Spy Video: Tata Nano Caught Testing

The buzz about the upcoming $2500 Nano hatchback had kind of died down after its debut at the Delhi and Geneva Auto Show. The focus had shifted to the Indian carmaker Tata Motors takeover of Jaguar and Land Rover. But now the worlds cheapest car, Tata Nano is back in news with its spy video being uploaded on Youtube.

This is the first time that Nano has been caught on video. Till now nobody had seen any spy photo or video of this cute little hatch due to the high level of secrecy that Tata had maintained about its pet project. The video below shows the base model (black bumper) of Nano being tested on the old Bombay Pune Highway in India without any camo whatsoever.

Tata Nano coined as “The People’s Car” in India due to its rock bottom prices has a RWD all-aluminum, two-cylinder 623 cc petrol engine making 33 hp and is efficient enough to attain a fuel economy of about 55 mpg. The car is expected to hit the Indian market later this year and its delux model might have a $10 airbag (Read).

Tata is also said to be working on the world’s first compressed air car called Tata OneCat which Tata expects to be more efficient than any present hybrid car. We'll be on lookout for more about about this concept but till then checkout the Nano in action below.

Via: TopSpeed
Read More On: Tata Nano

Spy Video: Tata Nano On the Move.

Read more >>

Limited Edition Pagani Zonda Cinque Specs & Photos Released

Pagani is out with the initial details and photos of its new special edition supercar, the Zonda Cinque which is an adapted street legal version of the Zonda R. Pagani will only build 5 units (already sold) of the Cinque which stands for '5' in Italian. It is powered by an AMG sourced 7.3 liter V12 engine that is tuned to develop 678 hp and 780 Nm of torque. All this power is transferred to the wheels via a Cima 6-speed sequential gearbox.

Pagani Zonda Cinque has a top speed of over 350 km/h and can accelerate from 0-62mph (0-100 Km) in 3.4 seconds while it just take 9.6 seconds for the 0-124mph (0-200km/h) sprint. It rides on APP monolithic wheels forged in aluminium and magnesium with special Pirelli PZero tires: front 255/35/19 & rear 335/30/20. Stopping power to the 1210 Kg Cinque is provided by carbo-ceramic self ventilated Brembo brakes with 6-piston calipers in the front and 4-piston calipers in the rear.

The new Pagani sportscar comes equipped with Traction control, a Bosch ABS, ceramic-coated titanium exhaust system plus a longer front spoiler, new rear wing, central air intake on monocoque, and extra air intakes for rear brakes. The interior gets the carbon-fibre made Toora Racing Seats and steering wheel wrapped in leather.

Cinque gets the honour of being the numero-uno Pagani to be built from carbon-titanium fiber. It is also the first Pagani to receive a sequential gearbox with controls on both the steering wheel and center tunnel. In the same breadth we inform you that the new Zonda Cinque is the last version of the Zonda before the debut of the new car that will abandon the V12 AMG, in favour of a V8.

And just incase if you are interested to know, the Pagani Zonda Cinque cost 800K euro ($1250000).

Source: Pagani Via: WCF
Read More On: Supercars

Photos Gallery: Pagani Zonda Cinque High-Res Pictures.

Read more >>

Yamaha's New 2009 Star VMax Debuts In US

After ten years of R&D, Yamaha's cruiser series of motorcycle brand in America, the Star Motorcycles unveiled its 2009 VMax aboard the USS Midway in San Diego. The 197.4 hp VMax is powered with 1679cc liquid cooled four cylinders configured into a 65-degree V making monstrous 123 pound-feet of torque. The big body size and huge intakes give VMax a brooding and masculine profile. For 2009, Star will offer just 2,500 VMax's for sale in the U.S.A. with price tag of $17,990.

Expect a nice rush of power at around 6,650 RPM as the intake funnels shrink to their shortest length, which is sort of an electronic version of the iconic V-Boost from the original edition. To unleash the formidable amount of acceleration, the 2009 VMax has been equipped with Yamaha's YCC-T chip-controlled throttle opening up 48mm throttle bodies to go along with a YCC-I chip-controlled intake. The intake system has switchable funnel lengths from tall (150mm) to short (54mm) at 6650 rpm. According to Star the response of the fly-by-wire throttle system is instantaneous.

The VMax first came on the market in 1985. It's received only minor updates and color changes in the years since. But for 2009, Star has gone all out, outfitting the bike with fuel injection, anti-lock brakes and many of the same MotoGP-derived technologies it uses on its supersport models, i.e. a slipper clutch and computer-controlled throttle and intake systems to deliver power more responsively. The chassis has also been updated with an all-aluminum frame that uses the engine as a stressed member and jacked-up components that can handle some major thrashing, i.e. 52 mm titanium-coated fork tubes and 6-piston-caliper, 320 mm wave rotor brakes on the front.

The 2009 VMax comes with a round dial speedo, tach and indicator lights mounted on the handlebars. On the tank is a virtual onboard computer. Dubbed the organic electro luminescence multifunction display, it's got all the standard functions like an odometer, clock, dual trip meters, fuel gauge and gear position indicator. It also tells you coolant temp, mpg, intake air temp, throttle valve opening angle, has a stopwatch and a countdown indicator.

VMax has always been known for its powerful V4 engine, shaft drive, and distinctive styling. While famed for its quick acceleration, it is often criticized for its poor cornering ability and soft suspension. How well the new Hulk performs still remains to be seen.
Via: Autoblog

Photos: 2009 Yamaha Star VMax Pictures.

Read more >>

Are These Toyota-Subaru RWD Coupe Spy Photos ?

There have been plenty of rumors and assumptions about what, how, when we gonna see the Toyota-Subaru RWD coupe. Every new day comes a new take. It will be cheap, it won’t be cheap, there will be a turbo AWD version there won’t be, it will debut in 2010, maybe 2011 - you get the picture. Now to add fuel to fire are these spy photos that are said to be of upcoming Toyota Subaru baby taken outside a test center in the UK.

These mystery spy photos could very well be the car in question but we’ll let you be the judge of that. What we think we know, is that the new coupe will be based on a modified Subaru Impreza platform with a 2.0-litre naturally aspirated Subaru boxer four-cylinder providing power to the rear wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox.

Since the upcoming mule aims to be a common-mans sportscar, so we do expect a price figure south of $20,000.

Source: camaro5
Related Posts:
1) 2011 Toyota/Subaru RWD Sports Car Confirmed
2) Update On 2011 Toyota-Subaru RWD Sport Coupe

Photos: Toyota-Subaru RWD Coupe Spy Pictures.

Read more >>

Ferrari 612 Scagliettis with F1 Transmission Recalled

Ferrari has announced a US recall of MY 2005 – 2007 612 Scaglietti vehicles equipped with F1 gearbox. Altogether, 366 of the vehicles are being recalled to replace a faulty clutch sensor in the transmission as well as a related cable holder and magnet that might cause problem in gear shifting or even complete inoperation. Only model year 2005-2007 612s are affected.

Recall Summary
Make / Models : Ferrari / 612
Model/Build Years: Scaglietti 2005-2007
Recall Number: 08V214000

Summary:
Ferrai is recalling 366 MY 2005-2007 612 Scaglietti vehicles equipped with F1 transmissions. A nonconforming clutch sensor in the transmission could malfunction under normal operating conditions due to the heat produced by the vehicle. Such sensor malfunction may inhibit the proper function of the clutch assembly making the shifting of the gears very difficult. The vehicle system immediately detects the clutch sensor failure and causes the warning light to illuminate.

Consequence:
This clutch sensor malfunction may render the vehicle inoperable and possibly, resulting in a crash.

Remedy:
Dealers will replace the clutch sensor. In addition, the cable holder and magnet will also be replaced. The recall began On May 19, 2008. Owners may contact Ferrari at 1-201-816-2600.

Source: NHTSA
Read More On: Ferrari
Read more >>

BMW X5 X-Wave Concept From 3M & Visteon

Visteon Corporation and 3M, the the two Fortune 500 companies showcased a jointly developed project called the X-Wave Concept featuring more than 50 innovative technologies designed to enhance the driving experience of upcoming and future vehicles. They used the BMW X5 as the host vehicle to showcase this new concept.

The vehicle features Visteon’s Integrated Center Panel, which shows how climate, audio and multimedia controls can be stylishly packaged for easy user interaction. This ultra-thin, twisted helix-shaped touch panel uses field-effect switches to enable a clean, “dead-front” look in situations when the center panel buttons do not need to be visible. When a user’s hand nears the panel, the vehiclesenses it and the buttons automatically illuminate to show an extremely user-friendly human-machine interface (HMI). When a user pushes one of the buttons to select a function, the switch is actuated and gives haptic feedback – a tactile vibration like a pulse – to lend a more natural button feel and let the user know his or her command is being processed

Other in-car innovations from Visteon include dual-access console lid, environmental friendly air-conditioning system and dual-access console lid.

Among the highlights presented by 3M are innovations to enhance the visualisation of information using a 3D driver information cluster, 3D virtual imaging and transmissive film.

This tech is still a few years away from production, but it signals a fundamental shift in the basic architecture of car interiors. Switchgear could be collated and then hidden on surfaces where it wouldn’t normally be possible to group controls – killing clutter in the process.

Source: just-auto

Read More On: Car Gadgets
Read more >>

Audi's Prius-rivalling A3 1.9 TDIe Diesel Hatchback

Audi has launched a new version of its A3, the Audi A3 1.9 TDIe hatch that offers fuel efficiency and carbon dioxide emissions similar to the Toyota Prius hybrid, the world’s most famous environmentally friendly car. A3's 1.9 TDIe is developed to meet Europe's proposed 2012 CO2 emissions target of 120 grams/kilometer, roughly equivalent to 52 mpg on the highway in the U.S.

Audi’s first ‘e’ model already beats that target thanks to a number of mechanical and aerodynamic tweaks that reduce the regular A3 Sportback 1.9 TDI model’s fuel consumption (from 4.9 to 4.5L/100km) and emissions (from 128 to 119g/km). That compares favourably with the Toyota Prius’s figures of 4.4L/100km and 104g/100km.

A 5-speed manual transmission, 77kW of power and 250Nm of torque headline the A3 Sportback 1.9 TDIe’s powerplant. It rides on low-friction Michelin tyres for reduced drag and comes with revised engine, better tuned electronics and lengthened third and fifth gear ratios to reach fuel economy of 53 mpg. There’s also a ‘recommended gear’ display on the dash to help the driver choose the most efficient ratio when using the manual gearbox. The new Audi A3 Sportback 1.9 TDI e comes with a price tag of $38,900 - making it the third most affordable Audi in Australia where is was launched recently.

Audi is aiming to have an e-model in each of its core model series in the foreseeable future. We at CarNoise wish them good luck.

Source: Audi
Read More On: Audi A3
Read more >>

2010 Chevrolet Camaro: The Story Till Now

There are very few instances in history of automobile testing and development where an automaker does not try to hide or camouflage his protoype vehicle while its being tested at public place. Chevrolet is one of them and the car undergoing testing under the sharp eyes of all who can see is the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro. It will be more accurate or appropriate to give the credit for this brave effort to GM's Australian brand Holden which is responsible for the development process of the new Camaro.

Spy Video: 2010 Chevy Camaro testing on the track.

The 2010 Chevrolet Camaro should arrive in first quarter of 2009 looking almost like what you saw in the spy video above with only some minor changes to the sheet metal details. The convertible version of next-generation Camaro is also expected to hit the market a year later in 2010. Few things that sandout while watching the car race on track are the brightly-colored 4-piston Brembo brakes at all four corners, non-functional louvers ahead of the rear wheels plus the existence of an air intake just before the hood.

The reported current unofficial lap time is about 9-minutes but it is being said that production model Camaro will significantly close-up the time gap with Corvette ZR1 which stand at 7.4 minutes.

2010 Chevy Camaro is expected to be offered in three versions, LS, LT and SS, with a choice of 6-speed automatic or manual transmissions. Power for its base models LS & LT will most likely come from one of GM's DOHC V6s, while the higher spec SS variant will get a monstrous 6.0-liter LS3 V8 engine currently doing duty in the Corvette ZR1. Indications are that LS will get horsed upto 230 hp, with LT making 300 hp plus and SS would be tuned to produce about 400 hp horsepower.

The Chevy Camaro will make its official debut in August this year at the 2008 Woodward Dream Cruise. OMG that's still few months away.

Spy Video: 2010 Chevrolet Camaro - testing at the Ring.


Read More On: Chevy Camaro
Read more >>