Tesla Roadster picture - Wallpaper

Picture file under http://www.motorauthority.com/news/reviews/
first-drive-teslas-all-electric-roadster/

2010 Saturn Aura / Opel Insignia - Car News

BY JENS MEINERS
Article file under http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/
hot_lists/car_shopping/ latest_news_reviews/
2010_saturn_aura_opel_insignia_car_news




Details are emerging on the Opel Insignia, which is essentially the next-generation 2010 Saturn Aura for North America. The Insignia replaces the Vectra in the Opel lineup and will be the first model from GM’s new Global Midsize Vehicle Architecture (formerly known as Epsilon), giving us a clear look at GM’s future mid-size car lineup.




In an unusual move, Opel and Vauxhall (the badge-engineered British sister brand) are touting the Insignia with official pictures and information in advance of the official unveiling scheduled to take place at the London auto show on July 22.

Opel needs to create some buzz, what with the stylish new Ford Mondeo grabbing customers from the current Vectra which has seen its sales plummet. In North America, GM has been tight-lipped about the pending Insignia, as the current Aura is still relatively fresh, sales are decent, and the Saturn has a more modern look than the more-dated Vectra upon which it was based.

The Insignia is a global vehicle, styled and engineered in Rüsselsheim, Germany, with the Aura and the U.S. market in mind—and as such is more portly than its predecessor. Besides the sedan pictured in our gallery, there will be an Insignia hatchback—as that is a popular body style in Europe and it is growing on North Americans—but the hatch may not make it stateside. In early 2009, an Insignia station wagon will be added, but we do not expect an Aura wagon. GM is trying to jump-start the dormant U.S. wagon market with its cool, upcoming Cadillac CTS wagon. The Signum, Opel’s Vectra-based and Malibu Maxx–like attempt at a roomier family and executive car, won’t get a successor.

We are pleased to see virtually no trace of the old Vectra in the sporty and rakish styling of the new Insignia, with a blade line that runs from the front doors to the rear and wraps around the rear bumper. The V-shaped hood recalls the upscale Opel Senator and Monza models from the late 1970s.

European pedestrian protection regulation requires more space between the sheetmetal and engine, and thus the Insignia/Aura is nine inches longer than the Vectra it replaces, at 190 inches, but the wheelbase grew less than two inches. Judging from mildly disguised prototypes spotted negotiating Swiss mountain passes this spring, the design team around Mark Adams, GM Europe's design chief, has successfully concealed those protruding overhangs.

2009 Ford Ka, Revealed!

Article file under http://jalopnik.com/394184/2009-ford-ka-revealed




After what feels like the world's longest production run — in reality a mere 12 years (seriously!) — the Ford Ka is finally getting an all-new model, and here's the car doing the replacing. As we reported way back in 2005, the 2009 Ford Ka will be based on the Fiat 500 in a bit of magical platform prostitution, and though that's a good start, the 500 definitely has some room for improvement.





We hope Ford has worked its small car suspension magic on the little bugger cause the 63 HP 1.2-liter, 100 HP 1.4-liter gas and 75 HP 1.3-liter Multijet diesel engines won't set the world on fire in the same way a tossable chassis can.



This new car is slated to debut later this year at the 2008 Paris Auto Show and will do nothing if not provide fodder for the rumors of a new, 150 HP ST model. Since we can't help but love compact hot hatches this rumor-shrouded version has us looking up gray market importers, but we'll just have to wait to see if that pans out first. Since Ford hates US dollars, don't expect it to see American streets any time soon

Ferrari F90

Article file under http://www.supercars.net/
index-6-2008NewLayout.html#597



Design Sketches and more from Fumia Design
In our forum thread on the Brunei collection, attention has recently focused on the Ferrari F90. New images and details have surfaced that warrant a definitive article.



This project was one of the first Ferraris that was made for the Sultan in 1988. He specially ordered the car from Pininfarina based on the Testarossa. Enrico Fumia was responsible for F90's design which was more outrageous than anything Ferrari would dare produce. As many know, he ordered his cars in bulk and in this case six F90s were made.



For years only one of the F90 studio shots surfaced on a poster. Today, we have more images and details available than ever before. If you want to see everything we have on this one, including a picture of the black F90, have a look at our thread by Bassman.

Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 Edition Roadster First Spy Photos

By Brian Potter
Article file under http://www.worldcarfans.com/9080808.006/
mercedes-slr-mclaren-722-edition-roadster-first-spy-photos



As SLR production comes to an end in 2009, it appears Mercedes McLaren are scrambling to compensate poor sales with yet another SLR variant in the form of a 722 Edition Roadster. Joining the already long list of variants which include the 650hp / 478kW SLR 722 Edition, SLR 722 GT, SLR Roadster and the final SLR Speedster currently in development, the 722 Roadster seems like a desperate attempt.





In these spy photos, which appear to be taken outside of an AMG facility, judging by all of the Mercedes-AMG models littering the street, we can see an SLR Roadster carrying all of the visual cues distinctive of the SLR 722 Edition. They include palladium grey 19-inch forged-aluminium wheels, clear coat painted carbon fiber front lip spoiler, red brake calipers and the large brake discs. Also the black-painted air outlets on the bonnet, not to mention the palladium grey-trimmed taillight clusters.

Lotus Evora Continues Testing at Nurburgring

By Clinton Deacon
Atricle file under http://www.worldcarfans.com/9080814.002/
lotus-evora-continues-testing-at-nurburgring-ahead-of-launch



It may have already had its worldwide unveiling at the British Motor Show, but that does not mean the work of engineers is over. Caught once again by our resident Spy photographer, here is the Lotus Evora in it's full glory, shed of all the annoying camoflage its great to actually see what the model looks like on the road.




A far cry from its pure performance orientated models currently found in their line-up, the Evora focuses on a much wider market with its 2+2 layout. Inside we find the model is packed full of “lifestyle” features such as leather seats, on-board tyre pressure monitoring, air-conditioning, airbags, Alpine multi-media system, satellite navigation.

Toyota provide the power under the hood with it's mid-positioned 280PS all-alloy 2GR-FE 3.5-litre V6 engine. Bilstein/Eibach suspension, 18inch front and 19inch back wheels and a low dry weight of just 1350kg contribute towards some admirable performance figures. Acceleration from standstill to 60mph takes less than 5 seconds, the top speed lies at 160mph and it still manages a fuel consumption figure of more than 30mpg.

Full performance and specification figures are yet to be announced, but with another six months worth of testing and development required we will have to be patient.

2009 Volkswagen Passat CC

By Marc Noordeloos
Article file under http://www.automobilemag.com/new_and_future_cars/
2009/0807_2009_volksagen_passat_cc/index.html




Volkswagen is desperate to have a player in the near-luxury market to battle cars such as the Acura TL. The eight-cylinder W8 version of the last-generation Passat was a failure. The current Passat sedan doesn't cut it, either, because it no longer feels like a bargain Audi (as did its predecessor), and it doesn't drive as keenly as other German sedans. VW nonetheless wants to move upmarket and keep customers from leaving the brand, but so far, it has had little luck in doing so. Its upcoming Routan, a rehash of Chrysler's minivan, is one attempt to retain VW buyers, and the four-door, four-seat version of the Passat you see here is another.




The "comfort coupe" (hence the CC name) is slightly longer and wider than the Passat sedan and is two inches lower. Open the doors, and you're greeted by four bucket seats. Rear-seat comfort is very good if you're not much taller than six feet. Surprisingly, trunk space doesn't take a hit, and folding rear seats are retained. A relatively large sunroof is optional, but it only tilts; we'd like to see a full-length glass roof, which could enhance the car's upmarket aspirations while adding light to the rear of the cabin. An excellent new touch-screen navigation system and an impressive 600-watt Dynaudio stereo with a 30-gigabyte hard drive are also optional.

Some other new technologies will not come to America. The most notable of these is Lane Assist, which uses a small camera in the windshield to read road markings; at speeds above 40 mph, the CC will actively turn the steering wheel, keeping the car in its lane. It works well and is smooth and unobtrusive. To answer your next question - no, you can't just sit there and read the morning paper while you're heading down the highway, because the system turns off when you remove your hands from the wheel. Not surprisingly, VW of America says that Lane Assist hasn't earned the approval of its legal department.

We spent most of our test drive in a German-market, top-spec CC equipped with VW's 300-hp VR6, a dual-clutch automatic (DSG), and the new, more advanced 4Motion all-wheel-drive system. As with the U.S.-spec Passat sedan and wagon, we'll get a slightly detuned (by 20 hp) version of this engine hitched to a conventional automatic and either front- or all-wheel drive. U.S. buyers also can choose a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with either a manual or an automatic sending power to the front wheels. VW maintains that, in larger vehicles, Americans prefer the more sedate nature of a regular automatic to the sporting focus of a dual-clutch gearbox.

Get behind the wheel of the CC, and within a few miles, it's clear that this is no ordinary Passat. While hardly a sport sedan, the CC has a smooth, elegant demeanor when it's driven below six- or seven-tenths. It is also buttoned-down, with good body control, even at speeds above 120 mph. Where the regular Passat always feels like a family car, the CC has a special air about it, and its extroverted design inspires onlookers to stare and to whip out camera phones, even in a typically reserved country like Germany. Final driving impressions will have to wait until U.S.-market cars are available, since our Euro test vehicle featured three-way adjustable dampers that aren't coming to America.

In the end, the CC is VW's best effort yet to retain near-luxury customers, especially when you consider the car's pricing. The base, 2.0-liter turbo CC will start at about $27,000 when sales begin this fall. The four-seat Passat might not reward the keen driver (we don't see GTI owners graduating to the CC), but we can't name another four-door car that offers this much curb appeal for the price.

2009 Ford Focus Coupe-Cabriolet

By David Yochum
Article file under http://www.automobilemag.com/auto_shows/
2008_geneva/0802_2009_ford_focus_coupe_cabriolet/index.html



Arriving at a high-school prom, it's hard to miss the popular girls - stunning in their ruby dresses, hair twirled high enough to expose delectable silver hoops.




Now, imagine bringing the other prom date - outfitted in the same jeans and Abercrombie tee she wore last Tuesday.But no worries, Jenny did throw on the latest shade from Maybelline.

Like that embarrassing prom partner, the restyled North American Ford Focus (with Sync) is the date you reluctantly hold hands with, while across the dance floor, Ford Europe gets the goods - a Focus RS high-performance model and now an all-new Focus Coupe-Cabriolet.

It just doesn't seem fair.

Debuting at the 2008 Geneva Motor Show, the Focus Coupe-Cabriolet parades Pininfarina design, a new front end, and, of course, a retractable hardtop. Inside the Italian-flavored body, Ford says the Coupe-Cabriolet makes use of high quality finishes, hard-wearing materials, and a new "binocular"-style instrument cluster.

Power for the Focus Coupe-Cabriolet will come from a choice of three engines: a base 100-hp, 1.6-liter Duratec engine; a peppy 2.0-liter with 145 hp; and a 2.0-liter TDCi diesel good for 136 hp.

As with other European Focus models, the Coupe-Cabriolet can be ordered with options such as keyless start and entry, a navigation system, and a tire-pressure monitoring system. A "sport" pack offers buyers an upgraded suspension, special 17-inch alloy wheels, and tinted headlamp housings, while a "Titanium" option package gives buyers leather seats.

Hopefully, European Focus buyers will tell their North American counterparts what a great prom experience is like.

Process your video, copy, cut and save with VirtualDub

I found this software is very interesting, easy to cut and save video file, make it short and small.



Sample screen as above

Click HERE TO Download.

VirtualDub is a video capture/processing utility for 32-bit Windows platforms (95/98/ME/NT4/2000/XP), licensed under the GNU General Public License (GPL). It lacks the editing power of a general-purpose editor such as Adobe Premiere, but is streamlined for fast linear operations over video.

It has batch-processing capabilities for processing large numbers of files and can be extended with third-party video filters. VirtualDub is mainly geared toward processing AVI files, although it can read (not write) MPEG-1 and also handle sets of BMP images.

2008 Miss Tuning Calender

Article file under http://www.worldcarfans.com/3080505.002/
2008-miss-tuning-calender

Maserati Releases Video of New Quattroporte & Quattroporte S

By Brian Potter
Article file under http://www.worldcarfans.com/9080708.006/
maserati-releases-video-of-new-quattroporte--quattroporte-s

Maserati unveiled their facelifted Quattroporte along with a new sporty Quattroporte S and now follow up with a seductive video.



Allowing the viewer to really absorb the voluptuousness of the Quattroporte, the video consists of zooming static and panning shots of the exterior/interior and well orchestrated shadow play. Enjoy!

Jaguar XK60 Special Edition

By Thami Masemola
Article file under http://www.worldcarfans.com/9080723.005/
jaguar-xk60-special-edition

Sixty years after Jaguar created what was then one of the most beautiful cars on the planet, the XK120, the company is launching a very limited edition XK to be badged XK60 in recognition of those years. A few style-enhancing changes will be seen in the XK. The 20-inch Senta alloy wheels, special tail pipes, different front spoiler and chrome side vents are a few.




Mechanically the car remains the same, using Jaguar’s old trusted mill of 4.2-litres in displacement and 8 cylinders in size. There’s 298PS and 411Nm underneath that car. It uses the 6-speed automatic – housed inside a special alloy gear knob and selector surround – to move past 60mph in 5.9 seconds for the coupe and 6.0 seconds for the convertible.

Prices are: Coupe £60,995; Convertible £66,995 and only the UK will get it

Vauxhall Corsa VXR Arctic Edition Announced

By Brian Potter
Article file under http://www.worldcarfans.com/9080717.004/
vauxhall-corsa-vxr-arctic-edition-announced




Along with the help from the most successful team of the modern BTCC era, VX Racing, Vauxhall has revealed the Corsa VXR Arctic Edition which will make its debut next week at the British Motor Show in London. Only 500 Corsa VXR Arctic Editions will be sold in the UK sporting a unique Glacier White exterior colour, bespoke black 18-inch V-spoke alloy wheels with ultra-low profile 225/35 tyres and a Remus Sports exhaust. Arctic Editions also get an electrically operated sliding glass sunroof with interior blind, dark tinted rear windows and a black-painted roof and door mirrors.






As a result of the Remus sport exhaust, Vauxhall claims the power output is increased by 15PS over the standard Corsa VXR's 1.6-litre turbocharged engine which produces 192PS. At £16,995, the Arctic Edition is just £995 more than the standard Corsa VXR and is on sale now.

Vauxhall has also taken the opportunity to include the all new VXR8 LS3 in Heron White, which is a new colour. Fitted with the new 6.2-litre LS3 V8 Corvette engine, producing 431PS, it achieves 0-60mph time of just 4.9 seconds.