Aston Martin Zagato road car revealed

Three HUNDRED and thirty thousand. That's precisely how many pounds you'll need to buy the roadgoing Aston Zagato. That's £239,105 more than the V12 Vantage it's based on...
So how are Aston justifying the price tag? It's all about the styling, it seems. Designed to celebrate the golden anniversary of the similarly handsome DB4 GT Zagato, the hand-built body - an aluminium and carbonfibre mélange - was penned by the Italian firm and sits on relatively untouched Vantage underwear.
he engine's standard, too - it's the 6.0-litre V12, which produces a piffling 510bhp and 420 lb ft of torque.
But it is very pretty. Very very pretty. And, considering just 150 are getting made, the chance of running into another one stands at comfortably long odds.
We'll be able to bring you more pics of it after this year's Frankfurt motor show - Aston's showing off the sister car to the one we drove around the Nurburgring and the concept originally shown at Villa d'Este concours.
http://www.topgear.com

Audi A8 hybrid revealed

The hybrid Audi A8 saloon has been revealed ahead of its debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

The A8 Hybrid employs a four-cylinder 2.0-litre TFSI petrol engine with a powerful lithium-ion battery. Fitted for the first time in an Audi model at this level, the A8 produces 207bhp and 350Nm of torque from the petrol motor.

Along with the 40kw battery, total output on the hybrid A8 comes in at 241bhp with 427Nm of torque, which is delivered to the front wheels through a fast-shifting hybrid transmission.
Three drive modes are available: ‘EV’ gives priority to electric power, ‘D-mode’ is a combination of electric and petrol powered driving, while ‘S’ provides a livelier combination of both powertrains for increased performance.

It's exactly the same drivetrain used the Audi A6 Hybrid concept we drove this month.

The Audi A8 hybrid can drive at up to 62mph purely on electric power, and is capable of reaching 62mph in 7.7 seconds with CO2 emissions of 148g/km. Combined fuel economy is in excess of 44mpg, so still someway behind the firm's diesel offerings.

Visually, the hybrid A8 is almost identical to the standard car, with only subtle details such as its 18-inch or optional 19-inch aerodynamic alloy wheels, small hybrid badges and an exclusive Arctic Silver paint finish setting it apart.

Given the green light for series production beginning in 2012, and reaching the UK late next year, the A8 is one of the lightest saloons in its category thanks to its lightweight aluminium space frame chassis, but the added cost of the batteries and extra fuel-saving technology is likely to make it one of the more expensive models in the line-up.

Read more: http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/

BMW M5 on Track at Laguna Seca

Mercedes unveils the Lego Unimog

Stop what you're doing. That's right, stop it, especially that. Stop what you're doing and go and buy the Lego Technic Unimog U400. It's only the biggest Technic model of all time...
The 1:12 scale model measures 38.6cm from bumper to bumper when fully built, using 2,048 pieces and actually works. Like, really works.
It's got a pneumatically operated crane with a working gripper arm, a front winch, optional snowplough, full suspension, differentials, a four-wheel-drive chassis, gear block for extreme ground clearance and a working engine complete with moving pistons.It'll cost you £154.99, available exclusively from Argos and Lego stores. Go and get one. But before you rush out, answer us this: the Unimog is 60 this year and has sold over 380,000 models to date across the globe - how would you celebrate its anniversary? This is how Merc celebrated it - the Unimog concept.




Words : http://www.topgear.com

Watch: 426mph flying mile

Palms inconveniently dry? Heart rate annoyingly slow? Finger nails irritatingly unchomped? Panic not, internet user. This video will help.
It shows 63-year-old hot rodder and racer, George Poteet, setting a new C/BFS record of 390.709mph during this year's Bonneville Speed Week in the USA
What the hell's C/BFS? Saltspeak for a streamliner running a fuel-burning forced-induction engine displacing between 306 (5014cc) and 372 cubic inches (6095cc), actually.
Poteet's car, rightfully named ‘Speed Demon' falls into the bigger end of the displacement scale - his V8's 347 cubic inches (5686cc) and has two Turbonetics turbos, which boost power to a 2,200bhp. Which is rather a lot.
Though it tends to help when you're trying to go very very fast. Which Poteet dutifully did. He broke the old C/BFS record of 366.043 mph and nearly earned the prestigious Hot Rod Magazine trophy for the fastest measured (416.539 mph).
Alas, he wasn't able to back up his time as the rules require so it didn't count. But during the run he became one of very few people to see 426.910mph on his speedometer.

Words: http://www.topgear.com

Bentley Continental GTC: first pics

This is the new Bentley Continental GTC, announced ahead of its official world premiere at - you guessed it - the Frankfurt motor show.
The second-generation of Bentley's iconic drop-top has been "improved in virtually every aspect" over the first, some feat considering the original was a lightly monstrous machine.
Power from the 6.0-litre twin-turbocharged W12 engine has swollen from 552bhp to 567bhp, while torque rises from an already gargantuan 479lb ft to 516lb ft, which is enough to send the echoes of the Big Bang skittering back into the corners of the universe.The 0-60mph dash is covered in 4.5 seconds (0-62mph in 4.8s), 0-100mph takes 10.9 seconds and the top speed is 195mph. In fact, 30-50mph takes only two seconds, and 50-70mph takes a blink-of-an-eye longer (2.4s). And should your moral allegiances force you into acting greenly, that W12 also runs on E85 biofuel too.
That prodigious power output is, again, sent to all four wheels via a ‘Quickshift' six-speed auto ‘box (said to cut shift time by up to 50 per cent), while a new rear-biased torque split of 40:60 is said to reduce understeer and allow for "throttle steering". There's another name for that. Hooning.
Bentley says advanced manufacturing techniques have produced new aluminium front wings without the need for seams or welds, "creating the look and feel of a coach-built car", while you are suitably indulged inside with soft-touch leather, wood veneers, ‘cool-touch' metals, deep-pile carpets and a tailored, multi-layered fabric hood developed for optimum noise isolation. Rear passengers even get more legroom.
Wolfgang Dürheimer, Bentley chairman, said: "The GTC has always been the most emotional model in the Continental range and a showcase for Bentley design. It's a pure British convertible true to those classic Bentleys of the past, but the excellence invested in this model means we are now writing a new chapter for the Bentley convertible driver."
Ah yes, the typical Bentley convertible driver. We'll set aside such quandaries for the time being, and allow you lot to wallow in the £149,350 GTC's magnificence. Like it?
http://www.topgear.com

Mercedes B-Class revealed

The wraps are off the new Mercedesw B-Class – and as these official pictures reveal, the compact MPV is aiming for the top.

It looks much sleeker than the model it replaces, thanks to the curvy design language introduced on the latest CLS four-door coupe.

The sharp crease and ‘tick’ on the flanks are recognisable Mercedes traits, as is the bold three-bar grille. A more steeply raked roofline gives the B-Class a sportier stance than before.

Inside, the sweeping dash incorporates big SLS-style metal air vents, and can be finished in a choice of classy wood or metal trim. A large display sitting above the centre console has been shaped to mimic an Apple iPad. Driver and passengers can use this to navigate the brand’s COMAND media interface. The colour screen is available in 15cm or 17cm sizes, and gives passengers Internet access via a 3G phone connection.

The luxury feel is worthy of far more expensive models, thanks to an extensive list of gadgets taken from the rest of Mercedes’ range. This includes DISTRONIC radar-guided cruise control and fatigue sensors. Plus, the advanced braking system helps perform emergency stops if it senses an imminent collision. High-spec models get heated leather seats as standard.

Under the skin, engineers have concentrated on improving refinement and agility, so the new model’s centre of gravity is 30mm lower than in the original B-Class. This has been made possible by ditching the old car’s ‘sandwich’ architecture in favour of a more traditional construction. There’s also a clever multi-link rear suspension set-up that will help improve handling and ride comfort. In addition, buyers can specify a Sport package, which will lower the suspension and quicken up the steering for a more engaging drive.

The engines promise to be among the most efficient in the class, with Mercedes claiming that the standard diesels will “offer the same fuel economy as a VW Golf BlueMotion”. The firm is most likely referring to the 1.8-litre CDI, which is available with 107bhp or 134bhp. This should deliver sub-100g/km CO2 emissions and return fuel economy of around 70mpg.

A 2.1-litre diesel – currently offered in the C and E-Class – will also be available, with 168bhp or 201bhp. And an all-new 1.6-litre petrol turbo with 123bhp or 154bhp is on the cards, too.

Mercedes has engineered an ‘Energy Space’ beneath the passenger compartment. This can be used to store batteries or even a fuel cell for future all-electric or hydrogen-powered cars, expected to debut in 2014. On top of that, the next B-Class’s chassis will form the basis for a range of new models, including a four-door coupé and a small SUV.

The newcomer will debut in the flesh at next month’s Frankfurt Motor Show. But it won’t go on sale here until next spring, when it will aim to trump rivals such as the Ford C-MAX. While that model starts from around £15,000, the more luxurious Mercedes will cost nearer to £20,000.

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/

How many people bought a Prius in China last year?

So,
many people bought a Prius in China last year. A country with over 1300000000 people. The answer..... ONE. Gust one .According to results of new research published on The Guardian website today.

Ford Focus RS

Bosses at Ford have started to talk candidly for the first time about a firebreathing new performance flagship – and Auto Express has all the details.

The big news is that the third-generation RS will get a huge hike in power. The highly modified 2.0-litre EcoBoost turbocharged engine is set to eclipse the 301bhp output of the 2.5-litre five-cylinder turbo in the previous version, with an output as high as 380bhp. That would be more than even the limited-edition Focus RS500, which delivered 350bhp.

Gunnar Herrmann, vehicle line director for Ford’s small car range, has been widely reported as saying: “I think [more power for the next-generation RS] is sustainable. With the RS500, we went up to 350bhp and some of our development units went up to 380bhp. And they had more torque.”

What’s more, the new RS will still be front-wheel drive. Herrmann added: “I think we stay with our two-wheel-drive strategy [for the new RS], which I think was well executed [for the previous version].”

This news comes as shock. Extracting anything over 300bhp from a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo would be no easy task; it would be one of the highest outputs of any mainstream performance car. But Herrmann believes it can be done – and if the RS delivers, it’s likely to rocket from 0-60mph in around 5.5 seconds and go on to an electronically limited 155mph top speed.

As for the chassis, Herrmann’s comments suggest the new hot Focus will get an updated version of Ford’s clever RevoKnuckle front suspension. This uses a modified McPherson front strut that allows more of the tyre to stay in contact with the road when cornering hard, and reduces torque steer. Plus, the comments appear to rule out rumours that the RS would get an electric motor to drive the rear wheels, maximising traction.

However, Herrmann clearly believes the new chassis can handle extra power. So, as well as getting updated suspension, the RS is likely to employ an even more sophisticated version of the firm’s torque vectoring system, which cleverly delivers torque to the front wheels without excessive wheelspin.

At the moment, there are no official plans for a three-door version of the latest Focus – although a coupe model is still on the cards – so our exclusive images show how the five-door RS could look. As with the forthcoming Focus ST, which will be five-door only, it’s easy to see how the practical shape can be made more muscular with a bodykit, gaping front grille and details such as a central exhaust and big rear wing.

Bosses have yet to reveal a launch date for the new RS, although it’s still at least two years away. However, fast Ford fans won’t have to wait too long for hot ST versions of the Focus and Fiesta to arrive. The wraps will be pulled off both models for the first time at next month’s Frankfurt Motor Show.

The Focus ST features a 247bhp 2.0-litre EcoBoost turbo, and is scheduled to land in dealers before the end of the year. Its sizzling Fiesta brother is likely to get a 1.6-litre EcoBoost with 200bhp, and goes on sale in the spring.

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk

Ferrari 458 Spider

Like the California, the roof's made out of aluminium alloy, which saves 25kg over a folding rag-top. But it's still 50kg heavier than the fixed head, but it only ads 0.1 secs to the 0-62mph time, which is a dizzying 3.5 seconds. There is also a wind stop so you can make a conversation at 125 mph. The Spider is powered by the same 4.5 liter v8 and the top speed is 198 mph.