Page 130 of 230

New 2012 BMW 650i Coupe looks incredible!

March 14, 2011 /

Insideline.com takes a peak at the 2012 BMW 650i Coupe and it looks incredible!

The 2012 BMW 6 Series Coupe has been revealed some four months after the 2012 650i convertible was shown at the Los Angeles Auto Show.

And it’s pretty much exactly what we expected this 2 + 2 coupe version of the convertible. We’re not advertising copywriters so we’ll let them take over the inspiration for the new look, “The new interpretation of the traditional BMW Coupe proportions is embellished by lines and surfaces inspired by the movement of waves. Flowing lines and harmonious curves create a feeling of athletic grace, complemented by extremely classic and eye-catching design features which underline the opulent character and elegant appearance of the two-door BMW.”

Right. Moving on to the fun stuff.

The 2012 650i coupe comes with the company’s twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 producing 400hp between 5,500 and 6,400 rpm and 450 lb-feet of torque between 1,700 and 4,500rpm. Transmission options are a six-speed manual — which BMW says is popular with North American enthusiasts — and an 8-speed automatic. 0 – 60 comes up in 4.8 with either one.

Read the full article.

New Cars

Disaster in Japan

March 13, 2011 /

The disaster in Japan will have an impact on the auto industry with many producers suspending production over the weekend. Our thoughts and prayers go out to all of the people in Japan and hope that those who can be rescued are located and treated. The auto industry is a global business and we all share a common interest so let’s take a moment to remember our friends who may have been affected and wish them the best!

From AutoNews.com:

TOKYO — Toyota Motor Corp., Honda Motor Co., Nissan Motor Co. and Subaru suspended production at plants in Japan today and were assessing damage after an 8.9-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast, triggering a tsunami and shaking buildings as far away as Tokyo.

The shutdown could affect exports to the United States of such cars as the Toyota Yaris sedan, Scion XB and Scion XD, as well as the Honda Fit subcompact, Accord sedan and CR-V crossover. The temblor also affected production of the Acura and Infiniti lineups.

Toyota, the world’s largest carmaker, said it evacuated workers from several factories in the quake zone. Toyota has two parts plants in northern Japan and two affiliates, Kanto Auto Works Ltd. and Central Motors Co., that assemble small cars in the region.

The status of those plants was being evaluated, Toyota spokesman Dion Corbett said. “We are still trying to get information from them,” he said.

Read the full article.

News, Toyota

2011 Nissan Murano Cross Cabriolet First Drive

March 9, 2011 /

In their latest car review, the team at Bullz-Eye.com takes a look at the 2011 Nissan Murano Cross Cabriolet First Drive. Take a look at the review and let us know what you think about this ride!

After arriving in San Diego this past weekend, Bullz-Eye finally had the chance to drive the all new 2011 Nissan Murano Cross Cabriolet and luckily, the weather was just about perfect. Going into the drive I really didn’t know what to expect. As sharp as the Murano Cabriolet looks, I had to keep reminding myself that this is a crossover and not a sport coupe. Nissan is coming off a 2010 where they saw market share increase .04% and overall sales jump 18%. Obviously the company wants to keep the momentum going into 2011. (FYI: Nissan North America sales were up a whopping 31% in February 2011.)

We met with Nissan prior to the drive on Saturday and learned that Nissan continues to look for innovations. I would say a crossover convertible qualifies as innovation and a new segment with its crossover functionality and open air access. Nissan described the 2011 Nissan Murano Crossover Cabriolet as a “convertible without compromise.” The lack of a B pillar, higher utility and more space than anything on the market really set the Murano apart.

After seeing the Murano up close when I first arrived and learning more about the impressive model, I was ready to get behind the wheel. We took off from L’Auberge Del Mar with the temperature in the mid 60’s and a line of Muranos ready to get at it. I first noticed how sharp the low profile soft top looks on the Murano Cabriolet, highlighting its sleek silhouette. The taillights are reminiscent of the iconic Nissan 370Z and Nissan Maxima. The soft top opened and tucked away with the press of a button and took less than 25 seconds, which was very impressive. Once the top was down, everything in the interior jumped out at me – I couldn’t help but notice the smooth edges in the cabin and the wraparound feel that reminded me of a luxury yacht. The plush double-stitched leather seating comes standard and the unique tuned wood grain really dresses things up. The flashy but classy 20 inch split spoke titanium finish aluminum alloy wheels also stood out. Nissan apparently paid very close attention to detail when designing and building the Murano Cabriolet, as evidenced by the unique dual pop up roll bars for rear passengers. The roll bars are not only a very smart safety feature but look really cool and add another sporty flavor to the vehicle.

Read the full review.

Car Reviews, New Cars, Nissan

Chrysler/Fiat set to enter commercial van market in North America

March 7, 2011 /

Add Chrysler to the list of companies entering the recovering commercial van business. This business resembled a 1970’s market with Ford and GM dominating approximately 95% of sales.

Per DetroitNews.com, the automaker will use its partnership with Fiat SpA to bring a pair of Italian commercial vans, the Ducato and the smaller Doblo, to North America next year to compete in a segment that is rebounding as businesses start spending again.” These entries from Fiat/Chrysler will join the Nissan NV stable of vans that just went on sale in February of this year. Sales of commercial vans probably bottomed so this could be just the right time to enter this segment as the rebounding curb could be significant. With that being said it won’t be easy to pry away those fleet sales from the longtime champ E-Series from Ford Motor!

Chrysler Group LLC wants to become a player in the recovering commercial van sector.

The automaker will use its partnership with Fiat SpA to bring a pair of Italian commercial vans, the Ducato and the smaller Doblo, to North America next year to compete in a segment that is rebounding as businesses start spending again.

The plan is to introduce the two vans under the Ram brand next year as 2013 models, said Fred Diaz, Ram president.

The commercial van segment is dominated by Ford Motor Co. and General Motors Co., which represent more than 95 percent of sales with the Chevrolet Express/GMC Savana and the Ford Econoline/Club Wagon, as well as the new Ford Transit Connect.

Daimler AG’s Mercedes Sprinter is the other competitor in the segment. Under DaimlerChrysler AG, the Sprinter was sold as a Dodge, but after the two companies split, the Sprinter was reclaimed by Mercedes, leaving a hole in the Dodge lineup.

Read the full article.

Chrysler, News

« Older posts Newer posts »

© 2026 Dashboard News

Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑