2009 Dodge Challenger Scooped Once Again

Not that these spy pictures taken by a reader from “Cheers & Gears” unveil anything new on the 2009 Dodge Challenger but we really appreciate gearheads with an eye for camouflaged prototypes. This particular Challenger was spotted in Auburn Hills near the Chrysler tech centre. Although the reader tried to challenge the Challenger by revving his car’s engine at the stoplight, Dodge’s test drivers decided to ignore him -wonder why someone behind the wheel of a prototype that costs several hundreds of thousands of dollars would avoid the confrontation… -More images after the jump

Pics via: Cheers & Gears

Volvo C70: New 136Hp 2.0-Litre Turbo Diesel Unit

Volvo’s extending the engine range in the C70 coupe-cabrio with the addition of a 2,0-liter turbodiesel unit fitted with a Diesel Particulate Filter as standard (the filter significantly reduces unburned soot particles in the exhaust gases). The four-pot diesel engine has a power output of 136 Hp and 320 Nm of torque accelerating the C70 from 0-100 km/h (62mph) in 11.0 sec and handing a top speed of 205 km/h (127mph). According to Volvo the C70 2.0D boasts an avg. fuel consumption of 6.1 l/100 km – 38.6mpg (EU combined). -Continued after the jump

"The four-cylinder turbodiesel will be a very popular choice, especially in Europe where it will account for 20 percent of total C70 sales. The engine offers a very attractive combination of fuel economy and driving pleasure," says Fredrik Arp, President and CEO of Volvo Cars. The Swedes expects sales of the C70 2.0D to reach about 2,000 units a year - which means that one out of ten C70s sold worldwide will have the four-pot turbodiesel. The first cars will reach European showrooms during autumn 2007.

Via: Motorpasion , Source: Volvo

2008 Volkswagen Touareg By Cobra

German tuner Cobra has released a new line of accessories for the recently updated 2008 VW Touareg. Cobra’s most prominent accessory is of course the stainless-steel front bull bar which attempts to give a “Texas Ranger” look to the luxury German SUV. The exterior of the Touareg can be further refined –if that’s what you dig we mean, with a stainless-steel grille for the aperture in the front bumper, chrome-design mirror housings and two different styled rocker panels. Finally Cobra also offers custom-tailored light-alloy wheels with diameters of 20 and 22 inches for all versions of the VW Touareg. The largest version features Cobra Sahara 10Jx22 multi-spoke wheels mounted with tires in size 295/30 R 22 front and back. -One more picture after the jump

Rihanna’s Shut Up And Drive Video Clip

Gals and cars, what a diachronic combination. Just bypass the unfortunate,pop-inspired lyrics and focus your attention to the girls in the clip. We’re not entirely sure why, but we just love seeing a cute female mechanic with sexy long legs in high heels all… greased up and ready to perform an oil change. Well, we can’t be scooping cars all the time can we; everyone needs a break now and then!

Acura, Saturn & Land Rover Dealerships Top Shopper Satisfaction Study

Acura dealerships received the highest ranking in a study conducted by Pied Piper that measures how well consumers are treated when shopping for a new vehicle. Following Acura were Land Rover, Saturn, Jaguar, Volkswagen and nineteen more brands that managed to be ranked at or above the indusrty average. On the… other side of the moon Pied Piper's study ranked 12 brands ranked below the industry average (in alphabetical order): Cadillac, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Ford, Isuzu, Jeep, Kia, Lincoln, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Scion and Suzuki. -Continued: Click “Read More…” below

According to Pied Piper, Acura dealers were ranked consistently among the top brands for most of the 50+ sales process aspects evaluated by the study, and ranked first for giving prospects compelling reasons to buy from their specific dealership. Other brands led the industry in different areas. Land Rover salespeople for example were most likely to provide a "walk-around" showcasing product features and benefits, and were also most likely to offer a brochure. Saturn salespeople were most likely to offer a test drive, and to provide compelling reasons to buy now. Jaguar salespeople were most likely to mention financing options. Lexus salespeople nearly always (98% of the time) asked for contact information while BMW salespeople were most likely to appear responsible for setting the sales price themselves.

Other interesting facts that we discovered in Pied Piper's dealership satisfaction study include: salespeople offered a test drive 89% of the time, asked for contact information 83% of the time, asked for the sale 75% of the time, offered a brochure 66% of the time and provided compelling reasons to buy from their specific dealership only 51% of the time.

Pied Piper's study was conducted between April 2007 and June 2007 using anonymous shopper evaluations at 1,592 dealerships located throughout the U.S., representing approximately one in fourteen of all U.S. light vehicle dealership locations.

Via: Pied Piper

Gran Turismo 5 Trailer - Ferrari F430, Audi R8 & Nissan GT-R Included

It’s officially confirmed: for the first time in Gran Turismo’s history, you’ll be able to get behind the wheel of a Ferrari! As you can see in the video and the image gallery of the cars included in the fifth interpretation of Sony’s legendary racing game, the Ferrari we’re talking about is the F430. And before you ask, we don’t know yet if Sony will include a full line-up of Ferraris in the GT5 that’s expected to be released in early 2008. What is included though is the new Audi R8 and the Nissan GT-R.

Talking about the GT5 reminded me of the countless hours I spent behind the TV playing Gran Turismo 1,2 & 3… Wondering what happen to GT4? Well, call it a victim of blogging. See, a 9 to 6+ day job combined with early morning and late night blogging doesn’t leave you much free time -let alone enough to call a buddy and stay awake all night drifting a late 90’s pimped Sylvia. -Follow the jump to see the GT5 image gallery

Via: Autoblog.com & ING

2008 Porsche 911 GT2: Officially Official Images & Text

And this time its officially-official meaning that we’ve got our hands on the full press release along with the high-resolution images of the 530Hp RWD 911 GT2. You can check out both after the jump but before we let you do that, we’d like to comment on Porsche’s media titled “High-Performance Sports Car with Low Fuel Consumption” (…).

In the first paragraph Porsche supports that despite being the most powerful and fastest 911 so far homologated for road use, the GT2 manages an avg. fuel consumption of just 12.5 liters/100 km (equal to 22.6 mpg imp). Umm, did we read correct; an avg consumption of 12.5 liters/100 km in a 530Hp sports car! Who and how the hell managed to accomplish this? Honestly now, he or she should seriously consider opening up a school to teach us the art of frugal driving… -Click “Read More…” for the press release and the high-re image gallery

PRESS RELEASE: High-Performance Sports Car with Low Fuel Consumption

Stuttgart. Presenting the new 911 GT2 at the Frankfurt Motor Show, Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Stuttgart, is proudly launching the most powerful 911 so far homologated for road use. Through its striking design with large air intakes at the front and the rear wing so characteristic of this very special model, the new 911 GT2 expresses the power and performance potential of the fastest-ever 911 right from the start even at a standstill. Available exclusively with rear-wheel drive and a manual six-speed gearbox, this high-performance athlete accelerates to 100 km/h in just 3.7 seconds and reaches a top speed of 329 km/h (204 mph) on average fuel consumption of just 12.5 litres/100 km (equal to 22.6 mpg imp) in the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC), thus offering a level of fuel economy regarded as quite impossible in this performance class just a few years ago.

The power unit of the new 911 GT2 is based on the six-cylinder boxer engine of the 911 Turbo, with air supply by two exhaust gas turbochargers featuring variable turbine geometry (VTG). The 3.6-litre boxer engine achieves its maximum output of 530 bhp (390 kW) at 6500 rpm, with maximum torque of 680 Newton-metres maintained consistently between 2,200 and 4,500 rpm. With its unladen weight of 1,440 kg or 3,175 lb, finally, the 911 GT2 offers a power-to-weight ratio of just 2.72 kg/6.00 lb per horsepower.

The increase in engine power by 50 bhp over the ”regular“ power unit is provided in the new 911 GT2 by two turbochargers with a larger compressor wheel and a flow-optimised turbine housing raising turbocharger pressure to an even higher level. And for the first time Porsche’s engineers have combined the turbocharged engine with an expansion-type intake manifold – a genuine revolution on turbocharged power units.

The expansion intake manifold uses the principle of oscillating air in the intake manifold during the cooler expansion phase, keeping the temperature of the fuel/air mixture lower than in the 911 Turbo. This, in turn, means a significant increase in all-round efficiency, with fuel consumption down by up to 15 per cent under full load despite the increase in engine output.

The 911 GT2 offers new achievements also in terms of emission management and control: This is the first Porsche homologated for the road to feature a rear silencer and tailpipes made of titanium as standard equipment. This expensive material reduces weight by approximately 50 per cent versus a comparable component made of stainless steel to just 9 kg.

The new 911 GT2 comes as standard with PCCB brakes featuring brake discs made of a composite carbon fibre/ceramic compound ensuring maximum stopping power maintained with an extremely high level of consistency. A further advantage is that PCCB brakes reduce the weight of the unsprung masses versus comparable grey cast-iron discs by approximately 20 kg or 44 lb.

Yet another feature fitted as standard is the electronically controlled PASM Porsche Active Suspension Management. (PASM). The GT2 comes on 19-inch light-alloy wheels running at the front on 235/35 ZR 19, at the rear on 325/30 ZR 19 sports tyres.

The new 911 GT2 will be at the dealership in November 2007. The base price of the car in Germany is Euro 159,100.-, the market price including 19 per cent value-added tax Euro 189,496.

Quiz: Would You Pay $200,000 For A Parking Space?

Here’s a question for all you big city dwellers out there: How far would you go for a parking space? Some people in cities such as NYC, Chicago and Boston have gone as far as paying over $200,000 for a deeded parking space. Since property values in the city are always escalating and homes in popular cities are constantly in demand, people can sell these spaces at these kinds of prices and get away with it. But having your own personal parking spaces isn’t only about the convenience. -Continued: Click “Read More…” below

Posted by Dani

People are stocking up on two or even three of these precious investments so they can rent them to other desperate parkers and make some money on the deal. Parking spaces in NYC go for about the same price per square foot as actual living space. Now, what kind of society holds equal amount of value between a roof over your head and a parking space? The answer is, people are so desperate they’d rather live in their cars in their own personal parking space than in an apartment that’s simply close to the subway. Honestly, wouldn’t it just be simpler to save your $200,000 and just take the bus?

Via: nytimes

Skoda Fabia Combi Official Teaser Image

“After the conception of the new Fabia hatch in March, Škoda will present the second generation of the Fabia Combi at the IAA Show that runs from September 11 to 23 in Frankfurt”. Now that’s what we call a detailed press release…

Not that we’re going to be depressed or anything, but we really don’t understand why Skoda is unwilling to release any information on the Fabia “hearse” before the Frankfurt Show opening. You don’t think that they believe we’re going to get all mushy and wet with the teaser image, do you?

Via: Autoblog.it , Source: Skoda

Ford Focus ST "WRC Edition" 225Hp

Ford Europe rolled out its second WRC version of the Focus to commemorate the WRC manufacturer's championship title it won in 2006. In case you missed out, about a month ago Ford premiered the Focus WRC-S at the Barcelona show fitted with a 136Hp 2.0 TDi diesel unit. This time however, Ford chose to upgrade the high-performance Focus ST. Powered by a turbocharged Duratec ST 2.5-litre, 5-cylinder engine and equipped with a six-speed manual gearbox, the ST accelerates from 0 to 100km/h (62mph) in 6,8 sec while it’s capable of reaching a top speed of 241 km/h (150 mph). -Continued: Click “Read More…” below

Rally stickers aside, the Focus ST WRC Edition (available exclusively in white), is equipped with an optics pack that includes front and side spoilers, a rear diffuser, chrome-plated exhaust system and delicious 20-inch, white alloy wheels from OZ. Ford also fitted the WRC Edition with an Eibach suspension kit lowering the height of the car by 15mm. Inside, the only difference between the stock ST and the special edition concerns the addition of an aluminium plaque in the centre console signed by Ford’s WRC drivers Marcus Gronholm and Mikko Hirvonen.

For the time being, the Focus ST “WRC Edition” will be available in Austria in a limited number of 50 units with prices set at €36,982 ($51,000) meaning that buyers will pay a hefty €8,042 ($11.000) premium over the base ST.