Finally Nissan gave out the first official pictures of their tuned up 350Z GT-S Concept that’s going to make its first public at the Goodwood Festival of Speed (7-9 July) where it will join other exotic road cars in the Supercar Paddock and on the famous hillclimb course. But will the 382 Hp 350Z GT-S become more than a weekend project by a group of mavericks? Nissan is saying nothing officially, though insiders point to its appearance at Goodwood as a sign the company is giving the GT-S concept serious consideration.Press Release: Developed by a small team of Nissan engineers working in their spare, the GT-S supercharged coupé is a performance-focused version of Nissan’s acclaimed ‘Z-‘car’ and is designed to appeal to enthusiastic 350Z owners who simply want more.
Although boasting a power hike and a substantially modified chassis, the GT-S is far from being a stripped out racing car with a rock hard ride and a peaky power delivery.
Performance gains are expected to include a one second cut in the benchmark 0-60mph time (4,8 sec vs 5.8 seconds for the standard 350Z) with 2.5 seconds slashed from the 0-100mph time.
And it sounds better, too, thanks to an electronically controlled by-pass valve that enriches the exhaust note at a pre-determined engine speed.
Chassis: NTCE engineers – the very men who tuned the original 350Z to suit European roads and our higher speeds – have undertaken the suspension changes. Working closely with specialists from Bilstein, the changes concentrate on optimising road performance, with improvements in both handling ability and ride comfort… particularly on British ‘B’ roads. Wider wheels and tyres complete the chassis alterations.
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As I said yesterday (Carscoop) more information & pictures of Jag’s new wild cat are expected to be revealed. For now, I’ve got some new pictures of the XKR Coupe & Cabriolet versions. The new XKR wears a 420 Hp supercharged 4,2 litre V8 which speeds the Coupe version from zero to 100 km/h (0-62 mph) in 5,2 sec while the Cabriolet versions needs 5,3 sec. Prices for the two models in 
At the selection of Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Russian government has purchased 30 four-passenger (e4) GEM electric vehicles for use during the G8 Summit. Each e4 is decorated with a participating country’s national flag (
“GEM electric vehicles will offer the participating leaders with an environmentally-friendly transportation option while attending the G8
“With zero emissions, GEMs provide clean, quiet, efficient and affordable transportation. As an alternative to conventional vehicles, they can have a significant impact on air quality,” adds Kasper.
More than 30,000 are in use across the United Sates and internationally. GEM electric vehicles have a top speed of 25 mph and meet all federal safety standards for Low Speed Vehicles.
Technorati Tags: GEM, G8, DaimlerChrysler, Chrysler, electric+vehicles, press+release, images, pictures, autos, auto+news, automotive, cars, automobile
Ok, this is it Honda-boys: the new 3door Civic and in particularly, the second most sporty version of the range before the TYPE R comes to life, the TYPE S. Powered by either a 1.8 litre petrol engine or a 2.2 litre diesel engine, both of which produce 103kW/140PS and are mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox, the 3 door TYPE S will make its world debut at the British International Motor Show, to be held at ExCeL, London, in July 2006 while sales are expected to commence in Europe in early 2007.
PRESS RELEASE
Sharing the same dynamic silhouette and overall dimensions as the acclaimed 5-door model, the Civic TYPE S further emphasizes the Civic's sporty and fun-to-drive direction to appeal to a young audience. The styling is therefore more assertive and the suspension is tuned for sharper chassis dynamics, with revised spring and damper settings and a 20mm wider rear track.
Two model grades will be offered. The extensive specification of the standard TYPE S includes 17 inch alloys, Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA), air conditioning, cool box, remote audio controls and side curtain airbags. The TYPE S Plus adds dual zone air conditioning, cruise control, front fog lights, retractable mirrors, automatic wipers and automatic headlamps. Certain markets also gain HID headlamps, heated front seats and a panorama glass roof.
Sculpted and fully integrated side skirts flare outwards towards front and rear wheels and seamlessly blend into the wheel arch surrounds, familiar from the 5-door model. These in turn flow into the front and rear spoilers to complete the lower body structure, all of which is finished in a gun metallic colour for added visual appeal. The deep front air intake, together with the 17 inch alloy wheels and wider rear track provide the TYPE S with a particularly muscular and planted look.
The cabin is focused around the unique and visually arresting Dual Link concept fascia introduced on the 5-door model. Key driving information, including vehicle speed, is displayed in the upper part of the instrument panel, while other information is provided in the lower section. This design is particularly effective in presenting information without compromising the driver's concentration on the road.
The Civic's coupe-like styling has not compromised the cabin space. The interior instead succeeds in providing a high degree of flexibility and passenger accommodation. The distance between the hip point of front and rear passengers at 803 mm, for example, equates to that in higher segment cars.
The rear seats also incorporate Honda's familiar one-motion, dive-down feature that instantaneously creates a flat loading space of a spacious 485 litres, mirroring that of the 5-door model. The cargo floor can also be dropped down to reveal an under-floor compartment. A centrally positioned fuel tank located beneath the front seats, rather than impinging on the luggage area, plays a key role in achieving this packaging efficiency.
Technorati Tags: Honda+Civic, TYPE+S, TYPE+R, 3door, British+International+Motor+Show, London, 2007, press+release, images, pictures,autos,auto+news,automotive,cars,automobile
Not even Suzuki’s ferocious superbike could stand in the way of the unique Bugatti Veyron in Autocar’s annual 0-100-0mph contest. The 1001 Hp and $ 1.6 million Bugatti ripped through the gears to hit 60mph in 2.8sec and 100mph in an astonishing 5.5sec. It then stopped in just 3.4sec, giving a 0-100-0mph time of 9.9sec.Not only is the Bugatti faster than the Suzuki, it creates more g-force at maximum acceleration than you’d experience in an F-16 jet fighter at take off or when skydiving.
Featuring 25 of the world’s fastest cars, from the 14th placed Aston Martin V8 Vantage to the second-placed Ariel Atom, the shoot-out pitches the cars against each other in a straight fight to see which is the fastest to 100mph.
"Although the Veyron is undoubtedly the quickest road car ever, you can still have nearly as much fun for much less money," said Adam Towler. "It’s good to see British sports cars doing so well against such an impressive machine as the Bugatti."
| 0-100-0 mph (seconds) | ||||
| A1 GP | 8.40 | | TVR Tuscan 2 | 15.00 |
| Bugatti Veyron | 9.90 | | BMW M5 | 15.20 |
| Suzuki GSX-R1000 | 10.70 | | Audi RS4 | 15.80 |
| Ariel Atom S'Charged | 11.00 | | Aston V8 Vantage | 15.81 |
| Ariel Atom 450 | 11.05 | | BMW Z4M Roadster | 15.95 |
| Atom Private Owned | 11.05 | | Porsche Cayman S | 16.46 |
| Caterham CSR260 | 11.95 | | Lotus Exige S | 16.60 |
| Brooke Double R | 12.50 | | Nissan 350Z | 18.80 |
| Porsche 911 Turbo | 12.50 | | Vauxhall Astra Sprint | 18.85 |
| Ford Focus WRC | 13.57 | | Vauxhall Astra VXR | 19.05 |
| Lambo Gallardo | 13.65 | | Renault Megane F1 | 20.55 |
| Ascari KZ1 | 13.80 | | Mazda 6MPS | 21.00 |
| Corvette Z06 | 13.80 | | | 21.35 |
| Alpina B6 | 14.80 | | Vauxhall Vectra VXR | 22.35 |
| BMW M6 | 14.95 | | Vauxhall Astra Thurlby | 22.65 |
