2007 Acura TL Type-S

The 2007 Acura TL enters the midsized luxury market with revised exterior and interior styling, an improved nav system and the re-introduction of the Type-S performance model.

The Type-S features 286 horsepower (256 lb ft) from a new 3.5-liter V6, and includes a re-tuned suspension and S specific exterior styling and interior trim.The Type-S returns to the lineup after a three year hiatus. The engine is mated to a new 5-speed automatic with paddle shifters, or a close-ratio 6-speed manual transmission. The regular TL comes with a 3.2-liter VTEC V6 producing 258 hp at 6200 rpm and 233 lb-ft of torque at 5000 rpm. Both the 3.2-liter and the 3.5-liter meet CARB LEV-II ULEV emissions requirements.

Both the TL and TL Type-S have double wishbone front and multi-link rear suspension. The Type-S has firmer front and rear anti roll bars and stiffer springs and shocks.The TL's exterior features numerous subtle upgrades for 2007 including a new front fascia with a larger grille, redesigned bumper, new headlights and fog lights relocated to the lower bumper.

Changes to the interior include a new 3-spoke steering wheel, new gauges with a spun metal look, and model-specific ambient lighting that is blue on the TL and red for the Type-S.

Both TL and TL Type-S offer Acura/ELS Surround premium sound system, Acura satellite-linked navigation that now ha real-time traffic.

2007 Dodge Nitro

Even in these times of declining sport/utility vehicle sales, the big profits are still in SUVs. The problem for Dodge was that it had only one SUV, the Durango, even though the SUV boom had long since boomed and was well into busting. Well, it turns out you can do what’s called “platform sharing,” see, where you take an existing vehicle and with a couple of adjustments here and there, you get a whole new SUV for pennies on the dollar. Who knew?

Sure, Dodge seemed a little slow to realize this, especially because its competitors have, like, six or so SUVs each, but once it figured this out, it got right on it. Dodge took a Jeep Liberty and slapped on new sheetmetal, new interior, slightly longer suspension arms and then, as the Germans say, Achtung!, you got yourself a whole new profit center.

The Dodge Nitro is built on a Liberty that has been stretched four inches, mostly in the wheelbase—the Liberty is 104.3 inches between the wheels, and the Nitro is 108.8. The Nitro tracks about an inch wider, too. While the suspension geometry is basically the same, it is just a little longer in the Nitro. Overhangs are relatively short, so it can probably crawl over a few more rocks than those minivan-based crossover SUVs in the marketplace.

Dodge didn’t want this to look like a crossover. Inspiration for the exterior came from the 2002 Detroit auto show pickup truck, the M80. While there was no business case for the M80, design elements from it are plastered all over the new Nitro: Note those pronounced wheel arches, abbreviated overhangs bordering a long wheelbase, squared-off corners and a bold, upright Dodge crosshair grille.

Mechanically, it shares a lot with the Liberty from which it came. The base engine is the Liberty’s 3.7-liter V6, basically a 4.7-liter Chrysler V8 with two of the cylinders chopped off. It feels raspy at anything over 3500 rpm but nonetheless makes 210 hp and 235 lb-ft of torque, enough to keep the nearly 4000-pound Nitro going strong. The 3.7-liter comes mated to either a six-speed manual or a four-speed automatic.

The more refined and more powerful engine is the 4.0-liter V6, a stroked descendant of the 3.5-liter used in the LH cars, Concorde and Intrepid. That engine makes only a little more power and torque—260 hp and 265 lb-ft—but does it with less thrashing and a bit more authority. It comes mated to a five-speed automatic.

All Nitros are available with your choice of two four-wheel-drive systems, both single-speed with no low range. A part-time four-wheel drive (2-High and 4-High) is available now, and a full-time all-wheel-drive system is expected in early ’07.

How does all this work? Our first drive was in a top-of-the-line R/T, which comes standard with the 20-inch wheels all the kids are crazy about, as well as a unique suspension setup to handle the stiffer tires. The result isn’t too harsh—Dodge engineers did a good job of salvaging ride while trying to make the most out of the short sidewalls they had to design around. Steering was a little numb, but this is an SUV, after all.

Ride was better in the base SXT we drove next, with 17-inch wheels but with even less precision in the steering. The SXT had the four-speed auto that has no option for third gear, only D, 2 and 1. A third-gear hold would have been nice going up and down the mountain roads we tackled that day.

Dodge is making no sales predictions for the Nitro, but anything incremental is good, right? Prices range from $19,885 to $25,900, including destination.

We can’t wait to see what else Dodge will make now that it has discovered SUV platform sharing.

Fiat Grande Punto Abarth 1.4T 150Hp

A great project will be launched at the 77th Geneva International Motor Show: the rebirth of one of the most prestigious brands in world motorsports. Its symbol is a scorpion, and its name is Abarth.

Abarth has always been synonymous with assertive cars, competitiveness, passion and excitement, and it now returns with a new range that will appeal to all lovers of motorsports. Abarth’s first interpretation of the Grande Punto will be on the “catwalk” at the Geneva Show, the first step in an initiative which will later involve other models.

This new adventure starts in the familiar, uniquely emotional context and exclusive setting of the Geneva Motor Show. A striking stand has been prepared, in line with the philosophy of Abarth’s rebirth, an innovative space with a fresh, contemporary, technological language and great attention to every detail. The new elements that will publicise the Abarth brand are displayed with all their strong, original personality: the revamped version of the famous Abarth racing stripe has been rendered with LED tiles, while the new logo, the scorpion and the wording are all large, three-dimensional elements in polished, satin-effect aluminium.

The Abarth values and tradition on the other hand are underlined discreetly and technologically: refined materials and precious finishing details in aluminium, carbon fibre, enamel and lacquer decorate the exhibition area, and draw attention to the true stars of the stand: the Grande Punto Abarth S2000, a car that has been type-approved for racing and is proving to be highly successful, and the Grande Punto Abarth Preview, a concept car making its world debut.

These are the two souls of the Abarth world: racing and standard production.

Visitors to the Geneva Show will also have an opportunity to discover a third field in which the brand operates; a multimedia configurator will illustrate the whole concept of the ‘Abarth Kit’, and the flexibility and wide range of combinations that the brand will offer customers in its conversion kits. Some of these solid wooden boxes, inlaid with satin-finished aluminium trims, are on display inside glass cubes, with the historic mechanical and stylistic components from the conversion kits.

And finally, by means of exclusive LED technology and plasma screens, the walls of the stand propose historical photographs and films, alternating them with a reproduction of the new Abarth racing stripe, underlining the fine link between the past and the future, as well as the energy and personality that are inherent in the Abarth brand.


The Grande Punto Abarth Preview

The absolute star of the stand is the Grande Punto Abarth Preview, a true jewel of assertiveness and elegance. The car will be marketed in September, to enhance the sporty, youthful positioning of the Grande Punto.

The car on show in Geneva is equipped with a 1.4 Turbo petrol engine that delivers 150 bhp at 5500 rpm, boosted to 155 bhp by the adoption of 98 RON petrol. What is more, thanks to a booster kit, a version with twice as much power as the basic version (180 bhp) will soon be available. This is a revival of a tradition from the past: for example, the Fiat 500 of 1958 delivered 13 bhp at 4000 rpm with a top speed of 85 km/h, while the Fiat 500 Abarth of the same year delivered 26 bhp at 5000 rpm and a top speed of 118 km/h.

The Grande Punto Abarth aims to revive the feats of these entertaining performance cars, offering young drivers in particular an opportunity to enter the racing world in complete safety and at an accessible price.


The Grande Punto Abarth S2000


The public in Geneva will also be able to admire the extraordinary Grande Punto Abarth S2000. This is a racing car designed for racing stables, which the Fiat Racing Department will be entering in the 2007 Italian Rally Championship with Giandomenico Basso and his navigator Mitia Dotta. Davide Gatti, winner of the 2006 Fiat Abarth International Trophy, will compete at the wheel of an official Fiat Grande Punto R3D with a diesel engine. On the international scene, the Grande Punto Abarth S2000 will compete in the IRC (Intercontinental Rally Challenge) with drivers Andrea Navarra, his navigator Guido D’Amore, and young Umberto Scandola and Anton Alen.

Alfa Romeo 159 TI Versions

The new TI versions

TI for Turismo Internazionale, the name that Alfa Romeo once gave only to the most lavishly equipped of its cars. They were derived from standard models but stylistic touches and mechanical changes turned them into thoroughbred sports cars for everyday driving. And today those two letters, so simple but so glorious, reappear on cars in the Alfa 159 family (saloon and Sportwagon). Underlining that the Alfa Romeo brand always guarantees the quality and guarantee of work performed right in the plant for this particular sporty characterisation.
Earmarked for a young, sporty public, the cars with the TI logo promise more entertaining driving, better ‘handling’ and more powerful braking. In a word, the dynamic behaviour of a car that brings the sensations of the racing circuit to our everyday roads.
Models for people who want the maximum in terms of sportiness. And they want people to know, albeit without ostentation. As a result, the exterior lines of the car were not radically altered, and any intervention was limited to a few small touches. This is why the cars are still immediately recognisable from outside, but appear more assertive, literally ‘glued’ to the road, thanks in part to their low stance, larger tyres, 19” alloy wheels, sideskirts and larger brakes with red callipers.
Inside, the TI ambience is expressed in the sporty shape of the leather covered seats, the new steering wheel with its sports grip, the gear lever knob covered with perforated leather, and the dark upholstery of the ceiling and pillars. The sporty look is evident in the instrument graphics, the pedals and the heel-high strip with the TI logo. And finally, the burnished aluminium trims and satin-effect housing of the wing mirrors (optional) that characterise this particular version, which also offers a superb array of standard equipment, including dual-zone climate system and the VDC system.
These are cars that offer great sensations and authentic driving pleasure, that interpret the brand values one hundred percent and that are ambassadors of the ‘sportiness’ that makes them famous all over the world. In a word, the new TI specification is the perfect answer for customers who wish to enter the world of Alfa Romeo sports.


The Blue&MeTM Nav system

The Geneva Show marks the debut on the Alfa 159 of the brand-new Blue&Me™ Nav system, the latest evolution of the Blue&Me™ system which is proving to be a huge commercial success just one year after its launch: in fact it is requested by 20% of purchasers of all Fiat Auto models. That is not all. The sophisticated device has also received a number of prestigious international awards:
• from ‘Frost & Sullivan’, the ‘Excellence in Technology of the Year Award for European Automotive Telematics and Infotainment market’ (January 19, 2006);
• ‘Telematic Update of Detroit’ awarded it the prize for the best telematic solution of the year (May 23, 2006);
• ‘Automotive News Europe’ awarded the ‘Eurostars 2006’ prize to Giuseppe Bonollo, Vice President Product Portfolio Management, for the success of the system installed in Fiat Group cars (August 22, 2006).
Today, Blue&Me™ takes another step forward, with the new Blue&Me™ Nav version that makes its first appearance in Geneva. In addition to the version marketed until now (hands-free with Bluetooth® interface and advanced voice recognition – USB port, MP3 player and SMS text interpreter), the new Alfa Romeo model will offer a new version that incorporates the convenience of a navigator at an extremely competitive price. Blue&Me™ Nav is already wired to enable a range of telematic services developed in partnership with Telecom Italia, such as:
• SOS calls: in an emergency the driver only has to press the SOS button and a call and text message will be sent to the control centre giving the car’s position. This service is also activated automatically when an airbag inflates. The vehicle will be located rapidly so that roadside and medical assistance can be sent. The SOS button is also used in the event of a sudden indisposition or danger. These services are free of charge during the warranty period.
• INFO: information at the motorist’s service. Wherever he goes, it will be easy to receive updates about events, films, museums, road conditions, trains, restaurants, bars and plenty more. He only has to press the INFO button to speak to an operator who will answer his every query. INFO services are ‘pay-as-you-use’.
• Insurance services: thanks to the satellite location system and agreements with the major insurance companies, it will be possible to obtain discounts of up to 20% on Third Party insurance and of up to 50% on Theft and Fire insurance. In the event of theft, tracking will make it possible to trace the car. It will also be possible to establish how many kilometres the car travels and, on the basis of this, to draft specific insurance policies, which are more advantageous because they are based on the customer’s habits and real needs.

CARSCOOP

FPV Falcon GT

Australia's FPV (Ford Performance Vehicles) is celebrating the 40th anniversary of the original Ford Falcon GT with a special 200-car limited edition. The FPV Falcon GT 40th Anniversary is powered by Ford's Boss 290 5.4L V8. The 290 in its name refers to its power output in kilowatts. Put in our terms, that's 390 horsepower, and it's joined by 383 pounds of twist. That power goes to the rear wheels, natch. Breathing is aided by an FPV high-flow exhaust and six forward gears (manual or automatic) round things out on the powertrian side.

It should be noted the same drivetrain is found in the "regular" FPV Falcon GT. What sets the anniversary edition apart from its bretheren is the R-Spec suspension that underpins the car. Developed by Delphi at the request of Prodrive (co-owner of FPV along with Ford), it's designed to improve on-track performance without overly compromising everyday ride quality and tire wear.

The cars are given a coat of black paint with a gold Shelby-style stripe package (a la the Hertz Mustangs), GT 40th Anniversary decals aft of the front wheels, "BOSS 290" on the hood's power bulge, R-Spec badging on the rear, and 19" alloys (with red Brembos peeking through the spokes) trimmed in black. Note also the slick detail touches such as the FPV logo that's part of the lower grillework up front. The thing looks positively menacing and it has the goods to back it up. Man, they sure know how to do it right in Australia. Meanwhile, we get a new Five-Hundred Taurus. Yay.

The Subaru Impreza WRC2007

he Subaru World Rally Team has today unveiled the latest evolution of its rally challenger, the Impreza WRC2007, which will make its competitive debut on Rally Mexico (March 9-11) in the hands of Petter Solberg/Phil Mills and Chris Atkinson/Glenn Macneall.

As with previous incarnations of the iconic rally car, the Impreza WRC2007 is the result of a close collaboration between the teams of engineers and designers within Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd and Subaru Tecnica International (STI) in Japan and the Subaru World Rally Team in England.

The creation of the WRC2007 is a sign of Subaru’s ongoing commitment to the World Rally Championship as a way of proving the superior performance, reliability and safety of the Impreza model. Although the latest World Rally Car is outwardly similar to its predecessor, a number of key engineering improvements have justified the production of a new car for the remainder of this season.

Steve Farrell, director of engineering for the Subaru World Rally Team, explains: “The targets were to produce a car that has a more responsive front end with better traction and more balanced tyre wear, particularly on longer stages. To achieve that, we have applied a different philosophy into areas such as weight distribution, suspension geometry and differential set-ups. We also have new dampers to improve road-holding and traction.

“The car also has a different radiator and intercooler pack. We made an evolution in the middle of last season and, with the benefit of the new homologation, we’ve been able to make a further step on that. We have simplified the layout, which has improved the air flow, made the front end of the car easier to service and lost some weight.

“Externally, the differences are relatively subtle. The front bumper has been restyled to suit the new radiator pack and the bonnet vents are different – we have twin side exits on the bonnet this time rather than one central one.”

Richard Taylor, Subaru World Rally Team managing director adds: “Since the latter part of last year we’ve worked very closely with Subaru in Japan to look at certain specific areas of the 2006 car and bring the new version to fruition as quickly as possible. This season we have started to work with BFGoodrich and Mexico will be our first gravel event with its tyres, so we still have a considerable amount of learning to do in that respect.”

As the basis of a rally winning machine, few cars can match the competitive pedigree of the Impreza. First launched in 1992, the road car has developed in tandem with its rallying counterpart and over the last 13 seasons, the Impreza has scored 46 WRC victories and lessons learned on the rally stages have been fed back into the production model.

Like the road-going Impreza, at the heart of the rally car are two key parts of the Subaru philosophy, namely the Horizontally-opposed engine and the trademark Symmetrical AWD (All-Wheel-Drive). Through the work of STI and the Subaru World Rally Team, Subaru has established a two-way feedback process which complements both the road and rally car programmes.

Shigeo Sugaya, manufacturer principal, engineering, for the Subaru World Rally Team, says: “The collaboration between Subaru in Japan and England has worked extremely well to deliver the WRC2007 in a very short timeframe. Last autumn, engineers in Japan and England shared the idea before actual work started on both sides. Then development work was initiated as a joint project between the two teams.

Opel Gran Turismo Coupe Concept

We can only hope this Opel coupe comes to the US as the Saturn Whoop-Ass, SAAB Sonnet, heck, we'd even let them call it the Allante II. For now, it's known as the Opel Gran Turismo Coupe concept. Whatever it gets called is fine with us. It's sure handsome, and if scuttlebutt is true, it can back up the fast profile with real performance. The coupe is rumored to have a 300 hp turbocharged V6 lurking under the cleanly-drawn sheetmetal. That motive force is distributed to all four wheels, and the underpinnings are donated from the next-generation Vectra. Of course the concept is equipped like the full-boat, optioned up model would be (and then some); so it has all the goodies like a hard-disk based infotainment system, parking assistance, and undoubtedly more. We'll get to see this car up close and personal at the Geneva show, which is so close now that we're like 8 year olds on Christmas Eve. For now, we'll have to be satisfied to gaze longingly at these leaked photos that turned up on Spanish website. Based on the next generation Vectra platform the Gran Turismo Coupe’s purpose is not only to pre-announce Opel’s return to the mid-size Coupe category (after it abandoned it in the 90’s with the Calibra) but also to signal the change in the German company's design strategy. That means take a closer look to the Grand Turismo Coupe’s styling cues cause that’s what we’re going to see from Opel in the very near future starting out with the next generation Vectra that'll come out in mid-to-late 2008 (expect the coupe version sometime in 2009).

Even more importantly, you should check out the near-to-production interior that takes the Astra & Antara cabin design a step further, marking a significant change from the overly subtle Vectra. As for the “mechanical” department, the 4.830 mm long Grand Turismo is fitted with an upgraded version of the current Vectra OPC’s 2.8-liter V6 Turbo pumping out 300Hp (from 255Hp). Fitted with a 4wheel-drive system the Gran Turismo can go from 0 to 100km/h (62 mph) in around 6,0 sec while its top speed is electronically limited to 250 km/h (155mph).

Audi AG FSI 2L Turbocharged DOHC I-4

Seems like there suddenly is a lot of small-displacement 4-cyls. pushing silly horsepower. Audi AG’s turbocharged, direct-injection gasoline (DIG) 2L DOHC I-4 isn’t even the most powerful among them.But in taking its second consecutive 10 Best Engines award, the Audi powerplant demonstrates that in the new class of power-dense, forced-induction fours, all-around versatility and refinement is at least as important as big numbers.Engineers used to look at 100 hp per liter as a moonshot number, but these new-generation boosted 4-cyls. blow right past that benchmark.
General Motors Corp.’s DIG, turbocharged Ecotec 2L churns out 130 hp/L. Mazda Motor Corp.’s 2.3L – also employing the killer-ap combo of DIG and turbocharging – makes 119 hp/L and seems laughably unstressed in doing so.At “just” 100 hp/L, Audi’s FSI 2L is the comparative anchor of the bunch.Audi wins the day with superb drivability and wicked-fun throttle response that leaves its competition, not to mention a lot of larger V-6s, feeling flat. The full whack of its 207-lb.-ft. (281-Nm) torque peak being on hand from 1,800 rpm all the way to 5,000 rpm certainly helps.The sharp throttle response is enhanced by the feeling of virtually no flywheel inertia. Your right foot whips the tachometer needle like a flyswatter.

Testers universally were enamored of this engine’s ability to deliver sparkling power and satisfying economy. No matter how hard it was driven, it seemed impossible to get less than 25 mpg (9.4 L/100 km), and a light throttle is rewarded with economy-car fuel consumption.

And typical of Audi, the 2L turbocharged DOHC I-4 pegs the technology meter. In addition to the auto maker’s pioneering FSI (fuel straight injection) DIG technology, there are more variables here than in calculus class: a turbo lag-reducing variable-nozzle turbocharger; variable valve timing; and a variable-length intake manifold that incorporates charge-motion flaps to optimize intake-air swirl.

Refinement is abetted by a pair of counter-rotating balance shafts, as does the long-stroke layout (long a Volkswagen Group preference). Engineers must have spent extra time on this free-spinning engine’s rev-limiting software, certain in the knowledge it would get a workout.

When Volkswagen AG and Audi replaced the highly regarded 1.8T turbocharged 4-cyl. (an engine that took home five 10 Best Engines trophies) with this new, direct-injected architecture, fans of that 5-valve-per-cylinder fun-motor feared nothing could replace it.

But the VW Group’s powertrain engineers upped the ante, adopting FSI direct injection (this was the first production engine to combine DIG with turbocharging, Audi claims), an aluminum block and a little more displacement.

Best of all, Audi and VW make this engine available at several price points in both brands’ model range, meaning nobody has to be rich to enjoy what is one of the most affordable performance engines in the U.S market.