Wednesday, March 31, 2010

New Megane Coupe Cabriolet With Elegant

New Megane Coupe Cabriolet With Elegant
New Mégane Coupé-Cabriolet completes the renewal style of the New Mégane family which is built on the strengths that forged the success of its predecessor. Its new appearance is supported by the large folding glass roof, high-gloss finish, black glass roof contrasts with the satin-effect chrome windscreen frame exterior, and the dark red taillights featuring a linear lighting pattern and LED brake lights to provide a distinctive rear lighting character.
With it’s new style, New Mégane Coupé-Cabriolet goes further by offering customers with unruffled open-top motoring supported by the forward position of the windscreen and a fixed glass, outstanding handling performance with a stiffer chassis and a new electric power steering system, and a broad choice of efficient and eco-friendly powertrains including the all-new automatic EDC (Efficient Dual Clutch) transmission.

Sunday, March 28, 2010

1/64 Volkswagen Beetles PART 1

Always been a fan of the old and new Beetles. Here are some of my 1/64 Beetles =)
Enjoy! Various brands: Hotwheels, Realtoy, Maisto, Matchbox..







Friday, March 26, 2010

Jaguar XJ220 Updated Pics

Jaguar XJ220 Updated Picsjaguar-xj220-1

British auto-maker, Jaguar, has this week finally confirmed that it will build a spiritual successor to the legendary E-Type. Revealed to UK car mag Auto Express, the company has given the green light to production of a two-seat sports car to rival the Porsche Boxster.

The long-awaited development is a result of substantial investment being ploughed into the marque by new owners Tata over the next five years. Tata chief executive, Carl-Peter Foster, has confirmed that a sports car is in the final stages of design.

Speaking to Auto Express about the company's chief designer, he said: "Ian Callum has been working on some ideas along these lines and we like what we see. We are at the clay model stage, tweaking the idea here and there."

The new model will sit below the XK in the Jaguar range and be designed to be more driver-focussed than the current grand-tourer.

Smaller in size, it is expected to bear a close family resemblance to the XK incorporating an elongated oval mesh grill at the nose and latest Jaguar design hallmarks from the sculpted hood to the sleek, new-style Jag headlights.

Up front there's expected to be one of Jaguar's latest powerplants such as the 5.0 litre V8 available across the company's range including the power-boosted XF-R and XK-R models, leaving open the option of a exciting, range-topping 'R' version.

Predicted to debut in around 18 months time, Jaguar sources say that it will be priced to compete with premium sports class leaders like the BMW Z4, Audi TT RS, Mercedes SLK AMG as well as Porsche Boxster and Cayman.

The news comes as the UK-based company has also revealed plans to build on the achievements of its XF model by expanding the range to include estate and coupe versions.

Buoyed by successfully competing for premium executive sales with the dominant German marques, an XF coupe would expand the fight to the highly-regarded Audi A5 and BMW 3-series.

However, Jaguar remains tight-lipped on the prospects for a rumoured new XJ220 style supercar to take on the Audi R8.

The company's revival has so far seen the all-new XK, XF and, this year, XJ models hit the roads. Fans of the classic British marque will no doubt be excited to see that the trend is set to continue.


Saturday, March 13, 2010

A Tribute to RALLIART (MMC)



Being a Mitsubishi fan, it's very sad to hear that it's subsidiary, RALLIART will be winding down. It's them who brought Lancer Evolutions to fame in the world of rally. Besides that Proton rally cars also used RALLIART tune parts in their cars. Hope to see it resurface again one day.





The below quote is extracted from Paultan.org

“The business circumstance surrounding our company radically became worse and so, this time we have reached the conclusion that we Ralliart Inc, would scale down our business activities as of the end of March 2010,” according to Ralliart Inc’s president Masao Taguchi, in a “farewell letter” to customers, which you can read for yourself after the jump.

Partial Cease of Business Activities along with Ralliart Inc’s
Business Scale Down
Ralliart Inc (President Masao Taguchi) has announced as follows.

Dear all of our customers ,

First of all, we much appreciate for your usual patronage to our company.
Our company have done the various activities relating motorsport with the support of many people since the establishment in April,1984 so far. However, because of the sudden change of economy situation since the year before last, the business circumstance surrounding our company radically became worse and so, this time we have reached the conclusion that we Ralliart Inc., would scale down our business activities as of the end of March 2010.

Along with the scale down of our business activities this time, we would cease the following business and operation which we have done so far. We would like to express our sincere apology to all of customers though we would make you much inconveniences.

Meanwhile, we wish you a continuous support to Ralliart family and entrants driving Mitsubishi cars who play an active part all over the world.

Items which would cease our business and operation along with our business scale down;

1. Support to motorsport customers(Support to the participation, Technical Support, and Awarding of Mitsubishi/Ralliart Driver of the Year)
2. New Planning, Development and Merchandize of Ralliart products (Except FIA VO parts) :*1
3. Information of new products and dispatching motorsport information(at web):*2

*1 FIA VO parts development and those application work shall be done by Mitsubishi Motors Corporation as it is.
*2 FIA Group-N information shall be open at the web site of Mitsubishi Motors Corporation.

Date of the cease: 1st April, 2010

Friday, March 12, 2010

1/64 CMS Mitsubishi Rally Cars SS.7



Been targeting all the Mitsu's for quite some time already but all of them are sold separately at a high price. Lucky for me I found this set quite cheap from Ebay HK and bought it. This package consist of
1) Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution Safari Rally
2) Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution II Swedish Rally
3) Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution III Swedish Rally
4) Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 6.5 Monte Carlo
5) Mitsubishi Lancer WRC05 Monte Calro
6) Mitsubishi Lancer WRC2 Finland
7) Mitsubishi Galant VR4 Safari








Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Toyota Motor By three Japan- automotive suppliers searched by FBI

Toyota Motor By three Japan-  automotive suppliers searched by FBI

In connection with an international anti-trust investigation, FBI agents searched the US headquarters of three Japan-based automotive suppliers that have ties to Toyota Motor Corp.

Special agent Sandra Burchtold said that last Tuesday, the searches were conducted on Denso Corp. in Southfield, Yazaki North America Inc. in Canton, and Tokai Rika Group North America in Plymouth. Gina Talamona, deputy director of public affairs for the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., said that the anti-trust division is conducting a probe over alleged anti-competitive cartel conduct of automotive electronic components suppliers.

Talamona added that this probe is being done in coordination with the European Commission and other foreign competition authorities. Talamona declined to give more details.

The Wall Street Journal had a talk with Toyota spokeswoman Cindy Knight, who said that the company is trying to determine why the FBI is probing the three suppliers.

She said that the Toyota has “limited information about the scope of the investigation.” She clarified that the authorities have not contacted Toyota.

Meanwhile, Bridgette LaRose-Gollinger, senior public relations specialist at Denso, announced that the search was related to alleged violations of US anti-trust law and that Denso is fully cooperating with the investigation.

New 2010 BMW Z4 GT3 - six-speed sequential gearbox

New 2010 BMW Z4 GT3 - six-speed sequential gearbox

These are the first photos of the BMW Z4 GT3. Priced at about 298,000 euros, the car will be available starting the second quarter of the year. The GT3 version of the German roadster will be made available to private teams who will enter the FIA GT3 European Championship, International GT Open and the ADAC GT Masters.

The GT version of the Z4 is equipped with a 4.0l V8 engine found on the M3, which makes it produce 480 bhp. Reining in the power is a six-speed sequential gearbox. Other features include Type-408 racing ECU and a Power400 Control Unit, Racing ABS and air conditioning. Sources say that Schubert Motorsport is the first team to have tested it at the Paul Ricard test track in France. The Z4 GT will make its first entry in the Silverstone FIA GT3 series on May 2. The car can enter a wide array of GT3 championships, but it’s probable that it will be seen more often in the FIA European GT3 championship.