Ford Police Interceptor purpose-built to lead market

The all-new, purpose-built Ford Police Interceptor sedan was revealed today, showcasing a car for law enforcement officials that will exceed the durability, safety, performance and fuel economy of the industry’s leading police car – the Ford Crown Victoria – while also confirming production of a Police Interceptor utility vehicle.

Law enforcement improved with new Ford Police Interceptor

Ford, the police vehicle market leader for 15 years, specifically designed and engineered as an all-new Police Interceptor to handle the rigors of police work, including industry-leading powertrain, safety and technology innovations.

Ford will also add a second Police Interceptor to the lineup, a utility vehicle to provide customers a choice of the best vehicle to suit their needs. More details will be released in the third quarter of this year.

“Police nationwide asked for a new kind of weapon in the battle for public safety, and Ford is answering the call with a purpose-built vehicle – engineered and built in America – that’s as dynamic as it is durable,” said Mark Fields, Ford president of The Americas.

To develop the all-new Ford Police Interceptor, Ford engineers worked hand-in-hand with Ford’s Police Advisory Board of law enforcement professionals, which provided input on key vehicle attributes such as safety, performance, durability, driver comfort and functionality.

“Their feedback mattered to us,” said Scott Tobin, Ford vehicle line director for cars and crossovers. “Safety and durability were at the top of their list. So safety and durability were at the top of ours.”

Aprilia RSV4 Voted Sports Bike of the Year

For the second year in a row, European motorcyclists pick the Italian Aprilia RSV4 that made an astonishing debut at the SBK world championship, as their firm favorite for the year.

Aprilia RSV4 voted best of the best

The Aprilia RSV4, the super sport bike that set a new benchmark for engine and chassis performance both on the road and on Superbike world series tracks, was voted the best sports bike of 2010 by motorcyclists from 12 countries.

The Aprilia RSV4’s two road versions “Factory” and “R” won hands-down in a survey among over 100,000 readers of the Italian monthly magazine In Moto and other 11 popular motorcycling magazines: Motorrad (Germany), Motociclismo (Spain), Moto Journal (France), Motoplus (Holland), Töff (Switzerland), Motorevija (Croatia), Motor Revü (Hungary), Motocykl (Czech Republic), Motocykl (Poland), Univers Moto (Romania) and the Brazilian magazine Motociclismo.

The Aprilia RSV4 won the coveted Sports Bike category award with nearly one third of the votes cast by readers, besting other top contenders by over 10%.

The extraordinary 1000 cc bike from Noale scooped yet another international award and its second consecutive Bike of the Year win. As a matter of fact, the Aprilia V4 had been awarded the Bike of Year title in 2009 as well. Another winner was the Aprilia RS 125, that dominated the 125 cc category. Like its bigger sister, the RS 125 won a ground-breaking victory in its category, with 30% of votes cast.

Aprilia RSV4 made its debut in the SBK world championship in the 2009 season. Ridden by Max Biaggi, it conquered one win and other nine podiums and recorded the highest speed ever reached by a Superbike during a race: 329 km/h in Monza.

BMW 5-Series Touring is a special wagon

The new BMW 5-Series Touring is the perfect symbiosis of driving pleasure, efficiency, versatility and sporting elegance. The 4th generation of the Business Touring convinces through powerful design aesthetics, modern premium-level functionality and brand-typical driving dynamics combined with exemplary efficiency.

BMW 5-Series Touring in petrol and diesel variants

The new BMW 5 Series Touring is making its debut with a choice of two straight-six petrol engines as well as a four-cylinder and a six-cylinder diesel. The BMW 520d Touring is powered by a 135 kW four-cylinder turbo diesel power unit featuring an aluminium crankcase and Common Rail direct injection. It is equipped with Auto Start Stop function as a standard feature, and with an average fuel consumption of 5.2 litres/100km and a CO2 emission figure of 137 g/km in an EU test cycle, it achieves the best efficiency in its segment.

The straight-six engine with BMW TwinPower Turbo under the bonnet of the BMW 535i Touring, with High Precision Injection and VALVETRONIC, develops a power output of 225 kW. Maximum power output of the straight-six engine featured in the BMW 523i Touring in lean operation is 150 kW. The BMW 530d Touring features a straight six-cylinder diesel with a 180 kW power output. Thanks to BMW BluePerformance technology it fulfills the EU6 emission standard. All versions of the new BMW 5 Series Touring fully comply with the EU5 requirement.

Travel in style and comfort

Thanks to a multi-functional interior and intelligent detail solutions, the new BMW 5 Series Touring is fully equipped to meet the most diverse demands. The luggage compartment has a capacity of 560 litres. If desired, an increase in capacity to a maximum of 1,670 litres is guaranteed by 40:20:40 split folding rear seats, which are unique in this segment. The backrest angle is variable by up to 11 degrees. The backrest can be folded down using two control levers inside the luggage compartment, the loading space cover of which is automatically lowered when the tailgate is closed. The separately opening rear window automatically swings upwards at the push of a button.

 

BMW Golfsport Collection for golf enthusiasts

For avid golfers, there is no wrong time of the year – maybe just the wrong latitude. But no matter where in the world BMW enthusiasts tee off, their favorite brand always comes along as a trusty companion. With the BMW Golfsport Collection, you’ll have the proper gear for any course. After all, most of the products in this line were developed and produced in collaboration with golf specialist OGIO. The result is uncompromisingly good quality and a design that offers the best of both style and function.

BMW Golfsport Collection for serious golfers

A true globetrotter was created in collaboration with OGIO as part of the BMW golf equipment, the golf bag. Made of black nylon with white and silver accent colors, the nine-inch bag provides ample storage space with many compartments for golf balls and scorecards. It also features a weatherproof, well-lined compartment for valuables. The bag’s main compartment has a soft rubberized edge to protect the clubs.

Golfers will also appreciate the beverage compartment, the three-ball dispenser, as well as the anti-twist cart strap for securing the bag to the cart or buggy. Whatever the destination, the bag always flies first class if encased in the golf travel cover made of black nylon, with an inner strap for securing bags, PVC floor, inline skate wheels, and a padded shoulder strap. And for your head, the golf cap in white or black, with pre-curved sandwich peak, adjustable strap in the back, and BMW pin.

BMW golf umbrellas will keep you dry 

St. Andrews, Scotland. The Old Course is considered the birthplace of golf, and everyone should play here at least once in his or her life. But it’s only the legendary course that should give you goose bumps, not the proverbial Scottish weather. Luckily, the BMW Golfsport Collection also includes umbrellas. Very fashionable (white with green contrasting stripes) and gentlemanly elegant (black with contrasting stripes in silver and white), these classy umbrellas will brave any Highland shower.

The black umbrella featuring Teflon-coated polyester also comes in handy under beautiful sunny skies, with a UV protection of 50+, it provides a shady spot on the green when used as a sunshade. The umbrella is light and extremely robust thanks to the original birdiepal Windflex frame with fiberglass struts. In fact, engineers at the technical inspection authority TÜV Rheinland were unable to damage it in a wind tunnel test. It has a pin-spring system for convenient opening, a reinforced shaft, and a patented safety tip.

Both umbrellas include a protective sleeve and provide a generous coverage area thanks to a diameter of approximately 120 cm and a height of 98 cm.

Car sales for February 2010 show increase

As noted in previous articles, the car industry is making an impressive recovery from last year’s recession. Car sales figures for almost all of the major brands are on the rise since late last year and things don’t seem to be slowing down.

Consumers are having an easier time spending and there is far less fear regarding the economy and the automobile market. This is great news for car dealerships who really had a hard time in 2009 with really low sales figures and little consumer interest.

February’s car sales figures continue the upward trend though, and many of the big manufacturers are noting impressive continued increases. The new and used car market seems to have made a complete recovery and the future looks bright, especially for these 3 major brands.

BMW Car sales increase 14.0 percent

The BMW Group once again improved sales volumes substantially in February of this year. A total of 91,758 BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce automobiles were delivered to customers (prev. yr. 80,474) – representing an increase of 14.0%. The figure for the year to the end of February was 173,911 units – 15.3% higher than the previous year (150,893). Source: BMW

 

Audi car sales maintains strong growth

Mar 8, 2010 – AUDI AG reports worldwide sales of around 75.900 automobiles in February. The sales tally for the month is thus 19.9 percent up on February 2009. For the first two months of the year combined, unit sales by the Ingolstadt-based brand showed a rise of 28.7 percent on the prior-year period. Source: Audi

Mercedes-Benz car sales up by 13 percent

In February, Mercedes-Benz was once again able to continue its momentum of the past months, with sales increasing by 13 percent to 72,100 vehicles (February 2009: 63,600). As a result, the total number of deliveries has risen by 18 percent since the beginning of the year. Source: Mercedes-Benz

The fact remains that these brands are so big it really takes something huge for their sales to drop. This did happen during 2009 but they have rebounded with force and are once again thriving in the new and used car market. Along with Volkswagen, these 4 German car makers are hugely popular in South Africa and as usual you can find a comprehensive list of their cars at Cars.co.za

Alfa Romeo Spider 2.2 JTS from R6,850.00 pm

Drive an Alfa Romeo Spider 2.2 from R6850.00 per month Terms and conditions apply*.

The terms of this payment plan are as follows: R6850.00 per month – 10% deposit – 25% balloon payment – Linked Rate – 60 months – Finance subject to bank approval – Mandatory insurances are not included. Alfa Romeo Financial Services is a division of Wesbank – A division of First Rand Bank Ltd. An Authorised Financial Services and Credit Provider. NCRCP20

Terms and conditions apply, offer valid while stocks last, offer ends 30 April 2010.

Opinion on Alfa Romeo Spider offer

This is rather a strange approach from Alfa, as these kind of special offers are usually reserved for slightly cheaper cars, advertising for only R1000/month or R2000/month etc. From first glance this doesn’t look like the greatest offer as R6800/pm is quite heavy, also noted is the Alfa Romeo Spider 3.2 for R8500/pm which is even heavier on the wallet.

The Alfa Romeo Spider is styling and a pleasure to drive but anyone looking for some kind of bargain is probably better off picking up a second hand version. There will be 70 000 to 80 000 on the clock but the money saved will be huge. I imagine anyone looking to buy an Alfa Romeo Spider new probably isn’t too worried about the price in the first place, so I don’t see Alfa’s target with this kind of a special.

New Mercedes-Benz E-Class Cabriolet unleashed

The new Mercedes-Benz E-Class Cabriolet is the latest addition to the E-Class family. The open-top two-door model, deliveries of which start from 27 March, features a classic fabric soft top, making for a stylistically pure cabriolet feeling. Viewed from the side, the new model is an intriguing proposition – with its clear proportions and a flawless cabriolet silhouette.

All seasons possible for new Mercedes-Benz E-Class Cabriolet

In keeping with the motto “four seasons, four passengers”, all-year-round suitability was right at the top of the developers’ list of priorities. With the new Mercedes-Benz E-Class Cabriolet, the cabriolet season lasts the whole year because, while many cabriolets tend to disappear from the roads of Western Europe in the autumn, the Mercedes-Benz E-Class Cabriolet (length/breadth/height: 4698/1786/1402 mm) provides driving pleasure and comfort whether the roof is open or closed.

New features include:

AIRCAP® automatic draught-stop: always on board and easily controllable at the push of a button, it reduces turbulence substantially for all four seat occupants

Modified AIRSCARF® neck-level heating system

Acoustic soft top fitted as standard

The soft top can be opened and closed fully automatically within 20 seconds – even when driving at speeds of up to 40 km/h. The cabriolet roof is stowed in a special compartment behind the rear panel. A retractable cover separates the soft top compartment from the boot area; this cover must be closed in order to close the soft top. If the roof is to remain closed, the cover can be slid rearwards, in which case the boot capacity is increased by 90 litres to 390 litres. A through-loading feature is included as standard for the new Cabriolet, as is EASY-ENTRY – a manually operated entry and exit aid for the rear passengers.

Rockstar Makita Suzuki Podiums in Daytona

Rockstar Makita Suzuki again made its way to the podium in both the Supercross and the Eastern Regional Lites classes at the Daytona round of racing. With both Ryan Dungey and Austin Stroupe nabbing the second spots in their races, the team is making its intentions to win championships abundantly clear.

Big results for Rockstar Makita Suzuki

Dungey put together 20 fast laps in the Supercross main event after winning his heat race. Dungey came out of the gate third and had his work cut out for him trying to pass his way into the top spot. By the end of the phenomenal race, on the track designed by Ricky Carmichael, Dungey crossed the finish line in second and holds tight to his lead in the overall points standing. “I felt great, but I needed to get a little bit of a better start,” Dungey said. “I felt great, the team did a great job, and we have a great setup, but I came up a little short. Fitness-wise and bike setup-wise, I felt awesome.”

In the highly competitive Eastern Regional Lites class, two riders have been dominating this season and one of them is Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Austin Stroupe. Stroupe got the holeshot in the Lites main event and battled for the entire 15-lap race to stay out front. Stroupe ended up getting second, which places him securely in the second spot in points for the class. “I felt good; it was a tough track but I rode to another second place,” Stroupe said. “It’s getting a little old, but hey, I’d rather be here than DNFing. I’m building on a lot of things I’ve lacked the last two years, so the team is helping me and we’re working together. I’m ready to race every weekend.”

A new addition to the team, Ryan Morais, has been added to race the RM-Z450 in the Supercross class. Morais is contesting the Western Regional Lites class, but on the East Coast races he’ll be aboard the fuel-injected 450. In his first Supercross-class race of the season, Morais battled a few early-race mishaps to finish 10th. “Daytona is always a tough race and I wanted to come out of this race safe and in the top 10,” Morais said. “I feel like I could’ve done better, but I’ll build off of it and get better from here on out.”

Look for Rockstar Makita Suzuki to be perched on top of the podium next week when the series travels to Toronto.

New Ferrari 599XX conquers international media

Maranello, 4 March – Just a couple of days before her official debut – on the Homestead circuit (Miami) on 13 and 14 March – the new Ferrari 599XX is already the international media’s darling. This extreme non-homologated supercar, planned for exclusive use on the track, is a proper high-tech lab car Ferrari fitted with a series of extremely innovative solutions.

New Ferrari 599XX gets positive media coverage

Journalists from all over the world agree that the new Ferrari 599XX is the true implementation of the Ferrari philosophy of technology transfer from F1 to cars with wheel cases, with the highest expression of sportiness on the race track. Thanks to the 599XX’s sophisticated content, the Quattroruote specialist magazine writes, it is a car “made and thought to reach just one objective: going faster.”

The German Sport Auto points out that the new Ferrari 599XX allows “even non-professional drivers to exploit the car’s potential for the pleasure of one’s senses,” underlining the capacity of the technicians from Maranello to build a car with extreme potential, guaranteeing extraordinary driving emotions and driving pleasure at the same time, while Autocar, the British weekly with its numerous international editions, writes in its typical British style, that the new Ferrari 599XX and the experience one makes with it, are absolutely priceless.

Audi R8 Spyder 5.2 FSI quattro revealed

INGOLSTADT, Germany, Mar 4, 2010 – Fascination taken to a new level of intensity: The Audi R8 Spyder 5.2 FSI quattro combines breathtaking performance with the experience of open- top driving. The 386 kW (525 hp) V10 engine accelerates the high- performance sports car with the lightweight cloth top to 100 km/h (62.14 mph) in 4.1 seconds on its way to a top speed of 313 km/h (194.49 mph). The Audi R8 Spyder 5.2 FSI quattro features a fascinating package of technologies, including the Audi Space Frame (ASF) made of aluminum and carbon fiber composite, quattro permanent all-wheel drive, LED headlights and the innovative seatbelt microphone.

Audi R8 Spyder is a Lean Machine

The Audi R8 Spyder 5.2 FSI quattro captivates from the very first glance. Its lines offer a unique interpretation of the dynamics and emotion of a high-performance sports car. Two distinctive silver cowls, into which the large air intake openings are integrated, give the long back a powerful profile. Unlike the Coupé, the Audi R8 Spyder has classic air intakes behind the doors. The rear side panels and the large cover over the storage compartment for the cloth top are made of a carbon fiber composite.

TheAudi R8 Spyder 5.2 FSI quattro sports a cloth soft top in classic Audi style. The soft top’s approximate weight is a mere 42 kilograms (92.59 lb); it thus keeps the vehicle’s total weight and center of gravity low. When closed it melds harmoniously into the design line – it ends in two slim fins that extend toward the rear and have a contour similar to that of the Coupé hard top.

The top is suitable without restriction for high-speed driving and is quiet. With the standard electrohydraulic motor, the top opens and closes within 19 seconds, even while driving at speeds up to 50 km/h (31.07 mph). The heated glass window is integrated separately into the bulkhead and can be raised and lowered via a switch with the soft top up or down. Audi also provides a wind deflector that can be installed in just two steps.

The bulkhead includes integrated rollover protection in the form of two pretensioned plates. The aluminum Audi Space Frame (ASF) body of the R8 Spyder is reinforced at important locations, yet it tips the scales at a mere 216 kilograms (476.20 lb) – just six kilograms (13.23 lb) more than the Coupé. Equipped with a manual transmission, the high-performance sports car weighs only 1,720 kilograms (3,791.95 lb).

Performance

The new top-of-the-range Audi R8 Spyder offers incredible performance. The free-breathing V10 with the aluminum crankcase features direct gasoline injection. The 12.5:1 compression ratio that the FSI concept enables contributes to the high performance and good efficiency. Dry sump lubrication, another motorsport technology, ensures the reliable supply of oil even at the maximum lateral and longitudinal acceleration.

The 5.2-liter engine produces 530 Nm (390.91 lb-ft) of torque at 6,500 rpm and 368 kW (525 hp) at 8,000 rpm. Its specific power output is 100.9 hp per liter of displacement; each hp only needs to move 3.3 kilograms (7.28 lb) of weight. The R8 Spyder 5.2 FSI quattro accelerates from zero to 100 km/h (62.14 mph) in 4.1 seconds on its way to a top speed of 313 km/h (194.49 mph). The engine offers amazing thrust and hangs tenaciously on the throttle in every situation accompanied by that unmistakable ten-cylinder Audi sound.