Automotive Addicts |
- Toyota Reveals Prius Performance Plus Package
- ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ movie to Feature Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4
- 2011 Chrysler 200 Limited Review & Test Drive
- Niki Lauda Biography To Be Directed By Ron Howard
- Mini Car, Maxi Sticker: Mini Inspired by Goodwood Priced
| Toyota Reveals Prius Performance Plus Package Posted: 01 Jul 2011 06:08 AM PDT
 The Toyota Prius Performance Plus Package. Image: Toyota Go ahead and snicker, but I'll tell you this flat out: a 2011 Toyota Prius equipped with the soon-available Performance Plus Package will lap a racetrack faster than a stock Prius and (probably) faster than a Lexus CT200h. It's also faster around a racetrack than a bicycle, moped, desert tortoise or banana slug, but let's be honest here: a Prius with no engine work and moderate suspension tuning isn’t going to be setting any lap records, at least not compared to other automobiles.  Image: Toyota That's the price to pay if you want to save the planet on autocross weekends, so Toyota has done the environmentally responsible thing in creating the limited-edition Toyota Prius Performance Plus Package. Available in Blizzard Pearl, Classic Silver Metallic, Black and Winter Gray Metallic, the package can be added can be added to Prius Two, Three or Four models for $3,699, or to Prius Five models for $2,999. Your money buys you a color-matched body kit, including front and rear bumper spoilers, a rear diffuser, and side skirts, that reduces the Prius' already-low coefficient of drag. Next up is 17-inch forged alloy wheels shod with 215/45-17 tires, which reduce unsprung weight and widen the car's track for better cornering. Lower springs drop the car 1.1 inches in front and 1.3 inches in rear, and a stiffer rear sway bar ensures flatter cornering and less understeer than the stock suspension.  Image: Toyota No limited edition kit is complete without special badging, so the Prius Performance Plus Package also gives buyers unique logos and special Plus floor mats. If you are in the market for a new Prius and want the best handling version available, this is your ride. Dealers will begin taking orders this month, so get your checkbooks ready. Source: Toyota   |
| ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ movie to Feature Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 Posted: 30 Jun 2011 04:20 PM PDT
There seems to be an onslaught of blockbuster movies coming out lately featuring some of the hottest late model cars around. We have Transformers Dark of the Moon with the Bumblebee Camaro and several other hot vehicles, Fast Five with all types of ridiculous cars, Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol with the BMW i8 and 6 Series Convertible and now the upcoming Dark Knight Rises film will feature a new Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 potentially as Bruce Wayne's new daytime trick-ride.
The new Lamborghini Aventador is rather fitting for the job of serving as rich play-boy gone leather-tightpants-superhero's new ride when he is referred to simply as Bruce Wayne. The Aventador is up for the job considering it replaces the Murcielago, which was the choice ride (LP640) in The Dark Knight. From just the license plate alone, we can conclude that we are looking at the newest star of 'The Dark Knight Rises', which will debut sometime next year. [source: Luxury4Play]  |
| 2011 Chrysler 200 Limited Review & Test Drive Posted: 30 Jun 2011 10:13 AM PDT
'MORE REFINED, POWERFUL AND LUXURIOUS'
Goodbye Chrysler Sebring sedan, hello Chrysler 200 Limited. Wow, what a difference a year makes. The all-new 2011 Chrysler 200 Limited offers consumers exceptional craftsmanship inside and out, a more refined and spirited driving experience, innovative technology, an abundance of standard equipment. The all-new Chrysler 200 Limited is an exciting alternative for customers that want style and substance, all at a surprising low base price of just $23,745.00. Virtually every system in the sedan is new or upgraded for 2011, giving the Chrysler 200 Limited its own identity and space in the highly competitive mid-size sedan segment. Exterior and sheet metal upgrades include a new front and rear fascias and fenders, a new five-blade chrome grille featuring the new Chrysler brand winged badge, a new hood with scalloped center, new LED positioning light pipe in the front headlamp clusters, a new rear deck lid and exterior mirrors, new projector beam headlamps and foglamps, new LED taillamps and an LED center high-mounted stoplight, new dual exhaust with chrome tips, new chrome pull-out door handles and new chrome power-remote/heated sideview mirrors. The new styling is sleeker, lower, more elegant and more contemporary. I like what the Chrysler designers have accomplished. The new 2011 Chrysler 200 Limited provides drivers an agile, more confident, handling performance in all driving situations, whether it's commuting to work, a weekend adventure on twisty roads or going out with family and friends. Virtually every part of the suspension has been retuned or redesigned for 2011 including 26 of 30 suspension bushings for a quieter and more controlled ride. Up front is an independent MacPherson strut setup with coil springs over gas-charged shocks, and a stabilizer bar. The rear independent multi-link setup includes coil springs, gas-charged shocks, link-type stabilizer bar in an isolated suspension cradle to lesson noise, vibration and harshness. The track is an inch wider, tire width has been increases from 215 to 225mm and the car has been lowered 12mm in front and 6mm in the rear for a lower, wider, more substantial stance. A new strut tower brace stiffens the front suspension and enhances the standard power-assisted rack & pinion steering system to give instant reaction to your steering inputs. No more floating on the road like last year's Sebring. The performance of the suspension is top-notch for a front-wheel drive sedan. You'll drive with confidence in the new 200 and experience less body roll, reduced vehicle shake on uneven road surfaces, improved isolation on rough roads, better steering precision, response and feel and increased grip with new premium Goodyear Eagle LS2 tires. There is virtually no torque-steer at launch as you zoom out to 60mph from a standstill in just 6sec. Powering the all-new Chrysler 200 Limited is the new 3.6 liter Pentastar DOHC, 24-valve, VVT, all aluminum V6 engine that offers customers the best of both world's-best-in-class V6 horsepower-283hp at 6,400rpm and 260lb.ft. of torque at 4,400rpm-and exceptional fuel economy of 19mpg/city and 29mpg/highway. This more powerful and fuel efficient V6 engine is mated to the 62TE six-speed automatic transmission with adaptive electronic control/AutoStick manual shifter with an electronically modulated torque converter clutch. You can sit back and drive in full automatic or push the stick back into AutoStick and shift as you want, all the up to redline to get the most performance from the engine. Slowing the all-new Chrysler 200 Limited down from speed are new, larger, more powerful brakes. Up front are 11.5in. vented discs clamped by single-piston calipers while 10.3in. solid discs are clamped with single-piston calipers in the rear. Standard ABS, BA, electronic stability control and traction control help keep you in control during severe braking maneuvers. Cabin quietness has been significantly upgraded, resulting in one of the quietest cabins in the segment, and allowing passengers to enjoy their conversations, largely devoid of outside noise. Noise, vibration and harshness were reduced and 45 new sound deadening treatments were added, including an acoustic glass windshield, laminated side glass usually found in higher priced vehicles, and new sound absorption materials throughout the car. With the all-new interior for 2011, customers will step into a level of craftsmanship, content and comfort that is world-class. The all-new instrument panel, bezels, gauge face and new Chrysler steering wheel transform the driver's seat into an elegant atmosphere. Upgraded seats with a new design that incorporates more cushion material and revised spring geometry, as well as new leather and cloth seating materials, envelop you and passenger. Designers developed the new 2011 Chrysler 200 sedan with new 'soft touch' armrest and instrument panel and new, premium interior finishes for touch points that are not only pleasing to the touch, but also to the eye such as the black piano veneer trim on the center stack and center console. The new Chrysler clock is elegant and the new heating and cooling outlets on the instrument panel offer improved design and functionality and complete the beautifully detailed interior. The rear seats are split 60/40 to expand the cargo carrying capacity and the rear seat has a pull-down armrest with dual cupholders and pass-thru. The new Chrysler 200 offers customers innovative features to keep them connected and make the drive something to look forward to. Features include new ambient interior lighting and a new Chrysler brand steering wheel with integrated controls to operate the radio, cruise control, a center console with dual cupholders, padded, two-tier storage box that slides fore/aft, hands free phone and other vehicle functions while keeping their hands on the wheel. Drivers stay connected with an available media center with voice command that is easy to use and offers radio, SIRIUS satellite radio, a 30 gigabyte hard drive, iPod connectivity, streaming music capability and a navigation system with SIRIUS travel link. Standard equipment on the all-new 2011 Chrysler 200 Limited include variable-intermittent wipers/washers, AC with automatic temperature control, leather trimmed bucket seats, 8-way powered driver seat/manual front passenger seat, heated front seats, grab handles in the rear above each door, 6.5in. touch screen, 6-speaker AM-FM-CD-SIRIUS stereo radio, cruise control, rear window defroster, remote USB port, beefy tilt/telescope leather wrapped steering wheel, power windows/door locks with front express up/down, self-dimming rearview mirror, dual lighted vanity mirrors, storage slots in front seats, map pocket behind driver's seatback, chrome inside door handles, single-needle white contrasting stitching, automatic headlamps, premium front/rear floor mats. My 200 Limited came equipped with these options-the 3.6 liter V6 engine, engine oil cooler, dual chrome exhaust tips, 6-Boston Acoustic speakers, Media Center with CD/DVD/MP3/HDD/Garmin navigation system. The total price for this nicely loaded Chrysler 200 is just $27,600.00. Thousands less the a comparably equipped mid-size sedan. An abundance of standard safety and security features include advanced multi-stage front passenger airbag/driver front airbag, active head restraints, front seat side airbags, side curtain airbags, LATCH child seat anchor system, 3-point safety belts for all passengers with front load limiters/pretentioners, front/rear crumple zones, steel beams in each door, rear door child protective locks, tire pressure monitoring system, keyless entry, Sentry Key theft deterrent system, security alarm, optional Uconnect voice command with Bluetooth, remote start, and a universal garage door opener. The standard mid-size sedan segment is the largest vehicle segment in the U.S. and the new 2011 Chrysler 200 Limited is uniquely positioned as an exciting alternative for customers that want style and substance, all at a surprising value.              COPYRIGHT:2011:HARVEY SCHWARTZ SPECIFICATIONS
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| Niki Lauda Biography To Be Directed By Ron Howard Posted: 30 Jun 2011 07:13 AM PDT
 Niki Lauda practices for the 1976 German Grand Prix. Image: Lothar Spurzem If you've never heard of Niki Lauda, you may want to brush up on your Formula 1 history before the release of "Rush," an upcoming biopic to be directed by Ron Howard. Lauda was a Formula 1 star in the mid-70s, and his crusade for improved driver safety helped change a sport where fatalities were a regular occurrence. Perhaps only Jackie Stewart (another 1970's F1 star) has done more to make the sport safer. Leading the championship points battle in the 1976 season, Lauda attempted to lead a driver boycott of the German Grand Prix, then held at the Nürburgring circuit, on the grounds that the track was too dangerous for F1 racing. Unable to get sufficient driver support, Lauda entered the race but crashed on the second lap, a victim of suspension failure. His car was struck by another and burst into flames; Lauda was ultimately rescued, but not before receiving second and third degree burns over much of his head and face. His lungs were damaged by heat and toxic smoke, which also produced blood poisoning; despite his injuries, Lauda recovered and was back in the car just six weeks and two races later. Perhaps his bravest moment came in the last race of the 1976 F1 season. Leading in points over rival James Hunt. Lauda defied team orders and parked his Ferrari in the pits when torrential rain made the track too dangerous to drive. Hunt stayed out, finished third and took the championship by a single point over Lauda. Lauda's once strong relationship with Ferrari was irreparably damaged, and he quit the Ferrari team after winning the world championship in 1977. Lauda's career came at the height of F1's glory days, when the sport truly was about wretched excess and life-or-death drama. Not to take away from current drivers like Sebastian Vettel or Lewis Hamilton, but it's worth noting that they stand on the shoulders of giants like Lauda, Hunt and Stewart. With Ron Howard behind the project, "Rush" will be a must-see movie for racing fans when it hits theaters. Source: MotorAuthority  |
| Mini Car, Maxi Sticker: Mini Inspired by Goodwood Priced Posted: 30 Jun 2011 07:10 AM PDT
 Image: BMW Group Last April we told you about the upcoming "Mini Inspired by Goodwood," the illegitimate love child of a one-night-stand between a Rolls Royce and a Mini Cooper. It's got almost everything you'd expect to find inside a Rolls-Royce, but in scaled-down proportions. Wool mats? Check. Leather-topped Walnut Burr dash? Check. Cornsilk leather interior? Yeah, it's got that, too. It doesn't make the seamless power of a Rolls Royce, but it does come with the 181 horsepower turbocharged engine from the Mini Cooper S.  Image: BMW Group We told you that only 1,000 copies would be built, and now Mini has announced pricing. Each will sell for £41,000, or the equivalent of about $66,000. That's a lot of scratch to pay for a Mini, regardless of how well appointed it is, and their press release justified it by saying, "The MINI INSPIRED BY GOODWOOD is characterised by top-grade materials, the highest level of workmanship and stylish supremacy. Its exclusive character is the result of an exceptional collaboration. The special edition of the three-door MINI was built under the guidance of the Rolls-Royce Motor Cars designer team and transfers the unmistakable style of the British luxury car manufacturer to the equally unique original within the premium small car segment." There's no word on which markets will get cars just yet, but my guess is that the bulk of production will stay in Europe or get exported to the Middle East. Deliveries are set to begin in March of 2012. so if you can't live without one in you garage, now is the time to hit up your local Mini dealership. Source: Autoevolution  |
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