Exclusive and Elegant: the Panamera Platinum Edition

Atlanta. Porsche is offering a particularly exclusive and elegant version of the Panamera: the Platinum Edition. The elegant special edition Panamera, available in Panamera and all-wheel-drive Panamera 4 configurations, stands out thanks to subtle, independent design features in platinum silver metallic combined with expanded standard features and exclusive details. The two new Panamera models will be available in the U.S. starting January 5, 2013.

The lower half of the side view mirrors, along with various grills designed specifically for the turbo model, the trim on the trunk lid and the rear diffuser are all in platinum silver metallic. The interplay with one of the Edition’s five exterior finish colors results in an especially harmonious and elegant appearance. Available in solid exterior colors of black or white as well as the optional basalt black metallic, carbon grey metallic and mahogany metallic lacquer finishes. The exterior package in high gloss black is used for the side window strips creates a convincing overall exterior appearance.

Delivering considerable customer benefit, many popular options are now standard equipment with the Panamera Platinum Edition. These include the Bi-Xenon with Porsche Dynamic Lighting System (PDLS) main headlights and parking assist front and rear. The 19-inch Panamera Turbo alloy wheels with full color Porsche center crests highlight the sporty elegance of the vehicle.

The new black/luxor beige two-tone combination also creates an especially sumptuous interior ambience. Exclusively for the Panamera Platinum Edition a partial-leather interior package comes as standard, with a full leather package available. The new two-tone combination patterns have been revised and along with the upper part of the dashboard and the door trim, the foot-well and the back of the front seats as well as the load-space cover are in black, while the remainder of the interior is in luxor beige. Other highlights include the standard sport design steering wheel and the distinctive Porsche crest on the front and rear headrests as well as the insignia "Platinum Edition" on the front door trim strips.

The Porsche Communication Management (PCM) system with navigation and standard Bose Audio surround sound helps to keep Platinum Edition drivers on track. With a high-resolution 7-inch TFT touchscreen and fourteen loudspeakers with a combined output of 585 watts, the Porsche Communication Management with built-in navigation unit not only gives assistance with dynamic route guidance, but also ensures optimal audio sound in the vehicle. In addition, Power Steering Plus as well as front and rear seat heating comes as standard. With the popular Bose Audio and comprehensive Premium Packages now standard, a significant savings is realized with the Platinum Editions.

The base M.S.R.P for the Panamera Platinum Edition will be $80,500. The Panamera 4 Platinum Edition will have a base M.S.R.P of $84,600. Prices do not include the $975 destination charge.

Courtesy of Porsche Press Release

Hurricane Safety Tips!

Hey fans! Here is a government safety tip to keep in mind while preparing for Hurricane Sandy.

Be sure to have an emergency kit and a go bag ready in case you have to leave in a hurry. Prepare your vehicles for this as well. Keep them pre-packed and have paper maps ready in case you lose power or your cell phone dies.

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Idea platform for electric mobility

The e performance research project has concluded after three years of work. Audi collaborated with Bosch and several institutes at the RWTH Aachen University to develop a technology platform that is a major advance for electric mobility. The platform’s modules can be used in a variety of electric-powered automobiles. One such vehicle is the sporty “e Sport” technology platform.

Electric drives represent a key topic for the mobility of the future. The Ingolstadt carmaker therefore launched the e performance project on the premises of Audi Electronics Venture GmbH (AEV) on October 1, 2009. The objective: a scalable systems architecture for electric-powered cars, a flexible technology platform that also includes a plug-in hybrid drive. It should be suitable for use in everything from a sports car to a sedan to a city car.

Experts from both industry and academia were involved in the project, which had a budget of €36 million. The engineers from AUDI AG and Audi Electronics Venture collaborated closely with Robert Bosch GmbH, Bosch Engineering GmbH and three institutes of RWTH Aachen University: the Institute of Automotive Engineering (ika), the Institute for Power Electronics and Electrical Drives (ISEA) and the Institute of Electrical Machines (IEM). The technical universities of Munich, Dresden and Ilmenau, Leibniz University Hanover, the Fraunhofer institutes IESE and IISB as well as Forschungsgesellschaft Kraftfahrwesen mbH Aachen were also members of the consortium. The German Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF) supported e performance with some €23 million.

“Our team united engineering art, creativity and a portion of lateral thinking,” says Dr. Christian Allmann, one of the project managers. “Young, independent free-thinkers worked together with the experts from the Technical Development departments at Audi and Bosch. We enjoyed a constant sharing of our respective knowledge and different work cultures.” “The project was very dynamic with respect to personnel and technologies, resulting in a very flexible collaboration with open interfaces,” adds Martin Schüssler, Allmann’s colleague.

e performance was broken down into a dozen work packages from the energy storage system to the control concept to dynamic stability control. In the initial phases, the participants worked mostly with advanced simulation tools, then they built submodules and finally a drivable car, the F12. The sports car looks like a production Audi R8 on the outside, but it is purely electric-powered. The F12 represents the “e Sport” model within the modular system platform.

One of the key subject areas of the project was the high-voltage battery. In the F12, it comprises two separate blocks with an overall capacity of more than 38 kWh. Each block is made up of 200 macrocells. The beveled walls allow the macrocells to shift relative to one another for additional safety in the event of an accident. Cast aluminum sections in the battery system absorb a majority of the crash energy. Computations and initial tests on the component level indicate that this innovative safety concept can even withstand a side impact with pole.

The research car is powered by three different electric motors, each of which can be controlled separately. During slow driving, only the synchronous motor at the front axle is active. At higher speeds, the performance-optimized asynchronous motors at the rear axle come into play. Together the three electric motors produce 150 kW (204 hp) and 550 Nm (405.66 lb-ft) of torque. Their interaction makes the e Sport a fully electric quattro.

Another of the technology platform’s innovations is the switchable high-voltage electrical system. The two batteries deliver different output voltages of 144 or 216 volts. The uniform system voltage required is provided by means of a DC/DC converter. Under part load, the voltage is around 200 volts to maximize efficiency. With increasing power demand and speed, this increases to as much as 440 volts.

The F12 also uses an efficient heat pump for the thermal management of the drive system and the interior. It regulates the temperature of the batteries depending on the situation and can also store heat in them so that less energy is required to heat the interior the next time the car is driven.

The F12 driver controls basic drive functions – Park, Reverse, Neutral and Drive – by operating buttons on the center tunnel. All other operations are controlled via a tablet computer that can be removed from the center console. A user-programmable instrument cluster presents all key information in high resolution.

“From the very beginning, our initiative was the largest interdisciplinary research project in Germany for electric cars,” concludes Christian Allmann. “Everyone who was involved gained competence and provided valuable qualification among themselves according to the ‘open innovation’ principle, including for the employees at the companies and universities.” This is also reflected in the 20 degree theses and 50 doctoral theses that resulted from the project.

Thanks to modern development tools and innovative knowledge management, the project partners were able to network very flexibly. The researchers used cameras to document each design step and made their knowledge available on a server accessible to all collaboration partners throughout Germany. This transparency and tight networking made e performance into a research project with a profound halo effect for Germany as a base of research and industry. The partnerships did not end with the completion of the F12. The first follow-up projects focusing on specific technical topics such as thermal management have already begun. Individual solutions, such as the CFRP housing for the rear battery, show good prospects for later production use. The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research wants to continue to support the development of new automobile concepts, primarily in the areas of the battery, high-performance electronics systems and overall energy management.

Courtesy of Audi USA News

The F-TYPE Has Arrived | Jaguar USA

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Jaguar C-X16 Named Top Design Concept Car

The Jaguar C-X16 concept car, the show-stopping inspiration for the recently revealed F-TYPE, has won Design Concept Car of the Year at the 2012 Scottish Car of the Year Awards.

Unveiled at the Frankfurt show in September 2011, the C-X16 two-seater concept has paved the way for the production F-TYPE model, a two-seater, convertible sports car that is a continuation of a sporting bloodline stretching back more than 75 years.

Announcing the C-X16's victory, John Murdoch, association president, said: "This new category for 2012, kindly sponsored by Bridge of Weir Leather, recognises that some of the most distinctive new models to hit the road take their origins from motor show concept cars.

"Many of these show stunners don't see the light of day but they are valuable for gauging public reaction to new ideas. However, our winner has received such global praise that it has paved the way for a production version, which was unveiled only a couple of weeks ago in Paris."

The award was presented to Ian Callum, Jaguar's Director of Design, who said: "It is great to be recognised for creativity, as well as for excellent, driveable cars. With the C-X16 concept, we set out to move Jaguar's award-winning design language on to the next generation, creating a car that is the very essence of future Jaguar performance."

The design parallels between C-X16 and F-TYPE are clear, with both cars featuring a new interpretation of the bold, angular Jaguar grille, from which flows the muscular clamshell bonnet with signature "power bulge", as well as a muscular rear end with sensual low tail.

F-TYPE, which enjoyed critical acclaim on its public debut at last month's Paris Motor Show, will go on sale in the UK mid-2013 from around £58,500. The all-aluminium two-seater convertible is powered by Jaguar's new 3.0-litre V6 supercharged petrol engine in 340PS and 380PS outputs, and by the firm's 5.0-litre V8 supercharged petrol powerplant producing 495PS.

The Jaguar C-X16 concept and the F-TYPE are a continuation of a renowned sporting bloodline: this year's Scottish Car of the Year recognition for the marque comes 12 months after the Association of Scottish Motoring Writers named the E-type the "most iconic car of the last 50 years".

*Pricing indicative and subject to change

Courtesy of The Scramento Bee

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/10/15/4912684/jaguar-c-x16-named-top-design.html#s...

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918 Spyder: successful test on the Nürburgring

2012 Porsche 911 C4S Cariolet

Come by Checkered Flag Porsche today and check out a 2012 Porsche 911 C4S Cabriolet!

Porsche 918 May Run Sub-Seven Minute "Ring-Lap": CEO

The newest supercar from Porsche, the 918, has already been clocked at a seven-minute, 14-second lap time around the Nurburgring, but once the car reaches full production, it may be capable of a time below seven minutes. 

 

When asked if the Porsche 918 could make it around the track any faster, Porsche CEO Matthias Müller said, “If we are lucky, it will be under 7 minutes…but, I don’t know, we’ll see…” While this is less than confirmation, it does suggest that Porsche is actively trying to break that seven minute mark.

The original target for the car was said to be between 7:20-7:22, which has already been bested by Porsche. Also, the car used for testing was still a prototype, and only one single standing-start lap was taken by the driver. Porsche still has plenty of time to refine the car, to try and break the seven-minute goal.

Courtesy of MotorTrend

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Audi Crosslane Coupe points at the future of German soft-roaders

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The money shot at the Audi presentation of the Paris Motor Show clearly belonged to the world premiere of Audi's Crosslane Coupe concept, though the only conceptual part of the car is a trick plug-in hybrid drive train. The rest of it showcases design trends that are going to start showing up in Audi products soon, and will be fully implemented within three years. The Crosslane's interior, in particular, represents a huge design step forward for Audi, whose previous SUV offerings have been a touch bland.

With its angular "tornado-like" lines, wild mustard-yellow leather, and brushed-steel triangular features, the Crosslane is as avant-garde looking as a Berlin coffeeshop. The innovations of the Crosslane, which include a beautiful sloping leather dashboard and stylish knobs for the audio and AC systems, are simultaneously forward-looking and a throwback to a simpler, more driver-focused time. The lead interior designer for the concept says "we wanted to change our language back to Bauhaus and get back to the intentionality of sophisticated surfaces," which is an extremely German way of saying it.

Underneath that skin lies a combination of a 1.5-liter three-cylinder engine paired with two electric motors and a lithium battery pack. With only 177 hp and a 0-to-62 mph time of 8.2 seconds, the Crosslane wouldn't be fast, but its efficient as heck, returning 214 mpg. Audi says the Crosslane Coupe concept even has a system that will post photos and videos taken through the car's electronics systems to Twitter or Facebook. Some concepts are meant to be shared.

Courtesy of Yahoo Local

Audi & Columbia University GSAPP Present ‘Experiments in Motion’ Exhibition

The results of Experiments in Motion – a cutting-edge research project conducted in partnership between Audi of America and Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation (GSAPP) – were revealed last night during a reception in New York City. The unveiling took place at a special preview of the Lowline Park – the proposed world’s first underground park on the Lower East Side. The evening culminated the year-long project commissioned as part of the Audi Urban Future Initiative – a long-term, multi-level program that brings together different visions on how mobility, urban living and the role of the transportation will change in the coming years.

Conceived as a series of experiments to identify new paradigms of motion, mobility and design, Experiments in Motion was led by Mark Wigley, Dean of Columbia University GSAPP, and drew from global thought leaders from around the university, architecture and design professionals, and a network of urban mobility experts from New York City and Audi.

“Experiments in Motion concludes a year-long dialogue on mobility and represents a radical new way of collaboration between a corporation and a research institution,” said Loren Angelo, General Manager of Brand Marketing, Audi of America. “Partnering with Mark Wigley and Columbia University GSAPP, one of the world’s most visionary schools, has been both thrilling and fruitful. Experiments in Motion was designed to foster emerging talent and empower young, bright minds that will both shape the future, and live in it. The results are eye opening.”

As part of the Experiments in Motion program in partnership with Audi of America, nine Columbia University GSAPP student visions are on display with the aid of a 50-foot-long suspended model of Manhattan’s subway grid that contextualizes the Lowline within the city’s huge inventory of underground spaces. Researched with the help of the MTA, the DOT, and the Center for Urban Real Estate (CURE), the 1:1500-scale replica of Manhattan’s mobility infrastructure also presents a never-before-seen view of every subway station on the island.

“The Experiments in Motion project challenges us all to think differently about our cities, and it is a great moment to celebrate an exciting year of collaborative research by returning to the restless streets of New York that inspire us,” said Mark Wigley, Dean, Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, Columbia University, New York.

The exhibition, curated by Therrien–Barley, was installed in partnership with the Imagining the Lowline exhibition, which showcases a proposal for the world’s first underground park on the Lower East Side of New York City. It will be on display and open to the public through September 27 from Noon to 6 p.m. at Essex Street Warehouse (80 Essex Street at Broome Street).

“Visitors will be able to walk under the model of Manhattan and look up through the subway tunnels and street grid to see Manhattan from an entirely new vantage point,” says Christopher Barley, co-curator of Experiments in Motion. “Architects have always provided the public with ways of seeing the city differently, here the installation design multiplies this effect,” added co-curator Troy Conrad Therrien.

Courtesy of Audi USA

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Sep 30, 2012

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Sep 28, 2012

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