Archives: April 2006 - Newswheel.com

Merc R-Class bombs in the US

Newswheel staff :: 26 April 2006 :: Filed under Crossover, SUV, Mercedes Benz, US

Mercedes' R-Class SUV/MPV crossover has only been on sale for months. But it’s quickly heading for poo-creek-but-no-paddle status. Far from creating a lucrative new model niche, disappointing sales in the US have forced parent company DaimlerChrysler to offer dealers $5,000 incentives to shift the apparently unwanted barge. Making matters worse, the car is reported to have been plagued by technical issues…

Infiniti heads for Europe

Newswheel staff :: 26 April 2006 :: Filed under Saloon, SUV, Infinity, Volkswagen, Europe & UK

For a world class outfit like the Renault / Nissan alliance, the lack of a premium brand in the European market is something of a gaping wound in its product portfolio. So, we’ll file the announcement that the Infiniti luxury brand is heading for Europe in 2008 under better late than never…

Introducing the V-Pod?

Alex Ricciuti :: 26 April 2006 :: Filed under Volkswagen

In the new film Scary Movie 4, a large device from outer space, that bears more than a slight resemblance to an iPod, has landed on Earth. The TriPod, as it is called, scrolls down a menu of music categories to 80s Hits and Karma Chameleon begins to play. But the device quickly moves onto the next item on the menu, Destroy Humanity, which it subsequently begins to do. Now, that is impressive. What VW has come up with is a little less ambitious and perhaps more practical for regular Earthlings. But that may turn out to be a good thing…

TVR to shut Blackpool factory, future uncertain

Newswheel staff :: 25 April 2006 :: Filed under Front engine sportscar, TVR, Europe & UK

We knew things weren’t exactly rosy over at TVR’s Bispham, Blackpool facility. But we didn’t realise quite how bad the situation had become. Until yesterday, that is. TVR announced that 71 workers, representing around a quarter of its current workforce, were being laid off with immediate effect. But the much more worrying news is that the factory itself will be closed within the next six months, with the remaining workers offered voluntary redundancy…

BMW E92 3 Series coupe: Image and tech spec frenzy

Newswheel staff :: 24 April 2006 :: Filed under Coupe, BMW, BMW 3 Series, Europe & UK, US,

With last week’s picture leakage now confirmed as officially official, we bring you a boat load of new snaps of BMW’s elegant E92 3 Series coupe. Oh, and full technical details of the launch models…

Caparo T1 hyper-car is go in Monaco

Newswheel staff :: 22 April 2006 :: Filed under Mid / rear engine sportscar, Caparo, Freestream, Europe & UK, US

A power to weight ratio of 1,000bhp per tonne. A scarcely believable all-in kerb weight of 500kg. Zero to sixty mph in just 2.5 seconds. And a shopping car-busting fuel consumption rating of 32.5mpg. That’s the Caparo T1, on paper a little bit nippy and now apparently a reality following an unveiling ceremony yesterday in Monaco conducted by none other than His Serene Highness Prince Albert II. Previously known as the Freestream T1, this most hyper of supercars now has backing from Caparo Plc, a multinational corporation that supplies car parts to manufacturers across the globe. Production starts later this year with first deliveries in 2007, possibly…

Brits have more faith in GPS than their own eyes…

Newswheel staff :: 21 April 2006 :: Filed under Safety

Dangerous driving under the influence used to mean boozed-up punters parking their cars in the scenery at high speed. But this is the year 2006, so drink driving is out (ish) and GPS-guided idiocy is in. Reports of dozy drivers blindly following the directions spewed out by their sat-nav systems are on the up. The latest comes from a town in Wiltshire which is currently fishing two cars a day out of a river as drivers blithely ignore the torrent in front of them in favour of following the soothing instructions from their dashboards…

Passat “R GT” styling package is go…

Newswheel staff :: 20 April 2006 :: Filed under Saloon, Volkswagen, Volkswagen Passat, US

Hey! VW! We’re over here in Europe. You remember, the home of cheese eating surrender monkeys, desiccated olde-worlde business practices…and your biggest market. Recently, the self-styled maker of cars for the people has had something of a US fixation. The “Moonraker” project was set up to investigate how VW’s products could be made more attractive to US buyers. Then a senior VW exec recently suggested that the company is willing to compromise its premium pricing strategy to improve its US sales prospects for the Gen 5 Golf (to be know once again as the Rabbit, Stateside). And now the German outfit has announced an aggressive package of styling and chassis tweaks for the Passat. And it’s for American eyes only…

Saab preps Aero-X-based compact sports car

Newswheel staff :: 20 April 2006 :: Filed under Roadster, Saab, Saab Aero-X, Europe & UK, US

Not exactly a new story. And hardly our favourite source for rock solid new model reportage. So, what to make of news from UK rag AutoExpress that Saab is working on a small sportster with Aero-X-aping styling to take on Audi’s all-conquering TT? Well, rumours of a sporty Saab built on GM’s compact Kappa rear-drive platform (as used by the Saturn Sky, Pontiac Solstice and Opel GT roadster trio) have been circulating for some time. And given the rapturous reception the Aero-X concept received at the Geneva, Saab’s suits must be desperate to put something similar into production…

BMW 3 Series coupe: first (un)official pictures

Newswheel staff :: 19 April 2006 :: Filed under Coupe, BMW, BMW 3 Series, Europe & UK, US

As official picture leakage goes, it doesn’t get any better than this. PR images of BMW’s hotly anticipated 3 Series coupe have hit the world wide web. And there has been much rejoicing. Of course, it might be nothing more than a calculated move on BMW’s behalf, the better to leverage the awesome viral marketing power of the interweb…

Infiniti G35 gets world’s first in-dash hard drive

Newswheel staff :: 18 April 2006 :: Filed under Saloon, Infinity, Infinity G35, Europe & UK

Hard drive-based music storage for your motor may seem like a no brainer. But development cycles in the car industry are a relative eternity compared with the frightening pace of change in computer technology. So, it’s taken until 2006 for a major car manufacturer to twig to the digital music revolution and wheel out a production vehicle with a factory-fitted hard drive-based sound system…

E92 BMW 3 Series coupe: bagged at last

Newswheel staff :: 18 April 2006 :: Filed under Coupe, BMW, BMW 3 Series, Europe & UK, US

Just another 3 Series fleet wagon? Or the most desirable sensible-money motor on the market? Whatever you think of BMW’s compact coupe, don’t bet against the new model being as manically popular as the last. So, get used to the car revealed in these new pictures. It’ll be patrolling city centres in packs, soon enough…

Merc ups McLaren SLR’s ante

Newswheel staff :: 14 April 2006 :: Filed under Coupe, Front engine sportscar, Mercedes Benz, Mercedes Benz SLR, Europe & UK, US

MB is prepping upgrades for its carbon-fibre colossus, the SLR. The power output of the blown AMG V8 is expected to be cranked up from 626 frisky ponies to a fulsome 650 horses (of the Euro PS sort). Additional tweaks for the 2007 SLR “Sportpack” include a revised interior, fettled brakes, a new wheel design and a 40kg reduction in overall weight. Anticipated performance improvements are 0.2 seconds off the mad dash to 62mph (that’s 100kph to our Euro friends), now completed in just 3.6 seconds and 125mph in just 10.2 seconds, down from 10.6…

Mazda wheels out CX-9 ute

Newswheel staff :: 14 April 2006 :: Filed under Crossover, SUV, Mazda, Mazda CX-9, US

Is the bottom about to fall out of the market for full-sized SUV / crossover-type cars? The sheer weight of launches into the sector over the past 18 months certainly gives us the fear. You just know when every manufacturer in town piles in, the ship is going down. Mixed metaphors aside, there is one thing we’re very confident about. The new Mazda CX-9 seven-seater crossover SUV is a zero sum model. It won’t be adding to the overall sales in the sector, just pinching a few off other brands…

Lexus LS600h hybrid: Don't mention the fuel economy...

Newswheel staff :: 13 April 2006 :: Filed under Hybrid, Saloon, Lexus, Lexus LS, Europe & UK, US

It’s due out around spring 2007. It’s the world’s first petrol-electic hybrid vehicle with a V8 powerplant. It cranks out a combined peak power output of over 430bhp. And Toyota claims it’s nothing less than the most technically advanced car in the world. We give you the new Lexus LS600h luxury saloon. But here’s the catch: Lexus has so far declined to divulge precise fuel consumption figures. Suspicious? Perhaps, given the fact that the suits from Toyota will only hint at a number around the 25mpg mark…

New Kia Carens

Newswheel staff :: 12 April 2006 :: Filed under Mini MPV / People carrier, Kia, Kia Carens, Europe & UK

We’re an equal opportunity website here at Newswheel. So, in the name of truth, justice, international glasnost and world peace, we give you the first official images of the fabulous new Kia Carens mini-MPV. If you want to know more, may we humbly point you in the direction of www.google.com, for all your Kia Carens needs. Actually, it’s not a bad looker at all, for a commodity class car from a Korean outfit. And we’re all for a little more choice on the market…

2007 Wrangler: Familiar style, new form factor

Newswheel staff :: 12 April 2006 :: Filed under Four wheel drive, SUV, Jeep, Jeep Wrangler, Europe & UK, US

No official technical deets, as yet. But the first images of Jeep’s new four-door Wrangler have hit the deck. A predictable, if fairly pleasing new take on the classic Willys Jeep, we think you’ll agree. For the record this is the first four-door Wrangler and comes complete with an impressively awful looking interior with plastics which appear to have been beamed through the ether from the early 1980s…Power is expected to come from the same 3.8-litre 205bhp V6 as the three-door model.

Next Prius to crack 100mpg

Newswheel staff :: 12 April 2006 :: Filed under Hatchback, Hybrid, Toyota, Toyota Prius, Europe & UK, US

With a combined fuel economy rating of 65.7mpg, the current Toyota Prius is only just fuel efficient enough to justify its lofty £17k-and-upwards sticker price. Not that that prevents Generation X’ers from kidding themselves that their petrol-electric pride and joy isn’t torching the planet like any other car. But what if Toyota smashed the 100mpg barrier with the next version of the Prius?

New E gets a pair of eights (UPDATED)

Newswheel staff :: 12 April 2006 :: Filed under Estate/Wagon, Saloon, Mercedes Benz, Mercedes Benz E-Class, Europe & UK, US

With the all new E still a few years out (due late 2008 by most estimates), MB has released a buffed ‘n polished development of the existing W211 model. Headline news includes six new or significantly revamped engines and more electronic jiggery pokery than you can shake a satnav screen at…

Tantalising TT prices

Newswheel staff :: 12 April 2006 :: Filed under Coupe, Hatchback, Audi, Audi TT, Europe & UK

Audi has released official UK pricing for the all new TT. And the good news is that despite a mammoth technical overhaul, Audi has pegged prices close to those of the original car. The front-wheel-drive-only model, powered by the same 200bhp-ish direct injection lump as the current Golf GTI, kicks off at £24,625 while the range-topping 3.2-litre Quattro model is yours for a mere 29,285. For the record, the old 3.2 Quattro was priced at £28,960. So, that’s a brand new, light weight TT built on a unique space frame chassis for barely any more than the old Golf-based model. Yup, they might just find a few homes for these puppies…

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