2013 MINI Cooper - Styling Review

On Styling...
There are few, if any, other new cars that do modern-classic styling quite like the Mini Cooper, and the entire family of retro-styled small cars it's spawned.
The big-eyed front end, the short nose, the low hood, and the classy wrap-around beltline, with blacked out pillars and a 'floating' roof, are all distinctive design elements that make this modern MINI a standout.
Inside, the quirky, occasionally funky design is undeniably racy, and while its retro rocker switches feel somewhat at the expense of practicality (so might the somewhat gimmicky, plate-size speedometer in the middle of the dash), and there's an element of busyness in the details, it's a cohesive look, and the color options introduced last year spruced it up.

Cross-check cloth and leather upholstery was subbed in last year, as were new seven-hole wheels. Sportier Cooper S models feature functional brake ducts, less chrome, 17-inch alloys, striping, foglamps, and aero bodywork, as well as sport seats and alloy pedals inside.
MINI Coupe models (and the MINI Roadster) have essentially the same packaging from the front seats ahead, but with their lower roofline (MINI proudly calls the roof a 'helmet') there's less usable headroom; there's no rear seat in these models either--just a small cargo shelf. MINI Clubman models, on the other hand, offer a bit more headroom in back, making a somewhat more spacious four-seater, with a funky center-opening, side-hinged hatch arrangement.
With a long list of accessories and add-ons, the MINI Cooper models remains among the most customizable models on the market. Through a huge array of color combinations, interior choices, and graphics packages, and a MINI Yours customization program, with things like a two-tone leather dash and steering wheel, custom alloy wheels, special mirror caps, and unique upholstery patterns, if you have some extra budget, you can pretty much create your own look.

On Performance....

Between the base versions of the 2013 MINI Cooper lineup, the higher-performance Cooper S, and the top John Cooper Works (JCW) versions, there's a wide span of performance to suit nearly all small-car shopper tastes.
Even the base versions of the MINI Cooper can be called 'zippy.' Even though their 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine is only rated at 121 horsepower, but that's for just over 2,500 pounds for the manual car. Stick with the manual version, not the automatic, and it has satisfying pep and good gas mileage. But the Cooper S and its 181-hp turbocharged 1.6-liter four is the way to go for anyone who likes speed. You only drop about 2 mpg in having 60 more horses, with the manual transmission, and what you get in return is hot-hatch verve.
The John Cooper Works model takes things up another notch, deliver 208 horsepower from more turbo boost, while livening up the suspension as well. A six-speed manual gearbox is standard in the JCW version, as it is across the model line, and for the first time for 2013 the six-speed automatic is available on the JCW as well as the rest of the lineup. Steering-wheel paddle shifters are included in all the automatic versions. JCW versions of the MINI Coupe are the fastest in the brand's range, with a 0-60-mph time of just 6.1 seconds and a top speed of 149 mph. They also feature an active spoiler that will raise once you've passed 50 mph and recede again below 37 mph.

Move up the line from the base Cooper, to the Cooper S, and to the JCW, and you get a somewhat stiffer suspension and larger alloy wheels. All the MINI Cooper models are light and nimble, and eager companions whether on tight city streets or twisty roads. The run-flat tires in the Cooper S do hurt ride quality a bit--and the John Cooper Works is rougher still--yet Each step up the Cooper line brings with it crisper suspension tuning and larger alloy wheels as standard equipment, but all Coopers are light, nimble, and ready companions on twisty roads.

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Bentley EXP 9 F the SUV ultra-premium

Whispers about a Bentley SUV - some of them coming directly from Bentley chief Wolfgang Duerheimer - have been floating around for ages. At this week's Geneva Motor Show, Bentley finally puts a face to the rumors. Its EXP 9 F may or may not lead to an eventual production SUV, but it gives the world a look at what a utilitarian Bentley could look like.

There are plenty of luxury SUVs on the market. Every likely suspect (Land Rover, Audi, BMW, etc.) and some not so likely suspects (Porsche) offers one. But a Bentley SUV would be the first ultra-premium SUV. Such a model would be the "Bentley of SUVs," both literally and figuratively.

Bentley envisions the EXP 9 F as a new take on a Bentley grand tourer, a vehicle that is comfortable transitioning from an opera gala to an expedition over sand dunes to the fast lane on the highway. The concept gets customary Bentley power in the form of the Continental's 600-bhp 6.0-liter twin-turbo W-12 engine, but the automaker leaves open the possibility of offering its new 4.0-liter V-8 option or a hybrid system.

The EXP 9 F is a lesson in repurposing design language in a new application. The model is distinctly Bentley thanks to its bold, round headlights and mesh grille shared with current Continental and Mulsanne models. But it's more than just a larger, AWD Continental thanks to the squarer, more upright lines throughout. It definitely has the look of an SUV dressed in fancy Bentley clothes.

In designing the concept, Bentley used inspiration from history and other manufacturing disciplines. The "F" stands for falcon, a bird of prey that underpins the car's power and speed. The wheels were inspired by turbines, with the multiple spokes similar to blades. Bentley says that the wheel nuts reference Bentley Le Mans racers of the 1920s as well as the modern-day Speed 8. The taillights take inspiration from jet fighter engines.

While the outside certainly has the Bentley look, it's the inside that really separates the EXP 9 F from more pedestrian luxury SUVs. The interior is defined by top-end elements like soft-touch leather; reversible, silk-wool/saddle-leather floor mats; wood veneers; and polished aluminum and bronze. The rear of the cabin is equipped for both work and play, featuring fold-down keyboards and Internet connectivity for the former, and seats with reclining footrests and an infotainment screen for the latter. Underneath the rear armrest, passengers can keep their drinks chilled in an integrated cooler.

The driver is connected to the monstrous W-12 by way of three driving modes: Comfort, Off-Road and Sport. A TFT display provides 3D navigation information front and center, while functions like cabin temperature and entertainment are shared between driver and passenger via a touchscreen mounted on the center console.

Out back, the lower section of the two-piece tailgate serves as both table and bench. If you're using it as a table, you can set it with utensils from the integrated picnic baskets on either side of the hatch. An awning protects you from the sun's rays, while two umbrella holders allow you to enjoy your picnic in the rain.

Bentley has not yet committed to building an SUV. It says that it will analyze the reaction of potential buyers and the public at large beginning at the Geneva Motor Show. It will use this reaction in formulating a decision on whether to make the SUV the third model line. Duerheimer has said that the decision should come by the end of 2012.

Source: Bentley

The Jaguar F-Type

We had to be content with just a single picture last week, but Jaguar has hit us with the entire F-Type narrative in time for the Paris Motor Show. We now have views from every angle and a little bit of extra context to compare the new roadster with the venerable classic it succeeds.

A little bit of unscientific opinion mining shows that our readers – at least the ones commenting – are as disappointed with the F-Type as we are. A handsome Jaguar in its own right, the F-Type simply isn't poised to make the same leap to greatness as its old man. For some it appears to share about as much DNA with the E-Type as an adopted child shares with his brother-in-law.

Of course, Jaguar, which revealed the car at an exclusive event a day before the Paris Motor Show, sees it differently. The pouncing cat calls it the "continuation of a sporting bloodline that stretches back more than 75 years and encompasses some of the most beautiful, thrilling and desirable cars ever built." Interestingly, while Jaguar alludes to the E-Type and other classic sports cars with that quote, we didn't see those cars cited specifically in Jag's press materials, outside of a brief mention that the F-Type is its first two-seat sports car since the E. We take that to mean even Jaguar realizes that this design couldn't wrestle its way into the same conversation as the E-Type.

While the E-Type is absent, Jaguar does mention that the new car is influenced by the C-X16 concept car. The influence is immediately noticeable up front. The mesh grille and its thick bissecting bar provide a reinterpretation of the grille used on current-generation sedans like the XJ and XF. Perhaps the most striking aspect of the front-end, the "shark gill" air intakes on either side are positioned to give the F-Type a memorable face, making it immediately recognizable in the rear-view mirror. When compared to the soft, pure face of the E-Type, we'd say the gills are a little like knife scars on an otherwise handsome prisoner.

Beginning at the center slat in those shark gill vents, one of two sets of defining "heart lines" flows upward through the vertical bi-xenon headlamps, sets a hood-fender border and moves onward over the flanks and shoulders, disappearing quietly on the quarter panels. The second heart line bulges out from the edge of the door, framing the rear drive wheels and melding into the rear fascia. In back, the F-Type features a kinetic spoiler that raises when the speedometer hits 60 mph (96.5 km/h). The V-6 models get a center-mounted twin exhaust, and the V-8 model gets a quad exhaust.

Enough about looks ... onward to substance. In order to give the F-Type the lithe, reactive handling it needed to "return to its heartland" of sporty two-seat convertibles, Jaguar put its experience with aluminum construction to use. The F-Type utilizes Jag's fourth-generation lightweight aluminum architecture coupled with aluminum wishbone front and rear suspension. The F-Type also uses more composites than any previous Jag. Weight is kept as low as 3,521 pounds (1,597 kg), and Jaguar promises its efforts pay off in a quick, balanced, agile ride.

“We are creating a new generation of Jaguar sports car so it has to be credible from both a performance and design point of view," explains Mark White, one of Jaguar's chief engineers. "It has to deliver; it has to be a great handling car with a stiff, rigid platform underpinning; and it has to look every inch an icon. For our team the greatest satisfaction was delivering a structure that underpinned the desired performance attributes - ride, handling and agility – by increasing stiffness and at the same time reducing weight."

Helping to increase the car's on-street performance, Jaguar minimized the front and rear overhangs to keep weight planted in the wheelbase and give the car a "wheels pushed to the corners" feel. It also placed the battery and windshield wiper fluid tank in the trunk, optimizing front-to-rear weight distribution.

Of course, all the aluminum and weight tricks in the world can't guarantee an enjoyable ride on their own - you need a little something spinning the rear wheels. Jaguar offers three different options. The F-Type is motivated by a new 340-hp 3.0-liter supercharged V-6. The F-Type S sees that same engine tuned up to 380-hp, and the F-Type V8 S enjoys a 495-hp output courtesy of Jag's 5.0-liter supercharged V-8. All three engines work with an eight-speed Quickshift transmission with a central, joystick-style SportShift selector and paddle shifters on the steering wheel. An Intelligent Stop/Start system helps to save fuel.

The V8 S hits 60 mph (96.5 km/h) in 4.2 seconds before rolling to a top speed of 186 mph (300 km/h). The F-Type S, which is the sole model with a Dynamic Launch feature designed to optimize acceleration from rest, does its thing in 4.8 seconds and 171 mph (275 km/h). Base model owners are staring at 5.1 seconds and 161 mph (259 km/h).

Inside, Jaguar organizes the cabin in an asymmetric, "one + one" style that puts emphasis on the driver position. The two sides of the cabin have several subtle points of differentiation, including more technical trim on the driver side and a central passenger grab handle that serves as a sort of barrier. Driver controls are inspired by aeronautics and grouped by function. In order to promote the utmost of driver interaction, Jaguar has gone a little retro, replacing certain controls typically handled by the touchscreen with old school fixtures. Three different audio systems are available, including 380-watt and 770-watt systems from Meridian. A fabric roof, which deploys in 12 seconds, separates cabin from atmosphere.

The F-Type will launch in the U.S. by mid-2013. We're certain to hear a lot more about this convertible and other sports cars now that the Paris Motor Show has opened to the media.

Source: Jaguar

Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Coupé Electric Supercar

Mercedes-Benz and AMG have been teasing us with the prospect of an all-electric supercar since the SLS AMG E-Cell concept broke cover in 2010. Now at the Paris Motor Show, Mercedes has presented the public with an all-electric SLS that's set to become the fastest production electric supercar in the world when it hits the road next year.

In designing the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Coupé Electric Drive, Mercedes-AMG took a few crib notes from the Formula 1 racing world. Not only does the body and drivetrain use F1 technology, the designers also adopted the racing maxim of starting with the the drive engineering and working their way out. For the SLS, the electric drivetrain is the focus. The battery is located within a carbon-fiber monocoque that acts as the cars spine around which the aluminum spaceframe body is built. To keep the center of gravity low, the battery compartment is close to the ground and spread along the length of the car to keep the weight distributed.

The profile shows the SLS’s heritage with echoes of the Mercedes-Benz SL marque of the 1950s. There’s the same balance between cab and body that says that this thing moves like a stabbed rat. Never mind that when you lift that landing-deck sized bonnet you'll be greeted by a set of carbon fiber panels instead of a V8 engine.

The interior has a definite racing cockpit feel to it and for all its stitched black leather and carbon-fiber trim elements, the atmosphere is one of of German engineering efficiency. This being an electric, the instrument cluster doesn't have a rev counter. Instead, there’s a power display that goes on about power requirements, recuperation status, transmission modes and battery charge. There’s also high-speed internet access and a range of system data displays that will tell you more than you probably want to know about the car’s status and performance.

But the center of all this is what makes the SLS go. Instead of a massive petrol engine, there are four synchronous electric motors weighing 45 kilograms (99 lbs) each turning at 13,000 rpm. Combined they put out 740 bhp (552 kW) and 1000 Nm (727 foot pounds) of torque. Taking full advantage of the fact that electrics have maximum torque when taking off, the SLS does 0 to 100 kilometers per hour (62 mph) in 3.9 seconds. Top speed is 155 mph (250 km/h), which is pretty good while hauling 548 kilograms (1,208 lbs) of lithium-ion batteries. The maximum range of the SLS is 250 kilometers (155 miles).

This quartet of motors are linked selectively by an axially-arranged transmission design for something called “AMG Torque Dynamics.” This allows individual control of the electric motors and selectively distributes the forces for each individual wheel. which can be individually driven and braked. This improves handling and performance, especially on corners where battery-heavy supercars have a hard time of it. There are also three transmission modes - Comfort, Sport and Sport Plus.

The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Coupé Electric Drive’s uses Formula 1 high-voltage lithium-ion batteries rated at 60 kWh and 400 volts and were developed by Mercedes-AMG GmbH in Affalterbach, Germany and Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains Ltd. in Brixworth, UK. The twelve modules of batteries are liquid cooled and have a heating system to keep them at an optimum temperature in cold weather. While driving, the SLS increases range by charging the batteries through electrical recuperation during deceleration. At home, the SLS charges in 20 hours from a standard mains outlet and can charge in three hours with an optional 22 kW wall box.

Of course an electric supercar isn't going to sound as fearsome as its ICE powered brethren, and since this isn't any fun, Mercedes AMG has installed eleven loudspeakers in the SLS that makes it sound like a “real” car; all coughs and growls tuned to the appropriate driving conditions. The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Coupé Electric Drive may make a satisfactory bellow when roaring down the Autobahn, but bear in mind that its prerecorded.

The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Coupé Electric Drive hits the market in 2013. The price in Germany will be 416,500 euros (US$ 535,869). And if the "AMG electricbeam magno" matt paint finish doesn't appeal, there are five other colors to choose from.

Source: Daimler