New York Live – Rolls Royce shows off the dynamic Wraith

I am at the 2013 New York Auto Show and Rolls Royce are debuting the Wraith in the United States. The Rolls Royce Wraith is the most dynamic and sporty Roller ever made. It was unveiled at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show earlier this month for the first time, officially.



The Wraith is a two-door grand tourer ultra-luxury car. It is powered by a 6.6-liter V12 engine which is twin-turbocharged and produces a maximum power of 624bhp and a maximum torque of 800Nm. The Wraith is capable of doing the 0-100km/h in 4.6 seconds.
Power is handled by an 8-speed ZF automatic transmission. The Wraith is based on the Rolls Royce Ghost which is in turn based on the BMW 7 Series. The underpinning promises dynamic driving characteristics.



The cabin of the Rolls Royce Wraith is that like a luxury yacht. With suicide doors (Rolls prefers you call them coach doors) with fine wood veneer and a roof with a starlight lighting, the interiors are a special place to be in.



The attention to detail is staggering. The Spirit of Ecstasy logo is angled differently as well in the Wraith.

Hyundai HND-9 Concept shows up at the Seoul Motor Show

It has been a very busy week for Hyundai as the South Korean automaker has two international auto shows to make its presence felt.



We brought you the live updates from the New York Show floor where the 2014 Hyundai Equus sedan was revealed. And today, Hyundai has taken the wraps off the Hyundai HND-9 Concept at the Seoul Motor Show.
The Hyundai HND-9 previews the design direction that would be adopted by the next generation sports coupe. By ‘next gen Sports Coupe’ Hyundai refers to the new Genesis Coupe.



The HND-9 is the ninth concept model developed by the Hyundai Motor Group’s R&D Centre in Namyang, Korea and hence the name (Hyundai Namyang Design – 9). Hyundai says “the rear-wheel drive sports coupe concept balances high performance with a sophisticated image.”
The design which is a evolution of the Fluidic Sculpture philosophy features a dramatically long bonnet and a fastback style roofline. The hexagonal front grill, butterfly type doors, 22″ alloy wheels and dagger like taillight units are the main design highlights.



The concept measures 4.69m in length, 1.89m in breadth, 1.34m in height. The wheelbase stands at 2.86m.
The interior design incorporates a combination of three goals – spiral architecture, elegance and hi-tech interface. The seats project different colors depending on the angle of vision and the hi-tech driver interface is inspired by an airplane cockpit.

Under the long hood sits a 3.3 litre turbocharged GDI (Gasoline Direct Injection) engine which is capable of 362 bhp. Transferring the power to the rear wheels is a 8-speed automatic transmission.
The next gen Hyundai Genesis Coupe which would borrow cues form the HND-9 Concept is confirmed, however Hyundai has not announced a specific time period yet.
The new Hyundai Genesis Coupe is surely a car to watch out for!

New York Live – 2014 Porsche 911 GT3 is a track-ready road car

To be launched in the American market in late 2013, the 2014 Porsche 911 GT3 has made its North American premiere at the New York Auto Show.



Fully redeveloped, the fifth generation 911 GT3 is the sportiest variant of the 911 line and boasts a sub-7.5 minute Nurburgring lap time. It benefits from a new powertrain, body and chassis. The 0-100 kph time is 3.3 seconds with a top whack of 195 mph.



Porsche describes the 911 GT3 as a car that brings the “exhilaration of a sports car to everyday driving”. The 911 GT3 is the first production Porsche to feature active rear-wheel steering for better agility and stability, and full LED headlights which is an option.



The powertrain is made of a 3.8-liter boxer engine that yields 475 hp with a 9,000 rpm redline. The six-cylinder engine shares some components with the 911 Carrera S, but the majority of parts such as the crankshaft, valve gear, connecting rods and forged pistons, were developed for the GT3.
Compared to the Carerra, the 911 GT3 is 1.7 inches wider at the rear. A distinctive feature to watch out for is a large static rear wing, which is reported to contribute to better aerodynamics.



Porsche’s dual-clutch transmission (PDK) is tuned for shorter gear ratios and has paddles on the steering column with shorter travel.
A fully variable rear differential lock and dynamic engine mount are new features on the GT3. Power is laid on to the road through 20-inch forged alloy wheels with center-locking hubs.



The 2014 Porsche 911 GT3 is priced at $130,400 (Rs. 70.90 lakhs), which is excluding a $950 (Rs, 51,613) destination charge.

New York Live – 2014 Cadillac CTS makes its global debut

The all-new 2014 Cadillac CTS mid-size luxury sedan took its first public bow at the New York Auto Show yesterday.



The third generation of the sedan features a design which is an evolution of the firm’s Art & Science design philosophy. The car is based on the rear-wheel drive architecture of the ATS sport sedan.



The new CTS is longer than the outgoing sedan by 5″ (127mm) out of which 1.2″ is consumed in increasing the wheelbase. The car’s roofline and the base of the windshield are lowered by 1″ to enhance the aesthetics.
The front fascia of the 2014 CTS has a wider grill which now boasts of a more detailed texture. The signature vertical LED lighting, the headlamps which run along the bonnet line and the shield emblem proclaim its Cadillac identity loudly.



On the inside, eight options for the cabin environment are offered, each bestowed with authentic wood, carbon fiber or aluminum trimmings. The dashboard is driver centric and the company claims that the cabin has handcrafted components. The CUE multimedia system comes with a 8″ touchscreen display and has Bluetooth, USB and SD card capabilities.



Cadillac says that the CTS is the lightest sedan in its category and has a near 50/50 weight balance. The car benefits from Cadillac’s first aluminum door structures.
Other noteworthy features include the Magenetic Ride Control real time dampening system, limited slip differential and Brembo disc brakes with aluminum calipers.



The top end Vsport variant is powered by a new 3.6 litre twin turbo V6 which puts out 420 bhp and 583 Nm of torque. The engine is connected to a 8-speed automatic transmission which propels the sedan to 100 kph from rest in an estimated time of 4.6 seconds.



The other engine options include a normally aspirated 321 bhp 3.6 litre petrol V6 and a turbocharged 272 bhp 2.0 litre petrol motor. The former is available with a 8-speed automatic gearbox in rear-wheel drive models and with a 6-speed automatic in all-wheel drive models. The latter makes do with the 6-speed autobox.

Sub-4m Kia CUB Concept is a four-door coupe with suicide doors

After showing the Kia Provo concept at the Geneva Motor Show that has turned quite a few heads, the Korean automaker Kia has shown another concept in its hometown, Seoul.


Meet Kia’s CUB – a four-door coupe concept that has just been unveiled at the 2013 Seoul Motor Show. Kia’s President and Chief Design Officer, Peter Schreyer was at the helm of the CUB’s design. The entire car is termed as a ‘compact four-door coupe’ and was designed in Seoul.

The sub 4 meter concept does without the B pillars. Hence, the suicide doors seems to be a good fit for easy access to the seats. The doors feature an automatic touch type door handle.
The CUB features four individual seats wrapped in leather with a black – yellow color theme. Touch sensor controlled air vents on the center console seems to be an interesting feature.

Kia has also included its DIS (Driver Information System) system which is in turn linked to a gesture camera through which the driver can use interactive gestures to get stuff working.
The CUB will be powered by a 1.6-liter GDI engine with a twin scroll turbocharger which i already see in the cee’d GT and the pro cee’d GT. The engine produces 204bhp of power and 265Nm of torque.

Kia has announced that there is no plan to put this vehicle into production.

Kia Cub Concept Image Gallery:

 

 

New York Live – Subaru WRX Concept breaks cover

The Subaru WRX Concept which previews the design of the next generation WRX sedan has been revealed at the New York Auto Show.



Sporting a very aggressive styling, the Subaru WRX attempts to take Subaru design to a whole new league. The ultra sharp front fascia gets a hexagonal grill, hawk-eye headlamps, a prominent hood intake and a sturdy looking bumper.



The profile is tightly skinned and features a swooping roofline. The front and rear fenders are muscular and there is a strong shoulder line which starts at the front fender and runs across the length of the car. Another interesting touch is the cooling vent which sits just ahead of the front doors. The 20″ BBS forged alloy wheels are shod with bespoke Dunlop tires.
The rear fascia is no less dramatic with its fluorescent yellow quad exhaust tips and an outrageous diffuser. The boot lid gets an integrated spoiler. The boomerang tail lamps wrap up the drama.



The Subaru WRX Concept is finished in the WR Blue Pearl III paint job with fluorescent calipers and WRX badging.
Subaru has not dropped hints on the powertrains or the detailing on the interior.

Subaru WRX Concept Image Gallery: