Section: AUTO SHOWS/EVENTS
Written By: Seyth Miersma
May 6th, 2008 12:00 PM
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Detroit’s own D Business magazine featured a recent interview and photo session with Cadillac boss Jim Taylor, in which the executive talks about the CTS Coupe that debuted at the Detroit Auto Show this year, as well as a pair of very interesting theme motorcycles.
A motorcycle enthusiast himself, Taylor commissioned the Cadillac chopper in the photo above from Great American Chopper of Clawson, Michigan. More interesting still is a second bike that’s still in the works, which will feature a hybrid engine capable of running on ethanol or in a pure electric mode.
The hybrid Cadillac bike is being built by V20 Consulting of New York City, and has been tasked with displaying “GM’s strength in science and technology.” The bike is purported to be capable of a 0 to 60 sprint of 4.5 seconds, and should be unveiled for the public at this year’s Los Angeles Auto Show.
+ D Business
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Written By: Seyth Miersma
April 22nd, 2008 8:00 AM
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Ford has unveiled the Chinese version of the Fiesta hatchback in Beijing, a five-door hatch trimmed out for Auto China as the Fiesta S.
While the Chinese version of the car seems to be largely the same as the European Fiesta that was shown this year in Geneva, the car’s S trim package offers a funkier body kit which could hint at performance variants of the Fiesta yet to come. The more aggressive front air dam and five-door layout certainly seem to work well on the car’s architecture though, and make us wonder how well the Fiesta five would do stateside, competing against cars like Honda’s Fit.
Take a look at the five-door Fiesta S in our gallery below or click through the jump to read Ford’s press release.
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Written By: David Yang
April 21st, 2008 5:00 PM
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It’s been a long wait since the first sketch came out at the New York Auto Show. The Buick Invicta concept was placed beside the Riviera concept, which bowed at last year’s Shanghai Auto Show. The cover of the Invicta was unexpectly unveiled by Beijing’s refreshing evening breeze, which, for a moment, nearly made our correspondent and fellow media forget their cameras.
“I’m really excited not just about the design of the car, but the fact that this brought together two teams in China and the U.S. to develop the design. They worked together like one seamless virtual design team developing that car,” said Ed Welburn, vice president of GM Global Design.
It’s no secret that Buick sells more cars in China than in the States. Shanghai General Motors, GM’s flagship joint venture, posted sales growth of 13.6 percent for the year, with 128,649 units sold in the first quarter. SAIC-GM-Wuling, GM’s mini-vehicle joint venture, had first quarter sales of 182,564 units, which represented year-on-year growth of 3.8 percent.
(Click on the images below to launch a gallery of live Invicta images or through the jump to read the official press release.)
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Written By: David Yang
April 21st, 2008 4:00 PM
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Our early arrival to the Beijing Auto Show this morning was greeted by an unexpected downpour. Yet the visit to the Geely showroom was well worth the effort. Though some might argue their cues looked familiar, from the Geely Panda, to the CE, to the GT concept, their whole lineup is so eye-catching that it even seemed to outshine the other carmakers in the room.
Take a look at Geely’s Beijing offerings in our gallery below.
If you’ve got an idea for Question of the Day, a funny photo for Caption It, or just want to share a news tip, let us know at windingroadtips@gmail.com
Written By: David Yang
April 21st, 2008 3:00 PM
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On the eve of the Beijing Auto Show the Audi Q5 made its world premiere at the New Poly Plaza in Beijing.
Developed on Audi’s new MLP platform, the Q5 is the second model in the German carmaker’s Q range after its Q7 sibling. The 9.22 feet wheelbase SUV has three engine options available - one gasoline and two TDI engines – all turbocharged. The most powerful 3.0-liter V-6 diesel takes the Q5 from 0 to 62 mph in 6.5 seconds, kicking out a top speed of 225km/h (139.81 mph).
In addition to Ingolstadt, Germany, Audi’s home town, the new model will also be produced in Changchun, Jilin Province of China. The car is expected to come to the U.S. in 2010.
(Click on the images below to launch a gallery of live Q5 images or through the jump to read Audi’s official press release.)
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Written By: Seyth Miersma
April 21st, 2008 12:00 PM
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Porsche senses a thirst for senselessly fast SUVs in the Asian and Eastern European markets, and has responded with a new top-dog in the Cayenne range, the 2009 Cayenne Turbo S.
The returned Turbo S, revealed at the Beijing Auto Show, will offer drivers the maniac delights of a 550 horsepower, 553 foot-pounds of torque V-8. The Cayenne includes a six-speed Tiptronic S gearbox, which will help to shepherd speed all the way up to the 174 mph top-end.
The new Cayenne should look every inch the part as well, with 21 inch wheels, quad-tip exhaust, a body colored grille, and a wealth of toys and gizmos inside. Take a look at the new big Porsche in our gallery below or click through the jump to read the official press release.
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Written By: David Yang
April 21st, 2008 10:00 AM
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The debut of the GLK, the first compact SUV produced by Mercedes-Benz, marks the automaker’s first world premiere in China.
“After last year’s success, which saw Mercedes-Benz China achieve a volume increase of 53 percent, the new GLK will inject additional momentum here and in other markets,” said Dr. Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and head of Mercedes-Benz Cars.
Famous the world over for her movie success, actress Zhang Ziyi is a superstar of the Chinese movie scene and guest of honor at the GLK world premiere. Her big international break came with her role in Ang Lee’s Oscar-winning “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”. “I love this powerful, great looking all-rounder,” said Zhang Ziyi about the new GLK in conversation with Dr. Dieter Zetsche.
(Click on the thumbnails below to enjoy a gallery of live GLK images or on the jump to read more.)
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Written By: David Yang
April 20th, 2008 12:00 PM
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General Motors China’s mini-commercial vehicle joint venture with SAIC and Wuling Motors, introduced the new Wuling Rong Guang minivan today on its stand at Auto China 2008.
With a length of 157.5 inches, height of 75.5 inches, width of 63.8 inches and wheelbase of 106.3, the Rong Guang offers a much more spacious cabin than traditional mini-commercial vehicle. Its 1.2-liter DOHC gasoline engine generates maximum of 70 horsepower per liter (84 total) and maximum torque of 80 foot-pounds at 4,000 rpm. The Rong Guang consumes less than 5.5 liters of gasoline per 100 kilometers (about 43 mpg) under a constant speed of 50 km/h and is expected to reach Chinese dealers in May.
(Click on the thumbnails below to check out a gallery of Rong Guang images or through the jump to read on.)
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Written By: Seyth Miersma
April 19th, 2008 12:00 PM
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Buick is making good on a promise it made at the New York Auto Show, unveiling details and renderings today for the Invicta concept car ahead of its unveiling in Beijing.
Invicta, Latin for “Invincible,” is said to draw its inspiration from the recent Buick Riviera and Velite concepts, as well as the rich Riviera history of design. The concept’s power meanwhile is courtesy a turbocharged direct-injection four making 250 horsepower and 220 pound-feet of torque, and hooked up to a six-speed automatic.
Look for something along the lines of Invicta to show up as the next generation LaCrosse sometime around 2010. Until then, have a browse in our Invicta concept gallery below or check out the Buick press release below the fold.
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Written By: David Yang
April 19th, 2008 8:00 AM
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China’s Lifan will debut its new 320 minicar tomorrow at the Beijing Auto Show. As the first minicar the company produced, we can see from the pictures that the Chongqing-based carmaker went a bit overboard with the “Mini” vibe.
The front drive Mini-copy has a five-speed manual transmission only and is powered by a 1.3-liter four. Lifan’s own LF479Q3 engine kicks out a topspeed of 96 mph. The car is expected to have a 1.1-liter version available later and will roll out to the Chinese market this August. The hatchback model will be priced under RMB 50,000 (roughly $7,149), aiming to compete with the Chery QQ2 and the Geely Panda.
If you’ve got an idea for Question of the Day, a funny photo for Caption It, or just want to share a news tip, let us know at windingroadtips@gmail.com
Written By: Seyth Miersma
April 18th, 2008 3:00 PM
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Debuted as thinly veiled concepts called Townside and Freeside at this year’s Detroit Auto Show, Mercedes-Benz has announced that its production GLK crossover will make a public debut at the Beijing Auto Show.
Mercedes will offer the rather ungainly CUV with only one engine when it goes on sale in the U.S., a 3.5-liter V-6 that produces 268 horsepower. The GLK will come in both 4MATIC All-wheel-drive and two-wheel-drive, with a seven-speed automatic transmission as standard equipment. Two-wheel-drive GLK350 won’t shirk from sprightly performance either, should its driver need it, sprinting form 0 to 60 mph in an estimated 6.5 seconds.
Have a peek at the GLK in our gallery below or click through the jump to read the official M-B press release.
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Written By: Seyth Miersma
April 18th, 2008 10:00 AM
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After a variety of leaks, official and unofficial, General Motors’ European Opel brand has gone ahead and released the full specification for its new Insignia ahead of the car’s official debut at the London Motor Show this summer.
Though it’s still unclear exactly which engine lineup will be available if the Insignia makes the leap to the U.S. as a Saturn product, Opel has given us the range for the car’s European spec. The Insignia will offer a choice of three diesels and four gasoline engines, topped off by a 260 horsepower V-6. The diesels will all displace 2.0-liters and will offer between 110 and 160 horsepower. Available transmissions will include manual and automatic six-speeds all around.
Check our gallery below for the first official Insignia photos and then tell us what you think of the potential Saturn product, in comments.
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