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Volkswagen versus Google: Reveals Temporary Auto Pilot System

VW with Temporary Auto Pilot System Volkswagen versus Google: Reveals Temporary Auto Pilot System

Don’t be alarmed, Volkswagen has not developed the robotic car that drives itself in a boring fashion, but a system that integrates a number of safety systems into one package that previews the future of “fully automatic and accident-free driving”. As the name suggests, the systems allows the car to drive itself under the careful eye of the… driver, using a combination of lane assist and ACC adaptive cruise control. So, Volkswagen with the Temporary Auto Pilot System – TAP – tries to challenge Google? It seems like it.

The apocalyptic scenario where robots rule the world is not what Volkswagen is looking for, as the Temporary Auto Pilot System as part of its safety systems leaves the driver the option of intervening at any time he or she wants. The system was developed by Volkswagen as part of the EU funded R&D project HAVEit (“Highly Automated Vehicles for Intelligent Transport”) where the Temporary Auto Pilot System was presented as a complete project.

“Above all, what we have achieved today is an important milestone on the path towards accident-free car driving,” emphasises Volkswagen’s Executive Director for Research, Prof. Dr. Jurgen Leohold at today’s final presentation of the EU research project HAVEit in the Swedish city of Boras. “Nonetheless, the driver always retains driving responsibility and is always in control. The driver can override or deactivate the system at any time and must continually monitor it.”

Volkswagen also propose a semi-automatic setting called Pilot Mode, which helps the driver maintains a safe distance to the vehicle ahead, drives at a speed selected by the driver, reduces this speed as necessary before a bend, and maintains the vehicle’s central position with respect to lane markers. The system on the Volkswagen also observes overtaking rules and speed limits.

 

alicia June 30, 2011 Volkswagen , ,

BMW i8 Appeared at MI-4 Movie

BMW i8 at MI 4 Film Shooting BMW i8 Appeared at MI 4 Movie

BMW i8 coupe gets additional marketing strategy by putting it on Tom Cruise’s latest movie – Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol which will be available in the cinemas in December. We’re going to talk a little bit about the Hollywood picture, but what really interests us is BMW’s involvement on the Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol by using the BMW i8 coupe .

We found out today that Bruce Wayne will be driving a Lamborghini Aventador in the next Batman, but Ethan Hunt seems to have gone to the future for his choice of wheels by driving the BMW i8 coupe. A new trailer was launched yesterday, and the BMW i8 coupe makes its cinematic debut, alongside the new 6-Series Cabrio and a star cast of actors.

It’s hard to say whether we should call it the BMW i8 coupe or the VED Concept, as what’s under the bonnet is still unknown, but the trailer links nicely with the spyshots we got from our contributor back in April.

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol was filming in India at the time, with a rolling example of the BMW Vision EfficientDynamics concept or the BMW i8 coupe on hand. A traffic jam was simulated using second-hand cars from Mahindra First Choice Wheels.

“There were approximately 50-60 bouncers all over the venue to ensure that photographs weren’t taken with nearly 10 of them guarding the BMW Vision EfficientDynamics or the BMW i8 coupe. I tried to take a close up shot of the 5 series camera car, but a bouncer snatched my camera away with a stern warning that next time, my camera will be impounded. After the shoot started, we positioned ourselves on the foot-over bridge from where we could get clear shots and avoid the bouncers as well. I have pics of both the cars, except the 5 series camera car,” our contributor reported at the time.

BMW i8 coupe’s presence of the new 6-Series in the trailer indicated that BMW has indeed chosen Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol to highlight its new products.

 

alicia June 30, 2011 BMW , , , ,

Mercedes-Benz McLaren SLR Parked in 150km/h

Mercedes Benz McLaren SLR convertible roadster Mercedes Benz McLaren SLR Parked in 150km/h

Mercedes-Benz McLaren SLR convertible roadster managed to find empty park slot in underground parking lot with pedal gas hits 150km/h. It has to be done, here is the reason. There are times when you have to take your hat off for the bravery of some drivers out there, pulling of really dangerous stunts which could potentially cost lives, but are as entertaining as heck. And this is one such moment.

An underground parking lot is not the ideal place to check what a 650 horsepower vehicle such as the Mercedes-Benz McLaren SLR convertible roadster is capable of, but it was a good place to show off for a coupe of your speed freaks, who abuse the 5.5-liter V8 in between all those parked cars.

“Here is the most amazing thing I have ever done. I got a ride in this BRABUS Mercedes-Benz McLaren SLR convertible roadster, 1 of the only 4 in the world, and what a ride it was. First of all, I’m really sorry about the laughing, I was having the time of my life. The Mercedes-Benz McLaren SLR convertible roadster goes 0-100kmh in 3.7 seconds, we went about 150kmh in the underground parking lot, then he revved it for me and took my friend for a ride. The license plate and the guy’s head had to be blurred out for obvious reasons,” the passenger, who posted the video on Youtube writes.

It would have been easier, though less exciting, to park the super Mercedes-Benz McLaren SLR convertible roadster outside the mall and take something like a Brabus smart fortwo. Of course, the little city car wouldn’t have made so many views on Youtube, but it would have been far less complicated to park and fixing it would have been cheaper.

Mercedes-Benz McLaren SLR convertible roadster  gets striking look from Brabus and it’s nice to see what Brabus’ own upholstery shop created inside the SLR – a striking combination of lipstick-red leather and black Alcantara. We adore the look of the special flat-bottom steering wheel on the Mercedes-Benz McLaren SLR convertible roadster that provides optimal grip with its combination of perforated leather and Alcantara.

 

alicia June 30, 2011 Mercedes-Benz , ,

BMW Launches the First Commercial Video of 2012 BMW M5

2012 BMW M51 BMW Launches the First Commercial Video of 2012 BMW M5

2012 BMW M5 only shows a little bit of its performance, so the fact that the BMW just released a second commercial video of the four-door saloon which does not bother us in the slightest.

Given what the previous model did for BMW’s image of 2012 BMW M5 saloon, we expect many great things to come from the new model. For this latest commercial video feature, the company has chosen a more GT-like attitude. The 2012 BMW M5 saloon hits the motorway in style, drives up to a personal jet (why would you do something as boring as flying when you have an M?) and arrives in fashionable manner at a party.

We’ll remind you that the new 2012 BMW M5 saloon M5 carries the most powerful series-produced engine ever fitted to a car by M Division – 4.4-liter V8 with TwinPower Turbo (consisting of Twin Scroll Twin Turbo Technology) helping it produce a whopping 560-hp between 6,000 and 7,000 rpm.

The Bavarian carmaker says it has not only increased engine output of the 2012 BMW M5 saloon by about 10% and torque by 30% over the previous V10, but it has also cut fuel consumption by 30% to 9.9 l/100 km (23.8mpg US). The 2012 BMW M5 saloon can reach 100 km/h (62 mph) in just 4.4 seconds and has an electronically limited top speed of 250km/h (155mph), which can be lifted to 305km/h (190mph) with the aid of the optional M Driver’s package of the 2012 BMW M5 saloon.

2012 BMW M5 saloon is a high-performance vehicle whose exceptional dynamic potential is geared squarely to demands of track use yet which also sets a new benchmark in everyday driving with its supreme touring comfort and innovative equipment features which carried by the 2012 BMW M5 saloon.

 

alicia June 28, 2011 BMW , , ,

Bentley Ute to Serve Gentlemen’s Farming Needs

Bentley Ute Bentley Ute to Serve Gentlemen’s Farming Needs

Bentley Ute pick-up is to be sold with no reserve at the Australian International Motor Show on July 10th. Somehow, this article raised question: have you ever wondered what would happen if someone made a greyhound/pig hybrid? Well, this is probably the reason why the Bentley Ute is going under the hammer.

The Bentley Ute pick-up is based on a 1956 Bentley S1 Saloon and has a bespoke timber load bed where the rear seat passengers would normally be, so instead of chauffeuring a millionaire, the car can now drive a pig to market. The owner of the vehicle will offer complete documentation for the car, both before and after its transformation from deluxe transport to rural Aussie workhorse.

The Bentley Ute pick-up was purchased new in London from Jack Barclay Limited in Mayfair, London by Charles Lloyd-Jones, then-owner of the David Jones retail chain, who later sold it to John Vawser Motors of New South Wales.

The Right Honourable 6th Earl of Stradbroke Keith Rous then bought it and made the very bizarre decision to turn it into a Bentley Ute pick-up, with the work carried out by George Williams of Camperdown, New South-Wales. Could you imagine making a pickup version of something like a BMW M3… wait… never mind.

The Bentley Ute pick-up has since been maintained by Pro Star Motors in Hawthorn, Victoria and has been driven sparingly over the past 15 years, during which it has been displayed regularly at the Australian National Motor Museum. This year, the Earl gave it away to the Melbourne Trinity Grammar School, requesting that it be “used by the School, or to be sold to donate funds to the School”.

Bentley Ute pick-up is expected to sell for $22,000-$32,000 when it hits the auctioneer’s block next month at the Australian International Motor Show on July 10th.

 

alicia June 28, 2011 Bentley , ,

Rare and Antique 1937 Mercedes-Benz 540K Special Roadster is Up for Auction

1937 Mercedes Benz classic roadster Rare and Antique 1937 Mercedes Benz 540K Special Roadster is Up for Auction

1937 Mercedes-Benz 540K Special Roadster classic is probably will set highest auction price. World records are hard to set, regardless of their type, so every time one is about to happen the attention immediately switches to it. So is the case with a car that, aside from the fact that is far from being ordinary, is expected to fetch more money than any other of its kind at an auction.

The brand in question is none other than the 3-pointed star, and an extremely rare 1937 Mercedes-Benz 540K Special Roadster classic-badged model is seen as a valid candidate to attract a new world record auction price.

RM Auctions – the company responsible with the sale of the car – says it expects the 1937 Mercedes-Benz 540K Special Roadster classic to write history when it will go under the hammer in Monterey, California, this August.

The 1937 Mercedes-Benz 540K Special Roadster classic was priced at around $12,000 when new and is one of just a few built with the most desirable configuration of high door, long tail and covered rear spare, of which it is believed just three examples survive.

The rare 1937 Mercedes-Benz 540K Special Roadster classic on offer was ordered new by the factory branch in Buenos Aires for the owners of a prestigious Argentinean clothing store. Delivered in June 1937, 154140 spent its early years in Argentina before being imported into the United States by one of the country’s first full-time antique automobile dealers, Tiny Gould.

The process does not stop there, the 1937 Mercedes-Benz 540K Special Roadster classic then passed through a string of well-documented owners, including time spent in both Australia and Germany. “Today, beautifully presented and the recipient of a thorough, concours-quality restoration, it has enjoyed great success on the show field at both the prestigious Amelia Island and Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance events,” RM Auctions said.

1937 Mercedes-Benz 540K Special Roadster classic has similarity with 1937 540K Special Roadster from the private collection of F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone sold for no less than $8,252,201 in October 2007.

 

alicia June 28, 2011 Mercedes-Benz , , , ,

Porsche Built More than 300,000 Units of Porsche Boxter and Porsche Cayman

Porsche Boxster and Cayman Porsche Built More than 300,000 Units of Porsche Boxter and Porsche Cayman

Porsche confidents that they are able to sell more sports car than its competitors. In fact, without the little Porsche Boxster that was introduces almost exactly 15 years ago, we probably not have the chance to buy cars we hate but would love to own, like the Porsche Panamera and Porsche Cayenne.  Since the launch, Stuttgart manufacturer has produced a total of 300,000 units of the Boxster and of its Cayman coupe sibling.

To mark the occasion of the milestone vehicle, a Porsche Boxster Spyder with Platinum Silver metallic finish and Carrera red natural leather interior trim rolled off the Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen production line, destined for a German customer.

Besides the usual mix of performance and excitement that most manufacturer provide, Porsches are usually some of the most reliable cars on the market and also hold their value well over time. Thus, both the Porsche Boxster and Cayman have been ranked among the top 10 best vehicles on the US market, while in Germany, they are placed second and third among cars that hold their value the best.

The Boxster was probably the car that saved Porsche when it was introduced back in 1996. The concept version of the car unveiled three years before that at the Detroit Motor Show, being based on the classic lines of the 356 and 555 Spyder. With public response overwhelmingly in favor of putting it into production, the company did just that.

“Dynamic lines, outstanding performance and an attractive price quickly catapulted the mid-engine sports car into the bestseller list while attracting new customer circles to Porsche,” the Stuttgart carmaker boasts.

Porsche realized that the Boxster and Cayman could market a coupe version based on the open-topped, two-seater platform, that made its world debut at the 2005 IAA Frankfurt Motor Show as the Cayman. The huge demand for a mid-engined Porsche sportscar meant the company couldn’t keep up with demand. As a result, production of the Porsche Cayman was started at Valmet Automotive in Finland in addition to Zuffenhausen.

 

alicia June 27, 2011 Porsche , ,

Last Unit of Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Sold to European Customer

Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Last Unit of Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Sold to European Customer

Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport super car probably the last project which Bugatti did and they are glad that the last unit of the super car is sold. And how that happens? Here is the complete story of the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport super car.

Rumors of the 16C Galibier going into production are intensifying and it was only a matter of time before we said our goodbyes to the car that jump-started the Bugatti brand. Unfortunately, the new model will be a hyper-luxury four-door saloon, and it will not be as fast or as powerful as the car that made the 1,000 hp road car believable.

According to a recent Bugatti statement, the last Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport super car has been sold to a customer in Europe who will take delivery of his hyper car next fall. This means that millionaires and rappers with more money than common sense will have to find some other place to spend their $1.7 on a single car. Might we suggest the slightly cheaper but equally as exciting new Pagani?

Bugatti only ever built 300 examples over the seven years that the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport super car has been in production, and you can bet the news of last the one being sold will push aftermarket prices to the limit. This will be especially true for the limited edition models, like the Veyron Pur Sang, Hermes and Super Sport.

Fortunately, VW Group will still sell the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport super car open-top version, a performance luxury machine with a top speed of 407 km/h with the top down. With the roof removed, it has a maximum speed of 360 km/h, which makes the Grand Sport the fastest convertible in the world.

Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport super car as the creation of Bugatti team has already become an icon of automotive history.“Both technologically and in terms of design, the Veyron is still far ahead of its time. The Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport super car is a further pinnacle of achievement in the open-top sports car segment, and we intend to maintain the same standard in our future Bugatti products,” said Wolfgang Dürheimer, President of Bugatti Automobiles.

 

alicia June 27, 2011 Bugatti , ,
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