The BMW Group has announced that all MINI models, as well as the BMW 6 Series, BMW 5 Series, BMW 3 Series, BMW 1 Series and BMW X5, will now be equipped for the Apple iPhone. BMW was the first automobile manufacturer to offer a solution for the integration of the new smart phone generation in cars in the US, and now it is preparing for the iPhone’s European launch later this year. The German carmaker will present the iPhone-equipped vehicles at the Frankfurt Auto Show on September 13th.
According to Volvo safety officials, one in every three traffic fatalities in Europe is alcohol-related. To help reduce this number, Volvo has developed 'Alcoguard', which uses fuel-cell technology to accurately read a person's blood alcohol level. In order to start a vehicle, the driver must blow into a wireless hand-held unit. If his/her blood alcohol level is higher than 0.2 g/l, the car will not start. Volvo hopes this technology will help lead to a change in the general attitude towards drinking and driving, resulting in the elimination of alcohol-related road accidents and deaths.
The Mazda flies down The Foxhole. Bang up against the rev limiter in fifth, then flat-change into sixth and up to 150mph. Turbo blowing hard, the Mazda3 MPS hotshoe voraciously sucks up the track ahead, rusty Armco, candy-stick rumble strips and towering oak trees filling the windscreen. Drawing a dead straight line through the left-right-left-right of one of the Nürburgring’s most infamous corners, Mark Ticehurst throws the Mazda down to the bottom of the hill, the car’s suspension compressing hard before he hurtles up the other side and peels hard left and up into Adenaur Forest. He’s gone as quickly as he arrives, the wailing engine note briefly ricocheting off the hillside before leaving a loud silence in its wake.
Renault revealed first details for the all new Laguna today. New Laguna makes its world debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September before going on sale in October.
The ING Renault F1 Team today announced that it will make its entry into the Second Life virtual world on May 25th with an event offering media and a select group of fans the opportunity to participate in a live press conference within Second Life featuring Finnish star Heikki Kovalainen. The virtual world of Second Life presents a unique opportunity for enthusiasts and people new to Formula 1 across the globe to join a single, virtual community in which they can share their passion and enthusiasm for the sport.
BMW presented its new high-performance sports car, the new BMW M3. It is the first BMW M3 powered by a new 309kW/420hp V8 displacing 4.0 litres and accelerating to 100km/h in 4.8 seconds. The car comes with a manual six-speed gearbox with integrated, temperature-related oil colling and is the first production vehicle in its segment with carbon-fibre-reinforced roof. The carbon fibre serves to reduce the weight of the vehicle and enhance the agility by lowering the centre of gravity.
This is the limbering up time, the warm-up before the off. In 60 and 45 seconds, the new Audi R8 zooms through 70 years of motor racing history. “Warm up” is also the title of the new sports car’s TV commercial, which will be premiered in Germany on 6 April when the blockbuster “I, ROBOT” starring Will Smith (and the Audi RSQ) is broadcast on the RTL channel. The commercial was shot over six days in Mexico at an altitude of more than 2,000 metres and uses 1,050 extras. Its tagline: “The Audi R8 – Born of powerful ideas”. The production was masterminded by Hamburg agency kempertrautmann.
Exactly 50 years after first launching the Nuova Fiat 500, Fiat will unveil the new Fiat 500 on July 4, 2007. When it was first introduced in 1957, the car could only accommodate two people, but could carry 70 kg of luggage (very important at the time). Today’s version, developed by the Fiat Style Centre, is a compact 3-door model, measuring 355 cm long, 165 cm wide, 149 cm tall, with a 230 cm wheelbase. The car is powered by a choice of three engines: a 75 bhp 1.3 16v Multijet turbodiesel unit and two petrol engines, the 69 bhp 1.2 8v and the 100 bhp 1.4 16v, all of which are available with five or six speed mechanical gearboxes.
GM Europe unveiled the new Opel GTC concept car at the 77th Geneva International Motor Show. Company officials said the car encompasses the future of the Opel and Vauxhall brands by focusing on quality products, modern design and the vehicle’s performance.
The Volvo new XC70, part of the Small Premium Utility segment, combines elements of a coupé with those of an SUV with its estate car’s functional versatility and the XC model’s All Wheel Drive and capacity. The model is available with a six-cylinder petrol or five-cylinder turbodiesel engine. In the new model, the electronically controlled all wheel drive from Haldex of Sweden can be supplemented with the Four-C active chassis with three driving settings. Features such as Hill Descent Control and ventilated seats also contribute to a comfortable driving experience. Sales will start at the end of August, starting in Scandinavia, with other markets to follow gradually during the rest of 2007.
