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Cure Your Diabetes
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
BMW 5 Series GT Concept Officially Revealed
Article file under http://www.worldcarfans.com
The BMW 5-series Gran Turismo Concept is all about the "driving experience." At least, that is the theme BMW wants to strike with this car and what inspired its creation in the first place.
The 5-series Gran Turismo Concept is a Progressive Activity Sedan. BMW like to come up with their own category names for vehicles. They chose to categorize the X6 not as an SUV but as an SAV (Sport Activity Vehicle). So here comes a Progressive Activity Sedan.
What is it supposed to be?
Well, many elements are present here. There's the luxury sedan-level elegance and comfort of the 7-Series balanced with the sporty, outdoors-yness of the X6 as well. It's a concept, so there are few details on power plants and transmissions and lots of talk about style and design. The photos do tell most of the story.
The Gran Turismo is a four-door, four-seat coupe, a design that has become somewhat of a fashion of late. But the rear seats fold down to give this grand tourer 1650 liters of luggage space well-suited to the wanderer in you. And the Panorama glass roof provides the sense of openness you want to feel on the road.
By naming this vehicle a Gran Turismo BMW is looking to re-establish the iconic ideal of the Gran Turismo as a comfy coupe meant for traveling in style. It remains to be seen if this BMW will fly as an actual production model. But they've been known to try stranger things and succeed at it.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
2009 Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class
Articles under www.edmunds.com
Performance
The rear-wheel-drive 2009 Mercedes-Benz SLK55 AMG is powered by a 5.4-liter V8 that pumps out 355 hp and 376 lb-ft of torque. A seven-speed automatic with manual control is the only available transmission, and it's the SLK55's weakest link. Manual downshifts aren't rev-matched, and overall responsiveness is disappointing. At the test track, our SLK lunged from zero to 60 mph in a fleet 4.9 seconds and blasted through the quarter-mile in 13 seconds flat at 108.8 mph. It might have been quicker still with grippier tires, as wheelspin was a limiting factor in the first two gears.
On the road, the AMG version of the SLK55 is essentially a modern-day Shelby Cobra, albeit with a thick layer of luxury slathered on top. The Benz's basic formula comes straight from that icon's playbook: Start with a capable compact roadster, stuff it to the gills with a honking V8, sharpen the suspension and proceed to scare the living daylights out of people. Cars don't get much more thrilling than a top-down SLK55 at full throttle, engine roaring, landscape blurring, speedometer needle spinning clockwise at an impossibly rapid rate. With an as-tested weight of 3,474 pounds, the feature-laden SLK55 is hardly an elemental sports car, but only the most depraved horsepower fiend will find its acceleration wanting.
When the straights turn to curves, the SLK55 remains in its element. The new-for-2009 "Direct Steer" variable-ratio steering isn't hyper-responsive, but it's crisp enough, and there's a reassuring heft that builds as cornering loads increase. Body roll is negligible, and there's plenty of grip for spirited driving on public roads. However, we found this short-wheelbase Benz was best at nine-tenths or less — push it to the limit and the SLK55 gets squirrelly.
Our best panic stop from 60 mph in the SLK55 took 115 feet, which isn't particularly impressive for this class. Nonetheless, the Benz's binders feel imperturbable under all conditions — "autobahn brakes," as our track driver put it. Against EPA fuel-economy ratings of 14 mpg city/22 highway and 17 combined, we averaged just over 17 mpg — remarkable considering that the gas pedal was frequently pinned to the floor.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
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