Vote For Me As the Ultimate BMW Blogger!

Alright if you know me personally, or if you visit my site often enough, you know that I am a huge BMW fan. Hell, just look at the tags right next to this post and you’ll see that BMW is clearly the brand that I write most about. I love their cars (although I honestly do try to remain impartial when writing – it’s what a good automotive journalist does after all).

The good great folks at Endras BMW are currently searching for their ultimate blogger which basically entails what the name suggests. They want someone to blog about everything BMW in a factual but entertaining way, to give the latest updates and basically to interact with BMW fanatics alike. In order to find that person, they are holding a contest wherein members of the public vote for who they want to be the ‘ultimate blogger’.

Now, I don’t usually enter contests like these because I honestly can’t be bothered considering the chances, but I can’t pass this up. This truthfully would be a dream come true for me. It would honestly be my dream job. And as such, I can’t just sit around with my typical cynicism. So I made an entry.

Those of you who frequent my blog know that I try my best to give up to date, factual information about cars in an entertaining and humourous manner, and you know I would do no less if I were to get this job.

Additional perks include travel to auto shows around the world, a condo in downtown Toronto and, crucially, a new BMW to drive.

So here’s the part where I ask you to vote for me. I would be ever so grateful and you can feel good knowing you helped someone attain their ultimate deam! EH?

Vote for my entry here: http://endrasbmw.com/ultimateblogger/kharrison

Thank you so much in advance!

Lamborghini Aventador Details Revealed

Oh yeah, this is pretty sweet.

Lamborghini officially revealed its new Aventador supercar (officially called the Aventador LP700-4). While we’re on the name, Lamborghini smartly decided to not call it the Jota as originally rumoured. Aventador apparently was a bull who participated in the famous running of the bulls back in 1993. It sort of makes sense considering Lamborghini’s logo, but it’s still pretty random.

But enough about the name. The Aventador will come with a V12 producing 691 horsepower. The engine itself is actually a significant 40 pounds lighter than V12′s of the past. The engine also sits two inches lower in the chassis and is 20% more efficient than the engine in the Murcielago (of which the Aventador will replace).

Part of the Aventador’s advantage in fuel efficiency has to do with lots of weight shedding. The Aventador weighs 3,472 pounds compared to the Murcialago’s 3,671 pounds. Looks like Lamborghini has stayed true to its commitment to weight savings. Weight distribution is rated at 43% front and 57% rear.

The Aventador’s estimated 0-100 sprint time is a crazy 2.8 seconds, but I’ll wait on official testing before I believe that. Top speed is also estimated and is pegged at 350 kph.

Styling is typically Lamborghini eye-catching with Estoque-esque styling throughout. A duel clutch transmission is standard and you have the choice between 19 or 20 inch wheels. Oh and of course the Aventador has scissor doors.

The Aventador will officially go on sale in October. Pricing has yet to be announced, but no matter what it’s priced at you and I still won’t be able to afford one. As such, watch for Car Driven’s test drive review of the 2012 Lamborghini Aventador in the year 2030.

[Lamborghini]

Volkswagen Golf R: The Good & the Bad, But at Least Its Not Ugly

About 3 months ago Volkswagen confirmed that the hotted up Golf R, previously unavailable in North America, will be coming to Canada in 2012. Now that we’re officially one year closer, Volkswagen has let some info out of the bag. There’s good news and bad news.

I’ll give you the good news first: the Golf R will only be available with a 6-speed manual. I know, I know, their DSG shifts quicker on paper, but let’s face it -that’s only useful if you plan on racing your Golf R and I would wager that most won’t take their Golf R’s to the track. In which case, having a more involved weekend drive with the six-speed manual makes more sense. Oddly enough, the European Golf R gets the choice of manual or DSG. And admittedly 50% of GTI sales in the U.S. are DSG automatics.

Now for the bad news: the North American version of the Golf R will be less powerful than the European version. The Euro version gets a 2.0 litre turbocharged 4 cylinder which makes 270 horsepower and 258 pound feet of torque. We will ge the same 2.0 litre unit, however ours will be de-tuned to 256 horsepower and 243 pound feet of torque. Still, that’s 56 more horses than the GTI and it’s about 250 pounds lighter than the recent R32, so it’s unlikely that the Golf R will disappoint anyone, but it kinda sucks knowing that the car is capable of more yet we’re not getting it. Expect 0-100 times in the 5.9 second range.

Volkswagen offered up no reason for the horsepower decrease.

[Autoblog]

Do Automakers Think We’re Stupid?

Can someone explain to me why so many automakers are now investing time and money into comparisons that don’t make any sense?

First Chevrolet did it when they compared their new Cruze to a previous generation Hyundai Elantra, then Audi did it when they compared their new A8 to a Mercedes-Benz S-class that is a 6 year old design and now Hennessey has done it.

They basically took a stock CTS-V wagon (which can hold its own as it is) and gave it 650 horsepower. They then brought it to a drag strip to take on a Porsche 911 Turbo.

You can watch the video, but I’ll save you the trouble and just tell you that the hotted up Caddy wagon won. Shocker.

But here’s my problem with this comparison. Hennessey compared apples to oranges. The Porsche 911 that they used, according to them, had a tiptronic transmission. That, combined with the lack of LED tail lights, means they compared it to a previous generation 911 turbo.

What is the sense in doing that? Is it really all that cool to brag that your product is better than a product from a different era? That’s like me bragging that I could easily beat up a 10 year old. I mean, it’s true, but why would I ever do that? It just doesn’t make any sense. And on top of that, of course a tuned car would likely beat a stock car in a drag race. We’re talking close to a 200 horsepower difference between the two!

To all automakers: STOP DOING THESE STUPID COMPARISONS. By doing so you give the impression that you think we all somehow have the IQ of George W. Bush. And it really makes me want to not buy your product. If you’re going to do comparisons with your rivals, at least make them somewhat believable and fair.

[Youtube]

Welcome to the World, Lamborghini Aventador

This is the first shot of Lamborghini’s new addition to the family: the Aventador LP700-4. The folks at Autoblog managed to get their hands on this snap. Don’t worry, they have full permission from the owner who is apparently in no relation Lamborghini.

I’ll stop typing now so you can continue to stare at the gloriousness that is the Aventador.

[Autoblog]

Your SUV Isn’t This Cool

Seriously, this is awesome!

The folks at Alpina, best known for making the closest we’ll ever get to seeing an M7, apparently got their hands on the new 5-series wagon to make the B5 Alpina

They tuned the standard 4.4 litre V8 to 506 horsepower and 516 pound feet of torque and mated it to an 8-speed ZF automatic transmission. 0-100 is expected to be under 5 seconds, which is pretty quick considering how much a 5-series wagon weighs.

In addition, the B5 Alpina gets all the typical exterior treatment such as an aero kit and the company’s signature 20 spoke wheels. It looks fantastic and is a great alternative to the family man that has petrol in his veins.

The B5 Alpina will make its official debut at the Geneva Auto Show.

[Alpina]

Test Drive: 2011 Saab 9-3 Turbo XWD

By Kevin Harrison

“So what’s the story here, just a small car with fancy wheels?”

I turned around to find a middle aged man with a Pepsi in his hand. It probably should have been diet considering his body type was the same as Humpty Dumpty’s. He had a grey mustache, glasses, ratty jeans on and, you guessed it, a denim shirt with a denim jacket. Oh and he had one of those douchy bluetooth ear pieces on for good measure. The whole shebang. I stopped pumping gas to address him.

“Um, well this is a Saab 9-3 turbo,” I replied, not really knowing where he was going with his question.

“Saab? Didn’t they stop making those?” he asked. Before I could respond, he shot back with another question.

“How much did it cost you?”

“Actually this car isn’t mine, I’m an automotive journalist and I’m reviewing this car for -”

He interrupted.

“Well I hope you tear it a new one. I had a 9000 many years ago and it was terrible. They’re terrible cars”.

He was already headed back to his car shouting “have a good one!”  before I could say anything. He got into his previous generation Audi A4 and took off.

Isn’t it funny how one bad experience can completely turn people off from something forever? It’s a pity that this man already had his mind made up about the new 9-3 Turbo XWD because I might have offered to take him for a drive around the block to show him that the 9-3 Turbo XWD is much more than a car with nice wheels.

Read the rest of this entry »

Nissan Targets Porsche in New Ad Campaign

Nissan is starting to become the Japanese Audi when it comes to attacking other car brands. You may remember a while back when they took on the three biggest performance brands from Germany: Audi, BMW and Porsche. They also threw in an extra jab at Audi for good measure.

Now it seems Porsche is the next one to be singled out of the three in a new ad campaign promoting the GT-R. For the campaign, Nissan got two fairly attractive women to drive around in a GT-R looking for Porsche’s in Porsche saturated Germany. They then got out and put a picture of the GT-R’s tail lights right on the windshield, insinuating that their car is slower than the GT-R.

According to Nissan, the campaign worked as they received an uptake of 23% for requests of a test drive of the GT-R.

But if it were me, that would make me want to buy a GT-R less. Firstly, I don’t care how good the GT-R is, don’t touch my car! I don’t know what Nissan used to put the ad on the windshield and I don’t know how careful they were in putting it on. Surely the risk of scrapes dents and dings is a factor when doing that, and if I came back top find that on my Porsche because Nissan was trying to be cheeky I’d be livid.

[Youtube]

Impotence Problems? BMW Has the Solution

Honestly, if you have erectile disfunction forget viagra. Just listen to the exhaust note of BMW’s new performance exhaust system offered exclusively on the M3 sedan, coupe and convertible.

The exhaust is about 20 pounds lighter than the stock exhaust and has perforated inner pipes, polished titanium tips and BMW M logos.

If you are not fortunate enough to actually own an M3, but still want to hear that symphony of sound everyday, don’t worry because BMW actually made it available as a ring tone. Just go to bmwusa.com/news. It’s a bit douchy, but my goodness does it every sound good!

[BMW]

2012 Honda Civic Si Will Get 200 Horsepower

Yup, the pic shown above is what the official 2012 Honda Civic Si will look like… which can only be described as a slight evolution at most. Maybe Honda was of the mindset of “don’t mess with what works”?

Anyway, as speculated, the Si will get a new 2.4 litre engine which makes 200 horsepower. That’s only 3 horses more than the outgoing unit, but the key factor is the big bump in torque. It now gets 170 pound foot torque compared to 139. That should give the Si the extra oomph I always thought was lacking. Don’t get me wrong, I can appreciate a high revving engine (I used to own an Acura CL with the 2.2 litre V-tec), but in the city it really is hard to reach the max power band. It’s almost like putting something on the very top shelf in the kitchen. You know it’s there, but you can never quite reach it. As a result the Civic Si never really felt fast, although Honda did a pretty good job at making it sound fast with that tuned exhaust (which I always thought sounded a little too boy racer for me, but to each their own). Oh, and this new engine is actually 2 MPG’s more efficient than the old powerplant.

The Si will also be available in sedan form as well.

A test drive to see if the Civic Si can now roll with the big boys is definitely in order!

[Honda]

Want Another Reason to Hate Paris Hilton?

Well here it is. Paris Hilton is now an owner of a Lexus LF-A.

Yeah.

I’ll give you a minute to deal with the rage and jealousy you’re undoubtedly feeling right now before I continue.

Feeling better yet? No? Need another few seconds? Sure.

Okay, are you good now? Cool. So Paris actually got the LF-A as a birthday present from her boyfriend. And that is the actual LF-A pictured above. The upside is, it doesn’t look great in yellow, so um, take that Paris!

Also, is giving a supercar to a person who is known for having a DUI, multiple speeding tickets and accidents really a good idea?

Mini Cooper Roadster Closer to Production

Autoblog has caught a very close to production Mini Roadster (rumoured to be called the Speedster) out and about.

It clearly has a low slung shape along with an added active spoiler. It’s not much of a looker with the top up, but it will likely look pretty good with it down. Expect power to come from the Cooper S’s 1.6 litre engine which produces 181 horsepower along with a JCW version with 208 horsepower.

A coupe version is also coming  that’s expected to have the same power and is actually supposed to be lighter than the already light Cooper. It should look way better than the convertible too.

The coupe is actually expected to be available in the fall ahead of the convertible.

[Autoblog]

Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupe Gets Official Reveal

After a leaked image and a small cameo in a super bow commercial, Mercedes-Benz has finally decided to give its new C-Class coupe an official reveal.

The C-Class coupe will come in two flavours: C250 and C350. The former will get a 1.8 litre turbocharged four cylinder engine that’s good enough for 201 horsepower and is the same engine found in the new SLK 250. The C350, on the other hand, gets a much more desirable 3.5 litre V6 that makes 304 horses. An AMG version is expected well down the road.

And here is why I don’t like this car:

Firstly, it’s going to be 7-speed automatic only. How can a car company build a coupe wherein the only reason why coupes exist is to exude sportiness and performance, yet doesn’t offer a manual transmission.

Secondly, the C-Class coupe is rear wheel drive only. Mercedes-Benz makes quite a decent all-wheel drive system and in fact 80% of Mercedes’ are purchased with 4Motion.

Thirdly, while it’s an attractive design, it seems half-assed. All Mercedes did was take two doors off the sedan and lowered the roof line. There’s nothing else that really sets it apart from the sedan.

If you look at BMW’s 3-series coupe, Audi’s A5 and Infiniti’s G37 coupe all can be had with manual transmissions, all can be had with all-wheel drive and all have unique design elements from their sedan counterparts. They didn’t just take the rear doors off, there was actual thought put into the design process.

It was a good try Mercedes, but I think you missed the mark with this one.

[Mercedes-Benz]

BMW X6 Will Get Seating For Five

In my review of the BMW X6, I basically said that the BMW X6 is an amazing vehicle that makes absolutely no sense. For some that might be a draw, but for others it’s  a deal breaker.

One of the many things that I thought didn’t make sense was the fact that it is a four seater. One of the few advantages to an SUV is the copious amounts of room for both cargo and human beings so I mentioned that BMW missed the mark with this one.

Turns out, BMW read my review and agreed with me (at least that’s what I like to tell myself). They have just announced that they will add an optional seat in the middle should you desire one.

Other changes to the X6 will include new 20 inch wheels, a variety of leather options and vicinity lighting. Also BMW is hoping to pull in Apple fanatics in with having connectivity for iPhone users.

The X5 will get all the updates above (minus the third seat option since it rightfully already has it) as well.

[BMW]

Oh Hi: 2012 Kia Rio

Wow this is quite the styling departure from the current Rio. Although this is the European version. Our version will likely have styling dumbed down.

With an overly aggressive front facia, and a European inspired back end, Kia is serious about making its typically forgettable Rio a formidable player against big wigs like the Ford Fiesta, Mazda2 and Honda Fit.

Right now the only information on power trains is for the European market where the’ll get a both gas and diesel variants including a 1.1 litre diesel that supposedly emits only 0.85 grams of CO2 per km. To put that into perspective, the Toyota Prius emits 0.89 grams of CO2 per km.

Rumours have the North American version pegged with a three cylinder engine if it does well in other markets, which it likely would.

Hit the jump for a rear shot snap.

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