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News 28 Aug, 2013

Peugeot 3008 crossover gets a mid-life facelift ahead of its debut at the Frankfurt show

News 28 Aug, 2013

Peugeot 3008 crossover gets a mid-life facelift ahead of its debut at the Frankfurt show

Ford of Europe chief Stephen Odell says he expects the European car market could take five to six years to recover, a German newspaper reported.

Ford of Europe chief Stephen Odell says he expects the European car market could take five to six years to recover, a German newspaper reported.

Ford of Europe chief Stephen Odell says he expects the European car market could take five to six years to recover, a German newspaper reported.

Ford of Europe chief Stephen Odell says he expects the European car market could take five to six years to recover, a German newspaper reported.

Ford plans to introduce its MyFord Touch infotainment system to its vehicle lineup in Europe starting next year.

Ford plans to introduce its MyFord Touch infotainment system to its vehicle lineup in Europe starting next year.

Ford plans to introduce its MyFord Touch infotainment system to its vehicle lineup in Europe starting next year.

Toyota decided not to market its brake-override system as "safe stop" to avoid promising more than the mechanism could deliver for driver safety, the company's top U.S. executive told a California jury.

Ford plans to introduce its MyFord Touch infotainment system to its vehicle lineup in Europe starting next year.

Ford will showcase its latest global design language with the introduction of the S-Max Concept at the Frankfurt auto show next month.

Ford will showcase its latest global design language with the introduction of the S-Max Concept at the Frankfurt auto show.

Ford will showcase its latest global design language with the introduction of the S-Max Concept at the Frankfurt auto show.

Ford will showcase its latest global design language with the introduction of the S-Max Concept at the Frankfurt auto show.

Ford will showcase its latest global design language with the introduction of the S-Max Concept at the Frankfurt auto show.

Pros and Cons
Pros
The 2013 Maserati Quattroporte is fresh off a complete makeover that has brought the car's styling into the modern age. The trident that adorns the car's impressive grille is a sign of sophistication and excellent taste. This Italian luxury flagship is a symbol of worldly elegance and is now available with AWD, a sign that it is now ripe for the world market at large.

Cons
Reliability issues are a given with these high-priced exotic Italian cars.


Price
Base price for the 2013 Maserati Quattroporte starts in the vicinity of $130,000.

Exterior styling
The new longer Maserati Quattroporte is an evolved and modernized car over the previous model. From the famous, recognizable and now larger front grille, the car's muscular curves, sitting atop standard 19” wheels, now promise power to go along with Italian elegance.

The distinctive headlights are literally part of the front fenders that are also adorned by the famous three air vents located between the front door and wheel.

The rear end features LED taillights that are immediately noticeable as are the brushed steel trapezoidal tailpipes. The integrated rear spoiler adds a touch of aerodynamics to what is decidedly a beautiful car.

Inside
The cabin is slathered in the finest leathers. The lounge atmosphere that reigns inside the car is amplified by extreme luxury and soft surfaces. The interior is highly customizable through a number of different colour combinations.

As an exotic, the Quattroporte features every desirable option and piece of technology. The car's ergonomics are graceful and functional. The dashboard is highlighted by the Maserati Touch Control 8.4” display. The seats are supremely comfortable and rearseat legroom is limo-like.

Cargo capacity
The 2013 Maserati Quattroporte boot has a useable volume of 530 litres.

Powertrain
The Maserati Quattroporte S is powered by a twin-turbo 3.0L V6. It produces 410hp and 406 lb-ft (550 Nm) of torque. It reaches 100 km/h in 5.1 seconds. The S Q4, with AWD, shaves 0.2 seconds off that mark.

The Maserati Quattroporte GTS is powered by a twin-turbo 3.8L V8. This engine provides the car with 530hp and 524 lb-ft (710 Nm) of torque in overboost. The tonne is reached in 4.7 seconds.

Both engines are mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission.

Safety
All manners of airbags and electronic nannies are standard on the 2013 Maserati Quattroporte.

Comparables
Porsche Panamera, Audi A8, Jaguar XJ, Aston Martin Rapide

2013 Maserati Quattroporte (photo: Maserati)

August 28th, 1937, is the official date of the birth of the Toyota Motor Corporation, although the family company's origins go back to 1897, when Sakichi Toyoda started building his first mechanical knitting looms. These machines immediately gained worldwide notoriety.

Sakichi's son, Kiichiro Toyoda, obtained his father's permission to launch an automotive subsidiary in 1933. The Toyoda A1 was built in 1935, bearing striking similarities to the American products of the period. The successful G1 truck prototype, built that same year, was immediately put into mass production.

Toyota switched over to the Toyota name in 1936. Why? In Japanese Toyoda is comprised of 10 characters, while Toyota is only made up of 8, which happens to be a lucky number for the Japanese. The company's first logo was thus born. A year later, Kiichiro Toyoda launches the Toyota Motor Corporation.

The toll of WWII almost sank the company, but they managed to survive over the next few decades to become a formidable player in the automotive industry, as they have grown into the world's largest automotive manufacturer. Production, which was almost completely halted after the 2011 tsunami that hit Northeast Japan, topped the 9.75 million mark in 2012 (Toyota, Lexus, Hino, Daihatsu included).

A Guinness Record was set at the Sharjah Airport, in the United Arab Emirates, last August 22nd, as a Nissan Patrol pulled an airplane weighing 170.9 tons across a distance of 50 metres. The SUV was completely unmodified for the task. The preceding record consisted of a 155 ton Boeing 747 which was pulled by a Volkswagen Touareg.

The "Nissan Patrol Challenge", which was launched in 2012, asked participants to submit ideas as to how to use the SUV. Participants were eligible to win a trip to Japan. The Nissan Patrol is based on the Infiniti QX and is sold mainly in the Middle-East.

Photo: Nissan

He may be leaving Formula 1 at the end of the season to race for Porsche in endurance racing, but Mark Webber undoubtedly has had a disappointing season so far.

Last Sunday's Belgian Grand Prix started on a bad note when the clutch of his Red Bull RB9 did not work properly.

“For Mark, his clutch wasn't good in preparation going to the grid. We did our best to tidy it up but he conceded a place to (Nico) Rosberg off the start, and then to (Fernando) Alonso into Eau Rouge,” said team boss, Christian Horner.

“The two practice starts before the race were jot great, and so we were a bit worried about the clutch going to the start, which put us to the back foot. We tried our best, but lost a couple of rows off the line which is not good,” Mark Webber said.

“We particularly need to address the start issue with Mark (Webber), and have to get on top of that. It has cost us too many points so far,” Horner added.

Mark Webber, Red Bull RB9, in Spa-Francorchamps. (Photo: WRi2)