Inside Lane
Issue 40
Paris 2012
Issue 40 It is finally here... The 2012 Paris motor show promised to be the most explosive French show yet, and boy, it didn’t disappoint! Everything from super minis to sports cars, 4X4’s to hydrogen power. The event even played host to what I described as “possibly the most incredible thing on wheels.” Of course I’m referring to the mighty McLaren F1’s successor, the MP1. It’s all here for you in our biggest issue ever. Enjoy!
French Connection
Can we possibly have any more competitors in the crossover segment at the moment? Though, who can blame manufacturers for jumping on a winning bandwagon in these tough economic times? Peugeot are set to enter the brawl with a production version of its Urban Crossover Concept car that it showed earlier this year. This may still be a concept but it is clearly much more production ready even donning Peugeot’s appropriate nameplate for the car. The 2008 aims to compete with the likes of the Nissan Juke and Mini Countryman, two cars that have taken a lot of sales in this relatively fresh sector of the market. This car is powered by a turbocharged 1.2 litre engine that produces an adequate 110BHP.
Lexus LF-CC
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Casting your mind back a decade, Lexus was a brand you associated with big luxury cars. The serene saloons that wafted along the road made for excellent business cruisers and limos. Today the brand has a much broader focus with their incredible LF-A supercar and aggressive F-Sport range. A smattering of interesting concepts have further shown the winds of change and what Lexus has brought to Paris this year is also of intrigue. Looking very much like a BMW 3 Series coupe rival, this concept car might not be all that far away from a production variation. Named the LF-CC Coupe, it previews the new IS range that will feature a coupe. Visually enticing, the concept is a real head turner and suggests that a more sporting nature to the brand will become commonplace. Power for this 2+2 comes courtesy of a four cylinder 2.5 litre engine as well as an electric motor. Lexus reckons is can get CO2 emissions produced by this car down to lower than 100g/km.
T t r a Sm
? ? ? g n i k n hi
The once very popular Smart brand are no longer
an electric motor that can muster 80BHP and 96lb-
the responsible for the majority of tiny little cars
ft of torque. Smart say that the Forstars top speed
hiding in big spaces. The Fortwo became much
is 81MPH. The battery can be charged using
like a fashion accessory, but just like every other
household sockets though no figures have been
craze it tends to fade away. Smart are looking to
produced saying just how long that will take.
the future and in their eyes that future needs a
Energy recovery methods are also incorporated in
series of tiny little electric cars.
extend the cars range.
In cooperation with Renault, Smart are set to
The most interesting feature of the Forstars is a
produce two electric cars that the French company
bonnet mounted projector. This allows the driver to
will also get in a different guise. This Forstars
park facing a black wall and project a film or any
Concept previews the future design language of
piece of media onto it. Think of this as the worlds
these cars. The micro-machine SUV is powered by
first electric mobile cinema.
Face-Lift
The hatchback market is an absolute war zone with manufacturers literally climbing over each other for sales in a very profitable area. In tough economic times you must squeeze every penny and make as many gains as you can. Ford’s Fiesta has long been the king of small hatchbacks but with competitors continuously looking to take that crown, the blue oval must work very hard to keep it. The current car is part way through its product lifecycle and so to keep things fresh Ford has revealed the new nip-and-tuck Fiesta. The refreshed car takes on Ford’s new design ethos and now carries that large grill and elongated lights. It does give the car a much sharper sportier look, no bad thing, adding to this little hatchbacks appeal to a young audience. Ford’s critically acclaimed 1.0 litre Eco Boost engine has been added to the range and is said to achieve 70MPG. Also a 1.5 litre diesel with 74BHP will be on offer. Deliveries begin the first day of 2013 but the much anticipated Fiesta ST will have to wait until March.
Topless Model
Catching the last of the summer sun? You had better get out there and make the most of it as winter is snapping at your heals with its icy jaws. What you need is a little hatchback that not only offers all of the practicality you’re used to, but has the ability to peel back its lid when those rare bursts of sunlight make it through the clouds. Citroen may just have something that ticks all of the boxes… Citroen’s hugely successful DS3 has seen glory not only in WRC but also in hatchback sales. The popular little car has really helped the French company relaunch the DS range withs great handling and future classic design. This is the new DS3 Cabrio and its cloth top means that when the weather is good, the sky really is the limit. Taking the same ethos of the Fiat 500, the fabric square retracts leaving all of the pillars in place to maintain rigidity. The DS3 Cabrio boasts that with the roof closed it is as quiet and refined as the standard car. Typically when a motor car goes roofless it gains a vast amount of weight in a bid to keep the chassis firm, but not this car. The weight gain is a mere 25KG, only 25% of what is considered normal according to Citroen. The DS3 Cabrio will be available early 2013.
A few years ago it was the case that Porsche were just about to acquire Volkswagen. How? Through some very sneaky tactics, however, this all fell through. The end result is now evident with VW completing their acquisition of Porsche last month. How long until parts sharing begins between the two? It has already started‌ This is the new Porsche Cayenne S diesel. The motor is a slightly tuned version of Audi’s twin-turbo 4.2 litre unit. Crammed into the front of the latest generation Porsche 4X4 it produces 377BHP as well as an astonishing 626lb-ft of torque. From a standing start to 62MPH it only takes this diesel V8 model 5.7 seconds. Top speed is pegged at 157MPH. We have no doubt that this is simply the beginning of VW sharing its parts bin with Porsche, but the bigger question is, what will VW take from Porsche?
Cayenne Gets Audi Power
Peugeot are going through a really tough time at the moment. Withdrawal from the stock markets doesn’t inspire confidence or show the outside world that things are all rosy. The French company recently withdrew from the Le Mans 24 Hour series that they had a real chance of winning. Team members were literally told at the airport on their way to the first tests in Spa to “pack up and go home.” Peugeot spent a lot of time and money developing a car that never went racing, but at least that technology has found a home in this new concept car.
Striking isn’t it? This is the Peugeot Onyx Concept and in short it is a Le Mans racing car with a highly sculpted body placed on top. The exterior is all about design as it makes uses of raw unfinished materials. See those copper colored panels? Well, they are actually made of copper. The vast majority of the car is made from carbon fibre to reduce weight and on that same note glass has been replaced with in acrylic substitute. Inside the cockpit is made out of mainly recycled materials. The Onyx is powered by a 3.7 litre V8 Hybrid motor that produces 600BHP. KERS also features in this car and can produce an additional 80BHP at the push of a button.
Of course this car will never make production but at least it is good to see that even in tough times Peugeot can still make a grand entrance to their home motor show.
Peugeot have a strong tradition of consistently
they have given the hatchback an extra injection of
producing some of the most exciting and
power. The new steed is capable of managing 0 to
exhilarating sports hatches around. None more so
62mph in less than 7 seconds thanks to its punchy
than the original all-conquering 205 GTi, the car
200bhp 1.6 litre THP petrol engine. This little
that squeezed an insane amount of fun in to such
powerhouse delivers a pounding 203 lb ft of
a small package, setting the tone for sports
torque, funnelled through a reworked exhaust
hatches for years to come. It is incredible to think
system which promises to offer some top quality
that the 205 GTi was blowing minds over 25 years
ear candy. The GTi features several other
ago but for those of us suddenly coming over all
enhancements over and above the standard model
sentimental Peugeot have lined up something a
including a close-ratio six speed gearbox, firmer
little bit special for next year. All stand for the
steering settings, new springs and shock
Peugeot 208 GTi.
absorbers and an anti-roll bar. The suspension and wheels are also specific to this latest GTi but it is
Peugeot want to take the same values that made
not just the inner workings that have been
the 205 GTi so successful and transplant them in
overhauled by Peugeot’s performance gurus.
to the 208, launched in June 2012, so for starters
GTi Less noticeable is the slightly wider body,
whilst the instrument panel glitters in chrome,
10mm at the front and 20mm at the rear, and
encircled by red LEDs. The vents, touchscreen,
the extended sills and wings, however it is the
dashboard, steering wheel and seat belts all
3D chequered flag-style mesh on the gloss
blend in with the same interior scheme.
black grille that really jumps out at you and
Proudly bearing the GTi logo, in yet more
screams GTi. The gloss black theme continues
sparkling chrome with red highlights, the 208
with the rear skirt just above the chrome
GTi, due for release in spring 2013, clearly
double exhaust, whilst another chrome strip
thinks that it can talk the talk and walk the
gracefully slopes down the lower edge of the
walk. It better be right, because somewhere in
rear window.
that great used car dealership in the sky a certain other Peugeot GTi is watching intently,
The interior is dominated by red, black and
waiting for its legacy to be upheld. No pressure
more chrome with red GTi stitching throughout,
then Peugeot‌.
BMW’s Revolution When you think of BMW cars what do you perceives as being typical? A broad shouldered machine either coupe or saloon? A good dose of power? Rear wheel drive? Well times are changing and so is BMW. They are still a producer of premium products but 4×4’s and hatchbacks have been on the menu of a while now. Rear wheel drive used to be their entire ethos but that all changes with this very important concept. The BMW Concept Active Tourer is the worlds first BMW to receive front wheel drive. This is a very big change for the German brand with every BMW car since 1928 excluding front drive. BMW’s new concept is powered by a turbocharged 1.5 litre three cylinder engine which it shares with the up and coming BMW i8. The engine is paired with an electric motor that can power the rear wheels. This combination allows for a 0-62MPH time of 8 seconds, a top speed of 120MPH, and 113MPG to be possible. The total power output of the car is 187BHP. The Active Tourer will likely see production as the 1 Series GT at some point in the future.
“Yet Another Mini Adventure...” Sales are king in the automotive world, especially when less people are willing to splash out on a brand new car. Continuously seeking to increase the figure that represents cars sold, manufacturers are getting creative with new models. We have 4X4’s that are small, hatchbacks that are huge, saloons pretending to be sports cars and now Mini getting its Countryman to act like a coupe. Mini’s long awaited Paceman is a coupe variation of the successful Countryman. The high riding three door does appear rather handsome, but that steeply raked roofline equates to a 20 litre drop in boot capacity. As with every Mini there will be many different flavors of the Paceman starting with the Cooper 1.6 petrol and progressing to the Cooper S with 181BHP. The Cooper S is available with all wheel drive and can hit 62MPH in a brisk 7.5 seconds. On the diesel front there is the Cooper D offering 64.2MPG and the SD that boasts 141BHP along with 225lb-ft of torque. As with all Mini’s on sale today it is all about image and so I think this new car will play nice with the fashion conscious. This lower more sculpted Mini starts at £18,970.
The Future?
In a world where we are going to run out of the worlds most used resource, oil, you would think the boffins would hurry up and create a solution to our dependance on the black stuff. Whatever your opinion on the environment it will be an issue that we all have to address as fuel cost sore. Hydrogen power has many benefits including zero emissions other than water and the fact that hydrogen is an abundant source in our universe. Nissan made big strides with the Leaf but now want to combine that technology with another that is likely to find its way into your car at some point in the future. Named the Nissan Terra Concept, this all wheel drive crossover uses an electric motor derived from the Leaf to power the front wheels and two smaller electric motors to power the rear wheels individually. The revolution comes from the implementation of a hydrogen powered engine that in turn powers the electric motors. Other interesting features found on this rather angular concept are a set of suicide doors as well as seats that appear to have come from the USS Enterprise.
We’ve been expecting you... It’s looking an awful lot like civil war over in Germany with 3 big brands battling it out for supremacy. The latest backdrop for these premium badges to do battle is the hot-hatch market. BMW have their weapon, and Mercedes-Benz will also be coming out to play. What will Audi send out into the wilderness as their combatant? The answer is the all-new S3. Taking on the established rivals, not to mention undisputed champions such as the Megane R.S. and Focus ST, this car will have to pack quite a punch. Luckily Audi hasn’t underestimated the scale of their challenge and so the new S3 comes equipped with 296BHP. All of that power comes thanks to the 2.0 litre turbocharged motor under the bonnet. With the aid of 280lbft of torque and an optional S-tronic dual clutch gear box it will get to 62MPH from standing in just 5.1 seconds. Top speed is electronically limited to 155MPH. Watch out top dogs, there is a new contender in the ring.
An MC Stradale is not some form of Italian rapper who works for Maserati. It is in fact the rang topping GranTurismo model revealed last year. Packing more aggression into that beautiful Italian bodywork produced a fantastic balance of track performance and GT refinement. Now Maserati are offer the very same package but with a little bit more “blue sky thinking.� This brute is the Maserati GranCabrio MC. In effect it is the Stradale minus the roof. Power comes from a 4.7 litre V8 that cranks out 454BHP and 384lb-ft of torque. Those numbers are translated into action via a six speed automatic gearbox. Unlike its coupe counterpart, this MC can seat for as opposed to two occupants. Its more aggressive body and smatterings of carbon fibre are sure to make this car a sales success when it hits showrooms in early 2013.
Maserati GranCabrio MC
SHOCKING
The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG is a biblical machine. It has all the theatrics of a supercar with that elongated bonnet, gullwing doors and not to mention bellowing V8. But imagine what such a car would be like if you took away its voice. The 6.2 litre motor is very much the beating heart of this car and so when Mercedes announced an all-electric variant I wasn’t too sure. Well, whatever drama has been deducted by that missing V8 has been replaced by 740BHP. That’s right, this electric car outguns its petrol counterpart in the power department, a first for any plug-in. Sending those ponies to all four wheels whilst churning out 738lb-ft of torque means that the much heavier Electric Drive can get to 62MPH in the same 3.8 seconds it takes the petrol. Charging this SLS via the mains will take 20 hours but this can be reduced by 3 hours with the aid of a quick charge station. There is no doubt that this car represents a massive leap forward for electric cars in terms of performance and desirability, however, it will cost you… €416,500 to be exact!
From Ugly Duckling...
To Swan... The Porsche Panamera is a brilliant machine in terms of its function. The super saloon goes like a bat out of hell whilst accommodating more than two adults in high levels of luxury. As a piece of engineering it is beautiful. As a piece of design? The vast majority would liken it to Frankenstien’s monster, however, the Paris motor show sets the scene for a transformation.
The long awaited “shooting brake” variant of the Panamera has made its debut. Named the Sport Turismo, this concept reveals what the production version is set to look like. Its gorgeously sculpted body really is a work of art. Under the bonnet is a 333BHP V6 that is paired with a 95BHP plug-in electric motor. Despite its good dosage of power the concept can achieve emissions of under 82g/km. Inside the maze of knobs and switches has been replaced with a touch screen display that is mounted to a steep center console.
“The King is Dead... LONG LIVE THE KING!”
In the automotive world today there are many bi-words for performance. R, F, Z, VXR, RenaultSport, MPS and so on. However, all of these are mere children to the badge that is the daddy of them all. GTI. The GTI insignia in no more at home than when sitting on a Volkswagen Golf. The hot hatchback became a legend and now that VW have revealed the all-new MK7 Golf, that legend is reborn. Making its debut in concept form, this Golf GTI does not stray too far from what the finished product will look like. Packing 230BHP, considerably less than many key rivals sat at 300BHP, from a 2.0 litre turbocharged engine the new car sticks close to a familiar recipe. With those new “bad boy” looks the new GTI hasn’t lost any of its appeal, if anything it has gained some with the added bonus of being able to achieve 47.1MPG. The real question is… Can the old king of the hill take on the latest batch of ASBO endusers and win?
The Aston Martin DB9 has been around for eight years now and though it is no less of a car than when it was new, we can’t wait to see what will replace it. Aston rolled out their all-new Vanquish earlier this year and so at the very least an updated DB9 was due. Making its debut at the Paris motor show this is the 2013 DB9. Looks familiar doesn’t it? In essence this car is something of a greatest hits album. Not much is all-new but it takes all of the best bits from the DB9 lineage to produce what appears to be a machine of great value. It’s front fascia has been transplanted directly from the now absent Virage and the rear is almost identical to the discontinued DBS. The engine is the same 5.9 litre V12 we know and love but the power output is now 510BHP accompanied by 457lb-ft of torque. Pricing starts from £131,995 (including the now standard carbon brakes) making it £18,000 cheaper than the Virage that only sold just over 1,000 units despite offering all of this performance. 0-62 in the 2013 DB9 can be completed in 4.6 seconds and it will go onto a top speed of 183MPH.
2013 DB9
B
n i r l ue p
e h t f o t
e r u Fu t
P1
The announcement of McLarens successor to the biblical F1 supercar of the 90’s last week got me more excited than any other car launch that I can remember. The P1 was unleashed in the form of 3 images and nothing else as the worlds media went into overdrive with speculation. It has been 20 years since McLaren have built a road car of this caliber. Can the P1 become a legend much like the car that preceded it?
The striking visuals of this car just blow you away. Any critics who say it is just like the MP4-12C and is too safe in terms of its design, can go and take a running jump. It’s aggressive in its assault on the eyes, barging into your retinas in all of its orange glory. New images reveal that the P1 sports a large rear wing that was stowed away inside its shrink rapped body. The press release stated that this car thanks, in part to that wing, can produce 600KG of downforce, that is 12X more than the current MP4-12C and almost on par with a GT3 racing car! The wing is deployable and also uses an F1 inspired DRS (drag reduction system) that alters the angle of the wing at higher speeds to reduce drag. Active aerodynamics can be found all over the car inside ducts and particularly at the front end. Another trick the P1 has up its sleeve to improve downforce is a banned Formula One technology. Ground effect uses sills and the underside of the car to create a vacuum that sucks the machine to the ground improving downforce and thus grip. All of the same equipment used to design an F1 car was used to build the McLaren P1in a bid to make it the fastest supercar to ever lap a track. Obviously a key focus was the cars weight and thanks to an entirely carbon fibre body structure the power to weight ratio is over 600BHP per tonne. Just like the F1, many exotic materials such as gold have been used inits construction. McLaren will reveal the finished production version next spring along with full technical details. The P1 is set to cost from £700,000-£800,000.
50 Years In The Making
It has been 51 very long years since the Jaguar E-Type blew peoples minds both in terms of performance and design. “The most beautiful car in the world” commented the legendary Enzo Ferrari… Low, sleek and fast! The E-Type was the quickest car money could by when it was new and was by far the most technologically advanced. In 1974 it met its end and with no successor in place the world forgot what a performance focused Jaguars were all about. But now after months of being teased, here is the Jaguar FType. Well Jaguar certainly got the styling right! It is achingly beautiful, particularly looking at it from its short sloping rear. This car more than rekindles old fires, it sticks a lump of plastic explosive into the mix. Brimming with the latest technology, the cockpit is extremely driver focused and enjoys the fantastic Jaguar design elements from its siblings. The F-Type comes in three flavors; F-Type, F-Type S and the F-Type V8 S. The all aluminium body comes only as a convertible, a couple will follow at a later date. The F-Type and F-Type S are powered by Jaguars new supercharged 3.0 litre V6 that produces 380BHP and 339lb-ft of torque. The V8 S uses, you guessed it, a V8. The supercharged 5.0 litre cranks out 495BHP and 460lb-ft of torque. 0-60MPH in the V8 is done and dusted in just 5.2 seconds, not to mention its electronically limited top speed of 186MPH. To be priced below the Porsche 911, the F-Type has indeed matched the hype.
Jaguar F-Type