World’s Fastest Diesel Car

Trident, the British sports car brand, today announced the global availability of its flagship Iceni sports car, the worlds fastest & most fuel efficient diesel sports car. With a top speed in excess of over 190mph and the ability to run for 2000 miles on a single tank of mineral or bio-diesel, the Iceni uses torque multiplication technology to achieve this unique combination of speed, power & fuel efficiency.

Two new models to the Iceni range are also unveiled today, the Iceni Magna (fastback) & Iceni Venturer (estate). All three models boast the same impressive spec, each with its own distinctive design. In addition, the cars can store a minimum of two suitcases making a 2000-mile road trip a reality.

The British designed Trident sports cars boast a distinctive look, with clean curves and the unusual sculpted rear. The cars also incorporate over thirty-nine bespoke, designed & manufactured components, including independent control of each car seat and oculight roof.  In addition, every Iceni can be built to specific customer spec, ensuring a truly unique driving experience.

by Tosan - carliners

MASERATI GHIBLI debuts at Super Bowl XLVIII

Luxury automotive marque, Maserati, continues to celebrate the North American roll out of the all-new Ghibli with a 90-second broadcast spot titled “Strike” during the first quarter of America’s most anticipated football game.

Maserati enters this new era backed by strong product and with ambitious sales goals driven by proven growth in the North American market, where the brand experienced triple digit gains in the past year.  First unveiled to the U.S. in November at the Los Angeles Auto Show, the Ghibli is Maserati’s first-ever mid-size four-door luxury sports saloon vehicle.

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2014 Mercedes Benz C-Class

The new C-Class is set to be among the best-equipped cars in its class. Standard equipment fitted to every new C-Class will include an advanced and intuitive touchpad to control the entertainment functions via the centrally-mounted seven-inch colour display. Enhancing comfort, Artico upholstery will be fitted as standard along with two-zone air conditioning and a media interface located in the central storage between the

front seats.

Practical technologies are also fitted as standard - with a reversing camera, rain sensing wipers, Attention Assist, Speedtronic cruise control, heated windscreen wiper washers, a tyre pressure monitoring system and Collision Prevention Assist Plus all appearing on the new C-Class.

The comfort and safety systems are joined by the Agility Select system - a rocker switch allowing the driver to choose between Comfort, Eco, Sport, Sport+ and Individual modes (the latter allowing a bespoke setup) each affecting the vehicle’s behaviour. In Eco mode, for example, the car will be set-up to be as efficient as possible, lowering the shift point of the gear changes, softening the throttle response and even reducing power to the heated seats and rear window and the air conditioning system to focus on economy.

by Tosan Aduayi for Trendy Motoring.

Mercedes Benz G63 6x6

Six wheels constantly gripping top soil is guaranteed to create an adrenalin rush. Well, for $500,000, the limited edition G63 6x6 could be yours.

2014 BMW 4 Series Convertible

The second of BMW’s new 4 Series two-doors is a droptop. The sleek 2014 4 Series Convertible retains the folding hard top of its predecessor, but features many upgrades, including more standard features, which is unusual for BMW. The 4 Series Convertible, expected to arrive in showrooms early next year, replaces the 3 Series Convertible. It follows the German automaker’s new naming convention that uses even numbers for all BMWs with two doors and odd numbers for those with four doors.

The 2014 4 Series Convertible will come in two versions: the 428i, which has a turbocharged four-cylinder engine, and the 435i, which has a turbocharged six-cylinder engine. Both will have an eight-speed automatic as their only transmission. The lack of a manual transmission will upset purists who prefer it, especially on sporty cars like this BMW.

Rear-wheel drive is standard on both models. All-wheel drive is optional on the 428i. One big improvement is that the retractable hardtop, which folds into three sections and stows in the trunk, has more insulation than before to keep the cabin quieter. For example, it reduces wind noise by up to 2 decibels.

The 428i puts out 240 horsepower and goes from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 6.2 seconds. The 435i has 300 horsepower and sprints from 0 to 60 miles per hour in about 5.5 seconds. There are also Sport and Sport+ modes (the latter depending on trim level) to improve throttle and transmission response.

The 2014 4 Series Convertible goes on sale in the first quarter with a starting price of $49,675 for the 428i and $55,825 for the 435i. Both prices include a $925 destination charge.

A Carliners Report.

BMW i3 Electric

The BMW i3 isn't built like any other electric car. It's made of different stuff, and its layout is different. Everything about it has been considered and re-thought. Despite the fact it comes from an established car company, its whole approach and execution is amazingly fresh. And so driving it is a mind-cleansing experience too. While the Nissan Leaf or Tesla Model S or Vauxhall Ampera all look like modern conventional cars, the i3 is designed to reflect what's underneath. There's no attempt to hide the narrow, low-drag tyres, or the advanced aero. No attempt to hide the fact that it's high because the battery is under the floor, or that it's snub-nosed because the motor and gearbox are in the back.

Smoothly, at somewhere above 70-mph, the motor's acceleration begins to taper away compared with your expectations. This is a 170bhp car sub 60mph, but at bigger speed it isn't. That's precisely because it has just the one gear, and it's now revving beyond its power peak. Anyway, to prevent energy-sucking high speed running, it's limited to 93mph. But it's not a deal-breaker: you can move into the outside lane without it betraying you.

The acceleration is better than most e-cars because it's so light. BMW has been researching for a decade how to reduce the cost of carbonfibre. With the i3 it has got to the point of using an entire carbonfibre upper body cell, mounted on an aluminium chassis. This cuts the weight considerably. And lighter weight means it needs less battery for a competitive 90-mile range. Since batteries are expensive, the saving on battery pays for the carbonfibre. And a smaller battery is lighter too. Brilliant. We said this was built entirely differently from everyone else's electric cars. It weighs 1200kg, which is 350kg less than the Nissan Leaf, which gets by on just 109bhp. That's why the 170bhp BMW goes so well.

iDrive makes a standard appearance, in all its simplistic, functional glory. After sampling many competitive infotainment control systems, I’m left with a newfound appreciation of iDrive. You’ll find the drive mode selector button right beside your right thigh – I found this to be well positioned since you may reach for it quickly on occasion, and you may toggle it frequently.

 For example, when driving in Eco Pro+ I found myself in a traffic situation that called for quicker, more assertive maneuvers. Toggling to Comfort mode livens up the drive pedal (formerly known as the throttle pedal) and allows you to carve through traffic more effectively. A quick toggle of the same button has you back to electron salvaging in short order.

It should be mentioned that the front cup-holders are removable, allowing for a considerable amount of space between the driver and passenger foot-wells. An attaché case would easily fit, so if you’re carrying a full house and have run out of storage room, you could always make use of this space. The elimination of a drive tunnel (thanks to the mid-rear motor, rear-wheel drive design) makes this possible.

A battery of steering-wheel mounted controls also keep your eyes on the road. Voice activation also makes an appearance on the i3, though I didn’t test it (to busy fooling around with the other cool tech, and exercising my anterior neck muscles with the drive pedal). Final detail about the steering wheel: it feels good in your hands, is well sized given the car’s quick steering ratio, and is decorated with a ring of blue around its rim – a stylistic touch that reminds you of the electric horses pushing you along.

A Carliners Report.

Opel Monza Concept

GM's German subsidiary Opel has launched a stunning concept at this year’s Frankfurt auto show: the Monza. Of course, the Monza nameplate was a part of Opel’s lineup in the 1970s and ’80s, the last example of which was the GSE, which received then-futuristic digital instrumentation, setting somewhat of a precedent for this concept. 

With Buick and Opel's lineups often converging, the Monza has implications for GM's near-luxury brand as well. Dubbed "a role model for future Opel cars," the Monza concept resembles a shooting brake, and a relatively large one at that, measuring 184.6 inches long. It’s also especially low at 51.6 inches.

The four generous seats are positioned extremely low to the ground, 5.9 inches more so than in most of Opel’s other offerings, according to the brand. Access is gained via large gullwing doors similar to those on the 1967 Lamborghini Marzal concept. The Monza is setting the tone for future Opel vehicles.

Under the skin, there is an electric motor and a turbocharged 1.0-liter three-cylinder range extender powered by natural gas. Opel says the Monza Concept can be fitted with a wide range of powertrains. 

A Trendy Africa Motoring (Carliners) Report.