Upcoming Jaguar Roadster

With Jaguar coming into new ownership last year, many were concerned at the fate that awaited the supercar maker. But the new owners Tata Motors of India, has proven to be totally committed to the Jaguar brand. Ratan Tata has recently reiterated the vision of Tata for Jaguar and it is both attractive and reassuring. The global economic downturn has spread throughout the planet leaving everyone in a financial jumble in its wake. This has been quite difficult for the automotive industry in particular. Jaguar has not been exempt from all these, but it is planning nevertheless to come out of this crisis and that plan includes a focus on a new roadster that many are speculating will be designated as the XE. It was confirmed by Tata that the roadster is well on its way to its development and was actually in the early stages of design sing-off.

Tata recognizes the need to come up with something new and shiny, the rationale for focus on the roadster. However, there seems to be a conflict with the confirmation that the car in development is a roadster and the XE designation based on the 2001 R-Coupe concept. The 2000 F-type concept is a roadster, but it seems unlikely that the new car will be sharing any styling cues with it.

But whatever the design layout of the new model will come in, talks of a 5.0-liter V8 powerplant that can produce 385hp (287kW) in standard trim and 510hp (380kW) with a supercharger still brings into view remarkable performance regardless. However, even Tata's new 3.0-liter V6 diesel unit has enough potency to provide outstanding driving pleasure with 272hp (203kW) and 442lb-ft (600Nm) of torque which can beat the diesel Mercedes-Benz SLK.

Cayenne GTS Porsche Design Edition

Porsche is again expanding its successful range of SUVs with the new Cayenne GTS Porsche Design Edition 3, continuing the innovative design line first initiated by the Cayman S Porsche Edition 1 and the Boxster S Porsche Design Edition 2. The new limited edition comes with a Lava Grey Metallic paintwork, design stripes at the side and on the engine compartment lid, highlighting the exclusive origin of this very special Cayenne. The new design is completed by the 21-inch SportPlus alloy wheels, also finished in the special exterior color. The vehicle also features bi-xenon headlights as standard, dark privacy glazing at the rear of the B-pillar and the "Cayenne GTS" model designation in black with a red "S" at the rear. Inside we find exclusive black leather upholstery with red contrasting seams on the instrument panel and door sills, further enhancing the appealing looks of the 405-hp Cayenne GTS Porsche Design Edition 3.

The performance remains the same: 4.8-liter V8 engine developing 405 hp and 400 Nm (369 lb-ft) of torque, sprint to 100 km/h in just 6.5 seconds and a top speed of 251 km/h or 156 mph.

As you may know already, every Porsche Design Edition comes standard with unique Porsche Design accessories. In this case the vehicle comes with a Type P-6612 automatic chronograph, featuring a light titanium casing that measures 42 millimetres in diameter, further enhanced by a metal strap with DLC (diamond-like carbon) coating. Additionally, a four-piece luggage set bearing the Porsche Design Edition 3 label is available, with three assorted trolley cases, varying in size, as well as a functional briefcase.

The new Cayenne GTS Porsche Design Edition 3 will be available on the market by the end of May and the base price in the Euro area including the chronograph and the complete set of cases is €79,100, the retail price in Germany including 19 per cent value-added tax and national specifications is €94,344.

Nissan GT-R by Ventross

Ventross revealed last week its latest customization kit for the Nissan GT-R, featuring the same high quality aerodynamics engineering and construction expected from parent company Vorsteiner. The tuner created a new replacement front fascia featuring enlarged carbon fiber air intakes for the radiators, additional side louver openings and a front lip spoiler. The rear includes a new air diffuser redesigned to replace the factory plastic version with a more aggressive dry carbon fiber piece. The entire kit is constructed from dry carbon fiber using Vorsteiner's proprietary dry carbon fiber vacuum technology which maximizes strength while significantly reducing overall weight. The carbon fiber aero components for the Nissan GT-R hit the market on June 1st, 2009.

Porsche Panamera's Innovative Interior

Some details of the Porsche Panamera had been released last year, but now details of the new sedan's interior have also been made public. By September the sedan will be available for sale in Europe and they will come exclusively with a V8 engine. The four-seater Panamera has a unique center console that runs from the dashboard straight through the rear seats.

The interior comes with the most luxurious interior finishes available in a sports car. There are 13 trim combination options available for customers along with four-zone automatic air conditioning and seats that are power adaptable. For safety, the Porsche offers both driver and passenger airbags as well as curtain airbags, side and knee airbags and optional side airbags for the rear passengers.

The latest Porsche Panamera is the first in the brand to include a high-end audio system created in partnership with the German Burmester. The system comes with 16 audio speakers powered by 16 amp channels with in excess of 1,000W and a subwoofer of 300W. The Panamera S and 4S come with a 445-liter luggage compartment while the Turbo has 432 liters and space is increased to 1,250 liters when the rear seats are folded. As mentioned earlier, the Panamera will come with V8 engines with either FWD or AWD.

The entry-level Panamera S is propelled by a 4.8-liter V8 that generates 400hp (294kW). Energy is channeled to the rear wheels as an option via a seven-speed Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK) double-clutch gearbox by Porsche. The sprint rate for the Panamera is 5.4 seconds from 0-100km/h and maximum speed is 283km/h. With an AWD traction, the Panamera 4S can sprint from 0-100km/h in just 5.0 seconds. The top of the line Panamera Turbo comes with a bi-turbo 4.8-liter V8 with 500 hp (368kW) on tap. It can sprint from 0-100km/h in just 4.2 seconds with PDK and attain a maximum speed of 303km/h. All these versions are equipped with direct injection, low-friction drive systems and bodyshells that are lightweight. Furthermore, all PDK-equipped range models come with the new stop-start technology courtesy of Porsche.