Hot Cars

Aston Martin Is Named UK’s Coolest Brand

Aston Martin was announced as the UK’s coolest brand last night at the exclusive CoolLive event held at the ‘Gymnasium’ in King’s Cross. CoolBrands is an unprecedented initiative from the Superbrands organisation and is considered a key barometer of the nation’s coolest brands, people and places.

At its core is the CoolBrands Council who judge which brands have successfully created a cool reputation at this moment in time. This year’s council includes MTV presenter and Radio One DJ Trevor Nelson, designer Ben de Lisi and Dazed & Confused Editor, Nicki Bidder. Adding a further dimension to the expert opinion and new for 2006, Superbrands has joined forces with YouGov, the UK’s most accurate research agency, to ask the consumers themselves which brands they rate as ‘CoolBrands’.

Stephen Cheliotis, Chairman of the CoolBrands Council for 2007 commented, ‘with ever-evolving trends and interpretations of what is ‘Cool’, this vital step forward makes the consumer knowledge and experience a fundamental part of the programme.’

Under the leadership of Dr Ulrich Bez, CEO since July 2000, Aston Martin has undergone a transformation, and can now boast a line-up of three class-leading cars, the Vanquish S, the DB9 and the V8 Vantage. They will soon be joined by the convertible V8 Vantage and the high performance DBS coupe which has a starring role in the latest James Bond film, Casino Royale. These cars, produced at a class leading production facility at Gaydon in Warwickshire, have helped the company gather a collection of awards from the automotive and design industries.

Aston Martin has embraced change without compromising the qualities that have made it one of the world’s best-known high performance luxury car brands. The CoolBrand status confirms that the company’s exciting, design-led programme of new models, an enhanced dealer experience and an unparalleled attention to detail, has made a major impact both in the automotive sphere and in the broader world of international culture.

Last BMW X5 Rolls Of The Line, Makes Way For Next Generation

The last of the first-generation X5 Sports Activity Vehicle was produced at BMW Manufacturing Co. in Upstate South Carolina, making way for the production of the next generation X5.

The Toledo Blue 3.0is X5 sports a Truffle Brown leather interior with a Dark Grain Poplar wood trim. Due to its significance to BMW, the factory will keep the vehicle and display it in the Zentrum museum as part of the BMW Mobile Tradition Collection.

With the introduction of the X5, BMW opened a new market segment known as the Sports Activity Vehicle and the X5 as the first sports activity vehicle combined the powerful acceleration and exceptional handling of a car with the advanced traction technologies and all-wheel drive of an SUV.

The first X5 sports activity vehicle rolled off the production line on September 1, 1999. The X5 is built exclusively at BMW Manufacturing for distribution to more than 120 markets worldwide. Less than two years after its introduction, the 100,000th X5 milestone was reached on August 23, 2001 and on June 9, 2005, and the 500,000th X5 was produced, just five and a half years after its market introduction. The Spartanburg plant has produced 616,867 of the current generation of X5 Sports Activity Vehicle.

In 2000, the X5 was rated “Best Pick” by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, outperforming all other SUVs tested. The X5 not only rated higher than other SUVs, it earned a higher rating than all other vehicles previously tested by the Institute.

BMW Manufacturing Co., a subsidiary of the BMW Group based in Munich, Germany, is the exclusive manufacturer on the Z4 and M Roadster, Z4 and M Coupe and the X5 Sports Activity Vehicle. Its website address is www.bmwusfactory.com. In addition to the South Carolina manufacturing facility, BMW’s North American subsidiaries include sales, marketing and financial services operations in the United States, Canada and throughout Latin America, and a design firm in California.

Saab Intros 9-7X Altitude Edition

Saab’s first-ever SUV is flying to new heights with the 2007 9-7X Altitude Edition. Only 500 of these specially-outfitted SUVs will be available for the 2007 model year, making it a limited edition with very exclusive appeal.

Beyond the extremely rich standard equipment of the 9-7X, the Altitude Edition includes 18″ alloy polished wheels, and side assist steps, a rear DVD player, and an exclusive carbon fiber gray metallic paint. The package will be offered at a savings of nearly $1,000 than if the items were ordered individually. The package is available on the six-cylinder 9-7X 4.2i and the 9-7X 5.3I V8 - which will bring the total vehicle price (MSRP, destination charge and Altitude package) to $42,130 and $44,130, respectively.

For 2007, OnStar-equipped 9-7X models will feature a new service called OnStar Turn-by-Turn Navigation, the first factory-installed, fully-integrated GPS navigation system from OnStar. Turn-by-Turn allows consumers to talk to a live advisor, who in turn sends complete step-by-step directions to customers’ vehicles through their OnStar system. Also in 2007, a Tire Pressure Monitoring System becomes standard equipment on the 9-7X, and one new color, Crystal Blue metallic, has been added.

The Saab 9-7X, which debuted in the summer of 2005, brings unique Saab characteristics to the SUV segment, including sophisticated styling inside and out, premium quality and design features, and sporty and fun-to-drive performance. Additionally, this SUV has a high-level of standard equipment, which is offered to consumers at a surprisingly reasonable price.

Saab is a division of General Motors Corp. Saab USA is the importer and/or distributor of Saab 9-3, 9-5 and 9-7X automobiles for Saab Automobile AB, Sweden. For the 2007 model year, Saab markets seven engines/transmissions that perform at an EPA-rated 30 mpg on the highway. Also, beginning in 2007, Saab offers vehicle warranty coverage for five-years or up to 100,000 miles.

2007 Mercedes-Benz CL 63 AMG

Mercedes-AMG is unveiling the range-topping version of the new luxury coupe, the CL 63 AMG. Under the bonnet is an AMG 6.3-liter V8 engine that was developed independently and delivers a maximum output of 525 bhp and 465 lb-ft of peak torque for guaranteed scintillating performance.

A glance at the high-tech specification of this exceptional two-door coupe emphatically under-lines its exclusive status: in addition to the unmistakable AMG bodystyling and the AMG sports suspension based on Active Body Control, the AMG high-performance braking system is also fitted as standard.

The CL 63 AMG represents the highlight of Mercedes-AMG’s 2006 model initiative so far, which has encompassed ten brand new high-performance AMG models to date.

At the heart of the eight-cylinder flagship model is the AMG 6.3-liter V8 engine. It features a higher power-to-swept-volume and torque ratio than any other naturally aspirated series-produced eight-cylinder engine in the world. The CL 63 AMG is propelled from 0-60 mph in just 4.5 seconds, with top speed electronically limited to 155 mph.

Fiat At Viva Italia

As befitting a company whose development has coincided with that of Italy itself, Fiat has a major presence at London’s Viva Italia Show, a celebration of all things Italian, which opens on Friday 22 September at the National Hall, Olympia.

Exhibits on the Fiat stand include the company’s highly successful new Grande Punto supermini, which became Europe’s best selling car soon after its international launch last autumn, and which has also proved very popular with UK customers since its introduction here at the beginning of the year. To date, almost 20,000 have been sold in the UK. The exciting new Grande Punto is represented at Viva Italia by a top-of-the-range 1.9 MultiJet 130 Sporting, resplendent in metallic black.

Fiat’s commitment to environmentally friendly 4×4s is exemplified by the presence at Viva Italia of its new Sedici. Designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro, this striking, compact and comfortable SUV is perfectly at home in the city, at the shops, or when acting as an all-terrain specialist. Its easy-to-use switchable 4WD system provides this remarkable family hatchback with extraordinary hidden powers. Both petrol and diesel engines are available, and an example of the former, finished in metallic Glam Sand, will be on the Fiat stand.

However, visitors to the Fiat stand can also acquaint themselves with the iconic Panda 4×4, a compact, nippy and economical city car that is also a country classic. Its robust 4-wheel drive system allows drivers to tackle all kinds of terrain in all conditions. With standard equipment electric power steering, a raised ride height, and underbody protection, the Panda 4×4 is a serious off-road player, as well as a relaxed and robust city dweller.

But visitors to Viva Italia cannot fail to be drawn to another remarkable exhibit which dwarfs not only the Panda 4×4, but also Grande Punto and Sedici. This is Oltre Fiat, a remarkable show car whose presence simply reinforces Fiat Group’s technological excellence, even in the large four-wheel drive and off-road markets.

Derived from the Iveco LMV, (Light Multirole Vehicle), a new military off-roader that embodies cutting edge technical features and has already won the FCLV (Future Command and Liaison Vehicle) contract for the British Army, Oltre Fiat was first exhibited at the Bologna Motor Show last year, and can perform a wide range of functions. It is powered by a turbocharged 3-litre common rail diesel engine producing 185bhp and driving through a six-speed automatic transmission. Despite weighing over seven tonnes, Oltre Fiat has a top speed of over 70mph, has a payload of around three tonnes and can seat up to five people while negotiating longitudinal gradients of 80%, and tackling rivers, lakes and streams up to a depth of 1.5 metres.

Audi Reveals World’s Most Powerful Diesel Passenger Car

A road-going Audi Q7 SUV with a Le Mans race-bred V12 TDI engine bristling with 1,000Nm of torque takes pole position this week as the world’s most powerful diesel passenger car. Benefiting from technology honed in the development of the V12 unit that powered the Audi R10 TDI to the first ever Le Mans victory for a diesel-powered sports prototype, the 6.0-litre, 500PS engine will be available in fully fledged series production Q7 models in the foreseeable future.

Currently undergoing pre-production testing, the extremely compact twelve-cylinder unit produces its mammoth 1,000Nm torque peak - 350Nm more than the acclaimed 4.2-litre V8 TDI powering the A8 - from just 1,750rpm, guaranteeing breathtaking pace right from the outset as the latest generation quattro four-wheel-drive system smoothly distributes the power four ways via a purpose-built, strengthened six-speed tiptronic transmission.

The immediacy of the power flow shows in a 0-62mph sprint time of just 5.5 seconds, and the incredible performance is tempered only by the electronic limiter’s cut-in at 155mph. Yet unlike many petrol-powered V12 performance cars that at times struggle to return double-digit fuel economy figures, the Q7 V12 TDI achieves a surprisingly ‘real world’ 23.7mpg on the combined cycle, running many considerably less powerful V6 TDI SUVs remarkably close.

Two turbo chargers and a modified version of the highly sophisticated piezo common rail fuel injection system used by six and eight-cylinder Audi TDI engines play a major role in the dramatic power delivery of the Q7 V12 TDI. The adapted piezo system boosts pressure in the injectors from 1,600bar - the maximum achieved so far - to an exceptional 2,000 bar, optimising efficiency and performance. The cutting edge injection technology, in combination with a specially developed exhaust gas recirculation system and a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF), ensures that this latest Audi powerhouse already meets EU5 targets for emissions applicable from 2010.

The new Audi V12 TDI engine family also raises the bar for refinement, even by the standards of modern day diesels, as was demonstrated during the gruelling 24-hours of Le Mans marathon race by the winning Audi R10 TDI. Aside from the obvious diesel benefits that helped the new Audi sports prototype with its 5.5-litre, 650PS V12 TDI run for longer between fuel stops than its petrol-powered challengers, one of its most noticeable distinguishing characteristics was its exceptionally quiet running. The road-going engine will follow suit, ensuring that it is a perfect fit for the Audi SUV praised widely for its limousine-like character and finish.

Externally, the Q7 V12 TDI test car makes its presence felt even more emphatically than its V6 and V8 relatives through a striking new front end design featuring a unique chrome plated grille and LED strip daytime running lights, additional under-body protection panelling and large-bore exhausts.