New Phantom Coupe to be launched at Geneva Motor Show

ROLLS ROYCE PHANTOM COUPE

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars will display its new Phantom Coupe at the Geneva Motor Show.

Supposedly the most driver-orientated model in the Phantom line, the car is said to be capable of boasting of a number of subtle but significant modifications that have made it dynamic and comfortable. Production of the Phantom Coupe will start at Goodwood in the summer of 2008.

Rolls-Royce has designed the new beauty to cover great distances effortlessly. Powered by a 6.75-litre V12 that produces 453 bhp, 720 Nm of torque, the car also brings in fuel efficiency that ever before.

Rolls Royce Chief designer, Ian Cameron, has said that they have given the Rolls-Royce design a dynamic twist while creating the machine. "This adds a sense of drama to the outstanding engineering and drivability that are fundamentals of Rolls-Royce cars."

According to auto news, the Phantom Coupe comes with rear-hinged coach doors which add considerably to the ease of access to the rear lounge seats as well as to the overall aesthetics. It has a split tail compartment that opens in two parts, gives easy access to 395 liters of space too. Built on an aluminum chassis, the car comes across as lightweight but is exceptionally strong.

Other features include slim LED sidelights, a gentle raked grille, and a continuous A-pillar.

Tata OneCat compressed air car by 2009

TATA ONECAT COMPRESSED AIR CAR TO BE LAUNCHED BY 2009

Tata Motors plans to launch the OneCat, a car running on compressed air by 2009.

The car is expected to be a five-seater with a glass fiber body, which would weigh just 350 kg and cost just about Rs 2 lakh. The project is backed for an undisclosed sum by Tata, which says it may also use the technology for power generation.

A BBC report has pointed out that Tata's backing makes the idea much more marketable and that the Indian company will be putting finishing touches to the engine.

French engineer Negre is planning to sell the car in India by 2009, the report said. He hopes that the first buyers of the compressed air car will be people who care about the environment and would sell it for an economical price. Tata would be the only big firm Negre will license to sell the car and sales will be limited to India.

The car will be driven by compressed air stored in carbon-fiber tanks that can be filled in just three minutes. The tanks will be built into the chassis. The car can also be plugged into the mains for four hours and an on-board compressor will do the job.

For long journeys, the compressed air driving the pistons can be boosted by a fuel burner which heats the air so it expands and increases the pressure on the pistons. The burner will use all kinds of liquid fuel.

Chevrolet 2009 Corvette ZR1 unveiled

CHEVROLET 2009 CORVETTE ZR1

Chevrolet has revealed the 2009 Corvette ZR1. The company brings together technology and engineering refinement of carbon-fiber, ceramics and electronics together in a distinctive design, said an auto news report. Chevrolet has said that its goal with the new ZR1 was to show what an American super car can deliver. That too at a lower price compared with other peer models that sport price tags around three times more than its price.

ZR1 comes with a new LS9 supercharged 6.2L V-8 that could produce at least 100 horsepower per liter. Six-speed, manual transmission, high-capacity dual-disc clutch, higher-capacity and specific-diameter axle half-shafts; enhanced torque tube, twenty-spoke 19-inch front and 20-inch rear wheels, standard magnetic selective ride control with track-level suspension and many such new features make the ZR1 a vehicle that can be called a super car.

The report added that the car is the most powerful and fastest automobile ever produced by General Motors. The company which plans a summer 2008 launch would reveal its performance estimates a few days ahead of the launch date.

The ZR1 builds on the highly respected Corvette Z06 in every performance category, from acceleration and braking, to cornering grip and top speed. The LS9 is hand-assembled at GM's Performance Build Center, in Wixom, Michigan and incorporates specialty processes typically seen in racing engines to produce a highly refined and precise product. The new LS9 engine is backed by a new, stronger six-speed manual transmission and a twin-disc clutch that provide exceptional clamping power, while maintaining an easy clutch effort.

The Chevrolet 2009 Corvette ZR1 comes with a twin-disc clutch system which employs a pair of discs. The clutch system spreads out the engine's torque load over a wider area and enables tremendous clamping power when the clutch is engaged.

Hummer HX Concept to be launched

HUMMER HX CONCEPT

Hummer plans to roll out its new HX Concept car at the Geneva Auto Show in March 2008.

Hummer has brought in its exclusive design into this entry-level, open-air vehicle that packs the off-road acumen for which Hummer has become legendary into an easily convertible body, said an auto news report. The new concept vehicle comes across as a reconfigurable off-road concept vehicle.

According to the company, the HX is Hummer's trail-ready, open-air vehicle that fits the lifestyles of everyone who needs or wants to drive off road and it carries an off-road capability that's termed as exceptional .

The car has a pair of removable roof panels above the driver and front passenger, and a modular, removable rear roof assembly. As the panels get removed, the HX can be transformed into a convertible. The Hummer HX can also be configured into an SUT, a stylish slant-back or a traditional, wagon-like design that offers a bit more cargo space. One may even remove the doors. The HX is made of a sturdy, body-on-frame construction.

Round headlamps in square housings, an upright windshield profile, minimal overhangs, hood vents and prominent air intakes are the pluses. The seats take off from an aircraft-inspired design. Powered by an E85 FlexFuel 3.6L direct-injected V-6 engine, the car boasts of a six-speed automatic transmission. The advanced V6 and six-speed transmission come about as an efficient package making the concept vehicle a must try when it gets introduced.