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Aston Martin V12 Zagato in Production

SarahHarris — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 22:18:43 +0000

Who hasn’t dreamed of owning a car from the infamous “Bond”brand? Model after model of 007’s favorite set of wheels has excited automotive aficionados for decades, and the British automaker’s latest to hit the assembly line is no exception. The V12 Zagato concept car, which debuted at Lake Como’s Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este in May and then picked up 4^th place overall at Nurburgring’s 24-hour endurance race in June, was born from a collaboration between Aston Martin and Milan’s Zagato design house (long-time followers of either brand may remember a previous teaming on the 1960s Aston Martin DB4GT Zagato). But what will their newly rekindled relationship offer to lovers of the long and winding road? A lot.

Aston Martin V12 Zagato:

The body style will be familiar to anyone who has longingly gazed at an Aston Martin creation recently. The feline curvature, the low-slung, predatory countenance, the tapered tail, and the overall sleek physique speak volumes about how this car interacts with the road. You can tell just from looking at it that it hugs tight turns and practically kisses the asphalt at high speeds. And the double-bubble roof is in keeping with Zagato’s signature design style (while the prominent, rounded taillights may remind you more of a Ferrari). Buyer’s won’t even want to breathe on the exterior of this car; that’s how perfectly gorgeous it is.

Of course, there’s more to this fine piece of machinery than meets the eye. The lightweight aluminum and carbon-fiber body (hand-built by Zagato) cuts the poundage significantly, although the 6.0-liter V12 under the hood more than makes up for it. And drivers can expect to squeeze just over 500 horsepower and about 420 foot-pounds of torque out of this monster of an engine (which is based on the V12 Vantage). And Aston Martin has announced that the 6-speed manual transmission will be available in both left-hand and right-hand drive to please an international market.

There are few details yet on the interior, as the concept race car features the minimalistic hull common to the breed, with not much more than a racing seat and a full roll cage to tempt a driver inside. But anyone who has nestled themselves in the confines of one of Aston Martin’s other models can almost certainly bank on all the bells and whistles that they’ve come to expect from this luxury-sports line of automobiles.

And now for something completely different. The V12 Zagato will soon go into production in Warwickshire, UK at Aston Martin’s Gaydon headquarters. Due to an “overwhelmingly encouraging interest from customers”, the car is predicted to hit the market as early as next year. Consumers can expect to face a price tag that comes in around $540,000, but for that sum they will have the privilege of owning one of only 150 of these vehicles currently slated for production.

Aston Martin predicts that despite their long history of automotive excellence (98 years, to be precise), this creation will end up being one of their most coveted models. And with all the specs to look at, plus a prestigious showing right out of the gate, they could just be right.

Sarah Danielson writes for Buy a Toyota where you can find great deals on a Toyota Prius and a range of Toyota discounts in your area.

Mercedes Benz Concept A Class

SarahHarris — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 01:26:57 +0000

At Auto Shanghai, China’s premiere international automobile expo, Mercedes Benz this week unveiled a complete makeover of their A Class with a concept car that they’ve described as “the first heartbeat of a new generation”. And indeed, the newly remodeled A Class is a departure from the boxy, compact, utilitarian design of yesteryear (which looks like nothing so much as a slant-nosed Smart car with a couple of extra doors). The new version is sleek, sporty, and almost feline in appearance, an aesthetic that was inspired, according to chief of design Gorden Wagener, by “wind and waves”. But the stylistic choices, both inside and out, are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the redesign of this class of Mercedes.

Mercedes Benz Concept A Class:

The two-door design is not only more attractive, but also provides for more leg room up front (although the back seat still looks a bit cramped and the hatchback provides for very little storage space in the rear). And then there is the roof, made entirely of glass to offer a panoramic view of your surroundings (remember the scene in Jurassic Park with the goat? It’s sort of like that…only no dinosaurs). This is likely thanks to the aviation-inspired interior, which is also apparent in the “free floating” wraparound dash and center console, which are dotted with instrument panels that will put you in mind of a jet engine. And of course, the two-tone, neutral paneling would easily fit into an airplane setting. Included in the center console is a feature that will speak to the modern driver (literally); it’s a smartphone handset that allows users to access their mobile unit hands-free through the voice-activated infotainment system (navigation, media, etc.).

But even better than the look of this gorgeous compact Mercedes are the features you can’t see. In a bid to compete with other luxury-class urban vehicles like the BMW 1-Series and the Audi A1, the German auto manufacturer has upped the ante on what’s under the hood in their concept car of the future. Although the tiny vehicle is only packing four cylinders under its elongated hood, the engine is turbocharged to the tune of 155 kW, courtesy of the M270 series they’ve been developing. The sportier feel is mirrored in the transmission, providing car transport that is more comfortable than previous iterations, even as power is boosted.

And of course, techy extras that put safety first are practically a must for city drivers that face gridlock and potential fender benders on a daily basis. But MB has taken this into account and dealt with the issue admirably, instituting a radar-based warning system that lets the driver know when the potential for an imminent collision is high, and proceeds to prime the brakes. Studies by the auto-maker suggest that this could prevent somewhere in the neighborhood of 20% of accidents while lessening the severity of 25% on top of that. In short, it could cut fatal collisions on the roadway in half (if only every driver had one).

Although this fabulous upgrade to the A Series won’t be available any time soon (actually, there’s no word yet on when it might go into production, much less end up at a dealership near you), it could just be the next hottest compact car to fill up half a parking spot in your neighborhood.

Sarah Danielson writes for Auto Loan Payment Calculator where you can find information on buying vs leasing a car a new car and much more.

Hyundai i-flow Concept Diesel Hybrid Sports Cars

admin — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 17:50:55 +0000

We are witnessing the emerging of the new generation of cars.
The new Hyundai i-flow is a powerful car concept with an imaginative and magic exterior, wise engineering under the hood and in the unbelievable beautiful car interior.

At the 2010 Geneva motor show debut, Hyundai i-flow gets the silence and wonder from the present press and spectators.

New Hyundai i-flow is a technological wonder with an animal shape. The car is standing still but the spectator had a feeling that the i-flow will jump ahead in any moment. It is like a big predator ready to wake up and jump on his pray.

The interior of Hyundai i-flow is like a space ship. During the development a help from the BASF which is one of the leading automotive suppliers and expert in new space edge materials.

New Hyundai i-flow is a diesel electric hybrid with a fuel consumption of only 3 liters per 100 kilometers. If we have in mind that i-flow is a car with an overall length of 4.78 meters and 2.8 meters of wheel base this result is amazing. With i-flow, Hyundai is bringing a new quality and set up a new hard to reach standards in the European D-segment. The width of the car is 1.85 meters and height is 1.42 meters.

The engine of this sporty sedan is a diesel electric hybrid. The U2 1.7 liter oil burner is packed with two stage turbocharger and Hyundai lithium ion-polymer battery. Transmission is a dual-clutch with 6 speed gear. The CO2 output is only 85g/km and the fuel consumption is 1 liter on 33.3 km.

My overall impression is that Hyundai just made a quantum leap in the automotive technology. The competition will need to work hard night and day to get near where Hyundai is now. We do not need to be automotive experts or prophets to see the new bright future for the Hyundai Motor Corporation. The whole article seams to be completely purposeless because the Hyundai i-flow photos say all.

For more info about Hyundai i-flow, diesel hybrid power train and BASF space age materials download the Hyundai i-flow press release.