The new Bentley Mulsanne unveiled

On their 90th anniversary, Bentley Motors unveiled their new flagship grand tourer - the Mulsanne on the 16th of August at the 2009 Pebble Beach Concours D’Elegance in Monterey, California.

Not much info apart from that it will be powered by a 6.75 litre V8 engine.

According to Dr. Franz-Josef Paefgen, Chairman and Chief Executive of Bentley Motors:

"The challenge we set our engineers was to create a new grand Bentley that would stand as the pinnacle of British luxury motoring, offering the world’s most exclusive driving experience. They have responded to this challenge with real passion and the result is a luxury grand tourer that sets new standards in terms of comfort, effortless performance and hand-crafted refinement – the very qualities for which Bentley is renowned."

Chassis number one was sold at auction by Gooding and Company for US$500,000 at the event.

The Bentley Mulsanne will go on sale from mid 2010 and will also be displayed at the forthcoming IAA Frankfurt Motor Show (15-27th September, 2009).



Link: The official Bently Mulsanne site

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New Audi R8 in Ferrari territory

I don't know about you but I found this Audi ad really funny.

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Nissan Leaf unveiled

Nissan unveiled their much awaited electric car called the Leaf yesterday. In their words, it is the "World's THE WORLD'S first electric car designed for affordability and real-world requirements".

The hatchback will be launched in late 2010. It comfortably seats five adults and has a range of more than 160km (100 miles).


In case you are wondering about the name,

The "LEAF" name is a significant statement about the car itself. Just as leaves purify the air in nature, so Nissan LEAF purifies mobility by taking emissions out of the driving experience.

The car is powered by laminated compact lithium-ion batteries, which generate power output of over 90kW, while its electric motor delivers 80kW/280Nm.

or more information about the car, check out their press release.

However, they failed to actually say how much the car will actually cost.

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Ferrari 458 Italia

Ferrari has officially unveiled their latest car - the Ferrari 458 Italia. With styling byPininfarina, this mid-engined V8 car replaces the Ferrari F430.

According to their press release, the two-seater458 has lower fuel consumption than the F430 but with a higher overall displacement and power. The car has a seven-speed dual clutch gearbox and accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in just 3.4 seconds. It has a top speed of 202 mph. For now all I have got are some pics and the press release. The car will be unveiled to the public at the next Frankfurt Motor Show.


For more information go to the Ferrari site.

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Jaguar to cut jobs and more auto news

Jaguar has just announced that it may cut up to 300 jobs at its Halewood plant on Merseyside. This follows news that they will end production of the Jaguar X-Type.

More info here

Earlier Aston Martin had also announced that about 95 workers in Gaydon in Warwickshire would lose their jobs .

More news here

In another news, Toyota may build a hybrid version of the Auris hatchback here in the UK.

Read more here

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Can Tesla survive?

Tesla motors, the US based makers of electric cars, recently received $465 million as part of the Department of Energy's $25 billion advanced technology loan fund. This fund seeks to create green jobs and reduce the US dependency on foreign fuel.

However, I am not quite sure whether Tesla can survive the current crisis that has hit the US automakers quite hard. One reason is that they only have two models in the stable, viz., the Model S and the Roadster. Unlike the Toyota Prius or the Honda Hybrid cars, Tesla's models are pure electric cars.

They are also targeted at a niche market - people who like sporty cars. So they are going up against some big names like Porsche, Ferrari, Lotus, etc.

Having said that, maybe being small and nimble may actually serve the company well. Plus, a number of people who can afford the fast, flashy cars are turning their backs on the gas guzzlers as being seen as "Green" becomes fashionable. They have already "delivered slightly more than 500 Roadsters". The Model S sedan is also due to come out in 2011.

Model S

This interesting BusinessWeek article asks "Can Tesla Become a Real Automaker?"

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The Riversimple Urban car launced in London

The Riversimple Urban car was launched in London yesterday.

The two-seater car is powered by hydrogen fuel cells and was developed with Oxford University and Cranfield University. It features gull wing doors as well.

The car is expected to go into production by 2013.

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