 240 kilometers or 149 miles on a single charge.
The car also features a composite body that covers an aluminium chassis which incorporates its own roll cage.
We don't have any photos of the interior yet, but Nissan said the cabin is "clean and open" with weight saving measures being a priority throughout its design.
And just in case you were wondering about the type of customer that Nissan envisions buying the ESFLOW, the automaker released a short fictional story which you can check out below.


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Opel Antara Facelift 2011


We've already laid eyes on Opel's and sister company Vauxhall's rehashed Antara, but the automaker just came out with a fresh batch of photos as well as some additional information on the compact SUV, including performance and fuel economy stats for the revamped engine lineup

The cosmetic changes are pretty much limited to the front fascia and rear lights on the outside and a revised center console plus new graphics for the instruments, and updated trim and upholstery, options inside.
For 2011, the Antara's engine line-up consists of two new 2.2-liter CDTI diesels with 163HP and 184HP, and a new 2.4-liter ECOTEC gasoline variant with 167HP.

The 163HP entry level diesel unit is available with front or all-wheel drive and manual or automatic transmission. The FWD model with a manual gearbox returns a combined fuel consumption of 6.3 lt/100 km (37.3 mpg US or 44.8 mpg UK) with CO2 emissions of 167 g/km, and zero to 100km/h (62 mph) acceleration time of 9.9 seconds and a top speed of 189 km/h (117 mph).
The top-of-the-line 184HP diesel comes standard with all-wheel drive, and is available with both transmission choices. It completes the zero to 100 km/h sprint in 9.6 seconds, has a top speed of 200 km/h (124 mph) and returns 6.6 lt/100 km (35.7 mpg US or 42.8 mpg UK) with CO2 emissions of 175 g/km.
Finally, the 2.4-liter gasoline engine is available with front-wheel drive and manual transmission or all-wheel drive coupled with manual or automatic gearbox. It features a 0 to 100 km/h acceleration time of 10.5 seconds, a maximum speed of 190 km/h (118 mph), fuel consumption of 8.8 lt/100km (26.7 mpg US or 32.1 mpg UK) and CO2 emissions of 206 g/km (manual front-wheel drive version).
Along with the engines, the two available 6-speed transmissions are also newly developed, while improvements to the ABS system and the standard fitting of Hill Start Assist (HSA) which prevents roll-back when driving away on grades, complete the list of changes.
The 2011 Antara will launch in Europe this Spring.
 
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Cougatti 2002 Mercury Cougar

Sure, most people would love to have a Bugatti Veyron; sadly, at over a million bucks a pop we're talking a vehicle that's slightly out of reach for most consumers. Thankfully, one man and eBay have rectified this issue with something we'll call a Cougatti (or Bougar).

Based on a 112,000-mile 2002 Mercury Cougar with a V6 and automatic transmission, this one-of-one Cougatti has a starting bid of $89,000 and no takers as of this writing. Potential buyers get all the body work, 20-inch wheels, angel eye HID headlights, LED tails, two gas caps (one functional), and power windows/mirrors.
No pics of the interior just yet, but the seller says it is "in progress" and "very close to being ready for upholstery".
Is this cross-bred creature a crime against humanity or a bargain basement show car? Leave your comments down below.
 
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Suzuki Hot Hatchback in Geneva with Swift S-Concept

Ever since Suzuki presented the latest generation of the Swift in the summer of 2010, we were wondering if the Japanese automaker had any plans to add a sportier version to its supermini's range. Well, it appears that Suzuki does have something in mind as the company will be exhibiting a new concept car named the SWIFT S-CONCEPT at the Geneva Motor Show in March.
All we get for now is a teaser rendering showing the latest Swift sub-compact dressed in a new and more aggressive outfit with blistered front wheel arches, a new front bumper and grille design, unique headlamps and exterior mirrors plus a large roof wing.
According to Suzuki, the overall development concept was to create "a stylish sport compact with premium performance." Apparently we'll have to wait until the Geneva Salon to find out what the Japanese automaker has up its sleeve.

















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Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Tom Cruise's Cars

The car driven by Tom Cruise in action film Minority Report is expected to fetch £64,000 (about $125,654 US dollars) when it goes under the hammer next month. The sleek red Lexus 2054 is just one of three models created for the movie and only has 38 miles on the odometer.























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BMW 6 Series Retro Racer

BMW 6 Series Retro Racer review. As we know BMW has recently introduced the first incarnation of the new 6 Series in the world. We talk about the 650th Convertible, a vehicle that aims to become a star. Unfortunately, the embodiment of the vehicle cut has not yet been published, with car enthusiasts around the world still awaits the coming of Bavaria two doors cast a spell on them. Its has futuristic performance you can see the picture. As you can imagine, we are also killed by the anticipation created by the expectation of the vehicle. And every time I enter a state like this, we use a practice (keyboard) approach, seeking a virtual creation that our thirst. Now you expect us to tell you that we have been looking for a rendering of the model, spending hours choosing what seems the most accurate. Well, we did not, because the BMW 6 Series Coupe Concept is certainly closer to the product that any future rendering. Instead, we thought it would be fun to try an optimization of this project based on the future of the World Series Coupe 6. We chose a setting that takes us back in the history of the BMW race, arriving with a striking blend of retro style and visual aggression. As you can see, the vehicle’s fair to take the series 6 bases, bringing an entirely new design.

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Nissan Yuki-onna at SEMA 2010

At the annual SEMA Show Nissan demonstrated environmental Racing Car – Nissan Yuki-onna.
Design Concept Nissan Yuki-onna has been suggested that the student Alfredo Garcia Marin from Barcelona.
Noble line of cars were created under the inspiration of the shape of Japanese women in the snow. The elegant and attractive car was designed as a roomy sedan that embodies the true spirit of modernity and the commitment of ecology.
Nissan Yuki-onna has two doors, the chassis is carbon fiber and powered by electric motors on each of the four wheels.


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