Peugeot 908 Le MansPeugeot announced its decision to accept a new technological challenge: to win one of the world's most prestigious and demanding motor races, the Le Mans 24 Hours, with a car powered by an HDi diesel engine equipped with a diesel particulate filter system (DPFS).
This legendary race, which every year attracts more than 200,000 spectators, will provide Peugeot with an opportunity to express fully the values enshrined in its philosophy: excellence, demonstrated by the choice of endurance coupled with reliability, dynamism, emphasised by a team challenge based on performance, looks, illustrated by the car's feline profile, and lastly innovation, expressed amongst other ways through the use of technology designed to protect the environment.
The car that will display the Peugeot colours in the Le Mans 24 Hours race and in the 'Le Mans Series' in 2007 will be the Peugeot 908. The choice of number comes from, '90' designating an exceptional Peugeot model and 8 the next number in sequence after the 907 concept car.
Technical Studio TS-07The hand crafted sports car, the TS-07, can be purchased in either a four, six, or eight-cylinder engine. The four-cylinder unit creates around 200 horsepower which is adequate to carry the 2080 at impressive speeds. Insert a larger and the results are sure to impress.
Sophisticated and lightweight alloys have been used throughout the chassis and body. The design was courtesy of Gregory Gambara who worked with French car manufacturers during more than 15 years .He is currently consultant for automotive project.
Audi R8Audi has incorporated the name and the genes of the five-time Le Mans winner, the Audi R8, into a spectacular sports car. Three years after the unveiling of the Audi Le Mans quattro concept car, the production version made its debut at the Paris Motor Show in the guise of the new Audi R8 mid-engined sports model. It is a fascinating driving machine and the sporty pinnacle of the Audi brand. The mid-mounted 420 hp V8 FSI engine, quattro permanent all-wheel drive and Audi Space Frame aluminum body form the basis for truly outstanding driving dynamics.
As the first Audi mid-engined sports car, the R8 combines Audi's experience gained from numerous motorsport triumphs with groundbreaking design and the acknowledged technological expertise of the brand. This expertise has led to the slogan 'Vorsprung durch Technik' becoming a byword for leading-edge technology both on the race track and on the road.
Ford Iosis X ConceptFord of Europe's Design team has interpreted the Company's distinctive new 'kinetic design' form language in an exciting new crossover concept - the iosis X – which makes its debut at the 2006 Paris Motor Show.
'We're calling this car iosis X as a deliberate link to our 'kinetic design' concept car lineage started last year,' said Martin Smith, Ford of Europe's Executive Design Director. 'The link is not just in the name – there's a strong visual relationship between the two cars, and the 'X' signals the new vehicle's crossover capabilities.'
'The iosis X is an exciting five-door sports-crossover that proves we can extend the boundaries of kinetic design into a niche market vehicle,' added Smith. 'It takes our 'energy in motion' philosophy even further and shows how different Ford cars will be in the future.'
Galmer Arbitrage GTThe Galmer Arbitrage GT (www.arbitragecars.com) will prove to be the car that everyone would like to own. It has been designed and engineered to hold up to the most intense scrutiny of the motor sports enthusiast. It is being constructed with a carbon fiber monocoque chassis and mostly carbon fiber body that will cost hundreds of thousands of dollars less than the nearest competitor in it's class. The secret lies within Cobra International Co., Ltd's experience in lightweight composites and simply the cost of manufacturing in Thailand .
The Galmer Arbitrage GT is a car designed to be everything that a sports car should be without the complexities that exist in other sports cars today. It is a back to basics approach while still using the best of available technology. This concept has given the Galmer Arbitrage GT it's three words that the team lives by everyday; PURE DESIGN, POWER AND PERFORMANCE. The words were prefaced by the understanding the car must be strikingly beautiful to the eye, be as light weight as possible, have a cockpit designed large enough to accommodate a basketball player, and most importantly, the owner should never be afraid to service or repair it. It is with these ideals that the Galmer Arbitrage GT was created .
Porsche RS SpyderDr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Stuttgart, is proudly presenting the new RS Spyder at the Paris Motor Show, the Mondial de l‘ Automobile, from 30 September – 15 October, where the car is making its first public appearance. Developed at Porsche's R&D Centre in Weissach near Stuttgart, this racing car is an evolution of the sports prototype currently going all-out for the winner's title in the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) in the hands of the US Penske-Motorsports-Team. Next year the new RS Spyder is to be raced by various customer teams in a number of countries, thus making its international debut.
Porsche has developed and built the open RS Spyder in accordance with the rules and regulations of the French Automobile Club de'l Ouest (A.C.O.) racing organisation under the designation 'Le Mans Prototypes 2'. This means that this racing car may be entered, inter alia, in the American Le Mans Series (ALMS), the European Le Mans Series (LMS), and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Choosing the second-highest of four A.C.O. racing categories, Porsche is facing competition at the highest level of technology and at the same time limiting the cost of racing the car with a view to future entry of the RS Spyder by customers.
Pittsburgh Vintage Grand PrixWith time, there is change. Mistakes are forgotten and accomplishments are over shadowed with new achievements. To relive the past, one could read a book, visit a museum, watch a movie, or talk to someone who can conjure up memories of that point in history. Nothing can compare with traveling back in time and creating new memories and experiences. A study of the past is a realization and admiration for all that has been accomplished since then. Living by standards of the past is unacceptable in modern times. What was the pinnacle a few years ago is well below par to what is expected today.
The pre-war group at the PVGP is a race that is truly unparalleled in terms of generating respect and admiration by those watching. The loud engines do all they can to keep the vehicle in motion as it climbs the steep Schenley Park hills. The real fun occurs in the corners. The thin tires shreak, as if in pain or trumpeting their ability to hold the car on the road. It is amazing they do not just snap in two or that the rubber comes loose from the wheel. The driver, with hand outside the vehicle firmly griping the shifter, sends the vehicle into the next gear applying more power and taking the vehicle to its limits. There is a serious look on their faces as they concentrate and hope to all that is holy that at the exit of the corner, the vehicle is still in their control. To help the car, the head and body is tilted in the direction of the corner, as if car and driver were one. As they came out of the corners, the excitement ends and a look of relief can now be found on the drivers face. If it were not for the loud engine it would appear that on the straight stretches the vehicle and driver were not even trying. Comparing their speeds to modern vehicles would be a battle of the tortoise and the hare. Times have changed but the past never ceases to impress.
Dodge Avenger ConceptDodge is looking to spin the global D-segment with the all-new Dodge Avenger concept — a bold, styling statement that does away with the idea that a functional mid-size car is automatically boring. Avenger's Dodge branded styling makes a definite statement in the D-segment, commanding attention and evoking attributes that define the Dodge brand: bold, powerful, capable and street smart.
This Avenger concept, finished in a striking Inferno Red, will appeal to car buyers around the world who need the practicality, functionality and fuel efficiency of a mid-size sedan, but want more, including a vehicle with pizzazz that stands out and makes a statement. Avenger's bold Dodge styling, innovative features and solid performance would allow them to do just that. The Avenger concept hints at the next-generation global D-segment vehicle from Dodge.
Audi Q7 V12 TDIAudi has stood at the forefront of diesel technology for the last three decades. The Ingolstadt brand now presents a further world first – the first V12 diesel engine in a passenger car. The new Audi Q7 V12 TDI is powered by a twelve-cylinder diesel engine containing a wealth of pioneering technology. With an outstanding 500 PS and 1,000 Nm of torque, the six-litre engine of the high-performance SUV provides the driving performance of a sports car.
Sprinting from 0 to 100 km/h in just 5.5 seconds and achieving an electronically governed top speed of 250 km/h, the Audi Q7 V12 TDI is catapulted into the echelons of top-class sports cars. New horizons have been set in the diesel market thanks to this outstanding power. None of our competitors can offer a comparable engine.
The big performance SUV from Audi accelerates with impressive ease. Superior power reserves in any situation are provided by the world's first 2,000 bar Bosch Common Rail system. The ultra-modern piezo-injection system offers impressive acoustics at the highest levels of driving comfort.
Honda Civic Type RThe hotly-anticipated Honda Civic Type R goes on sale in March 2007, and it's been well worth the wait. While it's just as exhilarating to drive as the outgoing Type R, the latest high performance Civic is a more refined ‘superhatch', with improved comfort levels, integrated styling and handling tuned for enhanced responsiveness and predictability. The new Type R continues to be powered by the naturally-aspirated, high-revving 2.0-litre DOHC i-VTEC engine but the unit has been significantly reworked to improve responsiveness using a new balancer shaft and drive-by-wire throttle control. VTEC variable valve timing and VTC variable inlet camshaft technology continue to underpin the engine structure. Further development of the Type R unit means more useable torque, as the switch to high-lift, long duration valve timing (the cam change) now takes place at a lower 5,200rpm, and continues all the way to 8,000rpm. So that screaming, high rpm VTEC range is broader and more accessible. To mark the entry to this ‘power band' a new i-VTEC indicator just to the right of the digital speedometer is illuminated once the revs rise above 5,200rpm. Maximum power is now 201PS, reached at 8,000rpm (previously 200PS at 7,400rpm) and the car is more responsive generally, while improved aerodynamics ensure the new car cuts through the air more cleanly. Slightly lower gearing compensates for a small increase in kerb weight. Acceleration figures are expected to be virtually identical to the 6.6-second 0-62mph time of the outgoing car – and the new car should match its top speed too, powering on to 146mph.
Corvettes at CarlisleCarlisle was awash in a sea of fiberglass at the 25th Annual Corvettes at Carlisle on the 82-acre Carlisle Fairgrounds this weekend. More than 6,000 Corvettes of all years, body styles and colors attended the largest annual three-day gathering of Corvettes in the world. The showfield alone was populated with more than 2,700 Corvettes, plus a full car corral and tens of thousands of spectators.
A bevy of blue-and-white Corvettes made up the 10-year Grand Sport reunion. The Grand Sport was produced by Corvette in 1996 as homage to the original 1963 racing Grand Sport – only five were built. Only 1,000 of the '96 performance cars were produced. The Corvettes at Carlisle meet attracted 131 Grand Sport owners or 13 percent of the total Grand Sport population. This amounts to three times as many Grand Sports as have ever gathered together. Skunkmaster, John 'Hutch' Hutchinson was elated with the turnout, 'I've been coming to Carlisle for years, but this by far is one of the finest shows ever. We attracted people that have never been to Carlisle and I think we'll see many of them back again next year.'
Alfa Romeo 8C CompetizioneThe definitive version of the gorgeous exclusive Alfa 8C Competizione, Gran Turismo car that is to be produced in a limited edition makes its debut in Paris. The car, designed by Alfa Romeo, is directly derived from the concept car that aroused such admiration at the 2003 Frankfurt Motor Show and has benefited from the best technical and industrial know-how that the Alfa-Maserati Sports Centre can offer. The cooperative venture between both manufacturers was conducted with a view to ensuring integration between the Alfa Romeo design departments and the Maserati production departments.
The 8C Competizione is inspired by Alfa Romeo's glorious past, projecting its brand values of technology and emotion into the future. The historical allusions begin with the evocative name, recalling the great sporting tradition of Alfa Romeo. The 8C code was used to identify cars (racing and on-road) of the Thirties and Forties equipped with the revolutionary eight cylinder engine produced by the famous designer Vittorio Jano. The term ‘Competizione' is intended as a homage to the ‘6C 2500 Competizione', a sports coupé driven in 1950 by the duo Fangio and Zanardi in the famous Mille Miglia race.
Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix Car ShowSir William Lyons, the founder of Jaguar, would have been pleased with the vast display of Jaguars that were in attendance for this years Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix Car Show at Schenly Park. Truly a display of style and performance.
The Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix has been in operation since 1983 and since that time it has evolved from a one-day vintage race to a week-long festival of races, car shows and motorsports activities. The PVGP has become the country's largest vintage racing event and the only one staged on city streets. The Car Show was held on the day prior to the race, the same day as practice and qualifying for the race cars. This year's featured marquee was Jaguar. As the 150 race cars were being pushed to their limits during the qualifying and practice sessions, the show cars sat stagnate, basking in the sun and enjoying the attention they were getting from the curious spectators. Though it has rained for a number of prior years during the car show, this year was a break from tradition with sunny skies and hot temperatures.
Renault Nepta ConceptRenault is unveiling its new Nepta concept car, a four-seater cabriolet with fluid lines and a thoroughbred profile. The low-slung body shape is an expression of elegance and movement, while the spacious and comfortable interior has all the hallmarks of a top-end model. Nepta is a dynamic four-seater GT cabriolet, offering performance at the wheel that is worthy of a prestige sedan.
This flowing, elegant four-seater cabriolet is an expression of Renault's vision of driving pleasure. The wave-shaped side panels give an impression of fluidity and highlight Nepta's long body shape; an effect that is further enhanced by the special anodic aluminium colour treatment on the lower part of the body shell, the mud flaps and the front and rear spoilers.
Citroen C-Métisse ConceptCitroën is unveiling C-Métisse at the 2006 Paris Motor Show. Through this concept car, inspired by passion and reason, the Marque is exploring new paths dedicated to automotive pleasure. C-Métisse is a coupé of character, boasting a high level of on-board comfort and performance, while also respecting the environment.
With its elegant proportions, flamboyant bodywork, spectacular door design and extensive chrome, this elegant 4-seater 4-door coupe revives a passion for the most prestigious Grand Touring vehicles.
Bentley Arnage TBentley Motors continues the intensive development of its flagship Arnage range with the introduction of a major programme of powertrain and chassis enhancements for the 2007 Model Year. The Arnage's renowned 6.75-litre V8 engine now develops up to 500bhp and is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission benefiting performance, driving dynamics and refinement. The powertrain changes are complemented by subtle exterior, interior and under-bonnet design cues.
Key to this performance increase is the most powerful version of Bentley's legendary V8 engine ever built at the company's headquarters in Crewe, England. In the performance-oriented Arnage T model, the revised twin-turbocharged V8 engine produces a staggering 500bhp and 1000Nm of torque – an 11percent increase in power and a 14 percent increase in torque over the outgoing model. Twinned with the latest six-speed ZF automatic transmission, which uses state-of-the-art computer management, performance and refinement are optimised at all speeds. In the Arnage R and RL models the new engine is boosted from 400 to 450bhp, while torque climbs from 835 to 875Nm.
Carlisle All-GM NationalsMuscle cars were the main attraction at this year's Carlisle All-GM Nationals at the famous Carlisle Fairgrounds. Whether you are a died-in-the-wool Camaro fanatic, a GTO enthusiast or just a die-hard GM fan, you saw it all at this weekend's GM show. Cars from all marques and eras joined the General in putting their best wheel forward.
The biggest draw of the weekend was the appearance of the much-sought-after Camaro concept car. From the moment this awesome vehicle entered the building, it was surrounded by Camaro fans. One fan immediately asked upon seeing it, 'Where can I sign up to buy this car?' Judging from the numbers of spectators viewing the concept throughout the weekend, GM's concept Camaro had hit its mark. The GM team also brought two other concepts to Carlisle, the Avalanche and the Nomad.