Volkswagen to enter WRC

Volkswagen has confirmed that it will be contesting the World Rally Championship from 2013. The announcement was made in Olbia - just ahead of the Rally d'Italia Sardegna - where a concept version of the firm’s Polo R WRC was also revealed.

A fourth manufacturer is good news for the series, and the arrival of Volkswagen Motorsport should provide some added competition for the existing entries from Ford, Citroën and newcomers Mini.



The catalyst for the WRC’s revitalisation has undoubtedly been new cost-saving regulations, introduced at the start of this season.

Like its rivals, the Polo R WRC will be powered by a 1.6 litre, turbocharged petrol engine with direct injection producing around 295 bhp (220 kW / 300 PS) and 350 Nm (258 lb/ft) of torque. Featuring all-wheel drive, bodywork alterations and various aerodynamic aids, the end package is going to have to comply with the minimum weight limit of 1,200 kilograms (2,645 lbs).



Although the car is just a concept at the moment, work on the first prototypes is planned to commence later this year ahead of a testing programme in 2012.

Related posts:

Mini Countryman WRC

Citroën DS3 WRC 2011

Ford Fiesta RS WRC 2011

2011 Citroen C4 Coupe Interior New and Used Car Reviews

2011 Citroen C4 Coupe Interior New and Used Car Reviews
2011 Upcoming lamborghini Cars wallpapers: http://masti-jokes.blogspot.com/2011/04/2010-lamborghini-reventon-interior-cars.html

2011 Citroen Saxo 1.4 Vtr cars wallpapers

2011 Citroen Saxo 1.4 Vtr cars wallpapers
Upcoming 2012 Jaguar Car news: http://masti-jokes.blogspot.com/search/label/Jaguar%20cars

2011 Citroen C2 Furio 1.4 wallpapers and features reviews

2011 Citroen C2 Furio 1.4 wallpapers and features reviews
Reference sitehttp://latestcomputerss.blogspot.com/search/label/Jaguar%20cars

2011 citroen c4 grand picasso 1.8 car review and wallpapers, specification

2011 citroen c4 grand picasso 1.8 car review and wallpapers, specification

DS4 is Most Beautiful Car

Citroën’s DS4 has been declared Most Beautiful Car of the Year 2011 at the International Automobile Festival, which is currently taking place at the Hôtel des Invalides in Paris, France.

The decision was based solely on a public internet ballot, with voters allowed to choose from a shortlist of seven different models. None of the candidates could have a retail price tag exceeding €50,000.



Emerging as a clear winner, the DS4 received 45% of all the hundreds of thousands of votes cast.



Of course, beauty and good design are subjective things, but it’s arguable that the opposition wasn’t exactly strong. Indeed, although some of the cars on the shortlist could be described as ‘elegant’, ‘striking’ or even ‘purposeful’, ‘beautiful’ is possibly too strong an adjective for any of them.

Most Beautiful Car of the Year 2011
Position	Model
1	Citroën DS4
2	BMW 5 Series Saloon
3	Honda CR-Z Hybrid
4	Renault Wind
U	Mini Countryman
U	Infiniti M37
U	Volvo V60
U = Unclassified

As well as the Most Beautiful Car award and an exhibition of concept cars, the International Automobile Festival also sees Jury Grand Prizes being given to reward artistic automotive creations:



Most Beautiful Concept Car of the Year



Nominees

Kia Pop

Jaguar C-X75

Renault DéZir

Bertone Pandion



Winner

Jaguar C-X75



Most Beautiful Interior of the Year



Nominees

Honda CR-Z Hybrid

Citroën DS4

Mini Countryman

Infiniti M37



Winner

Citroën DS4



Most Beautiful Book of the Year



Nominees

Gotha de l'Automobile Française - E-T-A-I - Laurent Friry and Claude Rouxel

Joyaux Automobiles des Maharadjahs - E-T-A-I - Gautam Sen

Carrosserie, une histoire de style - La Martiniere - Serge Bellu

60 voitures des années 60 - DUPUIS - Jidéhem



Winner

Gotha de l'Automobile Française - E-T-A-I - Laurent Friry and Claude Rouxel



Most Beautiful Photo of the Year



Nominees

‘Jump’ - Jari Matti Latvala in a Ford Focus. WRC 2010 Rally New Zealand, 09-05-2010 - François Baudin (Agence DPPI)

‘Etincelles’ - Dario Franchitti (Ganassi). Indycar race at Homestead, Miami, USA, 02-10-2010 - Jean-François Galeron

‘Marchand de Sable’ - Nasser Al Attiyah, Volkswagen race Touareg, Kalmoukie desert, Silk Way Rallye 2010, Dakar series 2010 - Eric Vargiolu (Agence DPPI)

‘La Dolce Vita’ - Jaguar Type C, 1000 Miglia. Tuscany, Italy, 07-05-2010 - Cathy Dubuisson



Winner

‘Marchand de Sable’ - Eric Vargiolu



Most Beautiful Advertising Film of the Year



Nominees

Fiat: ‘Brainstorming’ - Marcel Paris (France)

Mercedes-Benz: ‘The Best or Nothing’ - Jung von Matt / Alster Hamburg (International)

Citroën: ‘Dog’ - Agence H (France)

Alfa Romeo: ‘Uma Thurman’ - Leo Burnett, USA (International)



Winner

Mercedes-Benz: ‘The Best or Nothing’



Top Prize for Design



Winner

Bertone



Top Prize for the Environment



Winner

BMW Efficient Dynamics



Top Prize for Art



Winner

BMW M3 GT2 Jeff Koons Artcar



Top Prize of the Festival



Winner

Mercedes-Benz CLS



Jury’s Special Top Prize



Winner

Adrien Maeght



The Palme d’Or



Winner

Red Bull Racing - Dieter Mateschitz / Sebastian Vettel / Adrian Newey





Related post:

Citroën DS4 revealed

Citroën WRC 2011 entries

Citroën has confirmed its entries for the 2011 World Rally Championship, ahead of the first round which takes place in Sweden between the 10th and 13th of February.



Following major changes to the regulations for this season, the venerable C4 WRC is no more and so all will be driving the brand new DS3 WRC with its 1.6 litre turbocharged engine and all-wheel drive.

In the lead car of the Citroën Total World Rally Team will once again be Frenchman Sébastien Loeb, who is aiming for an incredible eighth successive world drivers’ title. Sat alongside him will be co-driver Daniel Elena, from Monaco.



Joining them as team mates will be the French pairing of driver Sébastien Ogier and co-driver Julien Ingrassia, their promotion to full-time duty in the works outfit undoubtedly helped by victories in 2010’s Rally de Portugal and Rally Japan.



Although the Citroën Junior Team has ceased to exist, Citroën Racing Technologies will be running three additional cars for private crews.



Petter Solberg / Chris Patterson, competing for the Petter Solberg World Rally Team, are going to enter all thirteen rallies. Kimi Räikkönen / Kaj Lindström will contest at least ten rounds under the Ice 1 Racing banner, while the Van Merksteijn Motorsport entry of Peter van Merksteijn / Eddy Chevaillier is expected to begin its season at March’s Portuguese event.



Related post:

Citroën DS3 WRC 2011

Zero Congestion Charge

In a rare piece of good news for motorists, the beginning of 2011 saw a change to the London Congestion Charge that could see some drivers now (legally) avoiding the fee altogether.



The new Greener Vehicle Discount, which replaces the Alternative Fuel Discount, means that more cars will potentially qualify for 100% off the daily charge.



Naturally, there are a couple of caveats that come attached with this generous gesture from Transport for London.



The first is that the vehicle needs to be ‘green’. More precisely, it should be Euro 5 emissions compliant and produce 100 grams of CO2 per kilometre or less.



Secondly, if you already own such an eco-friendly machine, don’t presume that you can just swan about in central London and not worry about the Congestion Charge. To receive the Greener Vehicle Discount, a car must first be registered with Transport for London, and that involves a £10 annual payment.



So, what cars will qualify for the Greener Vehicle Discount? According to the Vehicle Certification Agency, the models that currently meet the criteria are:

Manufacturer	Model	Specification	Transmission	Fuel	CO2 g/km
Audi	A3	1.6 TDI 105PS Stop Start	M5	Diesel	99
Citroën	DS3	1.6HDi 90hp w/ energy saving tyres	M5	Diesel	99
Citroën	New C3	1.6HDi 90hp Airdream+	M5	Diesel	99
Fiat	500 / 500C (2010 on)	TwinAir	M5	Petrol	95
Fiat	500 / 500C (2010 on)	TwinAir Dualogic	SAT5	Petrol	92
Fiat	Punto Evo (Jan 2010 on)	1.3 16v MultiJet 85 ECO	M5	Diesel	95
Ford	Fiesta (Post 2010¼)	1.6 Duratorq 95PS +DPF ECO	M5	Diesel	98
Hyundai	i10	1.0l SOHC	M5	Petrol	99
Mini	Hatchback	One D w/ DPF	M6	Diesel	99
Mini	Hatchback	Cooper D w/ DPF	M6	Diesel	99
Seat	Ibiza	ST 1.2 CR TDI 75PS Ecomotive	M5	Diesel	92
Seat	Leon	1.6 CR TDI 105PS Ecomotive	M5	Diesel	99
Skoda	New Fabia Hatch	1.2 CR TDI 75PS GreenLine II	M5	Diesel	89
Skoda	New Fabia Estate	1.2 CR TDI 75PS GreenLine II	M5	Diesel	89
Skoda	New Fabia Estate	1.2 TDI 3 cylinder 75PS GreenLine	M5	Diesel	89
Smart	fortwo cabrio (MY 2011)	54 bhp cdi w/ Softip & 15" rear wheels	5 AMT	Diesel	86
Smart	fortwo cabrio (MY 2011)	54 bhp cdi w/ Softouch & 15" rear wheels	5 AMT	Diesel	87
Smart	fortwo cabrio (MY 2011)	71 bhp mhd w/ Softip & 15" rear wheels	5 AMT	Petrol	99
Smart	fortwo cabrio (MY 2011)	71 bhp mhd w/ Softouch & 15" rear wheels	5 AMT	Petrol	100
Smart	fortwo coupé (MY 2011)	54 bhp cdi w/ Softip & 15" rear wheels	5 AMT	Diesel	86
Smart	fortwo coupé (MY 2011)	54 bhp cdi w/ Softouch & 15" rear wheels	5 AMT	Diesel	87
Smart	fortwo coupé (MY 2011)	71 bhp mhd w/ Softip & 15" rear wheels	5 AMT	Petrol	97
Smart	fortwo coupé (MY 2011)	71 bhp mhd w/ Softouch & 15" rear wheels	5 AMT	Petrol	98
Toyota	iQ (MY 2011)	1.0 VVT-i	M5	Petrol	99
Toyota	Auris Hybrid (MY 2010)	T4 89g 1.8 VVT-i	E-CVT	Petrol Hybrid	89
Toyota	Auris Hybrid (MY 2010)	T4 1.8 VVT-i	E-CVT	Petrol Hybrid	93
Toyota	Auris Hybrid (MY 2010)	T Spirit 1.8 VVT-i	E-CVT	Petrol Hybrid	93
Toyota	Prius (MY 2009)	T4 1.8 VVT-I	E-CVT	Petrol Hybrid	92
Toyota	Prius (MY 2009)	T3 1.8VVT-I	E-CVT	Petrol Hybrid	89
Toyota	Prius (MY 2009)	T Spirit 1.8 VVT-I	E-CVT	Petrol Hybrid	92
Toyota	Prius (MY 2009)	T Spirit w/ Solar Panel 1.8VVT-I	E-CVT	Petrol Hybrid	89
Volkswagen	New Polo	1.2 TDI 75PS BlueMotion	M5	Diesel	89
Volkswagen	New Golf	1.6 TDI 105PS BlueMotion	M5	Diesel	99
Volvo	C30 (MY 2011)	DRIVe	M6	Diesel	99
Volvo	C30 (MY 2011)	DRIVe	M6	Diesel	99
Volvo	S40 (MY 2010)	DRIVe	M6	Diesel	99
Volvo	S40 (MY 2011)	DRIVe	M6	Diesel	99
Volvo	V50 (MY 2011)	DRIVe	M6	Diesel	99
NB: Electric and plug-in hybrid cars aren’t eligible for the Greener Vehicle Discount - they have their own discount scheme.

It’s worth bearing in mind that Transport for London has committed to review the Greener Vehicle Discount in the future, so that eventually only vehicles emitting 80 g/km or less qualify. This tweak will be introduced ‘when the time is right’, but the first reassessment of the discount has been confirmed for 2012.



And finally, the area covered by the Congestion Charge is now much smaller, following the scrapping of the Western Extension zone on 4th January 2011:

Related posts:

Congestion Charge change

London Congestion Charge

Nine electric cars get grant

The UK’s Department for Transport has announced the first nine models that will be eligible for its Plug-in Car Grant.



Beginning in January 2011, the scheme will see buyers able to claim 25% off the list price (up to a maximum of £5,000) per qualifying vehicle. The government has allocated £43M for the grants up until the end of March 2012, with a review of the programme’s viability beyond that date scheduled for January 2012.



The nine are:

Manufacturer	Model	First UK Deliveries	Price
Mitsubishi	i-MiEV	January 2011	£23,990 including grant
smart	fortwo electric drive	January 2011	TBC. Available to lease in limited volumes from January 2011 ahead of full series production starting in 2012
Peugeot	iOn	January 2011	Only available via four year lease at £415 plus VAT per month
Nissan	Leaf	March 2011	£23,990 including grant
Tata	Vista EV	March 2011	TBC
Citroën	CZero	Early 2011	Only available via four year lease at £415 plus VAT per month
Vauxhall	Ampera	Early 2012	£28,995 including grant
Toyota	Prius Plug-in Hybrid	Early 2012	TBC. Currently only available to lease in limited volumes
Chevrolet	Volt	Early 2012	TBC

smart fortwo electric drive

Although it looks like there’ll be plenty for customers to choose from, the choice isn’t as wide as it first appears. The Peugeot and Citroën are essentially re-badged versions of the Mitsubishi, while the Ampera shares its underpinnings with the Volt.

Peugeot iOn

Business Minister Mark Prisk said: “Today’s news that motorists will be able to choose from at least nine cars under the consumer incentive scheme… will further reinforce the message that the UK is Europe’s leading producer of ultra low carbon vehicles."



Unfortunately the last part of that particular statement shouldn’t be taken at face value just yet. The only model on the list that is definitely confirmed for UK production is the Nissan Leaf. However, domestic manufacturing will only start in 2013, with cars being imported from Japan until then.



Meanwhile, GM Europe has yet to decide whether the Vauxhall Ampera will be built at Ellesmere Port in England, but it has confirmed that the Ampera’s UK price will be £28,995 after the Plug-in car Grant has been applied.

Vauxhall Ampera

A surprising inclusion is the Tata Vista EV, mainly because it’s an unknown quantity in the UK. Apparently it has been developed from the Indica Vista, the previous version of which was the basis for the almost universally unloved and derided CityRover.

Tata Indica Vista

Tata Motors European Technical Centre in Warwick has been involved in the project, and the rumour is that the Vista EV may be built in the UK. A location has yet to be disclosed so, unless there has been a lot of work going on behind the scenes, an on-sale date of March 2011 seems very optimistic unless the initial cars are going to be imported from India. And then there’s the slight issue of not having a dealer network to sell through. Maybe Tata will use the showrooms of its Jaguar and Land Rover subsidiaries?



Related posts:

Leaf is Car of the Year

US to get wider i-MiEV

SMMT Electric Car Guide

Mitsubishi i-MiEV costs

UK i-MiEV prices slashed

Electric car grants saved

PSA goes electric

The future’s electric

Modified Citroen Saxo VTR 2001 Pictures

Modified Citroen Saxo VTR 2001 Pictures


Modified Citroen Saxo VTR 2001 Pictures


Modified Citroen Saxo VTR 2001 Pictures

 
Modified Citroen Saxo VTR 2001 Pictures