News : 2013 Jaguar XJ – A Car I’m Thankful For

Full-size luxury sedans have long had a commanding presence on the road – often quite literally. The Audi A8, the BMW 7 Series, the Lexus LS, and the Mercedes-Benz S-Class all look resemble the blocks of metal they were hewn from. That is why we are thankful for the 2013 Jaguar XJ.

The design: a sweeping, elongated body (it was designed as in long-wheelbase form and then shortened) with an aggressive and distinctly Jaguar nose looks stunning from any angle. The way the LED taillights seem to drip from the rear of the fenders down to the bumper is alluring in a Salvador Dali-esque way; the sleek, wraparound headlights with J-shaped LEDs are sultry. Inside, the cabin is swathed in buttery leather and slabs of wood (or carbon fiber) trim, and bathed in modern and attractive blue light at night. Piano black center console trim, a knurled metal rotary shifter, and orb-like HVAC vents compel anyone who steps inside the XJ to touch everything and drink in its luxury. It’s no wonder that we named the Jaguar XJ the 2011 Automobile Magazine Design of the Year.

Not only does the Jag stand out among its peers from a design standpoint, it is one of the best-driving cars in its class. Hit the pulsating start button, turn the transmission knob to either Drive or Sport, depress the accelerator pedal, and hold on. Jaguar offers four different powertrains in the XJ for 2013, all of them sensational. The base 3.0-liter supercharged V-6 pulls strongly and smoothly and emits a growling exhaust note under acceleration. Paired with an eight-speed automatic and either rear- or all-wheel drive, the V-6 XJ feels much quicker than its 340-hp and 332-lb-ft ratings would have you believe. Need more power and an even more addicting exhaust note? Look to one of the 5.0-liter V-8 options, which come in 384-hp naturally-aspirated, 470-hp supercharged, and 510-hp supercharged flavors.

Sadly, not many people are as thankful as we are for the Jaguar XJ – through the first 10 months of 2012, Jaguar moved just 4197 copies of the sultry sedan. However, with so few on the road, it makes us even more thankful to spot one when we do.

Source : automobilemag.com

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Singapore New Edition : McLaren MP4-12C !

SINGAPORE (1nfoauto) – Wearnes Automotive, an automobile distributor network in Singapore, is rumored to have received three units of the McLaren MP4-12C supercar Fire Black SGP Edition. This limited edition model is said to only be available in Singapore and released simultaneously with the holding of the F1 Singapore Grand Prix this weekend.

Wearnes Automotive, the holder of several car brands, such as Jaguar, Bentley, Bugatti, including McLaren, and has a sales network in Indonesia, membandrol MP4-12C Black SGP Fire Edition priced 1.28 million Singapore dollars.

There is no official information on the presence of Wearnes Automotive model built McLaren Special Operations (MSO) is. Even supposedly two of the three MP4-12C Fire Black SGP Edition coming to Singapore has been bought by consumers at the launch at Conrad Centennial Singapore, Friday (21/9) yesterday evening.

Fire MP4-12C Black Edition SGP itself is identical with some differences. In addition to the use of the color red bergrafis black exterior, bumper supercar model is also different from the regular version. Even the interior was also given a special touch, including the use of lighter wheels.

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News : Toyota Sports Cars Ready To Launch in Tokyo !

After a long awaited and is only displayed in the form of a concept car, Toyota and Subaru finally officially will launch a sports car which is a twin of the Toyota FT-86 and Subaru BRZ.

According to the plan, two sisters from Japan will be officially launched next month in the event the Tokyo Motor Show.

Reportedly the two cars will be holding a capacity of 2,000 cc boxer engine that mated with Subaru’s 6-speed transmission. For the Toyota FT-86 will reportedly be capable of producing powerto 200 bhp while the Subaru-powered BRZ be larger and close to 300 bhp.

Various Sources

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Report : Toyota Planning a Prius-Based Racer For Super GT !

You would think that with Subaru readying a GT300-class version of its new BRZ rear-wheel drive sports car, Toyota would be doing the same with its GT 86. Well, you might be wrong as a new report is saying that Toyota’s next car for the Super GT series will be based off – of all things — the Prius.

Far from official, Motorpasion F1 is reporting that Toyota could be prepping a Prius GT300 that would be unique to the Super GT series. If the Prius GT300 does come to fruition, it would make sense for it to replace the two Toyota Corolla Axios that have been running in the GT300 class by the Apr team.

The current Corolla Axio GT is powered by a naturally aspirated 3.5-liter V-6 that puts down upwards of 296 hp and 289 lb-ft of torque. The racers ride on 18-inch forged Rays wheels, and weigh just a scant 2723 lbs. In the 2011 season, the Apr group placed 10th and 15th in the GT300 rankings.

According to Motorpasion F1, Honda is also preparing an advanced version of its CR-Z hybrid for Super GT, but the CR-Z is said to only look similar to the street car and not share its mechanicals. No word on whether or not the Prius GT300 would use a hybrid powertrain like the production car, but it’s pretty unlikely.

Source : Motorpasion F1

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News : Nissan Announces Prices And Changes For 2013 Cube, 2013 Armada, 2013 Versa Sedan !

Nissan has raised prices and added equipment to three of its vehicles for the 2013 model year: the Cube hatchback, the Armada SUV, and the Versa sedan.

The 2013 Nissan Cube is offered in just two trim levels, S and SL, as the previous Cube 1.8 base model has been eliminated. The funky hatchback also gets Nissan PureDrive badges, and Sapphire Slate replaces Golden Ginger in the color palette. The Cube S is offered with a six-speed manual transmission for $17,550 (including a $790 destination charge), while adding a continuously variable transmission bumps the price to $18,550. Those figures represent price increases of $190 compared to the 2012 Cube S. The 2013 Cube SL adds more equipment, including 16-inch alloy wheels and push-button start, and costs $19,650. The $1890 SL Preferred package adds navigation, fog lights, upgraded speakers, a backup camera, and a Rockford Fosgate subwoofer.

The main change for the 2013 Nissan Armada is the addition of the $2090 Platinum Reserve package. Available only on the top-spec Platinum model, the package adds 20-inch dark-chrome wheels, a dark-chrome grille and door handles, chocolate/almond leather seats, and real wood interior trim. There are five new color choices, a USB port becomes standard on all models, and Bluetooth becomes standard on the SV trim level.

Accordingly, prices rise slightly compared to the 2012 Armada. The 2013 Armada SV costs $41,705 (after a $995 destination charge) with rear- and $47,205 with four-wheel drive — increases of $840 and $740, respectively. Stepping up the Armada SL adds heated seats, push-button start, a backup camera, and a Bose audio system, pushing prices to $46,995 with rear-wheel drive and $49,895 with four-wheel drive. The top-spec Armada Platinum, which adds goodies like 20-inch wheels, a moonroof, navigation, and a rear-seat DVD player, costs $54,275 with rear-wheel drive and $57,175 with four-wheel drive.

The 2013 Nissan Versa sedan arrives for its second year on sale with a few small tweaks. A new 1.6 S model offers a four-speed automatic for cost-conscious buyers who can’t stomach the base car’s manual transmission. Models with the continuously variable transmission now achieve 40 mpg on the highway thanks to new aerodynamic parts and better powertrain programming.

The 2013 Nissan Versa 1.6 S starts at $12,780 (after a $790 destination charge) with a manual transmission, an increase of $1030 compared to the 2012 Versa 1.6 S. The new Versa 1.6 S automatic costs $13,780. Stepping up the 1.6 S Plus nabs a CVT, cruise control, and the aforementioned aerodynamic components to earn a 40-mpg highway rating. It costs $14,480. The Versa 1.6 SV is $15,780 and adds in a chrome grille, power mirrors, and power windows. The top-spec 2013 Nissan Versa 1.6 SL costs $17,380 and features 15-inch alloy wheels, fog lights, Bluetooth, and other upgrades.

Source : Nissan

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Amazing Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 45th ANNIVERSARY !

Tired of seeing your friends and neighbors driving around in a Mercedes-Benz just like yours? Well, Mercedes-Benz is building just five SLS AMG GT3 "45th ANNIVERSARY" collector cars that just might solve your "I'm tired of seeing myself down the road" problem.

The SLS AMG GT3 "45th ANNIVERSARY" is being built by hand in a limited edition of no more than five vehicles in Affalterbach. Record DTM champion and AMG brand ambassador Bernd Schneider is involved hands-on in the production process, installing the AMG 6.3-litre V8 engine in the SLS AMG GT3 "45th ANNIVERSARY" together with an AMG engine fitter.

A number of exterior and interior modifications have been carried out for the special SLS AMG GT3 "45th ANNIVERSARY" model. The body of the SLS AMG GT3 "45th ANNIVERSARY" stands out in the new designo magno graphite matt paint finish. The AMG light-alloy wheels in designo magno graphite complement the body's matt paintwork to perfection. There are carbon-fiber gullwing doors under the matt paintwork. The doors, along with the bonnet, mudguards, boot lid, rear wings, front and rear apron, front splitter and rear diffusor, are produced in the particularly lightweight motorsport material CFRP (CFRP = carbon fiber reinforced plastic).

The interior of the SLS AMG GT3 "45th ANNIVERSARY" evokes a functional racing car atmosphere, refined by high-quality, exclusive details: the steel roll-over cage is finished in matt "designo magno graphite" to match the exterior. The racing car's dashboard and centre console sport a matt carbon-fiber finish. Effective contrasts are produced by six-point seat belts and a steering wheel spider in silver.

The collector's item also boasts a seat shell in a high-strength carbon-fiber safety cell on the co-driver's side. A special badge with a "1 of 5" logo on the seats and the centre console alludes to the limited production run for this racing car. The standard appointments for the SLS AMG GT3 "45th ANNIVERSARY" are rounded off by a high-quality AMG indoor car cover with "45 Years of Driving Performance" logo.

Delivery of the SLS AMG GT3 "45th ANNIVERSARY" takes place directly at Mercedes-AMG in Affalterbach, where customers are also granted exclusive insights into the AMG world and have an opportunity to sample AMG's hallmark excellent service and support quality. An in-depth introduction to operation of the new vehicle and its engineering and technology is provided in the new 360 square-meter handover hall. In the case of this special GT3 racing car, this instruction is provided personally by AMG brand ambassador Bernd Schneider.

The program also includes a tour of the factory, taking in the AMG Performance Studio, where exclusive series of individual AMG cars and one-off vehicles are developed and hand-made. This is followed by a visit to the AMG engine "Manufaktur" (hand-finishing section), where Bernd Schneider and the AMG engine fitter assembled this special AMG 6.3-litre V8 engine by hand. On request, the SLS AMG GT3 "45th ANNIVERSARY" customer can enjoy a race track coaching session as part of an initiation event with the vehicle.

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Toyota Wins In Shanghai As Audi Claims Championship !

Toyota Racing utterly dominated today’s 6 Hours of Shanghai, the eighth and final round of the 2012 FIA World Endurance Championship. Alex Wurz and Nicolas Lapierre finished a lap ahead of the No.2 Audi R18 e-tron quattro of Allan McNish and Tom Kristensen having led the way from the start. 

However, it was also a day of celebration and smiles in the Audi garage. By crossing the finish line in third place, André Lotterer, Benoît Tréluyer and Marcel Fässler scored enough points to capture the World Drivers’ Championship – the first for this new FIA championship. The trio made history in June by becoming the first hybrid powered car to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and followed this with two further wins at the 6 Hours of Silverstone and 6 Hours of Bahrain.

The No.7 Toyota TS030 Hybrid’s victory in China was its third of the season, and the result confirms a remarkable debut season for the Japanese manufacturer. In just six races they have secured three wins, and raised the bar in terms of performance – 2013 already promises to be even more exciting! Just as Toyota today had a faultless race, so did Audi and nothing should be taken away from their 2012 season, as demonstrated by them sealing the LMP1 Manufacturers’ World Championship title as early as August.

While there was laughter and champagne at one end of the pit lane, there was heartbreak and tears at the other. LMP1 Privateer champions Rebellion Racing were on course to finish fourth overall with their No.12 Lola-Toyota entry of Nicolas Prost and Neel Jani, the duo having taken the lead after the third lap of the race. Instead, there was dismay as the car ground to a halt with just eight minutes of the race to run and Prost and Jani had to watch a third place overall in the Drivers’ Championship slip through their fingers. There was some consolation for the Swiss team as their second, No.13 entry was promoted to first among the Private teams, the only Chinese driver in the field Cong Fu ‘Frankie’ Cheng standing proudly on the podium alongside his team mates Andrea Belicchi and Harold Primat. 

Behind them were the two HPD ARX 03a Hondas of JRM and Strakka Racing. JRM’s Karun Chandhok, David Brabham and Peter Dumbreck recovered from contact which meant the rear bodywork of the HPD had to be replaced during a pit stop, and they were just 8 seconds behind the Rebellion Lola at the chequered flag. Strakka’s Nick Leventis, Danny Watts and Jonny Kane were a further three laps back after a faltering race.

The No.25 ADR-Delta team took their second consecutive victory and their fourth of the year – a huge achievement for the small, privately-funded British team which vaulted them ahead of Pecom Racing into second place in the final classification for the FIA Endurance Trophy for LMP2 teams. ADR’s driver line up of Tor Graves and John Martin, joined in Shanghai by Matthias Beche, took control of the class early in the race and had a steady run to the finish. Behind them were the No.44 Starworks Motorsport HPD ARX 03b, the class champions, and the No.24 OAK Racing Morgan Nissan, both of which overcame minor issues to finish on the podium.

The 25,000 Chinese visitors over the first 6 Hours of Shanghai weekend were treated to their first Le Mans experience and the next visit on the 10th November 2013 will undoubtably see even more fans travelling to the Shanghai International Circuit next year.

From fiawec.com

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Honda Starts 2013 Sports Prototype Program !

The first 2013-spec Honda Performance Development, (HPD) ARX-03c LMP1 car – incorporating larger front tires as well as other significant performance upgrades – will test for the first time at the Motorland Aragon Circuit in Spain, November 18-20.

British team Strakka Racing will conduct this inaugural test. Strakka's ARX-03a, which achieved considerable success in this year's FIA World Endurance Championship, has been subjected to an exciting upgrade package taking it to '03c' (2013) specification. This upgrade includes wider Michelin front tires, plus new front-suspension geometry, steering configuration and bodywork.

As with its multiple race and championship-winning HPD ARX predecessors, the latest ARX-03c has been designed and developed with Wirth Research, taking full advantage of the company's renowned all-digital aerodynamic and chassis development processes. Power comes from HPD's efficient normally-aspirated 3.4-liter, V8 gasoline engine.

Strakka's regular drivers, Jonny Kane and Nick Leventis, as well as Klaus Graf – who won the ALMS LMP1 crown in a Muscle Milk Pickett Racing-run HPD ARX-03a – will be behind the wheel at the test. Graf will fill the seat vacated by Danny Watts, who will be away in Asia on Macau Grand Prix duties during the Aragon test.

The test will almost certainly be viewed with great interest by privateer teams currently competing at LMP1 level, as well as others looking to graduate to the premier class of sports prototype racing.

HPD Vice President Steve Eriksen comment

ed: "In 2009, HPD showed the future direction of LMP1 car design by pioneering the use of large rear tires on all four wheels of its radical, championship-winning LMP1 Acura ARX-02a prototype.

"Since then, all rival LMP1 manufacturers have adopted this concept, and the 2013 HPD ARX-03c will feature this large front-tire format, along with a raft of aerodynamic and mechanical updates, boosting all-around performance."

Located in Santa Clarita, California, Honda Performance Development (HPD) is the Honda racing company within North America. In 2012, HPD teams and drivers swept both the LMP1 and LMP2 sports prototype championships in the American Le Mans Series, and won the FIA World Endurance Championship in LMP2 – along with the LMP2 class in the 24 Hours of Le Mans – in partnership with Starworks Motorsport. In the IZOD IndyCar Series, Honda won this year's Indianapolis 500 with driver Dario Franchitti.

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