2013 BMW X6 Facelift

We've been following the development of the facelifted X6 through our scoop section for a while now and today, BMW officially revealed the 2013 model year version that goes on sale worldwide this spring. The big news on the 2013 X6 is the introduction of the diesel-powered X6 M50d of the M Performance series, but we've already covered it in our previous post, so let's see what else is new about BMW's so-called Sports Activity Coupe.
The styling updates throughout the range are quite subtle and include a new set of headlamps, more pronounced kidney grilles with bars that are angled in the lower section, repositioned fog lamps set in matt finish surrounds and new LED tail lamps, while BMW also offers adaptive LED headlights as an option.
The 2013 model year also brings new exterior colors including the Marrakesh Brown metallic featured in the pictured vehicle, plus the option of Vermilion Red and Ivory White leather upholsteries and new alloy wheel designs.
The X6 comes as a four-seat model with a three-seat rear bench being available as an option.
The basic engine range remains the same, with the U.S. lineup including the xDrive50i with a 400hp 4.4-liter turbocharged V8 and the xDrive35i with a 300 hp 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six. Both engines are mated to a 8-speed automatic transmission. The X6 M with a V8 engine delivering 555 bhp linked to a 6-speed M Sport automatic transmission tops the range.
While the X6 M50d won't be making it in the States, BMW offers an M Performance Package in the U.S., which adds 15hp and 30 lb-ft of torque on the X6 xDrive35i giving it 315 hp and 330 lb-ft respectively, while the increase on the X6 xDrive50i is +40 hp +30 lb-ft of torque for total peak output of 440 hp and 480 lb-ft.
Along with the engine upgrades, the M Performance Package adds 20-inch light alloy wheels, black chrome exhaust tips, stainless steel pedals, M footrest and door sills, shadowline exterior trim, anthracite headliner, and optional Carbon Black metallic paint.
In Europe, the modestly refreshed X6 will also be available with a pair of 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six diesel engines, producing 245bhp on the xDrive30d and 306bhp on the xDrive40d.
The 2013 BMW X6 will receive its world premiere at the Geneva Motor Show in March.

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PG Elektrus is a $312k Pure Electric Lotus Elise with a Carbon-Fiber Body

Production of the Tesla Roadster may have ended but the pure-electric roadster model from Silicon Valley showed the way to other companies – and we mean that in the literal sense, as the PG Elektrus is an all too similar proposal. Created by German manufacturer PG and Düsseldorf-based automobile designer Michael Fröhlich, the roadster model is once again based on the Lotus Elise and features an electric motor powered by a lithium-ion battery.
However, the Germans went one-step further and dressed the body in a carbon fiber suite to reduce the car's weight. Another highlight is the solar panel mounted behind the driver that collects the sun's energy and converts it into electricity to power up the batteries – or so the company claims.
The roadster model's electric motor produces the equivalent of 272-horsepower and 350Nm (258.2 lb-ft) of constant torque, which is said to be enough to propel the PG Elektrus to 100km/h (62mph) in less than three seconds and on to a top speed of up to 300km/h (186mph) – which if true, would probably drain out the batteries and significantly reduce the car's autonomy.
A special audio-based system allows the drive to select from a range of sounds that emulate real engines including a full-bodied V8 and a Formula-One racecar.
PG says that the Elektrus has a driving range of up to 350 kilometers or about 217 miles under normal conditions.
The German company has plans to produce a total of 667 examples of the Elektrus, each with a starting price of €240,000 (US$312,400).

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Mercedes-Benz to Build Second North American Plant

Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche has made it clear that he wants Mercedes-Benz to become the number one premium manufacturer in the world, a title that for the time being belongs to its arch-rival BMW.
Last year, Mercedes sold 1.36 million units, around 300,000 less than BMW. According to Manager Magazin, Zetsche plans to reach the number one spot by almost doubling the three-pointed star’s production to 2.7 million vehicles by 2020 and increase its operating profit beyond 10 percent.
The German publication reports that to make this happen, Mercedes plans two new factories, in China and North America respectively.
According to plan, the firm's second North American factory will be built either in the U.S. or in Mexico and will become operational by 2017 or 2018. It will assemble the next-generation of the A-Class.
Daimler has already announced that it will invest more than $2 billion to upgrade and retool its existing U.S. plant in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, in order to assemble the C-Class and the next-gen R-Class and G-Class.

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Holden Caprice V Series II with 6.0-liter V8

The car that most Americans know as the Chevy Caprice PPV (Police Patrol Vehicle) owes as much to the Australian designed and built Holden Caprice luxury sedan reviewed here as the latter owes to business decisions Ford Australia made a couple of decades ago. In the early 1970s, Holden – GM’s Australian subsidiary – introduced two new models to compete with local rival Ford. The first was the Statesman, a vehicle with no Holden badging whatsoever, designed as a direct competitor to Ford’s Australian-built Fairlane and as a replacement for the unloved Brougham sedan.
A few years later came the Statesman Caprice, an even more luxurious model, introduced to compete with Ford’s freshly minted LTD.
Thus the Caprice name was born. Over the years the Caprice has grown in interior room, price and standard equipment but retains the same basic idea of what Aussie luxury should be. We took the V8 engined V Series II model out for a week long road test and review.
Overview
The first thing you'll notice about the Caprice is the lengths Holden has gone to in order to differentiate it from the bread-and-butter Commodore (sold in the States as the Pontiac G8). Almost everything from the head- and taillights, front and rear bumpers and the bodywork aft of the B-pillar have been changed.
The result is a car that is attractive in profile and which carries a strong and masculine air from most angles. In terms of size, the Caprice is 5,161 mm (203 in) from end to end with a wheelbase of 3,010 mm (118.5 in). It’s also 1,899 mm (75 in) wide and 1,475 mm (58 in) tall. It's a full-sized sedan and certainly feels like it initially.
Inside Scoop
As with the Commodore, four adults can be seated comfortably in the Caprice. There are a pair of headrest-mounted, DVD-compatible LCD screens for the rear seat passenger and a tilt-and-slide electric sunroof for the driver and front passenger.
I found however that the sunroof cuts into the front headroom, leading to an uncomfortable driving position for taller people such as myself (I’m 181 cm / 5 ft 11 in).
Holden's much hyped iQ system makes an appearance, though its placement at elbow-level in the centre console makes it uncomfortable to use at time. Otherwise, the Caprice's cabin is a nice place to be, with dual zone climate control, bolstered leather seats and touches of metallic trim to brighten up the otherwise Commodore-standard interior.
On The Road
Let’s talk about performance. The Caprice V's 6.0-liter V8 packs 260 kW (349-horses) of power at 5,600 rpm and 517 Nm (381 ft lb) of peak torque at 4,400 rpm.
Mated to a six-speed automatic transmission (there is no manual option), the Caprice V returns a quoted 12.3 lt/100 km or 19.1 mpg US (I recorded an average of 12.6 lt/100 km or 18.7 mpg US). It’s a smooth and flexible engine that’s perfectly suited for highway cruising.
One complaint is interior NVH (Noise, Vibration, and Harshness), which I think could have been suppressed a little better in a car costing upwards of AU$69,990 (US$71,579 / €56,268). Still, the Caprice V is about as comfortable and compliant as one could have hoped for. Stopping power is more than adequate, provided by ventilated discs all round.

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Corvette ZR1 Taken to the Max by German Tuner TIKT

In pure stock form, the Corvette ZR1 is a performance beast with its supercharged 6.2-liter V8 engine pumping out 638-horses and 604 lb-ft (819Nm) of peak torque. However, German tuning firm TIKT believes that there's plenty of room for improvement so it introduced a new take on the ZR1 with its Triple X package. It all starts with the ZR1's eight-cylinder powerhouse that gets modified cylinder heads, camshafts, valve springs and compressor ratios plus a larger throttle valve, a completely modified exhaust system, a reprogramed ECU and changes to the cooling system.
The tune sees the 6.2-liter unit deliver an output of 758HP (769PS) and a peak torque of 671.2 lb-ft (910Nm).
TIKT then moves on to better the Corvette ZR1's handling through the use of new race shocks, a lowered suspension by a claimed 50mm (1.9 inches), more powerful brakes and a new set of Zerra Ultralight Evo 2 alloy wheels.
The final touches come in the form of an aero package that includes a new front bumper with a splitter, side skirts and an oversized rear wing, all made from lightweight carbon fiber.

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The Tata Pixel New City Car Concept

Geneva: Tata Motors today presented at the 81st Geneva Motor Show the Tata Pixel, a new city car concept for Europe. Based on the Tata Nano, the Tata Pixel — at just over three metres in length — is the most package-efficient four-seater in the world, comfortably accommodating four adults, unlike a typical city car which is either a two-seater or can accommodate two adults and two children only.

Speaking on the occasion, Carl-Peter Forster, managing director and group CEO of Tata Motors, said, “Tata Motors holds true to its belief that there is an opportunity in Europe for a city car, which is optimal in space, manoeuvrability and environment-friendliness. The Tata Pixel is a reflection of Tata Motors’ idea of what such a car should be.”
The Tata Pixel’s ability to manoeuvre and park in the tightest of spaces is made possible by its zero turn toroidal traction drive infinitely variable transmission (IVT), which assists rotation of the outer rear wheel forward and the inner rear wheel backward, while the front wheels turn at acute angles. The result is a turning circle radius of just 2.6 metres. The 'scissor' doors rotate upwards from the front to allow passengers to effortlessly enter or exit the Tata Pixel, even in the tightest of spaces.

A forward-sweeping roofline, with minimal front and rear overhangs, accentuates the youthful styling. The Tata Pixel is also designed to provide a high level of connectivity. Key functions are controlled by the driver’s smart phone, running ‘My Tata Connect’ — the first integrated human-machine interface (HMI) concept from Tata Motors.

A 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbocharged diesel engine, positioned at the rear of the Tata Pixel, gives lively performance. The engine is a low-friction design, featuring a variable coolant and oil pump and rapid warm-up technology. With optimised aerodynamic drag, low rolling-resistance tyres, stop-start technology and intelligent battery charging, the Tata Pixel returns European combined cycle (NEDC) fuel economy of 3.4 l/100km and CO2 emissions of just 89g/km.

Taking its pursuit of electric vehicle development forward, Tata Motors is also displaying the Tata Indica Vista Electric Vehicle at the motor show’s Green Pavilion. The Tata Indica Vista EV will be made available to fleet customers this summer in the UK. The four-seater family car has a predicted range of up to 160km.

The company’s displays also include the Tata Aria, the first Indian four-wheel drive crossover, which was launched in India recently to rave reviews; the Tata Indigo Manza, among India’s best-selling sedans scheduled for launch this year in select countries; and the Tata Indica Vista, a top-selling hatch already launched in select geographies. In Europe, the Indica Vista has already been introduced in Poland and Italy, and is planned for launch in Spain. The Tata Aria too will be launched, further enhancing the company’s portfolio in these markets.

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Nissan Hikes 2013 GT-R's

Every time Nissan makes some model year changes to the GT-R it's not only the horsepower numbers that go up as its price does as well… The introduction of the 2013 model year GT-R sees the twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter V6 engine's output lifted by 30HP to 545-horses while the Japanese firm's engineers also refined the transmission and retuned the suspension.
The new model year also brings equipment upgrades such as the standard RearView Monitor and a new dry carbon fiber rear spoiler for the Black Edition.
These changes result in a significant increase of US$6,870 for the Premium model that starts from US$96,820, while the Black Edition's price was raised by US$11,200 to $106,320! Note that neither price includes destination charges (*).
We took a quick trip back to the future to see the price changes made over the years. When Nissan first launched the GT-R in the States in 2008, the base model carried an MSRP of US$69,850 while the Premium Edition was priced at US$71,900…

[All prices in US Dollars not including destination charges]


2008MY Nissan GT-R Base: $69,850
2008MY Nissan GT-R Premium: $71,900


2009MY Nissan GT-R Base: $76,840 (+$6,990)
2009MY Nissan GT-R Premium: $79,090 (+$7,190)


2010MY Nissan GT-R Base: $80,790 (+$3,950
2010MY Nissan GT-R Premium: $83,040 (+$3,950)


2011MY Nissan GT-R Premium: $84,060 (+$1,020)


2012MY Nissan GT-R Premium: $89,950 (+$5,890)
2012MY Nissan GT-R Black Edition: $95,100 (New Model)


2013MY Nissan GT-R Premium: $96,820 (+$6,870)
2013MY Nissan GT-R Black Edition: $106,320 (+$11,200)

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