The German tuner G-Power returns with a new super-tuned up version of the popular BMW M3 Coupe. Marketed under the Tornado name, the G-Power M3 Coupe is a beast. The regular 4.0 liter V8 420  horsepower was turned into a 500 horsepower and 354 lb-ft engine, thanks to a new intercooler and performance exhaust system. The G-Power BMW M3 Coupe when operated through a 6-speed gearbox, can accelerate from 0 to 124 mph in only 13.5 seconds, at least 2 seconds faster than the “regular” M3. The M3 Tornado can reach a top speed of 199 mph. G-Power M3 Tornado runs on a set of Michelin Pilot Sport tires, 55/30 ZR20 in front, 295/25 ZR20 in the rear, mounted on lightweight 20-inch Silverstone alloy wheels. To reduce the weight while increasing the overall performance, a new four-pipe exhaust pipes package is offered, either made out of stainless steel or titanium which is 32 lbs lighter than the original part. The new G-Power kit is mostly an engine performance upgrade, but the German tuner also included some new interior elements: carbon-fiber trim, new speedometer and new set of aluminum pedals. No pricing has been announced yet for this performance kit. [Source: Carscoop ] See the original post: 500 Horsepower BMW M3 Coupe from G-Power

It looks like BMW was serious about not only building an electric version of its MINI (all caps, and boy is that lame), but they’re also serious about actually selling the things. Not that there’s anything wrong with these ideas at all, just ask Peter Trepp of Pacific Palisades California, because he’s the first guy in the country to get one. Other MINI customers in Los Angeles, New York and New Jersey will take delivery of MINI Es by the end of June, but Peter Trepp is the lucky #1 when it comes to this car. So what sort of person do you think would be the kind of guy that would jump through all the various hoops to actually get a MINI E (and you know that getting one of these quiet little runabouts wasn’t like going to the store to pick up a loaf of bread)? Well, the sort of guy that volunteers information like his favorite pioneer is Leonardo da Vinci. In other words, a geek very close to you & I. I have a good friend, an electrical engineer with multiple degrees, who was one of the first people to buy a Toyota Prius, and he bought it simply because he was curious about how the damn thing worked. How much you want to bet that about 10 – 15 percent of the people that get MINI Es are like my engineer friend? It’s not like BMW just handed the thing over to him like it was a new 3-series. The MINI E is out there as “part of a year-long field study.” Which means that if, and I have to stress this is a big, huge if, if BMW decides things ain’t going so grand, they might have to re-think the whole electric MINI thing. But what are the chances of that happening? These guys just aren’t German engineers, they’re Bavarian engineers, so I’d bet things are pretty well screwed together. Jim McDowell, Vice President of MINI USA had this to say: “Congratulations to Peter Trepp on being the first person in the United States to take delivery of the MINI E, I hope he enjoys this year-long adventure on which he is about to embark. I want to thank him and the hundreds of other pioneering spirits participating in this program, as the knowledge gained from their involvement will play a vital role in helping to shape the development of new ideas, technologies and future forms of transportation.”...

Our friend Richard Aucock is back with another interesting and detailed article on the new 2009 BMW Z4. Some of you might recall his previous article on the Z4 chassis and some of the secrets behind the development of it, but this time, Richard talks a little about the new hardtop available on the Z4. As a quick introduction, the new BMW Z4 uses the same technology as the one found in the new 3 Series Convertible which introduced the hardtop. The Z4 features an aluminum retractable hardtop (20 seconds to deploy or retract) and the vehicle concept has been made larger to feature a new level of comfort, better storage space. LEARNING how to do folding hard-top roofs with the 3 Series Convertible served BMW well. It meant it could launch a folding hard top Z4 relatively easily – simply because it had acquired so much knowledge. What’s more, the shift over to the folding tin top is another reason for the car’s production relocation to Germany. The Regensburg plant where it’s built has now become BMW’s official ‘centre of excellence’ for folding hard-top roofs. It’s so well geared up, the supplier is even located there on site, an engineer insider told me. ‘This gives us the best possible means of achieving high quality levels.’ Engineering a folding hard top isn’t the work of a moment. Even one such as the Z4’s, whose lower 2-panel count reduces the number of joins and joints to worry about. The problem come in areas you probably don’t even think about. Such as? 2009 BMW Z4 has 3 Series Convertible to thank – Continued See the original post:  2009 BMW Z4 has 3 Series Convertible to thank

Government Motors. Increasingly, that’s what the initials GM stand for, as the U.S. federal government plans to give the company $60 billion in return for a 60 percent ownership stake. The governments of Canada and its province of Ontario will contribute $9.5 billion for a combined stake of 12 percent of the new company. That leaves almost 3/4 of the company owned by a government entity. The U.S. government’s $60 billion stake is a little more than half of GM’s total outstanding debt, according to Yahoo . A White House briefing says the government doesn’t plan to run make day-to-day decisions in the company, though it will appoint directors. The government says it does not plan to retain ownership in GM, but will divest its stake “as soon as practicable.” Still, that could take years. So if you’ve ever wondered what type of car the government might build you, this may be your opportunity to find out. Rest assured, whoever owns GM, Consumer Reports will continue to test the company’s cars, and give you our independent, unbiased opinion. To get answers to the most common questions and concerns about GM’s bankruptcy , visit our Auto Crisis hub . — Eric Evarts Read more here:  Buzzword: Government Motors

The 2010 Mercedes-Benz S-Class had revealed at April, while all the world were concerned about the 2009 New York auto show. The 2010 S-Class marks a modest overhaul to the German automaker’s flagship luxury sedan. In addition to interior and exterior refinements, the new S550 and S600 come with a slew of new and improved high-tech systems, including safety and convenience features. The S550 continues to be powered by a 382 horsepower V8 with optional 4MATIC all-wheel-drive, while the pricier S600 retains its 510 hp V12. The 2010 S-Class will be in U.S. showrooms beginning in August. One of the most noticeable changes across the lineup is the addition of daytime LED running lights fitted to the outer edges of the bi-xenon lamp units. The rear end is also accented with a total of 52 distinctively arranged LEDs in the two taillights. Gone are the body-colored strips through the taillamps. Mercedes-Benz also makes more use of light as a styling element in the interior via the standard ambient lighting, now with a choice between three lighting moods: solar (amber), neutral (white) and polar (ice-blue). Another noticeable change at the front of the car is a more pronounced arrow-shaped grille, plus a new front bumper with a light-catching contour and a chrome strip below the cooling air intakes. Exhaust tailpipes of all S-Class variants are now visibly integrated into the rear bumper. Mercedes-Benz says its engineers have also implemented specific aerodynamic measures to reduce wind noise. Camera and radar-based driver assistance systems include Adaptive Highbeam Assist, Lane Keeping Assist and the Pre-Safe brake system linked to the proximity regulating radar, which intervenes autonomously before an impending rear-end collision. Other highlights include the Attention Assist driver drowsiness monitor and Active Body Control with automatic crosswind stabilization. Engineers also managed to improve the night-vision system with the introduction of Night View Assist PLUS, which is equipped a special pedestrian detection function. + BMW 7 Series and Mercedes S Class The Pre-Safe braking system has also been improved to reduce injuries in unavoidable crashes. Mercedes says the car can apply maximum braking pressure automatically around 0.6 seconds before what is recognized...

Volt-style marketing the future of GM When GM debuted the Chevy Volt a few years ago, Bob Lutz told the automotive world that GM would handle Volt development in a new way. Volt progress, or problems, would be shared in an open and transparent manner. Some have called this openness a marketing gimmick designed to create a Toyota Prius -like green halo around GM, without actually having to sell the vehicle. Like it or not, however, this openness is no longer going to be restricted to the Volt. Instead, this openness will be the driver of all GM products and plans according to CEO Fritz Henderson. The new GM, according to Henderson , will be dedicated “to building on only the very best of our recent progress in fuel efficiency, world-class quality, green technology development and outstanding design.” Moreover, it will begin by “engaging with you, our customers and critics, our partners and champions, who are interested in our progress.” This morning even President Obama claimed the new GM “will be full of promise”. Still, while GM should emerge from bankruptcy much leaner, will it really emerge much greener? Without doubt, green technologies are the auto industry’s main buzzwords, but can GM truly derive profit from these green technologies? For instance, if the Volt isn’t going to be profitable for at least another decade, what other green technologies will bring out the “promise” of the new GM? Hopefully, if GM lives up to its new promise of openness, we’ll soon learn just how GM plans to turn green technologies into a viable game plan for the future. Read more: The new GM will be lean, but will it be green?

2009 May auto sales figures: New vehicle sales in Japan fell 19.4 percent in May from a year ago, sliding for a 10th straight month, an industry group said, but the decline eased from recent months. New sales of cars, trucks and buses dropped 19.4 percent from a year earlier to 178,503 units, according to the Japan Automobile Dealers’ Association. Sales fell almost 29 percent in April and 31.5 percent in March. Among Japan’s top three automakers, Toyota Motor Corp. led the decline. The company sold 80,503 vehicles in May, down about 24 percent. Nissan Motor Co.’s new vehicle sales fell 9.1 percent, while those at Honda Motor Co. rose 4.5 percent. The figures are compiled using the government’s new vehicle registrations, and do not include mini-cars or mini-trucks. Data last week showed that fallout from the recession is expanding to workers and their families amid deteriorating job and wage conditions. The jobless rate rose to six-year high of 5 percent in April, while household spending fell 1.3 percent, the government said Friday. As part of economic stimulus measures, the government has introduced schemes to boost personal consumption, which accounts for more than half of the world’s second-biggest economy. It began offering tax exemptions for cars earlier this year to encourage sales. Parliament gave consumers added incentive Friday when it approved a cash-back rebate for trading in cars 13 years or older for greener cars. In a rare bight spot, orders in Japan for Toyota’s new Prius hybrid have topped 110,000, a major dealership chain said. The third-generation Prius officially rolled out in Japan just two weeks ago. But dealers are already flooded with orders, including some placed weeks in advance, according to the dealership. http://horisly.blogspot.com/atom.xml Originally posted here:  May 2009 Auto Sales: Japan Cars, Trucks and Buses Sales Down 19%

Should I buy a GM car now? GM is offering some tempting sales incentives, including zero-percent financing and/or cash rebates, on many of its models, including ones that we recommend. And with slow auto sales and too much inventory, dealers are ready to negotiate. So, it’s likely that you could get a very good deal during this restructuring period. In addition to advertised customer incentives, automakers often provide behind-the-scenes dealer incentives. Knowing about these can help you to negotiate a lower price. Consumer Reports’ New Car Price Reports give you a list of all national and regional incentives for a particular model, including the hard-to-find holdback amounts, and the CR Bottom Line Price, which factors in all those to give you a good starting point for negotiating the vehicle’s price. Dealer sales incentives can also be found at various auto-pricing Web sites. It’s important to remember that any deal is only as good as the vehicle you’re buying. We recommend that you thoroughly research the performance, reliability, safety, owner cost, and owner satisfaction of any model you’re considering. Subscribers to ConsumerReports.org have access to our Ratings in all of those areas. Several recent GM models have done well in our testing and are very competitive in their classes. This includes the Chevrolet Malibu, Cadillac CTS, and GM’s quartet of three-row, crossover SUVs (Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Acadia, and Saturn Outlook). All except for the Malibu, however, have shown below-average reliability in their first years. Overall, you need to balance a good deal with the risk of greater depreciation, the chance of reduced consumer protections (see What If I Have a Claim Against GM?), and the chance that your local dealership could go out of business in coming months. (GM recently notified about 1,100 of its dealers that it will not renew their franchise contracts in October 2010. This will leave the company with about 5,000 dealerships in the U.S., still well more than Toyota’s 1,600 or Honda’s or Nissan’s 1,200.) What brands and models will still be available? GM plans to trim its number of U.S. brands from eight to four. It plans to retain Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC, while phasing out or selling Hummer, Pontiac,...

By Fritz Henderson President and CEO Today marks a defining moment in the history of General Motors. Our new fast-track plan to form a leaner, quicker, more customer-focused, more cost-competitive company has the support of the U.S. government. It also incorporates the terms of our recent agreements with the Canadian government, the UAW and CAW unions, and a substantial portion of GM’s unsecured bondholders. This New GM will be built from the strongest parts of our business – including our best brands and products. It will have a dramatically stronger balance sheet, with far less debt, which will allow us to better invest in our business and our future. It will have fully competitive labor costs and the ability to generate sustained and positive bottom-line performance. We’re committed to open communications and I am personally putting a high priority on transparency. One way we’ll do this is by launching a series of live web chats on this website. I’ll kick things off later this week for one hour on Thursday, June 4 at 3 p.m. EDT. Following me, a steady stream of GM leaders from throughout the company will host additional chats, about two a week, on whatever topics are of most concern to you. Today marks the beginning of what will be a New GM dedicated to building on only the very best of our recent progress in fuel efficiency, world-class quality, green technology development and outstanding design. Above all, the New GM will be rededicated to our customers. We don’t do that by working in a bubble. We do it by engaging with you, our customers and critics, our partners and champions, who are interested in our progress. I hope you’ll join us as we begin a new and better era for General Motors. (To read a Spanish translation of this post, please click here. ) (Note: Below is video of today’s press conference with Fritz Henderson. – Will Stewart, blog editor ) Here is the original post:  GM Drives for Open Communication

Japanese incentives for ecological gadgets are helping lift electronics sales, according to ministry and industry data, in what may be an early sign of some recovery in a recession-battered economy. Under a government stimulus package, that kicked in May 15, people who buy energy-efficient flat-panel TVs, refrigerators and air conditioners accumulate “eco-points,” which the government promises will convert to discounts or trade-ins for products that have yet to be announced. Despite the mystery of what the perks may be, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said electronics sales were up 50 percent during the week after the “eco-point” system started, compared to the same period last year. Last week they were up 30 percent from a year earlier, the ministry said. Gfk Marketing Services Japan, a private sector researcher that monitors sales data at about 4,500 electronics stores nationwide, found sales of flat-panel TVs were up 60 percent in the May 18-24 week from a year earlier. Sales of refrigerators were up 9 percent for that week, Gfk said Monday. Green gadget incentives are part of a larger government package meant to wrest the world’s second largest economy from its worst recession in postwar history. Japan has also made gas-electric hybrid vehicles tax-free and reduced taxes on other ecological vehicles. Sales of both the Prius hybrid from Toyota Motor Corp. and the Insight hybrid from Honda Motor Co. are booming in Japan. Orders for the Prius nationwide have topped 110,000, although Toyota had targeted selling just 10,000 Prius cars a month. Honda’s Insight was Japan’s top-selling car in April, the first time a hybrid clinched that spot. A separate cash-for-clunkers incentive of up to 250,000 yen ($2,500) for trading in a vehicle 13 years or older won legislative approval Friday, and will take effect in coming weeks. http://horisly.blogspot.com/atom.xml Here is the original post: Japan’s May Incentives Boost Hybrid Vehicles Sales

General Motor’s decision to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy has created a lot of uncertainty for both car buyers and owners of GM vehicles. While it’s too early to know how all of the variables will play out, both the company and the federal government are hoping for a relatively short restructuring period. Ideally, GM will emerge from this as a leaner, more streamlined automaker—with fewer brands, dealerships, and models—that is better positioned to compete in today’s automotive environment. In the meantime, the restructuring processes could be fairly transparent for most car buyers and owners. Exceptions include those who have a local dealership close its doors or discontinue carrying a certain brand. And for car shoppers in general, it could be a great time to buy. This Q&A provides some guidance to some of the common questions we’re hearing. For more information, go to our Auto Crisis page . Will I be able to get parts and service for my GM car? GM has said that it will continue to support their authorized dealerships with parts during this restructuring period, so that the dealers can continue to service your vehicle. Of course, common third-party replacement parts are also widely available through auto-parts stores. Keep in mind that you don't have to take your car to a dealership for servicing, even if it’s under warranty. A good independent shop, especially one that specializes in your car’s brand, should be able to handle routine maintenance and many repairs. Moreover, independent repair shops are often less expensive than dealerships and, according to our Annual Auto Survey, generally provide a higher level of satisfaction. You will need to go to a dealership, however, for warranty and recall work. Will GM still back my warranty?  GM has said that it will continue to support its vehicles’ warranties during this restructuring period.   In addition, the Treasury Department’s Warranty Commitment Program says that the federal government would back warranties for any GM vehicle bought during the restructuring period, should the automaker go out of business. The government would contract with a third-party auto-service provider to provide warranty repairs. Such a program might not run as smoothly as an automaker program,...

Toyota Motor Corp., Japan’s largest automaker, led a 19 percent drop in the country’s vehicle sales last month, as falling wages and rising unemployment discouraged customers from visiting showrooms. Sales of cars, trucks and buses, excluding minicars, fell to 178,503 vehicles, the Japan Automobile Dealers Association said in a statement today. Toyota sold 80,503 units excluding Lexus brand cars, down 24 percent. Honda Motor Co., the country’s second-largest automaker, posted a 4.5 percent gain, and No. 3 Nissan Motor Co. sold 9.1 percent fewer units. Japan, the world’s second-largest economy, is struggling to spur spending among consumers as wages fell for an 11th straight month and the jobless rate reached a five-year high in April. Still, the pace of decline in auto sales slowed last month from 32 percent in March and 29 percent in April, as government tax incentives helped boost sales of Toyota Prius and Honda Insight gasoline-electric hybrid cars. “More and more people are opting for hybrids to save money given the current economic condition,” said Ichiro Takamatsu, chief investment officer at Alphex Investments Co. in Tokyo. Rising oil prices this year will “further spur demand for cars with better fuel economy.” Toyota has received more than 80,000 orders for the revamped Prius, it said on May 8. Honda’s Insight has attracted 35,000 orders, it said on May 21. Nissan said on May 19 that orders for 14 fuel-efficient models such as the Cube and Tiida rose about 30 percent in last month. Unemployment Sales of minicars, powered by engines no larger than 0.66- liters, declined 18 percent to 113,540 units last month, the Japan Mini Vehicles Association said in a separate statement. Daihatsu Motor Co., Japan’s largest minicar maker, sold 41,168 units in May, down 16 percent. Suzuki Motor Corp.’s sales fell 12 percent to 39,649 units. Combined with minicars, industrywide sales dropped for the 10th straight month, falling 19 percent to 292,043 vehicles. Minicars represent about 40 percent of the Japanese market. Japan’s unemployment climbed to 5 percent in April, the government said last week. Household spending fell 1.3 percent in April, the 14th straight decline. Outlays by consumers make up more than half of the economy. Prime Minister...

Given the turmoil in the automotive industry, you wouldn’t think it’s a favorable time to buy a car, but industry experts say declining sales, production cutbacks and manufacturer incentives might make it a good time after all. “The next 45 to 60 days are the big closeout days, not in the fall,” said Alan Rice, executive manager of Colonial Cadillac in Norfolk, Va. “That’s when you’re going to have your best selection as well.” The cause: the historic slump in auto sales in the face of the economic recession, which has slowed the production of new vehicles. At the current sales rate, U.S. sales would come in at just more than 9 million for 2009, according to Automotive News. Compare that to 2007, when Americans bought 16.2 million new cars and trucks. The falloff in demand has led automakers from Asia to Europe to slash output. And with cars and trucks piling up on dealer lots, manufacturers are boosting their incentives. “Manufacturers have put a lot of cash on the hood to move the metal,” said Frederick Miller, president and chief operating officer of Hall Automotive. “New-car incentives are high, factories are closed and supplies of some models are dwindling.” Although buyers may have their choice of most models now that might not be the case by the fall, the time of year many look for bargains. And with factories closed, Miller said that automakers might not be able to replenish the pipeline quickly. “By July, we’re going to have a small amount of vehicles,” he said. “It’s going to be picked over by the end of summer.” Everyone agrees this scenario could change if Congress passes a “Cash for Clunkers” bill, which would offer car buyers additional cash incentives to buy a new car. While that would stimulate demand for new cars in the short term, it could exacerbate shortages later this year. Even so, there’s a wild card: Chrysler LLC. With Chrysler closing a quarter of its dealers nationwide, the market could become flooded with new Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep cars and trucks selling below cost as shuttered dealers try to dump their new vehicles at auction to raise cash. “There’s going to be a sell-off,” said Miller, who runs a Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep franchise in Virginia Beach. “That could be the Wild West show.”...

Ford unit Volvo Cars presented a new concept car on Monday that combines a plug-in charged lithium battery with a diesel motor, technology which it aims to have on the market in 2012. “This is a significant leap compared to our earlier plans of offering a regular full-hybrid on the market by 2012,” Volvo Cars chief executive Stephen Odell said in a speech. The plug-in hybrid car, developed in partnership with Nordic power utility Vattenfall, can run on battery power for up to 50 kilometers, Odell said. He said emissions would be below 50 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometer, about half the emissions of the best hybrids on the market, and called for politicians to introduce schemes for consumers to make the new technology affordable. “We do of course expect that the purchasing price will be higher,” he said. “In this area we are keen to see further subsidies and incentives from the political arena to promote green choice among customers.” PROSPECTIVE BUYERS FOR VOLVO Odell told Reuters on the sidelines of the presentation that Volvo, put up for sale by its troubled owner Ford Motor Co. earlier this year, was still in talks with potential buyers but that Ford was in no rush to close a deal. “Ford Motor Co has said there are a number of very interested parties in the company,” Odell said. “Ford is, with me as part of that process, talking to those parties, and not ready to give any signs beyond the fact that the discussions are ongoing.” “We’ll go through due process and when it will end I don’t know. We’re not going to do this in haste.” He said the talks were not yet at a point where Ford and Volvo Cars could “narrow the field” of potential buyers. http://horisly.blogspot.com/atom.xml Go here to read the rest:  Volvo Plug-in Hybrid Cars Plan to Launch in 2012

Fiat, the Italian car giant who employs some 200,000 workers and owns Ferrari and Maserati will soon take a 20% share of Chrysler when it comes out of bankruptcy court.  With such a big share in Chrysler the CEO of Fiat Sergio Marchionne has already decided to throw his weight around saying he has plans to keep Chrysler’s plants in … Here is the original post: CEO of Fiat Marchionne Says HEMI V-8′s Are Not Needed