Paris Preview: Opel Astra Sports Tourer

General Motors announced the 2011 Opel Astra Sports Tourer price for the European market.

The model will retail starting later this year from EUR18,000, with orders being accepted as of now. The entry level Sports Tourer is the 1.4 ecoFLEX engine that develops 74 kW/100 hp. The Opel Astra Sports Tourer will also be available with a 1.4-liter turbo petrol engine with either 120 hp, or 140 hp and with a 2.0 CDTI diesel developing 160 hp and 380 Nm of torque. Actually, the Opel Astra Sports Tourer range will include three diesel and five petrol versions.

The new unit is 1.4 turbo which develops 120 hp and is paired with a six-speed manual transmission. The Astra lineup will also be available with a start/stop technology, to be used on the 1.3l CDTI ecoFLEX engine.

The Opel Astra Sports Tourer price starts at 18,000 EUR for the entry level 100 hp version. The equipment list of the Opel Astra Sports Tourer
includes front ergonomic seats, an adaptive mechatronic FlexRide chassis, AFL+ adaptive forward lighting and the Opel Eye system.




Press Release

The Opel Astra Sports Tourer Priced at 18,000 euros

• Compact Wagon is dynamic, practical – and affordable
• World premiere at Paris Motor Show
• New Astra Hatchback already has 200,000 orders

Rüsselsheim. The Opel Astra Sports Tourer makes its debut at the Mondial de l’Automobile 2010 in Paris (October 2 – 17), but it can be ordered now. The athletic station wagon is as beautiful to look at as it is practical to use. And, it is eco-friendly and affordable to boot. The 1.4 ecoFLEX (74 kW/100 hp) starts at 18,000 euros in Germany. The compact wagon comes with a wide powertrain line-up of three diesel motors and five gasoline engines ranging from 100 to 180 hp.

An efficient trunk design and premium features enhance the functionality of this dynamic, beautifully sculptured wagon which has a load space between 500 and 1550 liters. With the seatbacks down, the cargo load length is increased to 1835 mm – 28 mm more than the current Astra wagon.

New in the compact segment is the FlexFold Rear Seat system, which allows each section of the 60/40 split-fold rear seatbacks to be folded forward at the press of a button located in the side walls of the cargo compartment: A spring is electrically released, automatically activating swift, remote folding of the seatbacks. The Easy Access Cover slides upward and out of the way with a simple tap. The cover retracts with a quick hand motion.

Low cost of ownership is guaranteed due to the Astra Sports Tourer’s favorable insurance rating by the Gesamtverband der Deutschen Versicherungswirtschaft (GDV), an umbrella organization of German insurers. The Sports Tourer received the lowest insurance rating (fully comprehensive, or, “Vollkasko neu” rating 13) of all the compact class wagons the GDV has valued.

The Astra Sports Tourer incorporates exciting Opel innovations that make life more comfortable and driving safer. These include the only front ergonomic seats in the segment certified by independent back experts from the Aktion Gesunder Rűcken (AGR); the adaptive mechatronic FlexRide chassis, the AFL+ adaptive forward lighting and the Opel Eye.

Launched at the 2009 IAA, the Astra five-door has been very well received, with nearly 200,000 orders collected in less than one year.

Cadillac XLR Is Cancelled

General Motors plans to end production of the Cadillac XLR, which is made at the General Motors Bowling Green Assembly Plant.

The company anticipates production will cease this spring, impacting about 40 employees at the plant, said Sharon Basel, communications manager for General Motors.

The plant employs a small assembly crew dedicated to XLR production. Those employees were recently notified of the production cut. It has not yet been determined when those workers will be laid off, but it will likely be this spring, said Paul Graham, plant manager.
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Car News: Wagoner Heading to Bailout Hearing in Chevy Volt Prototype

The mule will be outfitted with the body of a Chevy Cruze but it will be equipped with the powertrain from the highly anticipated Chevy Volt. GM hopes this will send an important message to members of Capital Hill, stating in essence that a key part of the company's turn around plan will be based on new vehicles that will feature advanced technologies and improved fuel economy.

After last months public relations nightmare where CEO's from the big three took private jets to Washington DC to ask for a 25 billion dollar government loan package, General Motor's CEO Rick Wagoner has decided to forgo the first class accommodations for a Chevy Volt mule.

During GM's presentation the company will showcase the technology behind the Volt in an effort to explain to the Senators that the company's viability will be based on new energy saving technologies. With GM's plan to cut costs and focus on four core brands, the company is hoping Congress will approve their request for $18 billion in government loans.

Source:World Car Fans

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GM to Supply Engine to Fisker Karma hybrid

Fisker has announced their new plug-in hybrid sedan called the Karma will use GM's 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder which produces 260 horsepower. The engine will be used to generate electricity for the batteries after the hybrid has been driven past its 50 mile electric-only range. GM currently uses the engine in the Pontiac Solstice GXP and the Saturn Sky Red Line.
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L.A. Auto Show Design Challenge Entries - Japanese & American Automakers

Continuing on from our look at the German automakers' efforts for the Design Los Angeles Design Challenge 2009, the focus is now on the entries submitted by Japanese and American manufacturers. This is a competition of particular importance to designers, hosted in a city and in turn a region famed for its trendsetting but also for its position as having the greatest concentration of manufacturer design studios in the world.

In recent years, the challenge has covered briefs from the designing of a 'RoboCar for 2057' to that which takes the future of driving to an 'environmental experience', with previous wins from GM, GMC and Dodge as well as two from Volkswagen. Victorious American designs have included GM's Hummer O2, fitted with an algae-panelled body that enables CO2 emissions to be converted into O2, and the GMC Pad - a vehicle judges branded as a 'Living Activity Vehicle'.

This year's brief seeks a Motor Sports vehicle for 2025 - with designs being entered from across the continents. Japanese and American makers involved are General Motors, Honda, Mazda, Mitsubishi and Toyota.


Honda’s The Great Race 2025

Honda designers forsee a reincarnation of the Great Race of 1908, in which 17 brave men dared to traverse the world. The race spanned twenty-two thousand miles and three continents, lasting six months. Honda's proposal for The Great Race 2025, 117 years after it was first devised, would take competitors across the US by land, Asia by sea and Europe by air.

In making such a race remotely feasible, Honda are keen to promote their brand's experience in all the necessary fields, from automotive and marine technologies to robotics and jet expertise. By possessing technologies that detect changes in speed, terrain and altitude, Honda's vehicle is able to adapt


GM Chaparral Volt

Designers at General Motors Advanced Design facility in California have gone local for their Chaparral Volt, drawing on the three features in abundance in the state - Earth, Wind and Fire - for a revival of the LA Times Grand Prix in 2025. Collecting its energy from these three sources, managing them and in turn powering EREV propulsion, the Chaparral Volt creates a new category in racing: the eco-triathlon.

Earth provides high braking efficiency as well as active energy regeneration, Wind enables power cell cooling via rear turbine extractors, provides down force and (when reversed) assisted energy regeneration and braking power. Fire is the integration of a thin poly-vinyl layer into the Volt's body to capture the energy of the sun for conversion into stored energy for use by the primary energy source.


Mitsubishi Motors MMR25

Breaking away from convention, Mitsubishi have designed beyond the traditional four-by-four, instead opting for a drivetrain touting 8x4 wheel drive. Explained somewhat more clearly in the accompanying photos, the omni-directional all-terain wheels allow for forward driving while the car itself faces in any other direction. Cornering is particularly interesting because the car can be pointed in the target direction before entering the apex, the MMR25 therefore entering a bend sideways. Further pecularities include a center wing that acts as spoiler and front and rear spoilers that double as suspension blades.


MAZDA KAAN

Working on the basis that Californian freeways will have been resurfaced in a sub-level electro-conductive polymer by 2025, powering the electric cars of the near-future, Mazda's design team present Kaan, an electric racing car designed to compete in the E1 races. Using this and an electronic tire system, the Kaan will be powered to 250 mph top speeds free of harmful emissions.

Designed for racing with up to thirty competitiors per team, the vehicle is optimised around its energy-drawing wheels with the cabin providing space for one occupant and its aerodynamics made for greatest efficiency in packs in a vain similar to that of cycling peletons.


Toyota Lemans Racer

Californian Toyota designers at Calty Design Research, Inc. have come up with an adaptable racing concept for 2025 that 'never needs to stop'. Powered by hydrogen fuel cell, the Lemans Racer can also be charged from its photovoltaic body panels should further energy be required.

With two modes, each adapting the vehicle to the required characteristics of each, the LeMans can achieve optimisations in aerodynamics or grip dependent on whether High Speed Mode or Cornering Mode is selected. In High Speed Mode, the body and wheels narrow, reducing drag and resistance to reach its 350 mph top speed. Cornering Mode stabilises the vehicle by widening the body and expanding the wheels to establish the greatest contact and grip through tight turns.

The cockpit is entirely digital both for optimum safety and race performance, the environment enhanced by virtual reality and computer recommendations on trajectory, collision avoidance and even boasting an automated co-pilot system.
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