http://www.maxauto.co.za/CntView.aspx?CatID=26&CntID=1590
The tuning bug seems to have bitten Emotion Wheels quite deeply. Best known for its work on wheels, the company has now and again branched out into the world of total package tuning.
Latest to receive the Emotion treatment is the BMW M3 (E92). Under normal circumstances this coupe is to be found with a naturally aspirated 4.0-litre V8 engine producing 309 kW. Out with that, said Emotion, and in with the 4.4-litre twin turbo V8. In the X5 M and X6 M this engine is good for a sweet 408 kW.
After some engine tweaking and the installation of a modified sport exhaust system, Emotion was able to release 527 kW from this beast. To handle the extra power load, adjustments were made to the chassis and suspension.
No performance figures were released but since the normal M3 dispatches 0 - 100 km/h in 4.8 seconds, this modified version should be significantly quicker. Styling changes include a carbon fibre bonnet, new side sills and 19-inch Wasabi matte black alloys.
Prices should be available soon.
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BMW turns on to sound engineering
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Today’s mechanical engineers are obsessed with reducing fuel consumption and emissions.
Whereas a decade ago the idea of hybrid technology was seen as a peripheral engineering novelty, designers in the second decade of the 21st century are employing these technologies with greater urgency.
One of the issues with engines best suited to achieving low consumption figures are their coarse acoustics.
The compression ignition clatter so characteristic of diesel fueled engines is an undesirable for buyers in the premium market. BMW realises this and is now focusing exhaustive efforts on reducing the clattering acoustic signature of its compression ignition engines, in a bid to get even more premium buyers into its low consumption diesel models.
Clever design
BMW engineers have been analysing the construction of engine blocks and their acoustic interaction with the shape of the engine bay.
What they’ve learned is that an obvious increase of insulation material helps. The other, newer, technique BMW's sound engineers have discovered to dissipate excess vibration, and reduce compression ignition acoustic intrusion, is the precise integration of special ribs within the engine bay’s structure.
What does it all mean? Well, if you thought the current generation ‘d’ affixed BMWs were unobtrusive, future models are guaranteed to be positively ghost-like in operation.
The greatest advantage of BMW's new research into sound management is actually netting the company’s much vaunted efficient dynamics diesel models (the lowest consuming BMWs) to a wider audience. If there’s less unappealing diesel noise, more efficient dynamics diesel BMWs are sure to be bought - thereby increasing the downstream advantage of their fuel saving technologies as volumes increase as a proportion of BMW sales.
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Car sales up by 36.6%
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New vehicle sales in South Africa continued to recover in May, with higher income earners' demand for pricier cars driving growth.
New car sales jumped 36.3% during May to 18 876 units from the corresponding month last year, according to the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (Naamsa).
"The 5.5% drop in interest rates since 2008, stable new vehicle prices and better loan finance approval rates have contributed to the strong recovery," said Naamsa, adding that exceptionally low demand for cars this time last year is responsible for a low base.
As far as credit approval rates go, Marcel de Klerk, managing executive of Absa Vehicle and Asset Finance, said all banks have relaxed their criteria but South Africans should not expect any further easing this year.
"Households still have high levels of debt and the consumers' affordibility levels have not shown a great improvment," said De Klerk.
"The quality of applications has not improved all that much," he said.
Absa Vehicle and Asset Finance has received 16% more applications for car loans so far this year. Approvals ratings have increased by 17%.
Most popular models
De Klerk said lower income earners are under particular pressure, which means that a good portion of new car sales growth is driven by mid- and upper-level cars.
"The average vehicle we approve is priced between R170 000 and R200 000," he said.
Naamsa reported that the Toyota Corolla, the Mercedes C-Class and the BMW 3 series were all in the top five best selling models during May.
The top spot was reserved for the Volkswagen Polo Vivo, priced at just over R100 000, which has captured a good portion of the entry level car market since its launch in March/April. The Corolla, Mercedes C-Class and BMW 3 sold a collective 3 142 units during the past month against 1 933 units of the Polo Vivo.
Meanwhile, the annual sales growth of new cars is impressive but the 9% monthly increase between April and May failed to wow some commentators, who were expecting a better performance from this traditonally strong sales month.
"We are concerned about May when viewed from a daily sales rate perspective," said Jacques Brent, vice-president of marketing, sales and service at Ford Motor Company SA.
"We will need to see if that trend continues into the next few months," he said.
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Volkswagen Polo V sedan revealed
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The new Volkswagen Polo V sedan has been revealed in Russia. This specific model will be built at the company's plant in Kaluga, about 160 km outside of Moscow. It will go public at the 2010 Moscow Motor Show in August.
The sedan is larger compared to its hatchback sibling. It is 4.38 meters long, 1.7m wide, 1.46m high with a wheelbase of 2.55m. As a result, seating and storage space is increased. Even the ground clearance is up by 15mm.
The Russian market will get only one engine, the 1.6-litre making 77 kW, mated to either a 5-speed manual or a 6-speed Tiptronic. Buyers will experience standard features such as a height-adjustable driver's seat, an onboard computer, immobiliser and power windows. An immobiliser and two airbags are included in the price.
Markets that sold the previous-generation booted Polo include South Africa and Brazil.
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Ferrari 458 Italia Nighthawk by Cam Shaft
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German tuner Cam-Shaft took a Ferrari 458 Italia, and called it F-117 Nighthawk in honor of the famous stealth bomber. A dark grey vinyl wrap is the most obvious exterior giveway, along with other aircraft-themed details.
These include rivet graphics with ‘warnings' like ‘Heater Exhaust', ‘Beware of Jetblast' above the three tailpipes, ‘Danger - Ejection Seat', ‘Do not Paint' and ‘No Handhold' on the side mirror ‘wings'. No other details were made available.
A quick recap on the standard 458; it is powered by a 4.5-litre V8 engine producing 419 kW and 540 Nm of torque. The 0 - 100 km/h sprint is achieved in under 3.4 seconds and top speed is 325km/h.
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