Automobile News

Can you believe this one? Before coming to what I want to discuss here, first let me know what you usually do on a New Year’s Eve. You light fireworks, break glasses, and the like, right? Then you are in for a very good surprise, because the French have an entirely different and bizarre way of celebrating the occasion, and that is by torching their cars! I am really gulping for breath, what about you?

Reuters has come out with the astounding piece of news that this year the party loving French burnt as many as 1,147 vehicles, up 30.64% from what they did last year, 878 during the same period.

The funny thing about the whole affair is that it is frequently shrouded with a lot of chaos and mishaps, as police reported as many as 445 cases of car burnings, while they made 288 arrests during the same period, indicating a sharp improvement from the statistics available from last year when only 372 torched cars and 259 arrests were registered.

There were only a few stray incidents of revellers clashing with police, but the authorities are still at a loss of explanation regarding the reason behind the exponential increase in torched cars.

A police official said that it is a bit weird that though there are few cases of face to face confrontation with the police, gendarmes and fire services, the number of torched cars is substantially higher. He regretted the fact that they don’t have any conclusive explanation at the moment, but promised to dig deep into the matter. In addition to the now obligatory GPS sat nav, like the TomTom Go 920 Traffic, it looks like French drivers would do well to invest in the latest automobile security measures to protect their precious four wheeled treasure.

Even the generally docile city of Strasbourg hasn’t been spared by the Car Holocaust as no less than 50 cars were burnt in the eastern parts of the town, while 17 arrests were made.

The excitement of welcoming 2009 can be seen everywhere. So what are your plans for the New Year? I bet you have lot, but are you also planning to buy a new car in 2009? Well, even if you don’t have any such plans, read on to discover the hottest cars that are likely to hit the market in the coming year.

So let’s take a tour of the top eight cars that will rock the automobile market in the arriving year:

Volkswagen Golf MkVI: Made to lead the hottest car lists of 2009, the Golf MkVI is expected to mark its presence in January. As you might have guessed, it is an improved version of the earlier Golf.

Toyota Prius: Likely to be seen in September 2009, the new Prius promises to hit 75mpg and a mileage of 100g/km. sounds good! Sp would you not like to take a look at this compact yet powerful model?

Ford Ka: Inspired from Fiat 500, the Ka will carry forward Fiat’s gene. You can look forward to buy this car if you are interested in saving more bugs.

Abarth 500: Assume it to the best creation of Abarth. Bold style, freezing swiftness, and easy handling are the major highlights of this upcoming model. Want to go for a test drive? You can go for it in February 2009.

Audi A1: The stunning looks might assist Audi A1 to outshine the charm of MINI. Moreover, it is a mild hybrid model that offers 92g/km. check it out in September next year.

Alfa Romeo MiTo: It is charming…it is hot! Yeah, it is the new Alfa car that is economical and more practical. Test its calibre in January.

Jaguar XJ: It won’t be wrong to call it the most far-reaching XJ model so far. It gives you an option to choose your fuel preference from the diesel or petrol. However, you will have to wait till the end of 2009 to see it on roads.

Ford Focus RS: Revolutionary and amazing! That’s how this car can be defined in simple words. You can expect as much as 300bph from this model. We will get to see it in March 2009.

Inchcape, the world’s largest car retailers is facing a heavy down fall in its profits due to the worldwide recession. An unprecedented and sudden slowdown in the market has badly affected the sales of the company. Inchcape is into the distribution and retail of cars from premium brands, such as Audi and Mercedes-Benz. The stock market crash and drying up of customer’s credit has lead to heavy losses and above this the company will be now facing new import duties in Russia starting from next year.

The financial condition still continues to decline as the GMAC, the company in Australia which provides vehicle finance through Inchcape’s showrooms will stop doing the business with the Inchcape from January onwards. Andre Lacroix, Chief Executive said, “Demand is very weak in the UK, which provides half of our revenues. But carmakers are reducing production to keep supply in line with demand, which is very welcome.” According to him the company had anticipated a fall in the UK sales but didn’t expect such a heavy economic slowdown in the Australia and Hong Kong markets.

However Lacroix also commented that, “Markets will recover in due course and we believe that Inchcape is best positioned to benefit from its strong market positions and its long standing relationships with the leading manufacturers.”

It’s the second time when the Audi has received an award for its exceptional performance. Recently it has got the Automobile Magazine’s 2009 Design of the Year Award from one of North America’s leading automotive publications for the Audi A5. This is the second consecutive event for the company. Before this it has already received the magazine’s Design of the Year and Car of the Year awards 2008 for its Audi R8 sports car. According to Automobile Magazine Design Editor Robert Cumberford, “The first point of appreciation comes upon approaching the car. The second comes when the door is opened to one of the best interiors offered today, in any car at any price. The A5’s elegance, stability, and sheer visual presence make it a clear winner.”

The Audi A5 offers all of its elements with seamless proportions. Its details are exceptionally fine and that’s the niche which has earned the car this award. Consumers too are delighted with this car as it offers them a powerful and highly efficient 3.2-liter FSI engine, 265 hp and awesome acceleration of 0-60 mph time in 6.1 seconds, in addition of course to state of the art peripherals, such as car radio navigation systems. Johan de Nysschen, executive vice president, Audi commented, “The graceful, yet precisely drawn, lines of the A5 epitomize the way a progressive coupe should look. All of its elements - powerful surfaces, a front end that speaks to pure performance, lighting that blends style with function among many other features - unite Audi style and dynamic performance.”

The Swedish car maker, Saab is celebrating its 25 years of success with a Special Edition Version of the 9-3. It’s been 25 years since the company launched its first Convertible and there could not be a better way to rejoice. The new Saab Convertible in its bright and stunning champagne metallic colour is likely to become a hot talk after the Los Angles Motor Show.

The original convertible that debuted in 1983 at the Frankfurt auto show was quite accommodating and stylish. The 9-3 edition is designed with the same style but in a manner to match the contemporary market. Available in three metallic colours, the attractive vehicle features a 2.0-litre, 210 bhp four-cylinder engine that truly gives it a signature of the maker. The Turbo X performance model seems to inspire the carbon fire interiors, direction-finding wheel and the front bumper. However, the dual exhaust pipes and a five-spoke 17-inch alloy wheels match the style of the Aero version.

The Los Angeles International show, opening to the public on 22 of November will surely be delighted to showcase the charm of a remarkable class that has been in highlights since long. Except for the one debuting in the show, the Special Edition 9-3 will be available in Jet Black and Carbon Grey, and with a set of gorgeous rims to complement the entire package. So if you are too tempted to go for a test drive, calm down and wait till its arrival in the showrooms, which is expected to be in the early months of 2009

The day we’ve been waiting for is almost here as the British International Motor Show finally kicks off tomorrow. The show will take place in ExCeL London from July 23rd to August 3rd and we are sure to see some stunning cars on exhibition. All of the top car manufacturers are represented and over 600 cars, including premieres for over 20 new models, will actually be presented at the show.

As with any car show, we can expect all the hottest cars to be on display, including Maseratis, Ferraris, Aston Martins and Bentleys. In fact, the Bentley Continental Flying Spur Speed (which we reported on earlier) will actually be making its debut. In addition to cars, there will be plenty of exciting features and events on hand, including a Drift School where you can learn how to drift your car like in the movies.

Despite all the flash and glamour, many industry insiders are predicting this Motor Show will not be unaffected by the fundamental shift currently taking place in the auto industry. The industry has been receiving a lot of gloomy news lately, as car sales in Europe fall due to the sinking economy and higher petrol prices. Increases in the cost of raw materials, particularly steel, have not helped auto producers either. The shift is even more pronounced in the US where car sales have hit a 15 year low, with American manufacturers like Ford, GM, and Chrysler being particularly hard hit. What this means for the Motor Show is that we can expect to see many electric cars, and cars with green technology, in the spotlight.

Nevertheless, we here at Automobile News can’t wait to see what the Show will bring and will of course report on all the latest developments as they happen.

Out of control petrol prices have ignited discussions regarding alternative energy sources and the future of petrol powered cars. Indeed, as we mentioned in an earlier article, electric hybrid cars are massively gaining popularity, and many companies, like Tesla Motors or SSC, are even developing electrically powered high performance sports cars. Apparently the British government has now recognised the need for solutions to high priced petrol and decided to embrace the electric car. PM Gordon Brown envisions changing the way Britons drive and hopes that by 2020 nearly all new car sales will either be electric or hybrid models.

Of course, how does the government hope to achieve this rather dramatic goal requiring huge changes in both the behaviour of car buyers and car manufacturers? The British government hopes to give consumers enough incentives and reasons to opt for an electric car, which should lead to a general shift in the type of cars people drive. Among the incentives being considered, one of the most prominent and innovative is the idea of providing customers with electric cars in the same manner as people purchase mobile phones. Essentially, you will get the car for free after signing up for a long term contract, and then pay off the car through the contract. In the case of electric cars, instead of a contract based on the amount of minutes or text messages one can use, this contract will be based on the amount of miles one drives.

The plan does, however, face a number or apparent difficulties and drawbacks that would realistically prevent the goal of a large scale shift to electric vehicles. For starters, the technology for pure electric cars currently only has a range of about 100 miles before the electric battery needs to be recharged. This limitation could quickly become an inconvenience for many drivers, especially those with long commutes to work. Another problem is obviously securing the necessary amount of funding needed to undertake such a massive project, and finally the last concern is whether this method would indeed prove less expensive or more environmentally friendly that petrol driven cars. Nevertheless, even petrol powered automobile fanatics like ourselves agree that electric cars will definitely play a prominent role in the future.

Ever get in a car accident and have people claim you were at fault, or even file charges and seek damages against you? This is obviously a bad situation to be in, and often it is difficult to prove one’s innocence, as it is just your word against the other person’s. Of course, if you happened to have an integrated car camera in your vehicle capturing the whole incident on video, then you would have something to bring to court in your defence. Introducing the Car Camera Voyager Pro, which is an in-car camera designed specifically for recording accidents, their aftermath, and even exact locations using an integrated GPS.

Putting it a step above other car cameras, the Voyager Pro manages to record the exact geographic location, time and date of any accident. The device works using G-sensor technology which automatically turns the camera on 10 seconds before any impact, and switches it off 30 seconds after the initial incident. We are naturally sceptical how the device might manage to “sense” an impact 10 seconds before it happens, and we also wonder how hard the car needs to hit something in order to activate the camera in the first place. However, these doubts can always be solved by simply leaving the camera on the entire time, or at least when driving through accident prone areas. Other clever uses for the camera include leaving it on when the car is parked to catch car thieves, or bad drivers who bump and scratch your car.

The list of electronic gadgets for improving your car is practically endless. Navigation systems, Bluetooth kits, DVD players, satellite radio, and entire stereo systems are all great ways to get more out of your car. Indeed, entire industries have sprout up offering these accessories. It seems that the actual makers of the cars themselves have perhaps felt a bit left out, and Toyota is actually planning on including many of these so-called amenities, in its new models by default.

Beginning in 2009 with the all new Venza models, Toyota will ship the cars with the company’s own integrated Bluetooth technology. The hands free kits are practically a standard in most cars today, as it is unlawful in most places to talk on a mobile phone while driving, and Toyota is likely trying to bypass the third party Bluetooth manufacturers with this latest move. Toyota claims its technology is easy to use, and it comes readily integrated, so there is no need to plug in any wires. The user only needs to register the mobile with the system, that’s it. Furthermore, the Toyota Bluetooth solution also comes with many advanced features, such as answering calls in one touch by pressing a button on a steering wheel. With this amount of features and simplicity, the Toyota hands free solution could indeed rival many third party kits, and other car manufacturers are also sure to catch on.