new BMW 5 Series

The new BMW M5 Saloon details have just been released and this will be the fifth-generation model of this high-performance executive saloon. This car features a new BMW M high-performance, high revving, 4.4-litre V8 engine with M TwinPower Turbo Package.

The car accelerates from 0-62mph in just 4.4 seconds and on to a top speed of 155mph, which can be extended to 190mph with M Driver’s Package. Fuel consumption has been cut by around 30% using Efficient Dynamics technology, including Auto Start-Stop function and Brake Energy Regeneration and you can expect around 28.5mpg.

The car has the usual M aesthectics with a dynamic front apron with large intakes, flared wheel arches, housing 19-inch M light-alloy wheels in double-spoke design, to name just a few. Inside you get a combination of a sports car cockpit and luxurious ambience with sports seats, Merino leather upholstery plus four-zone automatic climate control being the highlights.

NILS

Volkswagen is unveiling its single-seat electric concept vehicle, called NILS, at the Frankfurt Motor Show this month. The aluminium space frame, wing doors and free-standing wheels, coupled with the dynamic performance of a sports car with zero emissions, offers a glimpse of what commuting might look like in the future.

NILS has a range of 40 miles, accelerates from 0-62mph in 11 seconds, has a top speed of 80 mph and Volkswagen thinks this would be an ideal vehicle for the majority of commuters, after conducting extensive market research in Germany. It is also a very compact car and is only 3.04 metres long, making it about 50cm shorter than the Volkswagen up!,  is 0.39 metres wide and only 1.2 metres high.

It has the same layout as a Formula 1 race car with the driver sitting in the middle with the engine at the back. Power comes from a smallish electric motor (15kW nominal and 25kW short-term peak power) and the lithium ion battery can be charged in two hours, using a conventional 230-volt electric outlet. Because all the components are so compact there is also a small but practical boot space as well.

NILS electric concept car

Other features include a seven-inch TFT instrument cluster display, a Portable Infotainment Device (PID) which controls Navigation, Radio, Media, Telephone, Trim computer and “Eco” (pre-configures the driving range). The motor start-stop switch offers selections of D (Drive), N (Neutral) and R (Reverse) and the car has an electronic heating and ventilation system plus seat heating. Outside NILS has striking bi-xenon headlights, 17-inch alloy wheels, while the indicator lights and daytime running lights are white and yellow LEDs.

Jaguar C-X16 concept

The Jaguar C-X16 concept is set to make its global debut at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show on September the 13th and Jaguar has released a teaser image of this exciting new sports car.  The Jaguar C-X16 has been designed by the same team that produced the Jaguar XJ, XF and XK and is headed up by Jaguar Director of Design, Ian Callum.

The C-X16 sets the benchmark for future Jaguar production sports cars and it aims to set new benchmarks in design, vehicle dynamics and technology. Adrian Hallmark,Global Brand Director, Jaguar Cars, commented:”Jaguar has set in place bold, ambitious plans for the future.This production concept demonstrates the depth of design and engineering ability we have with Jaguar to make these plans come to life- I look forward to sharing this latest, exciting step at the Frankfurt Motor Show”.

Chevrolet Colorado Rally

Chevrolet will show off two new exciting concepts at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show with the Chevrolet Miray and Chevrolet Colorado Rally. Over the years Chevrolet has been known for producing some exciting legends like the Belair, the Suburban, the Corvette, Camaro and of course the Stingray. These assertive designs have been carried on with the new range, such as the Spark mini-car or the Captiva SUV and the two new concepts look futuristic too.

Chevrolet Colordo Rally Concept 

The Colorado is a midsize pick-up truck that sits on 18-inch aluminium wheels with mud terrain tyres, a height adjustable suspension system (up to 50 mm) and Fox Racing Shox shocks (travel distance 140 mm). The first concept was unveiled at the Bangkok Motor Show earlier this year in April and this new concept builds on the brand’s strong truck heritage.

It has large headlamps with LED lighting elements, dual-port grille, sculpted hood and muscular fibreglass fenders that give the pick-up a really muscular appearance from the front. It is powered by a 2.8-litre turbo-diesel engine and sports two 5.5 hp winches that have been fitted into the front and rear bumpers.

The paintwork on the concept is a triple coat of pearl white and sprinkles of “golden” particles with the roof and bumpers, roll-bar, inside of load bay (for tools and spare tyre) are all made of charcoal-coloured plastic. Inside a dark ash-grey colour contrasts nicely with the silver-painted roll cage, while the passengers sit on neoprene-lined seats with orange stitching.  

Chevrolet Miray

 

The Chevrolet Miray

The Chevrolet Miray has an aerodynamic fuselage that resembles a modern jet fighter and this sports car is powered by two front mounted, battery-powered 15-kW electric motors for quick acceleration and emissions free motoring in urban driving. The system can be switched from front-wheel to rear-wheel drive when required and the car also has a 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-charged engine mounted behind the cockpit, for performance driving, plus a dual-clutch transmission with a start-stop system.

The Miray has 20-inch front wheels and 21-inch rear wheels made of an aluminium carbon-fibre composite with its wedged body side made of carbon-fibre-reinforced plastics (CFRP) and carbon fibre, to keep the car as light as possible. LED headlamps adorn the front of the dual-port grille with new signature daytime running lights.

Inside the interior theme is brushed aluminium, natural leather, white fabric and liquid metal surfaces and the passenger compartment is also surrounded by a carbon-fibre shell. The Miray has retractable rearview cameras (replacing the traditional rearview mirrors) with a forward facing camera operating in conjunction with GPS to provide navigation information and real-time video.

Two exciting new concepts from Chevrolet and if you are thinking of contract hiring a new Chevrolet car from the current model range we have Chevrolet contract hire on the site now.

 Chevrolet Miray

New MINI Coupe

The new MINI Coupe has now been launched and if you want a sneak preview then there is video footage on MINI’s YouTube channel. The exclusive video footage shows you the first visual impressions of this exciting new sporty two-seater.

This new film is the start of MINI’s advertising campaign featuring the slogan ”Another Day. Another Adventure”. The campaign shows the MINI Coupe in some exotic locations including Rio de Janeiro, Iceland and Hong Kong, to show the versatility of this compact sports car.

The YouTube reveal film is shot in the style of a movie trailer and previews three MINI commercials set to air from September. For details of the film visit the link below. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYwF_9XI_x8&feature=youtu.be

SLS AMG Roadster

Mercedes-Benz has just released the details about their new SLS AMG Roadster two-seater sports car which combines the thrill of open-top motoring with outstanding driving dynamics, coupled to its lightweight construction. The car is powered by a powerful 6.3-litre V8 petrol engine which produces 571hp, accelerates from 0-62mph in 3.8 seconds and has an electronically limited top speed of 196 mph (where permitted).

The SLS AMG Roadster’s compact fabric soft top opens and closes in just 11 seconds and can also be operated at speeds of up to 31 mph, plus its new AMG RIDE CONTROL sports suspension lets you choose your own suspension set-up offering “Comfort”, “Sport” or “Sport plus”. The SLS AMG Roadster will be launched in the UK in November when full pricing and vehicle specifications will be announced.

Nissan ESFLOW

Nissan has released the details of their Nissan ESFLOW, zero emissions, EV sports car which proves you can produce a vehicle that is environmentally friendly, yet is still a thrill to drive. The car is based on Nissan LEAF technology but this new sports car concept runs on two electric motors and is rear wheel drive.

Performance is superb with the 0-100km/h (62mph) sprint reached in only 5 seconds and the car has a range of over 240kms (149 miles) on one charge. This two seater electric sports car has dramatic styling with a long bonnet leading into a steeply raked, wrap around windscreen. Low profile tyres and crisp clean lines ensures it looks like a true performer and the exterior colour is inspired by glaciers – highly reflective solidified liquid with blue tints in its shadows. The car’s headlights and Nissan emblem are also tinted cool blue, the six spoke wheels contain blue carbon inserts as does the side sill, roof mounted lip spoiler and lower rear bumper.

Rear view of Nissan ESFLOW

The cabin is clean and open, with the seats sculpted into the rear bulkhead of the car to save weight. This means of course they are immobile, but the fly-by-wire steering and pedals adjust electrically to find the best driving position (rather than the other way round in a conventional car). The seats are upholstered in gold leather and perforated gold suede with the doors trimmed in dark blue leather and suede. This theme continues across the dashboard, which is also adorned with silver carbon trim plus four multifunction illuminated LCD displays.

Mazda MX-5

Mazda has announced that it is to participate in Facebook Deals and is one of the first manufacturers to use social network ecommerce opportunities to promote its range of cars. They are currently offering consumer buyers a 20% discount off the price of a Mazda MX5 and also a chance to win a Mazda MX5 Miyako.

This specific Mazda deal is available off the most recent version of the Facebook app where you can claim your deal voucher which you then present to any of the five participating Mazda dealers to get your 20% discount. The competition “check-in” process to win the Mazda MX-5 Miyako is also available off Facebook.

Claire Andrews, Marketing Director – Mazda UK, said,”Social media has always been about communicating to as wide a range of people as you want, but until now has not given any commercial benefits to consumers. Facebook Deals recognises the consumer’s appetite for a deal and brings a real financial benefit to social media use. Just by being one of Facebook’s 26 million UK users you are suddenly entitled to some fantastic offers and 20 percent off Mazda’s iconic sports car, a deal you cannot get anywhere else”.

Further information of other Mazda deals can be found @ www.facebook.com/ExperienceMazda

BMW 1 Series M Coupe

The new BMW 1 Series M Coupe heralds a new adventure for the BMW “M” portfolio of cars bringing the high performance sports characteristics of the famous “M” badge to a wider audience. This new sports car has a dramatic exterior design sporting 19-inch Y-spoke M alloy wheels, dual chrome tailpipes, a discreet spoiler lip, a rear apron with side openings plus L-shaped rear light clusters fed by LED lights completing the look.

Rear view

The car is powered by a 340bhp twin-turbo engine with exceptional performance, as you would expect, with a 0-62mph time of 4.9 seconds and a top speed (limited) to 155mph. Combined mpg for a car with power is fairly acceptable with 29.4mpg and CO2 emissions are 224g/km, using the latest BMW EfficientDynamics technology.

The BMW 1 Series M Coupe is available in manual transmission only and also comes with various safety features including Dynamic Stability Control, Dynamic Brake Control (DBC) and Cornering Brake Control (CBC) plus the M Dynamic Mode (MDM) driving experience can be activated via the instrument panel.

Boston Leather

Specification also includes two-zone air-conditioning, cruise control, BMW Radio Business with MP3-capable CD player and six speakers, plus Boston leather sports seats with Kyalami Orange stitching. Exterior colours are Alpine White non-metallic, Black Sapphire metallic and Valencia Orange metallic. We hope to have BMW car leasing prices on this new model loaded shortly, with the new car going on sale in May 2011.

Key technical data;

Note: *With overboost. **Electronically-limited.

Jaguar 75 app

In celebrating the presentation of the stunning C-X75 at the Los Angeles Auto Show, Jaguar has launched a new Jaguar 75 iPad app which is available to download from the iTunes store by searching for “Jaguar 75 HD”.

There is some newly commissioned photography of some famous Jaguar cars, such as the C and D-Type racers, the MK11 and of course the elegant E-Type, plus heritage images, archive video and various stories about the men behind the famous marque. The new C-X75 is the fastest and possibly the most beautiful Jaguar car ever built and best of all it is a 205mph four-wheel drive hybrid.