UPDATE: Porsche reveals 550 horsepower, range-topping Panamera Turbo S!

Wednesday, Mar 30th, 2011 @ 4:05 a.m.

Less than 24 hours after rumors began to circulate that a possible new king for the Panamera model range was coming, the German automaker has decided to fully let the cat out of the bag and reveal its new Gran Turismo range-topper.

If you were to walk into a Porsche dealer today and demand the best of the Panamera lineup, you would be offered a 500 horsepower Turbo model, but if you can wait until deliveries start in June, a 550 horsepower Panamera Turbo S will also be an option.

The addition of the Turbo S isn’t exactly surprising, given the sister 911-range already had a Turbo S model. In the Panamera Turbo S, power was boosted to a very healthy 550 horsepower and 555 lb-ft of torque from a bi-turbo 4.8-liter V8. The 10 percent power bump from the standard Turbo will surely help offset the added bulk of the four doors.

If that isn’t enough, opt for Sport Chrono Package and utilize either the “Sport” or “Sport Plus” modes for 35 extra torque, for a total of 590 lb-ft of torque. Zero-to-62 miles per hour is surpassed in a scant 3.8 seconds, with top speed limited to 191 mph.

How did they do it?
Porsche says the power bumps are largely attributable to improved turbochargers with titanium-aluminum turbine wheels, as well as modified engine mapping in the computer. Porsche explains that the titanium-aluminum alloy reduces the weight of the compressor wheel in the turbo, and in turn reduces the energy required to spin the turbos, resulting in more airflow.

Of course Porsche didn’t just boost the power and call it a day, other features include 20-inch Turbo II wheels with increased rear axle track width, side skirts from the Porsche Exclusive range and the adaptive extending four-way rear spoiler, painted to match the body.

Inside, Porsche applied a contrasting bi-color leather finish, standard. Porsche says that the new combination of black/cream is offered exclusively for the new Panamera Turbo S with agate grey/cream also being added as an exclusive combination.

Deliveries of the Panamera Turbo S begin this June, with European pricing beginning at 167,076 euros in Germany, including value added tax (VAT). In the U.S., the new model will start with a base price of $174,175.

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Chrysler reveals limited edition Mopar ’11 Charger

Wednesday, Apr 13th, 2011 @ 12:40 p.m.

Following an earlier teaser sketch, Dodge has officially revealed the Mopar ’11 Charger. The Mopar ’11 Charger follows in the footsteps of last year’s Mopar ’10 Challenger.

Based on the R/T version of the all-new Dodge Charger, the Mopar ’11 features a 370 horsepower, 395 lb-ft of torque version of Chrysler’s 5.7L HEMI V8. Paired with Dodge’s “Super Trac Pac”, Mopar says that the Mopar ’11 Charger is capable of accelerating from 0-60 in the low 5-second range.

“After the success of our Mopar ’10 Challenger, we moved on to the iconic Dodge Charger and added even more performance,” said Pietro Gorlier, President and CEO of Mopar, Chrysler Group’s service, parts and customer-care brand. “As a new company, we will continue to leverage the heritage of the Mopar brand at every turn.”

But the Mopar ’11 Charger promises to be more than just a straight-line performer, thanks to larger front and rear sway bars and front and rear strut tower braces. To aid in luggage capacity, the rear tower braces are removable.

The exterior of the Mopar ’11 Charger is finished off in “Pitch Black” — the only color available — with Mopar blue stripes. The Mopar ’11 rides on a set of 20-inch five-spoke wheels.

Inside the Mopar ’11 Charger carries over the exterior’s black and blue color scheme, complimented by Katzkin leather seats.

Mopar is planning to produce just 1,000 examples of the Mopar ’11 Charger — 900 for the U.S. and 100 for Canada. Prices will start at $39,750, including destination.

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Chevrolet reveals Miray hybrid roadster concept in South Korea

Thursday, Mar 31st, 2011 @ 7:30 a.m.

Hybrids come in many flavors, and for the Miray, that flavor is an open-topped roadster with a turbocharged gasoline engine powering the rear wheels, and electric motors pushing the fronts.

Chevrolet says that the Miray is a tribute to the brand’s centennial this year, and that this good looking eco-friendly car found its inspiration from some of the great Chevrolets of the past, like the 1962 Corvair Super Spyder and the 1963 Monza SS.

One of the key attributes that makes the Miray (which translates to “future” in Korean) unique is what Chevy is dubbing a mid-electric platform, which locates the powertrain in an ideal location behind and below the occupants for optimal weight distribution for handling purposes. For optimal efficiency GM says that a pair of 15-kW electric motors typically drive the front wheels, which draw their power from a 1.6-kW-hour lithium-ion battery which can be recharged from regenerative braking, just like a standard road-going hybrid.

But Chevy wasn’t about to call it a day with just a pair of electric motors to try and match the aggressive design of the concept car, instead, Chevy opted to add a 1.5-liter four cylinder engine that is force fed a healthy doze of air from a turbocharger, and is mated to a dual-clutch transmission for improved fuel economy and faster gear changes.

Of course not all performance comes from powerplants – weight savings are also a key source of overall vehicle performance, which was not forgotten in the design of the Miray. Chevy utilized copious amounts of carbon fiber in order to construct the body panels of the Miray, helping to keep the weight down, and the performance up. Rounding out the weight savings is an all aluminum chassis.

Occupants of the Miray will enjoy a very aircraft cockpit-like design, with deep seats and an enveloping blend of dash and door panels.

Despite all of the eco-minded gadgetry and salesmanship, Chevrolet has not released any performance or fuel economy figures.

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BMW reveals top secret “plant zero” [Video]

Monday, Mar 28th, 2011 @ 1:36 p.m.

BMW has released a new video that highlights things ranging from its plant naming scheme used worldwide, to the processes used to develop the very first prototypes and even the process the automaker uses to camouflage its testing vehicles.

The star of BMW’s video is centered around Munich plant zero, which is also known as the experimental vehicle shop, and is responsible for hand building each and every first prototype of new models.

Plant zero is used to test out several aspects of new models, ranging from developing the best possible manufacturing methods to later be used in full production, to verifying that all parts will fit exactly how they were intended to in the design phase.

BMW also brings in production facility workers from around the world and its other facilities so that they can experience the building process of upcoming models before mass assembly at their respective plants. This helps the workers to better appreciate the building process and troubleshoot problems should they arise.

(More after video)

The German automaker also explained both the “old” prototype camouflage process and its drawbacks, namely that “hard” camo would mask aerodynamic signatures, and also that it required screwing panels directly into the vehicle.

BMW says it developed the newest camouflaging process of using vinyl wraps with unique designs to confuse cameras without disrupting aerodynamic testing.

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Mazda reveals race-ready MX-5 GT

Wednesday, Mar 23rd, 2011 @ 1:09 p.m.

Aston Martin, Porsche, BMW, Lotus and Mazda. One of those names seems to be out of place, but those five marques will be competing against one another in the Britcar MSA British Endurance Championship 2011.

Although the Mazda MX-5 has long been considered one of the best sports cars on the planet, it has never really been mention in the same breath as the Aston Martin Vantage and Porsche 911. However, Mazda has just pulled the sheet on the MX-5 GT, which promises to give the biggest names in motor sports a run for their money.

The MX-5 GT is powered by a 275 horsepower engine, backed by a six-speed sequential gearbox. That power combined with a curb weight of just 1,875 pounds means the MX-5 GT can accelerate from 0-60 in 3 seconds flat and hit a top speed of 160mph.

“The MX-5 production race car’s modest power output, bullet proof reliability and nimble handling demonstrated last year how the MX-5 can be competitive against some of the purpose-built Lotus, VW and BMW race cars. With a higher power output combined with the durability, reliability and handling attributes that the MX-5 is renowned for; the MX-5 GT race car will be strong contender against the more powerful race cars in its class,” said Graeme Fudge, PR Director, Mazda UK.

Set to be piloted by Mark Ticehurst and Owen Mildenhall, the MX-5 GT will compete in its first race on March 26.

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