Car Zone

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

BMW M5 police car unveiled in Munich

BMW M5 Police Car - low res - 03.9.2012

The ultimate cop car?

BMW has unveiled an M5 police car at the Welt Museum in Munich, Germany.

Dressed in traditional livery, the model has a black grille and a light bar. Thankfully, for German speeders, the car is just a concept so there's no need to worry... just yet.

As we have previously reported, the BMW M5 is powered by a twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 engine that produces 560 PS (412 kW / 552 hp) and 680 Nm (502 lb-ft) of torque. It is connected to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission which enables the sedan to accelerate from 0-100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.4 seconds and hit a top speed of top speed of 250 km/h (155 mph) or 305 km/h (190 mph) with M Driver's Package.

Lamborghini Aventador Black Diamond Model - Mansory

Lamborghini Aventador - the car of the future generation is well renowned for its amusing performance and dazzling style. Aventador has V12 engine with 700PS power and 690 N-m of torque bestowing you the ability of steering around any landscape. If you want to enhance this car with extraordinary top speed and extreme pickup, you can customize your car into the black diamond model. This custom car created by Mansory amends the Aventador’s parts to evolve it into a furious black bull. The novel muscular black diamond is revved up completely right from its cockpit, external body kit and the engine.

Lancia Flavia Red Carpet Special Edition

Lancia may not get all the love compared to other manufacturers of its ilk, but when they rolled out a special edition Flavia at the Venice Film Festival, we have to give it the recognition it deserves.

Called the Flavia Red Carpet Special Edition, the unique build was the result of a collaboration between Lancia and Poltrona Frau.

There’s not much in the way of exterior modifications for the Flavia Red Carpet, but inside, the posh red leather interior has the unmistakable quality and distinct stamp of the Italian interior, furniture design and leather upholstery company.

Suffice to say, the partnership between the two companies go back a long way, back to the 20’s when their respective founders, Vincenzo Lancia and Renzo Frau, began a partnership that has lasted for almost 100 years. Back then, Lancia turned to Frau to dress up the interior of the legendary Thema 8.32 and since then, the two companies have become brothers-in-arms in the auto industry.

Under the hood of the Flavia Red Carpet is a 2.4-liter engine that produces 170 horsepower and is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. There aren’t any performance modifications, but when it comes to being the star of the show, the Flavia Red Carpet Special Edition sits high and mighty at the Venice Film Festival.

Lancia Flavia Red Carpet Special Edition originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 3 September 2012 16:00 EST.

Video: Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 Spins at 340km/h

Video Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 Spins at 340kmh

Watch this next Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 accelerating from zero to 100km/h in 2.9 seconds and reach 340km/h at an airport runway before breaking too late and spinning off the runway missing a large runway marker by about a foot. The lucky driver was Robbie Dickson, while a photographer sat beside.

Just a small recap, the Aventador is powered by a 6.5 liter V12 with an output of 700hp and 690Nm of torque. The cars weighs just 1,575 kilograms which gives it a power to weight ratio of 2.25kg/hp or 4.96lb/hp. The Lamborghini Aventador accelerates from 0 to 100km/h in just 2.9 seconds and the top speed is 350km/h.

Sunday, September 2, 2012

Lancia Flavia Red Carpet special edition announced

Lancia Flavia Red Carpet special edition 31.8.2012

Debuts at the Venice Film Festival

Lancia has announced plans to introduce a Flavia Cabrio Red Carpet special edition at the Venice Film Festival.

Jointly-developed with Poltrona Frau, the unique model features a white exterior and Pelle Frau Pieno Fiore leather upholstery.

There doesn't appear to be any other changes, but the model is nicely equipped with a Boston Acoustic audio system and a Uconnect infotainment system with GPS navigation.

Power is provided by a 2.4-liter four-cylinder petrol engine that develops 170 HP (125 kW). It is connected exclusively to a six-speed automatic transmission.

2013 Nissan Sentra unveiled [video]

Goes on sale this fall

Nissan has unveiled the 2013 Sentra, ahead of its launch this fall.

Essentially a renamed Sylphy, the model eschews its angular styling for a modern design that draws inspiration from the 2013 Altima. Notable highlights include a prominent grille, LED-infused headlights and soft curves. If you're looking for something sportier, the SR variant has unique bumpers, extended side skirts and a rear spoiler. Overall, the sedan measures 182.1 inches long (an increase of 2.3 inches) and has a wheelbase that spans 106.3 inches (an increase of 0.6 inches).

The cabin has been significantly improved with higher quality materials and a better design. Entry-level models are sparsely equipped, but higher-end variants offer leather upholstery, faux Maple wood trim and a Bose audio system. They can also be ordered with the new NissanConnectSM infotainment system that has GPS navigation and a Hands-Free Text Messaging Assistant which "reads incoming text messages and allows drivers to reply without taking their hands off of the steering wheel." More importantly, thanks to the car's increased size, the model offers class-leading rear legroom and a boot that holds up to 15.1 cubic feet (427.6 liters) of cargo.

Power comes from a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine that produces 130 hp (97 kW / 132 PS) and 128 lb-ft (173 Nm) of torque. It can be connected to a six-speed manual or a new Xtronic continuously variable transmission. With the latter gearbox, the Sentra has an EPA-estimated fuel economy rating of 30 mpg city / 39 mpg highway.

Check out the press release for additional information

Sport SUV Comparison: Haulin&#39; Tail and the Family

We spend loads of time reviewing sports and supercars that we tend to forget all about the SUV realm. Back in the 1980s, when the SUV was just starting to become the new fad, there were no performance models to speak of.

In the 1990s, we caught a glimpse of out first true performance SUV, as the GMC Typhoon hit the market in very limited numbers. The Typhoon boasted stout numbers, as GM managed to pump a full 280 ponies from its typically underwhelming 4.3-liter engine. To boot, the Typhoon is still competitive today - in terms of speed - as it hots 60 mph in just 5.3 seconds and clears the quarter in 14.1 ticks.

Unfortunately, the Typhoon was only a 2-door model and lacked the typical SUV utility. GMC also produced a little over 4,000 examples, so they were and remain very scarce. What’s cool though, is just how closely matched the Typhoon still is when compared to today’s performance SUVs. It’ll never beat the likes of the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT or the Porsche Cayenne, but it can certainly hold its own pretty well, especially for a 19-year-old SUV.

We took a look at the current world of performance SUVs to figure out who is top dog. Click past the jump to find out the results.

Sport SUV Comparison: Haulin' Tail and the Family originally appeared on topspeed.com on Friday, 31 August 2012 20:00 EST.