Mercedes-Benz F 800 Style the sedan of tomorrow

The Mercedes-Benz F 800 Style is a synthesis of green technology and stylish-sporty design and impressively demonstrates Mercedes-Benz’ ability to harmonize automobile fascination and emotion with the continually increasing demands of environmental compatibility. Like its predecessor, the F 700 presented at the 2007 IAA motor show, the latest research vehicle from the brand with the star offers a clear idea of what we can expect in the future from premium automobiles “made by Mercedes-Benz.” Whereas the 5.18-meter F 700 provided a preview of the large touring sedan of the future, the much shorter F 800 Style (4.75 meters exterior length) points the way toward developments to come in the upper-range sedan segment.

Looking to the future in the Mercedes-Benz F 800 Style

“The F 800 Style combines the functionality of a groundbreaking upper-class sedan with the highly emotional formal idiom of the new Mercedes-Benz design,” says Mercedes-Benz Head of Design Gorden Wagener. “The long wheelbase and the model’s intelligent interior design ensure a generous amount of space and great freedom of movement for five occupants. The result is a distinctive harmony of form and function, whereby the Mercedes brand value of ‘cultivated sportiness’ can be seen and felt in every detail.”

With a total length of 4.75 meters, the Mercedes-Benz F 800 Style has both a longer wheelbase (2,924 millimeters) and a greater width (1,938 millimeters) than today’s upper-range sedans. All of the components of the vehicle’s extremely efficient and environmentally compatible alternative drive system (either Plug-in Hybrid or fuel cell drive) are installed in a space-saving manner in the engine compartment and in the gaps within the chassis. As a result, the entire interior space is preserved and offers plenty of room for up to five occupants.

Top car brands to impress at Geneva Motor Show

With the 80th Geneva Motor Show just around the corner (Starting on the 4th of March) we can expect to see a host of new information regarding many of the top car brands from around the world. As a sneak peak, here is some information from Ford, BMW and Nissan regarding what they will be showcasing at the event.

Top car brands take to world stage

BMW at Geneva Motor Show

The 2010 Geneva Motor Show also provides the appropriate setting for the European debut of the BMW Concept ActiveE. Based on the BMW 1-Series Coupé, this concept car comes with all-electric drive and innovative electric storage technology optimising both the range the car is able to cover as well as its supreme standard of functionality.

The BMW Concept ActiveE thus combines emission-free motoring with four seats and luggage capacity of approximately 200 litres. With its agility and driving pleasure so typical of the brand, the car offers all the electro-mobility one would expect of a trendsetter like BMW.

Nissan at Geneva Motor Show

Designed to bring a breath of fresh air to the B-segment, where customers are uninspired by the lack of originality on offer, Juke is a distinctive combination of SUV toughness and sporting style in a compact package.

It will be the third member of Nissan’s crossover family, reinforcing the company’s position as a pioneer of this increasingly popular configuration of vehicle.

The top of the range Nissan Juke will come with a new turbocharged direct injection petrol engine, developing 140kW and 240 Nm.

The 1.6 direct injection turbo engine is available with Nissan’s ALL-MODE 4×4-i system, updated to include torque-vectoring technology. As well splitting torque front to rear – up to a maximum of 50:50 – it can now be split from side-to-side across the rear axle too, enhancing agility and reducing understeer when cornering.

Ford at Geneva Motor Show

The all-new Ford C-MAX and Grand C-MAX, which go on sale later this year, will provide two of Ford’s star attractions at the Geneva Motor Show, bringing new levels of style and desirability to the compact Multi-Activity Vehicle (MAV) market.

Ford’s C-segment MAV customers now have the choice of a 5-seat C-MAX or 7-seat Grand C-MAX, which features twin sliding doors and innovative seat design to provide outstanding space and flexibility. The interior of the 5-seat C-MAX will be revealed for the first time at the Geneva Motor Show.

The all-new C-MAX cockpit will represent the next generation of Ford’s human machine interface (HMI) system. Key elements of this technology are two five-way toggle switches on the steering wheel, which control two main vehicle displays: one in the instrument cluster and the second mounted in a high position in the centre console. This simple, intuitive control system enables the driver to operate the key vehicle features while keeping both hands on the wheel, and with a minimum distraction.

“The launch of the new C-MAX range is highly significant, and shows customers worldwide that they can expect some truly exciting designs as we roll out our new global range of medium cars,” said John Fleming, Chairman and CEO of Ford of Europe”. “The new C-MAX is just the start – with the next-generation Focus coming quickly after, we look forward to revealing more of the story in the very near future.”

BMW F 800 GS is Triple Crown Winner

“In 3000 miles of riding the BMW F 800 GS nothing broke, came loose or rattled off. Heck, the mirrors didn’t even loosen over hundreds of off-road miles. My conclusion is the F 800 GS has written a very important chapter in the adventure bike rulebook. That git-er-done engine, with its spirited exhaust snarl, is like everybody’s favorite, diehard DJ who keeps the party going.”

 Impressive trifecta win in 2009 for the BMW F 800 GS

– “Motorcycle of the Year” from Rider Magazine
– “Best Adventure Bike” in 2009 from Motorcyclist Magazine
– “Best Dual-Sport Bike” for 2009 from Cycle World Magazine

On the heels of being named 2009 “Motorcycle of the Year” by Rider Magazine and “Best Dual-Sport Bike” for 2009 from Cycle World, BMW’s highly popular F 800 GS adventure tourer has earned a third prestigious honor by the Motorcyclist magazine as the “Best Adventure Bike” in 2009. The latest accolade was announced recently at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Salinas, CA.

With a lightweight design and eye-popping power, the F 800 GS is the most off-road oriented GS ever built. A vertical parallel-twin engine, based on the proven F 800 ST platform, offers 85 horses and 62 ft-lb of torque, delivering startling speed and acceleration.

Add a dry weight of just 392 lbs, switchable ABS, wide foot rests and a below-the-seat gas tank for a very low center of gravity, and the F 800 GS is a dual-sport bike with amazing handling and all the prowess of a GS in a lighter package.

Visit your favorite BMW dealer and take a F 800 GS for an extended demo ride and find out for yourself why it’s one of the most popular BMW’s ever launched.

“We rode the F 800 GS all day, covering over 100 miles of dirt road between Grand Junction, Colorado and Moab, Utah. The most severe sections were rocky jeep roads and shallow water crossings, but most of it was relatively smooth dirt. We can’t imagine a better bike for that. The power is excellent. It comes on low and strong, making the bike absolutely a gas in a high-speed drift.” – Dirt Bike

Most popular used car brands on Cars.co.za

As the business hub of South Africa, Gauteng has no shortage of high LSM residents. This additional spending power is often visible in the cars that residents of South Africa’s smallest province choose to drive. Gauteng has however not been completely oblivious to the effects of the global recession, and with the realization that money is a precious commodity, more locals of the Golden province are looking to invest in quality used cars as apposed to splashing out on fancy new cars.

Cars.co.za has a selection of over 3000 used cars for sale in Gauteng. Naturally this makes us a great place for Gauteng residents to find the ideal second hand car. January 2010 saw a huge increase in users visiting the website and below is a chart representing the most popular used car brands in Gauteng for the month:

Most Popular Used Car Brands in Gauteng – Search Percentages

16% – Volkswagen
14% – Toyota
13% – Not Specified
8% – BMW
8% – Opel
6% – Ford
5% – Audi
3% – Nissan

Table: Cars.co.za – Gauteng Top Brands Search Percentage

2010 sees Volkswagen continue to build on their ever growing popularity. Volkswagen used cars in Gauteng have moved from a previous solid second place to a convincing top spot amongst Gauteng used car browsers. The dominance of both the Volkswagen Polo and Volkswagen Golf brands contributed largely to the success of the Volkswagen brand within the online used car sector.

Whilst Toyota has dropped from the coveted top spot, the brand has still increased in overall searches and command a solid second place on the Gautend used car brand popularity rankings. Toyota used cars for sale in Gauteng still attract a huge number of potential buyers. The Toyota Yaris is the most popular model under the Toyota used car banner.

BMW maintains its consistent third place in the used car section on Cars.co.za. BMW being the highest ranking luxury car manufacturer is still a favourite amongst used car buyers in Gauteng. Second hand BMW cars for sale in Gauteng still constitute 8% of the search volume experienced over January 2010 on Cars.co.za, no small feat for a high end manufacturer, only in Gauteng!

Opel has been a strong performer in 2010 and has moved up through the brand rankings. Pre-owned Opel cars are increasing in popularity in Gauteng according to the huge increase in search volume experienced on Cars.co.za during January 2010. Cars.co.za has in excess of 300 Opel used cars for sale in Gauteng, largely comprised of the ever popular Opel Corsa.

Audi, Ford and Nissan have all increased consistently with Gauteng brand averages over January 2010. Ford used cars for sale in Gauteng have dropped a single position below Opel in the brand rankings, but maintained a top 5 position. Audi and Nissan have maintained their positions from last year.

Cars.co.za Awards

Biggest Increase in search volume: Volkswagen

Most used cars for sale in Gauteng: Volkswagen

Gauteng’s top manufacturer: Volkswagen

All stats are generated from the Cars.co.za website

Click here to view our full stock list of second hand cars for sale in Gauteng

Smart Drive App for iPhone Released

Smart is the first car brand to develop its own Smart Drive App for the iPhone. Together with the vehicle-specific smart cradle for the iPhone the popular phone becomes a multimedia trip computer that is optimised for the smart fortwo in terms of function and design. The Smart Drive App for the iPhone has all the important features needed whilst driving: phone calls via hands-free system, your own extensive music collection, internet radio and a clever navigation system with a special smart touch.

Smart Drive App comes with clever features

There are also smart extras – for example the Car Finder that will guide you back to wherever you parked your car. The new Smart Drive App for the iPhone boasts an outstanding design and is simple to operate thanks to extra large buttons. The new app makes urban mobility even easier and more fun – the declared objective of smart’s philosophy.

* The smart cradle for the iPhone with control unit and microphone serves as a stylish and functional holder. It charges the iPhone and also functions as a hands-free system using the loudspeakers of the smart radio for sound output and automatically muting it when phone calls are made.
* The Smart Drive App for the iPhone is the world’s first drive app on the market to be developed by a car brand. It combines all the features needed on the road in a single app. All the functions are extremely easy to use thanks to extra-large buttons and extra-large letters.

Volkswagen Cross Polo ready for market launch

The Volkswagen Cross Polo is going to market and forms part of VW’s long list of new vehicle models. The ever-popular VW Polo just keeps getting improved and revamped and this time around the Polo has been turned into a “lifestyle” SUV that is the Cross Polo.

Volkswagen Cross Polo for the great outdoors

The riding height of the Volkswagen Cross Polo has been raised compared to the normal Polo, along with 17-inch wheels and tyres. The roof-racks complete the SUV-look and give the Cross Polo a true rugged and off-road feel.

Much of the interior has received leather stitch-styling, along with aluminium pedals and chrome styling. The Volkswagen Cross Polo comes standard with a 6-speed manual gearbox but other options include a 7-speed DSG.

The Volkswagen Cross Polo will go on sale in Germany in May, followed by the rest of Europe and Japan.

Ferrari 458 Italia conquers Los Angeles Times

Maranello, 15 February – The positive driving impressions by journalists testing the Ferrari 458 Italia continue. The latest is Pulitzer Prize winner Dan Neil, who writes about the Ferrari 458 Italia for the Los Angeles Times, describing the car, its innovations and aesthetic characteristics in the most positive words. The US-journalist especially appreciates the new steering wheels ergonomics with the main commands: “brilliant, completely intuitive and ergonomic and so much better than conventional stalks on the column I’m surprised no one thought of it sooner.”

Ferrari 458 Italia put through its paces

The adverse weather conditions during the test drive – Dan Neil tested the car in Maranello during some snowfall – enabled him to experience the Ferrari 458 Italia and its extraordinary grip and exceptional steering response.

Dan Neil concludes his article, saying: “I’ve almost never been as happy as when I returned the perfectly unwrinkled 458 Italia to Ferrari.”

Chrysler Group Sales Continue to Improve

Chrysler Group sales are on the up and January continues the trend of increasing market share for the company, following two consecutive quarters of improvement to end 2009.

Chrysler Group Sales Summary

• Dodge Brand sales up versus the same time period last year

• Dodge Journey year-over-year sales climb for the third month in a row

• Jeep Compass, Jeep Grand Cherokee and Jeep Commander all post year-over-year sales improvements

• Chrysler Town & Country minivan sales increase 6 percent compared with January 2009

• Ten Chrysler, Jeep® and Dodge vehicles post year-over-year sales gains

Chrysler Group Sales shows steady growth

Chrysler Group LLC today announced January U.S. sales data continues to show improvement, following two quarters of increasing share. The popular Dodge Journey, which in 2010 delivers more excitement, functionality and value, posted year-over-year gains for the third consecutive month. In addition, the Jeep® brand saw half of its line-up improve sales year-over-year, reinforcing the Jeep brand’s heritage as the authentic SUV with class-leading capability, craftsmanship and versatility for people who seek extraordinary journeys.

“The company continues to make positive strides each month and that trend continued in January,” said Fred Diaz, President and Chief Executive Officer–Ram Brand and Lead Executive for the Sales Organization, Chrysler Group LLC. “With refreshed products and all-new models hitting the marketplace this year, Chrysler Group employees and dealers are excited to share with consumers all the good things happening in 2010.”

Chrysler Group sales (US) for January totalled 57,143 units. U.S. sales decreased 8 percent compared with the same period last year (62,157 units). Inventory (172,803 units) is down 52 percent compared with January 2009 (359,980 units), representing a 73-day supply. Overall industry figures for January are projected to come in at an estimated 10.9 million SAAR.

New VW Polo GTI launched

Aiming to be the fastest and cleanest Polo to date, the new VW Polo GTI comes packed full of enhancements and styling designs.

New VW Polo GTI  is fast and sleek

The Polo GTI comes with a 1.4 litre TSI engine with supercharger and clocks a top speed of 229km/h with acceleration from 0-100km/h in just 6.9 seconds. Even though the focus is obviously on performance, VW have still maintained a low emission rate at just 139g/km of CO2.

The gearbox is a 7-speed twin-clutch DSG, while the suspension has been slightly lowered. The drop in suspension means the new VW Polo GTI sits 15mm lower than the standard Polo and this is due to new springs and dampers which are aimed at improving responses.

Regarding the looks, the Polo GTI has a new front bumper and a honeycombe grille. Other enhancements include 17″ wheels and red brake calipers. Rounding off the aesthetic changes are the front lights, which have been replaced with an updated version and give the option of LED running lights.

Inside there are some changes to the dials and the seats and the pedals have been replaced with aluminium versions. Look out for the new VW Polo GTI in a VW dealership soon.

Source: Volkswagen

Ferrari holds firm during world economic crisis

The Ferrari S.p.A Board of Directors met today under the chairmanship of Luca di Montezemolo to examine the end of year results for 2009.

Ferrari leads sports car segment in tough times

Even though the luxury sports car market suffered an average reduction of 35% in 2009, Ferrari recorded only slightly lower results than in 2008, the most financially successful year in the Prancing Horse’s entire history. A total of 6,250 cars were delivered to end clients (-5%) with a confirmed growth in emerging countries and a controlled contraction in certain of our more mature markets. The sharply contracting market made Ferrari’s market share grow across the board with an average increase worldwide of 10 percentage points, garnering it leadership of the sports car segment.

These results were reached thanks to the completion of the range and in particular with the extraordinary success of the Ferrari California for which 60% of the customers are new Ferraristi.

The most recent car, the Ferrari 458 Italia, deliveries of which only just started, made no contribution to the 2009 figures, but it has already obtained exceptionally positive reviews and prestigious awards all around the world.

Consolidated revenues at the end of 2009 stood at 1,778 million euro (-7%) with an operating profit of 245 million euro, compared to 341 million euro last year. Ferrari recorded a ROS (Return on Sales) for 2009 of 13.8%. The variation of the operating result is due to the negative effects of volumes and product mix (both of which were extremely positive in 2008) as well as unfavourable exchange rates. The weakness of the US dollar has a major impact since over 30% of sales are made in this currency.