First U.S. Audi R8 V10 sets pace by raising $500,000 in charity auction

New Audi R8 V10 5.2 FSI Quattro

• The 2009 Boca Raton (Fla.) Concours d' Elegance auctioned the first U.S.-bound Audi R8 5.2 FSI quattro with a V10 engine that generates 525 horsepower
  
• Amid strong bids for the first R8 V10, Audi agreed to auction the second U.S. R8 V10
  
• The auction raised more than $1 million for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County

HERNDON, Va. : February 26, 2009 - Charity auctions typically offer high-value items to spur bidding that benefits a worthy cause. But what unfolded at the 3rd annual Boca Raton Concours d' Elegance auction really stood out.


The Florida gala to raise money for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County featured the opportunity to own the first 2010 Audi R8 5.2 FSI quattro delivered to the U.S. The newest addition to the highly acclaimed Audi R8 lineup is equipped with a ten-cylinder engine that generates 525 horsepower and achieves a 0-62.14 mph time of 3.9 seconds. The new R8 V10 also offers advanced technologies, such as a lightweight aluminum Audi Space Frame and quattro all-wheel drive, found in the eight-cylinder Audi R8 sports car that claimed several worldwide awards in 2008, including World Performance Car and World Design Car of the Year.

"The live and silent auctions at the Gala always feature amazing items," said James E. McDonnell IV, Chairman of the Boca Raton Concours d' Elegance Event. "But this year we have truly topped the charts. In fact, the auction lineup has made a mark in history by offering one of the most sought after vehicles in the country to guests."

The 2010 Audi R8 5.2 FSI quattro isn't expected to arrive in the U.S. until about the fourth quarter of 2009. The Gala auction, held Feb 21 at the Boca Raton Resort & Club, also featured the chance to buy one of the first 2010 Ferrari California sports cars available in the U.S. But none of that dampened interest in the new Audi R8 V10.

After bids for the Ferrari topped out at $350,000, interest in the Audi R8 V10 drove its final price to $500,000 -- a record for any new-production Audi model. In 2007, an Audi R8 sold in a sealed-bid Bergdorf Goodman auction for $425,000.

To raise more money for the Boys & Girls Clubs, the winning bidder at the Boca Raton auction offered to give his rights to the first R8 V10 if Audi would give him the second model available in the U.S. Audi agreed and the two R8 V10 models sold for $850,000 combined. One night, two Audi R8 5.2 FSI quattro sports cars, $850,000 in bids to help an organization that helps children find positive influences in life. Overall, the Boca Raton Gala raised more than $1 million in net proceeds for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County.

[Source ; AUDI]

Toyota At The 2009 Geneva Motor Show

New Toyota Verso

• World premiere of all-new Toyota Verso
  
• European premiere of new third-generation Toyota Prius – fuel economy improved to 72.4mpg, CO₂ emissions reduced to 89g/km
  
• New iQ with 1.33 Dual VVT-i engine with Stop & Start
  
• Spotlight on Toyota environmental leadership

World premiere of new Toyota Verso
Toyota will unveil its all-new Verso at the Geneva motor show, a no-compromise MPV that offers more space, comfort and practicality, and benefits from the latest occupant and pedestrian safety features. Ride quality, acoustic comfort and dynamic abilities match those of conventional passenger cars.


The interior features an improved Toyota Easy Flat-7 system for quick and convenient folding of the five individual rear seats. Special attention has been paid to increasing comfort for rear passengers with improved second and third row accommodation.

New Toyota Verso

Introducing Toyota Optimal Drive throughout the Verso range has returned increases in engine power of up to 20 per cent, while fuel economy and CO₂ emissions show improvements of up to 12 per cent, compared to the current model.

In the UK Verso will be launched in the spring with new 1.6 and 1.8 Valvematic petrol engines which will have a class-leading combination of power and CO₂ emissions. These will be offered with a new six-speed manual transmission as standard, with the option of Toyota’s new Multidrive S continuously variable transmission on the 1.8 unit. A revised version of the 2.0-litre D-4D diesel will also be available, with a 2.2 D-CAT 150 engine with new six-speed automatic transmission due to join the line-up later in the year.

New Verso has a class-leading drag coefficient of Cd 0.295, a longer wheelbase, wider front and rear tracks and extensively revised suspension geometry, all of which combines in better driving dynamics, handling, body control, stability and ride comfort.

Active, passive and pedestrian impact safety features are all upgraded and the new highly rigid body shell incorporates a larger percentage of high tensile steel. The standard equipment list will include curtain shield airbags that extend protection to the third row passengers, and intelligent steering assist Vehicle Stability Control (VSC+).

New Verso is designed to follow the example set by new Avensis and iQ in achieving a maximum five-star rating in the more stringent Euro NCAP crash test programme.

New Toyota Prius

European Premiere of New Toyota Prius
The world’s most advanced mainstream passenger car, Prius stands as a motor industry milestone in vehicle powertrain development. Successive generations of the model have showcased Toyota’s commitment to environmentally conscientious forward-thinking and have led the company’s advance towards the creation of the ultimate eco-car.

The new, third-generation Prius remains the undisputed reference point for mass-mobility hybrid technology, setting new standards in innovation, design and driving enjoyment. Ninety per cent of the components in the award-winning Hybrid Synergy Drive system have been redesigned, making it lighter and more compact, increasing power and reducing real-world fuel consumption. Operation in cold weather has also been improved.

Overall system power has been increased by 22 per cent, while fuel economy improved by 10 per cent and CO₂ emissions reduced to just 89g/km.

Prius’s striking new design is inspired by Toyota’s ECO-ICON concept with an aerodynamically efficient exterior that has an exceptionally low drag coefficient, Cd 0.25. The interior has an innovative dual-dashboard design, housing a series of driver assistance features that are unique in Prius’s class. These include a head-up display, a steering-wheel mounted Touch Tracer control to monitor and operate a range of equipment functions, a solar-powered ventilation system to keep the car cool when parked, and a new version of Toyota’s Intelligent Parking System.

New Prius will go on sale in the UK in July 2009.

Toyota iQ 1.33 Stop&Start

New iQ 1.33
Toyota’s revolutionary iQ, the world’s smallest four-seat passenger car, will adopt Toyota’s 99bhp (100 DIN hp) 1.33-litre Dual VVT-i engine from July.

Benefiting from Toyota Optimal Drive technology and equipped with the economy-boosting Stop & Start system, the new engine will give iQ combined cycle fuel consumption of 58.9mpg and CO₂ emissions of 113g/km, using the standard six-speed manual transmission. Toyota’s seamless Multidrive transmission will also be available, giving 55.4mpg and 120g/km (mpg and CO₂ figures provisional, subject to final homologation).

In spite of its compact dimensions, iQ has been designed to offer the highest levels of occupant protection and is fitted as standard with a comprehensive range of active and passive safety equipment and pedestrian impact protection. The performance of these and the effectiveness of the iQ’s multi-load path body structure have been proven in independent Euro NCAP crash testing, earning the car a top five-star safety rating.

Toyota Environmental Leadership
Toyota is taking an environmental lead through its simultaneous development of new technologies: Toyota Optimal Drive and Hybrid Synergy Drive.

Toyota Optimal Drive combines wide-ranging, advanced technologies that focus on reducing engine weight, reducing unnecessary mechanical losses, and maximising combustion efficiency. Together these technologies deliver the best possible balance of performance and driving pleasure with fuel economy and low emissions.

Hybrid Synergy Drive is a core technology that is due to become more widely available in the Toyota product range. It provides full series/parallel hybrid drive capability, with its ability to operate in both petrol and electric modes alone, as well as in a combination of both. It gives the energy-saving, zero emissions, ultra-quiet electric motor-only benefits of a series hybrid, combined with the enhanced performance benefits of a parallel hybrid.

The next-generation Prius features a revised Hybrid Synergy Drive powertrain, which gives lower fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions with increased power.

Future Developments
The Hybrid Synergy Drive platform has proved itself adaptable for the development of both a Plug-in Hybrid Vehicle (PHV) and a Hydrogen Fuel Cell Hybrid Vehicle (FCHV). Toyota’s PHV functions as an electric vehicle on short trips and as a conventional hybrid over longer distances. Increased battery capacity allows for a greater electric-only cruising range, while the battery can be recharged from a domestic electric supply in less than two hours.

The Toyota FCHV was the world’s first production fuel cell vehicle, introduced in 2002, fitted with a fuel stack in place of the petrol engine in the hybrid drive system. Toyota’s next-generation fuel cell hybrid, FCHV-adv, achieves a 25 per cent improvement in fuel efficiency. Furthermore, equipping the vehicle with Toyota-developed high-pressure hydrogen tanks makes it possible to travel approximately 515 miles on a single fuelling – performance that more than doubles that of its predecessor.

[Source : NEWSPRESS]

SEAT goes back to black with special edition Ibiza

The new special edition SEAT Ibiza 5dr Black

MARTORELL : February 26, 2009 - Just one short year ago SEAT was blazing a colour-coded trail through the UK’s drab street scenes with its phenomenally successful Leon Cupra K1 – one of the trend-setting cars of the last 12 months and especially striking in what has quickly become its trademark hue, Candy White.


Spaniards are once again leading the way on car colours. This time, it’s the turn of the new special edition Ibiza Black to turn heads.

Based on the already elegant Ibiza 5dr 1.4 Sport the limited edition newcomer – in showrooms now and strictly limited to just 150 examples nationwide – adds a raft of smart extras to the standard supermini’s chic shape.

The extensive styling extras include unique front and rear bumpers, side skirts, striking tailgate roof spoiler and arch-filling 17” alloys. There are also dark tinted rear windows and, of course, that eye-catching paint job: Black Magic metallic, to be precise.

Add discrete but effective tailgate badging and the car’s smart credentials are clear for all to see.

Priced at £12,345 RRP, the limited edition Ibiza Black of course sports the same top notch quality, practicality, safety and equipment as the standard Ibiza 5dr Sport – meaning a class-leading package of value, as well as style.

Air conditioning, sports seats, electric windows all round, six-speaker radio/MP3-compatible CD with steering column-mounted remote controls and Aux-in socket, leather steering wheel and gearknob, body-coloured heated and electrically adjustable door mirrors, trip computer and integrated front fog lights with cornering function: these are just a selection of the Ibiza Black’s standard fit kit.

Driver and front passenger airbags plus head-thorax front side airbags, front passenger airbag disconnection, seatbelt reminder chimes, rear seat ISOFIX child seat points with Top Tether anchoring and remote central locking keep the SEAT and its occupants safe and secure.

The limited edition offering has the ‘go’ to match its ‘show’ courtesy of a free-revving 1.4-litre 85 PS petrol engine mated to a smooth and precise five-speed manual gearbox. A top speed of 108 mph and 0-62 mph time of 12.2 seconds sits alongside combined CO₂ emissions of just 149 g/km and impressive combined fuel economy of 45.6 mpg.

Combine that with a particularly low insurance group – 3E – and it’s easy to see why SEAT is confident the Ibiza Black will appeal to the head, as much as the heart, of today’s cost-conscious new car buyers.

Andy McGregor, SEAT UK’s Ibiza Product Manager, said of the high fashion newcomer: ‘Building on the great lines of the existing Ibiza 5dr with the addition of a sporty body kit and larger alloy wheels has allowed us to create a very impressive offering.

‘The obvious appeal, particularly for younger buyers who want to keep a lid on insurance costs but don’t want to sacrifice style, means I expect the Ibiza Black won’t be around in showrooms for long!’

[Source : SEAT]

Updated! : ABT Audi AS5-R

ABT AS5-R

KEMPTEN : February 26, 2009 - ABT Sportsline has achieved plenty of success with the AS5, which is based on Audi’s A5 – as the coupe has a dynamic and elegant design, is full of technical power and also quick. All this makes it a "real” ABT. Now the company from Kempten has brought out the jewel in this range - the AS5-R. This vehicle is an ab(t)solute super sports car, nothing more and nothing less. Thanks to ABT POWER R, i.e. the change to the engine management and the insertion of an ABT Compressor, the performance is increased by an impressive 156 HP (115kW) to a powerful 510 HP (375kW). The AS5-R reaches 100km/h in 4.5 seconds and continues on powerfully up to its maximum speed of 292km/h. In spite of this enormous increase in performance, consumption and thereby emissions still remain at the level of the series-produced vehicle. CO₂ emissions per HP thereby fall from 0.81 to 0.56g/km.

As is normal with ABT, all the components are perfectly adjusted to the enormous power of a top sports car. The ABT braking system with 380 millimetre disc diameter provides maximum deceleration even in extreme circumstances, and the ABT Coil-over suspension system also helps to bring the potential power onto the road. Motor sport professional Christian Abt has perfectionised the interaction of power with his know-how. The result is a top-class driving machine, which is also enjoyable in everyday use and is pleasant to drive on long journeys. The ABT AS5-R is therefore a maximum of a car – and a statement which shows the high level at which the engineers from Allgaeu work.

Its "suit” fits, of course, like a glove: The front spoiler accentuates the ABT grill and the striking section around the fog lights, inner fender skirt and the gill-shaped air inlets provide contours to the side of the ABT AS5-R. They have also succeeded on the side which most drivers only rarely get to see: The rear with the ABT rear skirt and 4-pipe rear muffler shows that this model athlete on wheels is more than “just” a car. The designers of ABT recommend the 20 inch BR alloys as the perfect accessory. Wheel-tyre combinations with height performance tyres are, of course, also available. Only with these accessories can the fast AS5-R safely unleash its power. And it has lots of that.

[Source : ABT]

Volkswagen power now in British Formula 3 Championship

British Formula 3 Championship

WOLFSBURG : February 26, 2009 - In its second full season Volkswagen complements its young Formula 3 commitment by another valuable element.


In addition to contesting the Euro Series and the German ATS Cup, the two-litre engine from Wolfsburg in 2009 will enter its first season in the high-calibre British Formula 3 Championship. Teams Carlin Motorsport with four – and T-Sport with two – drivers trust Volkswagen Power in the UK. Having clinched victories in the Euro Series and the German Cup, as well as the "vice”-championship in the Euro Series with Italian driver Edoardo Mortara, the 210-hp powerplant proved its competitiveness as early as in its first full season.

"With Carlin Motorsport and T-Sport we’ve secured two promising teams in the UK,” said Volkswagen Motorsport Director Kris Nissen. "Our strategy of systematically and carefully extending our commitment now includes the British Formula 3 Championship, which is ultra-competitive and has been enjoying a high reputation in Europe for decades.”

Carlin Motorsport and T-Sport: candidates for victory and the title from the UK

Team Carlin Motorsport from Aldershot in the county of Hampshire won the Formula 3 Championship in the UK in 2001, 2003, 2005 and 2008. Team Principal Trevor Carlin is entering four Dallara F309-Volkswagen cars in the new season. The Carlin driver line-up: 19-year-old Australian Daniel Ricciardo from Perth, who is part of the Red Bull Junior Team, won the western European Formula Renault last year and finished the Formula Renault Euro Cup as the runner-up. The Briton Max Chilton from Reigate in the county of Surrey is contesting his second full Formula 3 season and – at age 17 – is one of the youngest drivers in the field. His 21-year-old compatriot and team-mate Henry Arundel, a British aristocrat, has one year of Formula 3 experience as well. Oliver Oakes from Norwich, also aged 21, brings his experience as the 2005 FIA Karting World Champion to the team.

Team T-Sport, based in Brackley in Northamptonshire, clinched four victories in the 2008 British Formula 3 season – an achievement Team Principal Russell Eacott wants to build on this season with two drivers and the Volkswagen engines. His driver line-up: 20-year-old Brazilian Adriano Buzaid from São Paulo, who finished last year’s British Formula Renault Championship in third place, is stepping up to Formula 3. His 18-year-old team-mate Wayne Boyd from Ulster in Northern Ireland won the 2008 British Formula Ford.

Successful history: five title wins in the 1980s with Volkswagen Power

For Volkswagen, the extension of its Formula 3 commitment marks the continuation of a glorious past. Between 1984 and 1989 five racers – Johnny Dumfries in 1984, Maurício Gugelmin in 1985, Andy Wallace in 1986, Johnny Herbert in 1987 and David Brabham in 1989 – won the British Formula 3 Championship with Volkswagen engines and thus contributed to the impressive overall tally of 92 victories in the first phase of the brand’s Formula 3 commitment.

Since the end of 2007, Volkswagen has again been committed to Formula 3, and last year clinched 13 podium places, three wins and the vice-champion’s title in the Formula 3 Euro Series; in the same period two further victories in the German ATS Formula 3 Cup went to Volkswagen’s partner team Van Amersfoort Racing.

[Source : VOLKSWAGEN]

X-BOW GT4 : Get ‘Ready to Race’ in 2009

KTM X-BOW GT4

MATTIGHOFEN, Austria : February 26, 2009 : KTM is giving professional teams and individual racing drivers the opportunity to attend a full-day track test session with its championship-winning X-BOW GT4 race car, ahead of the 2009 motorsport season.


The event will be held at Circuit Paul Ricard (Le Castellet, France) on 17 – 18 March 2009. Guests will be given an introduction to KTM’s motorsport and factory support programmes, before a drivers’ briefing and extensive vehicle test session.

The KTM X-BOW GT4, which is eligible for entry in a variety of GT championships across Europe, is designed exclusively for use on track. The Dallara-designed carbon fibre monocoque delivers both light weight and high chassis rigidity – for excellent handling and safety – which, combined with class-leading aerodynamics thanks to the racing underbody with diffusor, enables the car to achieve 1.8g lateral acceleration on semi-slick tyres.

In its inaugural season in the 2008 GT4 European Cup, the KTM X-BOW swept to a 1-2-3 finish in the ‘Sports Light’ championship at the hands of German-based Reiter Engineering. The fantastic result and comparatively low running costs for the car throughout the season reinforce the manufacturer’s ‘Ready to Race’ ethos.

The cost to attend each track test session is €990 (exclusive of tax, travel and accommodation), which is refundable on purchase of a car.

KTM X-BOW GT4

[Source : KTM]

Two Porsche RS Spyder to compete Le Mans 24 hour

Porsche RS Spyder - Design NAVI Team Goh

STUTTGART : February 26, 2009 - The successful Porsche RS Spyder customer project heads into the next phase. Two teams will again field a Porsche RS Spyder each at the Le Mans 24 hour race (13-14 June). The NAVI Team Goh from Japan and the Essex squad from Denmark are eager to repeat the double victory of the RS Spyder in the LMP2 class last year. Porsche works drivers Sascha Maassen (Germany) and Emmanuel Collard (France) support the teams in their campaign.

Porsche RS Spyder - Team Essex - Le Mans 2008

Maassen (39), who already piloted a RS Sypder last year in Le Mans, will contest the event for the NAVI Team Goh. His team mates are the experienced Seiji Ara (Japan) and youngster Keisuke Kunimoto (Japan). Ara (34) won the overall classification in Le Mans back in 2004 with the Goh team, whilst the 20-year-old Formula 3 pilot, Kunimoto, contests the endurance classic at La Sarthe for the first time this year. The team’s Porsche RS Spyder is the winning car from last year that the Japanese outfit obtained from Van Merksteijn Motorsport. With the regulations requiring a substantial downsizing of the air-restrictors, the 3.4-litre V8 engine now delivers 440 hp instead of 476. Moreover, the rear wing and the underbody have been modified to conform to the regulation changes. Michelin is the team’s tyre partner.

Emmanuel Collard (37) joins up with Casper Elgaard (Denmark, 30) and Kristian Poulsen (Denmark, 33) to drive for the Essex team. The squad, who secured second place in the LMP2 classification of the 24 hour event in 2008, will race Michelin tyres for the first time. Both squads will conduct tests at the second round of the Le Mans Series in Spa on 10 May.

“I’m very pleased that, with Goh and Essex, we have two highly professional customer teams contesting Le Mans with a Porsche RS Spyder,” says Porsche’s Head of Motorsport, Hartmut Kristen. “Setting the quickest lap times of all LMP2 cars last year, the vehicle underlined its reliability and had the best efficiency of all participating sports prototypes. We have modified the cars to comply with the new technical regulations and I’m sure that both RS Spyder will again be very competitive in the LMP2 class.”

[Source : PORSCHE]

The New Volvo S80 – Small changes that add up to a big difference - Video Included!

2009 VOLVO S80

GOTHENBURG : February 27, 2009 - Volvo Cars has announced first details of the new Volvo S80 executive saloon which will be available in the UK this summer. The changes give the car a more distinctive, dynamic design and striking face, while the interior offers enhanced luxury and comfort.


The new Volvo S80 will also feature three new diesel engines, the 2.4D, D5 and the low CO2-emitting DRIVe. As well as providing the Volvo S80 with a different driving experience, the car will also benefit from lower fuel consumption and fewer emissions. The Volvo S80 will be unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show on 3 March 2009.

"The new S80 should not just be seen, it has to be experienced. The atmosphere inside is both more comfortable and luxurious. We've also made the interior more driver-oriented, with a new steering wheel and upgraded instruments," says Volvo Cars President and CEO Stephen Odell.

Detail and quality

Steve Mattin, Volvo Cars design director, and his team have increased the exterior's appeal with a number of modifications that give the S80 a lower, longer and wider stance.

The front is more distinctive with a new grille featuring the larger iron mark badge, which is part of the more extrovert DNA as seen in recent Volvo models, including the new XC60 crossover. There is also new chrome detailing on the air intakes, lower part of the doors and under the tail lamps.

The interior of the car has a clear focus on exclusivity and comfort. The soft, cosseting leather seats with matching stitching are accompanied by door panels echoing the same trim. The super-slim floating centre stack is upgraded with a Silk Metal frame that enhances its exclusive feel, while simultaneously creating a design link to the Volvo XC60.

The instruments in the new Volvo S80 feature exclusive aluminium dials and Volvo is also launching a new generation of steering wheel. The décor trim with Silk Matte metal-effect finish on the four-spoke steering wheel is also found in the gear selector and around the starter button.

New diesel engines

Volvo D5 Twin Turbo Engine

The new S80 will also offer a completely different driving experience due to the introduction of three diesel engines. The twin-turbo five-cylinder 2.4-litre D5 turbodiesel offers 205 horsepower, 420Nm of torque over a very wide range of engine revs. Fuel consumption (EU combined) is 45.6mpg and 164g/km CO2 emissions (preliminary figures) – a particularly low figure for a car of this size and performance level.

The upgraded Euro 4-compliant 2.4-litre diesel engine will also be available with 175 horsepower, 420Nm of torque, fuel consumption (EU Combined) at 48.7mpg and CO2 emissions of 154g/km (preliminary figures).

The Volvo S80 DRIVe model will come equipped with the same powertrain – 1.6-litre diesel engine and manual gearbox – as the smaller C30, S40 and V50 but with specially tailored engine software and different ratios in third, fourth and fifth gears. The optimised powertrain is a major aid in helping the Volvo S80 significantly cut fuel consumption and CO2 emissions to 129g/km and 57.6mpg respectively (preliminary figures).

Volvo believes the Volvo S80 is in a segment that is dominated by customers with very firm expectations on exclusiveness, driving properties and brand image.

"Customers in this segment are often very brand-loyal. In order to appear on the radar of customers currently driving competitor cars, we have to offer something that is extra. We do this by offering exclusiveness and comfort of the absolute top level. In combination with world-leading safety, this makes the new S80 very hard to beat," commented Stephen Odell.

VIDEO : VOLVO S80 NEWSREEL

Images : 2009 Volvo S80

[Source : VOLVO]