NISSAN 370 Z ROADSTER UNCOVERED

With the Nissan 370 Z Coupe already confirmed for Mzansi, we may well see the new Roadster also making it to these shores. I wouldn’t put my money on that though; the current economic situation is forcing many Mzansi-based automakers to either completely shelf or postpone certain models deemed likely to be slow sellers in the market. Which would be a pity for the 370 Z Roadster, a car preceded by the highly-successful 350 Z Roadster of 2006.

Casting aside recent moves by the likes of BMW Z4 to go hard top, the 370 Z has remained true to the traditional roadster theme of working with a soft canvass roof, which is electrically-adjustable. Nissan says it will open or close in about 20 seconds. It runs on P225/50R18 front and P245/45R18 rear wheels supplied by Bridgestone.

The 370 Z Roadster features a 3.7-litre naturally aspirated V6 with power of 244kW (332hp) and 366Nm of torque. The standard gearbox is a 6-speed manual which is said to be even better than that of the 350 Z. A 7-speed auto will be sold in the US but this one is doubtful for the Mzansi market.

I estimate the car will be priced at between R600 000 and R630 000 if it’s launched here within the next 18 months.

MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER PROTOTYPE REFLECTS NEW FACE

The time is near for a new Mitsubishi Outlander and the Japanese manufacturer decided to present the future face of this crossover SUV at the 2009 New York International Auto Show. Clearly inspired by the Evo X on the front grille, the Outlander that was released is supposedly a prototype and therefore the final product may not necessarily look like this. Nevertheless I reckon this is pretty much the complete deal.

The Super All-Wheel Control (S-AWC) system comes with the car and aids in cornering, grip and overall handling. The engine used is a 3.0-litre V6 with 169kW (230hp) but it may only be sold in the power-hungry US. Actually, since Mitsubishi reorganised its business in Europe to concentrate more on smaller cars and less on SUVs, cars like the Outlander may be confined to regions like the US, Russia and the Middle East.

Rockford Fosgate once again came to the party – so to speak – and provided the 710W sound system. Also installed are Bluetooth, an LCD satellite navigation system and voice recognition ability.

GULLWING MERCEDES-BENZ SHOWS INTERIOR, INITIAL SKETCHES

Interior pictures and sketches of the upcoming Mercedes-Benz SLS supercar have appeared on various websites on the interweb. The SLS replaces the old McLaren SLR and was developed by AMG. It harks back to the old SL Gullwing with its doors that open outward like a seagull, hence the nickname. We’ve seen the SLS before in these “spy” pictures which were released by Mercedes. Now there are early sketches too.

I must say the interior doesn’t exactly inspire. There’s very little that says “this is a supercar”. Most of the switchgear is from “lesser” Merc models like the A-Class and E-Class. I like the gear lever area though, including the stalk itself. It’s thick and brawny while the air vents are classic Mercedes-Benz.

On one of the pictures you can see the speedo goes up to 360km/h. Merc says true top speed will be 315km/h. The pictured car is obviously on a dyno as the speed indicates 243km/h at about 7300rpm in 5^th gear. Typical of the German automaker the engine does not seem to be able to rev very high. Torque is rather the main focus for its performance.

The engine used in the car is the 6.2-litre naturally aspirated V8 that makes 420kW (571hp) and 650Nm of torque. It’s coupled with a 7-speed double-clutch gearbox which assists it in dashing from 0 – 100km/h in a claimed 3.8 seconds.

GM TEAMS WITH SEGWAY FOR PERSONAL MOBILITY

When Segway introduced the Segway personal mobility vehicle in the early 2000s, it was touted as something that will change the way the world transported itself. That never happened largely because the Segway is so expensive. In South Africa you can order one for about R40 000 each depending on the model. This will hardly solve the third world’s mobility problems, which is why the Segway is now a “lifestyle” vehicle bought by rich golfers and people who live in expensive estates.

Now General Motors has teamed up with Segway to build a more integrated transport device for one or two people. The project is called Personal Urban Mobility and Accessibility or PUMA (not sure if there won’t be any copyright issues with the apparel brand there).

The vehicle runs on an electric motor with batteries and it also has electric steering. Vehicle to vehicle communication is included for those who want to chat as they swish around town in their PUMAs. The companies say it will go up to 56km/h and the battery has a range of up to 56km before it needs recharging.

“Project P.U.M.A. represents a unique solution to moving about and interacting in cities, where more than half of the world’s people live,” said Larry Burns, GM vice president of research and development, and strategic planning. “Imagine small, nimble electric vehicles that know where other moving objects are and avoid running into them. Now, connect these vehicles in an Internet-like web and you can greatly enhance the ability of people to move through cities, find places to park, and connect to their social and business networks.”

FLAGSHIP BMW 760i PRESENTED

BMW’s 760i and 760Li have been officially announced and man, these two are some serious machinery. Traditionally the 760i/Li was the flagship model in the whole range however this will soon change when the M7 is revealed. For now though let’s learn a little more about the 760i/Li.

What makes this car different from other 7 Series models is the new 6.0-litre petrol engine with twin turbos. It’s the first time BMW has force-fed the 760i which previously held 327kW and 600Nm of torque from the same naturally aspirated motor. By introducing those two turbos to the mix the car now makes a heady 400kW at 5250rpm and massive torque of 750Nm achieved between 1500rpm and 5000rpm. Claimed acceleration from 0 – 100km/h is said to be 4.6 seconds and top velocity is limited to 250km/h.

While 400kW doesn’t seem to be a lot given that the Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG fraps out 456kW, the M7 will take care of this quite easily. BMW worked with gearbox specialist ZF to create a new 8-speed automatic transmission. It’s both sporty and smooth to give great response on the right pedal as well as fuel economy to match smaller cars. So advanced is the new gearbox that BMW says it will work with pretty much any type of engine with any sort of power and even 4WD (xDrive), which suggests that it will be seen in quite a number of future BMWs, including the upcoming 7 Series Hybrid.

The 760i averages 12.9 l/100km while the 760Li returns 13.0 l/100km from their 82 litre fuel tank. C02 emissions are understandably quite high at 299g/km and 303g/km respectively.

The car is not that different from models like the 750i. The power grille is wider and extends to the front. “V12” is adorned on the sides where the chrome-plated gills are integrated with side indicators. More chrome can be found at the rear wrapped in the rectangular-shaped tailpipes. Interestingly there are four of these which is normally a trait found in M cars. But then again those are usually round, not rectangular.

A set of light alloy wheels measuring 19 inches in diameter holds the 245/45 R19 front and 275/40 R19 rear tyres. The 760Li is 14cm longer than the 760i and has a wheelbase that is also 14cm longer.

BMW has not confirmed any prices for the two models but when they do eventually come to Mzansi they should be priced at about R1.3 million for the 760i and R1.6 million for the 760Li.