May 20th, 2010 by admin
Like the original Audi TT, Peugeot’s new RCZ is a stylish and compact sports coupe built on the platform of a mainstream, front-drive hatchback. But it’s been a dozen years since the Volkswagen Golf-based German went into production, and three more since the TT concept was first revealed at the 1995 Frankfurt Motor Show. Perhaps the French just wanted to be absolutely certain the idea would stick…
While Peugeot can’t be accused of creating a hasty imitation, the similarities between the RCZ and TT are remarkable. The French car began as a concept unveiled at the 2007 Frankfurt show. Turning it into a production car took three years. It’s built on the platform of a volume-production European C-segment model, in this case the 308. Every one of these steps treads in the faded tracks of the TT. Price is the only point where Peugeot departs from the blueprint. Going on sale across Europe through May, the RCZ will wear price tags 20- to 25-percent lower than equivalent TT models.
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May 20th, 2010 by admin
Ferrari could put a hybrid car on the market by 2015, according to the automaker’s CEO and GM Amedeo Felisa. In an interview with Autocar, Felisa says that either European Union or Italian environmental regulations could force the company to put a hybrid up for sale.
However, Felisa comes off as defensive in the interview, saying he does not see the point in Ferrari being forced to comply with lowered emissions rules. “The issue of emissions for Ferrari is more a political one than real one,” Felisa said.
“Lowering emissions of every Ferrari will not save the planet, but it will cost us a lot of money.”
Currently, Ferrari is only exploring hybrid powertrains to reduce emissions within the next ten years. The company has not ruled out the eventual use of hydrogen.
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May 20th, 2010 by admin
Miami isn’t exactly a driver’s town. It’s a tangle of perfectly perpendicular secondary streets demarcated by lengthy stoplights and the occasional drawbridge or toll booth. Perched on the very tip of Florida, it’s one of the last places we would voluntarily spend time behind the wheel, but despite the bumper-to-bumper traffic, hair-raising lane changes and lawless nature of the traffic patterns, high-end metal is the norm down here.
We’re fighting for our right to merge against a Bentley Continental GT, Ferrari F430 and a murdered-out Nissan GT-R as we make our way toward South Beach, contemplating the implications of dinging a car worth more than our mortgage when it dawns on us: The high rollers around us should make way – we’re driving one of the most unique cars in the country.
Suzuki was kind enough to hand us the keys to one of the only Kizashi Sport models in existence. In fact, this is the same prototype that took center stage at the New York Auto Show, and while the suits in Japan have demanded that this Sport eventually meet with the Great Crusher in the Sky, the company’s PR team have managed to keep the sedan from meeting its untimely fate long enough for us to do battle with traffic.
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