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CONFIRMED VW MODELS FOR 2011:
CC: Bluetooth and an iPod adapter is now standard, but rear seat airbags are no longer available and V6 models are no longer available with front-wheel-drive. The model lineup has been changed to Sport, Lux, Lux Plus, Lux Limited, and VR6 4Motion Executive.
GTI: The GTI, introduced last year in a single version, now offers more choices. The base-model GTI gets all the same features as the 2010 GTI plus Bluetooth phone connectivity, new wheels, and an updated stereo but no steering wheel audio controls. The Sunroof Package adds a sunroof (surprise!) along with a nicer stereo and steering-wheel audio, while the Sunroof and Navigation Package gets all of the above plus nav and Xenon headlights. Topping out the range is the GTI Autobahn, with everything in the Sunroof and Nav package plus unique seats and a “Dynaudio Lite” stereo. Rear seat airbags are no longer available.
JETTA: The Jetta is all new for 2011. The new Jetta has a roomier back seat and a lower price ($16,765), the idea being to make the Jetta more appealing to Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic buyers. Lowering the price has meant simplifying the rear suspension and interior trim and re-introducing the 115 horsepower 2-liter 4-cylinder engine. The 2.5 liter 5-cylinder and 2-liter TDI turbodiesel are also on offer. The sporty GLI model returns with the 200 hp turbo engine, upgraded cabin, and multi-link
JETTA SPORTWAGEN: The 2011 Jetta SportWagen continues on the same platform as the old-shape Jetta. All models get Bluetooth phone connectivity as standard, and the optional navigation system has been updated. S models get a new stereo, and SE models now include steering wheel audio and phone controls.
Finish Reading at: cars.about.com
 The Bugatti Veyron 16.4, the world's fastest production car! Had a model been especially popular or highly successful in races, Ettore Bugatti’s customers often pushed the master to tease out of the engine a few horsepower more for their future car.
Bugatti Automobiles SAS had been in a similar situation when their existing customers asked the company to not only design their second model optically differently but also to create a version with a sportier and more extreme driving experience.
The result is a car with a uniquely high performance of 1.200 bhp (882 kW) offering experienced drivers a whole new dimension of excitement, with a maximum torque of 1.500 Newton metres and a limited top speed of 415 km/h (to protect the tyres).
The Super Sport is a consequent further development of the classic exclusive 1.001 bhp Bugatti Veyron 16.4, launched in 2005. This model offers a stunning set of specifications, such as the twin clutch gearbox with seven speeds, the extraordinarily precise driving performance in bends and excellent stability when braking and accelerating.
Continuous work in extreme performance ranges lead to constantly new conclusions, which enabled the engineers at Bugatti to develop the Veyron into a direction in which the driver can reach new dimensions. Every modification is designed to produce an even more powerful car for an agile ride. Four enlarged turbochargers and bigger intercoolers have been used to boost the power of the 16-cylinder engine, and the chassis has been extensively redesigned to maintain safety at extreme speed.
Thanks to slightly raised main-spring-rate, stronger stiffer Anti-Roll-bars, and new shock absorbers with a complex architecture originally developed for racing cars. This gives noticeably more precise control of the wheels and the car as a whole. With lateral acceleration of up to 1.4 G and improved interaction between the tyres and the intelligent all-wheel drive system, the Super Sport offers perfect handling and even more powerful acceleration of 1.500 Newton metres on corner exits.
Continue reading The 2011 Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Hypercar
So here it is, the Lotus Elite, the first taste of what’s to come from Lotus in the future. Look up elegant in the dictionary and you’ll find variations on the following 1. dignified grace in appearance, movement, or behaviour, 2. superb taste in design, style and 3. something elegant; the ultimate refinement.
The ground-breaking new Elite is exactly that. It’s compact yet chic body is elegance incarnate. It’s not only exquisitely elegant, in keeping with Lotus’ core values, it’s a car of substance incorporating some of the very latest technological innovations Lotus has to offer.
The slick retractable hard top version and the optional use of hybrid technology with KERS are typical examples of Lotus tailoring technology to deliver perfect performance.
Dany Bahar, CEO of Group Lotus said: “There’s no denying that the Elite is breathtakingly beautiful to look at but it’s so much more than that, it’s a car that over delivers in all other aspects as well. One could say it’s a car of perfect contradictions, it’s compact yet spacious, high performing yet low emitting, lightweight yet still reassuringly solid. It’s a car that we are exceptionally proud of at Lotus and we truly believe that there is nothing else like it out there both in terms of styling and performance.
 The 2014 Lotus Elite “Make no mistake, there’s a definite market requirement for the Elite – it’s the ultimate sports car feel with comfort and space. There will always be those who believe that Lotus should stick to small sports cars but we didn’t take the decision to design something like the Elite lightly, it’s based on months of careful research and planning. It’s worth noting this sector has been very successful for us in the past and now the Elite raises the benchmark higher still.”
Set for release in spring 2014, this is an innovative, exciting GT that will set a new benchmark in design, performance and emissions. And it’s not all about sleek lines and stunning bodywork with this particular 2+2, what hides beneath this shark like exterior perfectly does the aesthetics justice. A front-mid positioned 5.0l V8 engine delivering up to 620 PS meaning drivers can expect to go from 0-100 km/h in approximately 3.5 to 3.7 seconds.
 3.6L V6 engine Yountville, Calif.—The new 2011 CTS Coupe should have been a 2010 model—but it was put on ice—frozen for a full year.
Bob Munson, chief designer of the Cadillac CTS, first sketched the rakish coupe in 2006. According to chief engineer Dave Leone, Bob Lutz was so impressed his response was: “Just go do it.” With that blessing, the CTS was fast-tracked through the production process, landing at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show as a concept that looked amazingly production-ready. It was set to arrive in dealerships in 2009.
But in the turmoil surrounding the bankruptcy and bailout of 2009, a sporty Cadillac coupe was not necessarily the new company’s top priority. Now, with U.S. auto sales rebounding and a new sense of optimism within GM, the two-door version of Cadillac’s successful CTS is ready to take on the coupes from Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz.
The Specs: A coupe’s success depends in no small part on its styling. The CTS is striking, handsome from many angles, and certainly unique. But it’s also risky. Although it has a traditional trunk, the CTS Coupe appears as though it could be a hatchback from some angles. Two-door hatchbacks based on luxury sedans have not been particularly successful in the U.S. In the past, both BMW and Mercedes-Benz attempted to sell four-cylinder hatchback versions of their popular 3-Series and C-Class sedans. Each lasted only four years before they were cancelled.
Yet this Cadillac, along with the market today, is different. The hatchback style is gaining traction with four-door luxury sedans like the Aston Martin Rapide and Porsche Panamera. And the CTS Coupe is not a watered down four-cylinder version of the sedan. No, this coupe has the same 304-hp 3.6-liter V6 as the sedan. And it comes paired to the same six-speed manual or six-speed automatic driving either the rear wheels or all four. The CTS Coupe uses 3.73:1 gearing instead of the sedan’s 3.42:1 cogs —so should be marginally quicker than other CTS models too.
Continue reading The 2011 Cadillac CTS Coupe
 Mini has also made HD Radio and Sirius Radio standard This fall, Mini will release its 2011 lineup that includes updated versions of its hardtop hatchback, the Cooper and Cooper S, as well as the convertible and Clubman models.
As usual, there isn’t much that looks different on the outside to the casual observer, but Mini does enough to make the refresh interesting as we wait on the new Countryman SUV next year.
The front and back get new bumpers, taillights and larger fog lights with a new placement. Frills include adaptive xenon high-intensity-discharge headlights for just $100 and black headlight housings are a no-charge option.
Inside, the most welcome change is altering the silver-colored plastic to matte black. One of our complaints of the Mini has always been the toy-like appearance and feel of its controls, and this move seems to mitigate that. Buttons and knobs for the climate and radio have also been redesigned. Mini has also made HD Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio standard; they were previously $500 options. Big brother BMW doesn’t do that. There’s also an all-new Mini Connected option with a 6.5-inch screen that integrates smart phone features including Bluetooth. Navigation will also be an available upgrade.
What about the engines? While the 1.6-liter four-cylinder in Cooper and Cooper S models remains the same, it has been upgraded to 121 and 181 horsepower, respectively. They’re slight upgrades, but the company promises fuel economy improvements, as well. Those figures will be released later this fall.
There are also new options for 15-, 16- and 17-inch wheels.
 The BMW 535i Gran Turismo with TwinPower Turbo BMW is once again defining a brand-new segment in the automobile market. The BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo combines elegance, space, comfort and variability in truly unique style.
As an attractive, future-oriented extension of the BMW 5 Series, the BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo is quite unparalleled worldwide in the upper middle segment, combining the characteristic features of a prestige saloon, a modern, highly versatile Sports Activity Vehicle, and a classic Gran Turismo in brand-new, unprecedented style.
Through its body design, the BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo combines the proportions so typical of a BMW, an elegantly stretched silhouette and a coupé-like roofline, as well as four doors with frameless windows to create one complete, harmonious unit.
The front view of the car animates powerful dynamism through the sheer presence of the upright BMW kidney grille, large air intakes and dual round headlights slanted back at an attractive angle.For the first time the daytime driving light function is provided by corona rings with LED technology.
Boasting clear-cut horizontal lines, the rear end comes with that characteristic look of width, power and muscle further enhanced by L-shaped rear light clusters with homogenously illuminated rows of lights in LED technology.
The luxurious and, for a car with this kind of coupé-like silhouette, surprisingly generous and variable interior gives both the driver and passengers a spontaneous feeling of comfort and well-being. This superior feeling is further enhanced by comfortable entry to the car, the slightly elevated seating position, the large window areas, the optional panorama glass roof, as well as exquisite materials and supreme quality of finish.
Continue reading The 2010 BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo
The 2011 Honda Accord Crosstour’s styling is a carbon copy of the 2010 model’s. Crosstour is a four-door hatchback with a trendy coupe-like roofline. It’s based on the underbody structure of the midsize Accord sedan and shares the car’s basic dashboard design and cabin décor.
Crosstour doesn’t have an SUV-tall step-in height but does ride higher than the Accord sedan and has a more commanding seating position.
Its wheelbase – the distance between the front and rear axles – is virtually identical to the sedan’s. And though the body bears an Accord-family resemblance it’s designed to convey a more powerful presence. Crosstour is slightly wider and longer than the Accord sedan and is a significant 8 inches taller, for much more interior volume.
This is a commodious passenger compartment outfitted in high-quality materials. Crosstour’s hatch lid lifts to reveal 25.7 cubic feet of nicely finished cargo space, double Accord’s trunk. There’s 51.3 cubic feet with the rear seatbacks folded, but similarly sized competitors with less-slanted tailgate shapes, such as the Toyota Venza and Subaru Outback, have more than 60 cubic feet of cargo space.
Exterior Features :The Crosstour is a four-door hatchback with a roofline that resembles that of a coupe. The wheelbase is virtually identical to the Accord sedan, though the body is somewhat wider and, of course, taller as well.
Standard 17” or 18” wheels come on the Crosstour as do foglights and a sunroof. Though the look of the Crosstour is little like the Accord sedan, drivers will have no difficutly recognizing this vehicle from the inside.
Continue reading The 2011 Honda Accord Crosstour
 Honda's NEW 2011 Crosstour The 2011 Honda Accord Crosstour’s styling is a carbon copy of the 2010 model’s. Crosstour is a four-door hatchback with a trendy coupe-like roofline. It’s based on the underbody structure of the midsize Accord sedan and shares the car’s basic dashboard design and cabin décor.
Crosstour doesn’t have an SUV-tall step-in height but does ride higher than the Accord sedan and has a more commanding seating position.
Its wheelbase – the distance between the front and rear axles – is virtually identical to the sedan’s. And though the body bears an Accord-family resemblance it’s designed to convey a more powerful presence. Crosstour is slightly wider and longer than the Accord sedan and is a significant 8 inches taller, for much more interior volume.
This is a commodious passenger compartment outfitted in high-quality materials. Crosstour’s hatch lid lifts to reveal 25.7 cubic feet of nicely finished cargo space, double Accord’s trunk. There’s 51.3 cubic feet with the rear seatbacks folded, but similarly sized competitors with less-slanted tailgate shapes, such as the Toyota Venza and Subaru Outback, have more than 60 cubic feet of cargo space.
Exterior Features :The Crosstour is a four-door hatchback with a roofline that resembles that of a coupe. The wheelbase is virtually identical to the Accord sedan, though the body is somewhat wider and, of course, taller as well.
Standard 17” or 18” wheels come on the Crosstour as do foglights and a sunroof. Though the look of the Crosstour is little like the Accord sedan, drivers will have no difficutly recognizing this vehicle from the inside.
Continue reading UPDATE: The 2011 Honda Accord CrossTour
 Want more room in your SUV? Check this out! The SRX is offered in front-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive models. A 265-horsepower, 3.0-liter V6 is standard, while a 300-hp, 2.8-liter turbocharged V6 is optional.
Both engines come with a 6-speed automatic transmission.
The 3.0-liter V6 has an all-aluminum construction along with direct-injection, which allows it to produce more power than most other engines its size and also return decent fuel economy, all on regular fuel.
However, the turbocharged engine produces much more torque than the base engine-making it feel especially responsive-and can accelerate the SRX to 60 mph in just 7.6 seconds.
EPA ratings for the SRX with the base engine are 18 mpg city, 25 mpg highway with front-wheel drive and 17/23 with all-wheel drive. The turbocharged engine returns lower numbers, rated at 15/21, and Cadillac recommends premium fuel for that unit.
The all-wheel drive system in the SRX can move all available torque to either the front or rear wheels as needed, and it can also divide torque from side to side, so as to allow especially strong grip, even under power on slick roads. And with the base engine, the tow rating is 3,500 pounds-enough for a small boat or a pair of jet-skis.
The driving experience in the SRX is sophisticated and refined, thanks to the available continuously variable real-time damping system which adjusts shock rates to road conditions. Speed-sensitive rack-and-pinion steering gives a sporty feel of the road, and electronic stability control is standard, along with anti-lock brakes.
Continue reading The 2011 Cadillac SRX
 The 2011 Fiesta from Ford In 2011 Ford Fiesta makes its U.S. debut after being sold and raced in other markets for a couple of years. This subcompact car comes as a 4-door hatchback or a 4-door sedan. Hatchbacks are offered in SE and SES trim levels, while sedans come in S, SE, and SEL versions.
The only engine option for all models is a 120-horsepower 1.6-liter 4-cylinder that teams with a 5-speed manual or 6-speed dual-clutch automated manual that behaves much like an automatic. S and SE models have standard 15-inch wheels.
SEL and SES have 16s, with 17s optional. Available safety features include ABS, traction control, antiskid system, curtain-side airbags, front-side airbags, and a driver knee airbag.
A tilt and telescopic steering wheel, height-adjustable driver seat, and capless fuel filler are standard.
Among the available features are Ford’s Sync voice-activated control for cell phones and MP3 players, sunroof, keyless engine start, leather upholstery, and heated front seats. A number of dealer-installed dress-up accessories are offered as well.
The 2011 Ford Fiesta has that futuristic look that many new car buyers are looking for. It promises many features and options to attract most discerning buyers, and it will be offered at around $18,000 in Europe; U.S. prices haven’t been announced.
Read More At: www.fordvehicles.com
 Dodge Viper ACR-X Dodge Targets Road Racing Enthusiasts With 2010 Viper SRT10 ACR-X
Dodge pulled the cover off the newest special-edition model of the 2010 Viper SRT10 lineup. The Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR-X is a turn-key, non-street legal race car that is slated to make its on-track debut in the summer of 2010.
“The Dodge Viper ACR-X takes the performance attributes of Viper to an even higher level for a wide range of drivers starting with the grassroots racer all the way up to the professional,” said Ralph Gilles, President and CEO, Dodge Brand.
“This project is a result of many years of performance engineering expertise from our SRT team, combined with the passion and dedication of Viper Nation, to keep the Viper racing tradition going strong on tracks around the country and the world.”
Combining the best performance attributes of the record-setting, street-legal Dodge Viper ACR (American Club Racer) and the safety equipment of championship-winning Viper Competition Coupe, the Viper ACR-X is powered by the SRT-developed 8.4-liter V10, equipped with factory headers and a low-restriction exhaust system, that produces 640 horsepower (40 more than production model).
The suspension also is tuned and upgraded specifically for on-track usage, while the weight is lightened by a full 160 pounds (versus the standard production Viper) to take on even the most challenging road course. Additional aerodynamic upgrades improve downforce, while enhancing stability and significantly improving grip in high-speed cornering.
Continue reading The Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR-X
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