CITROEN SURVOLT SILENT RACER TO GO PUBLIC

After being introduced at the Geneva Motor Show, CITROËN Survolt is now coming to life as a genuine, fully electric racing car that will first spin it wheels on the Le Mans track on 10 July, with the experienced driver Vanina Ickx at the wheel.

CITROËN Survolt adopts a new, fully electric drive system that allows it to combine sportiness and great performance with respect for the environment.

PEUGEOT LE MANS TEAM REFLECTS ON 2010 LOSS

Bruno Famin (Technical Director, Peugeot Sport): "To begin with, with regard to the N°3 908 HDi FAP which retired 2½ hours into the race, we have found a quality-related problem concerning the production of the tub at the point where the lower front-right suspension wishbone is attached to the chassis. This is the same tub that won the 2009 Le Mans 24 Hours and the 2010 1,000km de Spa-Francorchamps, and – like every 908 chassis – is regularly inspected at the factory using sophisticated tools that enable us to detect ageing or damage to the carbon. The problem in this case, however, was due to a totally undetectable defect which resulted in a premature and sudden failure of the mounting point.

BMW DETAILS MEGACITY MINI CAR EVEN MORE

The BMW Group is once again breaking new ground with the Megacity Vehicle (MCV), due to come onto the market in 2013: “The Megacity Vehicle is a revolutionary automobile. It will be the world’s first volume-produced vehicle with a passenger cell made from carbon. Our LifeDrive architecture is helping us to open a new chapter in automotive lightweight design. Indeed, this concept allows us to practically offset the extra 250 to 350 kilograms of weight typically found in electrically powered vehicles.” says Klaus Draeger, Member of the Board of Management for Development.

SEXY VOLVO V60 SLATED FOR MZANSI IN 2011

Volvo Car South Africa plans to launch the all-new Volvo S60 locally early in 2011. At launch the V60 will be available in 2.0T (149kW), D5 (151kW, 420Nm) and T6 (224kW) guise. The 2.0T will be available in either manual or powershift while the T6 and D5 derivatives are fitted with a Geartronic gearbox.

Volvo has just released the first official information on its all-new Volvo V60, which enters the vehicle market with its sights firmly set on being the sexiest sports wagon on the road.

"Many customers who've had an advance look at the new V60 during the development process feel that its attitude is certainly as sporty as that of the all-new S60," says Volvo Cars Design Director Peter Horbury.

BMW M5 TAKES A BOW AFTER 5 SIZZLING YEARS

After being on sale on the global automotive market for five successful years, the BMW M5 has ended its production lifespan with a new record high. The BMW M GmbH produced a total of 20 548 of the charismatic high-performance sports car featuring a V10-cylinder power unit. The BMW M5 Sedan is accountable for 19 523 of these, with the BMW M5 Touring, which was first launched in 2007, contributing a further 1 025 units towards the overall result.