http://www.maxauto.co.za/CntView.aspx?CatID=26&CntID=1531
German automaker Volkswagen AG will be buying the Italian design and engineering house Italdesign Giugiaro S.p.A., according to Automotive News Europe. Details of the deal may be made public as early as next week, the report says.
Italdesign Giugiaro is an automotive design firm with 975 employees based in Moncalieri, Italy, just outside of Turin. It can offer VW something it very much needs if it is going to meet its goal of becoming the world's largest automaker - more designers and engineers.
VW wants to sell 10 million vehicles a year by 2018. VW Group now consists of 10 brands, including the recently acquired Porsche marque. Just this year the automaker will be introducing 60 new models or upgraded vehicles.
Italdesign Giugiaro is a privately owned firm co-founded by Giorgetto Giugiaro in 1968. At 71, he now serves as chairman while his son Fabrizio Giugiaro, 45, runs the design and model division. Company revenues for 2008 were €136 million ($166 million).
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Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 QV by DMC
http://www.maxauto.co.za/CntView.aspx?CatID=26&CntID=1532
German tuner DMC has released a new tuning kit for the Lamborghini Murcielago LP 640. Called the "Quattro Veloce," the mostly carbon fiber kit is available through JamesList.com, and includes a new front fascia, with redesigned hood and intakes, and a new splitter.
Other elements on the car include new side wings, fuel-filler cap, a new rear spoiler, as well as a new rear diffuser all of course in pure carbon fiber. The engine, covered by DMC's red-carbon cage, has been upgraded by about six percent, to produce 493 kW and up to 660 Nm of torque.
With the upgrades, the car is capable of hitting 100km/h in 3.2 seconds, en route to a top speed of 343 km/h, about 13 km/h faster than the stock LP 640.
Pricing includes installation and back-and-forth delivery of the car to DMC headquarters in Dusseldorf. For an additional amount, the customer can add diamond forged wheels that showcase the world‘s first white-carbon rims, carbon fiber seats, and ostrich leather.
Should you be capable of installing the package yourself, you can save lots. The limited edition Quattro Veloce package will be limited to 40 units. The first car will be delivered in July.
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Audi S4 by Avus Performance
http://www.maxauto.co.za/CntView.aspx?CatID=26&CntID=1533
Avus Performance has unveiled a modified Audi S4.
In terms of styling, the car features black exterior trim (mirror caps, front grille, front bumper blades and rear diffuser), an adjustable coilover suspension, and 20-inch wheels with Hankook Ventus S1 Evo tires. Inside, the cabin is outfitted with custom leather upholstery and a steering wheel with carbon fiber inserts.
Under the hood, the supercharged 3.0-liter V6 engine produces 316 kW instead of 245 kW. This is likely due to a revised ECU and an optimized stainless steel exhaust system.
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VW quickly reclaims Europe's number 1 sales spot
http://www.maxauto.co.za/CntView.aspx?CatID=26&CntID=1534
The new Golf VI has helped VW return to the top of the sales charts in Europe.
After trailing the Ford brand by 1,298 units last month, VW has once again become the best-selling automotive brand in the European Union with sales of 138,304 units. Comparatively Ford sold 87,721 units. As a matter of fact the Blue Oval was overtaken by both Renault and Peugeot as well, with sales of 99,642 and 88,721 respectively.
Scrappage schemes that hiked sales for subcompacts like the Fiesta and Ka have either ended or were down in key markets, hence the drop in Ford sales. The bigger Golf on the other hand, had not benefitted as much from these scrappages.
In March the UK, which is Ford's largest market in Europe, had even become the region's biggest automotive market. But in April Germany once again went atop, accommodating 259,414 new cars while France came second with 190,917 sales, then Italy with 159,971 and the UK rounding off the top four at 148,793.
Sales of the Golf, back to being Europe's best-seller, were 186,202 units during the first four months of the year while the Ford Fiesta came in at 173,096. Should the Golf stay at this level for the rest of the year then it will have been the most popular car in Europe for the years 2000, 2001, 2004, 2008, 2009 and 2010.
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