car en

More and more car makers are delving into the field of offering parts and accessories usually thought to be the realm of aftermarket specialists. This takes the bread right out of the tuners’ mouth, but for the consumers it is better since they get a factory-authorized upgrade. That is not the case with the 2018 Nissan Titan pickup truck, which gets a factory-fitted suspension lift kit.  The kit available for the Titan is developed by ICON Vehicle Dynamics, a well-known tuner and restomoder. The system they have devised for the 2018 Nissan Titan gives the truck an additional 3 inch of ground clearance. Now, a lift kit on a pickup truck serves more purposes than giving the vehicle a badass look. It dramatically enhances the offroad capabilities of the machine and also gives you a more satisfying ride. ICON’s suspension for Titan includes adjustable-height coil-over shock absorbers tuned specifically for TITAN and TITAN XD, custom rod end bearings and patent-pending Delta Joints. They are designed to fit the 2018 Nissan Titan and Titan XD Crew Cab 4×4 models in place of the standard units with no drilling or cutting required. You can obtain the kit from your Nissan dealerships, , ...ادامه مطلب

The highly anticipated 2018 VW Up! GTI is now available to order in the UK, all set to take the hot hatch market by storm. Granted, it is a supermini and not a hatchback. But the Up! GTI is so good at what it does, and at £13,750 it is so well-priced, it renders all those expensive, over-powered hot hatches out there silly.  I mean, if space is not really an issue for you, 2018 VW Up! GTI is a much better proposition than its own big brother, Golf GTI. And we know full well that the Golf is the king of all hot hatches. With the Up! GTI it is not about how much power you have. It’s the whole package. Yes, it only has a 999cc turbo engine with 115 PS and 200 Nm of torque. But on the upside it does 58.9 mpg and emits no more than to 110 g/km of CO2. And as for performance, 0 to 62 mph is dealt with in 8.8 seconds with a top speed of 122 mph. [embedded content] 2018 VW Up! GTI is all about the joy of driving, and a big part of that is the price. Yes, it is kind of expensive for a supermini, but it’s a bargain for what it offers. And because it is cheap, you can beat on it every day, drive it fast and hard, and not worry about breaking the bank. It is not in vain that Volkswagen com, ...ادامه مطلب

The days in which SUVs were symbols of high fuel consumption and air pollution are long gone thanks to cars such as 2018 Acura MDX Sport Hybrid. These offer the same practicality and performance of a regular SUV, but with a frugal-ish engine. Of course, this much goodness is going to cost you.  2018 Acura MDX Sport Hybrid is priced from $52,100 MSRP to which you will have to add a $995 destination and handling fee. Still, considering the badge and how much kit you receive in retu for your cash, that sounds like good value. The biggest highlight of this model is the three-motor Sport Hybrid Super Handling-All Wheel Drive system which is basically the same powertrain they use in the NSX supercar. Here it generates 321 hp and 289 lb.-ft. of torque. The EPA rating for this system is 26 / 27 / 27 mpg City/Highway/Combined. Now, that doesn’t sound particularly brilliant, but you have to realize it’s 45 percent better than a non-hybrid MDX. [embedded content] Features-wise, 2018 Acura MDX Sport Hybrid is as luxurious and well-equipped as any Acura. You can choose between Technology Package ($53,095) and Advance Package ($59,145) trims, with both model benefiting from unique interior, ...ادامه مطلب

The official U.S. pricing for the all-new 2018 Hyundai Kona crossover has been announced, and as you would expect the value-for-money element is strong. This quirky little sport utility starts at just $19,500 for the base model, rising up to $28,700 for the fully-loaded model.  In America the 2018 Hyundai Kona is available with two engines and transmission choices. There is a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder with 147 horsepower and 132 lb.-ft. of torque paired with a six-speed automatic transmission, and a 1.6-liter 4-cylinder turbo (Limited and Ultimate trims only) with a seven-speed EcoShift dual-clutch transmission offering 175 horsepower and 195 lb.-ft. of torque. Both engines can be had with all-wheel-drive system. A well-chosen trim will also get you such advanced safety systems as Lane-Keeping Assist system, Blind-Spot Collision Waing, Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Waing, Lane Change Assist, Parking Distance Waing and Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist with Pedestrian Detection. [embedded content] 2018 Hyundai Kona MSRP & Trims: Model Engine Transmission Drivetrain MSRP SE 2.0L 4-cyl. 6-Speed Automatic SHIFTRONIC® FWD $19,500 SE 2.0L 4-cyl. 6-Speed Automatic SHIFTRONIC® AWD $20, ...ادامه مطلب

Brain scientists tell us that this magnificently complex organ initiates any given action before we have even decided to do it. What that implies with regards to free will notwithstanding, car makers are trying to take advantage of this feature of the brain to make autonomous driving better. Nissan Brain-to-Vehicle is the first of these systems that “promises to speed up reaction times for drivers.” What that means is, the cars of the future will have an artificial intelligence powerful enough to read your brain signals which are essentially electric waves. It then interprets those signals and adjusts the car’s behavior with the ultimate aim of making you more comfortable and driving more fun. Yes, I know. How did we even survive a century of motoring without an AI to complement our will. [embedded content] In any case, not only does Nissan Brain-to-Vehicle Technology “detect” driver discomfort, it can also “predict” what that driver wants to do next by leaing their pattes. That means it can tell when you want to tu the steering wheel – through reading your brain waves – and engage the relevant driving aid to make the job easier and safer. This can improve reaction times , ...ادامه مطلب

90 grand is a lot of money for what’s, in its essence, a BMW 5 Series saloon. But then this is no ordinary saloon car. The new 2018 Alpina B5 Bi-Turbo is, in the tuner’s own words, the most affordable 200 mph production car in the UK. Now that is some good justification! We have to point out the £89,000 is for the 2018 Alpina B5 Bi-Turbo sedan. The Estate version kicks off at £91,000. But as you may have already guessed, it is the fastest wagon out there. Powering both of these German monsters is a 608 horsepower Alpina-tuned BMW V8. This engine is altogether sweeter and more civilized than the one you get in BMW’s own M5. It is also capable of generating 670 Nm (494 lbft) of torque, swelling to an astonishing 800 Nm (590 lbft) from 3,000 – 5,000 rpm. It is mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission also improved for this car. As a result the B5 Bi-turbo Saloon will hit 60 mph in 3.4 seconds, with the Touring just 0.1 seconds behind, before clocking 205 mph flat out. Other performance highlight of the 2018 Alpina B5 Bi-Turbo include Active Rear Steering, active roll stabilisation (Dynamic Drive), ALPINA light-weight 20” forged alloy wheels and ‘ALP’ labelled Pirelli P-Zero, ...ادامه مطلب

With the release of the all-new 2018 Nissan LEAF UK Spec only a month away, the company confirmed the official pricing of the innovative electric car. The thoroughly improved new LEAF can be had in the UK for as little as £21,990, while the range-topping version with all the bells and whistle runs for £33,655. Mind you, these prices include the £4,500 Govement Grant for electric vehicles. So you’d better hope nothing happens to that as officials come and go. At any rate, the 2018 Nissan LEAF UK Spec offers new and much improved styling, a host of new technology features, and crucially higher battery capacity for better range. It now has a range of 235 miles (NEDC) which is 50 percent better than its predecessor, and you get more power to at 150 horsepower. [embedded content] The new LEAF is also a technological tour de force. This small hatchback comes with Nissan’s autonomous ProPILOT technology and e-Pedal, which allows drivers to start, accelerate, decelerate and stop – simply by increasing or decreasing the pressure applied to the accelerator. This makes the car future proof, but one cannot help thinking these EV will eventually become like smartphone, with the result bei, ...ادامه مطلب

Whenever you tu on the news these days, all you hear is war and chaos and silly tweets by politicians. It makes you think the world is on the verge of collapse, and it very well may be. But that is only a matter of conce for us regulars, you see. The top one percent mind it not one bit, as seen by the spike in the number of hypercars they bought this year. Bugatti alone has delivered 70 Chirons, meeting their production plans as though they are making family sedans!  As the ultimate production super sports car, Bugatti Chiron is a must-have accessory for the billionaires the world over. We are prepare to bet next year’s salary not one of them ever uses the full potential of the 1,500 horsepower machine, but that is not the point of this car. The real purpose of the Chiron is to make you look good as pull up at your favorite restaurant or casino or gala event. Bugatti is in fact on its way to make a killing with the Chiron series, setting themselves the goal of selling 500 units, 300 of which has already been marked. That is about 1.5 billion dollars worth. [embedded content] As for who’s buying these Chirons and where, 43 percent of orders have come from Europe, 26 per, ...ادامه مطلب

Yep, that’s what they’re calling it. The latest WheelsAndMore Nissan GT-R is dubbed Crankzilla. The aging Samurai has been treated by the Germans to a number of refinements that make it better at what it is supposed to do, which is tickle your senses and astonish you with its awesome performance.  Looks-wise, WheelsAndMore Nissan GT-R steers clear of showy body kit, but makes up for it in orange wheels and graphics. The rims WaM has picked for the Crankzilla are a set of 3-piece F.I.W.E models measuring 9.5×21 inches on the front and 11.0×21 inches out back, wrapped with Continental  tires in sizes 255/35/21 and 295/30/21 respectively. The wheels’ contribution to the car’s style is further enhanced by height-adjustable lowering springs from KW which drop the ‘Zilla by as much as 30mm. WheelsAndMore Nissan GT-R also sounds a lot better than the standard model thanks to a valve flap exhaust system. It can optionally be ordered with catalytic converters. The extremely loud exhaust system is part of a performance package for the GT-R which is offered in five different settings to suit every need and budget: Stage I: Through optimized software and a F1 air filter kit Wheelsand, ...ادامه مطلب

Good news for those looking to replace their petrol or diesel hatchback with an EV. You good-natured citizens may want to hold on a little longer as the all-new 2018 Nissan LEAF entered production today and will soon hit the market. And it’s a head and shoulders above the competition in pretty much every aspect.  If we gloss over the glaring faults that plague all electric cars right now, the 2018 Nissan LEAF is a remarkable product. Not only does it address the biggest issue with its predecessor, which was the looks, if now has better performance, higher range, and a host of advanced new technologies to justify the price tag. This car is virtually autonomous-ready thanks to feature, ...ادامه مطلب

Finally, the new, mode-day Alpine is ready to hit the roads, going on sale in five days. We’ve waited a long time for this thing, but all the evidence suggest 2018 Alpine A110 is well worth the wait. I’m afraid, however, the privilege of enjoying one is a bit costly, as the sports car starts at €58,500. The good news is though, that is the base price for the limited edition 2018 Alpine A110 Premiere Edition. Regular models will be less expensive. But the launch model is the really irresistible one, if just for the fact that they are making only 1,955 units of it. That is a tribute to the year Alpine was founded. The A110 Première Edition come as standard with lightweight 18-inch O, ...ادامه مطلب

With no much build up Nissan revealed at the Los Angeles Auto Show last night the all-new 2018 Nissan Kicks. this compact crossover will hit the U.S. market in June next year with a starting price of well under $19,000. That, and what the Kicks has to offer, already puts it at the top of the crossover game.  Unlike most of the other choices in this class, 2018 Nissan Kicks does not look like it’s been made out of reject parts from a hatchback project. The car has its own personality, and it looks quite cool and funky as well. Nissan has given this baby SUV design features usually reserved for much bigger cars – features such as V-Motion grille, boomerang headlights and taillights, a, ...ادامه مطلب

You may be aware that Nissan has an ongoing partnership with the Star Wars franchise. Now at the 2017 Los Angeles Auto Show they take this relationship to a whole new level, unveiling a fleet of six Star Wars-themed vehicles. Nissan Star Wars Vehicles are dressed as characters from the upcoming installment, The Last Jedi.  Now, Nissan Star Wars Vehicles are not just silly wraps done by a third-rate tuner in Venice Beach. I know, they do look silly, but that’s the whole Star Wars thing. Each of these cars was designed by artists from Lucasfilm. They came up with the designs, guiding colors, textures and graphics, and they decided which car, Rogue, Rogue Sport, Altima and Maxima, shou, ...ادامه مطلب

The good old Beetle receives a number of updates for the new year, hoping it can regain some of it past glory with more features and a reasonable-ish price tag. The 2018 Volkswagen Beetle costs in America from $20,220, excluding an $850 dest, ...ادامه مطلب

Handsome, well-built, and value-packed. These words describe the 2018 Nissan Murano rather well. The unpretentious SUV is one of the sportiest and most fun to drive large-ish SUVs in the market today. It also has a wide range of models with , ...ادامه مطلب