Dubai Police Added Another Supercar To Their Fleet.

 

The Dubai police force has added yet another incredible supercar to its fleet and this time it’s a Bugatti Veyron. Now the bad guys there will have to outrun the fastest production vehicle in the world, so unless they’re driving the same car, they are out of luck.

 

 The Bugatti Veyron joins an already impressive fleet of vehicles that the Dubai police department has decked out in their signature green and white paint job. They’ve got a Lamborghini Aventador, an Aston Martin One-77, and a Ferrari FF in the fleet already so the Bugatti should feel right at home parked with such elite company.

 

The rest of the cars, however, might feel a little inferior since the Bugatti packs some serious punch. As the most powerful car in the their fleet, the Bugatti Veyron will hunt down criminals with a quad turbo, 16-cylinder engine that produces more than 1,000 horsepower. Just thinking about being chased by that thing should be enough to make you throw your hands in the air and give up.

 

Major General Khamis Mattar Al Mazeina has said in the past that these cars won’t necessarily be burning up the roadways in Dubai, but will be used more to police tourist areas and enhance the country’s upscale reputation. That means you might catch a glimpse of it if you happen to be at the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building.

 

Still, it’s hard to imagine that not one of the cops assigned to drive a supercar has taken it out on the highway, just to be sure everything is working properly.

 

 I also can’t help but wonder how they decide who gets to drive it every day. “Bob, you get that sedan. Mike, I like you better, here are the keys to the Bugatti.” I’d think it’d bring office politics to a whole new level of crazy.

From: http://www.tflcar.com/2013/05/dubai-police-add-bugatti-veyron-to-their-fleet/

2014 BMW 2-series M Sport / M235i Spy Photos

What It Is: New spy shots of the BMW 2-series, which will replace the 1-series coupe and convertible, caught completely uncovered. The 2-series lineup eventually will include both body styles, and they will look less like the current rear-drive 1-series hatchback than ever before, with a unique front-end treatment. The design scheme allows BMW to place its entry-level cars into the hierarchy followed by the 5-series–based 6-series and the upcoming 3-series–based 4-series. Generally speaking (the 6-series Gran Coupe being an anomaly), sedans, wagons, and hatches will wear odd numbers, and coupes and convertibles will wear even numbers.

No piece of sheetmetal carries over from the current 1-series coupe, but the 2-series doesn’t deviate far from its formula. It continues to be a compact, three-box two-door with rear-wheel drive and the option of powerful engines. The interior is virtually identical to that of the second-generation 1-series hatchback now being peddled outside the U.S. Only the hood for the instrument panel is different from the earlier form, being more rounded. Our photos show the M235i with the M Sport package, including unique interior trim, aggressive wheels, and meaner exterior detailing. Even though we were previously denied a version of the M135i, we’ve heard that the M235i will have a spot in BMW’s U.S.-market 2-series lineup. Base models will likely be badged 228i and come with four-cylinder power, with the M235i being the sole non-M six-cylinder 2er—there will be no regular-grade 235i.

Why It Matters: The BMW 2-series will have the same marching orders as those of the 1-series coupe and convertible: to introduce new buyers to the brand. A more-efficient base engine will help. The top-dog 2-series will be the rip-snorting M2, but the car’s classic proportions, neat dimensions, and ostensibly sporty dynamics should entice enthusiasts even in sub-M form.

Platform: Like the previous and current 1-series, this car is derived from BMW’s compact rear-wheel-drive platform. All-wheel drive is a distinct possibility—it’s offered on the Euro 1-series—and if BMW’s U.S. diesel expansion plans prove successful, the company could offer us a diesel 2, as well. It’s worth noting that the 1-series nameplate eventually will migrate to a front-wheel-drive model riding on the same architecture as the next-generation Mini Cooper.

Powertrains: Engine choices for the U.S. market will be a 240-hp, 2.0-liter turbocharged four in the 228i, along with the N55 3.0-liter turbocharged straight-six tuned to 320 horsepower in the M235i. Happily, there will be a follow-up to the awesome 1-series M coupe, and that car—the M2—will have 360 or more horsepower. It will directly target the Mercedes-Benz CLA45 AMG and the upcoming Audi RS3, and we definitely want it to come here. Six-speed sticks should be standard across the board; the regular-strength cars will offer a ZF-sourced eight-speed automatic. The M2 could be fitted with an optional seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.

Competition: Acura ILX, Audi A3/S3, Mercedes-Benz CLA-class, Volkswagen GTI/Golf R.

Estimated Arrival and Price: The sheets could be pulled from the 2014 BMW 2-series as early as the end of this year, and the car is expected to roll into dealerships a few months later. Pricing should begin in the low-$30,000 range for the 228i. View Photo Gallery

taken from:

http://www.caranddriver.com/news/2014-bmw-2-series-m-sport-spy-photos-future-cars

Mitsubishi subcompact hinted for US

Desperate for new models to bolster their limited lineup, Mitsubishi dealers recently got a glimmer of hope with news that an entry-level sedan may arrive stateside in 2015.

The dealers were shown a rendering of the subcompact at the brand's regional dealer meetings held during the first two weeks of April, according to attendees and Mitsubishi Motors North America. The company told dealers it is targeting a 2015 release for the vehicle, attendees said.

Mitsubishi declined to confirm the release timing or whether U.S. dealers would get the car but acknowledged that the plans were discussed with dealers.

The company "is looking into introducing a small, entry-level sedan to the United States market, and while we continue to study the market trend and demand for this smaller-segment sedan, we have not come to a concrete decision on when this model may make the U.S. showroom," a Mitsubishi spokesman said in a statement.

The sedan could be based on the Mitsubishi G4 concept sedan that debuted at the Bangkok auto show in March. Mitsubishi said at the time that it planned to introduce a production version of the sedan for sale globally. The concept featured a lightweight steel body and a 1.2-liter, three-cylinder engine mated to a continuously variable transmission.

Scott Grove, owner of two Mitsubishi dealerships near Chicago and former chairman of the brand's national dealer council, said the news was a high point in a meeting that was markedly more positive than others in recent years. Grove said he saw the sedan's teasing as the latest sign of a recovery for Mitsubishi, which will launch the redesigned Outlander crossover this summer, followed by the new Mirage small car later this year and a plug-in hybrid Outlander next year.

"They basically said that this is a logical progression for our expansion," Grove said. "I believe we're on offense."

(Mitsubishi hints at subcompact for U.S. originally appeared on Automotive News, sub. req.)

By: Ryan Beene, Automotive News on 5/13/2013

taken from:
http://www.autoweek.com/article/20130513/CARNEWS/130519930

BMW i8 Concept

Last week I posted some examples of excellent concept cars that brands like Audi or Mercedes released recently. In my opinion, the BMW i8 has one of the most impressive designs and the most advanced technology of the 4 prototypes shown. This concept was released during the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show and a year later it was announced that it would be produced massively starting in 2013. This is one of those strange cases in which concept cars don't stay as a concept but actually make it to the market. This happened also to the Mazda Takeri Concept that suffered some minor changes in the exterior to be commercialized as the new Mazda 6 Takeri.  Now, I would like to share a short video that shows the internal and external features, as well as the main characteristics of this plug-in hybrid vehicle:

The Car With Autopilot Is On Its Way.

Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk is seriously investigating technology that could lead to driverless cars and he’s in talks with Google to make it a reality. It’s not as far-fetched as you might think, given the technology in cars on the road right now that monitors what’s happening and can actually stop the car to prevent an accident.

 

Musk said that the technology they’re looking at isn’t something that’s going to let the driver slide over to the passenger side and eat breakfast while the car drives to work. Instead, it’ll be more like the autopilot on a plane with the driver staying put and keeping watch over their vehicle.

This is a bit different than what Google has been working on as a part of their driverless-car efforts. The Light Detection and and Ranging (Lidar) system would do more than act as an autopilot, but it’s still trying to overcome technical obstacles and is extremely expensive.

 

A camera-based system which would be much less expensive and easier to integrate into vehicles has more possibility in Musk’s eyes. It’s the kind of thing that’s already in some cars to a lesser degree with rear and front cameras that detect the distance between a vehicle and other objects and warn the driver of potential problems.

 

Google also sees the driverless option happening a lot early than most auto manufacturers. They expect it to be market ready within a short five years where companies like Tesla and Nissan don’t expect to see autonomous cars in showrooms for at least a decade. To Google’s credit, they have showed off an autonomous Toyota Prius fleet with roof mounted laser-radar devices.

 

Elon Musk; Tesla's CEO

Despite the conflicting estimates about a ready date, the combination of interest from auto manufacturers along with the technological development happening at companies like Google all but assure an autonomous option in the near future.

 

From: http://www.tflcar.com/2013/05/could-tesla-and-google-bring-us-cars-with-autopilot/

 

 

 

Concept Cars

Concept cars are a very important part of the vehicle world. They are the way that all car brands show their most impressive designs and most modern technologies based in a futuristic style. This cars are most likely to stay as a concept and never make it to the market because of their expensive manufacturing. Here are a few pictures I´d like to share of excellent concept cars presented recently by some brands in several auto-shows around the world: 

BMW i8 Concept 

Mercedes Benz Biome Concept

GT by Citroen Concept

Audi A9 Concept

La Marquise

La Marquise, is, as of October 2011,thought to be the world's oldest running automobile. It is an 1884 model made by De Dion, Bouton & Trépardoux of France. The car was built as a prototype for future quadricycles, and named for the mother of Albert, the Count of Dion.

In 1887, the Count of Dion drove La Marquise in an exhibition that has sometimes been called the world’s first car race, though his was the only car that showed up. It made the 20-odd-mile Paris-to-Versailles round trip at an average speed of almost 16 miles per hour (26 km/h). The following year, he beat Bouton in a three-wheeler with an average speed of 18 miles per hour (29 km/h).

Fueled by coal, wood and bits of paper, the car takes 30–40 minutes to build up enough steam to drive. Top speed is 38 miles per hour (61 km/h).

As the oldest car, it wore the number "0" in the 1996 London to Brighton Veteran Car Run. The vehicle was sold at the 2007 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance for $3.52 million. It sold again in 2011 for $4.6 million, a record price for an early automobile.