Ramp Solution: Airlift Suspension System for Porsche 911 and Audi R8

Ramp Solution: Airlift Suspension System for Porsche 911 and Audi R8

If you've ever driven a lowered sports car - or any lowered car for that matter- then at some point you will have definitely faced a problem 'negotiating' obstacles such as car park ramps, speed humps, high curbs etc. Cargraphic, a specialized Porsche tuner, has come up with a solution for this problem in the form of the "Airlift Suspension System". Available for the Porsche 996/997 and in the near future, the Audi R8, patented automatic level control system enables the car's front suspension to rise by 55mm.

As with other systems of this sort, the "Airlift Suspension" will automatically lower the car back down to normal ride height once it has reached a speed of 50 km/h (31mph).

However, one unique feature of the suspension system is that in the Porsche 911, it can work with the PASM (Porsche Active Suspension Management). The Cargraphic Airlift Suspension is available in 2 versions, a complete kit that includes BILSTEIN B16 suspension or as an upgrade kit for OE coil over suspensions

2011 Nissan Versa / Tiida Rendered, Gets New Turbo Engines

2011 Nissan Versa / Tiida Rendered, Gets New Turbo Engines

The Nissan Tiida, also known in the U.S. and Canada as the Versa, has been around in Japan since 2004. That is a long time in automobile-years so it comes to no surprise that Japanese magazines like “Best Car” have started publishing renderings of the Versa / Tiida’s replacement, expected in 2010. The artist’s rendering seen here, depicts a no-frills design proposal for the sedan variant that would also spawn a five-door hatchback version.

Best Car claims that, at least in what concerns the Japanese-market model, the 2010 Tiida / Verso will be offered with new range of turbocharged petrol engines. Since it is rumored that Nissan’s next-generation compact car will be based upon the Renault Megane architecture, the engine range could include Renault’s new 1.4-liter and 2.0-liter TCe turbocharged petrol units that deliver 130 and 180 HP respectively.

Expect to see the new Versa / Tiida hitting showrooms in the States and Europe sometime in 2011.

Rendering: Best Car

Detroit Show: Lincoln's Ford Focus Based C-Concept with new 180HP 1.6-Liter Turbo

Detroit Show: Lincoln's Ford Focus Based C-Concept with new 180HP 1.6-Liter Turbo

Trying to appeal to a younger and more modern audience, Ford took the covers off the very European-esque, "Lincoln C" concept at the Detroit Show. The new baby Lincoln does not only look European -too be precise, it looks like a rejected Renault project...- but it is also based on the Euro-market Ford Focus platform using FoMoCo's new 1.6-liter turbocharged EcoBoost engine that delivers 180HP and 180 ft.-lbs. of torque. This is the first time that FoMoCo has publicly showed off this engine that will find its way under the hood of Euro-Fords like the Fiesta, Focus and Mondeo in the very near future.

In the Lincoln C, the 1.6-liter EcoBoost engine is paired with Ford's all-new dry, dual-clutch PowerShift six-speed transmission, helping the concept achieve 43 mpg U.S. on the highway.

Open up the concept's suicide doors and you're welcomed by a contemporary and minimalistic interior. Among the car's highlights is the Citroen-inspired, hubless steering wheel that offers the driver an unobstructed view of the instrument panel. According to Lincoln, thanks to the cars width -two inches more than conventional C-class vehicles- it offers the roominess of a 1961 Continental at almost half the length. In modern terms, the vehicle has the overall length of a Ford Focus and the overall width of a Lincoln MKZ.

According to Peter Horbury, FoMoCo's executive director of Design, younger contemporary consumers in the U.S. have already grown accustomed to the notion of premium quality in a small package. "During the past decade, people have gotten used to the idea that you could pay more money for a smaller version of the real thing," said Horbury, citing the evolution of music players from tapes to CDs to MP3 players as an example.

"The same philosophy can be applied to the automobile," he added. "People will be happy to buy a smaller car that is better for the environment and more maneuverable in the city as long as the vehicle has all the attributes they want."

Blinging it in Dubai: Goldish-Chrome Mercedes C6

Blinging it in Dubai: Goldish-Chrome Mercedes C63 AMG

Slathering a Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG in a goldish-chrome finish is one way of telling the world that a- you do have a lot of petrol spending money, and b- your taste buds are as dead as a dodo bird. Of course, it does not take a rocket scientist to guess the origin of this one-of-a-kind Merc – and yes, it’s Dubai, the world’s capitol of bling-bling. In particular, the chrome-finished C63 AMG saloon was spotted outside one of the world's largest shopping centers, the Mall of the Emirates. If you are up to it, puke click through to see the rest of the photos.

Alfa Romeo to Debut 159 with new 200HP 1.8-liter Turbo Engine in Geneva

Alfa Romeo to Debut 159 with new 200HP 1.8-liter Turbo Engine in Geneva

Alfa Romeo's stylishly good looking 159 will benefit from the addition of the Fiat Group's all-new 1.8 Di Turbo Jet petrol unit this year. According to Carscoop sources, the first turbocharged (petrol) mid-size Alfa since the demise of the Tempra 155 Q4 back in the late 1990s, will make its world premiere at the Geneva Show this March. The new 1.8-liter gasoline unit that was first announced on the Lancia Delta combines direct injection and turbocharging for a total output of 200HP.

A more powerful version of the same engine delivering around 240HP will be used on the Alfa Romeo MiTo GTA sport hatch, rumored -but not confirmed- to make its debut at the Geneva Show.

In the front-wheel drive Alfa 159 Sedan and Sportwagon, the 1.8 Di Turbo Jet will be hooked up to a 6-speed manual gearbox or to an optional 6-speed, sequential, automatic transmission from Aisin. Alfa's BMW 3-Series rival is currently offered with four petrol engines: 1.8-liter with 140HP (some European markets), 1.9-liter with 160HP, 2.2-liter with 185HP and the range-topping 3.2-liter V6 that delivers 265HP.

MCR Readying Nissan 370Z for Tokyo Auto Salon

MCR Readying Nissan 370Z for Tokyo Auto Salon

At this week's 2009 Tokyo Auto Salon that runs from January 9 to 11, Japan's Matchless Crowd Racing (MCR) will reveal a fully modded Nissan 370Z packed with accessories and performance items from various manufacturers. We don't have all the details yet, but we do know that MCR's 370Z show car will get a NISMO aero-package with a front and rear spoiler, side skirts and a rear wing, Enkei alloy wheels wrapped in Yokohama tires, uprated Endless brake system, a sport suspension and a lightweight sport exhaust system. Check out some more photos of the 370Z from MCR after the jump…

EDAG Light Car concept car to debut at the Geneva Motor Show

EDAG, a well known provider of engineering services, decided to take things a little further and started working on the “Light Car - Open Source” concept which will debut at this year’s Geneva Motor Show. The car’s body, which looks like it’s made out of glass, uses innovative basalt fibre, a 100% recyclable lightweight material. Also, using an all-electric drive system powered by a set of lithium-ion batteries, the car has a driving range of 150 km (93 miles). What’s really cool about the car is the in the glass panes, (O)LED lamps mark out the outlines of the headlights and rear lights, outlines which can be customized by each customers, so basically you can redesign your car every time you want to. The same can be done to the interior, where the driver can individually configure the cockpit.

“We have transferred today’s multimedia and lighting technology standards to the car, and in future want to offer the customer scope for free configuration, as the entire surface of the vehicle functions like the monitor of a multimedia installation, and can be used intelligently and individually,” explains Johannes Barckmann, Head of the EDAG Design Studio.