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- RPMGO Weekly Awards: Nominees for February 19-25
- Hummer to be closed down after talks between GM and Sichuan Tengzhong stop
- 2011 Porsche Cayenne SUV photos and details leaked before official debut
- Video: 2011 Audi A8 gets promoted through new ad
- 2011 Ford Super Duty power and tow capacity details revealed
- Hyundai i-Flow diesel hybrid revealed, full announcement in Geneva
- Video: Alfa Romeo MiTo promoted through new “Space Invaders”-themed ad
- Land Rover LRX production model coming to Paris
- Citroen Survolt concept to debut in Geneva
- Honda brings 3R-C and EV-N Concepts at its futuristic Geneva booth
| RPMGO Weekly Awards: Nominees for February 19-25 Posted: 25 Feb 2010 03:49 AM PST Hello and welcome to another nominee session for the RPMGO Weekly Awards feature where we honor the best and worst piece of news coming from the automotive industry. It’s been a pretty busy week, leading up to the start of the Geneva Motor Show, so we were literally flooded with good and bad news. As you might remember, you’ll be able to vote one of four articles in each of our sections, Perfect Shift and Over Rev. Tomorrow we’ll be giving out the awards based on your votes in the polls below. Enough talk, let’s get right to business shall we? Perfect ShiftCitroen DS3 Racing formally unveiled, 200 HP hot hatch – We were already pretty excited about the new Citroen DS3, but the DS3 Racing the French company unveiled at the end of last week has really sparked our interest. A hot hatch with over 200 HP and using the rally experience Citroen has accumulated over the years? Yes, please! Mercedes-Benz F800 Style concept previews future CLS – Mercedes-Benz already teased us with a rising sculpture, but it has decided at the beginning of the week to fully unveil the new F800 Style Concept, which previews the future CLS class. The SLS AMG-like grille coupled with the aggressive design definitely made us excited, but the plug-in and fuel cell powertrains which won’t make it to production anytime soon didn’t have the same effect. Audi RS5 officially detailed: 450 HP 4.2-liter V8 brute coming to Geneva – We were treated over the weekend to a batch of leaked pictures portraying the new Audi RS5, but soon the German company formally unveiled it, and its massive 450 HP 4.2-liter naturally-aspirated V8 engine, which might be capable of putting the BMW M3 Coupe in its place. 2011 Porsche Cayenne SUV photos and details leaked before official debut – Many people could hardly await the new generation 2011 Cayenne SUV, at least according to the massive sales the last generation recorded. The new car has a sportier design, but there are some elements over which we aren’t falling head over heels in love. Over RevVideo: Camaro owner tries to do a burnout, wrecks car – Burnouts, many car fans absolutely love them, that’s why such competitions usually attract a lot of people. This guy however, in his attempt to show off his Chevrolet Camaro, only ended up making a fool of himself. Mansory-tuned Rolls Royce Ghost can't outrun bad taste even with 710 HP – Rolls Royce models usually stand for elegance and distinction. According to the tuners at Mansory, they stand more for huge power and bad taste. This tuned Rolls Royce Ghost amazed us with its 710 HP but burned our eyes with the blue and gold paint scheme. Hyundai stops sale of 2011 Sonata, recalls units over door latch problem – Hyundai was quite keen to take a chunk out of Toyota’s popularity, especially since the Japanese company was forced to issue many recalls. Sadly, Hyundai’s most anticipated launch, the 2011 Sonata, was also plagued with some problems, which forced a recall and sale halt, to solve. Honda brings 3R-C and EV-N Concepts at its futuristic Geneva booth – I’m all for the futuristic thinking, but the two concepts Honda will be bringing to Geneva are just way too far out for anyone to wrap their heads around. Sure, the EV-N might be closer to production, but the 3R-C just seems it hopped out of a Sci-Fi movie. Those were our nominees for the awards. Now it’s up to you to cast our vote in the two polls below, and choose which was the best and worst news story of the week. Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll. Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll. Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Hummer to be closed down after talks between GM and Sichuan Tengzhong stop Posted: 25 Feb 2010 02:53 AM PST  General Motors is adding another brand to its ever increasing pile of closed down ones, as it has just announced that the Hummer sale talks between it and China’s Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machines have stopped. As such, the brand specialized in big, heavy SUVs will begin a wind down process, at the end of which it will be no more. Warranties and parts will continue to be provided for some time now, but the production, which was already halted last month, won’t be restarting.
For those of you who don’t know, GM placed the Hummer brand up for sale last year, and while a few parties became rather interested, only Sichuan Tengzhong entered talks with the US company. Those discussion were scheduled to end with the sale of the SUV company at the beginning of February, but the deadline was delayed. Rumors at that time were saying that the Chinese government wasn’t keen on the whole deal, as Hummer was still a symbol of Western capitalism and consumerism, so the breakdown in talks might have been generated by the people in Beijing. Either way, as we saw with Saab, the wind down process doesn’t necessarily mean Hummer won’t be sold, but considering its tarnished image and lack of diversity, potential buyers won’t flock to rescue it. What do you think? Share your thoughts below, in a comment. Source: GM Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| 2011 Porsche Cayenne SUV photos and details leaked before official debut Posted: 25 Feb 2010 01:49 AM PST  Porsche hasn’t really been keeping its 2011 Cayenne SUV a secret in the last few months, as we were treated to both the complete engine lineup, including details about the Cayenne hybrid which will be launched with this new generation, and to a few shots showcasing the undisguised car. Now, a batch of official photos has been leaked before the car was set to debut at the Geneva Motor Show next week. From what we can see, the new design is much more attractive than the old Cayenne, finally looking the part of a sportier SUV. According to these pics, the interior is very similar to the Panamera, sharing both the dashboard and a few dials with its fellow Porsche relative. The taillights are also pretty similar to the ones on the sedan, but they also bring to mind the image of the Hyundai Santa Fe. Either way, from these leaked pictures, the new Cayenne will definitely earn more fans than the outgoing generation. The fact that it has denounced any off-road capability, and shed 440 pounds (220 kg) in the process will also make an impact on its road handling, pleasing more people. Take a look at the photo gallery below and then share your thoughts about the 2011 Porsche Cayenne. Photo Gallery: 2011 Porsche Cayenne Leaked Photos
Source: CarScoop Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Video: 2011 Audi A8 gets promoted through new ad Posted: 25 Feb 2010 01:23 AM PST  Audi is slowly starting to promote its new flagship model, the 2011 A8, and has just released a video demonstrating how many details went into the components of the limousine. From the Bang & Olufsen speakers to the LED headlights or the V8 FSI engine, many of the 2011 A8 components are featured in this ad, with one single motto: The art of progress. Hit the jump and enjoy this new footage of the 2011 Audi A8 ahead of its European unveiling at the Geneva Motor Show next week. Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| 2011 Ford Super Duty power and tow capacity details revealed Posted: 25 Feb 2010 01:13 AM PST  Great news for big pick-up fans, as Ford unleashed the specs of the new 2011 Super Duty line-up. Many of you highly anticipated these figures, so let’s get right to it. The 2011 Ford Super Duty will be available with a choice of either a 6.2-liter V8 gasoline engine capable of 385 HP and 405 lb-ft of torque (numbers much improved than the current 5.4-liter V8 petrol), or the extremely impressive 6.7-liter Power Stroke diesel capable of 390 HP and … wait for it … 735 lb-ft of torque, available right from 1,600 rpm. These power ratings translate into, according to Ford, a class leading tow capacity of 24,400 pounds, and a maximum payload of 6,520 pounds (that’s more than average cars weigh). According to the Blue Oval, the new 2011 Super Duty trucks will be more efficient and will be coupled with the 6R140 TorqShift six-speed automatic transmission, optimized for heavy duty hauling. The Ford’s nearest competitor to the Super Duty is the Chevrolet Silverado HD, but GM declined to reveal any official power ratings for the 2011 edition. Judging by these impressive figures from Ford, engineers will have to pull quite a few all-nighters to increase power and one-up their rivals. Source: Ford Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Hyundai i-Flow diesel hybrid revealed, full announcement in Geneva Posted: 25 Feb 2010 12:48 AM PST  After teasing us with a sketch last week, Hyundai finally revealed how its newest concept, the i-Flow, will look like when it will be revealed next week at the Geneva Motor Show. The car will be a diesel-electric hybrid, a first for the South Korean company, and previews a new D segment model which will take on the Ford Mondeo in Europe. The i-Flow uses a 1.7-liter inline-four cylinder diesel engine, which will be coupled via the Blue-drive system with an electric motor of undisclosed power. Thanks to a multitude of traits, including the lihtium-polymer battery pack, the six-speed dual-clutch gearbox and the low drag coeficient of just 0.25, the Hyundai i-Flow concept will average 78.4 mpg (US) and emit just 85 g/km of CO2. Besides this concept, it seems Hyundai will be upping the eco-friendly ante, with more efficient “blue” versions for its i10, i20, i30 and ix35 (aka Tucson), models. It has also been confirmed that its i30 hatchback will receive a facelift, the i30U, with a more stylish appearance. Source: Hyundai Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Video: Alfa Romeo MiTo promoted through new “Space Invaders”-themed ad Posted: 25 Feb 2010 12:29 AM PST  Alfa Romeo is quite pleased with its MiTo compact hatchback model, and promoted it through quite a lot of interesting ads. The addition of the new MultiAir engines, which both increase power and improve efficiency is even more important to the Italian company, and has decided to release a new marketing campaign. Said campaign takes the classic arcade video game Space Invaders, and puts the MiTo as the player-controlled spaceship, tasked with destroying the enemies which symbolize fossil fuels. This is emphasized by a new ad, running all over Europe, and by a parade through major UK cities where Alfa fans can play the MiTo-themed game. According to Italiaspeed, upcoming cities set to host these events include Birmingham (26 February), Newcastle (5 March), Cardiff (12 March), Manchester (19 March) and Leeds (26 March). The campaign will take place between 4pm-10pm in the aforementioned locations. Hit the jump to check out this great ad. Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Land Rover LRX production model coming to Paris Posted: 25 Feb 2010 12:11 AM PST  As a breath of fresh air from the huge number of articles regarding next week’s Geneva Motor Show, it seems that Land Rover will be debuting the production variant of its older LRX concept at the Paris Motor Show this fall. The smaller and more eco friendly SUV has been presented in concept form for quite some time, and has been favored by both the automotive media and the general public. It is rumored that Land Rover wants to introduce a hybrid system as an option for the LRX, in order to score even more points with the eco-friendly crowd. Said drivetrain would probably use, according to some voices, a 3.0-liter diesel V6 with a 25kW electric motor. Either way, a luxury baby SUV would certainly give the Audi Q5, BMW X5 or Mercedes-Benz GLK something to worry about. Source: Automotive News via Autoblog Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Citroen Survolt concept to debut in Geneva Posted: 24 Feb 2010 11:45 PM PST  Citroen isn’t letting up with its new models or concepts at the Geneva Motor Show, and has just revealed that it will be premiering a new type of electric (or perhaps plug-in hybrid) concept, named the Survolt. According to the French company, it will completely revolutionize electric vehicles, combining the competitive spirit, eco-friendly nature and its innovative research. Although no other details were given, it is expected for the Survolt to be a bigger iteration of the styling and the technology featured on the RevoltE compact hybrid concept, which was shown in Frankfurt. Besides this new Survolt concept, the company will also showcase another such prototype, the DS High Rider, which previews the future DS4 production model. Speaking of such models, the highly anticipated hot hatch model, the DS3 Racing, will also be revealed to Geneva visitors. Source: Autoblog.it via Automarket Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Honda brings 3R-C and EV-N Concepts at its futuristic Geneva booth Posted: 24 Feb 2010 11:32 PM PST  While many carmakers set to appear at the Geneva Motor Show are exposing new models set to appear this year, or concepts which preview cars from the next few years, Honda will be setting its sights way into the future with a few interesting design projects. First off, is the thing you see above, the Honda 3R-C concept, which has been designed and built as a minimal single-person urban transportation unit from the future. It uses an electric drivetrain to power three wheels. The seating position is pretty interesting, to say the least, and offers an increased amount of protection from side crashes than other such concepts.  It will be joined at the Honda booth by the retro-inspired EV-N concept, which was already shown in Tokyo last year. It uses a small electric engine, and even features a stack of solar cells on the roof, so that the battery can be recharged while it’s being parked. Concept-haters will be happy to hear that the Euro-spec FCX Clarity fuel cell car will also be shown off in Geneva. The hydrogen-powered car is preparing to make its European debut, but the infrastructure in many countries still isn’t up to par to sustain such a model. Either way, if you want to get a glimpse of the “future” at least according to Honda, you should definitely stop by the company’s stand next week when the Geneva show begins. Source: Honda Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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