Kia Soul offers a soul awakening experience

Interior is filled with funky red, giving drivers a perky sensationNot only is it funky-looking, it drives much better than before

The Kia Soul adds more character to a car that already had plenty of it when it was introduced in 2010. What do Julian and Nicholas have to say then?

Nicholas will probably claim that the facelifted Kia Soul is more tea than coffee because of the soothing sensation the car exudes, and also because he has a lump on his back that looks like a single testicle.

Very fortunately, since I love coffee and I do not have lumpy stuff on my back, I can only enjoy the Kia Soul in an exciting manner and come up with several things that can elevate this boxy car from something you want to something you might just need.

I suppose it's the same with the rest of the cars that we review. We drive many different ones - some good, some bad, some powerful, and some that deserve respect. Then out of the blue, there's this boxy-looking car that literally takes the word 'funky' for its design. It's no hot rod, but it has this positively frantic effect on you. No, it's not love. It's more like the average Joe you'd meet on the busy business district where time is money. Somewhere along the lines of the adrenaline rush you get after you down that double-shot espresso.

This brings me to the recently launched facelifted Kia Soul. When it was first launched in 2010, the Soul marked Kia's initial foray into the funky market, pitching against the likes of the MINI Copper and the Citroen DS3. But unlike its peer, the Soul has the bittersweet taste of a brewed awakening. It has a lively effect on occupants, thanks to its quirky looks and funky red interior.

Zone 1 and Premier Walkabout ticket holders now enjoy an enhanced experience

Race promoter Singapore GP announced today that the Singapore Flyer will be fully integrated into Zones 1 and 2 of the circuit park for the 2010 FORMULA 1 SINGTEL SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX

This will allow Zone 1 and Premier Walkabout ticketholders complete access to the Singapore Flyer grounds.

The partnership with Singapore Flyer allows grandstand and hospitality suite ticketholders at the Pit, Turn 1, Turn 2 and Republic (Turn 3) Grandstands, as well as Formula One Paddock Club and Premier Walkabout spectators unlimited rides (subject to capacity) on the giant observation wheel. Paddock Club and hospitality suite guests will have dedicated express lanes to board the Singapore Flyer, which offers a unique vantage point of the Marina Bay Street Circuit some 165 meters above the track. The new integrated layout further enables Zone 1 ticketholders to better explore the Circuit Park, which has also been expanded to include the Double Helix Bridge this year.

2008 Formula 1 SingTel Singapore Grand Prix Ticket Sales Hit the 95% Mark

Ticket sales for the 2008 FORMULA 1™ SingTel Singapore Grand Prix continues to be brisk as the countdown clock hits the 40-Day mark.

"More than 95% of the tickets have already been sold, with 40,000 of the 100,000 tickets available per day, or 40%, sold to purchasers outside of Singapore,'' said Mr Teo Hock Seng, chairman of Singapore GP Pte Ltd, promoter of the world's inaugural night Formula One race. "Over the three day event over 300,000 spectators will get to enjoy this unique race".

The strong sales performanceis impressive, given that Singapore GP initially planned only 70,000 tickets when launched in February 2008. Though this number was subsequently increased to over 100,000 in the last few months, less than 5% of tickets are still available.

Formula 1 Preview - Singapore Grand Prix

Into the 14th round of the 2009 Formula 1 Grand Prix season, we take a look at what the drivers think of their upcoming race in Singapore this weekend.

McLaren Mercedes

Lewis Hamilton: "Last year’s inaugural Singapore Grand Prix was a real example of how to host a new Formula 1 race - fantastic facilities, slick organisation and a unique and interesting track that was not only fun and demanding but also really forced you to push to the limit and take a few risks to get the best from the car. I remember my race in Singapore last year was all about damage limitation - I was driving with one eye on the world championship and wasn’t going to take too many risks. I was happy to finish on the podium. This year, it’s very different - I know I’m out of the title hunt and I want to attack these last four races, pushing for as many victories as I can."

Heikki Kovalainen: "We really seem to have discovered the sweet-spot of this year’s car. I’ve had points finished in every race since the Nurburgring, and we’ve got some interesting new upgrades in the systems that are planned for the Singapore race. Of course, racing at night is what really makes this event unique, but the lighting system is so fantastic that you tend to forget that you are even racing in the dark! Singapore is the sort of circuit that should suit our package - there are lots of slower corners and we’ll be able to use KERS to our advantage. Overall, the city is also a fantastic backdrop to what has already become one of the best circuits on the Formula 1 calendar."

Car Articles Useful Performance Car Of The Year 2011

Some cars are not just made of their power and prestige, they also represent a lineage of expert design, passion and expert engineering. The new 2011 BMW M5 is just such a car and I have decided this year to award it with the inaugural Car Articles Useful Performance Car Of The Year award.

This is the fifth generation of a car that is world renowned for offering space, comfort and simply brutal rear wheel drive performance. It is the most powerful series production car for BMW and one of the most able rear wheel drive machines currently on the road.

This new car features a turbocharged power unit – a high-revving 4.4-litre (4,395cc) V8, making its world premiere. Developing 560hp from 5,750-7,000rpm, it is the most potent series-production engine ever to emerge from BMW’s high-performance M division and provides thrills like few other saloons can provide. It’s mated to a seven speed double clutch gearbox with the ubiquitous flappy paddles.

Packed with all manner electronic gubbins including a Head-up Display, DAB digital radio, front and rear Park Distance Control, four-zone air-conditioning, Xenon headlights, Adaptive Headlights and front seat heating it’s extremely well equipped.

Ultimately, if you need to ferry around four people in style (and notably with exceptional speed), you will not go wrong at all with the mighty BMW M5 2011 edition. The fact that it can then easily transition to an extreme track day machine makes it perhaps one of the ultimate cars on the road today.

Car Articles Hypercar Of The Year 2011

This is the Lamborghini Aventador and it is the winner of the Car Articles Hypercar Of The Year 2011 award. Why? It sold out after announcement for 12 months, it’s a two door, two seater raging bull that has a price tag of over £200,000. Oh, and it runs to a top speed of around 220 miles per hour. Fast much? Well of course that’s a staggering figure, though the 0-60 time of 2.9 seconds is even better.

The Aventador has a carbon fibre monocoque which is similar in construction to a formula 1 car. This provides a very rigid, very safe frame around which to bolt on everything else and to cocoon the driver in. Pushrod suspension ensures inch perfect travel. A 6.5 litre V12 powers this futuristic vision and offers up a simply staggering almost 700 horsepower and the same for torques.

Well done to Lamborghini for producing such a formidable machine that is the Aventador. It is a true Italian work of art.

Singapore GP reports brisk ticket sales for fifth night race

Singapore GP has announced that over 50% of tickets to the world's only Formula One night race have been sold to date.

With slightly over 100 days to the fifth SingTel Singapore Grand Prix, the organisers have announced over 50% of the general tickets to the only night race in the world has been sold. The race will be held from the 21st to the 23rd September, and already the three day Zone 4 walkabout tickets, Turn 1 grandstand as well as the Turn 1 combination - the Padang, Bay and Turn 1 grandstands over the race weekend are now sold out. The bay combination – comprising Turn 1, Padang, and Bay grandstands ticket category is also running low.

The lavish 10,000-capacity hospitality suites with layout improvements, updated decor and menus are always a highlight of the race, besides the race themselves. Sales for the Formula One Paddock Club, Green Room, dedicated Sky Suites and the Club Suites opposite the team garages are also in strong demand.

Porsche is set to unveil their 91 GT3 R hybrid sport car, which features a KERS system as used on the Williams F1 car

The 911 GT3 R hybrid is set for an official launch at the Geneva Motor Show in March, and features a hybrid system that uses twin electric motors mated to its familiar boxer engine, as well as a KERS system developed by the Williams F1 team.

Based on the 911 GT3 race car, the 911 GT3 R hybrid is powered by Porsche’s 4.0-litre flat-six boxer engine at the rear that produces 480bhp, combined with an electrical front axle drive with two electric motors each developing 60 kW. This makes the 911 GT3 R hybrid a four-wheel-drive.

Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid to contest Nurburgring 24 Hours

Porsche will enter its 911 GT3 Hybrid race car in the Nurburgring 24 Hours endurance race this weekend

The Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid will make its return to the race, following a successful debut last year when it led the race for 8 hours, or a third of the race. The 911 GT3 R Hybrid leads Porsche’s team of eight cars in this year’s race, and has been modified in accordance to the new race regulations for 2011.

The car’s flat-six engine has been restricted to 448bhp, with the power sent to the rear wheels. But the Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid also features two electric motors driving the front wheels that add an additional 200bhp. The flywheel motor remains unchanged however, spinning up to 40,000 rpm and storing kinetic energy during braking.

Toyota preps LFA and GT86 for Nurburgring 24 Hours

Two of Toyota's latest racers - the LFA and GT86 get set to tackle the gruesome race track at the Nurburgring 24 Hours this weekend.

Toyota is all set for this year's Nurburgring 24 hours. Held at the famous Nordschleife track, the ADAC 24 Hours is into its 40th running. Toyota claims that the Nurburgring played an important role in the development of both cars - the LFA and GT86. Such importance is paid that engineers of the carmarker will too be present at the race event, to gain real-time experience for their future sports car projects.

Speaking after the most recent race, Gazoo Racing driver Akira Iida said: “The momentum of our team is very good. Our target for the 24 Hours Nürburgring race is to maintain a steady pace, in line with the way we have chosen to set up the vehicles.  Nevertheless, we have run at good speed and confident we will be full ready before the 24-hour event.”

Taking place from 17 to 20 May, the 2012 season will see Gazoo Racing contesting a race-prep Lexus LFA and GT86, while Toyota Swiss Racing Team will enter two examples of the GT86, race-prepped by Toyota Motorsports.

Audi starts production of cars in Indonesia

Audi has announced that it has begun production of cars at its new factory in Jakarta, Indonesia, in a collaboration effort with INDOMOBIL/Garuda Mataram Motor

Under the deal, Audi, together with INDOMOBIL/Garuda Mataram Motor, will produce A4 1.8 TFSI and A6 2.0 TFSI models exclusively for the Indonesian market. The German carmaker hopes to strengthen its position in South East Asia, and will aim to assemble 2700 cars annually at the Indonesian plant, including 2000 A4 models, by 2015.

"After having done so in key markets like China and India, we've now found an outstanding partner for local assembly of our Audi models in Indonesia: INDOMOBIL/Garuda Mataram Motor," said Frank Dreves, Member of the Board of Management for Production at AUDI AG.

"As one of the most important countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Indonesia is one of Asia's most dynamic growth regions. We'd like to contribute to this growth, since growth is an important component of Audi's brand strategy," Dreves added.

Toyota to release new small cars for emerging markets

Toyota is planning to design, build and launch a new small car specifically for China, as well as manufacture other small cars for Brazil and Indonesia

According to Reuters and the Japanese business newspaper Nikkei, Toyota will launch a new small car, designed and engineered specifically for the Chinese market, in China by 2013. The new car will be a little larger than the Etios sedan that is currently sold in India, and will have a 1.5-litre petrol engine.

Toyota will try to keep cost low for its new budget car, and the car will be heavily based on the Etios. The new car will be built in China at the rate of 200,000 cars per year, in a joint venture with Toyota’s Chinese partners, the China FAW Group and the Guangzhou Automobile Group. Toyota hopes that the new model will help increase its market share in China to above the current 5%.

As for other markets, Toyota plans to more than double the production of the Etios in India, from 80,000 currently, to 190,000 units by the end of 2013. Additionally, the Japanese carmaker plans to produce another budget car for the Brazilian market by the end of 2012, with a 70,000 annual production target, as well as producing even more low-priced cars in Indonesia.

Stunning Renault Alpine A 110-50 Concept Car

This is the absolutely gorgeous Renault Alpine A 110-50! The car has been created to mark the Alpine Berlinette turning 50 this year. This new concept features carbon fibre bodywork in a blue that is a re-interpretation and refresh of the classic original ‘Alpine Blue’.

The engine is mid-rear; a 3.5 litre 24-valve V6 churns out around 400 horsepowers. The car uses the carbon air intake employed for Mégane Trophy V6. Transmission is a semi-automatic six-speed sequential gearbox, as well as a twin-plate clutch that can be controlled using either the clutch pedal or a paddle on the steering wheel. Braking is equally impressive. At the front, large 356mm-diameter steel discs are slowed by six-piston calipers. At the rear, the discs are 330mm in diameter, while the calipers are four-piston models.

Developed on the same technical platform as Mégane Trophy, the Renault Alpine A 110-50 concept car also boasts the same chief technical characteristics.

“For everybody on the team, it was a dream come true to work on an Alpine concept car. We wanted to put this car firmly in the modern day, while resonating with its heritage.” said Laurens van den Acker, Senior VP, Corporate Design.

This is probably one of my favourite car designs of recent memory. It looks purposeful, futuristic and racy with elegant flowing lines. The jewellery on the car sets it off beautifully and the fact that it comes with the Alpine name makes it even more special. So it might show the diamond badge of a Renault. I don’t care. Even if it is only half as good as the figures suggest, I want one.

Pricing Announced For New 2012 Ford Focus ST

This is one of the most eagerly anticipated hot hatchbacks for a long time – it is the new Ford Focus ST! Powered by a direct-injection 2.0-litre, all-alloy, turbocharged, four-cylinder EcoBoost engine, the new Ford Focus ST develops 250PS, yet remains capable of returning 39.2mpg and CO2 emissions of 169g/km – 20 per cent better than its predecessor.

Other sporting features include a unique suspension setup, a variable speed steering system, performance brakes, a unique paint job and a trapezoidal front grill demonstrating the performance nature of the car.

“Ever since the arrival of the legendary GT40, Britain has become the spiritual home for performance Fords – and demand from UK enthusiast customers has always been strong,” said Mark Ovenden, Ford Britain managing director. “This latest Focus ST is a global car that will excite customers around the world – but especially those in Britain.”

The Ford Focus ST will go on sale from 1st June 2012, priced from £21,995 on the road. I have no doubt that this will fly out of the showrooms.

Pinnacle and XMT Complete Paint Care System

You’ve spent plenty of money on the purchase of your car or truck, now the question arises, "How do I take care of it?”. The answer is vital to retaining the value of your vehicle and reducing future costs.
This article will help walk through the Pinnacle Complete Paint Care System of washing, claying, polishing, protecting and the final maintaining processes step by step. Don’t worry, it’s pretty easy and you don’t need to be a detailer to do it yourself!

Washing and Drying Your Car

If there is a single maintenance activity that offers the biggest benefit to your car's appearance, it's keeping your car clean through regular car washing. Washing is the process of removing loose dirt and road film from your car's exterior surfaces. That means more than just a good hosing off. You have to safely scrub it with car wash shampoo solution and a wash mitt.

Car Shopping - Consider a Nearly New Vehicle

Whether they’re buying plane tickets or antiques or DVDs, the Internet has made it possible for lots of Americans to become savvy bargain shoppers. But have you ever bought a used car online? Believe it or not, the online used car marketplace has exploded in recent years. Now you can research vehicles, locate exactly the car you want for the price you want to pay, and even make the purchase, all online.

Top 10s and More

What are the best- and worst-rated cars and automakers in fuel economy, initial quality, customer service and other categories? Check the rankings before deciding on your next vehicle.

•  Best Initial Quality

 In June 2011, J.D. Power and Associates released its 2011 Initial Quality Study, which lists the top performers in defined car and truck segments within the first 90 days of vehicle ownership. In addition, the study also ranks the best brands for initial quality.

			Most Popular Colors J.D. Power and Associates conducts studies into customer and sales satisfaction to provide insight into the reliability and service levels of various automakers. The table below measures customer retention rates among the major automakers. Key factors in determining retention rates include long-term durability, resale value and overall vehicle quality.

 

BMW Zagato Coupe Concept: Photo Gallery

BMW Zagato Coupe Concept: Photo Gallery

BMW has always been more aggressive with its roadsters' styling; check out the avant-garde 2003-08 BMW Z4 for an example. For folks who think the aggressive look of the current BMW Z4 is just too conventional, feast your eyes on the BMW Zagato Coupé Concept. Co-developed with automotive design consultancy Zagato, this one-off design could point toward a more radical-looking Z4 in the coming years. Continue below for more photos.
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The BMW Story

This German-based company is one of the world's most respected automakers, renowned for crafting luxury cars and SUVs that offer superior levels of driving enjoyment. Bavarian Motor Works (BMW) was founded in 1916 to build aircraft. After the company expanded to motorcycles in the early 1920s, the first BMW automobile was produced in 1928. By the 1970s, the German car builder had grown into a full-fledged car company and a pioneer in emerging technologies. BMW of North America was established in 1975 and currently includes marketing, sales and financial organizations for the BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce brands. Over the past couple of decades, BMWs have become the standard for performance and luxury in many vehicle segments.