Articles by Viknesh Vijayenthiran

The all-new 2014 F-Type convertible sports car has proven a runaway success for Jaguar, with the company claiming to have already sold half a year’s worth of production despite the model having just been launched.To keep the momentum going, Jaguar will follow up with a new coupe variant, which has been spied undergoing testing in prototype form at Germany’s Nürburgring circuit. The prototype is for the high-performance F-Type V8 S, as evidenced by its quad-exhaust tips.An F-Type coupe is something that’s been mooted ever since the reveal of the F-Type-previewing C-X16 concept car at the 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show, which itself was a coupe. However, the biggest giveaway that the launch of an F-Type Coupe was imminent was the reveal of new patent drawings for the car not that long ago. This production version is expected to be launched on the market late next year, most likely as a 2015 model.Apart from its roof, the car should be identical to the current F-Type convertible, which means a trio of powertrains matched to an eight-speed automatic transmission. A six-speed manual is planned for the F-Type, though Jaguar is yet to confirm when it will be offered.The F-Type’s engine lineup kicks off with a 250 kW  supercharged 3.0-litre V-6 (base), followed by a 280 kWr version of this engine (F-Type S), and finally topping out with a supercharged 5.0-litre V-8 rating at 364 kW (F-Type V8 S).Note, there’s talk that the F-Type’s engine lineup will be expanded--in both directions. At the entry level, expect to see a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder join the fold while at the other end of the spectrum we should see a more potent version--or versions--of the supercharged 5.0-litre V-8.Hopefully, the price of the 2015 Jaguar F-Type coupe will undercut the $139,000 starting price of the base F-Type convertible. That should make an already enticing car even more desirable.For a taste of its performance, be sure to read our first drive review on the convertible.www.motorauthority.com 

Mazda will stream the live reveal of a brand new model via Microsoft’s Xbox Live online gaming platform, the carmaker has confirmed. The new model, likely to be the redesigned 2014 Mazda3 we’ve been spying in prototype form for several months, will be revealed at in the evening of June 26 at a location in New York City, with the event to be streamed live over the Xbox Live network. For those readers not signed up to Xbox Live, Mazda will also be placing updates on its US website (MazdaUSA.com). Here, a link will be placed that leads users to a Mazda landing page on the website Xbox.com. The special landing page will include details of the event and a countdown clock, and will host a sweepstakes for one lucky entrant to win $2,500 to create their dream trip to a music event of their choice. To help build awareness, Mazda will also be making announcements on its various social media pages. Mazda is keeping quiet on just what model will be revealed, though the only new Mazda we’re expecting this year from the Japanese automaker is the Mazda3. Stay tuned for an update. www.motorauthority.com  

Meet the world’s sexiest convertible; the all-new 2014 Aston Martin Vanquish Volante. Yes, Aston Martin has finally taken the covers off the convertible version of last year’s Vanquish coupe, and we must say the car’s seductive lines look even better with the roof removed.Beautiful surfacing and incredible attention to detail really set the Vanquish Volante apart from the competition, and that’s before taking a look at the car’s technology.Thanks to the latest generation of Aston Martin’s bonded aluminum VH platform (generation four for those counting), the Vanquish Volante is expected to retain its coupe sibling's full breadth of dynamic character and sporting capability. The car also benefits from a full carbon fibre body, which helps to keep weight down while increasing rigidity. Torsional stiffness is up 13 per cent on the DBS Volante, which the new model replaces.Power comes from the automaker’s latest 6.0 liter V12, which rates at 422kW/620Nm of torque and has a beautiful exhaust note as evidenced in the video above. It promises 0-100km/h acceleration in 4.1 seconds and a top speed of about 290 km/h.Drives goes to the rear wheels only, via Aston Martin’s a Touchtronic 2 six-speed automatic gearbox. The dynamics have been tuned precisely, with new springs and damper settings calibrated to deliver the same crisp handling yet compliant ride as the coupe.Also unique to the Vanquish Volante is its roof structure, naturally. The car's triple-skin lightweight fabric roof can be operated at speeds of up to 50km/h and takes just 14 seconds to fold. The windscreen, meanwhile, is now full height--a first for Aston Martin--which means that the glass runs up to meet the fabric roof, thereby reducing visual 'clutter'.Aston Martin is once again offering the choice of 2 or 2+2 seating, though we should warn, if you opt for the latter you’ll find it near impossible squeezing anyone older than 12 in the back.The rest of the cabin gets full grain Luxmil leather with optional quilting, Alcantara and satin accents, and a modern centre stack inspired by the version in the One-77 supercar. The facia trim now stretches down the whole centre stack and is manufactured from a single piece of material giving a uniform finish.Other tech features the Vanquish Volante benefits from include an adaptive suspension damping system with three different settings (Normal, Sport and Track), speed-sensitive power steering, and carbon ceramic brakes from Brembo.Sadly, the first Aston Martin Vanquish Volantes won’t be delivered until early next year, priced from US$297,995. Australian availability is yet to be confirmed.Announcing the arrival of the Vanquish Volante, Aston Martin CEO Dr. Ulrich Bez said: "This car is what luxury super GT driving is all about--great performance, fantastic style and exhilarating Volante motoring in one superb package.”www.motorauthority.com

Earlier this year, French sports car manufacturer PGO Automobiles previewed some updates for its Cévennes  speedster with the one-off Cévennes Water Snake concept car.PGO originally built a name for itself building replica sports cars, predominantly with the Porsche 356. In fact, the Porsche’s lineage can clearly be seen in the Cévennes and other models from the French firm.For the latest Cévennes, which has just gone on sale in Europe, PGO designers have added only subtle updates to the exterior but its mechanicals have been completely renewed.Instead of its previous Peugeot engine, the PGO Cévennes now comes with a turbocharged and direct-injected 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine sourced from BMW. The engine is mounted in a mid-engine position and delivers 135 kilowatts and 240 Newton metres of torque.With a curb weight of just over 998kg, the tiny engine should offer more than enough punch. Top speed is estimated to be around 225km/h. Drive goes to the rear wheels only, via a six-speed manual transmission.The latest updates to the Cévennes also see the rigidity of the car's frame increased by 15 per cent and a new suspension setup, with MacPherson struts front and rear, installed. The wheels measure 17 inches in diameter and are shod with size 205/40 tires.Fans will be able to pick the new Cévennes from previous models by the trunk’s new cut line running just above the PGO logo and the revised lower bumper at the front that features intakes similar to those of the PGO Hemera.www.motorauthority.com 

BMW is at work developing its next-generation 7-Series, which we’re expecting to be revealed in the second half of 2015 before going on sale early the following year as a 2016 model. We’ve already seen spy shots of some very early prototypes, and now we have some fresh new details. While we already know that the 2016 7-Series will adopt lightweight materials for its construction, namely, aluminium and carbon fiber, British outlet Autocar is reporting that the weight savings may be so significant that the redesigned car could end up weighing less than the current 5-Series. The current 5-Series weighs approximately 1,678 kg so the 2016 7-Series’ weight savings would have to be somewhere in the vicinity of 275 kg considering that the lightest version of the current 7-Series weighs about 1,950 kg. To help shed the pounds, BMW will reportedly use carbon fiber for load-bearing sections of the car’s structure. Engineers will be applying knowledge acquired during development of the carbon fiber-infused i3 and i8 electrified vehicles. Crucially, the weight savings won’t come at the cost of the vehicle’s size, as these prototypes show. www.motorauthority.com  

In 2010, Audi rolled out a new Quattro concept car to make 30 years since the launch of the original Quattro, the Ur-Quattro, back in 1980. Talk of a production version quickly followed, but even now, three years down the track, we’re still no closer to the launch of a modern-day Quattro sports car.That hasn’t stopped rumours of a modern-day version of another Audi legend, the Sport Quattro, from making the rounds, however.  Launched in 1984, the Sport Quattro was based on the original Quattro but came with a shortened wheelbase and was developed primarily for Group B rallying.A run of 200 road-going versions (pictured below) were built for homologation purposes and today a decent example can easily fetch six-figure sums at auction. Previously, we heard that a new Sport Quattro would launch in 2015, helping to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the Ur-Quattro. However, latest reports indicate that a concept of the new Sport Quattro will debut at the 2013 Frankfurt Auto Show in September and may launch in production trim as early as 2014, coinciding with the 30th anniversary of the original Sport Quattro. The information was first reported by Autoweek, citing insider sources.Unlike the original, which came with a five-cylinder engine, the new Sport Quattro is believed to be receiving a 447 kilowatt version of Audi’s twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V-8 engine. The engine would reportedly sit in a shortened version of the Audi A5’s chassis and send power to all four wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and quattro all-wheel-drive system.Such a car would be matched in performance by only the range-topping R8 V10 Plus in Audi’s lineup. Initial performance estimates are a 0-100km/h time in less than 4.0 seconds and a top speed of close to 300km/h.www.motorauthority.com 

Not a week goes by without news emerging of yet another car destined to appear in the upcoming Transformers 4 movie.

If you were thinking Lamborghini’s run of concept reveals were over for the year, you had better think again, as word on the street is that the Italian sports car manufacturer is planning a new concept for the 2013 Frankfurt Auto Show in September. But unlike the previous Veneno and Egoista concepts, which were more about celebrating Lambo’s 50th birthday (as well as shamelessly grabbing attention) than showing serious production intent, the latest concept is said to preview the automaker’s replacement for the Gallardo. Autocar, citing sources close to Lamborghini, reports that the new concept will closely preview the Gallardo replacement due in showrooms in the second half of 2014. The car will be joined about a year later by a second-generation Audi R8, which it will share a lightweight multi-material platform with. Instead of going exclusively with aluminum or carbon fiber, the multi-material platform will combine aluminium and carbon fiber and perhaps even some fiberglass to make a structure that’s almost as sturdy and light as a full carbon structure, but significantly cheaper to produce. To help differentiate the two cars, the Lamborghini is expected to have a slightly shorter wheelbase. Overall weight of the Lamborghini should be less, too, and should come in under the1497kg curb weight of the Gallardo. The Gallardo’s 5.2-litr V-10 will carry over, but with extensive revisions to deliver more power and fewer emissions. Peak output should come in at 435kW. This means the new car is likely to be an LP 600-4. Note, an engine with these very specs was previewed in the Egoista concept. And yes, all-wheel drive will remain standard, though rear-wheel drive is likely to be offered at some point during the car’s life. A seven-speed dual-clutch transmission will be fitted instead of the Gallardo’s e-gear automated manual, and we’re not expecting a conventional three-pedal manual to be offered anymore. Styling, meanwhile, is likely to be influenced by the Egoista and earlier Sesto Elemento, both of which were based on Gallardo running gear. In particular, look for the Egoista’s active flaps to make it over onto the Gallardo replacement’s bodywork. As for its name, this too remains up in the air, though one of the possibilities making the rounds is “Cabrera.” In Lamborghini tradition this name comes from a legendary Spanish fighting bull, though it roughly translates to “goatherder” in Catalan and Spanish. www.motorauthority.com  

Swedish supercar manufacturer Koenigsegg recently came out with a new model, a variation of its Agera supercar dubbed the Agera S. The latest supercar sits in between the standard Agera and range-topping Agera R, and like all Koenigseggs has been built as a roadster, which means its roof can be removed and stored aside when open-top driving is desired.The Agera S was privately launched in late 2012 and only now has Koenigsegg released all the details. The car was created specifically for markets where E85 fuel is unavailable, with most of the orders so far coming from Asia. The Agera S has all the features and functions of the Agera R, except for its flex-fuel capability.As pump gasoline has a lower octane rating than E85 fuel, peak output of the Agera S is slightly lower than that of the Agera R, coming in at 758 kilowatts instead of 850 kilowatts. Peak torque, meanwhile, registers at 1098 Newton metres. The 0-100km/h sprint takes 2.9 seconds and up to 1.6 g of lateral force can be exhibited on the skidpan. Top speed is said to be in excess of 402km/h while the curb weight comes in at approximately 1415kg.Like all Agera models, power comes from a twin-turbocharged 5.0-litre V-8 and is directed to the rear wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and electronic differential. This drivetrain is mounted in a mid-engine position in a monocoque chassis built from carbon fibre but with aluminium honeycomb filling.The Agera S is still available for sale, in either left- or right-hand drive. And in case you were wondering what Agera means, Koenigsegg tells us that in Swedish it means “take action” but there is also a connection with the Greek word Ageratos, which means “ageless.”www.motorauthority.com 

New Car-2-Object and Car-2-Car communication will enable your car to warn you of an impending crash, or perhaps even take action itself to avoid one, by knowing well ahead if there’s a potential hazard in the road ahead or approaching at the next intersection.  It will do this by electronically communicating with its surroundings via technology  being developed by automakers around the globe.Mercedes-Benz is shaping up to be the current leader in this field, announcing today that it plans to introduce a Car-2-Car communication system in its cars as early as this year.The system will enable the exchange of information between individual vehicles as well as between vehicles and the traffic infrastructure.The technology is still in its infancy, so Mercedes’ system will rely on an installed app rather than a dedicated system. Developed by the German automaker, a new Digital DriveStyle app will work with the driver’s smartphone and serve as a simultaneous transmitter and receiver of information. This means that some existing Mercedes customers will also be able to use the system.Each vehicle using the system can transmit information on dangers to other road users in the system, with a warning sign usually appearing on the navigation screen.New Mercedes cars themselves are able to detect many of these dangers automatically and without the driver being required to take any action, thanks to the seamless integration of the Car-2-Car communication system with the vehicle's own radars and sensors.For dangers that are not detected automatically, or which cannot yet be detected automatically, a manual notification option has been created.At the press of a button, a driver can warn of immobile vehicles or animals on the road, wrong-way drivers or multiple other situations. Importantly, the warning message will only be sent  to other uses in the vicinity of the hazardous location.So far the system has only been announced for Mercedes’ home market of Germany but it shouldn’t be long until compatibility in more markets is announced.www.motorauthority.com