Paul Newman dies aged 83 at his home

The death of great people is always sad, even the old ones. Although this is the natural course of life, we can't avoid feeling this way for the passing of Paul Newman. He died yesterday of lung cancer after smoking all his life. Ok, at 83, he could have died of anything, but who knows if, with no smoking, he would have been with us for more time?

Photo credit: ProRallyPix

The fact is Paul Newman was a talented actor, a great human being and car loving guy. This is why I pay him this tribute: due to his contribution and his love for racing and automobiles in general. His last lap, at Lime Rock Park race track, on August 13, must have been one of the saddest stories we have heard lately. If it was filmed, it would give him an extra Oscar. For all he has done. Our simphaties for the family and to all his fans.

VW SP2 gets back to life in a new project

When it was created, in 1972, SP1 and SP2 were considered the most beautiful Volkswagen of their times. Even so, the Brazilian sportscar did not resist its low performance figures and has survived only for four years, until 1976. Nowadays, with only 10.207 units produced, it has become a classic. Since every classic car in the world deserves to have a nostalgic reinterpretation, SP2 has found its own modern version through the designer Marcelo Rosa's work.



Although this is a mere design exercise, the idea of a modern Brazilian sportscar from VW such as SP2 would look really great if Rosa's idea ever managed to make it to production lines.

















Source: Marcelo Rosa

BMW Z4 in its new generation is revealed by Jon Sibal

The North-American designer Jon Sibal has released in his blog images of what may be the future Z4. Since Sibal works on spy pictures, his designs are usually very accurate. He has already revealed the new Mercedes-Benz SLR Speedster.



We still do not have much information on the car, but it is said to be a coupe cabriolet, with a hard foldable top. Engines, on the other hand, will probably be the same six-cylinder and V8 Twin Turbo already in use by other BMW products. Concerned with the environment, the company will also use the EfficientDynamics systems to improve CO2 emissions. Production is also said to be moving from Spartanburg, in the USA, to Regensburg, in Germany.



Source: Jon Sibal

Sixth generation of Golf GTI will be presented at the Paris Motor Show

The next edition of the Paris Motor Show will see the presentation of the most powerful Golf GTI ever to be produced. In fact, the car that will be presented in Paris is just a concept, but even Volkswagen recognises it is just a lighter way to introduce the new hot hatch.



Equipped with a 2-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine with direct injection able to produce 210 bhp, the new GTI is more powerful (it goes from 0 to 100 km/h in 7,2 s and reaches a top speed of 238 km/h) and more fuel efficient (it emits only 178 g/km of CO2 and is able to run 16 km/l).

The new GTI is also unique because of its electronic limited slip differential and its Adaptive Chassis Control, a system that allows the car to behave in three different modes: Comfort, Normal and Sport. ACC, as it is called, acts on the suspension and steering. In Europe, the new hot hatch will start its sales by next year's spring.









Source: Volkswagen

Renault officially presents the new Sandero Stepway

Renault has some of its vehicles equipped with all wheel drive, but, in Brazil, all it used to do were aesthetical changes in its cars, such as the Sportway versions of Scénic and Kangoo, but this week it has presented an upgrade on that. Brazilian customers still do not have all wheel drive, but the new Sandero Stepway is at least 5 cm taller than the regular version. It also features 16" alloy wheels, powersteering and the flexible 1.6-litre 16V engine.



The Stepway version of Sandero will be built only at the São José dos Pinhais plant, in Brazil, but it may be exported to other countries, especially in Latin America

















Source: Renault

VW Voyage is officially presented in Brazil

The new VW Voyage, the sedan version of VW Gol, has been officially presented to car journalists today in Florianópolis, Brazil. The new vehicle, which Volkswagen believes may take the company back to the first place in the Brazilian auto market, will also play an important role for the company in other countries, especially in South America, where it is also known as Gacel and Senda.



The new car is equipped with two engines, a 1-litre and a 1.6 litre, both flex. With a boot compartment of 480 l, the car will be sold in October with a very good price, compared to its competitors.

The 1-litre VHT (Volkswagen High Torque) engine develops 76 bhp with ethanol and 72 bhp with petrol, both at 5,250 rpm, with maximum torques of 104 Nm and 95 Nm at 3,850 rpm, respectively. Voyage reaches a top speed of 168 km/h (ethanol) and 166 km/h (petrol) and reaches 100 km/h, from 0, in 13,3 s and 13,8 s, respectively.

As for the 1.6-litre VHT engine, it produces 104 bhp with ethanol and 101 bhp with petrol at 5,250 rpm, with maximum torques of 153 Nm (ethanol) and 151 Nm (petrol) at 2,500 rpm. Top speeds are 193 km/h (0 to 100 km/h in 9,8 s) and 191 km/h and 10,1 s, respectively.



















Source: Volkswagen

K.O 8, the Japanese electric coupe, is about to get ready

The man that has created Ferrari Enzo will take a Lotus Elise platform to build a coupe that runs solely on electricity. Does this sound good to you? Well, it is all entirely true since Ken Okuyama decided he would create K.O 8, a car that is still in prototype stage, but can pretty soon reach its production-ready version.



This beautiful machine measures 3.70 m in lenght, 1.86 m in width and only 1.10 m in height. With its lithium-ion batteries, with a power of 18 kW, it can reach 160 km of range per charge. The three-phase electric engine reaches 100 kW, or about 136 bhp.













Prices are still not established, but they must be a little higher than the ones charged for the roadster K.O 7, already for sale in Japan for ¥19.5 million – about US$ 182,200. K.O 7 is a little shorter than K.0 8, at 3.64 m, and not as large, at 1.85 m, but both share the same height. Powered by a conventional Toyota engine, the new roadster has 240 bhp available to push it ahead. Since it weighs 750 kg, it is expected to perform as well as a Lotus Elise, but with a totally diffent appearance.











Source: Ken Okuyama Design via AutoCar