First Test BMW i8 Hybrid Sports Coupe Spied on the Snow

BMW is already announced the new i sub-brand , aline stand alone hybrid, fully electric plug-in vehicles and begin to wear i logo,In this series of spy videos, we see the test driver sub-brand’s halo car, the i8 hybrid sports coupe, which is based on the 2009’s Vision Efficient Dynamics concept model, undergoing cold weather tests in Northern Europe.I8 BMW Hybrid Sports Coupe

So far, it was estimated that it will hold mechanical equipment i8 concept model with a 163HP diesel engine 1.5 liter three cylinder located behind the rear seat and two electric motors, one located between the diesel engine and six-speed dual-clutch transmission and the second in front of the vehicle.

But while the motors remain in a recent interview with Autocar, BMW R & D chief Klaus Draeger has shown that diesel will be replaced by a gasoline engine in the production model. "We want to sell worldwide. Diesel is really important for Europe," Draeger was quoted as saying.

I8 plug-in hybrid sports car is scheduled to arrive on the market with a small sedan i3 (formerly known as Mega City) in 2013.

Ford B-MAX concept

Scheduled to make its world premiere at the Geneva Motor Show this week is Ford's brand-new B-MAX concept that previews the firm's upcoming small MPV, designed to replace the current European Fusion and rival the Opel Meriva. Based on the Fiesta platform, the almost production-ready minivan has some striking features, the most obvious being the new door concept. It has no B-pillar and the twin doors have a conventional opening system in the front and a sliding system in the back.

By eliminating the traditional B-pillar, Ford promises best-in-class access to the cabin without compromising safety. With both front and rear doors open, the aperture measures 1.5 metres, around twice the width offered by competitors, according to Ford.
“With its unique door format and dynamic design, the B-MAX sends a strong message that customers looking for a compact, stylish and versatile vehicle will soon have an exciting new choice,” said Stephen Odell, CEO of Ford Europe. Another highlight is the lack of door handles, with the opening system being remote-controlled.

The B-MAX measures is a little over 4 meters in length, and is 110mm longer than and 110mm taller than the Fiesta five-door hatch, with Ford promising enough room for five passengers. With the rear seats folded 60/40, the car offers a flat load floor that extends up to 2.35 meters in length when the front passenger seat is folded.
The B-MAX is powered by an all-new 1.0-liter three-cylinder engine that uses EcoBoost technology and is equipped with Ford's Auto-Start-Stop system. The 3-cylinder unit uses turbocharging, direct fuel injection and twin independent variable cam timing to achieve significant reductions in fuel-consumption and CO₂ emissions. This engine is set to replace larger conventional four-cylinder units in the future and is now undergoing the final development phase.
A production version of the B-MAX is expected to launch within the next two years.

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2011 Suzuki GSV-R

The Rizla Suzuki MotoGP team has unveiled its 2011 challenger. Sporting a livery from Troy Lee Designs, the Suzuki GSV-R now produces over 220 bhp (165 kW / 225 PS) from its 800 cc V4 engine.

Combined with a weight of around 150 kg (330 lbs), that should be enough for a top speed of at least 205 mph (330 km/h). But that’s just one part of the performance mix - work has also been done to improve driveability and acceleration out of slow corners, while chassis stiffness has received attention to enhance handling and traction.

Rizla Suzuki will only be fielding one GSV-R this season, for Spanish rider Álvaro Bautista. The new bike will make its debut at this weekend’s MotoGP test session at Qatar, ahead of the first race of the season on 20 March which also takes place at the Losail circuit.

Test Drivers "Blamed" for the Re-Design of the Toyota FT-86 Coupe

Toyota's FT-86 II pre-production concept car displayed at the Geneva Motor Show last week attracted a lot of attention, with many viewing the car's styling as a step back from the FT-86. However, as Toyota explained, these changes were not imposed only by designers, but by the company's test drivers and safety regulations as well.
More precisely, the feedback received from the test drivers after the early development stages had the biggest influence on the look of the FT-86 II. The most important change requested was to move back the A-pillars by around 100 mm at the base, which led to a more vertical windscreen.
“We had feedback from drivers who felt that the angle of the A-pillars created a type of ‘tunnel vision’,” Akihiro Nagaya, head of Toyota design division, told Autocar. “This could sometimes make the car hard to place on the road, particularly at higher speeds. The theory behind this car remains that of the ‘86’ (the original Corolla AE-86), which was easy and pure to drive, so we had to change it,” Toyota’s official added.
Another important change from the original FT-86 Concept is the taller nose, adopted in order to comply with pedestrian impact regulations, a modification which alters the sharp profile of the original concept. Toyota's designers complicated things even more with overly aggressive styling on the front and rear ends.
So, how many of these changes will we see on the production car? According to Nagaya, the road car will share around 50 to 70 percent of its looks with the FT-86 II. Another interesting statement made by Nagaya was that Subaru's version of this car will look very much like the Toyota, with the approach being similar to the S-Verso/Trezia rebadging work.

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Volkswagen New Body Kit for Golf Mk6

Volkswagen has released a new set of accessories for its best selling model, the Golf MK6. The most important of these is a new aerodynamic package, which includes slightly redesigned bumpers, side skirts and a larger roof spoiler. Other than making the Golf look sportier, VW claims these new components improve the car's aerodynamics.
Other accessories for the Golf's exterior include two new sets of alloy wheels, both 17-inch large and painted in different hues of silver: the 15-spoke “Silex” and the 5-spoke “Onyx”. For the interior, Volkswagen's aftermarket division prepared a decorative trim set that consists of five pieces finished with a carbon look. The parts are destined for the instrument panel and door panels.
Volkswagen Accessories also offers new gear for utility purposes, such as a roof-box available in three different sizes that uses the DuoLift system, allowing the opening and loading of the roof-box on both sides. Another accessory is the luggage compartment tub made of washable plastic that can be divided into different sections according to needs.
All accessories are available through VW's dealer network.


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