Video: 2014 Cadillac CTS fitted with 420HP V-6 with Twin Turbo

Written By: ambo.us - Mar• 28•13

twin-turbo-lf3-for-cadillac-ctsThe Cadillac ATS has been going around automotive award circuits, gaining praises everywhere. It’s bigger sibling, the Cadillac CTS is also being revamped and to be released as a 2014MY. The new ride will have a twin-turbo V6 powerplant that can give out 420 horses and deliver a torque of as much as 430 lb-ft. These numbers make it easy for the Cadillac CTS to go from 0 to 60 miles an hour in just 4.6 seconds and reach a top speed of 170 mph.

The TT V-6 will be linked to an 8-speed automatic gearbox. According to Cadillac, there will be no option to get a manual transmission. Despite the monstrous torque and the 8-speed geabox the Cadillac CTS returns a fuel mileage of 17 miles a gallon and 25mpg on city driving and highway, respectively.

The chief engineer of the brand describes the 2014 CTS to be equipped with technologies that will ensure excellent performance and add a new dimension to the driving experience. The car is a said to be a great blend of sophistication and raw power.

The new engine is based on the current V-6 with a displacement of 3.6 liters that is found in most of the brand’s lineup. Of course the new engine has had significant revisions and redesigning to have new cylinder head and block castings, optimized connecting rods, new direct injection system, strengthened aluminum pistons, and a pair of turbochargers among others.

The new V-6 for the CTS will also be used for the XTS sedan where it will be paired with a sport 6-speed gearbox.

Buyers of the 2014 CTS will also have the options to get the normally aspirated 3.6L V-6 that cranks out 321HP and the turbocharged 2.0L four-cylinder that produces 272HP.

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Report: 1963 Ferrari 250 LM inspiration for the Ferrari F150

Written By: ambo.us - Jan• 10•13

The Ferrari Enzo successor, called F150 internally by the Italian supercar manufacturer, will be officially unwrapped during the upcoming motor show in Geneva this March. Prior to this unveiling, select owners of Ferrari vehicles will have a chance to view to F150.

This was according to a report by the Italian media which also reveals that the styling of the Ferrari F150 shows some resemblance to the Ferrari 250 LM that was released from the stables back in 1963.

Looking at the teaser images of the new Ferrari supercar, the family lineage is quite evident especially when you look at the rear of the F150.

Both Ferraris feature arching and muscular fenders in front and pontoon-like fenders at the rear. The F150′s fenders are just more angular than its older counterpart. Both vehicles also have a a mid-engine configuration with all of the power sent to the rear wheels.

The Ferrari 250 LM was meant to be the successor to the 250 GTO that was primarily delivered to the garages of privateer racers. The 250 LM was actually the car used by the North American Racing Team that took the overall victory at Le Mans back in 1965.

Ferrari only made 32 units of the 250 LM before production was stopped in 1965. An example of this stallion today will cost your around $7.91 million.

The Ferrari F150 may not be as exclusive as its predecessor and is expected to have a production run of around 500 units and will be sold for a little more than $1.32 million.

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Audi promises more differentiation between vehicles in the future

Written By: ambo.us - Nov• 30•12

audi-concept-design-studio-in-munichAudi listens to its consumers and critics and is now addressing the claim that the brand’s vehicles look the same. The car manufacturer promises to take a bolder direction when designing future vehicles. Audi announced that there will be more differentiation between the different vehicle models with the styling of the vehicle to reflect the technical aspects under its panels.

Audi designers will also be focusing on improving cohesion of the styling for the vehicles’ exterior and interior. This way the vehicles can be identified with its model lines just by the looks of its interior. A good preview of this design is Audi’s concept vehicle called Crosslane that was displayed during the Paris motor show.

Wolfgang Egger, the chief designer of Audi, explained that good automotive design must go with a vision. And for Audi, the vision is to show a good link between the technology of the vehicle and its styling. It will be more of exposing the technology rather than enclosing them according to Egger.

Looking at the Audi Crosslane concept, the designers made it a point to show portions of the spacefame of the vehicle in several locations. The multi-material frame was shown through the grille, intakes, sills, engine hood, A-pillar, and in the car’s cockpit.

The spaceframe is basically the internal structure of the Audi vehicle. The new frame though relies on different materials instead of using a single material for construction. The new spaceframe was fabricated from carbon fiber, fiberglass, and aluminum. The new design allows for more rigid vehicles that are lighter without any big jump on the cost of production.

The interiors of future Audis will focus on having essentials that will aid drivers plus clarity of the overall look.

Audi also setup a new design studio in Munich, Germany where teams of designers working on the Exterior, Interior, and Trim/Color will work together.

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2013 BMW 3 Series Touring and X3 deployed as police cars

Written By: ambo.us - Sep• 03•12

The BMW 3 Series Touring and the BMW X3 are the first units to be deployed by the German car manufacturer as police vehicles as the brand introduces units that can help fight crime. BMW also put spotlight on the High Security version of the new BMW 7 Series and the Security Vehicle version of the BMW X5. The brand, though quite odd, also markets its i3 concept vehicle as a potential police car.

bmw-touring-police-carThe pricing of the police and security vehicles were not yet revealed though. We can expect the pricing in a few days as the police vehicles will be delivered to regional and federal police departments around Germany this coming September. Surely, the price will be a hefty one given that the sticker price for a civilian X3 is already around $40,000.

The carmaker also did not disclose if the high-end police cruisers will be reaching the United States. It might not be that feasible as a lot of police forces in the US are cutting back on their expenses. Most likely the US police forces will make do with vehicles like the 2013 Police Interceptor by Ford.

BMW labels its police vehicles as the “authority vehicles” and fits them with special equipment to help them with their police functions. This includes LED rear markers for increased visibility and protection from any traffic,flashing blue lights, and control of signal installations using the iDrive.

The undercover vehicles such as the X5 Security and the High Security 7 Series are more discrete. They do get armor-plating and other high end technologies to help with the job. Naturally, the security features were not all disclosed by BMW.

The BMW i3 Concept is being pushed to be used for smaller areas like harbor areas, airports, and deployment on police patrols and checks.

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2012 Camaro Update: 2013 ZL1′s to fill up orders of 2012, production of convertible kicking off this August

Written By: ambo.us - May• 29•12

2013-ChevyCamaro-ZL1The 2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 is one mean muscle car even when it is outmatched by the 2013 GT500 of Ford in terms of horsepower. The market deman for the Camaro ZL1 has been very high that the car manufacturer cannot quite keep up with the demand. The latest announcements reveal that the carmaker will fill the remaining 2012 orders with their production of the 2013 models.

The shortage in volume of the 2012 ZL1 is partly due to a software code which delayed the productions. The downtime had a cascading effect resulting to delays in the production of the 2012 ZL1 and the lack of vehicle volume to meet the 2012 orders. With Chevrolet being so behind schedule, the management has decided that they will fill up the remaining orders for 2012 with 2013 MY units. The 2013 ZL1 will hit the production pipeline by June or early part of July.

Chevrolet estimates that they will be needing a month to about a month and a half to fill the rest of the 2012 orders. This means that the production of the convertible version of the Camaro ZL1 will not start until August this year. The carmaker has not made estimates about the volume of their production for this year but has clearly said that most of the ZL1 production will take the shape of the coupe version. They have also advised dealers that the allocations will most likely be coupes only.

If you are planning to get a 2013 ZL1, you will notice some changes on the car’s deck. The changes will be minor like the hood inser in black for the 2012 model will now be a carbon fiber finished in Ashen Gray. There will also be Blue Ray Metallic as part of the choices for the exterior color of the car.

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Jaguar set to release Artisan versions of XK and XKR

Written By: ambo.us - Feb• 28•12

Jaguar-XK-Artisan-SE-2British luxury car manufacturer Jaguar does not want to be left behind with other car brands releasing special edition vehicles. Jaguar launches the bespoked versions called Artisan for the Jaguar XK Convertible, XK Coupe, and the XKR. This special edition Jaguar will be offered in the different markets around the globe but will not reach the US soil.

The name tag of the Jaguar special release is derived from car’s Artisan interior which makes use of scraffito texttured leather for the front seats, door quarter panels on the rear and the instrument binnacle.

The cabin of the Jaguar Artisan also gets Poltrona Frau leather treatment for the headlining, veneer finishes called Dark Figured Aluminum and Shadow Walnut, sound system b Bowers & Wilkins, performance heated seats, keyless start and entry, and heated steering wheel.

The designers gave the new Jaguar special edition 20in alloy rims and exclusive color finish called Celestial Black. Consumers can also go for Rhodium Silver or Polaris White.

In the United Kingdom the Jaguar XK Coupe Artisan goes for £77,350 while the XK convertible goes for £82,500.

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Honda brings Accord Concept, Civic Si Coupe and more to SEMA show

Written By: ambo.us - Nov• 21•11

The stall of Japanese carmaker Honda at the 2011 SEMA may convince everyone that the performance soul of the brand is still there. Honda brought some good stuff to this car show.

Lets start with the Civic Si coupe which was tuned by the in-house Honda Factory Performance team. The Civic Si comes with a full package aerodynamic kit, improved suspension, and 18 inch rims. The Si Coupe promises a more intense performance which we hope to see in the standard Si.

The interior gets red lighting, floor mats b HFP, and emblems. This coupe version of the Civic Si is now on sale. Buyers can choose from seven colors. If you want this, hurry though since Honda will only make 500 units of this.

A Honda Accord Coupe concept is also on display at SEMA. The V6 of this coupe comes with a supercharger, upgraded air intake, and exhaust system which brings its output to 335 horsepower with a torque of 285 lb-ft. The output is a good jump from the stock’s 271 hp and torque of 251 lb-ft. No word yet if this will come into the production pipeline but we bet Honda just tested the waters and tickle the interest of the publick.

Another eye catching display is Honda’s CR-Z engine that is exhibited with a supercharger. This engine was built by the racing division of the company. You might recall that Honda also came up with a hybrid CR-Z which uses an electric powertrain coupled with a 1.5L turbocharged engine that in combo gives out 178hp to 200 hp. The team now says that the CR-Z engine on display is just a way of saying that the brand is looking for performance potential on their lineup.

Finally, the car manufacturer announced that the coupe edition of the 2012 Civic will also come in body-in-white versions. The car will come with bolt-on parts which will allow amateur racing teams to experiment with the setup of the Civic. The shell will have a tag price of $3,500 which is pretty reasonable but remember that it does not come with anything like to start, an engine. But the good news is, Honda Performance Development will be selling engines by next year as well as other components like brakes, suspensions, and transmissions.

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Trucks Seem To Have Gained Over Luxury Cars In Canada

Written By: ambo.us - Dec• 01•10

This year round the Canadian car sales market looks really different what with trucks poised to outsell all kinds of cars even in the luxury segment. The reason Ford Truckbehind this could be that there are so many incentives on offer for people who buy trucks that this is one of the reasons why most buyers are opting for this.

The sales have gone sky high what with the kind of incentives that are there on offer. As the calendar year comes to an end the truck sales in Canada continue to ring the cash tills. The latest growth recorded was as high as 26%. According to Dennis Des Rosiers of the Automotive Consultants Des Rosiers, the incentives have been so very high that the buyers will just not be able to resist it.

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Japanese Car Manufacturers Production Decline

Written By: ambo.us - Nov• 27•10

The latest results that have been posted by three of Japan’s largest car manufacturers are not really good. There manufacturing processes have declined as the domestic demand has dropped drastically. One of the world’s largest car manufacturing company, Toyota Motor Corp has had sales drop in the most unexpected of ways. The second largest car manufacturer in Japan, Nissan has also not been able to post good results in the last quarter.Toyota Logo The third largest car manufacturer Honda Motor Company has also been floundering and has seen a drop in sales by about 12%.

The thing is that all these Japanese car manufacturers saw a lowered sales was because of the lowered incentives paid by the government to the manufacturing industry. Due to the economic conditions the market and the appetite that people have for high end cars has not been able to pick up. This has put all of these three Japanese car manufacturers in a tight spot. The frightening thing is that none of the manufacturers expect the sales to be anything but better I the last few months based on the situation that is prevalent.

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InsideLine Tests the Audi R8 V10 (5.2 FSI)

Written By: ambo.us - Aug• 30•10

This brand new Audi R8 5.2l FSI V10 has to be one of the most exciting Audi’s ever made, and the way I see it, it’s not at all very “Audi-like”. With such a large amount of cc’s with “just” 525 bhp, I almost feel like it’s somewhat American.

Still, I love the R8, and I adore this V10. It’s 30k more expensive than the V8, which means it’s… a little expensive… :)

Gorgeous, though.

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