Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Geneva 2011: Alfa 4C
Baby mid-engined, two-seat junior Alfa sports car is kindle to your petrolhead fire
As we say here on TG, you're not a true petrolhead unless you've owned an Alfa. And you will want to own this, the new 4C Concept.
Unveiled as one of the stars of the Geneva motor show, the baby Alfa is a ‘compact supercar' said to represent Alfa's values of performance, Italian-ness and technical excellence. What this means is an achingly beautiful sports car with added hand gestures and instant cool.
See more pics of the Alfa Romeo 4C concept car
It measures just four metres long - the same length as a Mito - and houses the Giulietta's 200bhp 1.7-litre turbocharged petrol engine mounted in the middle, powering the rear wheels. Alfa reckons it'll hit 62mph in under five and rock on to over 155mph.
Alfa has installed the TCT twin dry clutch transmission and dynamic control selector too, along with extensive use of carbon and aluminium like the 8C supercar. In fact, the whole body is said to weigh no more than 850kg, which is slightly heavier than a mosquito.
Sounds amazing, right? A mid-engined, two-seat lightweight Alfa sports car with looks to pillage and kill for and - hopefully - engaging dynamics. Here's the best bit: Alfa says it'll be on sale in 2012.
Yes - this thing is coming ‘atcha.
Unveiled as one of the stars of the Geneva motor show, the baby Alfa is a ‘compact supercar' said to represent Alfa's values of performance, Italian-ness and technical excellence. What this means is an achingly beautiful sports car with added hand gestures and instant cool.
See more pics of the Alfa Romeo 4C concept car
It measures just four metres long - the same length as a Mito - and houses the Giulietta's 200bhp 1.7-litre turbocharged petrol engine mounted in the middle, powering the rear wheels. Alfa reckons it'll hit 62mph in under five and rock on to over 155mph.
Alfa has installed the TCT twin dry clutch transmission and dynamic control selector too, along with extensive use of carbon and aluminium like the 8C supercar. In fact, the whole body is said to weigh no more than 850kg, which is slightly heavier than a mosquito.
Sounds amazing, right? A mid-engined, two-seat lightweight Alfa sports car with looks to pillage and kill for and - hopefully - engaging dynamics. Here's the best bit: Alfa says it'll be on sale in 2012.
Yes - this thing is coming ‘atcha.
Geneva 2011: VW Bulli concept
New ‘Microbus’ is one of the stars of the show. But will it ever make it to production?
Volkswagen's design chief Klaus Bischoff looked at his new Bulli concept, turned to TopGear's reporter and asked, ‘Well, at the moment is there an MPV that you would actually WANT to buy?' Well, no there isn't, really. Certainly not VW's own Touran, we're thinking Mr Bischoff.
Which is why they made the Bulli. An MPV with the potential to be a cult production car. It's a two-row three-abreast MPV with a lot of cues recalling the original VW Microbus. We think it's one of the cars of the show.
See more pictures of the VW Bulli
VW has been here before. In 2001 it showed another Microbus concept. But that never made production. Why come sniffing around the idea a decade later? Well the 2001 car was too big for Europe, so would have sold in the US only and they couldn't make a sound business out of it. This one is smaller so would fit the roads over here too.
It's about the same length as a Polo but wider than a Golf, with the wheels pushed right to the ends to give loads of space. And these same proportions wouldn't have to be diluted for production because it uses VW's new modular platform which can be made in all sorts of dimensions.
The concept car has an electric powertrain, but the real thing would have the usual VW petrol and diesel engines.
The interior is beautifully clean, with versatile seating that even folds flat to make a double bed. Better than a tent when you're at the summer festivals, and you don't even need chemical assistance to think it's a looker.
This isn't one of those production cars disguised as a concept car, like the Ford B-Max. It's an actual concept car. It hasn't got the go-ahead yet, even though something very like it could be built in three or four years. Whether it gets the nod depends on what people like you think, oh TG.com reader. So add your comments below.
Which is why they made the Bulli. An MPV with the potential to be a cult production car. It's a two-row three-abreast MPV with a lot of cues recalling the original VW Microbus. We think it's one of the cars of the show.
See more pictures of the VW Bulli
VW has been here before. In 2001 it showed another Microbus concept. But that never made production. Why come sniffing around the idea a decade later? Well the 2001 car was too big for Europe, so would have sold in the US only and they couldn't make a sound business out of it. This one is smaller so would fit the roads over here too.
It's about the same length as a Polo but wider than a Golf, with the wheels pushed right to the ends to give loads of space. And these same proportions wouldn't have to be diluted for production because it uses VW's new modular platform which can be made in all sorts of dimensions.
The concept car has an electric powertrain, but the real thing would have the usual VW petrol and diesel engines.
The interior is beautifully clean, with versatile seating that even folds flat to make a double bed. Better than a tent when you're at the summer festivals, and you don't even need chemical assistance to think it's a looker.
This isn't one of those production cars disguised as a concept car, like the Ford B-Max. It's an actual concept car. It hasn't got the go-ahead yet, even though something very like it could be built in three or four years. Whether it gets the nod depends on what people like you think, oh TG.com reader. So add your comments below.
Geneva 2011: Saab Phoenix revealed
Striking concept car previews future tech and potential styling of future Saabs
Think of this Saab as the T-1000 of concept cars, only with less duplicitous pointy-metal-finger death and more economy. It is the Phoenix, and it has just been revealed at the 2011 Geneva motor show.
Design director Jason Castriota reckons this concept ‘establishes a new reference point for the future of Saab product design', which if it does, means good things, partly because it comes with butterfly doors and looks kinda' hard.
See more pics of the Saab Phoenix concept car
A ‘liquid metal' style surface a-la-Terminator 2 houses a 2+2 cabin, a 200bhp aluminium 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine and even a 34bhp electric motor powered by a small battery (itself charged by regenerative braking).
No word on performance, but the Phoenix sends the power to the front wheels via a six-speed ‘box and is projected to return 56.5mpg and emit just 119g/km of CO2.
It comes with three operating modes - Eco, Sport and Traction - and Saab's IQon, a communications platform using Google Android as an operating system. When you turn the ignition, it connects to the Internet and, via a touch-screen, allows entertainment streaming, audio, online navigation, music storage and smartphone-style apps.
Of course, should it suddenly morph into an ass-kicking exoskeleton and mercilessly gun down future rebel leaders, well, you've been warned...
Design director Jason Castriota reckons this concept ‘establishes a new reference point for the future of Saab product design', which if it does, means good things, partly because it comes with butterfly doors and looks kinda' hard.
See more pics of the Saab Phoenix concept car
A ‘liquid metal' style surface a-la-Terminator 2 houses a 2+2 cabin, a 200bhp aluminium 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine and even a 34bhp electric motor powered by a small battery (itself charged by regenerative braking).
No word on performance, but the Phoenix sends the power to the front wheels via a six-speed ‘box and is projected to return 56.5mpg and emit just 119g/km of CO2.
It comes with three operating modes - Eco, Sport and Traction - and Saab's IQon, a communications platform using Google Android as an operating system. When you turn the ignition, it connects to the Internet and, via a touch-screen, allows entertainment streaming, audio, online navigation, music storage and smartphone-style apps.
Of course, should it suddenly morph into an ass-kicking exoskeleton and mercilessly gun down future rebel leaders, well, you've been warned...
Geneva 2011: ‘Toyobaru’ returns
Remember that funky and rather delectable sports coupe built by those pleasant chaps at Toyota and Subaru? It's back, and this time, it's black.
The second generation of the must-have coupe is apparently the "strongest indication of how the production model will look".
The rear-wheel-drive concept measures 4.2m long, 1.8m wide and 1.2m high, together with a ‘free-revving' Subaru boxer engine married to a six-speeder all set as low as possible to get the centre of gravity down - essential for controlling hairy cornering angles.
Toyota says the new model will launch in 2012 in Europe, with prices confirmed closer to the date. Click through for the show pics.
À sombra de um passado
Enquanto vemos duas equipes Lotus correndo simultaneamente, cada uma à sua maneira tentando se provar a legítima herdeira do legado de Colin Chapman, a Williams apresentou sua pintura oficial de uma forma que não poderia ser mais elegante. Não alterou de forma substancial o jogo entre azul e branco que ostenta desde o fim da parceria com a BMW. Apenas removeu um pouco do celeste na parte traseira, trouxe algumas linhas de força nos tons de seu novo patrocinador e...E, para a surpresa de todos, eis que surge uma releitura do último visual que podemos associar aos tempos de uma Williams vencedora - as Rothmans, cujo reinado se estendeu de 1994 a 1997.
Ok, nos tempos em que juntava forças com a BMW a equipe de Grove chegou a vencer corridas e até esboçar uma superioridade pontual - ajudada pelo foguete bávaro ao qual as FWs eram acopladas, os quais costumavam dar show nos circuitos de altíssima velocidade.
Mas em nenhum momento em meia década esse equipamento chegou a ameaçar o domínio absoluto da Ferrari. A última Williams capaz de reivindicar para si um título mundial foi a FW19, de 1997, que, aliás, acabou conquistando de fato o campeonato - apesar da relutância de Jacques Villeneuve em querer desenvolvê-la.
Aquele ano também seria o do último bólido com a pintura azul e branca entremeada em linhas vermelha e bege. Em 1998, a equipe, já em outros matizes, entraria numa rota descendente da qual jamais se recuperou.
Por que, então, emular este passado, sob o risco de, mimetizando seus últimos dias de glória, acabar por ocultá-lo?
Talvez o time de Frank Williams tenha apenas seguido a tendência dominante do momento, recorrer ao passado para se legitimar. Assim foi com a Renault (Genii Capital Partners?) utilizando o amarelo e preto dos anos 70 e 80; do mesmo modo que a Mercedes fez com o prateado, marca indelével das máquinas alemãs do pré-Guerra (embora as máquinas atuais saiam de Brackley, de britanissíssima localização).
Opção arriscada, a da Williams, equipe que nunca tentou provar ser aquilo que não é. Agora quer aferrar-se a seu passado; é no crepúsculo que as sombras dos anos 90 se estendem ao presente.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Brilliant, immediate unstoppable traction in mud, also known as good horse sense, and farmer magic
Now this, in my opinion, is effing brilliant. It really no-shit works, and like nothing else possibly could to add traction that can't be stopped.
From http://thereifixedit.failblog.org
From http://thereifixedit.failblog.org
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