Articles by Viknesh Vijayenthiran

The Viziv is a two-door, four-seat crossover that draws its name from “vision for innovation” and it not only shows a more evolved version of Subaru’s styling language but also some new technology. The dynamic exterior design features simple, clean surfaces and lines, plus the classic Subaru hexagonal front grille, the shape of which is echoed in the rear design too. Other features include slit headlights with vertical elements, a panoramic glass roof insert and an ‘A-wing’ front spoiler and aggressive rear diffuser. The Viziv’s interior also draws on Subaru’s traits of functionality and clean design. In addition, each of the vehicle’s occupants benefit from custom information displays, which can provide a range of functions including vital vehicle data and controls for the driver and infotainment and connectivity options for passengers. Focusing on the technology, the Viziv does away with Subaru’s traditional mechanical all-wheel-drive system, replacing it instead with a ‘through-the-road’ hybrid setup consisting of a diesel engine and two independent electric motors. The diesel engine, which features a boxer design and four cylinders, powers the front axle while the electric motors spin the rear. Not only does such a design weigh less than a conventional all-wheel-drive system, a lack of a propeller shaft has enabled designers to lower the floor and free legroom for rear-seat passengers. The powertrain's computer selects the best time to use each power source, according to strength and driving conditions, achieving optimal fuel efficiency. Electric power is used for lower speeds, diesel when cruising on the highway, and a combination of the two for sporty driving. A CVT is also fitted, along with Subaru EyeSight stereo camera-based driver assist safety system. www.motorauthority.com    

Toyota has reaffirmed its commitment to battery-powered electric mobility by unveiling the funky i-Road concept car this week at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show. Designed as a flexible and cost-effective mode of transport for busy urban environments, the new i-Road concept is essentially an electric three-wheeler with a closed canopy design. But the i-Road has one very interesting feature, it’s new “Active Lean” self-leaning system designed to automatically balance the vehicle when cornering or travelling over rough surfaces. The vehicle also features an electric drivetrain, which Toyota says provides a range of about 50 kilometres on a single charge and a top speed of 45 kmh. A lithium-ion battery powers a pair of 2-kilowatt electric motors driving the front wheels and takes about 3 hours to charge using an ordinary household power outlet. But it’s the Active Lean technology that’s the real highlight here. Designed to offer high levels of stability, safety and comfort, while also allowing virtually anyone to be capable of driving the i-Road, Active Lean uses a lean actuator and gearing mounted above the front suspension member, linked via a yoke to the left and right front wheels. A computer calculates the required degree of lean based on steering angle, gyro-sensor and vehicle speed information, with the system automatically moving the wheels up and down in opposite directions, applying lean angle to counteract the forces of cornering. The system also operates when the i-Road is being driven in a straight line over rough surfaces. The actuator automatically compensates for changes in the road to keep the body level. This design also allows for a more car-like environment, with the potential for features such as lighting, heating, audio and connectivity to be provided. Importantly, occupants--yes, two adults can fit inside via tandem seating--don't need to wear a helmet. The three-wheeled i-Road measures 2.3 metres long, 1.4 metres high, 0.8 metres wide, and weighs just over 299 kilograms. Toyota hasn’t mentioned any production plans but says it could envisage i-Road-type vehicles replacing cars in busy urban centres in the very near future. www.motorauthority.com  

Swedish supercar maker Koenigsegg's Hundra at Geneva motor show isn’t just another run-of-the-mill Koenigsegg, if there is such a thing, but the company’s 100th car ever built.A hundred cars may not seem like a lot, especially when you consider that Koenigsegg has been around since 1994, but the number is a testament to the bespoke nature of each of the rolling works of art that emerge from the halls of Koenigsegg's plant in Ängelholm, Sweden.The new car has been duly titled the Hundra, which is Swedish for “hundred,” and has been built as an exclusive one-off for an anonymous car collector.The launch of the Hundra also marks the introduction of Koenigsegg’s latest version of its Agera supercar, the Agera S, which forms the basis of the new special edition.No details about the Agera S have been revealed, although going by its name we know it is based on the Agera model first launched at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show. Expect a twin-turbocharged 5.0-litre V-8 to be powering the new car, and an output in the vicinity of 735 kilowatts.These initial images show some of the Koenigsegg Hundra’s beautiful carbon fibre body work, which Koenigsegg boasts has been lined with 24 carat gold leaf inlays. The company also states that the car features a right-hand drive configuration. Note, in addition to being the company’s 100th car, the Hundra also marks 10 years of production at Koenigesgg. While founder Christian von Koenigsegg established his company in 1994, it would be eight years of painstaking development until Koenigsegg’s first model, the CC8S, was finally delivered to a customer. During those 10 years, Koenigsegg has evolved from being a small and unknown car developer, to becoming a reputed supercar manufacturer, revered for excellence and performance, and rivalling some of the strongest brands in the industry. The company has also managed to rack up four Guinness World Records.While most of us will probably never be able to afford one of its cars, Koenigsegg will be offering fans on more modest budgets a couple of interesting items in the near future. One is a book titled 0 to 100 in 10 Years, which looks back at the drivers, owners and key people that helped the company get off the ground. Another is a set of photographs, of which only 100 will be printed and all of them signed by Christian von Koenigsegg. Anyone interested can contact Koenigsegg directly via the email: zerotohundred@koenigsegg.com.www.motorauthority.com.au  

Just in case the regular G63 AMG from Mercedes-Benz wasn’t extreme enough, the company will soon be offering this six-wheeled version. The vehicle is built alongside the regular G Class range at Magna Steyr's operations in Graz, Austria, and was originally developed for the Australian military as the G-Wagon, which started rolling out to our troops in 2011 -- including the version fitted with an additional axle for 6WD. But it turns out there was enough interest in the 6WD vehicle to also warrant the development of a civilian version for overseas markets. Speaking with Autoweek, the head of development for the Mercedes-Benz G Class line, Axel Harries, said pricing for the vehicle hasn’t been announced but interested buyers can expect to pay around 350,000 euro ($457,000). While in its original military spec the vehicle was based on the diesel-powered G320 CDI, for civilian use Mercedes decided to go with the more powerful -- and more luxurious -- G63 trim. This means it comes powered by a twin-turbocharged 5.5-litre V-8, rated at 400 kilowatts and 758 newton metres of torque and matched to a seven-speed automatic transmission. The G63 AMG 6x6 is going to need most of that grunt as it tips the scales at a hefty 3774 kilograms. It comes with a four-door cabin, six driven wheels, low range gearing, a tire-control system for its standard 37-inch wheels, and five differential locks that offer 100 percent lockup of all six wheels via a trio of switches on the dash. The vehicle’s overall length is close to 5.8 metres, which means owners may have trouble squeezing it into a regular-sized parking spot. Ground clearance is 450 millimetres, some 249 millimetres higher than on the stock G63 AMG. At the back is a polished bamboo -- it's still a luxury vehicle -- cargo bed, which has a maximum payload capacity of 350 kilograms. The G63 AMG 6x6 officially goes on sale in October. Currently, Mercedes is predicting sales of between 20 and 30 units annually. Sadly, none of those will be coming to Australia. "It's being made only in left-hand drive, so we won't be able to bring any here," Mercedes-Benz Australia spokesman Jerry Stamoulis says.  So for Aussies who want to get into the beast, the closest option is to enlist and hope they get behind the wheel of an ADF version. www.motorauthority.com  

Owners of certain Mercedes-Benz models can now specify their cars with an illuminated version of the star on the centre grille. Available through Mercedes’ official accessories division, the lit star only works at certain times, and never when the car is being driven. It’s designed to illuminate when the car is unlocked, its doors or trunk opened, or when the engine is turned off. It then stays on for 15 seconds unless triggered again. You’ll note that many cars already have lights that switch on during these situations. Currently, the special star is only available for the M Class and GL Class SUVs, though Mercedes plans to launch versions for the C Class, E Class and CLS Class models at a later date. Note, if your car is equipped with Distronic or Distronic Plus cruise control, it can’t be fitted with the illuminated star feature. While even one of the most prestigious companies in the auto industry, Rolls-Royce, offers an illuminated version of its famous hood ornament, we’re hoping this is one trend that doesn’t gain in popularity. Hopefully the 300 euro (approximately $383 AUD) price of the illuminated star will serve as a deterrent. www.motorauthority.com  

Last month Pagani’s Huayra supercar set a new record for a production car around the famous Top Gear test track, which was featured during the first episode of the popular British television program’s 19th season.The Huayra’s time was an impressive 1:13.8, which was 1.3 seconds faster than the time set by the stripped-out Ariel Atom V8 (1:15.1) and 2.4 seconds faster than that of the McLaren MP4-12C (1:16.2)--huge differences for a track only 2.8km in length.This caused some to doubt the Huayra’s legality for the show’s power lap segment, which states that a car needs to be in production, be fully road legal and be capable of crossing a standard speed bump to be eligible.Fans on enthusiast website Teamspeed questioned the legality of the tires used on the test after pictures during filming showed a mysterious set of tires being used on the record-breaking car.The tires bore markings that appeared different to those of the Huayra’s regular Pirelli P Zero Corsa tires and looked similar to the racing slicks of Pagani’s non-street legal track car, the Zonda R, except that they had grooves.In addition, photos of the same Huayra taken during filming of other parts of the episode revealed the Pirelli P Zero Corsa set instead. This caused website Jalopnik to question Pagani about the situation.In response, Pagani's communications officer Luca Venturi confirmed that two separate tires were used on the Huayra during the filming of the show, the regular Pirelli P Zero Corsa tires and a set of Pirelli P Zero Trofeo tires, the latter of which was developed specially for the Huayra by Pirelli and used for the power lap test.Importantly, Pagani confirmed that the Pirelli P Zero Trofeo tires were street legal and were available on the Huayra, which probably explains why Top Gear, which actually ran the test, had no qualms airing it.www.motorauthority.com 

The ZF nine-speed automatic transmission is designed for transverse applications, i.e. cars based on front-wheel-drive architectures. The nine-speed-equipped Range Rover Evoque will be one of the first models to get the transmission when it goes on display next week at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show and will hopefully arrive in showrooms before the year is out.The new transmission, code-named the ZF 9HP, is one of the most advanced transmissions ever used on a production car, and it’s likely to be one of the most fuel efficient too.Land Rover hasn’t released any numbers just yet, but says the transmission should offer significant improvements in economy and emission levels compared to the current six-speed ‘box fitted to the Range Rover Evoque.A higher top gear will definitely improve highway numbers, while at the other end of the spectrum a new low gear should improve performance during towing or slow, off-road driving. In addition, the transmission’s smaller ratio steps should translate to improved response during brisk driving. There's even a 'skip-shift' function that allows gears to be skipped for quicker changes.There is also a computer-controlled system that can learn to match the driver’s own shift pattern. This allows it to automatically sharpen up when the driver's heavy on the throttle, and then switch back to a more economical mode when the situation demands.If that wasn’t enough, Land Rover tells us that the transmission is similar in size to the six-speed unit it replaces, but 7.5 kg lighter. Expect the ZF 9HP transmission to be announced for more models shortly.www.motorauthority.com 

The company highlights its industrial design school, Espera Sbarro, each year at the Geneva Motor Show, where Espera Sbarro students typically unveil new concepts showcasing their talents. One of the school’s concepts that comes to mind is 2007’s Turbo S20 Barchetta. In 2013, Espera Sbarro students will present another performance-themed study, this time with an advanced hybrid drivetrain. The latest concept is the Sbarro Réact E.V., where E.V. stands for Ecologic Vehicle rather than being shorthand for electric vehicle. The Réact E.V. took 30 students a total of 13 weeks to develop, though it’s not simply a show car as it has been designed for road use too. It will even be entered in an eco rally in Monte Carlo this year. The car’s primary power source is a V-6 engine rated at 154 kW. Sourced from French automaker Peugeot, the V-6 is mounted in a mid-engine positioned and is used to power the rear wheels. Two electric motors up front deliver a combined 200 kW and power the front wheels. Powering these motors is a lithium-ion battery rated at 24 kilowatt-hours. Like past Sbarro concepts, the Réact E.V. isn’t destined for production, though perhaps some of its elements may end up on cars built by whichever companies its student designers end up at. www.motorauthority.com  

After hitting the auto show scene in 2010, Maserati’s race-inspired GranTurismo MC Stradale has undergone its first major update. Set to debut at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show next week, the updated Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale goes on sale in Europe this summer and previews some of the changes we may see on our own GranTurismo MC. Key among the changes is an upgrade to the 338 kW variant of the GranTurismo’s 4.7-litre V-8 engine as well as the availability of a 2+2 seating configuration. Previously, the GranTurismo MC Stradale came with 331 kW and just two seats (the rear seats were removed in order to save weight). And just like the previous car, the updated GranTurismo MC Stradale continues to take its inspiration from the racing version which competes in the Maserati MC Trofeo racing series. This means it also features the race car’s latest upgrades, which include a new vented hood constructed from carbon fiber, forged alloy wheels measuring 20 inches in diameter, and carbon ceramic brakes from Brembo. The transmission remains Maserati’s six-speed automated manual ‘box, which paired to the slightly more powerful V-8 engine helps deliver a top speed of 303 km/h. www.motorauthority.com  

After designing Porsches in Germany for the past 15 years, 47-year-old Hakan Saracoglu will head to Shanghai, China to lead a new design studio for state-owned automaker Chery.