WheelTronix

Fiat has issued pictures of its Fiat 500C mini-convertible, to be set in motion at the Geneva Motor Show.

In the strength of the unique Cinquecento soft-top (1957), it is not a complete drop-top, but its power-driven material roof sheet does glide back to open up a significant area to the sunshine.
A glass rear window is held back, along with back end luggage space and 4 seater accommodation.

The roof can be selected in red, black or ivory white, so that it matches with body colours including an unparalleled Pearl Red or Warm Grey. The 500C has the same 1.2 (69bhp), 1.4 (100bhp) and 1.3 diesel (75bhp) engines as the 500 hatchback, along with Fiat’s new fuel-saving stop-start system.

General Motors has declared that it will axe 47,000 jobs and close 5 more factories.
Chrysler has also declared a job cull of 3,000 jobs and a cut in the amount of models it produces.
Both companies are going to beg the US government for an additional financial aid of £14.7bn on top of the £12.2bn they have already received. The move to shut an additional 5 factories will see GM reduce the number of its factories from the present 47 plants to just 33 manufacturing facilities by 2012.

The number of brands produced by GM will also be decreased from the present 8 to 4 with only Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac and GMC surviving.  The appeal for additional financial aid is anticipated to be lashed out by industry evaluators who consider the US automotive industry too incompetent and backward to endure the depression.

The new model of the Fiat 500 Abarth is getting an Esseesse kit.
Fiat is now extending an Esseesse (‘SS’) improvement kit with its 500 Abarth mini hot-hatch.

This alteration is to be carried out at professional Abarth dealers, and the kit includes an altered ECU and newly manufactured air filter to lift the 1.4 turbo engine’s output to 160bhp.
Apart from this the kit also includes larger drilled/ventilated brake discs, new brake pads, upgraded suspension springs, 17″ wheels which are of white or titanium-finish and in addition to this tyre pressure monitoring and unparalleled key cover.

If the car’s warranty has to be valid, the conversion must be held out within 12 months or 20,000km of the car’s first registration. The price of the conversion kit is £2,500.

Nissan is to sell its Cube mini-MPV in North America, unveiling it at the Chicago Motor Show this week.

For the US, the car will include a 1.8-litre, 122bhp petrol engine and CVT gearbox, and a broad range of add-ons and custom-made alternatives to select from – including an LED kit for the interior and shag-pile carpeting.

Nissan Specialty Vehicles has also created a fixed-run version known as Krom, which has a unique badge, chrome grilles, a rear roof spoiler, 16″ alloys, an up rated stereo, Bluetooth connectivity and iPod-compatible stereo.

US prices start from $13,990. The Cube will enter Europe markets later this year.

Volvo’s all-new 2.4D and D5 diesel building block, which the company had already declared will be equipped in the S80 and also added to the XC60, XC70 and V70 models from late spring 2009.

The new engines will reduce CO2 discharge while it will increase power. The 2.4D unit is promoted by 12bhp to 172bhp, with a letting down of carbon dioxide by up to 40g/km, reckoning on the model. The D5, increases power by 19bhp to 202bhp, with CO2 discharge dropping by up to 14g/km, based on the model.
The fuel consumption if the new 2.4D engine is reduced and discharges also reduced by using a different type of piezoelectric fuel injector to the D5, and it also will cut fuel consumption through quick and exact injection sequences.

Mercedes-Benz is introducing panoplied versions of its novel E-Class which will suit the ultra-wealthy and the ultra-paranoid.

The E-Guard is capable of withstanding handgun bullets up to .44 calibre.
It gets extra steel amplification and all-round polycarbonate glassing to afford a ‘protective cocoon’. Its complete structural strength, corrosion protection and paint quality is certain to production-car standards: it’s a completely integrated advance rather than an aftermarket bolt-on job.

The E-Guard’s suspension and brakes are uprated to manage the increased weight. It has run-flat tyres with all tyres deflated, can go with 80kph upto 50km.

The package, not including the basic car, costs €45,000 excluding VAT.

This model makes use of the turbocharged 1.6-litre engine of the Cooper S, gets fine-tuned for 211bhp and up to 207lb-ft of torsion when the supercharge kicks in.

The JCW cabriole will go between 148mph and 0-62mph in 6.9 seconds, giving 39.8mpg and gives off 169g/km of carbon dioxide.
Alterations to the engine in the form of a larger air intake and new exhaust system, some light weight and non-breakable components plus beefed up transmitting gear.

An exclusive JCW speedometer – which can read up to 160mph – and JCW alcantara steering wheel, gear knob, sports seats, floor mats and piano-black trim are the few inner changes in the car.

It has a 17″ cross-spoke alloy wheels with run-flat tires, and an Aero body kit standard besides extra-large brake discs, red Brembo brake calipers and an electronic differential lock control function for deactivated stability control. This decelerates a spinning inside wheel to improve grip, but does not cut engine power.

The UK sales begin at the end of March. Prices are from £23,470.

On the website of Power-rides we found a nice article about the new concept of the Audi A7 Sportback. A new powerful concept if you ask our opinion. Like the last versions of Audi that were pretty stylish, also this one will be a great succes!

This great new concept of the Audi A7 Sportback will have a nice 3.0L V6 engine with 225hp and goes from 0-100 km/h in less then seven seconds! This all powered by a seven-step S tronic transmission and a maximum torque of 550 Nm. Top speed of this beauty will be 245 km/h.

You can also find a nice 360° movie on at the article of the Audi A7 Sportback on the website of Power-rides.

Vauxhall is creating a totally bats version of its VXR8 super-saloon.

The Aussie-built Bathurst S is named after the famous Australian race and benefits a Walkinshaw Performance compressor to boost its Corvette-sourced V8 engine’s yield to 552bhp. Torsion for this model has been upgraded to 527lb-ft.
The VXR8 engine has an optional ‘bi-modal’ exhaust with two to be selected noise settings. This is also accessible with non-supercharged Bathurst Edition models, which extend a slightly tamer 425bhp. (more…)

BMW reveiled the new concept of the 5 series Grand Tourismo. This car is a mixture of different types of BMW series. It has space and comfort like a luxery 7-Series, but is based on a 5-series. This concept is a carbon copy of the production car that bows in at this autumn’s 2009 Frankfurt motor show and goes on sale this autumn for around £2k more than a Five Touring. (more…)