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August 16, 2010

Vauxhall Flextreme GT/E Concept

Filed under: Vauxhall — Tags: , , , — adelia @ 2:01 pm

The overall style and design of the Flextreme GT/E Concept is a further evolution of the Vauxhall design-language first seen in the Insignia and the all-new Astra. The Flextreme GT/E Concept carries many clues to future design elements in Vauxhall cars. Low, road hugging and confident, the Flextreme GT/E Concept is a full 5-door coupé with four, full-size seats.

Front design

At first sight the Flextreme GT/E Conceptmakes an immediately dynamic and efficient impression. Key features include:

  • A small frontal-aspect with transparent lower-grille cover
  • Minimal air-intake area to decrease wind resistance
  • Further-evolved badge and grille
  • Expressive wing-type headlamps to emphasise the sculptured lines.

Profile design

From the side the iconic sculpted profile conveys the welcoming yet sporting nature of the Flextreme GT/E Concept.

Keyfeatures include:

  • Low coupé-like profile, creating optimum, wind-cheating teardrop shape
  • Rear view cameras instead of outer mirrors
  • Rear-hinged FlexDoors®
  • Fingerprint-recognition sensors to replace door handles
  • “Floating” C pillars for longer glazed area
  • Full length glass roof
  • New interpretation of the “blade” side-sculpting first seen on the Insignia.

Rear design

Even a brief glance reveals that the rear treatment is designed with characteristic dynamism.

Key features include:

  • Prominent protective bumpers
  • Broad ’shoulders’
  • Rear lights that echo the unique ‘wing’ motif of the front daylight-running lights.

Adaptive translucent roof

A full-length, glass sunroof makes the interior of the Flextreme GT/E Concept light and airy. It is light-sensitive so that, as the sunlight and heat increase, it darkens protectively.

The sunroof delivers:

  • Controlled natural light and heat
  • Power-saving for the air conditioning
  • A refreshing, naturally lit inner ambience.

FlexDoors® system

Access to the rear seats is made easier by the evolved, unique portal doors first seen on the all-new Meriva. Benefits of the FlexDoors® system include:

  • Front and rear doors open independently of each other
  • Easier rear cabin entry in tight parking spaces.

Electric propulsion is the future, and it’s one that demands new dynamics. The Flextreme GT/E Concept delivers these.

Propulsion technology

The Flextreme GT/E Concept uses an evolution of the Voltec power system of the Vauxhall Ampera, demonstrating that it can be used in large, high-performance cars. The Vauxhall Flextreme GT/E Concept is not a hybrid, but an Extended Range Electric Vehicle (E-REV). This means that it is electrically driven at all times.

Features and benefits include:

  • Near-silent electric power delivering up to 120 kW and 370 Nm torque, or the equivalent of 150 hp right from the start
  • Enabling a 124 mph top speed and 9 seconds 0-60 performance
  • Fuel costs cut drastically
  • Battery charging in 2-3 hours from any household power outlet
  • Up to 37 miles driving range on pure, clean electric power from a 16 kWh lithium-ion battery pack
  • Electro-magnetic brakes for energy recuperation
  • Activating the combustion engine extends the range up to 310 km, while keeping the batteries charged and maintaining the performance until the next recharge
  • With the 1.4 litre, 82 PS engine, running emissions are just 40 g/km CO2 with 176 mpg fuel consumption.
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August 14, 2010

Vauxhall Ampera

Filed under: Vauxhall — Tags: , , — adelia @ 1:46 pm

Sculptural artistry and precision – the Vauxhall Ampera’s sleek aerodynamics contribute to emission-free battery powered driving. No sacrifices for driver or passengers: the Ampera offers the space, comfort, and convenience of a modern car with five doors, four seats and a storage capacity of 300 litres.

The art of aerodynamics

Sporty aerodynamics help maximise the driving range. The airflow around the fascia and outside mirrors has been optimised; the rear has a specifically designed spoiler and clean separation features.

Lightweight materials are used such as clear polycarbonate covers on the front grille and the disk inserts on the 17-inch, five-spoke sport alloy wheels. These help to reduce aerodynamic drag in critical airflow areas.

Vauxhall Ampera - The art of aerodynamics

Sculptural forms and expressive lines

Dramatic, boomerang-like headlights seamlessly integrate with the lower fog lights. The car has a dynamic low stance seen most prominently in the front and tail. The bold new Vauxhall Griffin logo is emblazoned on the front grill and the chrome bar across the back.

Vertical slots in the outboard edges of the rear bumper give the car a low sporty look. Its unique Pearl White Diamond colour with matching rocker panels and rear bumper underline the dynamic appeal of the car.

Opel Ampera - Exterior design

Uncompromised everyday driving comfort

New high quality and high-tech materials set the tone inside the Vauxhall Ampera. It has good all-around vision, a driver-focused cockpit, ample space, head and legroom for 4-adults and a basic luggage volume of over 300 litres.

The interior décor features a unique jetbblack design combined with Spice Red accents and Dark Argent Metallic paint on the instrument panel’s centre stack.

The doors’ design picks up on the car’s electric nature through the use of iconic themes. With an integrated shifter, two information displays and touch-sensitive infotainment centre, the Ampera delivers an all-electronic user experience.

The nearly silent Voltec electric drive unit delivers 370 Nm of instant torque and a top speed of 100 mph. Vauxhall’s revolutionary technology uses electricity as its primary power source and petrol as a secondary power source to generate electricity. The main components of the Voltec electric propulsion system are a T-shaped battery pack, a 111 kW electric drive unit, and an internal combustion-powered electric generator.

A new category of electric driving

The Vauxhall Ampera represents a whole new category of electric driving. In conventional hybrids the wheels are turned by an internal combustion engine, an electric motor, or both. In practice, hybrid vehicles require both sources – engine and battery – to provide full vehicle performance capability.

Vauxhall Ampera - Uncompromised everyday driving

An extended range electric vehicle (E-REV) like the Ampera is different from a hybrid or plug-in hybrid in that the vehicle’s wheels are always propelled by an electric drive unit. The Ampera does not need to use fuel while driving within the 40-mile battery range.

Voltec technology

The lithium ion battery can be charged from a 230V socket in 3hrs and has a range of up to 40 miles delivering zero tailpipe emissions. For longer journeys, unlike other Electric Vehicles (EVs), there is no need to worry about range, as the 1.4ltr combustion engine can let you drive for up to 310 miles. The engine powers the battery, so the wheels are driven by the electric motor at all times.

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August 13, 2010

New Saab 9-5 Sedan

Filed under: Saab — Tags: , , — adelia @ 1:29 pm

The All-New Saab 9-5 Sedan, making its U.S. premiere at the South Florida International Auto Show in Miami, takes center stage on the Saab stand as the Swedish premium brand celebrates the start of new era.

* Progressive Scandinavian design inspired by Aero X and Saab heritage
* Engineered with the driver in focus for segment leading sporty driving experience
* High levels of responsible performance, both environmental and safety
* Most technically advanced Saab with an array of ‘high-tech’ features

Making its North American public debut at the South Florida International Auto Show in Miami, the all-new Saab 9-5 sedan signals the start of a new era for the Saab brand. Sleek, sophisticated and unmistakably Saab, it combines fashion-forward Svenska design with advanced technologies and will bring a fresh alternative choice to the premium sedan segment when sales start later in 2010.

The clean, sculpted shape embraces the purity of Scandinavian design and its dramatic wraparound window graphic echoes Saab’s aviation heritage. With frontal styling inspired by the award-winning Aero X concept car and a muscular, low-slung stance, the new 9-5 heralds the introduction of a bolder, more expressive design direction for Saab.

The array of high-tech features available includes: an aircraft-like head-up information display (Pilot HUD); adaptive lighting (Bi-Xenon Smart Beam); Saab DriveSense adaptive chassis with real-time suspension damping control; keyless entry and starting; tri-zone air conditioning; and Saab XWD with a rear eLSD (electronic limited-slip differential), which provides optimal traction on slippery surfaces, an industry-leading all-wheel-drive system.

“This car is the start of a new era for our brand,” says Jan Åke Jonsson, Saab Automobile’s Managing Director. “We have created an advanced and very distinctive product by leveraging the power of our roots in key areas, such as progressive Scandinavian design, sporty driving and responsible performance. The new 9-5 delivers in all these respects, as will every future product from Saab.”

Scandinavian Design

Forward-looking design that doesn’t ignore where it’s coming from – that sums up the visual appeal of the all-new Saab 9-5 sedan. “We are giving a fresh, very modern expression to some of our classic brand design cues,” says Simon Padian, Saab Brand Design Chief. “We have taken visual themes in our recent concept cars, such as the Aero X, which are inspired by Scandinavian design and our brand’s aircraft heritage.” (more…)

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August 12, 2010

2010 Gumpert Apollo Sport

Filed under: Gumpert — Tags: , , , — adelia @ 1:12 pm

Gumpert unveiled the new 2010 Apollo Sport supercar today at the Geneva Motor Show. The new supercar will be offered in two versions: black and white. The Apollo Sport is powered by a 750 hp engine (an increase of 50 hp over the previous version) mated to a 6-speed sequential transmission that can now shift in a mere 40 milliseconds, with faster gear changes thanks to rocker switches on the steering wheel.

The 2010 Apollo Sports gets a new designed front and tail, LED daytime running lights, a completely re-designed flap-controlled exhaust system and flaps in the tail area.

With its supreme driving performance, the apollo recently became a test champion (Supertest “sports auto”, 11/2009). The new lap record of 7:11.57 minutes recorded on the Nordschleife of the Nuerburgring track is an impressive indication of the super sports car’s claim to be the best. Driving enthusiasts with sporting ambitions will note the improved ergonomics of the vehicle thanks to its extended monocoque and the larger adjustment area of the pedals. “Although the apollo demonstrates its strengths above all on the racetrack, with its optimum aerodynamics and resulting breathtaking curve speed, it is largely suitable for day-to-day use, as proved by tests conducted by a number of independent car magazines. We think of the driver and his comfort…” confirms Roland Gumpert, founder and Managing Director of GUMPERT Sportwagenmanufaktur.

The LED daytime running lights ensure clear conditions in temporary traffic. In the course of reducing the vehicle’s drag coefficient, the front and tail now have a significantly more striking and forceful design, making the apollo seem more aggressive. A completely re-designed flap-controlled exhaust system with two times two tail pipes produces an unmistakeable earthy sound. In addition flaps in the tail area ensure optimised down force, something that has always been a priority of the apollo. The integration of a brand-new reinforced CIMA gearbox (apollo S1000) into the apollo sport now gives it improved reliability in long-distance races. Further innovations in 2010: a considerably improved CD/DVD player sound system and a central flashlight for motor racing on the redesigned tail.

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