Articles by Viknesh Vijayenthiran

Facing dwindling sales in its home market, as well as in the rest of Europe, where the bulk of its models are sold, French automakerPSA Peugeot Citroën is well aware of the need to sell more of its models overseas. At the same time, the automaker has also realized it needs greater differentiation between its products and brands, and has since come up with a three tier strategy. That strategy will see the Citroën brand cater to the low-cost market, Peugeot moved slightly upmarket to rival near-premium brands such as Alfa Romeo and Volkswagen, and Citroën’s DS sub-brand to further expand into the luxury segment now dominated by Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz. The positioning of the DS label as a luxury brand has been underway for several years, with Citroën’s previous Metropolis and Numéro 9 DS-inspired concepts hinting at future possibilities. Today, Citroën’s new DS Wild Rubis takes up where the other two left off. Set for a debut at next week's 2013 Shanghai Auto Show, Citroën’s says the DS Wild Rubis is the vision of a future DS-branded SUV. It also says the vehicle packs plenty of luxury, exceptional fit and finish, and an advanced plug-in hybrid drivetrain. Given the vehicle’s size and styling, it’s clear Citroën has the BMW X5 and Mercedes-Benz M Class in its sights. It stretches 4.7m in length,1.95m in width and has a height of 1.59m. Its wheelbase measures 2.9m and it sits on a set of aerodynamically-styled, 21-inch wheels. The front of the vehicle gets the DS corporate look, which was first implemented on the Numéro 9 and features full-LED headlights and lots of chrome brightwork. At the rear, the lights are encased in more chrome, which is said to resemble jewel-like precious stones placed in a setting. The foot of the tailgate is highlighted by, you guessed it, more chrome, and incorporates twin exhaust pipes. It should come as little surprise that the DS Wild Rubis is being shown for the first time at a Chinese auto show. Like the Metropolis and Numéro 9 before it, the DS Wild Rubis is being targeted at affluent buyers in China where Citroën has a reasonable foothold in the market and sees great potential. www.motorauthority.com  

A new world record for the tightest parallel park has been set, with Guinness World Records confirming that the new distance is a gap of just 13.1 cm. The new record was set twice, initially by John Moffatt and then a second time by Moffatt’s brother Alastair. The brothers accomplished the amazing stunt on December 10, 2012, during filming of a segment for the British television program Officially Amazing. And since they accomplished it on the same day, Guinness officials were happy to enter both their names into the record books. At the distances we’re talking about, the only way to parallel park a vehicle is by spinning it into the spot, rather than the conventional way of reversing into it. And in case you were wondering, the brothers used an original Mini Mayfair for the stunt. They certainly didn’t mind smashing the car on some of the attempts, which does partially diminish the incredibleness of the stunt. Others have done it with zero damage.  Who will be the next driver to break the record? Considering the gap is just 13.1 cm now, realistically, how low can the margin for error go?     www.motorauthority.com  

The first trailer for the long-awaited biopic about legendary Formula One driver Niki Lauda has been released, confirming that the upcoming movie, Rush, looks to be just as dramatic and captivating as 2011’s brilliant Senna.The new movie, which hits cinemas nationwide in September, has been directed by two-time Academy Award winner Ron Howard and features actor Daniel Brühl (Inglourious Basterds) in the lead role and Chris Hemsworth (The Avengers) playing Lauda’s nemesis, James Hunt.It centers on the epic battle between Lauda and Hunt in the 1976 Formula One World Championship and was filmed in historic locations in the UK, Lauda’s native Austria and even at the Nürburgring race track in Germany where Lauda suffered his famous crash that almost killed him and left him scarred for life.Following the crash, Lauda, driving for Ferrari that year, got back behind the wheel after missing just two races to challenge Hunt, who was with McLaren.In the final race of the season, in Japan, Lauda chose to retire from the race due to heavy rainfall and his own safety concerns (he was unable to blink because of facial burns from his fiery Nürburgring crash), essentially handing the title over to Hunt who successfully completed the race, and ultimately won the championship.Lauda’s career resulted in vast improvements to F1 safety, including the end of competition on the Nürburgring (races are now held at the separate GP track). While Lauda himself suffered permanent and disfiguring injuries, there’s no way to estimate the number of lives he ultimately may have saved by helping to modernize the sport of motor racing.The life story the three-time world champion is well worth the read, from the days where he needed to finance his own participation in motorsports with bank loans, right up until his later years in the commercial airline business. Amazingly, Lauda is still involved in F1, serving as a senior exec at the Mercedes AMG team.www.motorauthority.com 

It appears Maserati’s mystery teaser for this month’s 2013 Shanghai motor show was in fact depicting the automaker’s upcoming Ghibli sedan, which has already been spied in prototype form for several months and was rumored to be debuting at the Chinese show. After an early leak, Maserati has now revealed its Ghibli and provided some initial details. These images, plus our own spy shots, confirm that Maserati designers have gone with a coupe-like profile for the latest Ghibli. This coupe styling, plus the long hood, is reminiscent of the original Ghibli, which was a sporty, two-door GT. The powerful rear fenders of the car, on the other hand, look similar to those found on the latest 2014 Maserati Quattroporte, while up front, the nose and grille section appears to protrude much farther than on Maserati’s bigger sedan. The interior has also been revealed; it exhibits a sporty, distinctly Italian design, with some elements also borrowed from the more upmarket Quattroporte in addition to plenty of carbon fiber to denote its sportier positioning in the Maserati lineup. Sales of new Maserati sedan will commence late in the year, making the Ghibli a 2014 model. The reason for the speedy rollout is due to Maserati’s ambitions growth plans, with the automaker hoping to boost its annual sales almost 10-fold to as much as 50,000 units per year by the middle of the decade. To speed up development, the Ghibli shares most of its underpinnings with the Quattroporte, including engines, transmissions and Maserati’s available Q4 all-wheel-drive system. In fact, the two cars were largely developed side by side. At launch, the Ghibli will be available with two turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 engines, the more powerful of which will develop 297 kW. Overseas, the car will also come with a 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel option, likely to be the same VM Motori unit fitted to a number of Fiat and Chrysler vehicles. This makes the Ghibli the first production Maserati to feature a diesel engine. www.motorauthority.com  

An original Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing was almost completely wrecked after a mechanic crashed the rare classic on a stretch of road near Pleidelsheim, Germany, last week.  The car, one of 1,400 original 300SL gullwing coupes ever built, was in for scheduled maintenance when it was involved in the crash. German weekly Der Spiegel, where you can view a full image of the crash, reports that the mechanic worked for Mechatronik, an expert restorer of classic Mercedes-Benz models.  Fortunately, the 26-year-old mechanic, as well as his 19-year-old passenger, an apprentice at the workshop, were unharmed by the crash, though the car wasn’t so lucky. The initial estimate for the repair bill is 650,000 euros (approximately $806,390AUD), which the workshop’s insurance will fully cover.  It’s not clear what exactly caused the crash but there was enough speed for the car to roll at least once. A police spokesman, Peter Widenhorn, said the 80kmh speed limit for the stretch of road where the crash occurred was clearly not observed. Widenhorn added that the owner remained calm but became--understandably--very vocal upon hearing of his car’s misfortune.  The original 300SL, both in its coupe and roadster body styles, remains one of the most sought-after models by collectors today, with some examples fetching more than a million dollars, though they typically sell for between $500k and $700,000k. First launched in 1954, the car was the fastest production vehicle of its day, with its 3.0-litre straight-six enabling it to reach a top speed of 259kmh. www.motorauthority.com  

Following the conclusion of the controversial Malaysian Grand Prix a fortnight ago, the rumour mill has been working overtime with news Red Bull Racing driver Mark Webber may quit Formula One at the end of the current season in order to join Porsche for its 24 Hours of Le Mans campaign in 2014.Webber didn’t hide the fact that he was upset with the outcome of the Malaysian race, where he was passed by team-mate Sebastian Vettel despite team orders directing both drivers to maintain their current positions, though he's made no suggestion he was considering quitting the sport.It was Germany’s Bild that first reported Webber had been in contact with Porsche about possible interest in the new Le Mans campaign. In addition, Red Bull boss Dietrich Mateschitz is reported to have said that it was possible Webber could leave the team, although the Australian had his full support for a 2014 seat at Red Bull.Webber has been closely linked with Porsche for several years and even bought a 911 GT2 as one of his personal cars. He also sampled Porsche's last Le Mans winner, the 1998 911 GT1, at a Red Bull event in 2012.Of course, Webber is no stranger to Le Mans. Piloting a Mercedes-Benz CLR prototype during practice at the 1999 24 Hours of Le Mans, Webber’s car spectacularly become airborne, back-flipping during both practice and race-day warm up events.Should Webber end up leaving his Red Bull seat, we are sure there will be no shortage of drivers eager to replace him. Some of the possibilities hinted at in the past have included current Lotus driver Kimi Räikkönen as well as fellow Aussie Daniel Ricciardo of Torro Rosso.www.motorauthority.com 

We know a BMW X4 is coming. Now we have a pretty good idea as to what it will look like, thanks to this leak of a concept version previewing the new crossover. The images show the BMW X4 concept, which the German automaker will most likely present at the 2013 Shanghai Auto Show later this month. As the concept confirms, the new X4 will be a compact crossover with coupe-like styling. It will share its underpinnings with the BMW X3, just as the larger X6 shares its underpinnings with the X5. The body will feature four doors, and inside there will likely be four individual bucket seats.Targeting style and performance rather than utility, the X4 will go up against similar models in the compact crossover segment such as the Range Rover Evoque and upcoming Porsche Macan and Lincoln MKC.This focus on style-conscious buyers should help differentiate the X4 from its X3 cousin, which remains popular with young families. It will also mean that the X4 can be sold at a premium to the X3, which starts at just under $60,000AUD.Engine offerings should mirror those of the latest X3, which means a base X4 xDrive28i with a turbocharged 2.0-litre four, rated at 177 kilowatts, and a more powerful X4 xDrive35i packing a turbocharged 3.0-litre straight-six good for 221 kilowatts.A dedicated X4 M model sharing its powertrain with the next-generation M3 is rumoured, as is a BMW M Performance model featuring a number of go-fast parts from the automaker’s new accessories line. At least one diesel model will be launched as well, though it’s unlikely to make its way to the U.S.With the BMW X4 concept’s unveiling at the 2013 Shanghai Auto Show, which opens on April 19, we could be seeing the production version revealed before 2013 is out. Stay tuned for the official reveal of the concept very soon.www.motorauthority.com 

The Lexus LF-LC Concept’s reception at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show was an undeniable a success, but in a world where economics rule that doesn’t necessarily mean production is a given--even with Lexus attempting to inject some much-needed sportiness to its lineup. Nevertheless, we’ve previously heard that the concept could spawn a production version serving as the spiritual successor of the SC430, and that dealers are clamoring for just such a car -- and now we hear that the concept has been confirmed for production. Speaking with Ward’s Auto, Lexus’ vice president of marketing, Brian Smith, explained that the LF-LC was originally intended as only a concept but the overwhelming response to the stunning rear-drive coupe spurred management back in Japan to give it the production green light. Smith went on to explain that the concept, styled by designers at a studio in California, was built to advance the redefinition of Lexus with emotive designs and advanced technology. Unfortunately, he failed to mention when we might see a production version of the LF-LC, but with the LFA supercar bowing out of production last December Lexus is in need of a new, emotion-spurring halo model fast. A front-engine, rear-drive hybrid powertrain brings the LF-LC together with a sporting layout to match its sporty design. The most recent version of the concept, the LF-LC Blue, is said to be packing more than 367kW from an unspecified hybrid system. Inside, the cockpit is driver-focused, with scooped side panels and a curved console centering the attention on the behind-the-wheel seat. It's one of the best-looking designs we've seen in a while and we hope any production version stays true to the original lines of the concept. www.motorauthority.com  

Though no mention of what model is hidden beneath the teaser’s blue veil -- which will come off at Shanghai motor show later this month -- we do know Maserati is working on a new generation of its Ghibli nameplate, which we’ve previously reported will debut in Shanghai before going on sale as a 2014 model. We’ve even spotted prototypes for this new 2014 Maserati Ghibli testing in Europe. In the description that accompanied the latest teaser, Maserati said the shrouded car represents the newest addition to its lineup and that it not only borrows from the past but also looks to the future. The shrouded car also appears to have a long hood and coupe-like fastback design, which are both reminiscent of the original Ghibli and could certainly appear on any new model, even though the new Ghibli is expected to be a four-door coupe rather than a two-door like the stunning original. The powerful rear fender of the shrouded car looks similar to that found on the latest 2014 Maserati Quattroporte, while up front, the nose and grille section appears to protrude much farther than on Maserati’s bigger sedan. Whatever model Maserati is teasing, we don’t have long until its reveal; the 2013 Shanghai Auto Show opens on April 19. www.motorauthority.com  

It’s a well-known fact that Jamiroquai lead singer Jay Kay is an avid car nut. His cars have often featured in his music videos, including the famous clip for Cosmic Girl which starred a Ferrari F40 and F355 as well as a Lamborghini Diablo, and then there was his album cover for Traveling Without Moving, which featured a logo similar to Ferrari’s own, though instead of the silhouette of a prancing horse Jamiroquai used his own buffalo man.With a F40, F50 and Enzo among his collection, plus countless other exotics, could Jay Kay be one of the 499 lucky people to have secured a build slot for the new LaFerrari hybrid supercar?The singer recently stopped by the Ferrari factory in Maranello to take a close look at the LaFerrari and meet up with Chairman Luca di Montezemolo. According to Ferrari, Kay also spent a long time in the personalisation department, the Tailor-Made Program, to look at all the possible options he could add to his ‘next’ purchase. Could that next purchase be a LaFerrari? We don’t know yet, though we do know Kay certainly loved the car.“It’s an amazing car and, just looking at it makes you want to drive it,” Jay said, upon seeing the LaFerrari. “I think it’s hard to imagine such a concentration of style, technology, performance and excitement all in the one package.”Ferrari’s newest flagship, the LaFerrari is the fastest and most powerful road car ever launched by the company. With 715 kilowatts and more than 900 Newton metres of torque delivered by its V-12 hybrid drivetrain, the LaFerrari will accelerate to 100km/h in under 3.0 seconds, hit 300km/h in 15 seconds and go on to reach an undisclosed top speed in excess of 350km/h.www.motorauthority.com