Opel Astra world premiere

Two days ago, at the Opel headquarters in Rüsselsheim, the new Opel Astra had its world premiere. The sixth generation of the Astra was developed for three years, and 25 members worked on the development of the project.

Half of the development project consisted of females, such as Zuzana Majorova (supplier product quality), Haiyan Yu (digital cockpit development – Opel Pure Panel), Ilka Höbermann (interior design), Mariella Vogler (chief engineer).

Mariella Vogler said: “An international team has come together to achieve the goal with great openness and mutual respect. You can’t create a car that evokes positive feelings if you don’t have a team mentality. The result was influenced not only by the female factor but also cooperation, interaction, and thus the final product better. ”

What makes the new Astra so desirable are the strong feelings that can be found in many aspects of the car like the lines on the sides that are clear and strong. An example of tactile excellence can be found on the back of the five-door Astra, where the team integrated the rear door opening mechanism into the Opel logo. The car has the latest version of adaptive Intelli-Lux LED® Pixel lights.

Inside, when you sit down, you are faced with a “visual detox”. The Pure Panel digital instrument panel and analog displays have been replaced by a new user interface. There are also self-developed ARG-certified front seats (“Aktion gesunder Rücken e.V” / Action for a healthy back).

“We want our customers to feel the enthusiasm that everyone involved in the development has invested in the car,” said chief engineer Mariella Vogler.

Source: Opel Pressroom

BMW X8 / XM

The rumors about the BMW X8 / XM proved to be true, as its arrival was confirmed by BMW CEO Olivier Zipse. The car is being developed under the name “Project Rockstar”.

Prototypes have already been seen during testing. New renderings, published by Kolesa, show what the BMW X8 might look like.

The new X8 should arrive by the end of the year, and it probably won’t have a vertical grille like the iX and other newer BMW models. The headlights are split, while the four ends of the exhaust pipes are placed vertically.

The roof drop line indicates limited headroom in the rear seats, but BMW is full of surprises so it’s hard to predict the company’s plans.

The render does not show the cover for the fuel tank, and rumors say that it will have two because there is a possibility of developing a PHEV version.

The BMW X8 will be powered by a V8 engine and an electric motor and will be offered in two versions. The base model will have 617 hp (460 kW), while the more powerful X8 M Competition will have 740 hp (552 kW). That would make it the most powerful SUV in BMW history.

The car should first appear on the U.S. market next year.

Source: kolesa.ru

Lotus Emira V6 First Edition

Lotus recently unveiled its latest model with an internal combustion engine, the Lotus Emira. Now Lotus has announced the specifications for the Emira V6 First Edition, and production will start early next year.

The Emira V6 is powered by a 3.5-liter supercharged V6 engine with 400 hp (298 kW) and 317 lb-ft (430 Nm) of torque. The engine is paired with a six-speed automatic transmission with paddleshift. As an option, there is also a six-speed manual transmission that works at a slightly lower torque.

The V6 First Edition body will be offered in several vibrant paint colors, such as Hethel Yellow, Nimbus Gray, Magma Red, Dark Verdant and Shadow Gray. It will be equipped with LED lights all round, heated power-fold door mirrors and rear parking sensors and titanium exhaust finisher.

Inside, Lotus offers several leather and Alcantara colors with three color stitching and heated seats, all as standard. There’s also a 10.25-inch centrally mounted touch-screen and a 12.3-inch TFT instrument cluster ahead of the multi-function steering wheel.

The Lotus Emira V6 First Edition is driven on ultra-light forged 20-inch wheels. For braking and stopping there are two-piece brake discs with branded calipers.

The price of the car in the UK is £ 75,995 ($ 102,935).

Source: Lotus

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