Directory — Automobile — Blog Details for "euro car blog"

euro car blog

euro car blog
This page is dedicated to those who love and appreciate the charisma, quality, and sheer engineering genius of european designed and sourced cars. From Renault to Ferrari, Alfa Romeo to Volvo, EuroCars Blog will share facts, opinions and stats.

RSS Feed Homepage

Articles: 1, 2

Articles

ASTON MARTIN DBS CRASHES DURING FILMING OF LATEST 007 FILM
2008-04-26 01:06:00
MSNBC has reported that the car being used in the latest James Bond movie, Quantum of Solace has plunged into the bottom of Lake Garda, Northern Italy on the way to the set. While the driver, a Aston Martin engineer named Fraser Dunn, escaped with minor injuries the Aston Martin DBS did not fare so well. Italian state TV has shown footage of the waterlogged and smashed DBS being hoisted from the lake. "I do feel lucky to be alive because I was knocked out by the force of the impact and when I came to the car was at the bottom of the lake - I have been told it was 150ft down," Dunn told the UK's Telegraph. Apparently the car was being delivered to the set when it encountered heavy rain and slid of the road pluning into the Lake. "All I remember was that the road was wet and I wasn't going that fast but the next thing I knew I came off and I ended up in the water. "I can't have been going that fast as another engineer was following me in a Fiat Pu...
More About: Film , Crashes

JAMES BOND’S ASTON MARTIN DBS IN AUSTRALIA
2008-04-25 01:23:00
To James Bond fans the Aston Martin is certainly no stranger. The original DBS featured in the 1969 film ‘On Her Majesty's Secret Service’ while the latest incarnation is well known for it’s fleeting but record-breaking appearance in the recent 007 film, Casino Royale in 2006. In Casino Royale the DBS made a cameo appearance – on screen for a matter of seconds – but it made an impact and entered The Guinness Book of World Records by rolling seven times in the air before it crashed. Powered by a front mid-mounted 6-litre V12 that screams to 6500rpm and maxes out at 380kW of power and 570Nm of torque the new DBS is definitely race material. No surprise really given the DBS is based on the DBR9 race car which won the GT1 class at the Le Mans 24-hour last year. To further prove its powerful pedigree the DBS achieves 0-100km/h in a blistering 4.3 seconds. Built from space-age materials with lashings of carbon fibre the DBS has a top speed 191mph (302km/h). Asto...
More About: Australia

MERCEDES-BENZ SL
2008-03-11 08:32:00
What have they done? Mercedes has done the unthinkable and tinkered with one of the true modern classic cars of the 21st century, the SL. The current SL has been an incredibly big hit for Mercedes, with the coupe-come-convertible being the car of choice for anyone looking for open-air style and prestige in the luxury car market. Overnight the shape became iconic, with perfectly proportioned features, and one of the best, and simplest Mercedes faces of all time. In fact, it has often been referred to as the closest Mercedes has come to replicating the legendary gull wing of the 50s. No, it isn't a Ferrari on the track, and it isn't exactly rare amongst $250K sports cars, but it does what it's meant to oh so effortlessly, with supreme elegance and an envious image all other luxury drop tops would kill for. Quite simply, the 2002 SL has become one of the absolute best convertibles of all time. Fast forward to 2007. Mercedes car design is in another crossroads. S...
More About: Mercedes Benz , Mercedes-Benz , Benz

LAMBORGHINI GALLARDO LP560-4
2008-03-07 07:19:00
In spite of Audi's incredible effort with the R8, arguably the best performance car of them all remains the Lamborghini Gallardo . Eye-watering looks, exotic yet functional body work, THE best engine note of any car anywhere, and a hand crafted Italian leather and suede interior. Not only that, but all that wild and largely dangerous Lamborghini flamboyancy is packaged and built to Audi levels of execution and restrained aggression. What more could you possibly want? Well Lamborghini seem to think there's more, and that little something extra is this, the Gallardo LP560-4. The LP560-4 is a super focused Gallardo which uses a psychotic V10 stressed to put out 412KW of power and 549NM of torque. Now while that torque figure is nothing extraordinary over the standard Gallardo, 412KW is enough to scare the living breath out of anyone, especially with a car so focused and sharp as the Gallardo. You'll get to 100km/h from standstill in 3.7 seconds, and 200km/h in 11.8 second...
More About: Lamborghini Gallardo

BENTLEY GTZ ZAGATO
2008-03-06 08:50:00
From the ridiculous to the extremely desirable, Bentley has shown Rolls-Royce how you make a luxury coupe with this, the GTZ Zagato. The British luxury marque has unveiled this gorgeous coupe to the world in Geneva, with more than a little help from Italian style house Zagato. Based on the regular GT Coupe, the GTZ shows a clear influence from 50s and 60s British sports car design. Note the rear end treatment, where the rear LED lights sit on the very edge of the large rear arches. The roof tightly contours around both driver and passenger, a Zagato trademark , and is a clear Italian influence on an otherwise thoroughly British design. What makes this car work so well is how it manages to match traditional British (and Italian) sports car themes with contemporary, modern design without appearing trivial and comical. One simply needs to look at the Rolls-Royce to see how tactless a car in this segment can be. The Bentley is definitely the more sophisticated of the two. ...

ROLLS-ROYCE PHANTOM COUPE
2008-03-06 08:45:00
The indulgent and colonial British institution that is Rolls Royce has given the environmental theme of this year's Geneva Motor Show a blunt one fingered salute with this grotesque monstrosity, the Phantom Coupe . In oh so typical fashion, this is like any other Rolls Royce in recent history. Utterly tackless, rather ugly, and completely irrelevant. And yet for some mischievous reason, you still sort of like it. Perhaps it's because it's everything politically incorrect about cars. It's got a 6.75 litre V12 petrol engine, the maneuverability of a truck, the hide of half the world's cattle, and polished up half a forest for woodgrain. These outrageous ingredients come together to offer the most effortless, luxurious, and stately manner of transport money can buy without buying your own Airbus A380. But to be honest what's the point, other than to offer some CEO or Hollywood brat the opportunity to own the biggest statement in poor taste. Not only that, but a flee...
More About: Rolls-Royce

FERRARI F430 BIO
2008-01-24 08:55:00
Ferrari would be just about the last manufacturer on earth you'd expect an environmentally considerate car from, yet they've raised quite a few eyebrows in Detroit with a F430 spider tuned to run on Bio petrol (E85 ethanol). The ethanol fueled derivative of the regular F430 power plant lifts the power output by 2% to 373KW while lowering emissions and improving consumption figures. So essentially Ferrari are showing the world that not only is it relatively painless to adjust existing power trains to run on ethanol, but Bio engines offer increased performance and efficiency over their petrol counterparts.So, if Ferrari can produce a 'green' F430 with all of the character, ferocious performance, and desirability as before, why can't everyone else make the change? If the Government enforced oil companies to offer the easy bio and ethanol blended fuels throughout Australia, then the automotive industry would have no excuses. Bio petrols and ethanol blended fuels are prooven to incr...
More About: Ferrari

MERCEDES C-CLASS - WHEELS CAR OF THE YEAR
2008-01-24 07:39:00
With another year already upon us, the annual Wheels Car of the Year Award has been released, with Mercedes -Benz scooping up the coveted prize with it's new C-Class range. I seriously doubt that anyone saw that coming, especially when 2007 saw some seriously excellent and faultless machinery launched in Australia. Now, I'm not for one minute going to argue with the guys from Australia's greatest car mag that the new C is a huge step forward in terms of refinement, efficiency, value, and packaging over the previous car. It most certainly is. What is utterly confusing though is how a car with one of the most lacklustre and cheap interiors in the compact executive market, sitting in a body that looks like a Ssangyong, all riding on a chassis that still can't match a BMW 3-Series for handling ability and steering feedback, still manages to tick all of Wheels' dubious and intriguingly inconsistent criteria to become the 2007 Car of the year .Yes, Mercedes has worked hard on the dynam...

AUDI A4
2008-01-17 06:08:00
March is looking to be a crucial month for Audi Australia, with the group from Ingolstadt set to release their reputable A4 range down under. The A4 is Audi's bread and butter, and by far their biggest selling vehicle globally. The A4 name is synonymous with the 4 rings badge and holds a high reputation for quality and style, so the pressure is on for Audi to deliver the goods. The A4's basic design language and chassis have been previewed through the much applauded A5 coupe, so the fundamental qualities are there. The new car has a typically Audi refined and contemporary yet understated look to it, and has arguably become the most desirable compact executive saloon on looks alone. At the very least it makes it's German cousins appear fussy and overstyled. The A4 has grown markedly in all directions, now making it the largest car in it's class. In spite of this Audi has managed to hide most of this bulk well, with the saloon sitting quite low on the ground, and the wheels now mu...

ALFA ROMEO JUNIOR
2008-01-17 03:49:00
Alfa Romeo is set to take on the likes of the Mini and Fiat 500 with this, the small Junior . Slotting in below the 147 hatchback in price and size, the Junior will be the entry level Alfa. These renderings, first published by Italian magazine Quattroroute, are said be on the money as to how the Junior will look when it's revealed some time in 2008. Not alot is known about the baby Italian, but sources say it will be marginally smaller than the 147 that will sit above it. Going by these renders, alot of the Junior's design is heavily influenced by the 8C Competitzione Coupe. There's even a hint of Maserati in the front quarter of the car. Being an Alfa, there probably isn't too much to get concerned about regarding it's looks. More of a concern will be how the Junior will drive. Just about the only clue about the Junior which is confirmed is that it will sit on the same chassis as the Fiat Punto. Fortunately the Punto is one of the more dynamically talented small hatches, so thi...
More About: Alfa Romeo , Alfa

PEUGEOT 308 RC
2008-01-16 06:16:00
Get a pen, tell your friends to join in, and write to Peugeot , demanding them to build this. The 308 RC is a concept that's said to be 'fairly close' to the production version of what will be the coupe derivative of the newly released 308 hatchback. If left untouched, the RC will finally be the first true Peugeot in a long time. The famous gallic lion is synonymous with compact, sporting cars that are as popular with the latte crowd as they are with hardcore track goers.Although such cars as the 407 saloon and the 207 hatchback are great to look at, they're not quite the nimble go karts of their predecessors, making them more supreme tourers than out and out dynamic masterpieces. Peugeots of late tend to have large front overhangs which hamper cornering ability and composure. The 308 RC has minimal overhands front and rear, with the axles pushing the wheels to the 4 corners of the compact body. It's closest rivals will be the Audi TT, the Alfa Romeo Brera, and the previously me...

LAND ROVER LRX
2008-01-16 04:49:00
Meet the Land Rover LRX, a lower, slipperier Freelander2. Designed by new design boss Gerry McGovern, this coupe/crossover concept is said to be a sign of things to come from the British marque famed for their large, boxy 4WDs.The LRX features a softer and more aerodynamic body than any Land Rover before hand. Essentially a compact 3-door SUV with some rural abilities, the LRX is primarily a trendy cross-coupe with more than its share of urban tricks. Looking more like a 3 door hatchback on steroids, the concept does without any hardcore offroading equipment and capabilites for more street presence, pumped arches, and big wheels. Inside, mood lighting illuminates the cabin in 3 different colours depending on the driving mode: blue is normal, red is sporty, and green is off-road.All very trend, and a whole lot more desirable than a hardcore off-roader. The LRX is a clear sign that Land Rover has thankfully accepted that unless you work on the land a big 4WD is pretty useless and gari...

BMW 1 SERIES COUPE
2008-01-15 06:34:00
Have you ever thought that your 5 door hatchback would make a really good coupe? How about a cabrio? Even a sports car? Didn't think so. But it seems that BMW are at it again, answering questions that no one was asking. Take one 1-Series 5 door hatchback, get rid of it's rear doors, give it a saloon style boot, and you've got the new 1-Series Coupe . While it may look alright in the pictures, on the road it will look hilarious. Who in their right mind would buy this over it's nifty 5 door hatcback cousin? The hatchback gives nothing away in style, but has the practicality that makes up for the small 1-Series dimensions. What's interesting is that BMW is emphasising the great dynamics of this thing, yet dynamically it's just about identical to the hatchback. So in the end you're getting exactly the same car, with a smaller boot, a tiny cabin, all in a coupe body that looks incredibly stupid. It looks more like a Matchbox model than an actual car. You'd give this to your 3 your...

FIAT 500
2008-01-15 05:07:00
You're looking at what will probably turn out to be one of the most influential new cars this decade, just like its predecessor many years ago. This chic little car is the re-born Fiat 500, the latest famous retro badge to reappear on our roads. Ford brought back the GT, BMW the Mini, and even the VW Beetle has been resurrected (if you could call it that..), and now embattled Italian firm Fiat has produced arguably the most convincing interpretation of its contemporary sibling for the 21st century with this stunning little runabout. Remaining very true to the lines of the famous little hatch of the 50s and 60s, the new 500 captures the hallmark character of the original in a modern package that will certainly appeal to the Ipod generation.Like the new Mini, Fiat has aced their modern interpretation of a classic shape. The new car appears just as compact and chic as the original all those years ago. Minimal overhangs, a tallish body, and exquisite detailing amount to a very successf...
More About: Fiat 500

VW PASSAT CC
2008-01-15 03:28:00
Now this is more like it. VW has finally showed everyone that they are capable of dressing their engineering prowess in style with this fantastic new Passat 'Comfort Coupe'. Ok, the name is rubbish, but take a look at it. This is by far the most exciting, sporting, and aggressive VW in a long long time. Too long in fact. After years of thoroughly capable but dull and forgettable fridges on wheels, VW has reminded everyone that they can pen a car with the best of them. The Passat 'Comfort Coupe' is VW's answer to the Mercedes CLS. Based on the same platform as the standard Passat, the CC features a completely redesigned body. Exclusively a 4 seat, 4 door coupe, VW is quite bullish about their new creation, citing it as a car that 'embraces differences; from comfort to dynamism and from sporty interior to a spacious one'. Fighting words indeed, but for once VW can now walk the walk with this one. 5cm lower and with a wheelbase 3cm longer, the 'coupe' has a much more imposing ...

SKODA OCTAVIA
2008-01-11 05:10:00
This Octavia heralds the return of Czech carmaker Skoda into the Australian market. Under the guidance of parent company VW, Skoda has turned itself around in Europe from being the laughing stock of the automotive industry to one of the most credible in less than a decade. The Octavia, a mid sized 5 door hatch based on the Golf platform, and the quirky Roomster mini MPV spearhead the Czech's launch locally amid nervous murmours from rivals. That's because in Europe Skoda is marketed as a means to get behind the wheel of VW technology at a great price. You see, in the VW empire there are several marques the Germans own. Audi, Lamborghini, Bentley, Seat, and Skoda are all under the VW umbrella. While the German, British and Italian brands sit as the luxury arms of the company, Seat and Skoda use much of the same technology and componentry as their German counterparts but are branded and priced more as budget makers. So with the Octavia, for instance, you get served Golf technology i...

SAAB 9-3
2008-01-09 02:57:00
Saab has given its 9-3 compact executive range a mid life freshen up with this latest facelift. The original car, launched in late 2002, has been criticised for lacking any charisma and loosing that famous Saab individuality. Thankfully this new facelift has re-introduced that quirkiness that we've come to know and love, with the clamshell bonnet and 3 piece grill being re-introduced to great effect. Somehow Saab has penned a facelift that looks perfect for the 9-3, seamlessly blending in with the car's lines to significantly boost its street presence.The 9-3 has always been a good car, but since GM anaesthised its looks for mainstream consumption, many people have overlooked it for one of the German saloons or for the other Scandinavian cars at Volvo. With Saab sales now barely ticking over, luckily they've been let out of their American shackles to once again make great looking, original cars that are a real alternative to the usual players. This new 9-3 facelift is just that, ...
More About: Saab

MINI CLUBMAN
2008-01-09 01:48:00
This is the new Mini Clubman, some sort of 4 - 5 door hatchback that's meant to double up as both a sporting hatch and a load carrier, I think. It features 2 conventional doors, twin bread van style rear doors, and a tiny 'suicide' door on the driver's side for 'easy' access to the rear seats, which apparantly have more leg room thanks to an extended wheelbase. Visually the Clubman is distinguished from it's 3 door hatch cousin by the suicide door, and a more squared off rear, featuring new tail lights housed in a contrasting pillar of either silver or black. While this all sounds rather, um, intriguing on paper, I can't for the life of me figure out what the point is?Who buys a Mini for its load carrying capacity, or to seat 4 people? That's like buying a LandCruiser for its sporting credentials.. One of the most endearing features of a Mini is its compact shape. Yet for some unkown reason BMW has decided to stretch it out, add a suicide door on the drivers side so your pa...

MERCEDES GLK
2007-12-21 01:51:00
These are the photos Mercedes would rather you didn't see, their new GLK compact SUV on the set of Sex And The City. The yet-to-be-released GLK has been seen countless times in 'carmoflage', but these are the very first totally undisguised images of the new SUV out in the open. Looking very smart in white, the GLK is the tri-start company's answer to the BMW X3, Land Rover Freelander, and the upcoming Audi Q5 and Volvo XC50.As you can see from the pictures, the GLK has many neat details in its design. Appearing quite squat and aggressive on the road, the small 4x4 is arguably the best looking Mercedes in recent years, with its chunkiness harking back to the Mercedes saloons of the '80s and early '90s. It is definately a more complete and convincing interpretation of the new design direction Mercedes is taking. The details that let the new C-Class down, such as the frumpy tail lights and rear bumper bar, are shorter and much more chunky on the GLK. The rising creaseline on the ...

RENAULT CLIO SPORT
2007-12-20 05:05:00
This is the new Renault Clio Sport , set to hit our shores in the first half of 2008. It should have already arrived here, but such is its popularity in Europe that we've had to wait for the factory to catch up with demand! The Clio Sport has become somewhat of a modern icon of hot hatches in recent years, starting with the 1994 Clio Williams. The previous Sport, sold here since 2002, has heen highly sought after amongst car and sport enthusiasts alike, with the gallic hatch developing a cult following.The French certainly know a thing or 2 about how to build great small cars, and the new Clio continues this reputation. Outside, the new car features an evolution of the previous Clio incarnation, which is no bad thing indeed as the little Renault has been one of the better looking small European hatches out there.The new shape has lost none of this french chic, with the cute nose proudly wearing the centred Renault badge between the dual grill. The rising windowline features the pron...

JAGUAR XF
2007-12-18 01:00:00
And so the Jaguar revival begins, right here, with this fantastic new saloon from the struggling wild cat. The new XF is the Jaguar we've all been wanting for years. With countless amounts of stunning concept cars being wasted on lacklustre production models, Jaguar sales have plummeted, leading to Ford putting the quintessential British marque up for sale. The S Type that the XF replaces was a sales disaster, a car designed by Americans for Americans and resembling a half melted toad with some chrome on top. And now, at the 11th hour, it seems that Jaguar have pulled off the master stroke they've been needing for years, deciding to put one of their concept cars, largely untampered, into production.The XF will be thrown straight into the ultra-tough executive sedan segment, taking on the three German musketeers in the A6, E-Class and 5-Series, the Lexus GS, Saab 9-5, Volvo S80, and Citroen C6. Now that's a pretty distinghuished list there, so the new kitty will have to be very go...

PORSCHE PANAMERA
2007-12-17 03:41:00
This computer generated image is said to be very close to the final design of Porsche 's upcoming Panamera saloon. With test mules busy tracking the globe in the lead up to its launch, very little information has trickled out of the factory floor. Set to be the first true 4 door production Porsche ever (don't count the Cayenne, that's just a bloated VW Tourag), much is at stake with the new '4 door 911'.The Panamera will take on the likes of the Mercedes S-Class, BMW 7-Series, Bentley Flying Spur, and Jaguar XJ for the attention of well heeled customers around the globe. Arguably its closest challenger will be the Maserati Quattroporte, which is very much the sports car with 4 doors that the Panamera will hopefully turn out to be.While it's almost a given that the Panamera will undoubtedly continue the sporting pedigree that the 911, Boxter, and Cayman demonstrate, one hopes that Porsche have learnt their lesson from the 'killer whale' Cayenne and keep the new family member'...
More About: Porsche Panamera

VW GOLF - THE NEW TOYOTA COROLLA
2007-12-17 02:02:00
The current Golf has been quite the success story for VW Australia. Since its introduction in 2004, the German hatchback has found its way into more Australian driveways than any VW has in the last few decades. It isn't unusual for the Golf to sneak into the top 20 of the sales charts, and the Australian motoring press have been united in their praise for the 'premium' hatch from the moment it hit our roads 3 years ago. Scratch below the surface, however, and there's very little to get excited about...Sure, VW have some of the best diesel engines available in this country, and the reliability record of Golfs past and present speak for themselves. Even the dynamics and handling are acceptable, if unresponsive. But take a step back and have a good look at one. Look at one with a clean sheet and no prejudice and it's hard to get excited. Such is the lack of flair or effort that VW is well into the process of giving the Mark V a major facelift, due in 2008/09. Step inside and you'...
More About: Toyota , Toyota Corolla

More articles from this author:
1, 2