Ferrari’s most powerful mid-engined drop-top will be showcased at the Frankfurt Motor Show 2015.

This is the new Ferrari 488 Spider – the most powerful mid-engined convertible Ferrari has yet made.  It gets a turbocharged V8 that churns out a massive 660bhp at 8000rpm.

The Ferrari 488 Spider uses a similar folding hard-top seen in the 458 drop-top.  According to Ferrari, the hard-top is 25kg lighter than the conventional cloth roof and takes just 14 seconds to fold up or down.  The roof lies flat on top of the engine when folded down.

Despite the removal of a fixed roof, the 488 Spider is claimed by Ferrari to have the same torsional rigidity as the 488 GTB, thanks to its spaceframe chassis. It is made of 11 different aluminium alloys in conjunction with other metals, such as magnesium. These gains have led to a claimed 23% improvement in chassis rigidity compared with the 458 Spider.

The 488 Spider is marginally heavier than the 488 GTB. With a 1420kg dry weight when fitted with optional lightweight equipment, the open-topped 488 is only 50kg heavier than the coupé and is 10kg lighter than the 458 Spider.

The 488 is the most aerodynamic drop-top that Ferrari has made and has several major visual changes from the coupé. The most notable ones are the large flying buttresses, which sit behind the two seats. They are designed to send airflow to the engine cover and into the air intakes.

The rear spoiler, which channels air through a gap on the rear lip, remains unchanged from the coupé. The Spider also gets the GTB’s adjustable rear diffuser, which varies its position depending on speed and throttle input.

To improve in-cabin comfort, the 488 Spider has an adjustable rear wind stopper in the form of an electric glass window. It can be placed in three different positions to increase protection as desired. It can also be dropped while the roof is in place to increase the sound of the engine in the cabin even in poor weather conditions.

Ferrari has tweaked the 488’s suspension for the Spider, increasing compliance to make it a little more comfortable than the GTB, because Ferrari reckons the convertible model is more likely to be used on the road than on circuits. The exhaust noise has also been slightly detuned, so the noise at speed is less overpowering with the roof off.

The engine itself is identical to that of the GTB and gives the Spider the same claimed 0-62mph time of 3.0sec, although 0-200kph takes marginally longer, at 8.7sec to the fixed-head car’s 8.4sec. The top speed is 327kph.

The Spider is set to come with the same equipment and options as the GTB. Right-hand-drive cars are due to go on sale globally in late spring next year. The Ferrari 488 Spider will get its first public unveil at the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show 2015.

Courtesy : Autocar

The Pajun is said to take cues from the Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo; to be released in two versions — battery electric and hydrogen fuel-cell.

An all-electric concept car from Porsche is expected to make its appearance at the Frankfurt motor show this September, and is said to hint towards the Pajun sedan set to launch sometime around 2017-18. According to reports, Porsche will preview the production Pajun with a ‘connected’ concept which measures 4.8m in length — making it shorter than the 5.0m-long Panamera.

Sister publication, Autocar UK, had revealed back in May that there would be battery electric and hydrogen fuel-cell versions of the Pajun, and that the car's powertrain would be mounted in the rear. Ulrich Hackenberg, R&D boss of Porsche’s parent company, Volkswagen Group, spoke of Porsche’s plans for electric cars at a press gathering on the night before VW’s annual conference in March. At the event, Hackenberg surprised industry observers with additional plans for a hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle.
The Pajun is said to take size and appearance cues from the Panamera Sport Turismo, first revealed in 2012.

The EVs will be built on an adaptation of the upcoming MSB platform, which will be used for the new Panamera and future Bentley models. The version powered by a fuel-cell stack looks likely to arrive in limited-production runs shortly after the launch. It’s possible that the battery electric version of the car will be called the Porsche 718, and the fuel-cell version, the 818.

The clever packaging of the new car also makes it easy to produce it in both battery and hydrogen-powered forms. This will give Porsche a big cost advantage compared with existing fuel-cell vehicles such as Toyota’s Mirai, which uses a bespoke platform. According to the uncovered patents, Porsche engineers have designed a new structural rear-mounting system for the electric-drive motors. This makes the powertrain itself part of the ‘eMSB’ structure, which will help to stiffen the rear end, improve the overall rigidity and ensure resilience in a rear-end impact. In addition, company engineers have patented something called an ‘impact plate’, also part of the platform’s new structure. These plates will be fitted between the battery cells, running across from one sill structure to another. This will give the floor greater rigidity and improve side impact performance. The batteries themselves use ‘pouch cells’ and are mounted in rigid frames.

At the front, Porsche engineers have designed a new, patented “supporting frame” with “a cross member and stiffening struts running diagonally… to form a load path that runs obliquely”.

The rear-mounted electric powertrain is expected to be similar in principle to that used in the Audi R8 e-tron, with two motors, one for each rear wheel. However, the Porsche design is more advanced. The patent describes it as a “hollow portal axle… that accommodates two electric motors”. The assembly also has a step-down gear mechanism for each wheel.

Porsche will also be able to retain an independent rear suspension system and the twin rear motors will be able to deliver a significant amount of torque vectoring, greatly aiding turn-in. This rear-engined arrangement is not only relatively space efficient but also means there’s room under the bonnet for a fuel cell stack. No engineering detail has yet emerged on how Porsche will be able to package gas tanks and a small battery pack into the eMSB architecture.

The carmaker is also developing its own induction charging system to allow the pack to be topped up without the need for cables and heavy-duty sockets while parked at the owner’s home.

Courtesy : Autocar

Features of the Michelin X Multi range:

• Tread rubber compound that slows the tread rubber wear rate
• Hexagonal tread design
• Tread and casing design that allows for maximum contact with the road surface
• Elastic rubber compound for the new crown design, which reduces tyre damage
• Reinforced bead design with more metallic wires
• Double sector mold technology, for even wear and tear on the tyre and for better handling during high speed driving
• Compliance with the environmental standards to control fuel consumption and reduce noise
• Usability on all roads and in all weather conditions

The automaker got Ranbir Singh onboard as its new brand ambassador for Renault Kwid

Renault has roped in Bollywood star Ranbir Kapoor to promote its cars in India. The carmaker had unveiled its small entry-level car, the Renault Kwid, earlier last month. Renault’s move of bringing in Ranbir Singh onboard emphasises the fact that the company is leaving no stone unturned to appeal to the masses.

Renault is celebrating its fourth anniversary in India this July. The company states that its association with Ranbir Kapoor will leverage the versatility and legacy of the brand.

Ranbir Kapoor was earlier the brand ambassador for Nissan Micra. However, the dull sales of Micra only made sense that the popularity of the actor could be basked in to promote the vehicles from Renault’s stable. Renault is in a strategic alliance with Nissan and hence Ranbir’s transition on the former’s platform could have been smoothly possible.

The new Renault Kwid shares its platform with Datsun Redigo which is being developed with alliance partner Nissan. It is the first car from the alliance on the CMF-A platform and will have close to 98 percent localisation level. It will be powered by an 800cc petrol engine that Renault says will return best in class fuel economy. The engine is an all new 3-cylinder 4-valve unit mated to a newly developed 5-speed manual gearbox specifically for the Kwid and its derivatives. The fuel efficiency claims could well be true as the car weighs just 678kg, lighter than the Alto and Eon.

Reports also suggest that a few months into the launch, the Kwid will also be introduced with a larger 1.0-litre engine. To keeps things fresh over time, an AMT transmission Kwid might also be on cards but will only be launched in the first half of 2016.

Renault will bring in the Kwid at an introductory price of around Rs 3-4 lakh. When it gets launched, it will take on the likes of the Maruti Suzuki Alto and the Hyundai Eon.

Courtesy : Zigwheels.

JK Tyre launches Ranger series multi-terrain tyres for the local as well as export markets

With the aim of making it presence in the popular Sport Utility Vehicle segment, JK Tyre recently launched its Range Series of UV tyres in Panaji, Goa. These tyres have been purpose built for extreme conditions and to suit the needs of an SUV.

The Ranger tyres will be made available in two variants – AT and HT. Both these variants have been built keeping in mind their specialised applications. The AT tyres, as the name abbreviates is for All-Terrain application while the HT range has been designed for tarmac application. Both these tyres sport superior dual tread compound that is claimed to give maximum grip and control. The Ranger series tyres have been launched in 10 sizes and will therefore suit quite a few SUVs on sale in India including the Audi Q series, the Land Rover Freelander, Toyota Fortuner, Nissan X-trail, Mitsubishi Pajero, Renault Duster, Ford EcoSport and more.

Sharing his views on the launch, Mr. Vivek Kamra, President – India Operations, JK Tyre & Industries Ltd said, “Aspiring to augment our presence in each and every product segment, Ranger Series is yet another marvel from our state of the art R&D facilities. Being a customer centric company, this product reiterates our commitment to identify new and emerging customer needs and proactively introduce technologically advanced products to keep pace with changing market scenario.”

Before finally offering the JK Tyre Ranger to its customers, these tyres have been rigorously tested by in-house professional race drivers. JK Tyre claims that the Ranger AT series comes to a standstill from 100kmph within 4 seconds on dry roads while on wet roads it comes to a halt from 80kmph in the same time.

In addition to India, JK Tyre will also sell its Ranger series in all its international markets. Currently JK Tyre has its presence in over 100 countries with a total of 9 plants in India and Mexico.

Courtesy : Zigwheels.