Audi debuts the 2012 A6 Avant

The sedan version of the Audi A6 was revealed several months ago, and now its the turn of the infinitely cooler A6 Avant to step out from the shadows. Thanks to the extensive use of aluminium, which makes up roughly 20 percent of the body, the 2012 A6 Avant is up to 70kgs (154 lbs) lighter than its predecessor. That makes it a win-win situation for both agility and efficiency.Scheduled to launch in Europe later this year, the A6 Avant is offered with a range of both diesel and gasoline engines. Power outputs range from a healthy 177hp, right up to a left-lane-of-the-Autobahn suitable 313hp.

Other improvements for the new A6 Avant include increased cargo space. Up to 1,680 litres (444 gallons) of antique furniture and duvets can be carried, while still permitting the driver to take along an assistant to help unload it all. Typical of every Audi since the mid-nineties, the interior is incredibly well put together, and the designers have made sure its ergonomics and styling go hand-in-hand. An inlay (which looks particularly good in veneered oak) known as the “wrap-around” encircles the driver and the front-seat passenger. The inlays are available in three different types of wood, aluminum or piano lacquer.

The front seats are available in a wide variety of options, with the top-spec models featuring ventilation and massage functions. There is also a number of choices when it comes to the steering wheels: three or four spokes, power-adjustable steering column, heated rim and paddles for the automatic transmission.
The back seat offers ample passenger room. There are plenty of storage options and cup holders front and rear, with an additional storage package available as an option. The rear seat passengers also get their own AC controls and a two-vents each. Audi connect, the company’s Internet service which was developed in collaboration with Google, creates a Wi-Fi hotspot allowing the passengers to take full advantage of everything the Internet has to offer. All-in-all, if you’re late on the shotgun call, you won’t be too disappointed.
In total six engine options will be available, however what choice you have will depend on where you live. Two of the choices are gasoline, while the other four are diesel. The 2.0 TDI is the most frugal, and consumes an average of just 5.0 liters of fuel per 100 km (47.04 MPG). The supercharged 3.0 litre TFSI engine makes 295 horsepower, and is the most powerful gasoline option. But it’s a diesel engine that tops the charts. The twin-turbo 3.0 TDI generates 313 horsepower, enough to get the A6 Avant to 62 mph (100km/h) in a scant 5.4 seconds, and on to a typically-Bavarian electronically limited top speed of 155 mph.
The transmission options for the Audi A6 Avant include a six-speed manual, 8-speed multitronic CVT or 7-speed S tronic twin-clutch transmissions – multitronic or manual for front-wheel drive models, and S tronic for quattro equipped cars.

Basically, if you want a brand-new, stylish, luxurious and fast car, but also need to regularly haul around an eclectic mix of cargo, including children, dogs and expensive household nick-naks, then the 2012 A6 Avant should be sitting proudly at the top of your shortlist.


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Ford Interceptor

The Ford Interceptor concept which went on show at the 2007 Detroit Auto Show is a four door luxury sedan built on a stretched Ford Mustang platform, and powered by an E85 ethanol fueled 5.0 litre V8 driving 400 horsepower to the rear wheels via a 6-speed manual gearbox.


The styling of the Ford Interceptor concept borrows design cues from some previous Ford concepts, especially trucks. Although the overall shape is rather different from some of the latest car designs like the Ford Iosis and Ford Reflex.

"This concept celebrates the best of American muscle. And if it looks familiar, it should. That's because we've translated the design language of last year's F-250 Super Chief pickup concept onto a car." said Peter Horbury, executive director, Design, The Americas. The bold three bar grille of the Ford Interceptor concept is possibly the most easily identifiable element taken from the Super Chief concept.

Inside the Ford Interceptor concept low-back seats, finished in thick black leather with exposed-edge seams and contrasting stitching, modernize muscle car seats through their design – along with clever touches, including headrests that deploy from the roof. The Interceptor concept's minimalist interior is sleek, focusing the driver's attention on the speedometer and tachometer, whose needles start at center and move opposite each other.

The audio control panel and climate controls are hidden – but deployable. And the gated six-speed shifter is left exposed.
For safety, the Ford Interceptor concept incorporates Ford's patented four-point "belt and suspenders" safety belt design in all four seats. This showcases a possible next-generation safety belt that is more comfortable and easier to use than traditional three-point belts. Additionally, inflatable belts have been included in the rear seat of the Interceptor concept.

The Ford Interceptor concept's 5.0-liter V-8 Cammer engine is an upgraded variant of the 4.6-liter engine under the hood of the current production Mustang GT. The Cammer modular engine has powered Ford Racing's FR500C race car to the top of the Grand Am Cup's GS class, achieving 5 victories on its way to the Drivers, Manufacturers and Team Championships in its first season of competition.

The Ford Interceptor concept shows new Mustang-inspired design possibilities – complete with two more doors and a "Built Ford Tough" design attitude.



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Exterior 

Interior

ford IOSIS

The Ford Iosis concept car from the 2005 Frankfurt Auto Show ws the preview replacement model for the existing Ford Mondeo. The Iosis takes Fords design language in a completely different direction, with an all new design philosophy.
The design itself drew on inspiration from both Jaguar and Lexus, although a bit of Mazda RX8 sneaks into the front arches.

The Iosis incorporates quadruple gull wing style doors which fan out either side of the car. The Iosis' bonnet complies with the latest pedestrian safety laws, and as such sit higher than the Mondeo's allowing a cushioning zone between the flexible bonnet and hard unforgiving engine.
Ford had toyed with the idea of a pop-up bonnet but the technology was too expensive for such a model.

The interior of the Iosis is advanced and stylish, orange accents highlight the seats, steering wheel and center console. The console also features a system similar to BMW's iDrive, a possible indication of Ford's intentions.

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     Interior

History

Foundation and early years

The company that became Alfa Romeo was founded as Società Anonima Italiana Darracq (SAID) in 1906 by the French automobile firm of Alexandre Darracq, with some Italian investors. One of them, Cavaliere Ugo Stella, an aristocrat from Milan, became chairman of the SAID in 1909. The firm's initial location was in Naples, but even before the construction of the planned factory had started, Darracq decided late in 1906 that Milan would be a more suitable location and accordingly a tract of land was acquired in the Milan suburb of Portello, where a new factory of 6,700 square metres (8,000 sq yd) was erected. Late 1909, the Italian Darracq cars were selling slowly and Stella, with the other Italian co-investors, founded a new company named A.L.F.A. (Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili), initially still in partnership with Darracq. The first non-Darracq car produced by the company was the 1910 24 HP, designed by Giuseppe Merosi, hired in 1909 for designing new cars more suitable to the Italian market. Merosi would go on to design a series of new A.L.F.A. cars, with more powerful engines (40-60 HP). A.L.F.A. ventured into motor racing, with drivers Franchini and Ronzoni competing in the 1911 Targa Florio with two 24 HP models. In 1914, an advanced Grand Prix car was designed and built, the GP1914 which featured a four cylinder, double overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder and twin ignition. However, the onset of the First World War halted automobile production at A.L.F.A. for three years.
 In August 1915 the company came under the direction of Neapolitan entrepreneur Nicola Romeo, who converted the factory to produce military hardware for the Italian and Allied war efforts. Munitions, aircraft engines and other components, compressors and generators based on the company's existing car engines were produced in a vastly enlarged factory during the war. When the war was over, Romeo invested his war profits in acquiring locomotive and railways carriage plants in Saronno (Costruzioni Meccaniche di Saronno), Rome (Officine Meccaniche di Roma) and Naples (Officine Ferroviarie Meridionali), which were added to his A.L.F.A. ownership.

About Alfa Romeo

Alfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A. is an Italian manufacturer of cars. Founded as A.L.F.A. on June 24, 1910, in Milan, the company has been involved in car racing since 1911, and has a reputation for building expensive sports cars. The company was owned by Italian state holding company Istituto per la Ricostruzione Industriale between 1932 and 1986, when it became a part of the Fiat Group, and since February 2007 a part of Fiat Group Automobiles S.p.A.

The company that became Alfa Romeo was founded as Società Anonima Italiana Darracq (SAID) in 1906 by the French automobile firm of Alexandre Darracq, with some Italian investors. Late 1909, the Italian Darracq cars were selling slowly and a new company was founded named A.L.F.A. (Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili English: Lombard Automobile Factory, Public Company), initially still in partnership with Darracq. The first non-Darracq car produced by the company was the 1910 24 HP, designed by Giuseppe Merosi. A.L.F.A. ventured into motor racing, with drivers Franchini and Ronzoni competing in the 1911 Targa Florio with two 24 HP models. In August 1915 the company came under the direction of Neapolitan entrepreneur Nicola Romeo, who converted the factory to produce military hardware for the Italian and Allied war efforts. In 1920, the name of the company was changed to Alfa Romeo with the Torpedo 20-30 HP becoming the first car to be badged as such.

In 1928 Nicola Romeo left, with Alfa going broke after defence contracts ended, and at the end of 1932 Alfa Romeo was rescued by Benito Mussolini's government, which then had effective control. The Alfa factory struggled to return to profitability after the Second World War, and turned to mass-producing small vehicles rather than hand-building luxury models. The company, in 1954, developed the classic Alfa Romeo Twin Cam engine, which would remain in production until 1995. During the 1960s and 1970s Alfa Romeo produced a number of sporty cars, though the Italian government parent company, Finmeccanica, struggled to make a profit so sold the marque to the Fiat Group in 1986.

Alfa Romeo has competed successfully in many different categories of motorsport, including Grand Prix motor racing, Formula One, sportscar racing, touring car racing and rallies. They have competed both as a constructor and an engine supplier, via works entries (usually under the name Alfa Corse or Autodelta) and private entries. The first racing car was made in 1913, three years after the foundation of the company, and Alfa Romeo won the inaugural world championship for Grand Prix cars in 1925. The company gained a good name in motorsport, which gave a sporty image to the whole marque. Enzo Ferrari founded the Scuderia Ferrari racing team in 1929 as an Alfa Romeo racing team, before becoming independent in 1939.