News Review : BMW USA Fall in Sales IN July

BMW America has become official when the German-based automakers released its actual figures for their 2009 sales totals. The chart, which dictates the actual sales numbers for the month of July and the year to date for both the BMW and Mini brands in the US.

Judging from the figures BMW released, the only car that has managed to keep its head above water has been the X6 SUV, which posted a 50% sales increase in July 2009 from its numbers at the same month a year ago. For the year to date, the X6 sales have also grown by 12% compared to its figures at the same time last year.

Apart from the X6, sales for all BMW and MINI vehicles are down across the board with the most notable hit coming from sales of the X3, which is down by a staggering 71.3% in the month of July and 69.5% for the while year.

Latest Car News :World's fastest fire engine From Nissan

The car that set a lap time of 7 minutes 27.56 seconds at the Nurburgring circuit, has been appointed as the the track’s Rapid Response Vehicle. The Nordschliefe circuit needs a quick emergency response vehicle, since it is over 20 kilometers long. A fire truck may take too long to reach a specific location, and a lot cars are being tested there these days. This means, things like accidents and fire are inevitable.

So, ‘who’ else to turn to, other than the Nissan GTR? The reworked GTR you see above is equipped with fire retardant tank (placed at the rear passenger area), a hose reel and other relevant equipments. It also features a full roll cage as well as Recaro carbon fiber seats, apart from the visible visual upgrades.

New Lexus IS-F police car RuLes UK .... wallpapers photos review pics images

We don’t know about you, but it might be some time before we dare to drive on the M1 or any other of the U.K.’s high speed thoroughfares. That is because we have just caught wind of the English bobby’s recent addition to their motor pool. Up until now the British traffic squad was using Subarus to chase down the bad guys, that was o.k. because after a few miles with the turbo spooled up would mean that the flat four engine’s top mount intercooler would be suffering from tremendous amounts of heat soak, lose power, and away you go.

However that won’t be the case anymore. Taking a page out of the American Law Enforcement handbook, the Humberside Police Force have decided to trade up for a couple of eight cylinder powered four door vehicles, but these aren’t just any V8s. They have decided to replace those worn out patrol cars with the most powerful Lexus on the market at the moment, the 415 HP IS-F. Aside from the already steep cost of ownership, the police squad also added almost £30,000 worth of additional on-board computers and communications equipment.

The Lexus IS-F has a performance minded modern day 5.0 Liter V8 engine capable of propelling the factory tuned IS from 0 to 60 MPH in only 4.8 seconds and reach an electronically limited top speed of 168 MPH.

Nissan Forest air con utilizes aromatherapy, 'natural' breezes to reduce fatigue

Rolling down your vehicle window to get a breath of fresh air may be unnecessary in your next Nissan. The Japanese automaker just announced the development of its new "Forest AC" air conditioning system, an automotive climate control setup designed to control humidity, aroma, and other ambient factors in addition to the temperature and air cleaning features found with current systems. According to Nissan, the Forest AC is the first automotive system in the world created to make driving more comfortable based on the driver's mental activity. The development of the optimal artificial atmosphere for driving was based on Nissan's studies of how surroundings influence the physiological state and senses of test subjects.

Researchers found that when humans were exposed to certain aromas (e.g., fragrant wood and leaves) combined with ventilation simulating natural breezes, they were alert and focused yet free from unnecessary tension. While there is no word if the scent of freshly baked waffle cones has the same effect, Nissan says we'll see Forest AC on the new Fuga scheduled to debut in Tokyo later this year.

New Nissan driver assist tech helps the James May in finding his inner Stig

For the last century, automotive engineers have worked diligently to send Charles Darwin's concept of natural selection into obsolescence. It appears that we're inching closer to the time when any fool with a pulse may be able to climb behind the wheel of car and traverse a series of curves looking much more like the white-helmeted mystery driver from Top Gear than Captain Slow. The new Nissan Fuga (known here as the Infiniti M), debuting this fall at the Tokyo Motor Show, will feature fresh technology including new driver assistance systems.

In this case, Infiniti has integrated the GPS navigation system (hope those satellites hang in there) with the M's electronic stability control. As always, ESC uses inertial sensors to detect what the car is actually doing and compares that information to the actual driver inputs to see if they match. If not (i.e. understeer or oversteer) the brakes are individually applied at each wheel and engine torque may be reduced to help make the car go where the driver intended.

The GPS integration allows the system to detect where the road is going ahead and further manipulate the car, while alerting the driver to slow down by pushing the throttle back against his or her footn. Maybe it's all just a part of Nissan's master plan to save trees by preventing cars from being wrapped around them. Or perhaps we're just seeing the evolution of the Idiocracy.

Before G.M., Harley Earl Pimped Celebrity Rides

The Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles is offering an exhibition of the Southern California auto design tradition. While it’s no surprise that that tradition is tied to Hollywood and the film industry, the exhibition, “California Car Design: Local Style, Global Influence,” which runs through Feb. 7, reminds us that Hollywood also gave Harley Earl, the legendary General Motors designer, his start.

Mr. Earl worked for the family coach-building operation, Earl Automobile Works, which was bought by Don Lee, a Cadillac dealer in Los Angeles who needed custom body-building for his top customers. It was while working for Mr. Lee that Mr. Earl shaped a huge 1919 Pierce-Arrow for the legendary comedian Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle.

Mr. Arbuckle was Hollywood’s first king of bling and an intriguing character, whose biography is filled with seediness and controversy. In 1921, he was accused of killing a young starlet, and the trial, with its titillating implications of orgies and drunkenness, was the O.J. Simpson trial of its time.

Read more..

Porsche Car NewS Updates : Porsche 911 turbo GT2 by SwitZer Performance

The American tuning specialist Switzer Performance has set a target to attain 800hp for its latest Porsche GT2 project while running on 93 octane gas. The car comes with an efficient linear power and torque curves that’s gentle on the driver and a final dyno figure that demonstrates it has attained its goals. The car performs superbly on the road even at this level of potency and who knows what it can do on the tracks at the hands of a professional

This is a moment too powerful to be taken lightly, too special to be considered ironically, too vital to examine with any pretense of journalistic impartiality. I am seated behind the wheel of an absolutely perfect, fully-loaded, brand-new Porsche GT2, unwinding the wheel at the exit of Nelson Ledges Road Course’s Carousel turn. Next to me, the car’s owner, entrepreneur and bon vivant David Kim, has planted himself squarely into the GT2’s fixed-back passenger-side bucket, rigid with anticipation. There is traffic ahead, several cars varying from Improved Touring racers to tuned-up street Hondas. It’s time to accelerate, so I press the right pedal into the carpet.

Mexican Cash-for-Clunkers program announced by Mexican President Felipe Calderon

Mexican President Felipe Calderon has announced a Cash-for-Clunkers program for buyers wishing to trade their cars in for something locally produced. So far, 500 million pesos ($37M USD) have been set aside for the program, but Calderone has reportedly said the subsidy could be doubled to one billion if the program proves successful. New car buyers will be given 15,000 pesos ($1,100 U.S.) for the cars they turn over to recycling depots or junkyards, and they can apply that to cars worth up to 160,000 pesos ($11,760 U.S.). Eligible vehicles include those built in Mexico or imported by any of the seven companies that have assembly plants in the country.