When the new Formula-1 season gets underway in Manama/Bahrain (12-14 March 2010), it will mark the debut of the most spectacular and powerful Official F1TM Safety Car of all time. The job of the new Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, which will be launched on 27 March 2010, is to ensure maximum safety in Formula 1. The “gullwing” model replaces the SL 63 AMG, which was used as the Official F1TM Safety Car in 2008 and 2009. As in the last two years, the C 63 AMG Estate will be used as the Official F1TM Medical Car – the coming season. For 14 years AMG has continuously provided the Official F1TM Safety Car and the Official F1TM Medical Car in the top flight of international motorsport.

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From March 2010, the Official F1TM Safety Car will be deployed whenever hazardous situations such as accidents or bad weather endanger normal racing. The SLS AMG, piloted by Bernd Mayländer (38, from Germany), will be on standby in the pit lane throughout the entire race. When radioed by Race Control, the -mer DTM driver and his co-driver, FIA man Pete Tibbetts (44, from the UK) will take to the track at the head of the field in order to guide the Formula-1 race cars safely around the circuit.

Source: http://www.motorbeam.com/cars/mercedes-sls/mercedes-benz-sls-amg-f1-safety-car-unveiled/

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Source: http://www.motorbeam.com/tv/mclaren-mp4-12c-testing-in-spain/

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In this article I am going to share all my thoughts about my All New Honda City which I bought by April 2009. Be-e this I drove a Honda City GXi and you can say that I am a die hard Honda City fan. There is something special about the Honda City in terms of price and the features it offers. I believe that with this car you reach a saturation point in terms of com-t travel experience. I have test driven Mercedes C-Class and a lot of other cars. In my experience, as you move from the smallest/cheapest car, say Maruti 800 to higher versions, you will note a significant improvement in com-t and driving experience as you spend more and more. But when you spend nearly 10.5 Lakhs – a Honda City Auto Trans. version, you reach a saturation point in com-t.

When you go – higher end cars, the marginal utility with every additional lakh spent reduces exponentially. Say – example you can get a Honda Civic AT – 15 Lakhs. For additional 4.5 lakhs, the level of benefits that you get is very less (if you keep social status thing aside). For 4.5 Lakhs, you could buy almost a decent small car. I may be a little biased towards my Honda City because I love it so much, but this is just my opinion. I am no where near to an auto expert and you should not consider this as professional advice. Disclaimer given upfront.

First, I was planning to buy a Civic. Auto transmission was very important – me because I am a lazy person who does not want to keep changing the gears. But Civic came to 15 Lakhs when you choose AT. I also had a love – VW Jetta Com-tline which costed around 18 Lakhs. I was confused whether to spend an extra 3 and go – VW or settle with the Civic. This internal debate was going on inside my mind – several months and I was postponing my purchase. One day I realized that I cannot keep driving my old Honda City GXi manual transmission anymore and I felt a need to buy a new car immediately.

At that time the New Honda City was launched just 1-2 months back and I decided to take a test drive. I had a preconceived notion that the New Honda City will not be much different from the old one in terms of com-t or per-mance and I also had an opinion that Honda has just changed the looks to bring some buzz and boost the sales. But when I had the test ride, my notions blasted away. The first thing that I noticed was that the seating position has been improved significantly and my thighs rested com-tably, which did not in my old Honda City. I am 5 ft 11 inches now. The second thing I noticed was that the suspension has been improved. It felt as if I was gliding on the highway and I was feeling like I was driving a German SUV! (Well, thats a bit of overstatement!). Since the price was significantly lower than Civic and Jetta, and also cars were depreciating assets… I decided to invest in Honda City AT.

The Automatic Transmission system comes with Paddle shift and is “intelligent”. For example when you are driving the car in the Drive mode at 5th gear in a highway and if you suddenly want to overtake a truck, in manual transmission vehicles we change gear from 5th to 4th and then accelerate. Here in AT you just need to press the accelerator a little more in a quick manner and the car will know that you are in need of sudden acceleration and automatically change the gear to 4th and after you overtake it will change to 5th again. I am not sure whether its the same in other AT cars, but this I find very fascinating.

I am not satisfied with the interiors much, but – the price this is what you will get. I am planning to install leather seats soon and perhaps then the interiors will look a bit better. I am more inclined towards exterior style and per-mance of the car. I have put a lot of accessories in my car. Since I downgraded my buying decision from the Civic, I was ready to spend some extra bucks to make my car look unique. Here’s the list of upgrades/accessories I have made.

• Front Grille – 16k
• Door Sash Molding – 16k
• Rear Spoiler – 15k
• Side Protector – 4k
• Parking Sensor – 4k
• Sport Pedals – 1.5k
• Original Honda Alloy Wheels – 57k!
• Pillow x 2 – Rs.650
• Seat Belt Pad – Rs.500 Approx.
• Trunk Garnish – 4k
• Chrome Finish – Silencer – 2k (I guess)

Now my car looks very very unique. The front grille changes the look of the car so much that sometimes people wonder whether it is a Honda City. The changes I have made allows me to express my individuality and I think these exorbitantly costly addons are an investment to my personal brand image. Well, this is so irrational… I know.

I am getting a mileage of 13kmpl on the highways and 11kmpl in city. I am satisfied with these numbers. If you go – a manual transmission version, the numbers will be a little high… I guess 14/16. You can only put high octane speed/power petrol. Occasionally you can put normal petrol in case of emergency as I once did but there is a sticker on the fuel tank lid which say Only Speed or Power Petrol.

After the new Honda City was launched, another version of the same car was launched in another 2-3 months. This new version has beige interiors, chrome handle bars and 5 spoke alloy wheels. I did not like that alloy wheel very much. My 14 spoke alloys look much better. (Of course it costs like hell, it has to!).

My old Honda City does not care whether I wear the seat belt or not. But this new kid does not allow me to drive the car without the seat belts. Just like the Civic, there is a buzzer which will keep annoying you if you don’t wear the seat belt. Other safety features include dual SRS Airbags and ABS which are not available in my old Honda City. I believe that ABS is worth every penny. Once in highways during night time there was a check point in the middle of the road and there were no reflectors in it… I saw it too late… at that time I had to turn the car and apply the brakes at the same time. I did and I did not lose control of the car. I have not tested the SRS airbags yet, but will let you know once I do so, he he

Now tell me honestly what else do you need from a car? It goes smooth, it looks good, has the latest safety features and changes gears automatically and last but not the least, it comes from Japan, the land of Samurais. If you are spending – a car which is costlier than this, then you are just spending – the status and brand image and a very little extra per-mance and safety. I would rather invest in real estate or any other similar appreciating asset than spend more on a car.

Wish you all the best – your future car purchases. Thank you – reading my article, leave some questions in the comments and I will answer them!

Regards,
Dilip Kumar

Source: http://www.motorbeam.com/cars/honda-city-cars/honda-city-automatic-review-by-dilip/

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Are you looking – a beautiful and luxurious SUV – the family?  If so, this Yukon is a great choice!  It has all the features you need to stay com-table, at ease and entertained during each ride.  Continue reading below to find out even more!
GMC Yukons Available: Yukon 2WD and 4WD
MSRP: Starting price – $37,705
Seating: [...]

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Source: http://www.findgascards.com/blog/gmc-yukon-car-profile/

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The Classic Audi project gets under way! A group of forum and club members from Classic Audi are going to rebuild this 1985 Audi 200 quattro turbo rally car. More videos of the project will be uploaded as the build goes on!

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Fiat has unvelied the new Punto Evo Abarth be-e its first scheduled public outing at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show. The Abarth version of the Fiat Punto Evo features a new per-mance mode selection system that modulates engine, braking and steering action to offer a choice of two different driving styles – Sport and Normal. The currently selected mode is displayed on the dashboard. If you are looking – a safe, relaxing drive, all you have to do is select Normal mode, while if you feel the need to enjoy the full per-mance, flip the switch to Sport position which makes the car more responsive, using electrical servo systems to modify handling and deliver the ultimate sporting feel. Due attention has also been paid to safety of course, so Sport mode also engages the Torque Transfer Control system automatically.

The Fiat Punto Evo Abarth’s 1.4 Multiair petrol engine also features Fiat’s innovative Start&Stop system. This switches the engine off automatically when the vehicle comes to a halt and the engine is left to idle, and restarts it again as soon as you are ready to move off. As soon as you take your foot off the brake or engage first gear, the system immediately restarts the engine to give you instant power and responsiveness. On top of this, if you accidentally stall the engine while moving off, all you have to do is press down on the clutch to re-start it automatically.

In the area of safety, the Fiat Punto Evo Abarth sets new standards thanks to 7 airbags, including a driver knee airbag. The Fiat Punto Evo is one of very few cars in its segment with a driver knee airbag fitted as standard on all versions. The Fiat Punto Evo Abarth also boasts a powerful and effective braking system. Disc brakes are fitted to all wheels, with ventilated discs and Brembo double piston, fixed calipers at the front. The suspension system is derived from a tried and tested Abarth configuration. Front suspension is provided by independent McPherson struts, while rear suspension is semi-independent with a torsion bar. Abarth has also fitted a larger anti-roll bar together with front springs that are 20% harder than those of a standard suspension system. The result is impeccable road holding plus a high level of passenger com-t.

The front bumper has been extended in width to incorporate the side flaps. The black intake cowl on the front has also been made deeper to match the lateral air outlets. This corrects and controls air flow and significantly improves aerodynamic efficiency around the sides of the car, just as on the full rally version. The diffuser, designed to optimise air flow, is a major feature of the bumper. The diffuser is the same as on the previous version, but has been given a new surround to enhance its looks and align its styling with the front splitter. The reversing lights and rear fog lights have been moved to the centre of the diffuser, -ming a focal point as on -mula racing cars.

The side flaps and skirts are finished in the same colour as the body, emphasising the car’s aggressive nature and its “stuck to the road” handling. The side graphics have also been restyled to match the front bumper and given new dimensions. The result is more in proportion with the side of the car and gives the body colour areas a sleeker appearance. Another new feature is the completely redesigned 17” spoked wheels, with the Abarth scorpion logo in the centre.

As was to be expected from Abarth, a high per-mance kit will be made available to coincide with the launch of the Fiat Punto Evo Abarth to boost engine power even further. In keeping with Abarth tradition, the tuning kit will give the new car more power than the basic model, enabling the Multiair 1.4 16v Turbo engine to develop a maximum power of 180 HP. Following Abarth’s per-mance tuning philosophy, the “SS” kit also includes modifications to chassis components, including per-ated, ventilated discs, high per-mance brake pads, lower springs, and 18″ Abarth “SS” alloy wheels painted in white or titanium, and fitted with per-mance tyres.

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Source: http://www.motorbeam.com/cars/fiat-grande-punto/fiat-punto-evo-abarth-is-smoking-hot/

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The 2010 Union budget is not very exciting – future car and bike buyers. Nor is it any good news – current car or bike owners. The Government has increased the excise duty by 2%, translating into small cars attracting 10% excise duty and bigger cars will now have to pay excise duty at 22%. Fuels have not been spared either with Rs. 1 per liter excise duty being levied on Petrol and Diesel amounting to a price hike of Rs 2.67 a liter on petrol and Rs 2.58 per liter – diesel.

Other than the direct hit by excise duty on automobiles, there is an indirect hit too in the -m of excise duty on steel which will be hiked as well resulting in vehicles becoming expensive to manufacture and thus costlier to buy. Some car manufacturers have already declared price hikes. However electric cars see a reduction in excise by 4% to 4%. The electric vehicles also get exemption from custom duty and other special duties on the components used. Excise duty has been waived off on solar panels and we can now see more solar powered rickshaws. Road development fund allocation has been increased to Rs 19,894 crore but as usual our roads will continue to remain in a terrible state.

Source: http://www.motorbeam.com/cars/news/2010-union-budget-effect-on-auto-industry/

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We’ve already seen two hybrids from BMW: the 2010 ActiveHybrid X6 “sport activity vehicle” and 2010 ActiveHybrid 7 full-size sedan. Now BMW’s third hybrid model, which it has hinted at – several months, will be unveiled next week at the Geneva Motor Show. As a show car, its full name is the BMW Concept 5-Series ActiveHybrid. But in fact, it’s a…

Source: http://www.greencarreports.com/blog/1042906_geneva-motor-show-preview-bmw-activehybrid-5-concept

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Hi this is the race car that the company RP Design has me working on for them as a hobby race car. all of the body work is nealy done just have to fiberglass up the front bar where the driving lights went and then i can paint it Lime green all over and the bonnet is going black and so are a few of the other bits and pieces. hope you enjoy this vid.

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General Motors will shut down Hummer after its bid to sell the brand to heavy equipment maker Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machines Co. failed. The Chinese company was unable to get clearance from Chinese regulators within the proposed deal time frame. GM said it will continue to honor existing Hummer warranties and will now work closely with Hummer employees, dealers and suppliers to wind down the business in an orderly and responsible manner.

Source: http://www.motorbeam.com/cars/hummer-cars/general-motors-to-shut-down-hummer/