Acura on the Nurburgring

There has been quite a debate about this Japanese prototype lapping the Nurburgring racetrack. One person says its the 2008 Honda accord another says its the 2010 Acura TL. We think its the Acura TL.

The TL was first snapped undergoing hot-weather testing in Death Valley during nighttime.

The next Accord will come in a hatchback form and station wagon form but there is a new rumor about an upcoming Accord Coupé for Europe.

Under the hood there will be two petrol engines and a new 2.2 litre diesel engine. The oil burner gets Honda’s new NOx reduction technology for even cleaner running. The system uses ammonia in the catalytic converter which causes the NOx to change into harmless nitrogen, slightly different to Mercedes' Bluetec system. Also on the way is a new hybrid model - showcasing Honda's latest hybrid technology in a new package, rather than adapting an existing platform like today's Civic IMA.

BMW crosses into new territory

Our spies capture BMW's latest model this week in Munich undergoing initial road tests. Still heavily disguised, the BMW V series will be taking on the Mercedes R-Class which has not been met with great enthusiasm. BMW seems to have drawn their own conclusion from Mercedes' experience and have designed not so much a van-like car but rather a sportier and more luxurious middle class family hatchback.

The newcomer is based on the future 5 series platform which allows BMW to spread both production and development costs. Currently the project name is V-Series, but we expect a more fitting title for the car by the time it will make its first curtain call by the end of next year. Power is expected to come from 3.0 litre six-cylinder engines delivering 272 hp (petrol), 286 hp (twinturbo diesel) and 231 hp (turbo diesel). A top of the line model could be powered by the future direct-injection V8 delivering 420 hp.

Photos showing:

The V-Series testing in Munich
1 CGI based spy photo

Hyundai i30 goes "green"

Hyundai is all set for the production of its new green version of i30 hatchback in January 2008. The low-emission version ships the 89bhp 1.6 litre diesel engine, which has been tailored from the 113bhp 1.6 liter diesel unit currently in the array.

The changes embrace detuning and an addition of a particulate filter over the standard car. The carbon emissions have been reduced from 125g/km to 119g/km. The green i30 will be placed in the B group for VED, which costs £35 a year.

It has been publicized that the business drivers will go down from 18% to 13% under new regulations, which cut tax for business drivers of diesels emitting less than 120g/km. This latest i30 would not apply the congestion charge under new proposals, at least in the near future.

The new model would be available for £13,000 with ESP, air conditioning, stability controls and alloy wheels as standard on all versions. The green version is also covered by the company’s five year unlimited mileage warranty. The outlay for the new i30 CRDi will be announced as soon as January next year, official launch date of the green version

Nissan X-Trail proves popular (JP)

The new Nissan X-Trail has proven itself to be a hot seller in Japan.

In the first month of its launch in Japan, the Japanese seem to have taken a good interest in the vehicle. 10,000 orders were booked in the first month.

Hyundai i20 undisguised

The Hyundai Getz is reaching the end of its life-cycle and Hyundai is working hard to replace it with the new i20 by the summer of 2008. We caught up with the new i20 in the Southern European mountains and although we only snapped a picture of a five-door prototype we do expect a 3-door version to follow in early 2009.

The Hyundai i20 will be positioned below the recently launched i30 which debuted at the Frankfurt Motor Show and is destined to take on the VW Polo.

Power is expected to come from a variety of petrol engines ranging between 70 and 110 bhp and turbodiesel engines ranging between 88 and 110 bhp.