New Citroën C4 Breaks Cover: First Official Pictures of Focus Fighter

Citroën just couldn't wait until this fall's Paris Salon to show us the all-new C4 five-door hatchback as the French automaker decided to release the first official photos of its C-segment model. As with the current C4, the new compact hatch will take on the likes of the VW Golf, Renault Megane, Ford Focus, Opel Astra and Toyota Auris.

If you're thinking it looks familiar in a conservative kind of way, you're probably right as the 2011 C4 is the five-door version of Citroën's near-production DS High Rider concept that was first shown at this year's Geneva Salon.

Even though the new C4 shares the same front end styling with the three-door DS High Rider, which is expected to enter production almost unchanged as the DS4 next year, the two variants differ in design from the A-Column and back.

For better or for worse, the new C4's design is more conservative (or, if you prefer, mainstream) than the current model.

Inside, there are no surprises as the C4's dashboard is shared with the DS High Rider that will essentially replace the current C4 Coupe. The design and styling is now more close to that of the larger C5.

There are plenty of notable changes over the outgoing C4 including the elimination of the fixed steering wheel hub as well as the centrally mounted LCD instrument panel while Citroën claims it will offer several personalization options.

Citroën's new compact model has grown in dimensions and now measures 4,330mm in length (+55mm), 1,790m in width (+17mm) and 1,490mm in height (+32mm). According to the French, the new model offers a boot capacity of 408 liters, or 82 liters more than the current C4.

The French automaker has not yet released details on the powertrain options, but aside from a similar mix of diesel and naturally aspirated / turbocharged petrol units found on the current C4, European buyers should also expect the first application of the PSA Citroen - Peugeot group's diesel-electric hybrid system.

The new C4 is expected to go on sale in most European countries after this fall's Paris Motor Show.

http://carscoopcar.blogspot.com/2010/05/new-citroen-c4-breaks-cover-first.html?m=0

Yabba Dabba Doo Porsche 911 GT3 RS: Pedal-Powered Sports Machine Made from Cardboard and Aluminum Foil

This here is the Ferdinand 911 GT3 RS - without doubt, the most technologically advanced and at the same time environmentally-friendly and fuel efficient Porsche model ever to see the light of day.

It uses a high tech chassis bonded together with a special adhesive tape coated in polyethylene while the body is finger-made from exotic lightweight materials such as thin sheets of paperboard covered in a space-age aluminum foil that serves various purposes.

In this case, power is provided by a left-to-mid-mounted human-boxer unit capable of delivering a yawn-inspiring 1 fhp (foot horsepower) when fully fed, relaxed and emotionally happy.

Unfortunately, being green comes at a price that some Porsche-philes may not be willing to pay: the Ferdinard 911 GT3 RS is also the slowest Porsche ever to set foot on earth.

Nevertheless, we suggest you watch the frisky journalist / powerplant with the awesome hood-piece taking the conceptual Porsche for a snail-spin around the Salzburgring circuit in the video below.

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http://carscoopcar.blogspot.com/2010/05/yabba-dabba-doo-porsche-911-gt3-rs.html?m=0

Audi's Über Cool Soccer Table Enters Production, on Sale for €12,900 / US$15,900

Remember that awesome -conceptual then- soccer table from Audi's design team that we showed you back in the summer of 2008? Well, almost two years later and Audi has taken the decision to produce the soccer table in a limited series of hand-made models.

Featuring typical Audi design traits and materials such the aluminum casing, the soccer table is said to meet "the high standards demanded in professional tournaments." Only 20 of these football tables will be built initially by Leonhart, a Bavarian company that has specialized in table soccer games since 1949.

Each [hand-made] game table is priced at a hefty €12,900, which comes to around US$15,900 at the current exchange rates.

Here's what Audi's Design boss and the Chairman of the Bavarian Table Soccer Association had to say about Ingolstadt's creation:

Wolfgang Egger, Head of Audi Group Design:

"It's a attractive task to transfer our cars' design language to other day-to-day articles, and the results are often surprising! The Audi Design soccer table features large-area, flowing surfaces and sharp, clearly defined lines. The brushed aluminum frame creates an exciting contrast to the white body. Our design team looks forward to displaying one of these tables at our Concept Design studio in Munich."

Thomas Przesdzink, German table soccer champion and Chairman of the Bavarian Table Soccer Association:

"It looks just great. That tells us nothing about how it performs, but here too I was pleasantly surprised: this is a very good table. From a sporting point of view, it could certainly be used for an official tournament series."

http://carscoopcar.blogspot.com/2010/05/audi-uber-cool-soccer-table-enters.html?m=0

Seat Announces Sporty Looking Ibiza SC Sport Limited Edition

Seat has announced the availability of a new special edition version of its three-door Ibiza SC (Sports Coupe) for the German market. The Ibiza SC Sport Limited comes in a Lamborghini-like "Lumina Orange" finish and only with the not-so sporty 105HP 1.6-liter petrol engine. The production run will be limited to 300 cars.

The specialness of the car comes from an extra equipment package that adds value via numerous features.

On the outside, the Ibiza SC Sport Limited is distinguished by the 17-inch alloy wheels finished in black and shod in beefier sport tires, an aerodynamic kit with a new front bumper, side skirts, roof spoiler and a unique rear bumper housing faux air vents on both corners, a diffuser and two tail pipes mounted centrally.

In addition, the car's rooftop and exterior mirrors are finished in black.

The two-tone color theme is continued inside as the air-vent rings, gearbox knob, door panel trims as well as the seams on the thick-rimmed steering wheel and sport seats are all finished in orange. The aluminum pedal set and additional standard features such as rain sensors and park assist system complete the package.

The new Ibiza SC Sport Limited is priced at €20,620 or at today's exchange rates, about US$25,500 (including taxes).

http://carscoopcar.blogspot.com/2010/05/seat-announces-sporty-looking-ibiza-sc.html?m=0

SPIED: 2011 BMW M5 Super Saloon Sheds More Camouflage

Now that there's less reason for secrecy since we've already seen the standard versions of the new F10 5-Series on the road, BMW has started peeling off the psychedelic camouflage from its 2011 M5 prototypes.

Key stylistic highlights of the new M5's look will include the four tailpipes, chunkier front and rear bumper designs, unique exterior mirrors and alloy wheels while there's also talk about a carbon fiber roof and bootlid which should also help reduce weight.

As we've already told you in earlier posts, BMW's new uper saloon will be the first M5 to adopt turbocharging with power coming from a reworked version of the X5 M and X6 M's 4.4-liter bi-turbo V8 that replaces the current model's V10 unit.

Details of the new engine remain secret but it is believed that in the M5, the V8 engine will produce more than the 555HP and 680Nm or 501-lbs/ft of peak torque it does on the X5 M and X6 M, flirting closer to the 600HP mark.

The new unit will not only be more powerful and lighter than the outgoing V10, but also more efficient. Fuel consumption and CO2 emissions will be further reduced thanks to a suite of BMW EfficientDynamics technologies including a start and stop system, electronic flaps in the front fascia of the car that can close to improve aerodynamics, Brake Energy Regeneration and Electric Power Steering.

Along with the new V8 powerplant, the F10 M5 will get a re-engineered version of the BWM M3's seven-speed twin-clutch transmission (DCT), and hopefully for purists, a 6-speed manual gearbox (this has not yet been confirmed).

Like today's model, the new M5 will also benefit from suspension, brake and steering system upgrades to further improve handling and driver's feedback.

We could see the M5 in the flesh as early as this fall at the Paris Motor Show, though it's more likely to be unveiled at a major international car show in 2011 with sales to start towards the end of the same year.

http://carscoopcar.blogspot.com/2010/05/spied-2011-bmw-m5-super-saloon-sheds.html?m=0