Saturday, March 1, 2014

Nissan Splashes Some Colors to New Micra Limited Edition

Making its debut on the UK market is a new special version of the Nissan Micra hatchback, aptly named "Limited Edition", which features a contrasting roof color together with interior and exterior detailing.

Based on the mid-range Acenta trim level, the new Micra model can be had in the following color combinations Pacific Blue with a White roof and mirror caps; Shiraz Red with a Black roof and mirror caps, and Alabaster White with a Red roof and mirror caps.

Also included in the package are contrasting-color side sills and center caps for the 15-inch alloy wheels, a ‘Limited Edition’ badge and a chrome exhaust finisher, while the roof color is echoed inside on the air vent accents, the lower part of the gearshift column together and the floor mats.

Other standard features are the air-conditioning, cruise control and roof spoiler, with on-the-road prices starting from £12,300.




Lumma Design Draws Tuning Concepts for BMW i8 Coupe and i3 Hatch

You didn't think that BMW's first i-series models, the i8 hybrid coupe and the electric i3 hatchback, would avoid the touch of the tuning industry, did you? While seen here in rendered concept form, Lumma Design's CLR i8 and CLR i3 point to what we should expect in the near future once the cars begin to arrive in the hands of their new owners.


For the 357hp (362PS) i8, the German tuner proposes a full carbon-fiber kit comprising a front spoiler, side skirts and rear bumper with diffuser along with a tailor-made sticker set with lime-green accents and matte-black, spider-style alloy wheels.

The CLR i3's appearance is modified with a front spoiler lip, a specially designed hood and side skirts, all of which are all made of high-strength and ultra-light carbon. It too gains a different set of rims.

Lumma Design did not say if and when it will introduce these parts for the BMW models.



Startech Widens Up New Range Rover Sport

If you're not entirely sold on the cosmetic tune of the new generation Range Rover Sport by Brabus-owned Startech that was displayed at the 2013 Essen Motor Show last December, the Germans are proposing a similar suit with more girth.

Startech's widebody aerodynamics package for the latest Range Rover Sport will make its world premiere at the Geneva Motor Show in March and will be available for order shortly after.

It keeps the styling of the bumpers from the regular kit adding more width to match the wheel arch extensions, with Startech also throwing into the mix a bigger roof spoiler and, of course, beefier rims and tires.

The German tuner didn't offer any specific details, as this is more of a teaser-announcement, but we expect the previously announced SDV6 3.0-liter diesel engine upgrade from 288hp (292PS) to 318hp (323PS) that allows for a 0-100km/h (62mph) in 6.9 sec and a top speed of 222km/h (138mph), to be on offer along perhaps with more power tunes.







Honda Goes for "Eye-Catching" with New CR-V Black and White Special Editions

Black and/or white editions of so many cars are cropping up these days that you really wonder if copying is what all the manufacturers do now…

Honda has now released two “eye-catching” special edition versions of its CR-V crossover. And yes, these are the Black and White Edition respectively, and they have just been made available to order for Honda’s UK customers, with prices starting from £28,400 for the petrol manual version.

Both models are identical in terms of spec/extra equipment gained, the color scheme being the only differentiating factor.

They get “distinctive styling is enhanced with the addition of bold 19-inch Orion alloy wheels, exhaust finisher and privacy glass,” plus “a new patterned front grille gives a more powerful expression of performance, while a tailgate spoiler extends the flowing lines of the roof over the rear window to give a sleek, dynamic look. Smoothly integrated running boards add practicality and visual impact.”

Tech features are also added in: dual-zone climate control, high-power Bluetooth, front and rear parking sensors, power-folding mirrors and sat nav come as standard. Honda says that those who go for one of the two packs will be saving £770 compared to the CR-V SE-T that they are based upon.

Scroll down to the gallery to see what they look like.








A Gadget-Biased Review of the Base BMW 428i

There have been many reviews of the now-top spec 435i, but very few, if none, of the smaller 428i, which makes up the bottom of the range for BMW’s US customers. However, don't think that it’s not worth considering, because with 240 hp and zero to sixty in 5.7 seconds, it’s far from being a slouch.


You will miss the creamy sound and power delivery of the bigger six-cylinder engine, but as CNET’s Brian Cooley finds out, there’s still a lot to like, though you do still need to tick a lot of options boxes to get the full experience.

I wonder if anybody will actually buy one of these with no options, have it a stripped out as possible and with a manual gearbox, with the only extra needing to be added being the excellent M steering wheel? Probably very few.

The appeal for a car equipped in that way is further dulled by multiple reports that newer BMWs have lost the sharp sporty edge to a degree, and while they are still satisfying to drive briskly, the driver satisfaction factor has gone down.

Check out the full review, in video form, after the virtual jump.


Reports Don’t See Upcoming Maserati Levante Underpinned by a Jeep

The natural course of development predicted for the upcoming Maserati Levante SUV to be no more than a glorified and dressed up Jeep Grand Cherokee that would have, undoubtedly, made a lot of financial sense for the new Fiat-Chrysler group.

However, two new reports from Motortrend magazine and CNN go hand in hand and point to the actual underpinnings to be used for the Levante, which it will share with the Quattroporte and Ghibli.

This is very welcome news, since the Jeep Grand Cherokee is not regarded as a rewarding vehicle to drive, or one that handles in any kind of remarkable way, and these are two traits that simply must be present in a Maserati product.

They would have to mirror Porsche’s Cayenne recipe, but build it around their brand’s own values; the sedan-based architecture will help it achieve that much more than the unwieldy Jeep chassis ever could.

The company is still saying it will stick to its Jeep plans, when asked officially, but the project has been marked by setbacks and direction changes before, so it may hold true. The sedan solution suggestion is also strengthened by the automaker’s recent announcement that it was going to build the Levante in Italy, and not in the US, where it would have been made alongside the Dodge Durango and Jeep Grand Cherokee.





Hyundai PassoCorto Mid-Engine Sports Car Concept by IED for an Alfa 4C Rival Looks the Tits

Italian design studios still have that magic wand when it comes to creating impressive-looking cars, no matter the ethnicity of the people they employ. I mean, just look at this new Hyundai concept for an Alfa Romeo 4C competitor from the Istituto Europeo di Design (IED) of Turin and tell me you wouldn't want to take it for a spin…


The study is called the PassoCorto and it was commissioned by the Hyundai Design Center Europe "as a tribute to the Made in Italy design that is studied at the IED".

The two-seater sports car with the rear-mid-engine and rear drive layout will be presented in the flesh at the Geneva Motor Show next month. It's the tenth full scale model to be created by IED Turin and displayed at the Swiss auto event since it started doing so back in 2004.

The PassoCorto is not only similar in philosophy to the 4C, but in size as well, measuring 4,100mm long, 1,880mm wide and 1,160mm tall, with a wheelbase of 2,450mm.

The study is static, but it was designed to be built around a lightweight carbon fiber monocoque chassis and a target weight of just 840kg (1,852 pounds), with power coming from a Hyundai 1.6-liter bi-turbocharged four producing around 270-horsepower.

According to IED, the interior "was designed to have two cockpits with integrated instruments clearly divided by passenger and driver; the seat is optically connected to the dashboard and the backrest is cut directly out of special niches in the frame".

Thomas Bürkle, Chief Designer at the Hyundai Europe Design Center, commented:

"I would like to express my gratitude to the director Riccardo Balbo, the management of IED and especially to the students of the Master Course. The cooperation between our Design Center and IED was very inspiring and fruitful. The PassoCorto is a dream coming true and fulfills the high expectations we had at the beginning of the project. The result is of such a high standard that I can say that the Hyundai badge sits proudly on the bonnet of this exciting sports car!"

So, what do you think; should Hyundai at least ponder about bringing this car to production?