Japan’s New Car Market hitting the Skids honda motor, toyota motor, nissan motor

Japan’s New Car Market hitting the Skids honda motor, toyota motor, nissan motor

The impact and aftermath of the Japanese earthquake on the US car market has been speculated about and analyzed pretty carefully in the past few days. As the second largest car market in the world, what happens in the US could have a significant impact on sales from Japan’s three largest car makers, Toyota Motor Corp. (NYSE: TM), Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (NYSE: HMC), and Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. (OTC: NSANY).

Sales in Japan accounted for 5.5 million units in 2010, with 19 of the top 20 selling models going to these three companies. What are the prospects for new car sales in Japan for 2011?

Production has stopped at many of Japan’s major manufacturers as the facilities are inspected for quake-related damage and electrical power shortages. But that’s not the big problem. The Japanese will sort this out in due time.

The big problem is buyers. Added to the cost of rebuilding the country’s shattered infrastructure, the threat of radioactive material spreading over the country will likely make potential buyers think twice or three times before heading out to browse auto showrooms.

The availability of credit for auto purchases could also be restricted as the country’s banks are called upon to help finance rebuilding efforts. Buying new cars on credit could simply get too expensive.

Many car makers are preparing to re-start operations as soon as next week, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal. Parts suppliers, too, need to get back into production quickly in order to supply parts for the just-in-time manufacturing processes that the auto makers rely on.

Having the auto makers and parts suppliers back on-line quickly will minimize lost sales around the globe. What impact it will have on domestic sales in Japan is much less problematic.

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Top 30 Ranking best selling cars japan 2011

Top 30 Ranking best selling cars japan 2011

Bad news keep coming from Japan. As predicted, the new car market plunged even further in April, down 51% year-on-year to 108,824 units, the lowest monthly volume since records started in January 1968. Toyota is hit hardest at -69%. More details here.

The models ranking is surprisingly stable amidst this chaos, with the Honda Fit reinforcing its leadership at 8,574 sales, down ‘only’ 30%, well ahead of the Toyota Prius at 4,876 units (-82%) and the Toyota Vitz at 4,644 (-49%). The Honda Freed (-38%) and Toyota Corolla (-57%) follow and are both up one spot.

Mitsubishi Delica D2

Only 4 models in the Top 30 are up year-on-year: the new gen Nissan March (+3%) and 3 Subarus: the Impreza (+13%), Legacy (+8%) and Forester (+38%). The Mitsubishi Delica D2, launched in February, breaks into the Top 30 for the first time at #27, and the Lexus CT200h is up to a best-ever 21st position.

Full Top 30 Ranking Table below.

Japan 2011:

Pos	Model	Apr	/10	Mar	2011	Pos	2010
1	Honda Fit	8,574	-30%	1	62,607	1	2
2	Toyota Prius	4,876	-82%	2	57,399	2	1
3	Toyota Vitz	4,644	-49%	3	46,061	3	3
4	Honda Freed	3,761	-38%	5	24,675	5	5
5	Toyota Corolla	3,268	-57%	6	22,060	6	4
6	Honda StepWGN	3,082	-58%	9	18,053	10	7
7	Nissan March	2,770	3%	7	17,408	11	17
8	Mazda Demio	2,591	-39%	8	18,565	8	11
9	Nissan Serena	2,349	-43%	4	25,167	4	8
10	Toyota Passo	2,319	-67%	10	18,321	9	6
11	Nissan Note	2,217	-41%	13	14,299	13	10
12	Suzuki Swift	1,933	-49%	15	10,480	20	20
13	Toyota Voxy	1,906	-65%	12	15,314	12	9
14	Suzuki Solio	1,810	new	17	13,509	14	-
15	Toyota Ractis	1,795	-43%	11	20,915	7	19
16	Nissan Cube	1,794	-39%	18	10,921	18	15
17	Toyota Wish	1,496	-56%	14	11,910	17	13
18	Nissan Tiida	1,414	-55%	24	7,998	25	18
19	Toyota Noah	1,361	-65%	16	12,078	16	14
20	Subaru Impreza	1,204	13%	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
21	Lexus CT200h	1,184	new	26	n/a	n/a	-
22	Nissan Juke	1,161	new	23	9,852	22	32
23	Honda Insight	1,099	-62%	n/a	n/a	n/a	23
24	Subaru Legacy	1,094	8%	29	6,629	28	29
25	Subaru Forester	946	38%	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
26	Toyota Estima	931	-68%	21	10,402	21	16
27	Mitsubishi Delica D2	927	new	n/a	n/a	n/a	-
28	Nissan X-Trail	910	-56%	22	8,538	23	24
29	Mazda Premacy	907	-20%	27	7,244	26	-
30	Toyota Crown	852	-75%	20	10,543	19	22

Source: JADA

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China passing to Japan as top luxury market in 2012

China passing to Japan as top luxury market in 2012

The survey ranks China second with a 27-percent market share of global consumption by the end of May, slightly lower than Japan's 29 percent, and higher than 14 percent for the United States and 18 percent for Europe.

China is expected to replace Japan as the world's top consumer of luxury goods by 2012 due to its growing demand and the declining consumption in Japan, the World Luxury Association (WLA) said Thursday.

The luxury goods sales value in the Chinese market, excluding private jets, yachts and luxury cars, will hit $14.6 billion in 2012,the WLA predicted in a survey released in Beijing. That would be an increase from $10.7 billion in a 13-month period from February 2010 to March this year, according to the WLA.

According to the survey, Chinese spent more on luxury goods overseas, such as the $50 billion worth of purchases of luxury goods solely in Europe last year.

"China has been rising with the fastest annual growth," said Michael Ouyang, the Chief of World Luxury Association China office.

The United States, Europe and Japan have scant room for further sales growth in the next one to three years, while more luxury brands will rush to tap the Chinese market, he said. Those companies that have opened stores in China's first-tier cities will embrace more opportunities in the second and their-tier cities, he added.

Luxury goods sales in Japan, the current top market, have been crippled by the devastating earthquake in March, which forced 49 percent of brand stores to halt business for one month after the disaster, according to the survey.

It expected the slump in sales will continue for a year, and 70 percent of brands will shift their commercial plans to China.

A stronger yuan and a weaker euro will also increase purchasing power of Chinese consumers, the survey said.

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Cristiano Ronaldo Totals His Ferrari hot news today

Cristiano Ronaldo Totals His Ferrari hot news today

Cristiano Ronaldo Manchester United superstar walked away from a serious crash Thursday morning that left his pristine Ferrari sports car mangled. According to reports Ronaldo was on his way to practice when he collided with a barrier in a tunnel near the Manchester Airport. Luckily no other cars were involved in the crash and Ronaldo, although a bit shaken, exited the car unharmed.

In an official statement a Manchester United spokesperson said, "He was involved in an incident this morning. No other cars were involved. He's fine and is training as normal with the team this morning."

It's still unknown what exactly caused the collision, but judging by the extent of damage to the car, high speeds definitely played a part. The Ferrari was totaled and eyewitness accounts say the car went straight into the wall.

Onlooker Jody Lomax told BBC News , "(Ronaldo) was obviously shaken, who wouldn't be? But it's a shame about the car as well."

It's always sad to see a $300,000 car go to waste. But Ronaldo is currently the most sought after footballer in the world, and on his salary, it won't be long until he finds another expensive car to crash.

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Best of 'Top Gear' Car Tests video

Best of 'Top Gear' Car Tests video

Below are some of the highlights of those tests. Enjoy! best video

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2012 All New Toyota Camry

2012 All New Toyota Camry

Toyota, the name that will be taken into account in the automotive industry, has become a torch bearer for the world all the major car manufacturers continue to improve the car by design and features as expected by the customer. It made its debut almost three decades ago and have been quite successful with a Toyota Motor Company. After the last reform of the Camry in 2007, Toyota is now giving a new lease for the design and features re-branding as the Toyota Camry in 2012 and will race with Honda Accord, Ford Fusion and Hyundai Sonata. Initially, and still continues, is designed as a 4 door compact sedan, will be launched in the right range of models from one of the basic premium for the XLE and everything will become very apparent after a review of the following cars.2012 Camry architecture will be based on the dimensions of the previous models with some minor changes. The new Camry is expected to roll out with a slightly larger wheelbase that facilitates a comfortable cabin area. Designed aerodynamic styling would include the low roofline and ground clearance rate will also decrease as a result will offer a convenient transit through the sedan along with a comfortable head room. This design offers a sleek look for vehicles make an appearance more courageous.

Under the aggressive front metallic sedan supported to produce 169 horsepower momentum. This is facilitated by the power pack of 2.5-liter displacement along with the four-cylinder 16 valve DOHC affiliated with and operate on the technology. Toyota will offer a 2012 Camry with the latest assembly of the 3.5-liter V6 engine that powered to generate momentum around 268 horsepower. Both mechanisms are believed to be engine mated to a six-speed manual transmission with the freedom to choose even a six-speed automatic transmission in accordance with the interests of automobile enthusiasts. The design of this machine to achieve smoothness with front-wheel drive system. 2.5-liter engine with a displacement offers the highest performance of 33 miles per gallon on city streets and 34 miles per gallon on the highway.

2012 Toyota Camry is offered with a variety of standard and optional innovative features. Optional features may be standard with some models trim, while the same can be optional for others. Standard features include power lock, power windows and power mirrors mounted in the rearview mirror. Dashboard offers a sophisticated look with the presence of tilt and telescopic steering wheel is loaded with audio system controls, USB connection to facilitate the functions of the iPod and MP3 player and Bluetooth connectivity which offers the luxury of communicating via telephone to keep your hands free. Driver's seat can be adjusted easily command over the sedan. In addition the rear seats feature a split function to provide extra comfort. An array of optional features including a key-less start a remote controlled, moon-roof or sunroof, navigation system with touch screen and features leather upholstery that gives a luxurious feel.

The 2012 Toyota Camry is believed to come up with innovative safety features such as overwrite technology. This technology works by cutting off fuel flow through the valve if the brake and acceleration applied at the same time. The addition of security features including cruise control, traction control and vehicle stability control is supported by the anti-skid system and anti-lock disc brakes offer over poor road grip. The new Camry will come up with the security of a unique star system from Toyota.

The elegant, sophisticated look for 2012 Camry is expected to come early next year, bringing the deal to beat rolling from $ 21,400 to $ 25,700. This innovative design with advanced style tradition of supporting the reputation of Toyota.

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2012 Toyota Prius v

2012 Toyota Prius v

The Prius v’s 134-horsepower (98 from the 1.8-liter gas engine) hybrid powertrain is unchanged from the regular Prius. A shorter final driver ratio (3.70 vs. 3.27) compensates for the larger car’s heftier curb weight (3,274 vs. 3,042 pounds), so acceleration is about the same. As in the regular Prius, the powertrain mode makes a big difference. Select “eco” and acceleration is couldn’t be more leisurely. Though accelerating very slowly feels surprisingly good in the Prius v because the powertrain in this mode is so smooth and so quiet, the drivers in your rearview mirror clearly find the experience much less relaxing. In the default mode, the powertrain feels substantially more responsive, and in “power” it feels almost quick. Work the powertrain hard, though, and it makes quite a bit more noise and has the unnatural, non-linear feel common with a CVT.

EPA ratings are much lower with the Prius v, 44/40 vs. 51/48. The differences compared to the regular Prius aren’t large—a little less slippery (the drag coefficient is 0.29 instead of 0.25), a little more frontal area, a little more weight, a shorter final drive ratio—but they apparently add up, at least within the EPA’s lab. Perhaps the Prius v wasn’t as thoroughly tweaked to gain a few tenths here and a few tenths there?

Suspension tweaks for the Prius v focused on ride quality, and the car does ride more smoothly and quietly than the regular Prius. Handling, not a Prius strongpoint to begin with, is a little less sharp but still more controlled than with the first- and second-generation Prii. Understeer and lean in hard turns are moderate. The tires rather than the suspension are very much the limiting factor. When they slide they do so progressively and without much audible fuss. Given its role as an efficient appliance, the Prius v handles well enough. Those seeking a more involving driving experience should check out the similarly functional, similarly efficient Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen TDI.

Since the Prius v shares its powertrain and many other parts beneath the skin with the regular Prius, reliability should be excellent. Prius owners participating in TrueDelta’s Car Reliability Survey have consistently reported very few repairs. Critics of the car have often stressed the danger of expensive battery pack failures, but these are hardly ever needed before 150,000 miles. A new battery pack runs about $2,500, but people have paid only a few hundred for packs out of wrecked cars with low miles.

Toyota hasn’t yet announced pricing for the Prius v, but suggests it will cost only be a little more than the regular Prius. The difference had better be $1,000 at most, for the Prius v doesn’t offer much more than the regular car. There’s significantly more cargo space, better outward visibility, and a less constricted driving position, but fuel economy takes a hit and the rear seat is surprisingly less comfortable. The Prius v doesn’t risk damaging the brand—it’s too similar to the regular Prius for this—but since the car is essentially a Prius wagon it’s hard to see why Toyota went through the trouble of developing an all-new exterior and interior. With a largely clean sheet and more inches to work with, why aren’t the exterior and interior more attractive, and why isn’t the rear seat much roomier? Unlike with the regular Prius, no one was swinging for the fences. The Prius v certainly isn’t a bad car, but it is nevertheless an opportunity squandered.

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2012 Acura TL

2012 Acura TL

Here’s a mind game I sometimes like to play: imagine your car was destroyed by some horrible accident while you were away (e.g., Godzilla was in the neighborhood). To your good fortune, your insurance company gave you a sufficient settlement to buy a brand new version of whatever it was you were driving. Would you consequently buy that brand new car, or something else with the same money?We’ve got a 2005 Acura TL, manual transmission + satnav, purchased new back in the day and currently with a modest 60K miles on the clock. It’s driven cross-country. It’s driven to the supermarket. It’s had parking lot abuse. It’s had toddler abuse. And it keeps on running. I had it in the shop recently for it’s “B2″ service (oil change, assorted air filters, and wipers: $230 — whee!) and to fix what turned out to be a busted power steering pump ($450 or thereabouts). Of note, the dealer gave me a chance to play my imagination game by loaning me a brand new 2012 Acura TL (automatic transmission, no satnav, no options at all). With one day of driving it around, here are my observations.

Several things have decidedly improved. The seats seem more comfortable and supportive, and the driver’s seat now includes a power lumbar bolster. The car suspension has radically improved (alternately, our 2005 TL’s has seriously degraded). On the cracked up, uneven streets around our house, the new TL is significantly more composed. You still feel the bumps, but you’re less worried that they’re going to destroy your car. It’s similarly better mannered on the freeway. This is a car you’d love to drive cross-country. Some of the smaller electronic gadgety bits have also improved. I’m happy to see a proper tire pressure monitoring system and an auxiliary music input for phones and whatnot. (I didn’t have time to see how well it does at integrating music from my Android phone via USB much less Bluetooth Audio, but the Bluetooth pairing process was painless enough and Bluetooth Audio (A2DP) is claimed to be supported, albeit with some debate as to how well.)

Like the 2005 Acura TL, several things are good, but still frustratingly not quite right. Freeway mileage is excellent and stop-and-go city mileage is an embarrassment; I clocked 31mpg highway and from 13-20mpg stop-and-go city — a marginal improvement on the freeway and a marginal downgrade in the city compared to what our 2005 TL gets.

The car has zillions of things you might like to configure, like what happens when you click the unlock button on your remote. Does it just unlock the driver door or the whole car? Many such settings are handled with the arrow buttons on the steering wheel and the tiny screen between the tach and speedo. That’s good. But, how about that giant selector knob with the huge screen above the center stack? It’s only good for changing the radio station and setting up the audio balance. Similarly, the Bluetooth pairing process can only be done via voice, which talks to you slowly. Very slowly.

With modern in-car networks, you’d think they could do everything on the big central screen, making it easier, providing more help with options, etc. Could they, should they centralize all these disparate systems, from no-doubt unrelated parts suppliers, to have a grand unified user interface? Could it be accomplished without reaching iDrive levels of incomprehensibility? For the 2005 TL, such thoughts would have been future fantastic. For the 2012 TL, such thoughts should be entirely achievable. Everything in the car is networked together. Make it so!

Frustratingly, several things have gotten decidedly worse. Foremost is the trunk. If you’re loading something heavy, you’ve now got a 10.5 inch lip to hoist your bags over, versus 7 inches in the 2005 TL.

Why? Similarly, if you’re going to the airport, one giant wheely bag will fit without issue, but two of them? Good luck with those bumps on the floor. You can’t blame AWD, since this particular car is FWD. So, again, why? Also from the Department of Fail, you’d think they’d test a family car with family accoutrements like a booster seat. I’ve included a photo of my daughter’s booster seat. You’re supposed to run the seatbelt under both armrests. See the belt latch? It’s way around the back. The old TL was better in this regard, but stil not great. Why not have more slack in the belt latch? (Credit where credit is due: they significantly improved access to the LATCH anchors for younger kids’ car seats.)Another concern is trying to park this thing into a tight space.

The car’s beltlines are higher up and the car feels enormous. It’s notably trickier to park and maneuver in tight environs. Does anybody test these things? I’ll also insert a gripe about the ventilated seats (not present on my loaner car). If I read the options list correctly, it’s not possible to get a manual transmission and ventilated seats, at any price. Really? Do Acura engineers like sitting in a car with Godzilla barbecuing their backside? Do customers who want manual transmissions always wear Nomex racing suits? Hop in my car after a day outside in the Houston summer…Cosmetically, I’m pretty happy with the new schnoz.

It won’t win any beauty contests, but at least it doesn’t cry out for you to put it out of its misery. Also in the cosmetic department, they’ve redone the dashboard and center stack. The gauges are bright and readable, as always. Somebody smart said they should get rid of the blue halos around the old gauges. Somebody less smart decided to add giant fake-chrome rings around them, in a perhaps-confused nod at a Porsche 911. Please revisit the clean, spartan gauges of the previous-generation Acura TSX. No really, please do.

Also, I’m baffled by the curvy/slashy lines inside the car. Has somebody been spending too much time looking at Frank Gehry buildings?So, if Godzilla paid an unfortunate visit to my car and I hit the insurance jackpot, would I buy the new TL? Sadly no. But what? Does anybody make a car with a manual transmission, rear wheel drive, decent tech and luxury features, decent mileage yet good performance, good styling, and high reliability ratings? At any price at all? Yeah, fantasies never quite work out, do they?

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Best Globe Selling Cars Around The Portal To All Of worlds

Best Globe Selling Cars Around The Portal To All Of worlds

Our whirlwind tour around the planet takes you to a new country every Saturday. We have explored 19 destinations so far, and they are all listed below.

If the country you are looking for is not here, my blog covers 155 countries so it should quench your thirst…

 

Nigeria: Nigerians take their eyes off Nollywood movies to buy Corollas by the truckload

Nigeria produces more movies than Hollywood and they feature the latest 4WDs from the US. Toyota holds one third of the market and should place the Corolla, Hilux and Camry on the podium.

 

Greece: Greeks fall back on small cars in troubled times

Car sales are in free fall in debt crisis-riddled Greece and small cars make the majority of the Top 10, with the Opel Corsa, Toyota Yaris, VW Polo and Ford Fiesta in the top spots.

 

Egypt: The Chinese have landed

Hyundai and Chevrolet dominate Egyptian car sales: the Hyundai Verna, Accent, Elantra and Chevrolet Lanos and Aveo are favorites. Chery builds cars in Cairo and rebrands them ‘Speranza’ exclusively for Egypt with great success.

Cuba: Hyundais are for the people, Geelys for the government

The Cuban car market is one of the most emblematic in the world and its structure is a fascinating testimony of the country’s last 60 years history: from vintage Americans to Ladas to Hyundais and Geelys…

 

Syria: A Korean car-becue…

Now the car expert that you are can show off while watching the news: “That’s a Kia Cerato Forte, right behind that cloud of teargas” – or a Hyundai Elantra, as these two models seem to be dominating car sales in Syria.

 

Pakistan: Consumers big fans of Toyota Corollas and all kinds of Suzukis

In the last 15 years, only the Toyota Corolla and the Suzuki Mehran have managed to top the monthly sales ranking. Now if you were thinking that all this time Suzuki had been hiding away in Pakistan, manufacturing a great car that no one knew about, you’re in for a bad surprise…

 

Albania: The richest country in the world?

Albania has probably the highest concentration of Mercedeses anywhere in the world, with 1 in 3 cars in circulation a Mercedes! The most common new cars are luxury SUVs like the Range Rover, BMW X5 or Porsche Cayenne. But how rich are they really, those Albanians?

 

Great Britain: Royals roll in Rollers, the subjects drive Fords

To celebrate the Kate and William’s Royal Wedding, we go to Britain and notice two things. One: the Royals are well equipped with Rolls Royces, Bentleys, Range Rovers, Jaguars, Aston Martins, carriages and horses. Two: the real people buy Ford Fiestas, and the best-selling car in Britain has been a Ford for the last 40 years.

 

Mexico: Nissan’s kingdom

Mexico is the country in the world where Nissan is the most successful. Not Japan. Not even an Asian country. And a 1991 model, the Nissan Tsuru, has been dominating Mexican sales for the last 6 years…

 

Ivory Coast: China settles in, the French on the way out

The evolution of the car market in Ivory Coast over the years is fascinating, and is marked by 3 distinct phases: 1. Peugeot king of the savannah, 2. Toyota and Asian 4WDs dominate, 3. China settles in and flogs their low-cost 4WDs…

 

India: It’s all about Bollywood and Maruti Suzukis

The Indian market is fascinating because: 1. Market growth is sustained and therefore a lot of models beat their volume records month after month, 2. The car landscape is totally unique with models designed specifically for India, like the Tata Nano and Toyota Etios, and 3. They mostly speak English, so we understand them (if they speak slowly).

 

Iran parties like it’s 1984

Unbeknownst to many, Iran is the biggest car market in the Middle-East with over 1 million cars made and sold each year. Cars produced and sold in Iran are a mix of obscure Iranian cars and very familiar European cars you probably didn’t associate with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s country because the manufacturers involved keep it pretty discreet…

 

Russia: 30 year old Lada remains Russia’s darling

Lada models still rule, 20 years after the end of the Communist era and the opening of the market to competition. The best-selling car in the country is the Lada 2105/2107, unchanged since 1979 and derived from the 1966 Fiat 124…

Yemen hearts Toyota Hilux

Yemen is very similar to a lot of its middle-east neighbors in the fact that Toyota has established a seemingly unassailable domination of the market. The valiant Toyota Hilux should be the best selling vehicle there, as it has a near bullet-proof base for a light (or even heavy) machine gun…

 

North Korea: You can have any car as long as it is a Pyeonghwa

The only car manufacturer in North Korea is Pyeonghwa Motors. It has the exclusive rights to car production, to new and used car sales in North Korea and is the only company in the country permitted to advertise. That should make the sales ranking pretty straight-forward… And straight-forward it is.

 

Spain: Consumers cling to national icon in troubled times

The Spanish car market was hit full frontal by the financial crisis and continues to fall in 2011, down 28 percent in February. In this context, the Spanish consumer has been buying national more and more, with the iconic Seat Ibiza the best-selling car in the country…

 

Brazil: The end of an era?

In February 2011, the Fiat novo Uno was the best selling car in Brazil, kicking the Volkswagen Gol into second place. In the last 15 years, this has happened only 4 times, and the previous times it was the Fiat Palio that managed that feat. The end of an era in Brazil?

 

Libya in love with Chevy

This is where I introduce my method for finding out which cars are the best-sellers in countries that don’t provide official data. One word: YouTube! Libya is easy because a few models keep popping up in the streets of Tripoli: the Chevrolet Optra, old gen Mitsubishi Lancer and Toyota Hilux.

 

Argentina goes car crazy

Never before had Argentineans bought that many cars, with the annual 2010 figure the highest ever in the country, and the 100,000 monthly sales mark passed for the very first time in January 2011. Argentina is the country where VW launched its first heavy-duty pick up, the Amarok…

Matt Gasnier, based in Sydney, Australia, runs a blog named Best Selling Cars, dedicated to counting cars all over the world.

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2012 Jaguar XF 30 percent To Increase UK Sales

2012 Jaguar XF 30 percent To Increase UK Sales

The Jaguar automaker has released new vehicle with price under £31k, this is 2012 Jaguar XF The new four-cylinder diesel facelifted Jaguar XF is expected to increase UK sales by 30 percent to 16,000 vehicles a year. The 2012 Jaguar XF entry price will be just under £31k. The new 2.2 i4D diesel will take the XF into the mainstream of the executive saloon market, an area that contributes up to 90 per cent of some competitors’ sales.

“We’re matching the powertrain to the market segments, which is not rocket science and will give us a strong sales lift,” said Jaguar boss Adrian Hallmark.Unveiled at the recent New York motor show, the revised 2012 Jaguar XF is a substantial facelift. All of the visual parts ahead of the A-pillar are new.“This is definitely the best facelift I’ve done at Jaguar,” said design chief Ian Callum. “These changes make the XF look a bit more serious.

Also on its way is a four-wheel-drive 2012 Jaguar XF, which will extend Jag’s market penetration in the snowbelt states of the US, which includes New York. Around three-quarters of executive saloon sales in the snowbelt are all-wheel drive.Jaguar recently confirmed a new model offensive, launching 40 new and revised models and powertrains by 2016.

“It is the most ambitious new product programme in the history of JLR,” said Jaguar Land Rover chief executive Ralf Speth. “We are spending billions of pounds in product innovation.” The board of JLR owner Tata Motors has “just” approved these plans, said Speth.Please Click image to image gallery of 2012 Jaguar XF.

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2012 Jaguar XKR Sporty Car Design

2012 Jaguar XKR Sporty Car Design 

The automaker announced Jaguar new model in 2012, this is 2012 Jaguar XKR.The 2012 Jaguar XK Jaguar was the first car completely developed under the auspices of the Director of Design Ian Callum. Dramatic and useful, yet so sensitive, and can only be a Jaguar, the XK is receiving a series of reviews to improve their contemporary, assertive. Jaguar sports cars have a reputation for blending athletic high-performance with effortless cruising comfort. Nothing exemplifies this dual character more clearly than the XK’s 5.0-litre AJ-V8 engine. The 2012 Jaguar XKR exhilarating driving dynamics are the result of the latest generation of Jaguar’s Adaptive Dynamics technology that provides a continuous and seamlessly variable damping strategy to negate the traditional trade-off between ride comfort and handling.

Perfomance of 2012 Jaguar XKR

The two supercharged variants of the 2012 Jaguar XKR also benefit from Jaguar’s Active Differential Control technology. This uses a multiplate clutch to vector torque to the driven wheel with the most grip. Allied to the ABS and stability control, this allows for the ultimate in traction and precision both mid-corner and at its exit. Non-supercharged models use a mechanical differential, which delivers outstanding levels of grip and stability under power.All models benefit from the Dynamic Stability Control system which offers four modes: normal, Winter, TracDSC and DSC Off, allowing the enthusiastic driver to choose the level of intervention dependent on road conditions.

The central seven-inch Touch-screen provides an intuitive interface for the extensive technology that is seamlessly incorporated into the XK, including iPod and USB connectivity and satellite navigation with DVD mapping. The central screen also projects the image from the new reverse parking camera.Please click image to image gallery of 2012 Jaguar XKR.

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Jaguar C-X75 Price Concept Range £700,000 – £900,000

Jaguar C-X75 Price Concept Range £700,000 – £900,000

The Jaguar company launch vehicle with hybrid supercar, it is Jaguar C-X75. The concept car’s turbine powertrain will give way to a more traditional hybrid setup, although Jaguar says that its parent company – India’s Tata – has taken a “significant” stake in Bladon Jets to develop micro-turbine technology as a “medium-term” aspiration. In other words, Jaguar is serious about turbine power for a future product.Instead, the production Jaguar C-X75 will use a small-capacity internal combustion engine that will work with four powerful electric motors mounted at each axle, thus providing the necessary all-wheel-drive traction and stability. EV-only range will top out at a reasonable 31 miles, but the real grunt will require the gas engine to kick over. Jaguar says to expect a sub-3 second 0-60 mph sprint before a 200 mph top speed.

Spesification of Jaguar C-X75

The Jaguar C-X75 drive from Zero-to-100 km/h in 3.4 seconds, zero-to-100 mph in 5.5 seconds, top speed of 205 mph, or 330 km/h, zero to top speed in just 15.7 seconds, completes a quarter mile in 10.3 seconds at 251 km/h, max power of 780 horsepower and 1,180 lb-ft of torque, aerodynamic signature rating of .32 (cd)

Jaguar C-X75 energy created by the turbines is then stored in the batteries, and from there meets the road via four independent electric motors. According to Jaguar, using individual motors at each wheel actually has benefits in terms of weight-saving and distribution, packaging and efficiency. Each motor weighs just 110 lbs but produces 195 horsepower (145kW) of power and an pavement-shredding combined total torque output of 1,18 0lb-ft.

Price of Jaguar C-X75

As for availability, Jaguar hasn’t specified a date, but it did suggest that the car will cost in the range of £700,000 – £900,000 ($1.15 to $1.48 million in 2011 U.S. dollars). The automaker is planning to produce just 250 examples. Please click image to image gallery of Jaguar C-X75.

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Jaguar XKR Price from £97,000 at 2012

Jaguar XKR Price from £97,000 at 2012

2012 Jaguar XKR.The Jaguar automaker has released new vechicle for XKR.Jaguar claims the more assertive styling (which encompasses changes made across the XK range) is dictated as much by function as form. The front and rear aerodynamic enhancements are apparently required to maintain contact with the ground at the XKR-S’s higher top speed: an electronically governed 186mph.

Top speed of new Jaguar XKR is 186mph from 0-62mph : 4.4se, fuel Economy: 23.0mpg (combined); CO2: 292g/km; Kerb weight: 1753kg; Engine: V8, 5000cc, supercharged. The new Jaguar XKR use Power: 542bhp at 6500rpm, torque: 502bhp at 3500rpm and with 6 speed automatic.

Changes to the chassis mirror those previewed on the limited-run Edition 75 and amount to 28 per cent stiffer spring rates over the standard XKR’s, a new aluminium steering knuckle, reprogrammed damper and differential controls, wider tyres and lighter wheels.

New Jaguar XKR (Perfomance)

The standard Jaguar XKR is hardly lacking propulsion, but the S is noticeably quicker again and freer revving at the top end. Partly this is because, subjectively, the S feels like it has a more aggressive throttle map – despite Jaguar’s claims to have softened it (across all XKs) for the 2012 model year. Either way, this is a car where you find yourself backing out of the throttle halfway down a straight in an effort to keep speeds broadly moral.

Amusing though the XKR-S is, there’s a nagging feeling that it is perhaps trying to be something it is not. For the drama and sheer performance, the XKR-S justifies its near-six-figure price but, in the final reckoning, it remains a large, relatively heavy GT. And as GT cars go, it’s difficult to argue against the Jaguar XKR, especially at a saving of £20k. Some even say the sweet spot in the XK range is the standard 5.0-litre model.

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2011 EUROPE GP: RACE IN HIGH RESOLUTION IMAGES, PART 1

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