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Honda

Honda Civic Type R Concept revealed (again)

Honda Civic Type R Concept

Honda has previewed the Civic Type R Concept it will have on display at the Paris Motor Show later this week. And if you think you’ve seen it before, that’s because you have. That “strikinig luminous blue” paint scheme isn’t fooling anyone.

The hype about this new Civic Type R has shifted up a gear, too, with Honda claiming the 2.0 litre turbocharged engine will be the most responsive the company ever made. Yes, even better than the original NSX.

“Honda has had four Type R model derivatives—the Civic, Integra, Accord and NSX,” recalls Suehiro Hasshi, Large Project Leader for the Civic Type R at Honda R&D. “The engine in this new Honda Civic Type R is unrivalled against all of them in terms of raw power, torque and engine response.”

More important than any of that, though, is the fact the 2015 Civic Type R will boast a +R button on the steering wheel. None of those other cars ever had that, did they!

“In default standard mode, the Civic Type R is exceptionally agile, an everyday sports car with an enjoyable and fluid acceleration,” Hasshi-san explained. “The ‘+R’ button brings out a more dynamic and athletic car for the driver, sure to set pulses racing.

“The difference in character is immense. The ‘+R’ mode is extreme; the car is ideal for the track and will be appreciated by the genuine sports-driving enthusiast.”

Other details revealed by Honda include the very pleasing news that the hero hot hatch will be built exclusively with a 6-speed manual gearbox. Handling will be aided by a four-point Adaptive Damper System with a number of settings available depending on the driver’s mood.

The Civic Type R is a pretty cool looking car in concept form and let’s hope Honda stays true to its form when the production model is released next year. We think they will, unlike those numbskulls at Subaru.

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Renault

Renault Megane RS275 Trophy on sale down under

Renault Megane RS275 Trophy

Renault’s latest limited edition example of the Megane hot hatch, the RS275, is now on sale in Australia and it will set you back $52,990. For those playing at home, that’s just $3,090 more than an Audi S1.

In exchange for your money Renault will oblige you with a finely tuned Megane riding on a Cup chassis and now with 202kW on tap from its 2.0 litre turbocharged four pot. You’ll be able to impress your mates by bragging about your Akrapovic exhaust, that’s if they don’t hear you coming first. It’s a Renault, so you get lots of in your face decals too. It must be fast, right, just look at all the pretty stickers!

Only 100 of these RS275 Trophy models will be offered for sale in Australia. It’s okay, though, if you miss out just wait until next year when the next limited edition hot Megane is up for grabs.

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Audi

Audi S1 Sportback: Australian pricing & specs

Audi S1 Sportback

Got a spare $49,900? If so then you can rush down to your closest Audi dealer and buy yourself an S1 Sportback.

When you get there we’re sure you’ll be disappointed to learn that Audi Australia has once again robbed you of the chance to buy your hot hatch in the more appealing three door layout, but at least you can laugh at all those double-clutch schmucks with your very own 6-speed manual gearbox.

Of course, you’ll also have a smile on your face thanks to the 170kW/370Nm 2.0 TFSI engine and a better than the pub critic will ever admit Haldex-based quattro all-wheel drive system stuffed under that pretty funky bodywork.

As is Audi’s wont these days, they’ve gathered up a whole bunch of goodies into special equipment packages. This is cleverly done to prise more money from your wallet while making it look like you’re getting a screaming bargain.

Then, when you’ve taken Audi up on those bargains, paid the nice government folk all their taxes, your $50K hot hatch, which once seemed reasonably priced, is now all of a sudden pushing $65K and you’re left thinking why didn’t I just buy an S3!

Cheekiness aside, we do think the S1 is a proper feisty little bit of kit and we wouldn’t at all object if you put good reason to one side and said, “Yes please Audi, I’ll have me one of those!”

Full details await after the break.

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Green Machines Porsche Video

Porsche 918 drives Manhattan, doesn’t catch fire

Porsche 918 Spyder

Let’s state right off the bat that this clip from Drive, with Mike Spinelli as host, isn’t going to be the most exciting video featuring the Porsche 918 Spyder you will ever see. But at least the hyper hybrid doesn’t catch fire.

Spinelli puts Porsche’s claim that the 918 can do 12 miles (around 20km) in all-electric mode to the test, by driving from the top of Manhattan to the bottom.

[Thanks to John for the tip]

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Oh the humanity Porsche

Porsche 918 Spyder lights my fire

Porsche 918 fire

After the flaming GT3 fiasco the last Porsche needs is the sight of a 918 hyper-hybrid going up in smoke. Alas, that’s exactly what happened to this 918 Spyder in Toronto.

The incident took place at a petrol station and the cause of the inferno is unknown. Let’s hope it remains an isolated incident and that the car itself wasn’t the cause of the blaze.

There’s an amateur video of the 918 fire after the break and if you have sensitive ears nearby make sure you turn the volume down a little.

[Source: Jalopnik | Thanks to Tiaan for the tip]

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MINI Toyota Video

VIDEO: Episode 7 of Project Binky

Project Binky, episode 7

Here’s a great way to start your weekend, the latest episode of Project Binky! The focus of this episode is cooling and even a bit of consideration for modern day crash protection. Not to mention a critique of Jim Morrison’s  music career. As always you will be blown away by the engineering and level of finish on display.

Keep up the awesome work lads!

And did some dickheads really complain about Richard’s wife being in the last episode? Get a brain morans!

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Categories
Volkswagen

Volkswagen Golf Alltrack revealed

Volkswagen Golf Alltrack

Volkswagen, what has taken you so long? The stupid public has been demanding SUV crossovers for years and, finally, in 2014, you guys wake up and give the Golf the Alltrack treatment.

Don’t tell anyone, but we think this is pretty cool and are sheepishly standing in that group we just called the stupid public. It’s a euro Estate, so that’s a tick and with its pleasing styling and extra practicality this would make a very useful addition to any family-friendly car fleet.

Put it this way, we reckon it’s a better option than a Tiguan. And it looks a fair bit nicer than the plain Jane Variant model on which it is based.

The Golf Alltrack has “up to 20mm” more ground clearance and 4motion all-wheel drive to enhance its modest off-r0ad capabilities. Sure it’s never going to rival a proper four-wheel drive, but nobody is claiming that.

When it hits European showrooms in Q2 2015 the baby Alltrack will have four engine options to choose from. There’s a 132kW/280Nm 1.8 litre petrol engine and three TDI engines: 81kW/250Nm 1.6 TDI, 110kW/340Nm 2.0 TDI and 135kW/380Nm.

There’s no word yet from Volkswagen Australia to confirm they will be bringing the Golf Alltrack down under, but they’d be mad not to. A model like this would sell pretty well, don’t you think?

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Ferrari

Ferrari 458 Speciale A revealed

Ferrari 458 Speciale A

The Ferrari 458 has always been one of the best examples of car design, where aggression and elegance are given equal footing. And this convertible version of the incredibly capable 458 Speciale helps to further prove that theory.

You can’t really look this 458 Speciale A and say it is a beautiful car in the same way you can with pretty much any Aston Martin built in the last 15 years or so. The 458 just looks angry, fast and screams “don’t mess with me!” It’s not until you take a closer look at the details that the purity and elegance of the 458 begin to shine.

For example, look at this Speciale A in profile view and admire the way the bodywork creases and folds where the door begins to meet the rear wheel arch. Or in front three-quater view, look at the lower corner and the detailing of the aero package. And, of course, on this open air model, those evocative rollover hoops make this one of the few car designs where you’d be happy to take the convertible over the hardtop. The McLaren 12C Spider is another.

So what of this 458 Speciale A, then, and what is that A for? A is for aperta, Italian for open. Based on its tintop sibling the Speciale A carries over the same fearsome 445kW/540Nm normally aspirated V8, which makes this the most powerful spider Ferrari has ever made. The aluminium roof opens in 14 seconds and the overall weight gain has been kept to a respectable 50kg compared with the regular Speciale.

The 458 Speciale A will be limited to 499 models and I dare say neither you nor I will be one of the lucky owners. More’s the pity.

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Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes-AMG C63 revealed

Mercedes-AMG C63

Mercedes-AMG (as they like to be called these days) has a new 4.0 litre V8 biturbo engine. We saw it first in the AMG GT, and now they’re going about the process of stuffing it into pretty much every model they make that’s bigger than an A Class.

With the forthcoming Paris Motor Show the C Class has been given the AMG treatment, which brings us to this new C63 model. We like this a lot, because it means we can get off on another stupidly fast estate. There is a C63 sedan, of course—and coupé and Black Series models will no doubt follow soon—but right now we couldn’t imagine being in a cooler place than the driver’s seat of an AMG C63 Estate.

There’s two states of tune for the latest C63; the standard model has 350kW/650Nm, while the C63 S is beefed up to 375kW/700Nm. Interestingly that’s an extra 50Nm than the AMG GT S.

When coupled to the MCT 7-Speed transmission you’ll get yourself to 100km/h somewhere in between 4.0 and 4.2 seconds, depending on the model chosen. All models have a limited top speed of 250km/h.

From the outside this new C Class looks pretty good, especially with its fancy pants AMG body kit in place. But the inside, well, we wouldn’t knock back the car if someone gave us one, but the interior is a clear weak point in this car.

What do you think?

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Audi

2015 Audi TT Roadster revealed

2015 Audi TT Roadster

Ahead of next week’s Paris Motor Show, Audi has revealed images and details for its new TT and TTS Roadster models. This follows the launch of the third-generation TT at Geneva in March this year.

That means, with the exception of the open air view, we already know what to expect with this latest TT example. So let’s focus on the convertible roof for a moment. Made from magnesium, aluminum, steel and plastic the roof weighs 39kg, which is 3kg less than the previous model.

You need just 10 seconds to open the electronically controlled roof and the same amount to close it. You can do this while the car is motion, too, at speeds up to 50km/h. All you really need to do is decide which colour you’d like your fabric roof to be. You can choose from the obvious black, the less obvious titanium gray and and the positively funky sounding jive.

The TT Roadster goes on sale in Europe later this year and you can expect to see it in Australian showrooms after mid-2015.

There’s more details for you after the break, including images of the TTS Roadster; it’s the yellow one. As you would expect the TTS has a slightly more aggressive body kit to complement its range-topping 228kW/380Nm 2.0 litre TFSI engine.

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Caterham F1 in pictures Ferrari Lotus McLaren Mercedes-Benz Red Bull Racing Toro Rosso

2014 Singapore Grand Prix in pictures

2014 Singapore Grand Prix

Victory at the Singapore Grand Prix makes it two wins in a row for Lewis Hamilton and with that he has put himself atop the drivers’ championship standings. No wonder he has such a smug look on his face.

At least Lewis has stopped pulling his hair out over the frustration of mechanical failures. Or has he?

You can see all that and more with our gallery of images below, some of which do literally contain the bright lights of Singapore.

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Formula 1 Porsche Red Bull Racing WEC

Mark Webber: LMP1 v F1

2014 6 Hours of COTA

As the only man to compete on the Circuit of Americas in both the World Endurance Championship and Formula 1 Mark Webber took some time out on the weekend to share his thoughts on the two categories.

Downforce

LMP1’s just a bit heavier … I need to be a little bit more patient with the car, [the] F1 car’s obviously a very light and nimble [car], downforce is the biggest difference.

More downforce on the F1 car, obviously that makes it probably more precise, a lot more load on the driver, but yeah, it’s just that downforce is a big factor on a track like this but then also power wise, we have probably more power with the Porsche.

Tyres

There’s no contest there, Michelin is a real racing tyre, Pirelli was for show business in Formula 1. These are real racing tyres so it’s a tyre which all the drivers can enjoy, which was backed up when Andre Lotterer raced [for Caterham] in Spa and he was very surprised at how the grip level was very very low on Pirelli and the Michelin tyre gives a lot of grip for a long time.

Which is best, LMP1 or F1?

They’re just different categories, I think the F1 car as a driver you want to go quick as possible, so that was the ultimate machine. I never got to drive an F1 car here when F1 was at its peak, obviously it dropped off in the last few years in terms of pace because of the regulation but when it was at it’s peak in the mid 2000s it would be a really good track.

[Source: motorsport.com]