At Honda’s stand this year in Geneva we’ve seen the limited edition Jazz Si which will be sold only in Europe. This Japanese supermini comes with a new aero package that brings prominent side skirts, new front and rear bumpers and 16-inch alloys wrapped around in low-profile sport tires. Inside it has a leather-trimmed 3-spoke steering wheel, new sport seats, new gearshift lever – all of them having silver stitching.
Honda Jazz Si
Aside from look better than the standard version, the Jazz Si comes with an uprated chassis, having new dampers, a bigger front anti-roll bar which should improve body control and straight-line stability, along with an updated electric power steering system that offers a better response and feel.
Honda Jazz Si
Under the hood is the company’s 1.4-liter i-VTEC engine that produces 99 hp (100 PS) which is linked to a 5-speed manual transmission that enables the Jazz Si to hit a top speed of 113 mph (182 km/h).
Honda Jazz Si
This special edition of the Honda Jazz is scheduled to go on sale towards the end of this August.
Last week in Geneva, Fiat introduced the 500L which is based on a larger platform of the Punto, even though it borrows the name of the popular 500 model. The car measures 4,140 mm long, 1,780 mm wide and it is 1,660 mm tall, which makes it 594 mm longer, 153 mm wider and 175 mm taller in comparison with the 3-door 500.
Fiat 500L
The Italian automaker mentioned that the new 500L offers up to 400 liters of cargo room, enough to hold a full-size pushchair or five roller suitcases. The car shown in Geneva is the 5-seat model but Fiat said that they are also working on a 7-seat version which won’t be available in the United States.
Fiat 500L
The car will be manufactured at the company’s plant in Kragujevac, Serbia, before going on sale in the last quarter of this year. Clients will be able to choose from two gasoline engines in the form of a small twin-cylinder turbocharged 0.9-liter and a 1.4-liter unit. Also on sale is going to be a more frugal 1.3-liter MultiJet II turbodiesel.
The Japanese automaker Toyota has introduced at the Geneva Motor Show the FT-Bh concept which has just about the same size as the company’s Yaris model, measuring 3,985 mm long, 1,400 mm tall and 1,695 mm wide. It weighs only 1,732 lbs (786 kg) and has a wheelbase of 2,570 mm.
Toyota FT-Bh
The Toyota FT-Bh comes with a hybrid powertrain that consists of a small 1.0-liter, 2-cylinder Atkinson-cycle gasoline engine and an electric motor which allows the car to return 111.9 mpg (134.5 mpg UK or 2.1 liters / 100 km) and have CO2 emissions of only 49 g/km. This hybrid powertrain is heavier in comparison to the 3-cylinder 1.0-liter engine used in the Yars so they lowered the curb weight of the FT-Bh by about 750 lbs (340 kg) by reconfiguring the chassis, electronics, interior trim and the bodyshell.
Last week in Geneva, the Japanese automaker Mitsubishi has introduced the new generation of the Outlander, previewed by the PX-MiEV concept which we’ve seen at the Tokyo Motor Show back in 2009. The new model brings a slender grille, a round front fascia and wraparound taillights. Mitsubishi can fit the new SUV with Super-HiD headlights which are about 1.4x more powerful in comparison to the regular HID headlights.
Inside the cabin there are soft-touch plastics and higher quality materials. It offers seating for five people, but there’s an optional third row which enables the Outlander to carry up to seven passengers.
2013 Mitsubishi Outlander
The model that will be sold in Europe is going to be available with two different engines. The first one is a 2.0-liter MIVEC gasoline unit that produces 150 PS (110 kW) and 144 lb.-ft (195 Nm) of torque, while the other is a 2.2-liter diesel that pumps out 150 PS (110 kW) and a peak torque of 280 lb.-ft (380 Nm). A plug-in hybrid variant of the new Outlander is going to join the lineup.
The 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander is scheduled to go on sale in Europe this summer, followed by a U.S. and Japan release.
The German automaker Volkswagen has introduced at this year’s edition of the Geneva Motor Show the Cabriolet version of the Golf GTI. The last time when we saw this version of the GTI was during the first generation of the car which came out several decades ago. Most likely, this is the last hurrah before the seventh generation of the Golf will come out in 2013.
Volkswagen Golf GTI Cabriolet
Under the hood of the VW Golf GTI Cabriolet rests a 2.0-liter turbo engine that produces 208 hp (210 PS / 155 kW) and a maximum torque of 206 lb.-ft (280 Nm). As standard, this engine is mated to a 6-speed manual transmission while for more money you will be able to get it with the optional dual-clutch, 6-speed DSG gearbox.
Volkswagen Golf GTI Cabriolet
It needs 7.3 seconds for the 0-62 mph sprint, which is 0.4 seconds lower than its hatchback sibling. This cabrio is capable of reaching a top speed of 147 mph (236 km/h). To fully retract the electrically-powered fabric roof you will have to wait about 9.5 seconds and drive the car at speeds of up to 18 mph (30 km/h).
The price list for the Volkswagen Golf GTI will be announced this spring, with sales starting in the second half of this year.
Suzuki has introduced a new concept at the Geneva Motor Show last week, the G70 which represents the company’s idea of a new global small vehicle. Emphasizing on aerodynamics and a low curb weight, this concept is motivated by a tiny 800cc turbocharged gasoline engine that benefits from direct injection.
This power unit is linked to a CVT transmission and comes with the stop/start technology and brake regeneration, allowing the G70 to return 75 mpg UK in the combined cycle. If you remember, we’ve already seen this car at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show where it was called the Suzuki Regina. The new “G70” designation refers to the fact that the car is capable of having CO2 emissions of less than 70 g/km.
The Suzuki G70 is 3.5 meters long, and 1.6 meters wide, while it weighs only 730 kg. Compared to the company’s popular Swift model, the G70 offers 10% improved aerodynamics and implements various new manufacturing processes which use curved high-tensile steel elements for lowering the number of necessary parts while at the same time improving the car’s rigidity. Inside it comes with a staggered dash which permits more room in the cabin.
At this year’s edition of the Geneva show, Porsche has brought the third generation of the Boxster (981) which features a completely revised lightweight chassis, with a wider track, longer wheelbase and bigger wheels. The new model brings an entirely new exterior sheet metal with a flatter silhouette, shorter overhangs, edgier character lines and a forward-shifted windscreen.
2013 Porsche Boxster
The standard Boxster and the hotter S version are powered by 6-cylinder engines that benefit from a bunch of new technologies such as thermal management, electrical system recuperation and the stop/start function. Compared to the previous engines, the new lineup of power units is now 15% more fuel efficient.
2013 Porsche Boxster
The entry-level Boxster is motivated by a 2.7-liter unit that pumps out 265 hp (195 kW), while the more powerful S version comes with a larger 3.4-liter engine which is capable of providing 315 hp (232 kW). As standard, both versions are linked to a 6-speed transmission while clients will have the possibility to opt for the 7-speed PDK double clutch gearbox. With the PDK, the regular Boxster returns 30.5 mpg (7.7 liters / 100 km) while the Boxster S returns 29.4 mpg (8 liters / 100 km). The standard Boxster needs 5.7 seconds to do the 0-62 mph sprint, while the Boxster S will do it in 5 seconds.
2013 Porsche Boxster
Some of the other features of the all-new Porsche Boxster include fully electric fabric top, electro-mechanical power steering, Carrera GT-style raked center console, along with an optional Sport Chrono Package, PTV – Porsche Torque Vectoring and dynamic transmission mounts.
2013 Porsche Boxster
Both versions of the Boxster are going to go on sale next month in Germany, with prices starting from 48,291 Euros for the regular version while the S will set you back at least 59,120 Euros, VAT included. Those of you who live in the U.S. of A. will have to wait until the beginning of summer when the Boxster will arrive for $49,500 while the hotter S version is going to set you back at least $60,900, not taking into consideration the destination charges which add $950 to the total price tag of the car.
The French automaker Renault has introduced a special edition of the hot Clio RS model called Red Bull Racing RB7. The car is wearing a Profond Black exterior with Sirius Yellow accents, Red Bull badging and a checkered roof decal. It sits on 18-inch alloys wrapped around in Bridgestone RE050A tires. Inside the cabin it comes with Recaro sport seats, R.S. Monitor which can show performance-related data, along with an individually-numbered plaque.
Renault Clio RS Red Bull Racing RB7
At the heart of this special edition Clio RS is a 4-cylinder 2.0-liter engine that generates 200 hp (203 PS / 149 kW) and a peak torque of 159 lb.-ft (215 Nm). The car is able to hit 62 mph from start in 6.9 seconds, on its way to a top speed of 140 mph (225 km/h).
Renault Clio RS Red Bull Racing RB7
The car is going to be sold in five countries: France, Austria, Spain, Belgium and Switzerland, with prices starting from 27,900 Euros.
Without any doubt, the most popular and interesting car of this year’s edition of the Geneva Motor Show is the all-new Ferrari F12 Berlinetta, a car for which about 360 people made a deposit before it was officially unveiled at the event in Switzerland. This number comes from Amedeo Felisa who is the company’s CEO.
Ferrari F12 Berlinetta
Before the car went live in Geneva it was shown during an event for customer previews which lasted about a week. During this time, about 450 people had the possibility to see the car and 80% of them decided to put an order on the F12 Berlinetta, according to Felisa.
Ferrari F12 Berlinetta
The new F12 Berlinetta is the most powerful road car that Ferrari has ever made as it is powered by an impressive V12 6.3-liter engine that pumps out no less than 730 hp. Even though many people though that V12 engines will soon be discontinued, it seems that Ferrari doesn’t think this way and for the successor of the Enzo which is scheduled to come out towards the end of this year, another V12 engine will be used.
Ferrari F12 Berlinetta
Thanks to this powerful engine, the F12 Berlinetta is capable of doing the 0-62 mph sprint in only 3.1 seconds while to get to 124 mph from start it needs 8.5 seconds. That V12 engine has a maximum torque of 509 lb.-ft and 80% of that torque is available at just 2500 rpm. This V12 normally-aspirated engine revs up to an impressive 8700 rpm.
Ferrari F12 Berlinetta
The successor of the 599 was initially supposed to be called the 620GT but this new name that it got reminds of some classic cars Ferrari has made in its glorious history, like the 250 GT Berlinetta. The Italian automaker has said that the car managed to do a lap of the company’s Fiorano test track in 1 minute and 23 seconds, making it the fastest Ferrari that was on that circuit. The company says that the F12 Berlinetta is capable of reaching a top speed of more than 211 mph.
Ferrari F12 Berlinetta
This V12 engine offers 116 hp / liter and it is based on the power unit found in the FF, a 6262cc 65-degree V12 unit. However, the new iteration of this engine is 80 hp and 5 lb.-ft more powerful than what the FF has to offer and it’s also more powerful than the 599 model it replaces in the company’s lineup.
Ferrari F12 Berlinetta
Even though this new V12 engine is considerably more powerful, Ferrari’s engineers have managed to lower not only the fuel consumption levels but also the emissions of CO2. While the 599 offer 15.8 mpg UK in the combined cycle, the new F12 Berlinetta can return 18.8 mpg. In addition, the 415 g/km CO2 emissions of the 599 have been reduced to 350 g/km in the new model. These figures are available if the car is fitted with the stop/start system which is an optional feature.
Ferrari F12 Berlinetta
Ferrari’s new model is 4618 mm long, 1273 mm high and 1942 mm wide, making it 47 mm shorter, 63 mm lower and 20 mm narrower than the outgoing 599. In addition, compared to its predecessor, the wheelbase is now 30 mm shorter, measuring 2720 mm.
Ferrari F12 Berlinetta
The most important modifications can be found at the back where the dual clutch F1-style gearbox and the rear suspension have been repacked in order to lower the volume at the rear. In addition, the dashboard, seats and engine have been lowered, managing to offer a lower center of gravity in comparison to the previous 599 model. The outgoing model had a weight distribution of 47/53 while the F12 Berlinetta sports an “ideal” weight distribution of 46/54 front/rear.
Ferrari F12 Berlinetta
The car has an aluminum spaceframe chassis and bodyshell which have been developed especially for the new model, boasting 12 different types of alloys. The Italian carmaker has said that compared to the 599, the new F12 Berlinetta offers a 20% structural increase and weighs 70kg less than the previous model, with a curb weight of 1525 kg.
Ferrari F12 Berlinetta
The downforce is now 76% greater over the 599 while the drag coefficient stands at just 0.299. To achieve these more than impressive figures, the Italians implemented the Aero Bridge system which is capable of channeling air from the side hood air intakes via the wheel arches and after that it spits the air out via the car’s sculpted deep swage lines located in the F12’s side doors, managing to improve the control of turbulent airflow and also reduce the drag. Aside from this, the car also has Active Brake Cooling that will open the brake cooling ducts only when the temperature of the carbon ceramic brakes is high enough.
Ferrari F12 Berlinetta
As you would expect, the all-new Ferrari F12 Berlinetta comes with a bunch of electronic aids to help the driver, including the company’s own E-Diff, F1-Trac, ESP Premium and a high-performance ABS system. Aside from these, the car also comes with the SCM-E magnetorheological suspension system, and Ferrari says that they were also able to lower the car’s steering angles.
Ferrari F12 Berlinetta
By making the space behind the two seats accessible from the car’s hinged glass tailgate, Ferrari said that the capacity of the rear luggage has been increased but they didn’t mention an exact volume. The dashboard of the F12 Berlinetta has a lightweight construction while the interior is wrapped around in Frau leather. There are also lashings of aluminum and carbon fiber trim, along with an aeronautic field-inspired design of the air vents.
Ferrari F12 Berlinetta
If there is something that we don’t like about the Ferrari F12 Berlinetta is that Human Machine Interface which we’ve already seen on the FF and the 458, which is an interior control system that puts most of the major controls on the steering wheel making it look too crowded and difficult to access.
No word at the moment about the price tag of the Ferrari F12 Berlinetta but most likely it will cost more than 250,000 pounds. The right-handed units will arrive in the United Kingdom in the beginning of next year. We’ll let you know when Ferrari will publish the price list for the new model and also details about the car’s availability.
And by “shocks” we mean in a good way. This is the Lamborghini Aventador J, a one-off roadster that you can legally drive on the roads. The “J” designation reminds us of another one-off model, the Jota from 1970 which was the high performance edition of the epic Miura. “J” also refers to the “Appendix J” regulations that are defining the racing car class specifications.
Lamborghini Aventador J
Priced at about 2.1 million Euros, this roofless roadster has already been sold (shocking, right?) and the Italian automaker promised that they won’t make any similar prototypes so this will go down in history as a real one-off model. However, according to Autocar, Lambo will be launching in the future a roadster version of the Aventador but this is going to be less extreme.
Lamborghini Aventador J
As far as the differences between the normal (if we can call it “normal”) Aventador and this one-off J model are restricted to the extreme styling. The car has the same V12 6.5-liter engine that generates no less than 690 hp (less than the Ferrari F12 Berlinetta) and comes with the same 4WD system. The pushrod suspension has been tweaked a little bit in this one-off version.
Lamborghini Aventador J
The Aventador J has the carbon fiber monocoque of the regular version but as you would expect it has been thoroughly modified in order to accommodate the roofless structure. They also worked on the bodywork for increasing the aerodynamic grip. The roadster is lighter than its coupe sibling due to the reason that it has no roof, no air conditioning system, no windscreen, no satellite navigation system and no stereo system.
Lamborghini Aventador J
The Lamborghini Aventador J comes with upward-opening doors which compared to the regular version are a lot thinner but we don’t know by how much. The J edition is 120 mm longer and 26 mm lower than the standard version, measuring 4900 mm in length, 1110 mm in height and 2030 mm wide, making it the lowest vehicle that Lambo has ever made.
Five years have passed since the Mini Clubman went on sale and last week at the Geneva Motor Show Mini decided to bring the Clubvan concept, which can be considered as a straightforward derivative of the latter. Instead of side windows, it comes with polycarbonate panels while the load bay now has a bigger size.
Mini Clubvan
Developed by BMW, the Clubvan is a two-seater as it doesn’t have the false boot floor and the rear seats which we saw in the Clubman. Instead, it has been fitted with a continuous, deeper load bay that has 12V charging sockets and six load attachment points. The car’s rear doors have an extremely dark tint while inside the cabin we notice a stainless steel and aluminum load bay partition which has been developed exclusively for this concept.
Mini Clubvan
With the seats down, the Mini Clubvan offers a maximum load capacity of 920 liters while with the lower load floor it offers about 1200 liters which is why when the production version will come out it certainly won’t be a spacious commercial vehicle. BMW didn’t say that the car will be produced, but according to various sources it will arrive in dealerships later on this year. During that period, the company’s factory in Oxford is going to be upgraded and revised in order to accommodate the production of the new generation of the Mini.
Scheduled to go on sale this fall, the Citroen C4 Aircross has made its public debut last week at the Geneva Motor Show. Design-wise, the car borrows a few styling cues from the Hypnos concept that we’ve seen back in 2008, especially if we look at the taillights and the 18-inch alloy wheels.
This five-seat compact SUV measures 4340mm long, 1630mm high and it is 1800mm wide. It comes with a unique panoramic glass sunroof that at night is illuminated by LED lights. The cargo volume offered by the C4 Aircross is of 442 liters.
Citroen C4 Aircross
When this French sport utility sport vehicle will hit the dealerships it will only have a 2WD configuration for the 1.6-liter gasoline unit that pumps out 114 hp, along with a 1.8-liter diesel that generates 150 hp. There’s also going to be a 1.6-liter diesel with 110 hp which will be available in both 2WD and 4WD. Both diesels are going to be linked to a 6-speed manual transmission, while the gasoline-powered C4 Aircross is going to get a 5-speed transmission. In the European market, the 2.0-liter gasoline engine will not be available.
As far as the design is concerned, we notice that it has integrated LEDs in the front, light guides in the rear light clusters, indicator repeaters integrated in the door mirrors, along with a built-in rear-view camera. Inside the cabin we find GPS with sat-nav system, Bluetooth and USB connection.
The car shown in Geneva is an exclusive version of the compact SUV as it wears a Vapor Gray frosted-texture paint finish, while the door handles, door mirrors and the roof bars are now all chrome-finished in order to match the car’s new color.
The Indian automaker Tata has revealed this year at the Geneva Motor Show the Megapixel concept which follows the footsteps of last year’s less impressive Pixel concept. Tata says that this is a 4-seater city-smart global REEV – range extended electric vehicle concept which manages to achieve a maximum range of 900 km. It can do this by using a single tank of fuel, a 13 kWh lithium-ion phosphate battery, as well as a tiny single-cylinder 325cc gasoline range-extended power unit that has to recharge battery while the Megapixel is in motion.
Tata Megapixel
Thanks to this complicated hardware configuration, this concept from Tata has CO2 emissions of only 22 g/km and it manages to have a fuel economy of 100 km / liter. Another interesting feature of the Megapixel would have to be its drive system that consists of four independent electric motors installed on each of the four wheels. These motors are capable to drive in either direction, and they work together with the car’s front wheels that allow the vehicle to have a turning radius of just 2.8 meters.
Tata Megapixel
Some of the other technologies that Tata has included in this very interesting Megapixel concept would have to be support for induction pad charging and the HMI – advanced human machine interface touchscreen with which the driver has the possibility to adjust ventilation, temperature, performance and driving modes.
Tata Megapixel
In addition, also as interesting are the panoramic roof and the pillarless double sliding door system. The company didn’t say anything about the possibility of turning this concept into a production model. We’ll let you know if they’ll do.
Chevrolet revealed earlier this week its plans on introducing a new 4-cylinder 2.0-liter turbocharged engine for the 2013 Malibu. This power unit is going to be available starting with this fall and it produces 259 hp (263 PS /193 kW) and a maximum torque of 260 lb.-ft (353 Nm), allowing the car to do the 0-62 mph sprint in a more than decent 6.3 seconds. At the moment we don’t have additional details about this engine but we can tell you that it features direct injection and it will be available in various markets, including U.S., Canada and Israel.
2013 Chevrolet Malibu
Chevrolet also said that the 4-cylinder 2.5-liter Ecotec engine will be offered for the Malibu, an engine that generates 197 hp (200 PS / 147 kW) and a peak torque of 191 lb.-ft (259 Nm), which is 7 hp (7 PS / 5 kW) and 11 lb.-ft (15 Nm) more than the specs that were originally estimated for this engine.
As if it weren’t sporty enough, Maserati launched the Sport version of the GranTurismo at this year’s edition of the Geneva Motor Show. The car has been developed in order to replace the GranTurismo S and it is motivated by an impressive V8 4.7-liter engine that is capable of generating no less than 453 hp (460 PS / 338 kW) and 383 lb.-ft (520 Nm) of torque.
2013 Maserati GranTurismo Sport
This engine can be linked to either a 6-speed automatic transmission or a robotized-manual gearbox that allows the sexy coupe to do the 0-62 mph sprint in only 4.7 seconds, before reaching a maximum speed of 186 mph (300 km/h).
2013 Maserati GranTurismo Sport
Aside from the power boost, the 2013 Maserati GranTurismo Sport comes with a new skyhook suspension with continuous damping. Design-wise, the front bumper looks different, while the headlights have been restyled and they now have integrated LED DRLs (daytime running lights). Maserati also revised the trident badge and installed 20-inch alloys, Brembo brakes and tinted taillights.
2013 Maserati GranTurismo Sport
Moving inside the cabin we notice the aluminum pedals, an updated steering wheel, new seats, EcoChrome grey accents and Poltrona Frau leather upholstery.
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