BMW Introduces M3 Carbon Fiber Limited Edition

Chinese customers love a good limited edition model and BMW tries its best to keep them happy. Not long ago, BMW had released the China market-only M3 Matte Edition and M3 Tiger Edition. During the BMW M Legendary Experience event held in China last week, the Bavarian automaker lifted the covers off yet another special M3, the Carbon Fiber Limited Edition of which only 111 examples will be built at a price of 1.23 million yuan (approximately US$189,800 at today’s exchange rates) a piece.
As the name suggests, the latest special M3 for China is dressed in carbon fiber inside and out, while keeping the standard model’s mechanical hardware intact. It is offered in a white pearl metallic finish and comes with contrasting black stripes that run the full length of the body and decals with the name of the car on the doors.
On the outside, we find carbon fiber on the roof, and the new BMW Performance aero parts that include the front lip splitters, trunk spoiler and hood inlets. A set of gloss-black 19-inch alloy wheels round off the exterior upgrades.
Moving on to the M3's interior, the dashboard and door panels get carbon fiber trim pieces while the black leather seats feature carbon fiber patterned material along with white stripes and piping.
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A Photo Tour of the VW Group’s 2011 Wörthersee Festival

For the past thirty year, tens of thousands of enthusiasts of Volkswagen Group cars assemble on the shores of Lake Worthersee in Austria to participate in the largest festival of its kind in the world. Over the years, Volkswagen and the other brands of the German group including Audi, Seat and Skoda, have used the show to unveil special concepts, new models and studies that hint at future production versions or accessories.
At this year’s event (June 1 to 4, 2011), the VW Group prepared several vehicles for the festival including the production VW Golf GTI 35 Edition with 235HP, the VW Golf Cabriolet GTI and R concepts, the wild 503HP Audi A1 Clubsport Quattrostudy, and the Skoda Fabia RS 2000 Convertible prototype. As you may have noticed, the company didn’t show much love for its Seat brand which was left to display its current lineup.
The official cars joined an army of privately owned tuned and classic VW Group vehicles. To put it simply, if you are a fan of the Volkswagen Group and especially of the Golf GTI, then Wörthersee was the place to be. You can get a taste of what went on in Austria in our extensive gallery after the jump.
For those of you that would also like to see the girls of the show, stay tuned, as we’ll bring you a dedicated gallery later on today.
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Porsche Celebrates 10th Anniversary with Special Edition 911 Turbo S

BMW isn't the only automaker releasing limited-edition models unique to the Chinese auto market. This week, Porsche took the wraps off the new 911 Turbo S Anniversary Edition to celebrate 10 years in China. Only 10 cars will be built and all of them are destined for the Chinese market.
The package is purely cosmetic with the 911 Turbo finished in a Gold Bronze color contrasted by a carbon fiber hood and rear spoiler plus a gorgeous set of 19-inch Fuchs-style alloy wheels from the 911 Sport Classic. Inside, Porsche upholstered the special edition 911 in Alcantara and leather with bronze-gold stitching, and added carbon trim plus a new Sports Design steering wheel.
The anniversary edition of the 911 Turbo S is powered by the standard model’s 3.8-liter turbocharged flat six that’s good for 530-horses at 6,750 rpm and 700Nm (516.3 lb-ft) of peak torque delivered from 2,100 rpm to 4,250 rpm, linked to Porsche’s PDK gearbox. It can accelerate from standstill to 100km/h (62mph) in 3.3 seconds and tops out at 315 km/h (196 mph).
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what Happens when a Limousine, Convertible and Yacht Meet?!!!

In today's highly competitive auto market, one would think there are no new niches left to explore. Well, it's pretty true, except for imaginative individuals like the crew from Sweden’s Gray Design, which also penned the Saab supercar.
Enter the world of the Strand Craft Limousine Beach Cruiser, a vehicle that looks like a crossover between a limousine, a convertible and a yacht – yes, you read correctly, a yacht. Essentially a beach shuttle, the Stand Craft has been conceived for luxury hotel chains willing to offer their clients premium service. More specifically, to carry six passengers from the hotel to the nearest beach as fast and as comfortable as possible.
Crafted by luxury boat maker Strand Craft, the Limousine Beach Cruiser is designed for the sunny parts of the world. Its looks confirm it: the car (or should we say yacht?) features an opening canvas roof, chromed hubcaps and wooden inlays. It also sports an even more extravagant interior with Alcantara leather, brushed aluminum, chrome, a Breitling-made instrument panel and Swarowski crystals.
To keep the passengers entertained until they arrive at the beach, the Limousine Beach Cruiser is fitted with a 15-speaker Naim sound system that has a 1100 Watt amplifier to ensure the best audio quality even when the canvas roof is opened. Finally, the car is powered by a 6.0-liter Chevrolet V8 engine with 400 horsepower, enough to offer the car a top speed of 220 km/h (137 mph). The eight-cylinder unit is linked to a Haldex-based all-wheel drive system.
There's no info on pricing, though if you don't own a luxury hotel you probably can't afford it.
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Ford 1.0L EcoBoost Three-Cylinder And Eight-Speed Transmission!!

Ford Grοup Vice President οf Global Product Development, has cοnfirmed that the Dearborn autοmaker will offer turbοcharged EcoBoost pοwertrains in 90 percent οf its vehicles here in the United States by 2013. This jοurney fοr full-line forced-inductiοn started with the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 fοund in the Taurus, Flex and F-150, as well as the Lincοln MKS and MKT. Next, we will be seeing a 2.0-liter EcoBoost inline-fοur under the hοοd of the Edge and Explorer, and nοw, Ford has cοnfirmed development οf a 1.0-liter EcoBοοst three-cylinder engine.

This 1.0-liter, inline-three will be the smallest engine in Fοrd's portfοlio, and it will find its way under the hood οf vehicles across the glοbe. Nο specific output οr fuel economy numbers have been divulged just yet, but Jοe Bakaj, Ford's Vice President οf Global Powertrain Engineering, says that the 1.0-liter triple will prοvide similar power tο the automaker's 1.6-liter naturally aspirated fοur, while improving fuel ecοnomy. When asked, Bakaj tells us that the fuel ecοnοmy improvements will be similar in percentage tο those with the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 cοmpared tο a naturally aspirated V8.

Fοrd says it plans tο announce mοre information abοut the 1.0-liter engine at this year's Frankfurt Motor Show, including exactly what vehicles will be pοwered by this mill. Since Fοrd is benchmarking its 1.6-liter engine here – the pοwerplant used in the Fiesta, we did expect that this EcoBoost three almοst certainly slοt into Ford's smallest οffering here in the States.

The Blue Oval has alsο confirmed that it is wοrking οn an all-new eight-speed automatic transmissiοn, which is being designed, engineered and built by Ford in-hοuse. Bakaj states that the eight-speed autοmatic will offerbest-in-class shift smoοthness and respοnsiveness.

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