Mazda CX 9

Mazda CX 9

Mazda CX-9: Stylish and Functional. No Compromises Necessary.
The 2010 CX-9 combines three rows of enhanced interior space all wrapped up in a body that looks as great as it drives. Powered by Mazda's fuel efficient 3.7-liter V6 engine, this Crossover has enough Zoom-Zoom to spoil all seven passengers.


Engine and Transmission
273-hp 3.7L DOHC 24-valve V6 with 6-speed Sport automatic transmission.


Drivetrain Choices
Front-wheel drive (FWD) or available Active Torque Split All-Wheel Drive (AWD)

Available Features
7-passenger, 3-row seating with available Bose® audio system, heated front seats, Mazda Advanced Keyless Entry & Start System and DVD rear-seat entertainment system

Safety Features
5-Star government frontal- and side-crash-test rating‡‡‡, standard advanced front air bags, front side-impact air bags, side-impact air curtains‡‡, Dynamic Stability Control (DSC)*** and Roll Stability Control (RSC) ...Selengkapnya....

Mazda CX 7

Mazda CX 7



ENGINE and DRIVETRAIN CHOICES
- 161-hp 2.5L engine with 5-speed Sport automatic transmission and front-wheel drive (i trim)
- 244-hp‡ 2.3L turbocharged engine with 6-speed Sport automatic transmission and front- or all-wheel drive

AVAILABLE FEATURES
Available automatic climate control, Bose® audio, compact navigation system and the perfect combination of car-like handling and SUV utility

SAFETY FEATURES
Standard safety features include advanced front air bags, front side-impact air bags, side-impact air curtains‡‡, Dynamic Stability Control (DSC)*** and Tire-Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
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Audi R8 GT3

Audi R8 GT3



Audi has just announced plans to offer the 2010 Audi R8 GT3, or internally codenamed "R16," to a very few lucky customers late next year. The new R8 race version supercar features lots of performance upgrades over current R8 models, and has been designed to conform to GT3 racing regulations that require automakers to release a set number of race cars with identical performance specs and styling to the cars used in GT3 racing series.

Homoglamated production race cars such as the 2010 Audi R8 GT3 are an exciting consumer perk required by the rules of some race series. In the past, the rule set which calls the R8 GT3 into production has brought us such cars as the BMW M3 CSL, Mercedes-Benz 190 Evolution II and the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup. Mechanically speaking, the 2010 R8 GT3 features several changes from the production car.

As per GT3 regulations, Audi ditches the Quattro AWD system characteristic of the R8 in favor of a RWD setup. Rest assured the team at Audi Sport is putting significant attention into the RWD system used in the R8 GT3. The Le Mans racing series Audi R10 has proven, with its unprecedented record in endurance racing over the past couple of years, that Audi is committed to its motorsport division.

Rounding out known info for the performance upgrades on the 2010 Audi R8 GT3 are a menacing track-ready aerodynamics kit promising greatly increased downforce and handling prowess, a 6 speed sequential manual transmission, and a gasoline motor promising more than 500 horsepower.

Which brings us to the next question. Will the 2010 Audi R8 GT3, or Audi R16 if you prefer, be street legal? Audi has not released the official word on this yet, saying only that the R8 GT3 "will offer customers a racing sports car equipped with high-calibre technology and the typical Audi qualities, but which is nevertheless easy to handle."

Below is the first info direct from Audi AG, reprinted in full. More details on the 2010 Audi R8 GT3 will be posted as they arise. ...Selengkapnya....

Ferrari Scuderia Spider 16M

Ferrari Scuderia Spider 16M



In Ferrari speak, the name 'Scuderia' is synonomous with the most hardcore streetable track supercars the Prancing Horse has to offer the public. Unveiled at the Formula 1 Constructor's World Championship, the Ferrari Scuderia Spider 16M is the first convertible Ferrari to bear that name.

The Scuderia Spider is billed as the fastest convertible to come from Ferrari, ever. While the new Ferrari California will be released soon in an attempt to make Ferrari supercars accessible to more drivers, the expensive track-ready Scuderia Spider is for Ferrari customers who crave pure, unbridled speed.

Upgrades over the Ferrari F430 Spider on which the Scuderia Spider is based included 80 kg in weight savings due to the use of lightweight body trim materials and the stripping of anything unnecessary to peak performance, and a carbon-trimmed roll bar that broadcasts to all gawkers the Scuderia Spider is ready for the track.

Inside, lucky rich guys who manage to snag one of the 499 Scuderia Spider cars being produced will be treated to an austere but functional Ferrari interior complemented by a custom Ferrari iPod Touch that can be mounted and removed from the dash and is used to control media functions.

Expect the instant-classic Ferrari Scuderia Spider 16M to command a significant premium over the F430 Spider when those 499 units are released to the power-hungry car buying public worldwide. ...Selengkapnya....

Aston Martin V12 Vantage

Aston Martin V12 Vantage



The Aston Martin Vantage has broken cover with a 12 cylinder model featuring some new exterior design and performance technology that should bring the aging Vantage back into relevance. The 2010 Aston Martin V12 Vantage, as the new British sports car is aptly called, gets a big bump in power and a new stability control system to help put it to the road.

Shaking the "grand tourer" moniker often applied to larger, more unweildy Aston Martin models, the V12 Vantage is pure sports car through and through. A 6 speed conventional manual is mounted behind the driver for better weight distribution and drives the rear wheels.

The V12 powerplant is the same excellent unit found in the current DBS, producing 510 horses and 420 lb-ft. of torque, good for 4.1 seconds through 60 mph and a top speed of 190 mph, Aston says.

On the outside, the 2010 V12 Vantage gets a host of minor styling changes to differentiate itself from "lesser" V8 Vantage models, most noticable of which is the louvered hood. Carbon fiber front and rear air dams, as well as low and lean skirts from Aston Martin Racing round out the package.

2010 V12 Vantage pricing is not yet announced, we'll have to wait for Geneva for that. Initial reports have put the V12 Vantage at around $250,000.

For those who want a piece of serious Aston Martin performance but don't want to drop a cool million for the exclusive One-77, Aston Martin may have just the remedy. Expect a V12 Vantage release date of Q3 2009.

-RSportsCars






V12 Vantage: Aston Martin's Most Exhilirating Sport Car

Official Aston Martin Press Release

• Fastest and most agile Vantage ever; ultimate performance interpretation of the Vantage range
• Purposeful, striking and functional styling signalling performance capabilities
• Everyday usability associated with a modern Aston Martin
• Race-derived technology used throughout

Gaydon, Warwickshire, Wednesday 4 February 2009. Aston Martin will present the most potent production sports car in the marque’s 95-year history at the Geneva motor show on 3 March. Based on the hugely successful V8 Vantage, the V12 Vantage will feature a 6.0-litre V12 engine producing 510 bhp (380 kW / 517 PS), and 570 Nm (420 lb ft) of torque with a top speed of 190 mph (305 km/h) and 0-62 mph (0-100 kp/h) time of 4.2 seconds.

The latest incarnation of the Vantage family has been designed to provide a unique character, appealing to different driver tastes and complementing the other models in the current Aston Martin line-up.

The original V12 Vantage concept was unveiled to guests at the opening of the Aston Martin Design Studio in December 2007. Continuing the marque’s impressive record of bringing concepts through to production, Aston Martin engineers have brought the V12 Vantage to market in an incredible 12 months.

Aston Martin Chief Executive Officer, Dr Ulrich Bez said: “This is the ultimate performance interpretation of the Vantage range, combining our most agile model with our most powerful engine. It represents the definitive driving package; providing spectacular performance to ensure a dynamically thrilling and everyday useable driving experience.

“The V12 Vantage has a unique character, one unlike our other cars. This will appeal to different people with different tastes, allowing more people to enjoy the Aston Martin experience.

“This also illustrates one of Aston Martin’s key strengths – the ability to act quickly and turn concepts and ideas into reality.”

Designed for the focused driver, every component of the V12 Vantage has been honed with pure driving enjoyment in mind. Benefitting from race-developed materials and components, and featuring lightweight carbon fibre; performance and agility have been tuned to perfection.

Visually enticing, the V12 Vantage expresses its performance potential through its purposeful stance created by enhanced aerodynamic and cooling aids optically widening the car, while retaining traditional understated Aston Martin design. Equally inviting, the cosseting interior permits the driver to extract maximum performance ability from the car while also enjoying customary levels of Aston Martin comfort on longer journeys. High levels of power and torque are available at all engine speeds making the V12 Vantage responsive and tractable in any driving situation.

The V12 Vantage will be built at Aston Martin’s global headquarters in Gaydon, Warwickshire joining the DBS, DB9 and V8 Vantage model lines which are built in the state-of-the-art production facility combining hi-tech manufacturing processes with traditional hand-craftsmanship. Production will be limited up to 1,000 examples over the life span of the car, making the V12 Vantage a truly exclusive driver’s car.

Deliveries of the V12 Vantage are expected to commence during quarter three 2009 with prices to be confirmed at the Geneva motor show. ...Selengkapnya....

Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Pur Sang Edition

Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Pur Sang Edition



Visitors to the Atelier in Molsheim are always intrigued to see the Bugatti Veyron's high-tech components being meticulously assembled into an automotive work of art. Watching the car coming together, coupled with an admiration for the technical beauty of its structure, gave the designers the idea of finishing the car in its pure material configuration - meaning no color coating. The result is the EB 16.4. Veyron "Pur Sang", a two-tone study of pure materialness showing the car's true essentials: carbon and aluminum.

The carbon monocoque holds the engine plus the passenger cell, while the polished aluminum panelling is enhanced by reflections in the sculpted bodywork. Interestingly, the rawness of the materials even more strongly highlights the dual character of this car: performance power coupled with cruising comfort, structure and body, dark and light.

A closer look at the details reveals the technical logic behind this stylistic appearance. The sophisticated monocoque contains all the core structural components, including the W16 engine, the passenger cell, the crash box and the linkages to the wheels. It is this purpose-driven fundament that is visible as the center of the car in clear-coated carbon fiber.

Equally consistent is the use of the aluminum paneling. This lends shape and a unique body sculpture to the car, covering the wheels in a muscular and powerful expression by way of elaborately shaped fenders. Highly polished, these perfectly tensioned shapes strongly visualize the fascinating surface reflections that define every Veyron.

The balanced graphic appearance is also visible when looking down onto the car from above. These qualities take on a distinct appearance - almost like that found in a Mondrian painting. As its pur sang label suggests, this individualized customer car shares the same kind of DNA as that of classic cars from the Bugatti past: the "Atalante", the Type 55, the Type 41 "Royal" all had an unmistakable and characteristic graphic signature. It is this precise division of performance components and body paneling - in this form - that makes the EB 16.4. Veyron "Pur Sang" unique in the supercar world. ...Selengkapnya....

Bugatti Veyron Sang Noir

Bugatti Veyron Sang Noir



The Bugatti Veyron Sang Noir, the moniker meaning "Black Blood," is the latest special edition model from legendary Italian supercar builder Bugatti. Only 15 units of the Sang Noir will be produced, and Bugatti is giving United States residents first crack.

The Veyron Sang Noir, like the "standard" Bugatti Veyron 16.4, features a W16 motor and four turbochargers. Think of two twin-turbo eights smashed together. Offering the most stock horsepower of any production car in history at 1001 horsepower, the Veyron 16.4 can launch its way to 60 mph from a standing start in 2.5 seconds.

The Bugatti Veyron Sang Noir specifications are the same as the first edition of the fastest Italian sports car in history. The Veyron Sang Noir still offers enough torque to pull a Ferrari dealership off its foundation, and will run a quarter mile time of 10.2 seconds.

The changes to the super-exclusive Bugatti Veyron Sang Noir edition are in the exterior and interior styling departments. The Sang Noir exterior is finished in piano black and chrome, causing the car to look smaller and leaner than the standard Veyron 16.4, even though the dimensions are the same.

The Sang Noir's mirrors, grill, badging, exhaust tip and grill all receive a brushed chrome treatment. The eye naturally traces a chrome-accented line down the Veyron Sang Noir's greenhouse, a flashy feature that serves to separate the carbon fiber section running down the center of this instant-classic Italian sports car.

Even the carbon fiber on the Veyron Sang Noir is separated from anything else in the automotive world by a high-gloss finish that maintains the two-tone look the Bugatti Veyron line is famous for. Standing out with a finish that could be called "piano black," the carbon accents allow the Sang Noir to catch the light and further accentuate the contours in a sports car body that has been called the most beautiful in history by some, and bulbous and ugly by its critics.

The interior follows the Bugatti tradition and looks sumptuous and classy without being overstated. The Veyron Sang Noir's leather and carpeting are done in a color that could be called pumpkin tan-orange, and yet fits the total styling package perfectly. Think of the Sang Noir as a Halloween costume for society's affluent upper crust.

The soft leather covers every available interior surface, and is accented by more bits of chrome with a soft brushed, yet still shining look. Not that a Bugatti Veyron Sang Noir's occupants will spend much time feeling comfortable and coddled in this interior. The Sang Noir is meant to be driven hard, and Bugatti has taken great pains with every Veyron to ensure the driver be as safe as possible at all times. With 10 radiators and a complicated roll cage system, any tragic accident occurring in a Veyron is likely to be the fault of the driver, rather than that of the supercar.

Bugatti is seeking wealthy and respected United States residents to own a piece of automotive history in the exclusive Veyron Sang Noir edition. No word on whether the 15 units are accounted for, but needless to say, pricing will be significantly more than the approximately $1.5 million the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 commands.

The Veyron Sang Noir is designed to call to mind one of the most beautiful and revered sports cars of all time, the Bugatti Type 57C Atlantique, of which only 3 production versions were ever released. One of the two surviving Bugatti Type 57C Atlantique examples is owned by Ralph Lauren. A Bugatti Type 57 won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1937, and again in 1939.

The Italian supercar manufacturer has promised that only 300 examples of the Veyron, in all its editions, will be produced. The 15 Sang Noir models are offered first to United States residents, after Bugatti gave Europeans the first crack at the Veyron 16.4 Pur Sang edition several months ago.

The Bugatti Veyron Sang Noir is another example of how an engineer's dream can come together with fine art. 253 mph has never been so beautiful. ...Selengkapnya....

Mercedes-Benz E-Class

Mercedes-Benz E-Class



The new 2010 Mercedes-Benz E Class is now official, and like the new C it is significantly cleaner and more beautiful than its predecessor. Available with everything from hyper efficient diesels to monster V8 engine choices, the 2010 E Class should please the whole spectrum of the Benz devout.

The early years of the 21st century brought increasingly complicated designs from all the German luxury car marques, but BMW, Audi, Merc and VW are all going back to nice clean lines coming together in cohesive designs.

With the 2010 E63 AMG available in showrooms this November, the most exciting bread-and-butter Mercedes-Benz motor available in the 2010 E produces an M5-besting 525 bhp from an all new AMG-built V8. Previous E Class models, even those from AMG, have been universally praised for their effortless power, while not exactly winning high marks for handling prowess when compared to competing Bahnstormers from BMW and Audi.

Mercedes-Benz seeks to up the ante in the new E with a 30 percent more rigid chassis and a completely redesigned available air suspension with automatically adjusting shocks and available AWD.

The only transmission choice is a 7 speed conventional automatic, albiet with manual shift controls. Drivers who prefer the feel and control of a conventional manual should look elsewhere.

New luxury features are led by a brand new tired driver nanny system, which will sound an alarm and display a coffee cup in-dash when more than 70 parameters suggest the driver is too tired to continue. Those driving a $60,000 machine with more than 500 horses on tap would do well to maintain maximum alertness and caffeination before stepping behind the wheel in the first place.
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