Fiat launches the fourth version of 500

Fiat has released more information about the Elezero (Zero-G) that Auto Sapo already revealed to him first hand. Including the name - will be 500L - and their characteristics, namely, the fact of being just like the 500 as the base will be the Fiat Punto with a length greater than 4 meters.

The success is evident and the 500 at a time when Fiat is struggling to stay afloat, nothing like stress the seam 500 to increase sales. This time is no longer a "pocket rocket" made ​​by the Abarth coupe or a charm, but a compact minivan.

The front of the new product will be equal to the 500 - to give it the air of a family and be able to integrate it in the range - but then everything will be different. Starting with the platform, based on an extended version of the Punto, which gives a length of 4.15 meters (the 500 has 3.54 meters). You will have two versions, one of five places and seven other places that will be even greater about 10 cm.

After the presentation of 500L in Geneva, the five-seat model hit the market in July, coming to America in January 2013. The seven-seat variant will arrive towards the end of the year, with the initial marketing in the U.S.A

Read More

Porsche 911 Turbo will have tri-turbo

The image shows the new 911 Turbo in final testing at the Nurburgring, a model that will come up with a revised engine.

There will be a unique system, because BMW has announced that the new six-cylinder 3.0-liter supercharged diesel will receive triple to motorize, among others, M550d. Porsche's system is the final stage of development, bearing the mark of Zuffenhausen been using previous versions of the new 911 Turbo parallel model.

It was through the patenting what became known triple system supercharged Porsche. Looking to these patents, it is clear that the German brand uses three individual turbos, which is mounted a little close to the engine and is intended to provide torque at low speed, and two more similar to those used in current Borg Warner Turbo 911 current, which take care of the higher maximum power regimes.

With this system, Porsche wants to increase power and torque at low revs, while the power is delivered in a more linear throughout the rev range. In addition, the technicians of the German claim that this supercharging system is more effective in terms of fuel consumption and emissions by offering significant fuel savings.

Read More

The world's smallest car is back

A group of British businessmen established the Peel Engineering, to resurrect the brand Peel. This small British manufacturer was known to have built the world's smallest cars, with less than two meters in length and motorcycle engine.

The Peel P50 is only 1.37 meters long, for a weight of 59 kg. It has one door and only one place to the driver. The Trident measures 1.83 meters and weighs 99 kg, but it has room for a passenger. Both have only three wheels.

Originally equipped only with motorcycle engine, keep the engine base 50 cm3, with 2.5 kW (3.4 hp) of power, which in the P50 gives you an average consumption of 1.35 l/100 km. Alternatively, you can use an electric motor in two versions, with 1.2 kW (1.6 hp) or 3 kW (4 hp) of power and autonomy to 80 km.

What do you think of this wonder?

Read More

BMW will launch a series of front-wheel drive

The new model will not replace, for now, the current 1 Series, but provide an entry-level model, with front engine and the most common technology-based TwinPower Turbo with 3 cylinders and 1.5 liters of cilindrada.No future the current 1 Series can spend a. .. Series 2.

The development of the new model for the 1 Series is entering its final phase and is made parallel to the third generation of the Mini, the Auto Sapo already here showed with images and details.

With this new model to emerge at the end of this year, the current 1 Series may well be replaced or the Coupe and Cabriolet versions pass the Series 2 and five-door hatchback now be offered in variants of front or rear wheel drive.

Read More

Peugeot leaves the program Le Mans

In a terse statement, Peugeot announced the immediate end of your program to Le Mans, thus eliminating the renewed Olivier Quesnel, amassing more than a mythical race victory in the French success in 2009.

The World Endurance Championship today met a strong blow with the announcement of Peugeot's leave with immediate effect, the Le Mans project, also withdrew from that championship, leaving Audi to talk alone.

According to the statement issued, "the decision was taken in the context of a difficult economic environment in Europe, Peugeot has chosen to concentrate its resources in sales in 2012 and trona successful product launches, scheduled for this and future years." It thus evident that the plan proposed by Philippe Varin, CEO of Peugeot in 2011, said that going to reduce costs by 800 million euros, went beyond the 6,000 redundancies, eventually also with the sports program of Peugeot's Le Mans.

Read More

Renault 5 back?

The French brand has confirmed plans for the return of the popular Renault 5 of the seventies, a model that became known as R5, which in its rebirth may take a role similar to the Citroen DS range.

For this French brand is a way to strengthen its presence in the compact, with a model in the line of Fiat 500, Mini and Citroen DS3.

If confirmed, the new R5 will reach the market within two years, based on the same platform of the next generation Clio, which is scheduled for later this year.

Popular model of the seventies can be reborn with a role similar to the range of Citroen DS.

Does the new model will be more successful than the last?

Read More

Car of the Year 2012 with finalists chosen

After much deliberation and an endless list of cars, the jury of the Car of the Year 2011, consisting of 59 members from 22 countries, including Portugal, has selected the short list of seven established.

With the winner to be announced on the opening day of the Geneva International Motor Show, there are seven vehicles that the 59 jurors from 22 countries chose to fight among themselves for assigning the reward "Car of the Year 2011."

Thus, Citroen DS5, Fiat Panda, VW Up, Range Rover Evoque, Ford Focus, Toyota Yaris and Opel Ampera / Chevy Volt, which form the group will leave the replacement of Nissan Leaf, Car of the Year 2011.

Read More

Nissan builds Mercedes motors

2014 will be from the factory of Tennessee, USA, Nissan will start building four-cylinder Mercedes engine, what will be a premiere for the German mark.

In a statement, Dieter Zetsche, CEO of Mercedes, said: "Nissan's plant meets our standards of production and the quality level we require, so it's a win-win situation. In addition, customers are accustomed to different parts come from different vendors, so nothing to worry should. "These words were for the rest of the German consumer, panicked because they knew that their Class C, from 2014 will have engines made by Nissan in the U.S..

Read More

New Stratos will become an Alpine A110?

Ferrari ended any hope of Michael Strosek to produce the brilliant New Stratos, but it seems that Renault wants to help.

Luca di Montzemolo came riding in the car and said he was excited about the project done around the Ferrari F430. This enthusiasm was great, also the promises, but in the end and as usual, Ferrari decided not to cooperate with a brand that produces cars of their rivals. Absolute stupidity of the typical Ferrari that may be used by Renault.

The Auto Sapo already told him every detail of the New Stratos, a car born of the passion of a German businessman who uses the base of the Ferrari F430 under a spectacular body made ​​of carbon fiber by Pininfarina, was developed with the help of Portuguese Tiago Monteiro. The project's called for Ferrari to cooperate in the production of a very limited number of the vehicle, but after Luca di Montzemolo have walked to the car and wonders of the project have said, everything fell apart.

Ferrari, in a very peculiar and incomprehensible attitude, outright rejected any collaboration, as this is a brand that produces vehicles that compete directly with yours. An error, we think, because the base is Ferrari and the car may well be produced in small numbers and help, for example, the image of the Lancia, returning the name Lancia Stratos.

Despite this setback, the men behind the New Stratos arms were not stopped and the latest news say that the talks with Renault are on track and the New Stratos may well end up as a version that will revive the Alpine A110 Berlinetta ...

Read More

Mercedes W100F, virtual prototype

Work of an Argentine name Jorge L. Fernandez, the F100W honors his compatriot Juan Manuel Fangio.
This designer has decided to run for a hobby web site hosted by Argentina Autoblog -. Regardless of the Mercedes - to celebrate the hundredth anniversary of Juan Manuel Fangio, the great plains of the pilot who won five titles of World Champion F.1, some of them behind the wheel of the Mercedes. The W100F Jorge L.

Fernandez was the winner and looking at the pictures, it is acknowledged some details of the W196, the famous silver arrows.
Besides the truly stylish attractive model, the Argentinean designer remembered the practical side and created two versions, the Monza W100F, and W100F competition version Stradale, variant for use on the road.

In the fertile imagination of Jorge Fernandez, the W100F is equipped with a supercharged V8, and the Monza version, the V8 biturbo becomes. A truly spectacular work of Argentina, being now in the hands of the Mercedes look, or not, this modern Silver Arrow with very good aspect and W196, which recalls the famous 1954 and 1955, years in which Juan Manuel Fangio won the world championship of F.1, which also contains two types of bodywork, wheels covered up or discovered.

Read More

Lexus reveals LF-LC in Detroit

This new car is the Lexus brand.
The front is similar to the LF-Gh, prototype unveiled at New York, there are many details borrowed from LFA supercar, especially on the back and the way to the front bumper.

Anyway, after the revelation that will be in Detroit, the planning of LF-LC (LF is for Lexus Future, the LC means coupe) provides for the marketing of the model in 2013/2014, followed by a convertible version will see only the light of day in 2015, taking the place of the SC and being clear rival the Mercedes SL.

What is not known for sure is that this type of engine prototype - where Lexus and Calty work for over a year and a half - will be under the hood. The press release in Japan, says it will be the advanced "Lexus Hybrid Drive" to power the model, while the U.S. release, this detail is omitted.

It is noted that the study and definition of the style was in charge of Calty, the Lexus design company that has been responsible for several prototype Toyota, Lexus and Scion, including the Lexus CT100 h.

Read More