Fiat Bravo Review

If you want a middle-of-the-road, middle-of-the-range hatchback, you buy a Volkswagen Golf, like hundreds of thousands of satisfied customers across Europe. The Italian company positioned the "" as the best-looking car in its class. The Fiat Bravo was available only as a five-door hatchback and came with the choice of petrol or diesel power. A ¬1.4-litre petrol engine, either with or without turbocharged forced induction, provided a choice of 90bhp, 120bhp or 150bhp, while the 1.9-litre diesel produced 120bhp or 150bhp.

The Fiat Bravo interior is one of its best features. Spend about £600 more and a second-hand Dynamic model adds alloy wheels, dual-sided climate control, cruise control and refrigerated storage under the front arm-rest. The Fiat Bravo falls short of being the class leader because of its lacklustre driving characteristics. Reliability and servicing

All Fiat Bravo require servicing once a year or every 18,000 miles, whichever is sooner — for cars registered after 2008 the mileage limit is 21,000 miles. Prices for tyres and brakes are on a par with rivals. A minor service costs £135-£165, a main one £410.
The Fiat Bravo is a car that was developed by Fiat between the years of 1995 to 2001 and this car will be launched in India in 2010. The design of the car was completed on a tight schedule and the company hopes to enjoy continued success with this car as with its other models.

Fiat Bravo Specification
The car is available in 2 engine options and these include 1910 cc, 4-cylinder diesel engine along with 1368cc, 4-cylinder petrol engine. The diesel engine can deliver power of 150 bhp at 4000 rpm along with peak torque of 305 Nm at 2000 rpm. The petrol engine can deliver power of 148 bhp at 5500 rpm.

The length of the car is 4336mm and its width is 1792mm while its height is 1498mm. The suspension system of the car is independent McPherson struts with coil springs. The car has a boot space of 365litres and also comes with 6 manual gears. The kerb weight of the car is 1275 kgs. The car has front disk and rear drum brake system. The fuel tank capacity of the car is 58 litres.

Fiat Bravo Interiors
The interior of the car is spacious and offers plenty of headroom in the cabin. The rear screen of the car is smaller and the large rear pillars may create problems like blind spots.

Fiat Bravo Safety features
The car has several safety features and these include six airbags, Isofix child seat points, electronic stability control and traction control. The car also has anti lock brake system along with electronic brake force distribution feature. The car also has fog lamp along with parking sensors.

Fiat Bravo Price and design variations
The price of the car is around Rs 21 lakhs. The car is available in three variations and these include Fiat Bravo SLE, Fiat Bravo SLX and Bravo Diesel.

Fiat Bravo Colors
The car is available in three colors and these include maranello red, provocative black and maserati blue.

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TechArt Releases New Panamera Photos

TechArt has released new pictures of their individualization program for the Porsche Panamera.

Recently shown at the Frankfurt Motor Show, the TechArt Panamera features a subtle body kit (dubbed Aerokit I) with revised fascias, a new front spoiler, a rear diffuser, and a stainless steel four tailpipe exhaust system. Elsewhere, the company adds a fixed rear wing, aggressive side sills, and 21-inch Formula (or 22-inch Formula II) light-alloy wheels.

For the interior, TechArt offers a wide variety of customization options such as two-tone leather upholstery, decorative stitching, and alcantara headliners. Other items include a sport steering wheel, exotic wood trim, and body-color interior accents.

If you missed seeing it in Frankfurt, the TechArt Panamera will also be shown at the Geneva Motor Show in March.

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G-Power Typhoon Black Pearl based on BMW X5 (E70)

G-Power has unveiled the limited edition Typhoon Black Pearl.

Based on the previously seen X5 Typhoon, the Black Pearl features a monotone black paint job and an aggressive body kit with revised fascias, a new hood (with improved ventilation), and wider fender flares. Other styling tweaks for the BMW X5 include a rear diffuser, a roof-mounted spoiler, aerodynamic side skirts, and 23-inch Silverstone aluminum wheels wrapped in high performance Michelin tires.

Under the hood, G-Power outfitted the 4.8-liter V8 engine with a SK III RS supercharger, a carbon fiber air intake, a large-volume aluminum charge air cooling system, a SpeedFlow high-performance exhaust system (with racing headers, racing catalysts and racing end mufflers), forged MAHLE pistons, new fuel injectors (with a larger fuel mass capacity), and revised engine electronics.

Thanks to these modifications, the engine produces 625 hp (460 kW) and 700 Nm of torque. This enables the Black Pearl to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.5 seconds, 0 to 200 km/h (124 mph) in 16 seconds, and top out at more than 300 km/h (186 mph).

Priced from €295,000 ($415,225 USD).

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Mercedes E-Class E63 AMG

VÄTH Automobiltechnik has unveiled their new tuning program for the Mercedes E 63 AMG.

Dubbed the VÄTH V63RS, the car features a sinister exterior with a starless grille (€797), a boot spoiler (€333), a carbon fiber diffuser (€1,773), and a carbon fiber front lip spoiler (€1,416). Other styling tweaks include a suspension lowering module, which reduces the ride height by 30 mm, (€821) and 20-inch forged three-piece alloy wheels wrapped in high performance rubber (€8,211).

Inside, the V63RS has carbon trim (€2,737) and velour floor mats with an embroidered VÄTH logo (€226).

Under the hood, VÄTH enlarged the cylinder head channels, installed new engine management software, and added new pistons, valves, sport cam shafts, a larger intake, and bigger exhaust valves (all for a whopping €19,635). Thanks to these modifications, the engine produces 605 hp and 690 Nm of torque (an increase of 87 hp and 60 Nm of torque). This allows the V63RS to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.1 seconds, before topping out at 340 km/h (211 mph). When it’s time to stop, massive 390mm brake discs (with 8 pistons fixed calipers up front) bring you to a halt (€5,355).

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Loder1899 Ford Focus RS

One could argue that the Ford Focus RS already has too much horsepower going through the front axle but Loder1899 thinks it may need a little more.

The Ford Focus RS is already the most powerful hot-hatch in its class, with its 2.5 liter, turbocharged 5-cylinder engine doling out a remarkable 300 bhp. But now German tuner Loder1899 has added an extra 45 horses for the front wheels to grind away with.

The specialized Ford tuner also provides a new stainless-steel exhaust system, in a Y-pipe form and fitted with a silencer, that deepen the sound of the already rumbling production RS. According to Loder1899, the new exhaust system alone adds 20 horses to the RS’s performance. A new air filter and other fidgeting account for the rest.

A suspension-lowering of 35 mm is also part of the tuning package. Loder1899’s own 20-inch “Vertigo Viginti” wheels are included too.

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2011 Lexus IS 350C

In 2008 Fox Marketing showed a 600hp-plus Lexus IS-F at the SEMA show. This year the tuner has gone for a topless IS350C and gave it a whole new personality. The 3.5-litre V6 was fitted with a ProCharger supercharger system pushing 6 PSI, a Yonaka Intercooler, 2.5 inch stainless intercooler piping, couplers and silicone hoses. The exhaust is from partner F-Sport. Power thus increased from a standard 225kW (306hp) to 298kW (405hp) which is not far off a factory IS-F’s 310kW (421hp).

Fox fitted iForged wheels sized 20×9 inches up front and 20×11.5 inches at the rear, cloaked in 245/30/20 and 305/30/20 Toyo T1R tyres. The suspension features Yonaka SPECII 36-way adjustable coilovers and a rear brace from TunedParts. Brakes utilised are 14-inch discs with 6 piston calipers.

Exterior work includes BASF R-M Foxy Green paint, a lip molded front spoiler, black headlight housings, 3-prong LED indicators, IS-F side fenders and side skirts, a carbon fibre rear wing and black grille inserts. The interior is coloured cream and features some black painted parts and a Classic Design Concepts light bar.

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Volkswagen to resurrect Lupo name-plate

Volkswagen’s new city car, internally known as ‘Up’, will be sold as the Lupo. The Lupo city-car will also be available as an Audi, Seat and Skoda, by 2015 as part of Volkswagens go-getting target to take global market leadership by 2018.

With the Brazilian-built Fox to be withdrawn, the newcomer will be the entry-level car in Volkswagens line-up when it reaches the UK in 2012. It will be manufactured in Slovakia and is the first model in an extended range of modern small cars, which Volkswagen officials call the New Small Family (NSF).

Initially created with a space-saving rear-engined/rear-wheel drive design, the new car has been comprehensively reworked during its three-year development procedure. Financial concerns have required the platform to be switched to front-engined, front-wheel drive that VW says will allow it to use existing engine and gearbox combinations without any major penalty in overall packaging.

The new Lupo will elongate to no longer than 3,445mm in length, 1,628mm in width and 1,495mm in height; approximately 525mm shorter, 54mm narrower but 33mm taller than the Polo 3dr.

In the VW line-up, the Lupo will be placed above cheap offerings like the Nissan Pixo, Suzuki Alto & KIA Picanto but beneath Polo in order to draw both first-time car buyers and those looking for a second car. The latest hint suggests that the entry-level Lupo will have a sticker price of £8,200 (€9,700) in the UK, thus competing directly with the Fiat 500, Citroën C1, Ford KA, Peugeot 107, Renault Twingo, and the Toyota Aygo.

Keeping with the newcomers ‘back to basics’ theme, the Lupo is intended to be sold with a restricted range of engines during the early sales stage. The Lupo will be released throughout Europe in Summer 2011 (as a 2012 MY) using two engines; a 65bhp naturally aspirated 1.0 litre 3 cylinder petrol engine and a 1.2 TDi CR 75bhp 4 cylinder engine, with the latter potentially offering in excess of 80mpg and emitting less than 80g/km in Bluemotion variant.

The 5dr Lupo will launch in Spring 2012, with an all-new 85bhp turbocharged 1.0 litre TSI 4 cylinder petrol engine. In the pipeline is an electric variant, dubbed E-Up that’s being built with Audi and is expected to reach European dealerships by Winter 2012, with U.S sales predicted in early 2013. A shooting-brake model, similar to that of the Up Lite concept is likely to be sold.

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Jaguar XJ As The Study

Cheap Car. Jaguar XJ As The Study. Interiors Jaguar XJ

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Nissan Recall

Nissan cars involved in a 2.14 million vehicle recall are spread throughout the US, Japan, Europe and Asia, and include the popular March and Micra models. The Nissan cars are being recalled over an ignition problem that may stall the engine.

Nissan Recall October 2010 Affects 2.14 Million Cars – There has been a lot of recalls happening lately in the automaker industry. After the recent October 2010 recall of Toyota affecting 1.66 million cars due to brake fluid leakage, Nissan was the latest automaker to issue a recall. The Nissan recall affects 2.14 million cars built in Japan, the United States, Canada, Britain, Spain, China and Taiwan between August 2003 and July 2006. The affected models’ list are Nissan March, Cube, Note, and Mycra including other Nissan luxury models such as Tilda sedan, Titan pickup, Infiniti QX56.

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Rhys Millen Racing RM460 2011

California-based tuning outfit Rhys Millen Racing will be bringing their adapted mid-engined V8 Hyundai Genesis Coupe to Las Vegas next month for the SEMA Show. The company built their RM460 Genesis Coupe with the Genesis sedan’s 4.6-liter Tau V8 engine modified to produce 500 horsepower.

“We’ve enhanced the original performance features and created a rear hatch for complete engine access and viewing pleasure,” wrote company head Rhys Millen in a press release. “Placing the Tau V8 in the middle of the Genesis Coupe’s architecture will improve vehicle handling, acceleration and braking and enhance the already dynamic driving experience.”

Engineers stripped out the rear seating, opting to place the V8 in its place. The engine has a new management system, as well as upgraded pistons and throttle bodies. With the engine compression ratio at 11.0:1, the tuners then mounted a five-speed sequential transmission from Mendeola. Top speed is rated at 182 mph, but the driver can rein that power in with the StopTech performance brakes.

The RM460 comes with 20-inch wheels wrapped in Toyo T1R tires. Carbon fiber was also used on the spoiler and rear hatch, which incorporates glass for viewing the engine. Inside, the car features carbon fiber panels, and Alcantara and Chrono sports seats from Sparco.

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BRABUS Ultimate R

Brabus shows what happens when performance tuners tackle underpowered urban cars. The Brabus Ultimate R is a turbocharged, 112 horsepower version of the Smart ForTwo.

The three-cylinder OEM engine that comes on the car is also tuned to push out up to 150 Nm of torque, which helps the car reach a new 0-100 km/h in a more respectable 9.5 seconds. Top speed is now limited to 170 km/h (106 mph), but the thought of driving a Smart Car at that speed is frightening, to say the least. Other performance upgrades include a new sport suspension, which lowers the car by 30 mm, and more rigid shocks.

Making the Smart look more, well, smart, Brabus added carbon fiber elements inside and out, while giving the vehicle a gun metal gray paint job. Blacked-out double-spoke wheels are wider in back than in the front, and wrapped in high performance tires. An aluminum-tipped stainless-steel dual-exhaust from Brabus is also included. Alcantara-lined sport seats are an interesting addition to a car that is supposed to be for the budget conscious.

Currently on display in Frankfurt, the Brabus Ultimate R has an automatic transmission that also allows a degree of input through the paddle shifters mounted to the new racing wheel. Sitting inside, you will also find a navigation system, radio, and climate control.

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