Car Today

The news is that only a few months ago would have seemed only the plot of a film such catastrophic, but the current negative economic climate has made harsh reality: while belonging to two different levels of market and customers, the German BMW and Opel have decided the temporary freeze production to try to stop the decline in market demand triggered by global banking restrictions.Although Opel in 2007 sold 1.74 million vehicles in Europe, the car justifies its choice with the collapse of sales in Spain, Great Britain and Germany.

Opel stop its factories from next Monday for two weeks to Bochum and three of Eisenach.The only Opel plant that will not be closed in Germany is the main Ruesselsheim, where you are in the production of the new Insignia. Temporary closures are planned for some establishments outside the German border: Gleiwitz in Poland, Ellesmere and Luton in England and Zaragoza in Spain. “The crisis in Europe said a spokesman for the Opel-reduced the purchase of new cars.Opel said that no layoffs are planned although, because of the period of inactivity, a part of the workforce could suffer a small decrease in salary.

Now in these days in Italy, the BMW 3 Series with a slight restyling both internal and external which was widely spoken in recent months. In the new car 2009 range, however, the 320d stands out as BMW xDrive had never combined on a sedan full traction to a 4-cylinder engine (while for some years that the X3 SAV exists as 2.0D).

The reason for this “novelty” is simple: last year BMW sold 320,903 cars with the traction system xDrive, overcoming even the Audi Quattro and distance of the very system 4Matic Mercedes. Then the enlargement of the 4 x 4 down the range of Monaco is functional strengthening of dominance in this segment of Integrals Premium.

Purpose of the test is a brand new E91 Touring 320d xDrive, car set-elected base from about 40,000 euros, but in its proven, a Futura with leather interior, the automatic transmission and the iDrive system complete with all possibilities entertainment (and possibly several more), the momentum of more than 50,000 euros.

Now the race to small car, possibly electric or hybrid, has become a must for all manufacturers to grips with the increasingly stringent European and U.S. CO2 emissions at the range. Even if they are months, almost years, that well-informed people know that in the basement of Monaco there are already prepared several prototypes of this little BMW to test the combination electric or internal combustion more efficient, at official level had never been admitted nothing about it and as regards the summits of the House the only study concrete piccolina propelled electricity remained the concept E1 of 1991.

But the time entries corridor is finally finished with a recent and unequivocal statement by Norbert Reithofer to German weekly Die Zeit: “It will be a machine with a completely new look, with two engines available. One of the two engines will be internal combustion, but very efficient and another will be purely electric.

Five debuts in two halls. The best-seller, the flagship, un’ibrida, an unspecified classified SUV and a sports over the next three months the universe Bmw rotate around the salons of Paris and Los Angeles, making fertile ground for the renewal of the substantial range. What’s Audi, for now, not impensieriscono.

The exhibition in Paris will mark the debut Series 3 ristilizzata and the new 7 Series, accompanied by his version ActiveHybrid twin engines. Rubasguardi and future rubacuori will be the X1, this form of a concept car but with few extravagance by exhibition: its appearance is not dissimilar from the version of the series, pending forwarded to 2009. In the City of Angels, finally, will be presented the new spider compact, heir “spiritual” Z4: tin roof (optional) and diesel engines will mark the farewell to fanciullesca carelessness.

Via.

The first road test, conducted by colleagues from edmunds, reiterated the verdict issued by the curves of Nürburgring: the new Cadillac CTS-V gives to pay (so far) unassailable rivals Germany of Stella and dell’Elica. Already, the Mercedes E63 AMG and BMW M5 should be less of the newly rival of overseas.

Namely, having prevailed in the gut dell’Eifel, even on the straight Cadillac has put on display capabilities above the competition in Germany. The supercharged 6.2 V8 gave the superberlina a 0-400 metres by 12.5 seconds at speeds out of 185.6 km / h, performance better than those made by the two rivals sign, “firm” to 12.7 if 181.9 km / h.

In addition to having done better braking, Cadillac has exceeded two titolate German also in slalom: its top speed was 114.5 km / h, well above therefore to 110.3 BMW and the Mercedes 104.7 .

Via.

And after this interpretation, who feel the need for an M? Why rimembrare with melancholy dear six in line when you can count on a diesel squeezed and a - very good - strizzato petrol? Apart from the umorismi, this release serves to stuzzicare the wound still open: After the dress coupe, AC Schnitzer has a similar body kit for the BMW 1 Series Cabriolet.

Shortly from commenting about the yield aesthetics, except for the theatrical circles in the league by 19 inches. The attention only to propellers, however, are far more interesting compared to the external styling: the 3.0 twin-turbo anagram numbers and reaches 360 horses (54), while diesel 2.0 and 2.0 biturbo earn, respectively, 33 (210 total) and 36 (240) anabolic horses.

The desire to confront its enemies “natural”, Audi and Mercedes, it would be the basis for rather strong statements by BMW, which is considering abandoning the World Tourism WTCC to go to DTM, where competing for years other houses Germany.

BMW has dominated in the WTCC scontrandosi with brand different level as Seat, Alfa Romeo and Chevrolet. At this time faces a crossroads, as now seems necessary transition to diesel engines to maintain leadership against Leon TDI.

Missing CARD price, for the remainder of the spy photos we are proposing, show the renewed class D without veils and practically ready for marketing. A restyling necessary to cushion the impact on sales due at the arrival of new BMW 7 series and, soon, the new Audi A8.

However, the aesthetic changes are really marginal and not stravolgono absolutely concepts stylistic model pre-restyling: a new radiator grille, fog-unpublished fendi LED, a grembiulatura slightly earlier incattivita and new rear-view mirrors even small changes in the layout of optical groups earlier that day will benefit from LED lights.