http://www.maxauto.co.za/CntView.aspx?CatID=26&CntID=1212
Having been spied a few times before, the new Renault Mégane Coupé-Cabriolet has now been officially detailed ahead of its international public debut at the Geneva Motor Show in less than a month. Being the latest addition to the current five-model lineup means the Coupé-Cabriolet benefits from manufacturing experience gained from the other models.
Its main attraction is of course the glazed folding glass roof covering an area of 0.47 square metres. Accessing the fully-automatic, electro-hydraulic opening mechanism, passengers will be able to enjoy open-top motoring through the touch of a button which lowers the two-piece roof in about 21 seconds.
A fixed glass wind deflector ensures minimal cabin wind intrusion and works for speeds up to 90km/h. For greater velocities a removable mesh deflector can be added.
Among the exterior features are directional bi-Xenon headlamps with cornering dipped beams and dark red taillights with LED brake lights. The interior boasts bigger-car goodies like a Carminat Tomtom satellite navigation system, USB connection, 3D sound and an electronic parking brake.
Six engine choices, three petrol and three diesel, are to be offered. These include a TCe 130 with a 6-speed manual gearbox, a 2.0 16V 103kW mated to a CVT transmission and a dCi 110 DPF paired with Renault's new double clutch gearbox.
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Nissan 370Z Black Edition Marks 40th Anniversary
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Nissan is releasing a special edition model to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Datsun 240Z. The Nissan 370Z Black Edition will be limited to 370 units, all coupes, and all painted in either black or quartz.
The car will ride on 19-inch forged aluminum RAYS rims in dark grey, which cover brake calipers painted in red. Inside, red leather and suede is used on the door inserts and seats. The red color is used on the stitching of the dark grey leather-wrapped steering wheel, as well as the console, knee padding, and center cluster. Logos and badging for the special edition can be found on the seats, and on the exterior. The car's infotainment is comprised of a sat-nav, seven-inch touchscreen, Bose audio system, hard drive and USB port.
Like the stock model, the special edition gets Nissan's 241 kW 3.7-liter V6 engine. With a manual transmission the car hits 100 km/h in 5.3 seconds on its way to an electronically-limited 250 km/h top speed.
The Nissan 370Z Black Edition is now avaiilable for order in the UK. The company expects to begin deliveries in April.
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Toyota President apologises for global recall
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Toyota's top executive has broken his silence regarding his company's worst crisis in years. Company President and CEO Akio Toyoda, grandson of the brand's founder Kiichiro Toyoda, said he was sorry for the recalls.
"I would like to take this opportunity to apologise from the bottom of my heart for causing many of our customers concern after the recalls across several models in several regions," he was quoted. "Believe me, Toyota cars are safe."
Confidence in Toyota has plummeted steadily over the past couple of weeks due to these problems. Company stocks have lost about US$30 billion in value since the start of the crisis but bounced back a little on Friday after better-than-expected quarterly financial results. In the past decade or so about 8 million Toyota cars have been recalled. Up to 19 crash deaths in the US were blamed on the accelerator problem over that period.
Meanwhile another headache for the world's largest automaker in sales seems to be developing fast. So far 124 complaints have been logged by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) regarding the Prius brake problem but Toyota says it has already instituted a software fix for it.
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WALD Latest Styling Program for Lexus LS460
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Japanese tuners Wald are now taking orders for their new kit for the 2010 Lexus LS460 facelift. The car with the styling mods debuted in January at the Tokyo Auto Salon 2010.
Engineers designed a sportier package for the facelifted model than their previous kit. It includes a blacked-out grille ringed in chrome, an aggressive front bumper, and new sidesills. A new diffuser surrounds the dual tailpipes, like the previous Wald kit, but this package has a more squared-off bumper.
The company does not plan to stop here. An e-mail sent to us from the tuner says they are working on a package capable of fitting the LS Hybrid.
Delivery of the Wald Lexus LS460 package will begin in mid-March. The package is also available through select Lexus Japan dealers.
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2011 BMW X5 Facelift Revealed with Turbo Power
http://www.maxauto.co.za/CntView.aspx?CatID=26&CntID=1216
Set to debut at the New York Auto Show, the X5 features new bumpers, additional body-color accents, revised wheels, new headlights, relocated fog lights, and redesigned taillights.
Inside, the only change appears to be the addition of a new iDrive system with a 6.5-inch display (an 8.8-inch display will be optional). Despite the lack of updates, BMW added some new optional equipment. Goodies include active-ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, a panorama glass roof, four-zone automatic climate, and a DVD entertainment system. On the tech side, the X5 can be outfitted with a head-up display, adaptive cornering headlights, high-beam assistant, park distance control, a reversing camera, active cruise control (with a stop & go), a lane departure warning system, and a speed limit information display.
Under the hood, the 3.0-liter inline-six is replaced by a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six (dubbed the N55) that produces 225 kW and 400 Nm of torque. It enables the crossover to accelerate from 0-100 km/h in 6.8 seconds, before topping out at 235 km/h. In terms of efficiency, the N55 allows the X5 to have an average fuel consumption of 10.1 liters/100 kilometers and a C02 emissions rating of 236 g/km.
The X5 xDrive50i boasts a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 (instead of a naturally-aspirated 4.8-liter V8), which churns out 300 kW and 400 Nm of torque. Thanks to this powerful engine, the X5 accelerates from 0-100 km/h in 5.5 seconds, before hitting a top speed of 250 km/h. It consumes an average of 12.5 liters/100 kilometers and emits 292 grams of CO2 per kilometer.
On the diesel side, BMW will offer two turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six engines. In the X5 xDrive40d, the engine produces 225 kW and 600 Nm of torque. It runs from 0-100 km/h in 6.6 seconds and has a top speed of 236 km/h. Average fuel consumption is rated at 7.5 liters/100 kilometers, while CO2 emissions come in at 198 g/km. For the X5 xDrive30d, the engine cranks out 180 kW and 540 Nm of torque. This allows the oil-burner to accelerate from 0-100 km/h in 7.6 seconds, before peaking at 222 km/h. As you would expect, it is the most efficient engine, as it only consumes an average of 7.4 liters/100 kilometers and emits 195 grams of CO2 per kilometer.
All engines will be backed up by an eight-speed automatic transmission for "outstanding shifting dynamics, optimized effectiveness and the highest degree of comfort."
Other performance tweaks include a "more neutral" xDrive (all-wheel drive) system, revised spring and damper settings (for the xDrive50i and the xDrive40d), and a new speed-dependent Servotronic steering system.
The 2011 X5 will go on sale in the US shortly after it is unveiled in April, while UK and German sales are scheduled to begin June 5th.
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