Automobile News

Ford is all set to make its first-ever European production car, the new Focus RS, public in the month of May next year, according to company sources. The car will be powered by a turbocharged 2.5-litre, five-cylinder petrol engine which will generate up to 305bhp of power.

One particular quality of the car that should attract a lot of eye balls is the ability of the car to accelerate from rest to 60mph in 6 seconds flat, and in addition has a top speed of over 160mph. these two features alone are sufficient to make hard core car enthusiasts go weak on their knees.

The best part of the Ford car is not dependent on just these two features alone, as there are a host of other car enhancement features as well that should impress even a commoner like you. The manufacturers have taken a lot of pains to ensue that you find it easier to handle the car, and hence incorporated it with a wider track, enhanced drive-shafts and rear anti-roll bar, revised springs and dampers and retuned steering. The icing on the cap happens to be the inclusion of the company’s indigenously and specially developed electronic stability technology replete with traction assist.

Design wise, the model has a distinctive bonnet, front bumper and side skirts, 19-inch alloy wheels and made to perform on 235/35 tyres, like the Kumho KU 19 235/35 R19 91Y XL, for example. Then, there is a rear twin-bladed spoiler and power/heated door mirrors that boasts of a high-gloss finish.

Tags for this article: car, five cylinder, focus, ford, petrol

With the global economic recession and a debit crunch hitting the UK hard, good news is few and far between. The Automobile industry was also not left unaffected and it for the record witnessed a slump of 23% in unit sales compared to that of 2007. Nevertheless, car manufacturing companies are back in business mode and are ready to face these difficulties in style. First out of the blocks is Japanese car giant Toyota, which making a strong statement of character and resilience has revealed its latest innovation the all new 1.33-litre Dual VVT-I petrol engine.

The unit delightfully incorporates the increasingly popular start/stop technology, claimed to be the first of its kind in the world, which can go a long way in improving fuel efficiency and reduce CO2 emission. While sat navs, and in-car DVD player entertainment systems are also very useful, neither help to improve a car’s fuel efficiency. The new specifications look impressive enough, with 17 percent lower emissions and 19 percent improvement in fuel consumption compared to their previous 1.4 litre VVT-I unit.

The Stop and Start technology apart, the unit has also been inscribed with the intuitive Toyota Optimal Drive technology, consequently wearing the hat of being the first model to be released in the UK with these new engineering and design.

Toyota for the time being has decided to import these new Auris’ engines until October 2009 directly from Japan, with its Deeside plant subsequently taking over the reigns after that date. Meanwhile, Toyota is likely to pump in substantial investment to get the factory ready in time to start production.

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.

It’s nearly impossible not to notice the crushing heights that petrol prices have reached nowadays. Indeed, simply filling up one’s car to get work now encompasses a large percentage of people’s monthly expenses. However, for many people their car is their lifeline and alternatives are often non-existent, so what options are there? According to a recent report by the Automobile Association, people are deciding to drive less, and drive slower in order to conserve fuel.

AA puts the overall amount of driving at around the same level as it was two decades ago, when there were also fewer vehicles on the road. Now, even families with multiple cars are opting to make journeys together in only one vehicle. Moreover, the average speed of vehicles on highways has dropped, as drivers attempt to conserve fuel by driving slower. The statistics are based on reports of over 5,000 road patrols conducted by AA that concluded there were 20% less cars on the road than usual. Clearly, this is a very significant drop, and indicative of the impact high petrol prices are having on people’s lifestyles. A survey by AA on people’s driving habits also found nearly two thirds of driver’s had curtailed their driving in some form or another.

The revamped Citroen C4 is coming to car dealers this autumn with new motors and a lightly retuned design. The immediately apparent changes include more chrome on the front, an enlarged company logo on the newly formed cooler grill, and an engine hood with more arch and convexity. The inside has also gotten a makeover as the instrument and armrest design have both been refreshed.

Two petrol engines, developed with cooperation from BMW, are located under the hood. The 88 kW/ 120 HP strong 1.6 litre motor with variable ventilator control replaces the 1.6 litre motor with 80 kW/ 109 HP, offered previously. In combination with the 5 gear standard transmission, the consumption should sink to 6.7 litres per 100 kilometres. A turbo-loaded 1.6 litre motor with 110 kW/ 150 HP is offered instead of the 2.0 litre petrol motor, and it should manage 6.9 litres per 100 kilometres with a manual six gear transmission. Both transmissions should also alternatively be available with four gears.

The prices, however, have remained stabile; the coupe-esque three door is available for around £13,000, while the five door hatchback limousine will cost a minimum of £13,250.

<