Jaguar E Type celebrates 50 years.

Launched in 1961, the Jaguar E-Type will be celebrating its 50th birthday at this year’s Silverstone Classic (July 22-24) with a host of special races and displays. Jaguar owners clubs in the UK are forecasting the greatest showing of Jaguar E-Types ever assembled, with a large number of examples to be brought from all over the world.

The on-track schedule includes two races dedicated solely to competition versions of the Jaguar E-Type, while a record grid of more than 50 race-prepared E-Types is predicted. In total, more than a thousand racing and road-going E-Types are expected to join the event.

“With so many E-Types on and off the track, it’s going to be a fantastic occasion – the world’s biggest and best celebration for one of the truly great sports cars,” said Nick Wigley, Event Director. “What’s more, the Silverstone Classic offers the perfect place and timing for the world to celebrate such an important milestone in automotive history. After all Jaguar designed and produced the E-Types just up the road at Browns Lane in Coventry and the very first UK sales commenced in July 1961. It’s going to be an absolutely amazing occasion – a party no classic car fan will want to miss.”

Highlighting the legendary Jaguar’s central role at this year’s Silverstone Classic, one of the very first Jaguar E-Types produced was featured on the event’s exhibition stand earlier this month at the Autosport Show International.

The historic car on display was the eleventh Jaguar E-Type car made, one of the many contesting the two HSCC Jaguar E-Type Challenge races at the Silverstone Classic in July. These early pre-production cars were sold to selected customers who would race them.

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KIA Picanto 2012 Revealed.

Following the release of the first official pictures and a 'skeleton' information pack on its all-new Picanto earlier this month, Kia has spilled the beans on its engine line-up and has released a picture of its interior.

Kia South Africa has also confirmed that the new baby will reach local showrooms around the middle of the year and although the company cannot yet announce the local engine line-up, the spokesperson revealed that they are looking at both the new 1.0-litre and 1.2-litre Kappa petrol engines.

The 1.0-litre engine produces 51kW and 94Nm while the 1.2-litre is good for 63kW and 121Nm - Kia SA will surely capitalize on the latter engine to allow it to properly rival the new Chevrolet Spark.

The new engines promise greatly reduced CO2 emissions and improved fuel economy, with the 1-litre version even set to be available in flex fuel and bi-fuel guises in certain European markets. However, even the standard petrol engines are impressively clean, with CO2 emissions ranging between 95g/km and 105g/km.
The engines will be mated to a choice of five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmissions, depending on the model.

Set to make its global debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March, the new Picanto is longer than the previous model, and boasts an extended wheelbase. Designers also addressed the current Picanto's excuse for a boot but increasing boot space by 27%.

The new Picanto's cabin offers more space for occupants too, and also promises to be a lot more sophisticated than the current model's, with available features including button-start with smart key and six or seven airbags, depending on model.

In certain markets, the Picanto will also be offered with a three-door bodystyle for the first time, in addition to the familiar five-door hatchback format.

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2011 Nissan Altima 2.5 S

Base Price: $22,060
Price as Tested: $23,735
This week, we're behind the wheel of Nissan's 2011 Altima 2.5 S, a 4-cylinder powered mid-size sedan that is high on amenities and consumer popularity. With an extremely attractive base price, customers can shop Nissan showrooms with full confidence that they are test driving one of Nissan's most reliable vehicles to date. Now in its fourth generation, Altima received a complete re-design in 2007 and remains stylish thanks to several facelifts along the way.
Notable is Nissan's take on inflation or lack thereof, as a base 2011 Altima starts at just $19,910...the exact same price as when we tested a 2009 model several years ago. More important is the fact that in 2009, the $19,910 model came with a manual transmission and no traction control, while the new 2011 Altima comes with an automatic transmission and traction control. Thus, while inflation is currently eating away at our fuel and food bills, Nissan is bucking the trend to keep consumers in a quality car that offers more for the money and rates high in "Consumer Reports" reliability ratings.
Built in Smyrna, Tennessee, Altima's "S" model adds $2,150 to the base price and features Intelligent Key, AM/FM/CD/auxiliary input audio system, driver and front-passenger seatback pockets, passenger visor vanity mirror and carpeted trunk lid trim. Personally, I don't see $2,150 here, but the choice is yours.
Under Altima's hood sits a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine that produces 175 horsepower and 180 lb. ft. of torque in 49 of the 50 states. However, just as the last time we tested an Altima, our tester came with California licensing, a state's where stricter emission rules result in lower ratings of 170 horses and 175 torque. The CVT transmission and engine combination work well, providing good acceleration band and torque. As for fuel mileage, Altima 2.5 is high on the chart, with 23 city and 32 highway EPA numbers.
Customers who demand more "go" for their money can check the Altima 3.5-series, which is powered by a 270-horsepower 3.5-liter V6. However, I still recommend Altima's 4-cylinder version over the V6 for two reasons; cost and fuel economy. Specifically, the V6 model 3.5 series starts at $24,750 and delivers 20 city and 27 highway with the CVT automatic.
Altima's interior is impressive, with a load of standard amenities. Included are all the powers, air conditioning, tilt and telescopic wheel, numerous cup holders, cruise with steering wheel controls, great sounding 6-speaker stereo CD, push button start, two 12-volt outlets and much more. The spacious rear seat is a 60/40 split design that folds down for trunk access.
Underneath, Altima features a fully independent four-wheel suspension with a multi-link rear design and front and rear stabilizer bars. Aiding in the stopping procedure are 4-wheel ABS disc brakes with electronic brakeforce distribution and vehicle dynamic control.
A Special Edition package for $750 more is recommended, as 16 inch alloy wheels, rear spoiler, fog lamps, auto headlamps, special edition badges and leather wrapped steering wheel with audio controls spruce up the Altima package.
Altima's safety offerings are excellent, as previous 5-Star government ratings in frontal and side crash and 4-Star in rollover are expected for the 2011 model. All the airbags, including advanced driver and passenger airbags with dual stage deployment, seat mounted front side airbags and front and rear side head curtain airbags located in the roof, come standard on all Altimas.
Important numbers include a wheelbase of 109.3-inches, 15.3 cu. ft. of luggage space, 20 gallon fuel tank, and a 3,193-pound curb weight.
Altima's core design and low price results in a car that is a good match for college students, business people, a growing family and baby boomers alike. Additionally, buyers can take solace knowing their 4-cylinder powered Altima comes well equipped regardless of options.
Nissan's Altima is a road worthy car that handles well, looks good and delivers excellent fuel economy. And with Nissan's "hold the price and give the consumer more" ideology, I expect this model to be a big winner in 2011.
Likes: Price, performance, fuel economy, room, design, reliability.
Dislikes: Options can push price too high, lots of plastic inside.
(Greg Zyla is a syndicated auto columnist).

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Mercedes Benz getting ready for AMG Hybrids.

Here is what they had to say at a press release " Next-generation models from Mercedes’ high performance wing will gain hybrid technology including stop-start and energy recuperation devices.

AMG’s former CEO Volker Mornhinweg said in 2008 that it was experimenting with batteries, ultracapacitors and flywheels for its future hybrids with the possibility of boosting power but instead the firm is focusing on improving fuel economy and lowering CO2 emissions of its flagship performance models.
Daimler’s head of future mobility and advanced engineering, Herbert Kohler, told Autocar it was “a given” that future AMGs would be offered with hybrid technology.
“In the future AMG will still offer high performance models but there will be hybrids there,” he said. “AMG needs to reduce fuel consumption.” I guess from this moment we should expect nothing but the best from the Silver star.

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2011 Honda Civic

A sweeping roofline and a sleek windshield angle convey an advanced, one-motion profile with a low and wide stance. The interior focuses on sophisticated styling with a two-tier instrument panel, comfortable seating and accommodating storage areas with room for mobile phones, MP3 players and more. Built on a high-rigidity unit-body platform, the Civic is designed to deliver precise, sharp and fun-to-drive handling performance with its fully independent suspension.

Four engine and four transmission choices range from a 140-horsepower, 1.8-liter i-VTEC engine (Civic DX, DX-VP, LX, EX and EX-L), with either a 5-speed manual or an available 5-speed automatic transmission, to a 197-horsepower, 2.0-liter i-VTEC engine (Civic Si) with a 6-speed manual transmission. (posted on conceptcarz.com) The Civic Hybrid is powered by a 1.3-liter i-VTEC engine with Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) gasoline-electric hybrid technology to enhance both fuel economy and performance, and is equipped with a continuously variable transmission. (posted on conceptcarz.com)
The entire line-up maintains a standard array of safety technologies including Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) body structure; side curtain airbags; driver’s and front passenger’s side airbags with a passenger-side Occupant Position Detection System (OPDS); and dual-stage, multiple-threshold driver’s and front passenger’s airbags (SRS). Active front seat head restraints are designed to help reduce the likelihood of neck injury in the event of a rear collision. Standard active safety features include an anti-lock brake system (ABS) and electronic brake distribution, front seatbelts with an automatic tensioning system, and a pedestrian injury mitigation design incorporated into the front exterior of the vehicle. Driver and front passenger seatbelt reminders and daytime running lights are also standard equipment. The Civic EX-L, Civic Si and Civic Hybrid include Vehicle Stability Assist™ (VSA®), commonly referred to as electronic stability control, as standard safety content.
The Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation System1, available on Civic EX, EX-L, Si and Hybrid models, has a 6.5-inch motorized display that opens and closes for access to the internal single-disc CD player. The navigation system features more than 7 million points of interest and the voice activation can control the navigation menus and the audio system, along with entering city and street names. The system includes Bluetooth® HandsFreeLink®, a wireless telephone interface that works with compatible Bluetooth-enabled mobile telephones for hands-free operation via §teering wheel-mounted controls.
Auxiliary audio input jacks are standard equipment on Civic DX-VP and above trim levels, allowing for portable music device playback through the audio system. The Civic LX Coupe has a six-speaker 160-watt audio system with a CD player (four speakers for the DX-VP and LX sedan). All audio systems are capable of playing MP3- and WMA-formatted CDs. A ÚSB Audio Interface is standard on the Civic EX, EX-L, Hybrid and Si models, providing integration for a compatible MP3 player or a ÚSB flash drive loaded with compatible music files.
Speed-sensitive Volume Control (SVC) automatically adjusts the volume based on vehicle speed. The audio display provides CD/MP3 text readout, and all coupes (except for the DX) plus the Civic Si Sedan provide a customizable welcome screen (exclusively on models without the available navigation system).
Civic Sedan and Civic Coupe with 1.8-liter i-VTEC 4-cylinder engine
The Civic lineup for both the Sedan and Coupe start with the value-rich Civic DX model equipped with a standard 140-horsepower, 1.8-liter, SOHC i-VTEC 4-cylinder engine, 5-speed manual transmission (5-speed automatic available), power windows, 15-inch steel wheels with covers and P195/65R15 tires, and a folding rear seat. The Civic DX-VP Sedan adds air conditioning, a four-speaker 160-watt AM/FM Audio System with CD player (MP3/WMA enabled), and an auxiliary audio input jack.
The Civic LX adds or upgrades: cruise control, power door locks, 16-inch steel wheels with covers, P205/55R16 tires, keyless entry, center console with sliding armrest, progressive blue illumination instrument panel meters, auto up/down driver’s power window, and a folding rear seat.

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