Cars Design Style: April 2010

Friday, April 30, 2010

New Mercedes-Benz SLK300 Wallpaper

New MINI Countryman Details And Gallery - More popular in Europe

Earlier we posted up three leaked images of the MINI Countryman ; now BMW has released full information and a complete gallery of the MINI brand’s fourth model. The Countryman crossover is MINI’s first four-door and first four-wheel drive vehicle – ALL4 all-wheel drive is an option. But don’t worry, the brand’s famed “go-kart feeling” is retained, BMW claims.

A choice of three petrol and two diesel engines are available, all Euro 5 compliant. The 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine in the Cooper S combines fully variable valve management (Valvetronic) with a twin-scroll turbocharger and direct fuel injection for the first time, making 184 bhp and 240 Nm (260 Nm on overboost). 0-100 km/h is done in 7.6 seconds while top speed is 215 km/h. The 122 bhp/160 Nm naturally aspirated engine in the Cooper is good for 0-100 km/h in 10.5 seconds and a 190 km/h top speed. The entry level MINI One Countryman comes with an uninspiring 98 bhp and 153 Nm – vital stats are 12.7 seconds to 100 km/h and a 175 km/h top speed.

More popular in Europe will be the Cooper D, its variable turbine geometry equipped commonrail turbodiesel pushing out 112 bhp and a stout 270 Nm. 0-100 km/h in 10.9 sec and top speed of 180 km/h looks plain on paper, but real world performance should be great, as is the 22.7 km/l fuel consumption. Also available is the One D, with 90 bhp/215 Nm.

All versions come with a six-speed manual as standard. Petrol variants can be had with a six-speed Steptronic auto with steering shift paddles.

The optional permanent ALL4 all-wheel drive employs an electrohydraulic differential that sends up to 50 per cent power to the rear wheels in normal conditions, and up to 100 per cent under extreme conditions. The suspension is made up of front McPherson struts and forged track control arms to reduce torque steer and rear multi-link units. All versions can be had with sports suspension that lowers ride height by 10mm. The steering is an EPS system with Servotronic. BMW says that a range of John Cooper Works Performance Components will be available.

Inside, MINI highlights the Center Rail, an illuminated platform that runs the length of the cabin, allowing occupants to personalise their own space by clipping on holders, bins and armrests, besides plugging in audio or communication devices. The Center Rail ends after the front seats if you specify the three-seat rear bench (at no extra cost, four seats are standard).

And how big is the Countryman exactly? It measures 4,097mm, almost 400mm longer than a MINI hatchback while the wheelbase is 2,595mm, about the length of a C-segment saloon’s. Boot volume is 350 litres, expandable to 1,170 litres by folding the rear seats.

Volkswagen Set For Podium Clean Sweep - top three positions in the 2010 Dakar

Volkswagen looks set to make a clean sweep of the top three positions in the 2010 Dakar, as the “World’s Toughest Race” enters its final stage from San Rafael to Buenos Aires, the finish point. In the overall lead after 13 stages is VW’s former WRC champion Carlos Sainz, but he’s only leading teammate Nasser Al-Attiyah by just two minutes and 48 seconds. American Mark Miller looks to have secured the final podium spot – he is over 31 minutes behind Sainz but almost two hours ahead of Stephane Peterhansel, the highest placed X-Raid BMW driver in fourth.

The penultimate stage was won by nine-time Dakar winner Peterhansel. With that, the Frenchman has won four stages in this year’s race, extending his record of stage victories to 55. The relatively smooth and fast wrap up stage will start today evening in South America.

New Edition Models Of BMW For CNY 2010

BMW is offering a total of 7 limited edition models for the upcoming Chinese New Year Celebrations. Four are from the 3-Series range and three are from the 5-Series range. You can check them out this weekend at the CNY@BMW dealership event at all BMW dealerships. I’ll be going to the one closest to my home – Auto Bavaria Sg Besi, to snap some live photos.

The E90 range consists of the BMW 320i Lifestyle Edition, the BMW 320i Performance Edition, the BMW 320d Performance Edition and the BMW 325i Performance Edition. Each Performance Edition variant of limited to 48 units each. I don’t really have much info on the Lifestyle Edition at this point.

You basically get BMW Performance accent strips and a black front grille for a sportier look. On the inside, you get BMW Performance gear levers which are wrapped with Alcantara and Walkanappa leather with a chrome strip on top, and a BMW Performance handbrake grip in Alcantara leather. Finally, there’s a set of aluminium pedals and footrest.

New Mazda5 Previewed - forced to wear the new look

New Mazda5 Previewed

This is a case of when, not if. With the entire Mazda range adopting the big smiley corporate face, it was only a matter of time before the Mazda5 (Premacy in some markets) was forced to wear the new look. Like what you see?
The new Mazda5 will be unveiled at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show in March. Embracing “dynamic and elegant Nagare design”, it emits about 15 per cent less CO2 than the current model thanks to Mazda’s “i-stop” system, a new 2.0-litre direct injection petrol engine (paired with a six-speed manual for Europe) plus other measures. The Hiroshima based carmaker also claims a more comfortable ride, perhaps by retuning the suspension.
Mazda says that the 5 is the first production model to fully adopt its Nagare design language. Besides the Mazda3 style front end, there are other familiar Mazda cues such as the sculpted wheelarches, but the MPV’s flanks get wavy lines only seen on Mazda’s concepts prior to this. Nagare means flow in Japanese, and there’s certainly plenty of flow in the shape of the new 5. Inside, the dashboard design mimics the 3 and is more driver centric now.