Car Enthusiast Talks Autos
Video: New BMW 640d M Sport by BMW released in the UK
BMW recently launched the 2012 BMW 640d M Sport in the United Kingdom. We will let the video do the talking so you can appreciate the interior and exterior of this BMW 6-Series vehicle.
The M Sport tag is what BMW lovers want to have on their bimmers. The M Sport denotes a complete aerodynamic package including modifications for the side skirts and more aggressive bumper. This also translates to 19 inch BMW M alloy rims, exhaust tailpipes in dark chrome, brake calipers in black, shadowline trim for the exterior, and LED foglamps.
The M Sport specs also gives you an upgraded interior. It will come with sport seats hugged by leather and Alcantara, anthracite headlining, multifunction steering wheel, and aluminum hexagon trimming.
The engine is pretty impressive with a twin turbocharger equipped 6-cylinder diesel engine that can give out 313 PS and a torque of 630 Nm. The car can go from 0 to 100 kilometers an hour in just 5.5 seconds with top speed (electronically limited) measured at 250 km/h. Fuel mileage was measured at 51.4 miles per gallon while carbon dioxide emission was measured at 145 grams per kilometer.
Enjoy the video about the 640d M Sport below:
The New Ford Mustang: Still a Pony Car?
The Ford Mustang is one of the most iconic cars of all time. In fact it really changed the entire car industry. The Mustang introduced an entirely new class of car, the pony car. Unfortunately over the years the name plate strayed from its roots and became a completely different car. 
However that has been rectified as the new Ford Mustang has been designed to go back to those roots and in this it has been very successful. These days you would never know that there was a time when the Mustang wasn’t a pony car.
The new Ford Mustang is still very much a pony car. If anything it has gone back to its roots and become more of a pony car than its predecessors. Ford initially introduced the concept of a pony car back during the sixties by building the Mustang as an affordable car that could perform well and had a sporty image. It was such a huge success that it didn’t take long at all for all of the other manufacturers to start making them as well. The result was that Ford’s sales started to suffer.
Things really changed for the Mustang during the seventies. It was then that the cost of fuel started to become an issue and everybody was looking for an economy car. So Ford changed the Mustang into a small fuel efficient, economy car. It was actually based on the same platform as the Ford Pinto. While this improved sales it really hurt the reputation of the Mustang as a pony car. With the days of the big engine gone it was really nothing more than an economy car and this continued well into the nineties.
The Success of the new Mini Explained
There are few cars that are as instantly recognizable as a Mini. It is one of those cars that everybody knows as soon as they see it. In part this is because it has a rather unique look. However it also helps that it has been such a huge success. Everybody knows about it because they see them driving all over the city. The reason for that is because they are such a good car.
The main reason for the success of the Mini is that it introduced a completely new segment to the market. There has always been a demand for small cars but in the past these cars were cheap, dull and poor performing vehicles. They were intended to provide nothing more than a cheap way to get around town. The Mini came with a different formula, it offered a small car that was great for city driving but it is a car that can really perform. It created a whole new class the premium small car.
A big part of the success of the Mini is that it has an image as a sporty car. It is clearly targeted at young people and in order to attract that type of customer you need to have a car with a fun image. This is something they have really succeeded at providing. The Mini is a fun little car to drive. The engine though small provides plenty of power for such a light car. The area where the Mini really shines is when it comes to handling. It is really like a little sports car that allows you to zip in and out of traffic.
Rapid Charging Tests Done on Range Rover Plug-in Prototypes
Jaguar Land Rover hybrids make up for lost time by testing for Rapid Charging. Everyone’s already commented on how “late in the game” Land Rover was with the whole hybrid business, but that doesn’t mean that their technology needs to be just as “slow”. The five prototypes of the plug-in diesel electric hybrid version of the Range Rover Sport were seen being tested for E-on Rapid Charging in Great Britain.
This fast-charge option only takes 20 minutes, compared to more than four hours of charging time using a slow charger. This is according to the reports made by JustAuto.com. Slow chargers cost about $3 million. Jaguar Land Rover announced last December that the diesel-electric hybrid version of the Range Rover Sport would debut in 2012. The improved fuel efficiency means that the hybrid SUV would be emitting only 100g/km of CO2.
This is only 1/3 of the CO2 emission announced by its rival, the Lexus RX450h. Earlier road tests of the Rover hybrid revealed that it can run at a top speed of 120 mph. The actual tests reveal even lower CO2 emissions at only 70g/km. The electric-only driving range of this vehicle is also impressive at 20 miles.
Volvo and Polestar set to unwrap the prototype of the C30 Performance Concept
The C30 Performance Concept prototype is set to be officially unwrapped by Volvo and Polestar this weekend. The car is the wicked Volvo dream of running on the streets without any worries of getting any tickets. The C30 Performance prototype was produced with the hypothesis for a race team to produce a car without thinking of any regulatory body to turn on the red light.
The base unit of the C30 will be fitted with a turbocharged 5-cylinder engine with a 2.5L displacement that can output 227 horsepower. The Polestar version uses the characteristics of the base car to build a more potent version with 405 horsepower and a torque of 510Nm. The boost was achieved by customizing pistons, camshaft, and connecting rods unique for the project.
The Polestar C30 prototype still makes use of the Haldex all wheel drive configuration but the front and rear differentials were set up to achieve some control. Polestar also threw in a steering rack with quick-ratio and suspension from Ohlins. Brembo calipers with six pistons for the front and for pistons for the bank take care of stopping the car.
Arcimoto unveils three-wheel Pulse EV in the U.S.
Arcimoto headquartered in Eugene, Oregon unveiled last week a three wheel EV called the Pulse. The electric vehicle seats two occupants and has a range of at least 50 to 100 miles on a single charge with top speed pegged at 55 mph. The Pulse has a sticker price of $20,000. Now, that is very low for an EV.
The vehicle can be pre-ordered through the company’s website. Reservation for a unit of Pulse is just $500 which can be refunded any time that you think you don’t want the car anymore. The first run of production will roll out 300 units with first deliveries expected to be achieved by 2011.
The Pulse depends on an advanced DC electric motor that can output 80 ft-lb of torque while on the road. It uses a typical 110 volt plug and charges full in about six to eight hours. The car is very efficient at low speeds with the vehicle having no idling state even when at rest.
The electric car comes standard with power locks and windows, keyless entry and starting, stereo entertainment system, optional air conditioner, and LED lighting. The safety provisions include automatic disconnection of the battery upon collision, three-point seatbelts, roll cage, and crumple zones.