First Drive: 2012 Mercedes SLK 350

2012 Mercedes SLK 350




Each of the renowned German luxury car-makers offers a small two-seat sports car. Audi has the TT, BMW the Z4 and Mercedes the SLK. The other obvious player in the game is also from Germany — the Porsche Boxster. These are much-respected marques with reputations for engineering and execution making for some pretty fierce competition — and exceptional cars.

The newest one of these compact German roadsters is showing up in Mercedes stores as you read this — the 2012 SLK. Bristling with technology, style and new-found performance, this third-generation SLK has new looks, a new, more powerful and fuel efficient engine, a heavily reworked transmission and a host of new technologies and features.

It retains the classic long hood, short deck roadster proportions of the outgoing model. The compact passenger compartment sits well back, ahead of a foreshortened deck lid. The new SLK has been 'toughened up' with more abrupt angles from the easily-recognized upright Mercedes grill to a rear diffuser with integrated exhaust. The front end is wider with big air intakes at the lower outboard edges. Despite this more muscular front end, the design team managed to trim the coefficient of drag from an already impressive 0.32 to 0.30. The hood and fenders are made of aluminum in the interest of weight saving.

Perhaps the most impressive design accomplishment is the way the joint lines of the folding hardtop where it collapses into the trunk have been artfully hidden. Once again, that folding top is the source of some industry-leading technology. Mercedes introduced the folding fixed roof for roadsters with the first generation SLK in 1996.

With the second generation it brought us the AIRSCARF which directed a stream of warmed air to the neck and shoulders, greatly extending the 'top-down' season.

2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS63 AMG Photos

2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS63 AMG



2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS63 AMG

2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS63 AMG

2011 Hyundai i40 Tourer Photos

2011 Hyundai i40 Tourer

2011 Hyundai i40 Tourer

2011 Hyundai i40 Tourer

2011 Hyundai i40 Tourer

2011 Hyundai i40 Tourer

2011 New Fiat Qubo

Fiat Qubo 1.3 MultiJet Dynamic

Price: £12,350 (best selling model). Engine: 1.3-litre, common-rail turbodiesel with intercooler, 75bhp, 190Nm of torque from 1,750rpm.

Performance: 96mph, 0-62mph 16.5 seconds, 62.8mpg (44.3mpg actual), CO2 119g/km. VED Band B £35

Benefit in kind tax: 13%

Insurance group: 2. Dimensions/capacities: L 3,959mm, W 1,716mm, H 1,735mm, load volume 330-2,500-litres, braked towing weight 400kg

For: Small car with big car space, versatile passenger/load space, easy to drive, easy access, comfortable ride

Against: Front end styling, poor petrol engine, ESP not standard, high extra cost of diesel engine option

2011 Fiat 500 TwinAir

2011 Fiat 500 TwinAir







2011 Fiat 500 TwinAir sports car - Fiat introducing an innovative TwinAir two-cylinder 85 hp (900 cc), which will be marketed from next September,Fiat 500 TwinAir (sedan and convertible like).
The first of a new family of two-cylinder engines made by FPT - Fiat Powertrain Technologies, it implements the revolutionary MultiAir system combined with specific fluid dynamics optimized for maximum fuel efficiency. Furthermore, by taking the concept of downsizing to the extreme and masterfully tuning the basic mechanics, the new family – delivering from 65 to 105 HP – emits 30% less CO2 than an engine of equal performance.
Significantly the new Fiat TwinAir 85 HP two-cylinder engine will complement the many technological solutions already adopted by the Fiat 500 to contain consumption and emissions as demonstrated by the recent expansion of the engine range, now featuring a second-generation 1.3 MultiJet delivering power of up to 95 HP. With 8 injections per cycle, the 1.3 MultiJet II improves low rpm torque delivery by up to 38% and cuts CO2 emissions by 6%. Again with a focus on environmental protection, the Fiat 500 TwinAir (saloon and cabrio) is available with Start&Stop, the system which temporarily stops the engine and starts it again when the car is stationary with the engine idling: this reduces urban cycle average consumption by up to 12%. The principles of the Fiat 500 TwinAir range are also implemented in eco:Drive, innovative software for analyzing driving behavior and helping motorists optimize consumptions and emissions by using the USB port of the Blue&Me system.

2011 BMW M3 Carbon Limited Edition

2011 BMW M3 Carbon Limited Edition


2011 BMW M3 Carbon Limited Edition

2011 BMW M3 Carbon Limited Edition




Chinese customers love the limited edition model of good and BMW released a limited edition model for the Chinese customers the BMW M3 Carbon Fiber Limited Edition, and only 111 examples will be built at a price 1.23 million yuan (about U.S. $ 189,800). BMW M3 Carbon Fiber Limited Edition wear a carbon fiber inside and outside, while maintaining the mechanical hardware standard model intact. It is offered in pearl white metallic finish and comes with black contrasting stripes that run the full length of the body and car stickers with the name on the door.

Outside the BMW M3, we can find carbon fiber in the roof, and the BMW Performance parts that include aero splitter front lip, trunk spoiler and hood inlet. A set of gloss-black 19-inch alloy wheels round of the exterior upgrades. Move to the BMW M3 interior, dashboard and door panel trim get a piece of carbon fiber while the black leather seats feature carbon fiber material patterned with white stripes and piping.

2011 Brabus smart fortwo

2011 Brabus smart fortwo

2011 Brabus smart fortwo

2011 Brabus smart fortwo

2011 Brabus smart fortwo



The Brabus Smart Fortwo Unique, the most striking change Brabus and Brabus Xclusive lines, new wheel design in May on a single piece wheels VII. Two Brabus exhaust was changed. The decor is also in line with the new smart fortwo BRABUS changed inside. Dashboard now includes a new face. The function of the speed control is also a new option.
The Brabus Smart Fortwo Unique engines consume less fuel and emissions of a new generation of engines are more efficient than ever. BRABUS variant of the capacity of 72 kW to 75 kW. However, it is 119 grams of CO2 per 100 km (combined figure), a more powerful threshold of 120 grams.