In the ultimate display of customer dissatisfaction, a Chinese owner of a Lamborghini Gallardo decided to hire construction workers to smash his $290,000 supercar in protest after it suffered engine problems one month after it was bought and after several heated disputes with the auto company about maintenance issues.Perhaps he didn’t realise he could have sold it to make it someone else’s problem.
THE HUAYRA, Pagani’s successor to the Zonda hypercar has broken cover. The result of a seven-year development program, the Huayra (pronounced “why-rah”) represents a new direction for the tiny Italian marque.Instantly recognisable as a Pagani, the Huayra is more rounded and mature than the Zonda. And despite its huge performance potential, closer to a GT than its pointy, race-car-like predecessor.Although Pagani has maintained engine supply with Mercedes AMG, the Zonda’s naturally-aspirated 7.0-litre V12 is replaced by a twin-turbo 6.0-litre V12; forced induction was required to meet Euro 5 and US emissions regs.Although the block is shared with the SL65 Black Series, Pagani commissioned AMG to reduce turbo lag and improve throttle progression, resulting in revised heads, pistons, manifolds and turbos. Two versions of the Huayra will be offered: the standard car, boasting 522kW/899Nm, and the Sport, dialling up 544kW/1098Nm. Both are rear-drive.The Huayra’s seven-speed single-clutch sequential manual gearbox (built by UK-based company XTRAC) is mounted transversely behind the V12 to reduce drivetrain length. The body is carbonfibre over a carbon-titanium tub, and dry weight is just 70kg greater than the Zonda S, despite the Huayra being larger and carrying more safety tech.Four moveable aero flaps, one at each corner, act independently and automatically to help manage airflow; not only tailoring downforce under acceleration and braking but working across the car to add grip during cornering. Front ride height is adjustable, for driveway access at low speed and to manage airflow under the car at high speed.According to company founder Horacio Pagani, “Maximum speed is not the most important thing for us”, although he notes 370km/h has been recorded in testing. Zero to 100km/h? The best Pagani has seen so far (in cold track conditions) is 3.3sec, with three-stage Bosch traction control helping to manage the monstrous torque to the 335/30ZR20 rear tyres.
That didn’t take long, but then it never does. Ferrari and Lamborghini have confirmed that their brand-new models, announced only in the past month, are all bought up for the first year’s worth of production.The unique Ferrari FF, a shooting brake-like supercar that introduces all-wheel-drive to the Italian company’s bag of tricks, is powered by an equally new 6.3 litre V12 engine producing 485kW and 683Nm of torque.Without a load in its cavernous rear, the FF will hit 100km/h in 3.7 seconds.“With the FF, we open a new book in Ferrari’s history,” Ferrari boss Luca di Montezemolo told reporters at Geneva. “This is something we have never done before.”Its styling has already proved polarising among the pundits, but with buyers clamouring to get their orders in, it seems Ferrari cannot put a foot wrong. We can likely thank the sure-footedness of all-wheel-drive for that.Lamborghini’s Aventador LP 700-4 enters the market with a more traditional supercar design – as much as Lamborghini ever does ‘traditional’, that is.Ferrari isn’t the only one rocking a new powerplant, either: power for the Murcielago’s successor is provided by a brand-new V12, and Lamborghini has extracted a massive 525kW and 690Nm of torque from its new heart.Along with the ultra-lightweight carbon fibre tub and body, the new engine pushes the Aventador to 100km/h in 2.9 neck-snapping seconds.If the supercar battle was ever off, it is most assuredly back on.
HAS THE Italian automotive world gone crazy? Ferrari’s new flagship V12 supercar is a four-seat, all-wheel-drive hatchback and now Maserati is set to join Porsche, Range Rover and BMW by offering a luxury SUV.If this news isn’t shocking enough for red-blooded enthusiasts, the Maserati SUV will be based on Jeep’s recently released Grand Cherokee, thanks to Fiat’s 35 percent stake in the once-bankrupt Chrysler Group.Keen to dissuade adverse reaction by Maserati tifosi, brand management is claiming the new luxury SUV, due for launch in 2012, will share only basic DNA with the hulking American off-roader.According to Harald Wester, who oversees the entire passenger- car business for all Fiat brands (including Maserati), the still- nameless SUV gets its own exterior, interior and engines.Only the basic architecture, suspension, key safety elements and the suite of electronics are shared with the Grand Cherokee.Having said that, the entry-level engine will be a highly-developed version of the Chrysler Pentastar V6. Word is, the 3.6-litre petrol V6 will produce around 260kW and 400Nm – up from 210kW/347Nm in the Grand Cherokee.The engine that will interest enthusiasts and the target American market is a 3.9-litre V8 developed and built by Ferrari. Don’t worry about the small capacity; the direct-injection V8 is twin-turbocharged and will pump out 335kW and 600Nm – more than enough to deal with the SUV’s likely 2200kg mass.For Europe only, VM Motori will supply a version of its A630 3.0-litre turbo-diesel V6 with around 190kW and 550Nm.All engines will be backed by an eight-speed ZF automatic.Other Maserati-specific hardware includes carbon-ceramic Brembo brakes and a Corsa button to sharpen engine and gearbox responses as well as firm up the adjustable Skyhook dampers.What’s your say? Do you like the design?
Indian carmaker Tata is on the scene again, following up its dimunitive Nano light car and the Pininfarina-designed Pr1ma with an all-new concept: the Tata Pixel.The Tata Pixel is actually a diesel-powered city car designed with the European buyer in mind. The engine is positioned beneath the Pixel’s rear seat, giving the concept a rear-mid-engine layout.The real trick to the Pixel, Tata says, is the “Zero Turn turoidal traction-drive Infinitely Variable Transmission” which helps ultra-tight parallel parking in dense urban areas by turning the outside rear forward and the inside wheel backward.
It debuted at the 2010 Paris motor show with a radical turbine powertrain, and now Jaguar has confirmed that it will put the C-X75 supercar into limited production … minus the gas-powered turbines.The Brit supercar will look near-identical to the dead-sexy C-X75 Concept, but will mix an internal combustion engine with two in-axle electric motors to become both one of the fastest cars in the world and one of the most economical.Jaguar claims 0-100km/h in less than three seconds and 0-161km/h (200mph) in less than six, with a top speed in excess of 320km/h. Part of the secret to the C-X75’s electrifying performance is its lightweight, carbon-fibre chassis which will be built in the UK in conjunction with the Williams F1 team, who will also provide expertise in areas such as aerodynamics, carbon composite manufacture and hybrid technologies.Despite the power and speed, the C-X75 is claimed to produce just 99g/km of Co2 emissions, and can run on electric power alone for more than 50km.Jaguar says it will continue to develop the micro-turbine technology that was shown in the C-X75 Concept – Jaguar’s parent company, Tata, of India, has purchased a share of Bladon Jets – but in order to bring the project to showroom reality in a short timeframe, a more conventional petrol-electric hybrid system was required.Only 250 C-X75s will be built, with no word yet on a production date. However Jaguar has advised that, in the UK, prices will start at a whopping ₤700,000 (A$1.066m).
Volkswagen is on track to introduce the first of its alternative-energy vehicles to the global market by 2014, the German carmaker has confirmed.Volkswagen boss Dr Martin Winterkorn said that the company’s first plug-in hybrid would hit the road in either 2013 or 2014, paving the way for a full range of hybrid and electric vehicles.“The electric car will impact the future of individual mobility in crucial ways – and Volkswagen is spearheading this technology,” Dr Winterkorn said.“Over the mid-term, the plug-in hybrid offers great potential, because it combines the best of two worlds in one vehicle.”Dr Winterkorn’s comments today follow a similar announcement in July last year, promising a range of electric and hybrid vehicles by 2013.It is unclear which of its existing models will be the first to debut in plug-in hybrid form, although it is likely that the Golf and Passat models will be first to benefit from the technology.In 2008, Volkswagen revealed an updated version of the Golf TwinDrive hybrid, combining a traditional diesel engine with an electric motor – the latter doing the bulk of the work.Volkswagen has also revealed its plans on the electric front, most recently in the form of the Golf Blue-e-Motion EV. Powered by an electric motor, the Golf Blue-e-Motion offers 85kW of power and 270Nm of torque.By comparison, the entry-level diesel Golf 77TDI produces 77kW and 250Nm of torque, while the petrol-powered Golf 90TSI produces 90kW and 200Nm.A market date for the electric Golf has still to be confirmed, although Volkswagen has launched a pilot programme with 500 hand-picked consumers throughout Europe.
Volkswagen is celebrating 35 years since the birth of its iconic Golf GTI with a special “Edition 35” series of Mark VI hatches.Nevermind the revised bumper, machined-finish multi-spoke alloys, LED daytime lamps and Golf R-derived rear lights, the big news about this limited edition is the 2.0-litre turbo four engine’s boost to 173kW, up a handy 18kW over the standard GTI.An obligatory stickers pack is also part of the deal – there’s “35” badging, etched sill panels, and an embroided headrests.Australia will score an undisclosed number of the Golf GTI Edition 35 in September.
Hyundai has unveiled a fresh mid-sized range to fill the void between its small i35/Elantra and the upper-mid-sized i45 sedan. The i40 range is to i45 what the Honda Accord Euro is to the regular Accord – a slightly smaller, sportier sedan (and in the Hyundai’s case, also a wagon) designed primarily for the European market.Styled and engineered in Hyundai’s European R&D headquarters in Russelsheim, Germany, the 4.74-metre i40 is 80mm shorter than its i45 sibling, yet its wheelbase is only 25mm adrift. Both cars share Hyundai’s ‘fluidic sculpture’ design philosophy.Two petrol and two diesel powertrains will be available. The i40 will debut Hyundai’s fresh ‘Nu’ 2.0-litre direct injection four-cylinder petrol engine, which boasts a currently class-leading 130kW and 213Nm. Hyundai claims 0-100km/h in 9.7 seconds for the six-speed manual, and 6.8L/100km combined.A 1.7-litre turbo-diesel will also be available (a must for oiler-loving Europeans), producing 100kW. Teamed with Hyundai’s Blue Drive eco-program including stop-start tech, low rolling resistance tyres and an alternator management system, the diesel is rated at just 4.3L/100km.No word yet on whether Hyundai Oz will squeeze the i40 into its local range, but the two-prong mid-sizer strategy certainly works for Honda…
While the new O’Farrell Government in NSW burns the midnight oil to reorganise the state’s Roads & Traffic Authority, motoring body NRMA has released its own strategy for tackling Sydney’s clogged roadways.NRMA Motoring & Services President Wendy Machin described the Decongestion Strategy as 10 steps “that are neither costly nor difficult to implement”, designed to reduce the lengthy travel times through the city.‘While there is no doubt Sydney needs to build its missing motorways, we can also make life easier for motorists by adopting simple measures that don’t cost billions of dollars,” Ms Machin said.“Our study shows that Sydney’s motorways could be better utilised simply by changing the way they are managed, which is why we have asked the NSW Government to consider the proposals put forward by the NRMA.”Ms Machin said that the most important step is to appoint an anti-congestion Director within the RTA – a role that would cover nothing more than keeping Sydney moving.The strategy outlines the need for a motorway management team, responsible for identifying issues, implementing effective responses and advising motorists to avoid certain roads when necessary.“We need to give motorists more advance warning to avoid areas where traffic is heavy and do more to provide real time traffic information and variable speed limits in order to keep our city moving,” Ms Machin said.The NRMA’s full 10-step strategy is outlined below.10 ways to relieve Sydney traffic:• The appointment of an anti-congestion Director to keep Sydney moving• Development of a motorway management team designed to manage delays and/or incidents on a daily basis• Appointment of more traffic signal staff to respond to delays or incidents on the road network• Review parking restrictions on major roads – the last major review was undertaken in the lead up to the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000• Faster clearance of traffic incidents; creating time-limits to clear incidents• Provision of reliable and up to date information through the use of a dedicated traffic and transport radio network, proactively using variable messaging systems, providing live traffic leads via mobile and or email notifications daily• Promote flexible working hours to reduce demand during peak hours• Improve the forgotten transit lanes and highlight them using orange• Remove traffic signs that give motorists the wrong information• Adopt challenging performance measures to avoid motorists having to endure lengthy delays such as those experienced on the F3 freewayWhat’s your say? Would these steps help Sydney congestion at all? Do you have any other suggestions the Government should consider?
