The Audi E-Tron test drive by the Los Angeles Times is seen in this video, although it’s unlikely to tell you anything you didn’t already know. We don’t get an idea of what it feels like to actually drive the E-Tron, and the torque figures quoted are likely to be those of the wheels, and not the output shaft, which has created some controversy.

The driver of this test, Dan Neil, gives us some insight into what kind of car the E-Tron is like in his written article. He says:

Like all electric cars, the batteries are the biggest concern. The e-tron uses a lithium-ion pack sourced from Sanyo with a total capacity of 53 kWh, but only about 43 kWh is usable storage. Max discharge is a healthy 230 amps. According to Krauter, the car will have two settings for regenerative braking, one normal and one sporty — which is to say, you lift off the gas and the aggressive regen will instantly slow the car down as if it had piled into a load of sand. No coasting.

Continue reading: Audi E-Tron test drive video

0 comments

The Car of the Year prizes have been dominated by the Germans with many being awarded one of Autobild’s “Golden Steering Wheel” awards. The Porsche Panamera won the luxury car category, beating the BMW 7-Series and Mercedes S Class, while the medium to large sedan category was won by the Audi A5 Sportback, followed by the BMW 5-Series GT and the Mercedes E Class.

Among the compact class, a nice win for the new Opel Astra, beating the Skoda Yeti, which came in second ahead of the Renault Megane. In its sector, the Renault Scenic emerged ahead of the Toyota Verso and Peugeot 5008, and among the small cars the Volkswagen Polo won over the Citroen C3 and Hyundai i20. The Toyota Prius took out the ecological prize, followed by the Volkswagen Polo BlueMotion and the Mercedes S400 Hybrid.

The supercar category was dominated by the new Mercedes SLS AMG Gullwing, followed by the Audi R8 Spider and the Aston Martin One-77. The finalists for overall COTY are the Citroën C3 Picasso, Mercedes-Benz E-class, Opel Astra, Peugeot 3008, Skoda Yeti, Toyota iQ and Volkswagen Polo. Take your bets now…

0 comments

The guys from Quattroruote took the Alfa Romeo 8C spider for a track test drive, and have said that this is one of the best spider interpretations of a coupé that’s on the market. The engine is the same eight-cylinder housed on the coupé, and given the excitement of having the roof down, you can hear it all without anything between you and the rumble.

We’d hazard that it’s not quite as competitive to a Ferrari or Aston Martin as the test team says, but then, we weren’t there. According to the track test, the 8C Spider has great responsiveness in acceleration and a nifty shift that helps you corner neatly and quickly.

A new feature on the 8C Spider is the four carbon ceramic brake discs, a welcome addition according to Quattroruote. The brake pedal has a lot of feel (apparently enough that you can even brake with your left foot, if so inclined) and the brakes engage straight away without any lag often typical of carbon ceramic brakes when they’re still cold.

The 8C Spider weighs about 90 kg more than the coupé, but the track test proves it to be agile, sincere and easy to drive, giving all the fun you’d expect from a supercar and from a spider. A satisfying car to drive, the 8C Spider has soul. Unfortunately all 500 models have already been sold…

Continue reading: Alfa 8C Spider first drive impressions

0 comments

In this video, Autocar test drives the AC Cobra MK6, built in collaboration with a German company, Gullwing GMBH. The Cobra MK6 has a 6.2-litre Corvette engine, brakes from Porsche and a very quick acceleration of 3.5 seconds to reach 100 km/hr.

You can’t much more complimentary than “this is a proper, bona fide, specialist sports car”. Not just any kit car, this AC Cobra MK6 is “beautifully handmade”. To hear the wonderful sound it makes, and for further details, watch the video.

1 comment

In one mega group-test Evo sees which is the best road-racer model out of the Porsche 911 GT3, the Aston Martin V12 Vantage, the Audi R8 V10 and the Corvette ZR1. While describing this test as determining the most “hard-core” model, the introduction doesn’t really specify the criteria.

In fact, after a look at the engine specs and details, the Corvette is pegged as one of the more interesting models due to its very fast engine. But if you were to explain from the beginning that by “road-racing” you mean vehicles that can go fast elegantly, corner well, and give an overall fast but assured driving experience, you’d probably understand that the ZR1 is not quite in the league of the others (although some accusations of bias were levelled at Evo in the comments).

After an initial drive, Evo says:

Continue reading: Group test: Porsche GT3 vs Vantage V12 vs Audi R8 V10 vs Corvette ZR1

0 comments

The electric Renault Kangoo BeBop Z.E. will soon be available for test drives open to the public. The electric car born in France wants to reveal to everyone what it’s made of, and it intends to put its best foot forward and show off its best attributes. First and foremost: its self-sufficiency, already at acceptable standards today, but which will improve in the future. The Kangoo BeBop Z.E. is capable of traveling 100 km with just one charge-up, but in the 18 months that separate it from its current state to its marketing, it is forseen to reach up to 160 km.

The Kangoo BeBop Z.E. will be one of the first electric models that Renault-Nissan will put into production in 2011, and it represents a first step in the project towards travel with zero emissions that the well-armoured French-Japanese coupling is starting for the upcoming years. The objective of Renault-Nissan, reaffirmed numerous times, is to conquest this new market right from the beginning.

The little all-capable French car, in particular, was planned keeping in mind three fundamental characteristics of the trademark, that is comfort, space, and safety. These three parameters, the company has affirmed, will remain constant in the advent of electric vehicles.

Renault Kangoo BeBop Z.E.

Continue reading: Renault: test drives open to the public for the new Kangoo BeBop Z.E.

0 comments

Audi has released this video of its official driver, Allan McNish, at the wheel of the RS6 on the Silverstone track. According to the UK driver, winner of LeMans, the 580 hp of the 5.2 litre twin turbo certainly get to work on this station wagon version of the RS6. The carbon ceramic brakes are also perfect for performance, and McNish reveals that despite all the power, the RS6 is incredibly easy to drive.

0 comments

This test drive video from Autocar confirms the fact that the HGTE version of the Ferrari 599 would be worth considering if you were in the market for a purchase. The “handling” modifications of Ferrari have resulted in a stiffer chassis, with less roll and a more reassuring road grip. Have a look at the video for more details.

0 comments

500 hp or not, I seriously question the usefulness of certain challenges, test drives and speed tests, and this is another case of that. The Audi Q7 V12 TDI vs the BMW M5, with the latter beating the Audi by a good two seconds.

While the test sprint shows how far car technology and SUV models have come, the super sedan BMW still comes off better, possibly for its much lighter weight. I presume these are both considered luxury family cars and I frankly can’t see parents racing off to pick their kids up from school doing these kinds of tests. Perhaps it’s all in a day of fun for the guys at Autocar.

0 comments

Wow, is about all I can say to this video. The guys from Autocar have given the Tata Nano about the most important endorsement it could probably have, and we could really be seeing a modern revolution, which is something we haven’t seen much of late.

Despite its unbelievable price - about 1,500 euros, the Tata Nano drives and feels like a real car. And the most important thing is that the designers have done exactly what they needed to do; design a cheap and economical small car that will revolutionise motoring in India.

The 650 cc and 110 km/hr top speed are nothing special, and there’s no power steering (it’s starting to sound like the car I drive!). But everything is in its place and there’s no fancy additions to “disenfranchise” the scooter owners who are the one’s likely to take on this proposition. Watch the video, it’s worth it.

Source | Autoblog.com

0 comments