Eterniti Motors chose the 2012 Beijing Motor Show to unveil the Artemis, an engineering prototype of the we saw at the Frankfurt Motor Show earlier this year. From the looks of things, the boutique automaker has ditched the -inspired front for a fascia that borrows a bit more heavily from the playbook. The company says the vehicles on display are currently running prototypes used for testing and that finished examples should be in production by this summer.
Designed to offer buyers new levels of luxury and performance, Eterniti calls the Artemis a Super SUV. The cabin boasts absurd levels of hand-crafted detail, including quilted carpets with lambswool rugs, natural wood veneers with carbon fiber and piano black accents and twin reclining rear seats. Eterniti stitched the SUV’s body from carbon composite and massive 23-inch wheels are standard equipment. Under the hood, a 4.8-liter twin-turbo V8 (?) dumps 600 horsepower to the ground and helps the machine dart to 62 mph in a scant 4.5 seconds.
Buyers may purchase their own Artemis for around $337,785 at current conversion rates, complete with a two-year, 100,000-mile warranty. Eterniti thoughtfully offers insurance and financing for those who don’t have that sort of cash on hand. for the full press release.
Starting with the , Nissan will be launching in the United States over the next 15 months. And while the sedan you see here is initially heading to China as the Nissan Sylphy, it’ll be heading to our shores as the later this year, albeit with a few market-specific tweaks.
For now, Nissan has released a short video teaser of the North American-spec 2013 Sentra, which you can view . The video shows the new compact sedan in its SR trim, which Autoblog has learned is only a North American-specific trim package. The rest of the Sylphy’s styling appears to carry over largely unchanged, with new details like LED running lamps and taillamps rounding out a design that’s essentially a downsized version of what we see on the new Altima.
In China, the Sylphy will be launched with a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine mated to Nissan’s next-generation Xtronic continuously variable transmission. It might not be an all-new powertrain, but remember, this is the same strategy that Nissan is using with the new Altima – one that has paid big dividends in fuel economy. The engines themselves haven’t changed, but with an improved CVT, we should see gains in not only performance but fuel economy, as well.
We’ll see the North American-spec 2013 Sentra this summer with the car officially going on sale this fall. to watch a teaser video of the Sentra SR, and to read the full press materials about the Chinese-market Sylphy.
has unveiled the production version of its EcoSport crossover at the 2012 Beijing Motor Show. The small five-door utility should offer buyers plenty of functionality in a compact and efficient package thanks to a range of drivetrain configurations including a 1.0-liter, three-cylinder Ecoboost engine. The small-displacement engine is good for 118 horsepower and 125 pound-feet of torque, which should be more than enough to move the little machine around. All told, Ford says the EcoSport will see duty in over 100 world markets, though the CUV isn’t expected to show up in our neck of the woods.
The EcoSport Titanium is currently on display in Beijing, complete with 16-inch wheels and a massive chrome grille. All models featureFord Sync with voice control, while smart keyless entry and remote start are also available. As expected, the crossover also comes laden with safety tech, including dual front and side-curtain airbags.
The EcoSport will be a cornerstone of Ford’s aggressive expansion into China that will see it roll out some 15 new models by 2015. In the CUV segment, Ford of China presently only sells the , but it will add the EcoSport, Kuga (read: ) and to its showrooms as part of this initiative. for the full press release.
Cyber crime is big business these days, and everyone from organized crime rings to governments are participating. The latest publicized attack was announced by , after the automaker detected malicious malware on its computer network.
Nissan Vice President Andy Palmer issued a statement that the attack has been detected, adding that neither customer nor employee data was accessed. Palmer says that the incident “initially involved the malicious placement of malware within our IS network, which then allowed transfer from a data store, housing employee user account credentials.”
Palmer did say that employee user IDs and hashed passwords were transmitted. That certainly sounds bad, but Palmer claims that Nissan has no indication that personal information was compromised.
Palmer also added that the attack occurred on April 13, but the automaker apparently chose not to disclose the issue until the extent of the damage was known. Nissan has also reportedly taken the time to ensure that their system data was properly secured. to view the video statement issued by Nissan.
Just about every brand under the Group umbrella has its own performance line these days. Marques like , and may not need them, but Volkswagen has the R line, has the RS range, Skoda offers the vRS models, and Seat badges its under the Cupra name.
It’s a nameplate that’s become synonymous with Latin-flavored hot hatches in markets around the world, and one of those vital markets is China. Little wonder, then, that Seat chose the to launch its latest Cupra model.
Technically billed as a “concept,” even Seat admits the vehicle you see here is pretty darn close to the production model that is scheduled to debut later this year. It starts out with the latest Ibiza hatchback (which itself shares its underpinnings with the Volkswagen Polo) and upgrades it with VW’s celebrated 1.4 TSI engine that packs a turbocharger, supercharger and direct injection to produce a solid 180 horsepower. All that juice is driven to the front wheels through an electronic differential and seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.
Seat’s also given the Ibiza Cupra Concept a suitably beefed-up look with LED lights and 17-inch wheels and a fully equipped interior, all of which you can read more about in the press release (together with video footage) and scope out in the high-res image gallery above.
It’s not every day that a country celebrates the diamond jubilee of its reigning monarch. In fact, this is only the second time they’re doing so in Great Britain, making the sixtieth anniversary of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II a cause for, well… jubilation. And to help with the festivities, has launched an exclusive special edition. But rather than make it another , this time it went with the top-of-the-line .
Limited to just 60 examples, the Bentley Mulsanne Diamond Jubilee Edition was unveiled not in the UK itself, but in Beijing – the capital of the country that is now Bentley’s largest market, where the automaker has just opened one of its largest showrooms, and where the is now getting under way.
For the special edition, Bentley’s own in-house coachbuilder Mulliner (which also built the unique State Limousine that carries Her Majesty about) gave the Mulsanne such special touches as gold-embroidered headrests, veneered fold-down tables in the back and leather cushions, all with the gold motif of a classic royal carriage.
The jubilant Mulsanne can be ordered in a variety of muted combinations of the colors of the Union Jack, but one would simply not discuss the matter of the bill in polite company. You are, however, invited to peruse the press release , as well as the high-resolution images in the gallery above.
Ford is looking to put a new twist on the term “old money.” The automaker may add old, shredded, out-of-circulation U.S paper currency to its list of recyclable materials that may be used for cushions, insulation and other components.
With about 10,000 pounds of paper money being shredded per day, Ford is exploring adding it to a list of recyclable or reclaimed materials that includes soybeans, denim and plastic bottles.
Ford has cut its petroleum use by about 5 million pounds a year by using soy-based material for foam that is installed in seat cushions and head restraints. And each is built with the denim-equivalent of about two pairs of blue jeans that’s used for sound-dampening purposes.
Ford started looking into using recycled materials about ten years ago as a way to cut use of petroleum in components that usually require plastic. At that time, oil cost about one-seventh of what it costs now.
In January, the company said it would use from the in Detroit and the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas to create part of the polyester fiber used in the ’s seats.
It’s been the better part of a year since we first brought you that Victoria Beckham – who had then just signed on as a celebrity “creative director” for the brand – was set to get her own special edition of the chic new . We didn’t know quite what to make of the news then – much less when the British purveyor of luxury SUVs released a just a few days ago – but now JLR has taken the wraps off its glamorous new special edition, and it’s not nearly as gaudy as you might think.
As you can see, the second vehicle released by Land Rover’s new Engineered To Order division (alongside the new Jaguar XJ Ultimate) is characterized by matte black paint, which contrasts with the gloss black and rose-gold trim. The interior is finished in vintage-finish tan leather, with mohair floor mats and a microsuede headliner. It also comes with a four-piece set of fitted leather luggage, and a leather portfolio carrying the owner’s manual and bearing Victoria Beckham’s own signature.
In other words, it’s suitably posh for a vehicle resulting from a collaboration between the Land Rover Design team and the pop star who made her name as Posh Spice. Only five examples out of the 200 planned for production will make it Stateside, with no word yet on pricing. We’ll also be keeping an eye out for more images of the luxed-out, matte-finish Evoque when they surface, but in the meantime you can view the solitary pic released so far in high-resolution and delve into the full press release .
The upper end of the Chinese market is all about chauffeured luxury automobiles, and given the prevalent Anglophilia in the Far East, would be remised not to jump at the opportunity being seized by so many of its competitors. So it is only fitting that the stoic British marque chose the to announce what is billed in every sense as the Ultimate version of the sedan.
One of two products launched in Beijing by the new Engineered To Order division of Jaguar (alongside the ), the XJ Ultimate packs everything a pampered passenger could desire: individually adjustable rear seats with power everything (separated by an illuminated and leather-trimmed center console), motorized fold-down tables, chilled champagne bucket and flutes, iPads with keyboards mounted to the backs of the front seats and a 20-speaker Meridian sound system. Exclusive finishes like Herringbone veneer, machined aluminum and LED lighting round out the package.
All that gear is set in motion by Jaguar’s 510-horsepower supercharged V8, riding on an adjusted suspension and 20-inch wheels. While the Chinese market may be the target for luxed-out limos like this one, the XJ Ultimate isn’t exclusive to China. In fact 30 examples (all in black) are earmarked for the United States, with price tags pegged at $155,000. for the pair of press releases on the XJ Ultimate and the Engineered To Order department.
The engine lineup is about to get a lot more interesting with the addition of a pair of forced-induction powerplants. The engines, announced in time for this week’s , will be mated to efficient eight-speed ZF transmissions.
The more powerful of the two is a supercharged 3.0-liter V6 making 340 horsepower or 380 hp, depending on the configuration. The all-aluminum V6 is derived from Jaguar’s 5.0-liter V8 and it features quad cams, direct injection and a Roots-type twin vortex supercharger with a water-cooled intercooler. The 3.0-liter boasts a 10.5:1 compression ratio, up significantly from the 9.5:1 ratio of the supercharged 5.0-liter.
Jaguar also notes in its press release that the 380-horsepower version of the supercharged 3.0-liter will rest under the hood of a high-output variant of the upcoming (pictured above) when it arrives sometime in 2013.
Jaguar will also offer the 240-horsepower 2.0-liter turbo four that’s already available in the . Jaguar hasn’t announced which vehicles will receive the efficient 2.0 turbo, but the new F-Type seems a good bet. to read over Jaguar’s press release.
The more things change, the more they stay the same. That age-old adage is once again proven by the video you’ll see . In a classic battle of versus , the 1981 Blazer SUV is pitted against the Ford Bronco in a dealer training video designed to give sales staff all the information they needed to sway customers toward the Bowtie and away from the Blue Oval.
The checklist sounds familiar. Horsepower and torque, fuel economy, standard features versus optional equipment, payload and cargo space – each of these categories are compared. Seems the issues that matter most to car-buying consumers haven’t changed much in 30 years. and watch the video to take a stroll down memory lane.
training video extols the virtues of the 1981 Blazer
Bulgarian tuner Vilner has some kind of Luxo-Ray that fires munitions packed with at least two tons of quilted leather and Alcantara, then aims it at just about everything as soon as it can be reloaded. The latest target is the Defender Wood, making this in a year that the Defender has come into Vilner’s sights.
Last time they only hit it with one barrel and left the floorboards and cargo area covered in black carpeting. This time they unloaded both barrels, so in addtion to black-and-brown Nappa leather and Alcantara wrapping everything from the sport seats to the third brake light, Vilner’s added leather arm rests, wood paneling underfoot and a new treatment for its 600-watt “Ground Zero” sound system that all but eliminates usable cargo space.
Oh, and the whole thing is soundproofed. So that no one can hear you scream at your passengers to remove their dark-soled shoes and not eat, drink or touch anything.
We may have gotten used to it by now, but the bottom line is that the is an astonishing feat of engineering. The task of summing it all up, then, would fall to one Jeremy Clarkson.
In addition to hosting BBC’s celebrated Top Gear and penning columns in an array of magazines and newspapers, Jezza was tapped by the people behind the Xbox driving sim Forza 4 to voice-over the video clips showcasing some of the exciting cars in the game’s virtual stable, including the Veyron.
You may have already seen it while playing the game, but evidently pleased with the job Clarkson and Turn 10 Studios did, Bugatti itself released the video for your viewing pleasure. to watch the brief clip.
At what point does a political issue become a moral one? And at what point, if any, should motor racing enter that debate? These are the questions that Formula 1 and all those involved have wrestled with since the Bahrain Grand Prix was put back on the calendar for this year.
Some argued that sporting competition should rise above such issues. Others decried the cold-heartedness of holding something as glitzy as an F1 race where government forces are brutally cracking down on protestors – particularly when the race itself is orchestrated by said government.
One way or another, however, the grand prix took place this weekend in Bahrain, entering the record books as the fourth round in this year’s championship. Keep reading to find out how it unfolded.
For some, learning by example is the best way to get info sealed into the noggin. If engines are the thing they want to learn about, then Matt Keveny’s site, , should be the first stop.
Unlike the engines profiled, the site couldn’t be simpler: clicking one of the 21 different engine types will take you to a page demonstrating how that engine creates power. The animations can be run anywhere from one to 25 frames per second to provide a crystalline breakdown of an engine’s combustive ballet.
There’s even knowledge for the engine expert, with animations detailing some forgotten freaskshows of the pistoned world, including the Unknown Beam, Low Differential Stirling and Crank Substitute. to check out some line-drawing gearhead pr0n.
If you’ve ever had visions of telling your boss exactly where he can put his TPS reports and heading off to reenact your favorite scenes from classic trucking movies like Smokey and the Bandit, Convoy or Over the Top, we have bad news for you: Trucking is prohibitively expensive.
The crew at Easy Lift Equipment worked up an infographic filled with examples of just how pricey it can be to operate an eighteen wheeler. According to the information, only eight percent of all trucks on the road are privately operated. The rest are run by larger trucking companies.
No surprise there. A new cab can cost upwards of $100,000, while a trailer will set you back $50,000. Companies typically pay around $30,000 a year on their truck loans, which actually makes it the third largest expense in operating a big rig. Number one? Diesel fuel. A single truck can suck down 20,500 gallons of fuel in a year, which can add up to over $70,000 depending on location. Driver pay falls second, with operators earning around $0.36 per mile. Maintenance, meanwhile, can cost around $15,000 annually.
Hit the jump to check out the full graphic for yourself. Now if you’ll excuse us, we have some reports to file…
Britain is not without its automakers, even if they are all foreign-owned, but certainly ranks among the most quintessentially British of them all. Parent company has cashed in on this with a succession of special editions that celebrate its Anglophilia.
The latest are called the Hyde Park and Green Park editions, named after public spaces in London. The Hyde Park model comes in off-white with brown trim (which Mini calls “Hot Chocolate”) on the roof, mirror caps and stripes. The Green Park edition has green trim (British Racing Green, naturally) to contrast with the same Pepper White body color.
Owners putting down their deposits for a special new Mini can opt for two body styles (hatchback and wagon) and four engines: 122-horsepower Cooper, 184hp Cooper S, 112hp diesel Cooper D and 143hp diesel Cooper SD.
The interiors have also been spruced up for the special editions, as you can see for yourself in the attached image gallery. More info can be found in the press release below the fold.
Everything You Want To Know About Lambo’s Super SUV
The promise is to make it the most powerful series production SUV on the market, but also the least polluting.
has told us repeatedly that it wasn’t planning on doing such a thing anytime soon. We expected most likely the front-engine four-door super sedan – playing off the and 1968-’78 Espada – to become the raging bull’s third model line.
Feast your eyes on the Lamborghini Urus, or “LB736.” First off, yes, it is part of an upcoming (i.e. sometime in 2015) Group premium SUV onslaught. In the company of Lamborghini design director Filippo Perini and research and development guru Maurizio Reggiani, we were able to pry into all of the details back in mid-March during a special preview at company headquarters. We’ve had to hold off scribbling until today because the official debut for the edgy 4×4 happens right about now at the . is foreseen as a good market for the supersonic SUV, but the United States remains Job One.
In comparison to the clumsy seen at the recent , the Urus hits us almost gleefully by comparison; it’s right on the money with Lambo’s current design language. Lamborghini’s Perini understands that this is a polarizing proposition: “When Lamborghini creates a whole new model line, it’s automatically risky since it doesn’t happen so often.”
And we were nervous about it, too, imagining a four-seater setup that would need to ride way too high, sort of like the first generation or that Bentley. But when the veil came off and the hard lights hit it, we were pleased.
There have been plenty of excellent debuts over the past year, but few capture our imagination like the Morgan 3 Wheeler. The V-twin-powered creation looks just like its forebears with its open cockpit, classic metalwork and three-wheel design. Being in love with any vehicle that looks as if it might kill us at any second, the 3 Wheeler is right up our alley.
The videos below haven’t dulled that passion. We’ve amassed a smattering of clips, including a new showcasing the 3 Wheeler as it motors through the countryside.
Of course, should you find backwoods sprints too boring, we’ve also included a few videos that demonstrate just how much fun you can have vaporizing the back tire. (The 3 Wheeler lends itself to donuts like few other machines on the planet.) to take in the goodness for yourself.
James Bond has driven a lot of noteworthy vehiclesover the course of his long, fictitious career in Her Majesty’s secret service: , , , … and those are just the cars. There’ve been countless motorcycles, tanks and trucks as well. And in between high-speed chases across dangerous and picturesque terrain, 007 has streaked across the sky in helicopters, jets and hot-air balloons, above it in the space shuttle. Let’s not forget that Bond is also a commander in the Royal Navy, so he’s also no stranger to speedboats, jet-skis, yachts, warships and submarines.
It’s hard to keep track of it all, so with the latest film, Skyfall, coming out in October, we’re glad to share this tidy infographic that lays out all the Bond vehicles from every movie, plus some trivia and miscellany for the most die-hard Bond fans and automotive enthusiasts. It’s similar to , only updated and more comprehensive. Click the image above to .
