Breckland Beira: Another European Carmakers Pride

Europeans really deserves appreciation, especially the Brits. Once again they have created a great car model that set car aficionados in big surprise. This is the new Breckland Beira – a new soft-top 2-seater sportscar that unexpectedly existed.

It uses the General Motors Kappa platform as the foundation for its design. This said platform is also currently used by the Pontiac Solstice, Saturn Sky and Opel Gt. While the engine performance exhibits identically with the Chevrolet Corvettes. Corvette uses its old LS2, 6-litre V8 engine that produces just less than 400 bhp. The 0-60mph time is said to be sub 5-seconds and the top speed lies at 155mph.

Mark Easten, Engineering Director for Breckland Beira says that “The Kappa platform offers a highly competent chassis, which has been subject to intensive crash and safety tests, and is readily available.

Breckland’s overall director Mike Rawlings states that the cars purpose was to showcase great design and engine potential as well as to construct a thrilling driver’s car with brilliant handling dynamics and marvelous performance.

The top attribute for this new model was the engine that can either use a Liquefied Petroleum Gas as well as petrol. With this feature it can definitely reduce the toxic emissions brought by pure petroleum fueled engines.

The unique and sporty exterior styling displays classic design familiarized on British exhibition areas. Although, older components such as heavy steel panels have been replaced with lightweight components to increase aerodynamics. On its cabin it doesn’t have much sophistication but it has all the standard features that a sportscar must have.

The Breckland Beira will go on sale this November with an expected retail price of £55,000 and it will make its debut at the London Motorexpo.

Solstice: A Coupe that Beats them All

A coupe version of the Solstice was unveiled at the 2008 New York Auto Show. The 2008 Solstice is a 2-door, 2-passenger convertible sports car, available in 4 trims, ranging from the Convertible to the T2 Convertible. It is a pure roadster with a compelling and unique exterior design.

“It is equipped with a standard 2.4 liter, I4, 173-horsepower engine that achieves 19 mpg in the city and 25-mpg on the highway. The T2 Convertible is equipped with a standard 2.0-liter, I4, 260-horsepower, turbo engine that achieves 19 mpg in the city and 28-mpg on the highway. A 5-speed manual transmission”. Both engines are mated to a five-speed manual or an optional five-speed automatic transmission.

Auto critics say that this is an eye-pleasing, well proportioned, and a sensuous package. Both trim levels of the Pontiac Solstice come with a manual folding convertible top. Engineers made only minor changes and facelifts to create the new Solstice. It has its sleek lines in its roof that give the car a fresh appearance. Edmunds.com says that the Solstice is "downright sexy".

It features; steering-wheel mounted cruise control, enhanced DIC controls and fog lamps, power locks, mirrors and windows, along with remote keyless entry, and leather seating surfaces. It has bolstered bucket seats that most passengers will find comfortable. Most reviews say that the overall finish of this new Pontiac is very good.

BMW 5-Series

The 2008 5 Series is a 4-door, 5-passenger luxury sedan, luxury sports sedan, or luxury wagon, available in 6 trims, ranging from the 528i Sedan to the 550i Sedan. The BMW 5 series has been one of BMW's "experimental" cars, in which they can explore newer ideas. They have inserted new technologies and new ideas into this model. The 2008 BMW 5-Series ranks 2 out of 11 Luxury Large Cars. This ranking is based on our analysis of 52 published reviews and test drives of the BMW 5-Series.

“This models is equipped with a standard 3.0-liter, I6, 230-horsepower engine that achieves 18-mpg in the city and 28-mpg on the highway. A 6-speed manual transmission with overdrive is standard, and a 6-speed automatic transmission with overdrive is optional. The 550i Sedan is equipped with a standard 4.8-liter, V8, 360-horsepower engine that achieves 15-mpg in the city and 22-mpg on the highway. A 6-speed manual transmission with overdrive is standard, and a 6-speed automatic transmission with overdrive is optional.”

The BMW 5-Series ranks highly due to its offering of a number of strong powertrain options. According to New Car Test Drive, "Most of the styling touch-up lies in subtle details, but in our view they add character to this luxury sedan." In safety matters, the 2008 BMW 5-Series does well in federal government crash tests, although it earns low marks in side crash tests conducted by the insurance industry.

Introducing Audi R8

The Audi R8 is a mid-engine sports car introduced by the German automaker Audi in 2007. Its sales began in the first half of 2007 for the United States and Europe. Audi announced in 2005 that the name of the successful Audi R8 race car would be used for a new road car in 2007. Audi R8 is based from the Le Mans Quattro concept car which is seen at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2003.

“This car generates a huge 500 hp and 1,000 Newton-meters (737.56 lb-ft) of torque. It sprints from zero to 100 km/h (62.14 mph) in just 4.2 seconds and its top speed is well over 300 km/h (186.41 mph). The peak torque, reached at only 1,750 rpm, paves the way for effortless acceleration that is unrivaled even at this level. The V12 TDI crankcase is made from gray cast iron with vermicular graphite”.

It measures 174.4 inches long, 74.8 inches wide and 49.2 inches tall. The wheelbase is 104.3 inches so it offers more passenger space. It also has its polarizing side blades. The instrument panel for the driver is angled slightly towards him and the flat-bottomed steering wheel is a typical feature that enables comfortable entry and exit for the drivers.

Well I think it is simply one of the most interesting and unique super cars ever produced. And the most awesome Audi design to date. I like the V8 gas engine, but this V12 is probably quite a very good piece of engineering.

Lexus LF-A Roadster Concept

Lexus forges into exotic sports car territory with the LF-A concept vehicle. Integrating the simple elegance of the new Lexus design initiative with racing–inspired style, sculpted curves and fluid lines make a dynamic statement. The clean lines of the two-seat cockpit are minimalist and futuristic, so there's no distraction from the impressive ride.

In the press released about Lexus LF-A dated January 13, 2008 it said that the engineers and designers at Lexus continue to use their groundbreaking LF-A premium sports car concept as a medium for expressing their ideas about what a high-performance sporting vehicle not only can be, but should be. In this latest expression of the LF-A, they have removed the car's top to create a high-performance roadster.

The LF-A Roadster is based on the sturdy yet lightweight carbon-fiber and aluminum body used for the LF-A coupe, which helps maintain the structure's strength and rigidity even without a top.

Like its coupe counterpart, the LF-A Roadster is powered by a high-revving V10 engine that approaches 5.0 liters in displacement. The V10, capable of more than 500 horsepower and test-track speeds greater than 200 mph, is mounted in front of the passenger compartment but behind the front-axle centerline in what the LF-A's engineers refer to as a "front-mid" configuration.

The engine is connected via a torque tube and propeller shaft to a transaxle that is controlled by paddle shifters. The torque tube is a structural member that adds rigidity to the drivetrain and chassis while also reducing vibration.

Land Rover LRX Concept To Debut In Europe

The upcoming Geneva Auto Show is making big news these days. From the debut of the Ford Fiesta to Rinspeed’s sQuba, the much-anticipated auto show in Switzerland will also mark the European debut of the Land Rover LRX concept.

After the warm response it got from the North American auto market at the Detroit Auto Show, the Land Rover is set to test Europeans’ demand for this new car concept before it goes to production in 2009. According to topspeed.com, the Land Rover LRX concept is a highly-fuel efficient cross-coupe that claims to reduce fuel consumption by up to 30 percent. The LRX concept includes a 2.0-litre turbodiesel hybrid that features an Electric Rear Axle Drive (ERAD) that allows the car to utilize electric drive alone at minimum speed while maintaining a full and even improved 4X4 capacity.

Meanwhile, worldcarfans.com reported that this new three-door Land Rover LRX concept was primarily designed to suit the demands of the luxury and executive sector in the auto industry while maintaining Land Rover’s trademark quality of breadth of capability. The LRX, with its compact size, boasts of its lighter weight and, as mentioned earlier, fuel economy. It has the potential to enhance fuel economy by up to 60 mpg with its 120 g/km CO2 emissions.

At topspeed.com, Land Rover’s Managing Director Phil Popham said that the LRX is a concept that proves the possibility of putting Land Rover’s qualities into a package that is more compact yet fuel-efficient. Meanwhile, it remains a concept until it has gauged the public reaction not only in North America but also in Europe which is considered as one of the toughest markets for luxury vehicles. Adding a repair manual in the entire package could be a better idea, isn’t it?

The Land Rover LRX concept will have its European premiere together with the Defender SVX on March 6 to 16 at the Geneva International Auto Show.

BMW To Cut Down Workforce

We are very much aware that American automakers are reeling as if they have just been hit by a right cross by Kimbo Slice. General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler have been reducing their workforce for months now and have shut down plants and reduced shifts on some of their assembly facilities.

On the other hand, we are under the impression that European automakers are sailing smoothly with a few setbacks here and there. But recently, Edmunds reported that BMW, yup, the same German automaker which manufactures vehicles with auto parts as reliable as Acura alternators, has announced that they are looking to cut about $8.7 billion in cost by 2012.

That announcement is really similar to when the Big Three announced that they are cutting down costs. The German automaker will also take steps similar to what the Big Three has done. BMW will be trimming their workforce and will reduce their spending on materials and research and development.

Now, this is really bad. Bad in the sense that there will be a lot of people forced out of their jobs and that has never been good. Another thing I am worried about is that the quality of vehicles that the German automaker manufactures may decline. Sure, the automaker has been creating wonderful machines for as long as we can remember, but they were able to do that because of their prowess in R&D.

Any company which focuses on R&D can easily develop products which will attract consumers. So, if BMW starts slashing down budget, there is a chance, albeit a small one, that the quality of their future vehicles may suffer. But then again, BMW surely knows what its doing.