It’s Official. BMW and Fiat will join hands and develop a small car platform which both the manufacturers will use for its next-gen small cars due for the start of the next decade.
The duo are also likely to ink a pact for developing a range of gasoline and diesel engines. The idea behind these deals is simple to understand- cost savings on the money spent on R&D and the blend of these two spearheads would yield better results compared to work done individually.
This is not the first time two manufacturers have shook hands over a platform or an engine. Two big hit SUV’s the Audi Q7, and the Porsche Cayenne share the same platform while Fiat’s Multijet engines are used worldwide by several manufacturers like GM, for example.
Last year Mercedes was looking for a partner to work on its future small cars but eventually though, talks with both Fiat and BMW failed and it decided to go all alone.
The new platform developed will be used on the next-gen Fiat Grande Punto and BMW’s 3rd gen Mini small car, both cars carry launch dates in 2011. So expect some fireworks without much emissions or noise!
Here’s the first production version unit of the Morgan Aeromax. It is powered by a 4.4 liter V8 engine that delivers more than 320 hp and a torque of 330 lb/ft of at 3600 rpm.
The Morgan Aeromax makes the 0 to 60 mph print in 4.5 seconds and hits a top speed of 160 mph.
GM already announced that the production version of the Volt electric car will be revealed in 2010. Until then, a showroom-ready model of the heavily touted electric car in will be presented in September.
But if you want to see the Volt in action you will have the chance in the the action movie "Transformers 2," scheduled for release next summer. Volt will be the second Chevrolet model to be featured in the movie.
GM is designing the Volt to run for 40 miles on a lithium-ion battery pack that can be recharged at a standard electric outlet. The Volt will also capture energy from braking, like a traditional hybrid, and feature an on-board engine that will be used to send power to the battery on longer trips.
Have you ever wondered how tuners like Novitec customize their vehicles. In this video you can see how the 636 hp Ferrari F430 is being modified in the Novitec workshops.
Fuel efficiency is a very big problems in our days, and engines like the V8 or the V6 are not the best in this area. This is why, starting 2010, when the redesigned Santa Fe will be launched, it will also be offered with a 2.4-liter four-cylinder power plant.
The DOHC inline-4 engine, code-named Theta, debuted this year in the 2009 Hyundai Sonata sedan, where it makes 175 hp and 168 lbs-ft of torque.
The engine is will be available with a six-speed automatic transmission. In a Sonata with an automatic transmission, the new engine returns 22 mpg city and 32 mpg highway.
Also, starting 2010 or 2011 the Tucson will also be offered with four-cylinder engines.
Few months ago we told you about the Kahn Cosworth Sport 300 project consisting in the developing of a highly modified version of the Range Rover Sport. Well, today the car was unoficially unveiled! Powered by a 3.6L V8 turbo-diesel engine capable to develop 300 hp, the vehicle can sprint from 0-100 km/h in just 8 seconds while the top speed is limited to 216 km/h.
The SUV features also a new body kit consisting in a new front spoiler, side sills, a rear roof spoiler as well as a re-designed rear spoiler with integrated exhaust system. In order to improve the stability 22 inch alloy wheels were added. If you want to transform your Range Rover Sport into the new Kahn Cosworth Sport 300 you will need approximately $33,000 depending on your requests!
Sometime in the future, gas stations would switch to selling gas. Gas in the sense, air, which when compressed to an extent, has enough energy to help a specially designed engine, generate power. Big companies like BMW and Mercedes-Benz, are interested in looking for other ways to run their cars, and might want to take a close look at these air powered engines.
Sure, these things make a lot of noise and don’t coax out enough horsepower, but with time and research, things could change drastically. Just like how electric cars or hybrid cars have evolved and reached a certain stage where the trade-offs are not considerable and offer a number of advantages over the normal cars, soon air powered engines might catch on and small-car manufacturers could use them on a large scale.
BMW will unveil the next generation X3 in 2010. It will compete with the Audi Q5 and the future Mercedes GLK.
To be built on the same 3-Series platform like the current model (but stretched and widened to help differentiate it from the 3-series wagon), the 2010 X3 will get an all-new exterior and new engines under the hood.
Under the hood we will see the same engine range with just a few exceptions. It is expected that the 2.5i version to be dropped just because 160 hp won’t be enough for a future SUV (we have to consider that the Infiniti EX has an output of 290 hp and the GLK starting from 228 hp). Instead BMW will add the powerful twin-turbo 3.0 liter engine used in the 335i.
The Fiat 500’s underpinnings couldn’t have been used for making a cuter car but that is not necessarily good news for Fiat. Its dream run has the potential of turning into a fully-fledged nightmare by a car like the Ford Ka. The first-gen Ford Ka looked plain and simple but the second-gen that the spy shooters have captured looks a whole lot different.
Changes all round for this tiny hatchback. The new front fascia gives it an appealing stance while the lamps both front and rear fills it with life. The fog lamps have moved up closer to the hood, might be mistaken for indicator lamps. The two-tone paint doesn’t look all that nice in digital but might work in flesh, you never know. On the whole, it’s not looking good at all for Fiat.
On the inside, Ford can definitely do entirely away with the florescent and black color scheme, black and red/orange would be more like it. The gear lever has found itself a new home, now nesting alongside the A.C vents and CD player, which provides easier access to the driver so that he won’t use one hand to steer for far too long. The costs are reduced too, as the dashboard extension serves as a housing for the knob freeing up some space along the way.
Auto Express reported last month that three engine options will be available, a 63bhp 1.2-litre and 100bhp 1.4-litre petrols, plus a 1.3-litre Multijet diesel, same as the one the Italian uses at present.
From a distance, the new Ka looks like a tricked-out 500 with new headlamps and two-tone paint. But the point of making this car is to use Fiat’s platform to make a superior car. Ford has put the mules through a grueling test program and there are a lot of chances for them to come up on top. Little or nothing was wrong with the 500, and only a comprehensive test drive post-launch will give a clear idea on what really distinguishes these two cars.
Alfa Romeo is ready for a US launch. But it needs a little help from BMW. Until they’ll have a dealership of their own, "Mini U.S. dealers would have the possibility to also sell Alfa Romeo cars," a Fiat spokesman said.
Fiat and BMW announced today that they have signed an agreement for possible co-operation on components and architectures for their Mini and Alfa Romeo vehicles.
Alfa Romeo plans to return to the United States in 2010. The first U.S. model is expected to be an entry-level premium five-door hatchback, code-named project 940.
The new car will debut in Europe late next year, replacing the Alfa 147.
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