Volvo announces pricing for the C30 2008

Following hot on the heels of the news of the Limited Edition C30 R-Design, Volvo Cars of North America, LLC (VCNA) today announced pricing for the 400 C30s that will go on sale in April. With a base MSRP of just $25,700* the Limited Edition C30 R-Design brings new levels of style and unique appointments to the smallest and most expressive car in Volvo’s lineup.

At first glance, the C30 R-Design catches the eye with its distinctive exterior enhancements. Premium touches include a matte-silver finish for the outside mirror housings, front grille surround and iconic Volvo grille “strap.” To signify that this C30 is truly special, an R-Design badge has been affixed to the grille. Customers can select from four exterior colors: Black Sapphire, Titanium Grey, Orinoco Blue and Passion Red. Sport Body kit, tailgate spoiler, large diameter exhaust tips, etc. are additional exterior enhancements that add to the C30 R-Design’s dynamic personality.

Stepping inside the cabin, the driver and three passengers are rewarded with sporty and premium cues befitting the stature of this truly special Volvo. Seats are swathed with off-black. Flex-tech while the cushions and backrests are trimmed in contrasting crème-colored leather. The R-Design logo is embossed neatly into the front bucket seatbacks.

Inspired by Volvo’s legendary high-performance R models, the C30 R-Design sports a blue-face instrument cluster. The C30’s signature super-slim center console is finished with a unique inlay with subtle circular patterns that take the standard aluminum inlay to the next level. A special leather-wrapped steering with aluminum inlays proudly displays the R-Design logo.Additional features include sport pedals, sport shifter, and floor mats.

Like the regular production C30, the R-Design delivers an exhilarating driving experience with its turbocharged T5 5-cylinder engine that produces 227-horsepower and 236 lb.-ft. of torque from 1,800 to 5,000 rpm. Equipped as a complete package which includes 18″ Atreus wheels and Sirius Satellite Radio with a 6 month introductory subscription as std. equipment, customers can select from an abbreviated list of options for the C30 R-Design including 5-speed Geartronic transmission, DVD-based navigation system with real time traffic, power driver’s seat, Climate Package, power glass moonroof, bi-xenon headlights, Serapis alloy wheels and Dynaudio premium sound system.

The selection committee for the 2008 World Car Awards announced today that the European BMW 118d Advanced Diesel was named the 2008 World Green Car. Tom Purves, President and CEO of BMWNA, accepted the honor on behalf of BMW at the award reception, which was held this morning at the 2008 New York International Auto Show.

“We are honored to receive the 2008 World Green Car Award for the BMW 118d,” said Mr. Purves. “As a company we have been committed to reducing fuel consumption and emissions of our vehicles, while at the same time improving performance. This commitment is the driving force of our Efficient Dynamics platform and the philosophy behind BMW’s vehicle designs and development of technologies such as the Advanced Diesel implemented in the 118d. This honor will inspire BMW’s continuing efforts to reduce its carbon footprint.” The BMW 118d is a four-door hatchback powered by a 1.8-liter, four-cylinder diesel engine and is not a model that is available in the U.S.
A jury of nearly 50 distinguished automotive journalists selected the BMW 118d as top choice from a list of three finalists that also included the Smart ForTwo CDI and Volkswagen Passat 1.9 TDI. To be eligible for the 2008 World Green Car award, vehicles had to be available in at least one major market during 2007. The vehicle or the green technology could be in production or an experimental prototype with potential near-future application, provided that it was released for individual or press fleet evaluations in quantities of ten or more during 2007. Tailpipe emissions, fuel consumption and use of a major advanced power plant technology (beyond engine componentry), aimed specifically at increasing the vehicle’s environmental responsibility, were all taken into consideration.
Now in its fifth year, the annual World Car awards have become one of the most prestigious and credible programs of their type in the world. The awards were inaugurated in 2003, and officially launched in January 2004, to reflect the reality of the global marketplace, as well as to recognize and reward automotive excellence on a global scale. The awards are intended to complement, not compete, with existing national and regional Car of the Year programs.

The awards are administered by a non-profit association, under the guidance of a Steering Committee of pre-eminent automotive journalists from Asia, Europe, and North America. There is no affiliation with, nor are the awards in any way influenced by any publication, auto show, automaker, or other commercial enterprise. [source bmw]

Benz at the 2008 New York Auto Show 2008

Under the heading “Vote for BlueTEC”, Mercedes-Benz is continuing its diesel offensive in the U.S. with a vengeance. At the New York International Auto Show (NYIAS), the three-pointed star is presenting three new, exceptionally clean diesel SUVs with the latest AdBlue injection technology. The ML 320 BlueTEC, the R 320 BlueTEC and the GL 320 BlueTEC boast such low emissions that they comply with even the strictest exhaust limits such as the Bin 5 and ULEV standards in the U.S. They are also poised to fulfill the future EU6 standard in Europe. The focal point of today’s Mercedes-Benz NYIAS press conference was the facelifted M-Class, which celebrated its world premiere as the ML 320 BlueTEC.

“The BlueTEC campaign expresses our ambitious targets for the U.S. We want to make diesel driving popular here again – especially for SUVs,” comments Dr. Thomas Weber, Member of the Management Board Daimler AG, Group Research & Mercedes-Benz Cars Development.

“The prospects for this are now even better,” Weber continues, “because, just in time for the world premiere in New York, we have become the first manufacturer ever to receive certification enabling registration of Bin 5 and ULEV compliant diesel SUVs, thus qualifying them for registration in all 50 states.”

In preparation for the comeback of the clean diesel to the U.S., Mercedes has been conducting years of pioneering work. The decisive breakthrough came with the introduction of the E 320 BlueTEC in October 2006, which was voted “World Green Car of the Year 2007″ in the U.S., followed by the successful launch of Mercedes diesel SUVs with CDI technology in 45 states.

John Cooper Works Mini Clubman and Cooper S

MINI USA announced today the debut of two all new performance models at the 2008 New York International Auto Show. Following their successful World Premier in Geneva, the MINI John Cooper Works hardtop and the MINI John Cooper Works Clubman are showcased at MINI’s display and represent the first new models from the recently integrated John Cooper Works Brand.

In addition, pricing for both new models were announced today. The MINI John Cooper Works hardtop will be offered at $29,200. USD. The MINI John Cooper Works Clubman will be offered at $31,450, USD. Both prices include a $650 destination and handling charge, MINI USA’s Free Full Maintenance Coverage for 3 years/ 36,000 Miles and a 4 year-50,000 mile bumper-to-bumper warranty.

For more than four decades, the name John Cooper has been synonymous with the high-performance members of the MINI family. In January 2008, MINI and John Cooper Works announced they would transition from being two separate entities to merging the John Cooper Works into the MINI family as a MINI sub brand. These are the first high-performance MINI models that will be launched under this new MINI John Cooper Works brand and are expected to arrive in the US this summer.

Both John Cooper Works models will feature a newly developed high-performance version of the highly-acclaimed 1.6 liter 16-valve 4-cylinder engine with twin scroll turbocharger and direct injection. Delivering 208 horsepower and maximum torque of 192 ft-lb between 1,850 and 5,600 rpm, overboost torque momentarily increases to 207 ft-lb under heavy acceleration. The revised powerplant propels the MINI John Cooper Works from 0-60 mph in just 6.2 seconds, with the MINI John Cooper Works Clubman shadowing this figure at 6.5 seconds. Top speed comes in at 147 MPH.

Audi R8 receives 2008 World Car Design of the Year award

Audi made it a big double when the R8 was declared the 2008 World Car Design of the Year. Cars eligible for the 2008 World Car Design of the Year award are taken from the list of thirty-nine (39) World Car candidates nominated by forty-seven (47) World Car jurors from twenty-four (24) countries throughout the world.

A design panel consisting of four highly respected world design experts asked to first review each candidate, and then establish a short-list of recommendations for the jurors. Jurors then voted on the expert’s recommendations. The top three design finalists were, in alphabetical order, the Audi R8, the Mazda2 / Mazda Demio and the Volvo C30.

The World Car Design of the Year category, and the corresponding award, is meant to highlight new vehicles with innovation and style that push established boundaries.

The World Car jurors praised Audi for “….transforming the sports car landscape”. “The R8 design is striking, original and full of interesting details, from the nose strakes to the much discussed vertical ‘blade’ behind the B pillar”. World Car design expert, Tom Matano, commented, “It is a great visual representation of the technology within…..a complete package of Techno-Iconic Design”. The R8 looks just as good as it performs, which is saying something. In design consultant Robert Cumberford’s opinion, the Audi is a “real tour de force in style, performance and practicality.”

“Having won the World Car Design of the Year award last year with the new Audi TT, it is a real pleasure to make it two in a row with the Audi R8,” said Johan De Nysschen, Executive Vice President of Audi of America. “Our designers surpassed themselves with our first super sports car, which is both a show-stopper and a traffic-stopper.

Characteristic features such as LED headlights and customizable sideblades make the Audi R8 instantly recognizable. We are delighted that our designers’ work has been acknowledged in this way by the World Car of the Year jurors.”

Previous winners of the World Car Design of the Year award were the Audi TT in 2007 and the Citroen C4 in 2006.

Now in their fifth year, the annual World Car awards have become one of the most prestigious and credible programs of their type in the world.

The awards were inaugurated in 2003, and officially launched in January 2004, to reflect the reality of the global marketplace, as well as to recognize and reward automotive excellence on an international scale. The awards are intended to complement, not compete, with existing national and regional Car of the Year programs.

The awards are administered by a non-profit association, under the guidance of a Steering Committee of pre-eminent automotive journalists from Asia, Europe, and North America . There is no affiliation with, nor are the awards in any way influenced by any publication, auto show, automaker, or other commercial enterprise.

The red dot design award is held annually by the Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen in Germany. This year’s award ceremony will take place on June 23 in Essen, Germany.
[source audi]

Acclaimed Audi S Tronic

Lightning fast, virtually seamless Audi S tronic gear changes will soon be within the grasp of drivers of the all-new A4 Saloon, the Q5 SUV and many more Audi models as a new version of the much loved dual-clutch transmission brings compatibility with longitudinal or ‘north-south’ engine installations.

Originally developed to work with transversely mounted units, and so initially restricted to the TT and the A3, the latest generation of S tronic can now extend its reach upwards to the A4, A5, Q5 and many other Audi models whose engines are mounted ‘lengthways’.

In its latest form the famously quick and slick gearbox, developed exclusively by Audi, offers the existing transmission’s familiar Drive, Sport and ‘Manual’ modes, the latter upgrading from six to seven fixed ratios, and boasts a higher torque threshold of 550Nm. This impressive capacity means that it is theoretically compatible with a wide spectrum of sports models, including the majority of the V8 and V10-powered performance flagships and the high performance TDI models.

The formidable outputs produced by these cars will be handled by two multi-plate clutches – one controlling the odd gears 1, 3, 5 and 7 and the other the even 2, 4, 6 and reverse. Both transmission elements are continuously active, but only one is powered by the engine at any one time. This means that when the driver accelerates in third gear, for example, fourth is already pre-engaged by the second transmission element. The switching process takes place in mere hundredths of a second as the clutch shifts – while one is opening, the other closes, so changes are remarkably swift and the power flow is never interrupted.

The new seven-speed S tronic has also been designed to work in conjunction with the latest generation quattro four-wheel-drive system with asymmetric-dynamic distribution, so in normal conditions 40 per cent of the power is channelled from the drive shaft to the front axle differential and 60 per cent to the rear, resulting in optimum handling poise.

Twenty three years ago Audi fielded its first dual-clutch transmission in the 476PS Sport quattro S1 rally car piloted by Walter Rohrl and Christian Geistdorfer, and since its transfer to the road in 2003 as the Direct Shift Gearbox or DSG over 188,000 examples have been installed worldwide. The latest version, with its dramatically greater scope for application across the Audi range, will make its debut in UK-bound Audi models in late 2008.
[source audi]