Hot Cars

2007 BMW M5

Currency Motor Carsfrom the US introduced an unprecedented super car. This flagship model is an ingeniously modified BMW M5 that can reach a top speed of 240 mph and features a 810-horsepower engine.

This makes it the fastest, most powerful luxury 4-door luxury sedan on the planet. It’s high compression V10 engine has been brilliantly altered, by company founder Ron Cash, to accommodate twin-turbos and a custom, hand crafted inter-cooled system to kick out an astounding 810 horses.

No one in the world has been able to achieve this until now. This is the only car of it’s kind.

The mind-boggling power of this vehicle is complimented by the exquisite $100,000 alteration of it’s interior. The leather in the steering wheel is the same as the leather in the seats: fully aniline dyed Florida Crocodile in black.

Only the finest suede and leathers have been used, much like the old Delahay and Bugatti roadsters adopted in the 1930’s.

The custom interior is all hand stitched, designed and installed by CMC co-founder Judy Amic-Angelo, one of the most respected product designers in the country.

Jaguar XJ Diesel Named As Britain’s Greenest Luxury Car

Jaguar’s XJ 2.7 Diesel has been named the greenest luxury car on Britain’s roads in the Environmental Transport Association’s 2007 Car Buyers Guide. The award, presented by television presenter Janet Ellis at the RIBS in London recognises Jaguar’s commitment to delivering CO2 and fuel consumption advantages to customers with the development of its industry-leading diesel engines and application of advanced lightweight aluminium vehicle architectures.

The ETA guide lists 2,500 new cars and provides a star-based ranking system that gives consumers an overview of any vehicle’s performance against the following categories; power, carbon dioxide emissions, fuel consumption, noise and safety. The XJ beat off strong competition from the Mercedes-Benz S320 and BMW 7 Series to claim this award – following in the footsteps of its stable mate, the X-TYPE, which won the category in 2006.

Managing Director of Jaguar in the UK, Geoff Cousins said: “We fully recognise our responsibility to the environment and are committed to playing our role in developing technology solutions in cars, fuels and infrastructure to address climate change – this award shows we are heading in the right direction.”

This is the latest in a long line of awards for Jaguar’s flagship model, which last year further demonstrated its fuel economy credentials by covering 1000.2 miles on a single tank of fuel – the average fuel consumption hitting 53.5mpg* which equates to 139g/km of CO2.

The all-aluminium XJ, face-lifted for 2008, boasts an all-new distinctive design and features a host of state-of the art-technologies including the sound-deadening ‘Vibramount’. Supplied by Avon this technology was nominated for an innovation award at the Automotive News PACE (Premier Automotive Suppliers’ Contributions to Excellence) Awards in New York. ‘Vibramount’ has helped the XJ Diesel gain its reputation for world-class smoothness and quietness by countering engine movements to eliminate vibration and noise. Refinement has been improved whilst allowing ride and handling to be optimised.

In the UK, the Jaguar XJ boasts just over 20% share of the large luxury segment and sales in 2006 were up 25% over the previous year. This serves to demonstrate that the XJ is a car that continues to exceed expectations and attract customers who simply love to drive. It was recently voted Luxury Car of the Year in the Business Car Awards.

BMW M3 Concept Car

The name M3 is a symbol of unique performance on the racetrack and in everyday motoring. For more than two decades, the BMW M3 has represented the athletic heart of the brand in its most fundamental and succinct form. Its dominating role in motor sports and the ultimate driving experience it affords the driver on the road are inseparably intertwined. Such qualities have given the BMW M3 the exceptional status it enjoys the world over.

At BMW M GmbH, engineers have used this experience to create the new BMW M3 Concept Car. The concept study presented to the public for the first time at the 77th International Motor Show in Geneva (8th to 18th of March, 2007) gives a first impression of what a future BMW M3 might look like.

The BMW M3 Concept Car, with its Chrome Shadow exterior finish characteristic of previous BMW M GmbH concept studies, is a derivative of the new BMW 3 Series Coupé. However, few components are adopted directly from the ‘standard’ model. Just the headlights, rear light clusters, the two doors and the boot lid are carried over.

All other components were specially engineered for the BMW M3 Concept Car, lending the vehicle a unique look that accentuates its superior power. Features that make the BMW M3 Concept Car stand out are the bespoke front and rear bumper and spoiler designs, a bonnet with a bulging powerdome plus two air vents, side gills complete with M-designation on the front wings, side skirts and double strut exterior mirrors as seen on previous BMW M cars.

Lotus Offers Luxury Touring Pack Option For Europa S

The Europa S, the Lotus that introduces the brand to enhanced levels of practicality and refinement, has a new Luxury Touring Pack Option which stretches the Europa S towards the more luxurious end of the spectrum. The Luxury Touring Pack Option dresses the interior in the smart attire of saddle tan leather, chocolate coloured leather and brown carpets.

Where the standard Europa S uses lightweight composite components for items such as the steering column shroud, dash top, instrument and ventilation binnacles and sill covers, the Luxury Touring Pack Option on the Europa S covers these and other components with four hides of soft high-grade saddle tan coloured and chocolate coloured leather.

Supportive sports seats are fitted and are also clad in saddle tan and chocolate coloured leather in a stripe pattern. Safety critical composite components such as the passenger airbag door are coated in a high-tech soft-to-the-touch material. An engine start button and a solid Walnut and Tulip wood gearknob finish off the interior package.

The Luxury Touring Pack Option also stretches to the boot: with brown carpet covering the whole of the boot area including the battery cover, a saddle tan coloured leather trimmed tailgate inner, luggage straps to prevent luggage from moving in the boot, and a saddle tan coloured leather oddment bag which is fixed to the boot compartment.

Exterior additions to the Luxury Touring Pack Option include tinted rear and rear three-quarter glass, body coloured front driving lamp surrounds, side air-intake surrounds and roof air-outlet grill. All other exterior grilles such as the front radiator grilles and the rear light grille surrounds are coloured silver.

All these added luxuries add very little weight to the feather-light Europa S so spirited drivers will not be penalised by opting for the Luxury Touring Pack.

The Luxury Touring Pack Option is available on the Lotus Europa S from April 2007 priced at £1,250 in the UK and EUR1,750 in Europe (excluding local taxes), with prices in other markets to be announced shortly.

Maserati GranTurismo Worldwide Preview At The Geneva Motorshow

The new Maserati GranTurismo, styled by Pininfarina, will make its worldwide debut at the Geneva Motorshow. The Maserati GranTurismo is a muscular and sporty car, that can be enjoyed every day and at the same time is engaging for the driver. Its excellent handling and sportiveness make it a point of reference in its category. The Maserati GranTurismo is built with particular attention to comfort, choice of materials and details and with enough room for four people, as only Maserati can do.

The new Maserati GranTurismo is a high-performance sports car, exciting to drive with a 4.2 litre V8 engine, delivering 405 HP, and a weight distribution of 49% at the front and 51% at the rear. It is fitted with an automatic gearbox and equipped with an adaptive control system which adjusts the gear-shifting mode to the driving style and the driving conditions.

Maserati’s tradition of the Gran Turismo concept dates back to 1947 when the Trident Company, following its clients’ demand, unveiled at the Geneva Motorshow its first Gran Turismo, the A6, designed by the great Pinin Farina.

It was the first Maserati road car and was produced in 58 units. The car was acclaimed by the automotive press for its advanced technical content and for its avant-garde style solutions.

The new model name – Maserati GranTurismo – is not incidental. Once again, the partnership between Maserati and Pininfarina gives birth to a car that is able to generate emotions and sets itself apart from competitors, due to the technique with which it is built and its unique style.

The new Maserati GranTurismo represents a further step towards the completion of the Trident product range, following the worldwide launch of the Quattroporte Automatic at the 2007 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

New Volvo V70 Revealed

Backed by 54 years of ongoing refinement and improvement, Volvo Cars is still the global leader in the segment for large estate cars. Now the all-new Volvo V70 is making its entry onto the market with an innovative combination of luxury and versatility.

“This segment has been our specialty ever since we invented it back in the 1950s. Our competitors can count on us remaining number one in the future too. In the all-new V70, rear passengers and luggage both ride in first class,” says Volvo Cars President and CEO Fredrik Arp.

The segment for estate cars is growing and the demands on the cars themselves are increasing as more and more sedan owners appreciate the added versatility that this roomier car type offers – without having to compromise on design, comfort or driving dynamics.

“The attitude towards the estate car has undergone a significant change. With greater focus on design and comfort, the all-new V70 is both luxurious and practical, not just for families with growing children but also for all active people with high demands on their cars. In fact, we expect that half of all V70 buyers won’t actually be families with children,” explains Fredrik Arp.

Completely new vehicle architecture

By using a completely new vehicle architecture, Volvo’s designers and engineers have gained a number of advantages:

- For the first time ever there is a six-cylinder engine under the bonnet of a Volvo V70, which has a broader than ever engine range, from two sixes (the new 285 hp T6 and the 3.2 which produces 238 hp) to fuel-efficient diesels and the bio-ethanol FlexiFuel model producing 145 hp.

- Front seat comfort has been considerably enhanced, with superb seats and ergonomically designed instruments. This naturally also includes the elegant, super-slim centre console and the world-class audio system.

- Space in the rear seat has grown compared with the current V70. Families with young children now also have access to a world breakthrough: dual built-in child booster cushions that can be adjusted in two stages. The inflatable curtains have been extended by 60 mm, and in combination with the new booster cushions and the strong body side structure this provides more children of different sizes with effective protection in a side impact.

Still a genuine estate car

Despite its injection of comfortable luxury, the all-new V70 still inherits its genes from classics such as the Volvo Duett, Volvo 245 and Volvo 745. Here too Volvo is taking a huge stride forward with a luggage area that has increased in both volume and versatility.

A number of smart new functional details and accessories allow the V70 owner to individually adapt the car to suit his or her specific needs. The rear seat’s 40/20/40 split makes it the most flexible in the segment. Other smart examples include a power tailgate, sliding load floor and a storage compartment under the luggage area floor that locks when the tailgate shuts.

“In the leading estate car, the cargo should naturally ride as comfortably as the passengers do. Every little detail in the luggage compartment and all
the accessories have been specially designed to give the correct feeling of luxury without compromising on the smart functionality that is and remains our mark of honour,” says Volvo Cars Design Director Steve Mattin.

The rear of the all-new V70 has a more dynamic, more sculpted shape than in today’s model. The eye can even discern a forward-leaning upper tailgate section.

“Using innovative design, we have once and for all put to bed the boxy shape traditionally associated with our estate cars. From the outside, the car has a dynamic stance. But with the help of the smart overlapping tailgate, which takes the tail lamps up with it, the space inside the car is larger than in the previous V70,” says Steve Mattin.