General Motors Reviewing Offers for Sale of Saturn Brand

In an official statement released to the media this morning, GM announced that it is proceeding to the next step in concern of the sale of Saturn by reviewing bids from the potential buyers. The American automaker said that it has hired S.J.Girsky&Co as an advisor to help secure an agreement with a specific buyer later this year. In mid-April GM had revealed that a group of suitors that included some of Saturn's dealers and a company called Black Oak Partners had expressed an interest in buying the brand and its retailer network.

source: http://carscoop.blogspot.com

Seat Ibiza ECOMOTIVE Sets World Fuel-Saving Record of 2.9lt/100km - 81.1MPG

We're always a bit wary of these fuel-saving records as the outcome always depends on a number of factors that include besides the car, the driver, condition of the roads, speed, traffic, weather etc., but whatev. According to VW Group's Spanish subsidiary, a Seat Ibiza ECOMOTIVE that's powered by an 80HP 1.4-liter diesel engine set a new record in its segment by covering a distance of 1,562 km or 971 miles on a single tank of fuel (45.53lt), resulting in an average consumption figure of 2.9 l/100 km or the U.S. equivalent of 81.1mpg.

Behind the steering wheel of the Ibiza ECOMOTIVE was Austrian long-haul specialist Gerhard Plattner who drove out of the Martorell facilities near Barcelona last Monday 27 April, after both the bonnet and the fuel tank filling mouth had been sealed. Plattner drove across Spain, France and Germany with the trip ending at the town of Göttingen, in lower Saxony, Germany.

Seat said that at some points along the way on motorways in Spain and France, Plattner brought the Ibiza up to cruising speeds of 110 km/h or 68mph- yes, that's not the kind of guy you'd like being behind in a one-lane country road.

source: http://carscoop.blogspot.com

VIDEO: 2010 Ferrari F450 Mule Caught Testing

Looks can be deceiving. What appears to be a modified F430 in this video is in fact a test mule of Ferrari's forthcoming F450 supercar sporting new hardware under the current generation model's bodywork. The F450, which is set to be revealed at this fall's Frankfurt motorshow, will be powered by a direct-injection V8 engine producing somewhere north of 500 horsepower. Get a taste of the new Ferrari revving its V8 powerhouse on the track and on the road in the two-minute-long video after the jump or click here to read more details on the new Prancing Horse model.

source: http://carscoop.blogspot.com

Want a Car 'Made in the U.S.A'? Then Check the First Digit of the VIN Code

There's been a lot of talk lately about supporting the domestic (U.S.) manufacturers especially after the current crisis that saw Chrysler filing for bankruptcy and GM axing a bunch of brands including Pontiac, Hummer and Saturn. Everyone has their own opinion on this issue, but if your number one criteria for buying a car is whether or not it's made in the U.S.A., or whichever country you reside in for that matter, then you ought to check the vehicle's 17-digit-long Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) code that was standardized by SAE in 1981.

In particular, the very first digit of the VIN determines the geographical region the car is built in, regardless of where the manufacturer is headquartered. But while a #1, #4 and #5 should mean that the car was built in the USA, Kelley Blue Book's Classic Car Guide Editor, Phil Skinner, told the LA Times that only the #1 represents the USA, with the #4 and #5 usually meaning the car was made in another country.

Confused? So are we. If it's not made in the U.S., then why does it say so? Well, even though we spent a good three hours on the net searching to find what is the difference between #1 and #4 (or 4A-40) and 5# (or 5A-50), unfortunately we came up empty handed. If any of you happen to know the answer, please leave a comment below.

source: http://carscoop.blogspot.com

VIN Code Country of Origin

• 1: UNITED STATES
  
• 2: CANADA
  
• 3: MEXICO
  
• 4: UNITED STATES
  
• 5: UNITED STATES
  
• 6: AUSTRALIA
  
• 9: BRAZIL
  
• J: JAPAN
  
• K: KOREA
  
• L: CHINA , TAIWAN
  
• M: THAILAND
  
• S: UNITED KINGDOM
  
• T: HUNGARY
  
• V: FRANCE
  
• W: GERMANY
  
• X: RUSSIAN FEDERATION
  
• Y: FINLAND, SWEDEN
  
• Z: ITALY

New Ford Fiesta Sport Edition with Chassis Upgrades Launched in Europe

Ford is spicing up the new Fiesta's European range with the introduction of a new Sport trim level that will be available on the three-door models equipped with the 96HP 1.4-liter and 120HP 1.6-liter gasoline engines as well as with the 90HP 1.6-liter TDCi turbo diesel. Unlike most proposals of the sort where changes are limited to cosmetics and enhanced equipment levels, the Sport model actually benefits from a series of chassis upgrades that promise to further improve handling.

These include a nine millimeter lowered sports suspension with stiffer springs and new shocks, a modified steering wheel system and the addition of an electronic stability programme (ESP) that can be switched off completely.

Visually, the three-door Fiesta Sport is distinguished by a different lower grille treatment, dark headlamps, front apron, chunky side skirts, a rear apron with an integrated diffuser and new 16-inch alloys wrapped in beefier sport tires.

Inside, buyers can opt between two different trim colors (anthracite or blue) with special features including the front sport seats, leather sport steering wheel and gearshift knob and the enhanced equipment that includes a height-adjustable driver's seat, an on-board computer, electric windows and locks, and air conditioning.

source: http://carscoop.blogspot.com

Carlsson's Mercedes-Benz E-Class Tuning Program Fully Revealed

One of the few new tuning proposals that made their world debut at this past week's Tuning World Bodensee show in Germany (April 30th until May 3rd) was Carlsson's Mercedes-Benz E-Class. Besides the complete aerodynamic kit, the German tuning boutique's treatment for the all-new 2010 Mercedes E-Class sedan includes special interior fittings, under-the-hood upgrades and a new lowering C-Tronic suspension system.

Carlsson offers performance enhancements for three E-Class models starting from the E250 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY diesel that gains an extra 40 horsepower for a total output of 244HP. The E 350CDI BlueEFFICIENCY diesel gets a 46 horsepower boost for a total of 277HP while the E500's 5.5-liter V8 gasoline engine receives a CM50K compressor kit along with a new sport exhaust system, high-performance catalysts and stainless steel mufflers for an extra 55 horsepower that result in a total of 443HP.

To improve handling, Carlsson has developed the C-Tronic suspension system that not only allows the driver to lower the sedan's ride height by up to 43 millimeters (1.7-inches), but also automatically adjusts the ride height based on the road conditions.

Naturally, added power and improved handling are complemented by a complete body kit that in this case looks stealthily tasty and includes a newly designed front apron with vertically positioned LED daylight running lights and a stainless steel grid for the lower grille, side skirts, a rear apron with an integrated diffuser that houses four stainless steel end pipes, fender air-vents and an unobtrusive rear spoiler. Carlsson also offers various alloy wheel designs in sizes up to 20-inches.

For the interior there's an array of options ranging from aluminum pedals and new floor mats with an integrated Carlsson logo to a tailor-made gearshift and door lock bolts made of aluminum.

source: http://carscoop.blogspot.com

Lamborghini Countach Homage: A Raw Definition of Italian Supercars

Every boy and every man of certain age (and taste....) had a poster of it hanging on his bedroom wall at some point of his life. Yes, I'm talking about the ultimate exotic supercar of the mid-to-late 1970's and 1980s, the Lamborghini Countach. If there was ever a model that epitomizes the values of Ferruccio Lamborghini's brand, then this is it. Even today, 35 years after its release, it's threatening yet indisputably erotic hard-edge styling and imposing scissor-like doors make many modern supercars look like they were penned by gangly men with turtlenecks and hair pieces.

The Lamborghini Countach was a hardcore supercar, a 'raging bull' designed and engineered to be driven by real men and it had no problem whatsoever showing it.

I remember the first time I ever saw a Countach up close as if it happened yesterday. It was in Melbourne in the beginning of the 80's when a car dealer in the neighborhood that specialized in Italian vehicles brought a black example of the Countach. I've seen many supercars of all sorts since then, but none has ever made a bigger impression on this lad than the Countach.

Like the Miura it replaced, the Countach was designed by the magic hands of Marcello Gandini who was then working for Bertone.

Three years after the introduction of the prototype model at the 1971 Geneva Motor Show, Lamborghini launched the production model dubbed LP400 that was powered by a longitudinally mounted 375HP 4.0-liter V12 (hence the LP name - Longitudinale Posteriore).

Until its demise in 1990 when it was replaced by the Diablo, Lamborghini constantly developed the Countach presenting newer and more powerful versions with the last being the "25th Anniversary".

Named to honor the company's 25 year anniversary, it was produced from 1988 to 1990 and it featured some 500 changes and improvements over the 5000QV including the unpopular to many, front and side spoilers and modified air vents that brought to mind Ferrari's Testarossa.

The last Countach was powered by a 5.2-liter version of the V12 engine producing 455HP (80 horsepower more than the original model, that launched the supercar to a top speed of 295 km/h or 183mph.

Sure the Countach had many flaws including its overtly cramped cabin, zero practicality and its characteristically heavy controls (gearbox, clutch and steering wheel), but the fact that it remained in production as a top player in the supercar segment for 16 years is a feat few vehicles throughout history of cars can match.

source: http://carscoop.blogspot.com