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LA Show: Lotus Sport Exige Cup 252Hp

Gentlemen, start your engines as Lotus unveiled the US spec version of the Sport Exige Cup at the LA Auto Show. This track-ready edition of the Exige features an upgraded version of the stock (supercharged) engine that now produces 252 hp at 8000 rpm (from 243) and a torque figure of approximately 179 lb-ft, at 7000 rpm. Of course, suspension, tires and brakes have also been upgraded. Weight has been kept to 1800 pounds through the use of lightweight materials and the eradication of all non-essential components such roof trim, carpets,front mudflaps, central locking and bulkhead trim.

According to Lotus, these enchantments are good enough to give a 0 to 60mph (97 km/h) time of just under 3,9 sec and a 0 to 100 mph (160 km/h) time in less that 9,8 sec. Top speed is close to 160 mph (257 km/h).

The Lotus Sport Exige Cup is also equipped with the usual safety equipment that is expected for a track car with 6-point seat belt harness on the driver’s side (with an FIA approved Recaro / Lotus Sport seat) – there is no passenger seat. The full roll cage is SCCA compliant and completing the additional safety equipment is a mechanical ignition kill switch with cockpit and external activation and a plumbed electrical fire suppression system, again with cockpit and external activation.

Sounds perfect to me, the only thing left is to ask my boss for a couple days a month off and of course, a "small raise to hand over $84,990 (plus options, delivery and taxes) to Lotus…

Technorati: Lotus+Sport+Exige+Cup, LA+Auto+Show, Los+Angeles, motor+show, 2006, images, pictures, autos, auto+news, car+news, automobile, cars, automotive, vehicles, autos, Carscoop

Hummer "hammers" a School Bus!

In terms of a vehicle, is bigger necessarily safer? I guess it depends on how fast you’re driving and what you hit. But size really didn’t matter in this case when a H2 SUT crashed into a school bus completely eating away at the 3 ton Hummer. One person was injured and luckily there were no children in the school bus. The driver of the Hummer had to be extricated (alive but injured) from the bent steel. Some fender bender... Via: Motorpasion

Technorati: Hummer+H2, Hummer, GM, images, pictures, autos, auto+news, car+news, automobile, cars, automotive, vehicles, autos, Carscoop

LA Show: 2008 Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 Roadster

Lambo’s top spec fighting bull, the Murcielago LP640 has just got its top blown off as the Italian company added a Roadster version to the line up. The Murcielago LP640 Roadster receives the same 6.5 litre V12 engine as the LP640 coupe wears producing 640 hp (471 kW) at 8,000 rpm and a maximum torque of 660 Nm at 6,000 rpm. Sales are expected to start early 2007.

Technorati: Lamborghini+Murcielago+LP640+Roadster, 2008, LA+Auto+Show, Los+Angeles, motor+show, 2006, tune, tuning, news, images, pictures, autos, auto+news, car+news, automobile, cars, automotive, vehicles, autos, Carscoop

LA Show: 2008 Nissan Altima Coupe

Nissan just came out with the first official pics of its “poor-mans” Infinit G35 Coupe, the 2007 Altima Coupe. Though it shares much with the latest Altima Sedan, judging from the photos, the Coupe’s smaller dimensions and unique styling elements help create a sporty profile.

Dimensionally, the Altima Coupe rides on a 105.3-inch wheelbase, 4.0 inches shorter than the Sedan. Overall length is 182.5 inches – 7.1 inches less than the Sedan. The Coupe also has a lower profile – at 55.3 inches it is 2.5 inches shorter than the Sedan. In terms of major body panels, the two cars share only a common hood, with all other panels, grille, headlights and rear combination lights unique to the Altima Coupe.

The front-wheel-drive Altima Coupe is offered with a choice of two engines and two transmissions. A 3.5-liter V6 which is rated at 270 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque and a smaller, 2.5-liter inline 4-cylinder, producing 175 horsepower and 180 lb-ft of torque. Both are available with Nissan’s Xtronic CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) or 6-speed manual transmissions. The 2008 Altima Coupe will go on sale next summer.

Technorati: Nissan+Altima+Coupe, 2008, LA+Auto+Show, Los+Angeles, motor+show, 2006, tune, tuning, news, images, pictures, autos, auto+news, car+news, automobile, cars, automotive, vehicles, autos, Carscoop

LA Show: 2008 Nissan Sentra SE-R in 177 & 200 Hp versions

It seems that the spy pics we posted a few days ago did indeed preview the 2007 Nissan Sentra SE-R. These of course are the first official pics of Nissan’s sporty compact which will be available in two versions, the Sentra SE-R and the higher horsepower Sentra SE-R Spec V.

Both versions are powered by Nissan’s 2.5-liter 4cylinder engine (QR25DE). In the SE-R the motor has an output 177 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 172 lb-ft of torque at 2,800 rpm (on regular unleaded fuel) and its combine exclusively with Nissan’s Xtronic CVT™ (Continuously Variable Transmission).

In the SE-R Spec-V, the 2.5 delivers 200 horsepower at 6,600 rpm and 180 lb-ft of torque at 5,200 rpm (when using premium unleaded fuel). The Spec V model is available only with a close-ratio 6-speed manual transmission. It also has unique suspension, brakes, tires and body structure changes (versus the base SE-R).

Inside the Sentra SE-R cabin are a number of unique SE-R features, including an exclusive black interior color, sport bucket front seats with SE-R stitching, unique seat fabrics, red seat belts (Spec V only), aluminium foot pedal pads, leather-appointed steering wheel and shift knob, and an additional two-gauge meter pack. These two additional gauges, canted towards the driver, provide information on oil pressure and acceleration/deceleration g-force.

Both the Sentra SE-R and its Spec-V variant will go on sale in March 2007. According to Bill Bosley, vice president and general manager of Nissan Division North America, Nissan's targeting a price of around $20,000 for the 200Hp Sentra SE-R Spec V.

Technorati: Nissan+Sentra+SE-R, Nissan+Sentra+SE-R+Spec-V, 2007, LA+Auto+Show, Los+Angeles, motor+show, 2006, tune, tuning, news, images, pictures, autos, auto+news, car+news, automobile, cars, automotive, vehicles, autos, Carscoop

LA Show Exclusive: Chrysler Sebring Coupe-Cabrio

…And on the 6th day, Chrysler said, “I shall make a Sebring with an electric folding hard roof.” So they made one. And Chrysler saw the Sebring Carbio, and thought it was good. As for what everyone else thinks, we’ll find out in a couple of days at the L.A. Auto Show. The Sebring Cabrio is equipped with a three-piece retractable hard top that folds into into the trunk in under 30 seconds. According to Chrysler, it is three inches longer than the Sebring saloon and there is luggage space for four golf bags with the roof up and two golf bags when the roof is retracted.

Like its sedan counterpart the cabrio will be available with three power plants: a 173 Hp 2.4-liter four-cylinder, 189 Hp 2.7-liter V6 and a 235 Hp 3.5-liter V6 coupled with a new six-speed automatic transaxle with Auto Stick. In Europe the Sebring Cabrio will also be available with a 140Hp 2.0-litre turbo diesel engine with a six-speed manual gearbox.

Rumor has it that the almighty creator Chrysler will also put into production a cheaper version of the new Sebrin Cabrio equipped with none other than that old “rag top”. Sales in the U.S. are expected to begin in early 2007 and mid 2007 in Europe.

Technorati: Chrysler+Sebring+Cabrio, Coupe-Cabrio, Los+Angeles, LA+Auto+Show, 2006, autos, auto+news, car+news, automobile, cars, automotive, vehicles, images, pictures, Carscoop

LA Show Exclusive: Volkswagen Tiguan Concept

Hold onto your butts because here’s VW’s first ever compact SUV. The Tiguan, which will make its debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show in a couple of days, puts VW right up against the heavyweight players of the category like Toyota’s RAV4 and Honda’s CR-V.

Don’t let the word Concept fool you, as with the exception of a few details like the bi-coloured tires, what you is what you will get when the car goes into production in the 3rd quarter of 2007. Although we admit that we were waiting for something more extravagant –don’t blame us, blame VW and its 2006 Concept A prototype… the Tiguan looks quite good, and it could be easily be characterized as a, “baby Touareg”.

Moving to the interior, for those of you living in Europe, yes you’re right: the Tiguan uses Golf Plus’s (MPV version of the Golf / Rabbit) dashboard! That’s no coincidence as the Tiguan is actually based on the Golf Plus platform which in its turn is based on the Golf/Rabbit/ Touran platform.

Based on previous information I gathered talking with VW people, the Tiguan uses Golf’s simple 4wheel drive system, dubbed 4MOTION. Despite the fact that the prototype is fitted with a TDI engine, the production version is expected to use VW’s wide range of petrol and diesel motors, including the Golf GTI’s 200Hp 2.0 TFSI. In Europe, the Tiguan will most possibly be offered with the new generation 1.4 TSI engine available in 140 and 170Hp versions.

So when is the Tiguan due to go on sale? Sources say it will be available in Germany right after its Frankfurt Motor Show presentation in September 2007 with other European countries following till the end of 2007 - beginning of 2008. As for the US, the most probable launching date is the first quarter of 2008.