BMW gets new design chief.

after the departure of the controversial design chief Chris bangle, BMW has appointed Karim Habib is set to take on the post of head of exterior design at BMW from March next year, replacing Anders Warming,who took over  from Chris bangle.

The 40-year-old designer already spent the first 10 years of his career working at BMW, during which time he was responsible for the current BMW 7 Series range and the BMW Concept CS. Habib now returns to the Group following an absence of two years.

On completing his studies in California, Karim Habib held various posts in interior and exterior design before being appointed as team leader of advance design for the BMW Group

Speaking about his new position, Habib exclaimed: "I'm really delighted about coming back to the BMW brand and being given the opportunity to help shape the future of BMW as part of an outstanding team."

Adrian van Hooydonk, director of BMW design said: "Karim Habib is an excellent designer who has already made a major contribution to the BMW design with the current BMW 7 Series. I look forward to resuming our collaboration."

Honda Civic Concept preview

Official design sketches of forthcoming products, and leaked by carmakers, are becoming all the rage these days and the latest one to surface previews a concept car that will be unveiled at the Detroit Motor Show in January next year.

In turn, the concept car will preview the next-generation Honda Civic, or at least the North American version, which usually gets slightly different styling to global versions. Look past all this confusion, however, and it looks clear that that the four-door sedan and two-door coupe variants of the next Civic will boast a far sportier appearance than the conservative current models.

The current Euro-designed five-door Civic hatch already has a radical appearance, but it remains to be seen whether this derivative will be styled closely to the sedan or go its own route again.

The ninth-generation Civic will start reaching showrooms abroad during the third quarter of next year and no information has yet been released about its technical make-up, although there are rumours that a dual-clutch gearbox is in the works for certain versions.

It's almost a sure bet though, that Honda's upcoming 1.6-litre turbo petrol engine, which produces up to 147kW, will find its way into hotter versions, while even the 119kW version of that aforementioned engine should make its way into higher-rung models.

a lesson for Kenya;South African Super roadblocks explained!

the festive season and you’re finally driving down that highway to the coast, trailer piled high, kids strapped in the back, “Are we there yet?” ringing in your ears… And then you see it looming ahead of you: a super roadblock.

Memories of speeding fines past come rushing up to meet you. Did you pay them all? What about those you didn’t know about? And your taxes!

Suddenly, images of overcrowded beaches are replaced with the thought of spending Christmas in a backwater prison, your children begging streetside to raise enough money for your bail.

But for all we’ve heard about these super roadblocks – national Police Commissioner General Bheki Cele said in Parliament that everyone from maintenance evaders to wanted fugitives would be nabbed – how much is just hype?

Let’s try and answer some of your questions here:

TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS:

We spoke to Ashref Ismail, senior manager of enforcement co-ordination at the Road Traffic Management Corporation, and Howard Dembovsky, chairman of Justice Project SA and expert on traffic offences.

1. The cops say they’re going to be looking at driver fitness. What does that mean?

Driver fitness means having the right licence for the right vehicle. And we’re not talking about a copy here – legally, you have to carry your original licence when driving or you will be fined.

The police will also be targeting drunk drivers. If you need to be reminded, the legal limit is one drink. If you get caught, it’s straight to jail. Do not pass go. Do not collect KSH2000. You’ll be taken to a testing centre where, within two hours, your will blood will be drawn or you’ll be given the Dräger test. And everybody should be wearing seatbelts.

2. What condition should my car be in?

Remember that pre-trip inspection you did for your driver’s test way back when? Same thing. You need working headlamps, brake lights and windscreen wipers. Your brakes, hooter and indicators have to work, and your tyres can’t be worn.

3. So I might just have a few unpaid fines to my name… do I have to worry?

Only if there’s a warrant of arrest out for you. Otherwise, all the cops can do is inform you of your fines and ask you to pay up, pretty please. There may be payment facilities right there at the roadblock, but nobody can force you to pay immediately.

4. And if there is a warrant?

If you’ve put off paying and ignored your court summons for so long that a warrant has been issued, all you can really do is ask to see the warrant for proof. Keep in mind that just a copy will do. The cops don’t need an original, nor do they have to prove that a summons was issued. However, they can’t detain you while looking for a copy.

If they choose to arrest you, they must take you to the specific place of detention mentioned on the warrant.

Best way out? Pay your fines before going on holiday.

5. Will I get into trouble for having drunk passengers in my car?

Technically, no. Only you have to be sober. But if your passengers are hampering your control of the car, they could be charged for obstructing your driving.

6. What if I’m taking my dog along?

There’s no law saying you can’t have a pet in the car with you, and you can’t exactly buckle a cat down, but make sure any animals riding along are safe, secure and not obstructing your driving.

If nature conservation officials are on the scene, they’re more likely to be looking for endangered species than to check if your budgie’s been immunised.

HOME AFFAIRS

We spoke to Madiri Matthews, chief director of the Home Affairs inspectorate, and Howard Dembovsky of Justice Project SA.

1. Do I have to carry my ID book or passport at all times?

No – those were called the pass laws, and we did away with them years ago. Still, with Home Affairs officials checking for illegal immigrants at these roadblocks, it wouldn’t hurt to have certified copies of an ID nearby.

2. What if the cops think I’m a foreigner and I don’t have identification on me?

If the police have reasonable suspicion that you’re an illegal immigrant, they can detain you for up to 48 hours. Technically, they’re supposed to be attempting to verify your status in the country during this time. But keep that “reasonable suspicion” in mind: they’re generally going to be looking at busloads coming over the border, not caravan-pulling family sedans.

3. Can they take my fingerprints at a roadblock?

If biometric fingerprinting facilities are available and you don’t have an ID book, yes, officials may ask to fingerprint you. But this isn’t the same thing as being fingerprinted by the cops for a crime; it’s just to verify details, so play nice.

4. Are the cops allowed to search me or my car?

The SAPS will be searching vehicles for weapons and drugs, as they are allowed to. But remember that only female officers can search women. Best to just co-operate and get it over with.

SARS AND COURTS

We spoke to attorney Anton Burger and Justice Project SA’s Dembovsky.

1. Can I be arrested if I haven’t paid maintenance or if I submitted my tax returns late?

Generally, you can’t just be arrested unless there’s a warrant against you or you’re committing a criminal offence. If anything, you’ll be informed that you have unpaid fees and taxes, and will be asked to settle them as soon as possible.

Nissan and Mitsubishi to share platforms to cut costs

perennial Japanese rivals Nissan Motor Co. and Mitsubishi Motors Corp. are apparently ready to expand their bond and develop upcoming platforms together as a way of cutting some of the production costs at their local plants.
According to Nikkie Business, the two companies are set to discuss future plans today in a news conference. These plans are said to include strengthening the ties between the companies as a way to combat the rising strength of the Yen, and as a way to keep local factories open.
Designing and developing cars together may seem like a bad idea but both companies are trying fulfill government pressure regarding keeping local jobs secure. The Japanese plants do not want to have to lay off employees, so instead, to reduce costs, the companies could spread their production costs even further.
According to reports, Nissan will provide more sedan platforms for Mitsubishi while Mitsubishi will provide more mini car platforms to Nissan. Other specific details are unknown at this stage as both companies are keeping their ideas tightly wrapped. A Mitsubishi Motors spokesman has said,We’ll be sure to update this topic once the two companies have had the meeting though, and hopefully we can reveal what models and what more aspects of the companies will be shared in the future.

Formula One to adopt four-cylinder engines in 2013

FIA has announced the introduction of Four-cylinder engines,to  be introduced into the Formula One World Championship from 2013.Following reports from early last week, the FIA’s World Motor Sport Council approved regulations that will see the current 2.4-litre V8 engines dropped at the end of the 2012 season.
According to the FIA, the new engines will reduce fuel consumption by 35 percent.Formula One has assured drivers and fans they will still enjoy the same level of performance from the new cars, with energy recovery and additional energy management systems to be utilised.

The four-cylinder engines will be limited to 12,000rpm, down from the current V8’s maximum of 18,000rpm.
The number of engines a driver can use will also be decreased, down from the current eight per season to five per season in 2013. This will be further reduced to four engines per driver per season in subsequent years.

Audi Le Mans racer revealed

After continued domination at the Le Mans 24 Hours (nine wins since its 1999 debut), Audi Motorsports have launched its all new racer the LMP1 race car.

For the first time since 1999, the Audi contender is a closed coupe. As Audi's head of motorsport, Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich, puts it: "In the future, aerodynamic efficiency will be even more important at Le Mans than it was in the past. A closed car has clear advantages in this respect. Our computer simulations have been confirmed in the wind tunnel and during initial track tests."

2011 also marks a significant, if perhaps less exciting, milestone for Le Mans as the organisers have prescribed the use of much smaller engines in an attempt to reduce engine power and enhance efficiency.

Audi's answer to that is a 3.7-litre V6 TDI engine in the R18, mated to a new six-speed transmission.

As for the chassis, unlike those of the closed Le Mans prototypes, the carbon fibre monocoque of the R18 does not consist of two halves but instead features a stiffer and lighter single-component design. When developing this closed car, Audi drew off both its own experience gained with the 1999 car and with sister-marque Bentley's LMP1 car of 2003.

According to Audi, the chassis and aerodynamics package contains a lot of know-how from the R8, the R10 TDI and the R15 TDI whereas the fitting of identically sized front and rear wheels is new to an Audi Le Mans sports car. This configuration allows a more balanced weight distribution.

Another technical highlight are the R18's headlights, which are the first to completely consist of LEDs with optimized amount of light. This lighting technology will eventually find its way one Audi's passenger cars.

Audi is planning to field three Audi R18 cars at Le Mans, which will be entered by Audi Sport Team Joest, the most successful Le Mans team of all time. In addition, Joest will contest the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup (seven endurance races on three continents, including the Le Mans 24 Hours) with two cars.

However, the team will still use two 'R15 plus plus' cars at the opening race at Sebring on 19 March, as they're worried the R18 won't be quite ready enough by this stage.

Team orders now allowed in F1

remember last year when the Ferrari race engineer told  Philippe Massa slow down and  to 'copy Alonso is faster?'Ferrari were finned a hefty sum for team orders and subsequently FIA banned teams from issuing orders. surprisingly FIA have stripped the regulation banning team orders from their rulebook following this year's controversy in Germany.

Ferrari were fined KSH 7 000 000 by race stewards at the German Grand Prix after being accused of implementing a team order.

Following coded messages over the team radio, Felipe Massa eventually ceded a potential victory to teammate Fernando Alonso, a move that sparked outrage at the time.

After meeting with the stewards, Ferrari were deemed in breach of article 39.1 of the FIA 2010 sporting regulations that states 'team orders which interfere with a race result are prohibited'.

But following yesterday's meeting of the World Motor Sport Council in Monaco, the body has confirmed the rule has now been “deleted”.

In a WMSC statement, it added: “Teams will be reminded any actions liable to bring the sport into disrepute are dealt with under article 151c of the International Sporting Code and any other relevant provisions.”

Article 151c is effectively the FIA's catch-all regulation that relates to 'any fraudulent conduct, or any act prejudicial to the interests of any competition or to the interests of motor sport generally'.

It was a rule that resulted in McLaren being fined almost KSH5.42 BILLION in 2007 over the 'spy-gate' saga.

The omission of the team orders regulation headlines a raft of other changes that have been made to the Sporting and Technical Regulations for 2011.

The WMSC has rubber-stamped amendments to the list of penalties stewards are permitted to apply, made revisions to driving and driver conduct, reintroduced intermediate tyres for 2011 and stipulated that gearboxes must be used for five consecutive races rather than the current four.

They have also introduced a regulation that allows race director Charlie Whiting to close the pit lane during a race for safety reasons, as well as providing a clarification on when cars can overtake the safety car.

Meanwhile, The FIA yesterday confirmed their intention for a greener Formula One with the introduction of radical new engine regulations from 2013.

Following dialogue with the four engine manufacturers - Ferrari, Renault, Mercedes and Cosworth - the powerplants will be 1.6-litre four-cylinder units with high-pressure fuel injection, and with a maximum 12 000rpm.

2013 BMW M3

word has it that the engineers at Munich are already designing and testing the 2013 BMW m3.the sports cars history will move on to its next chapter as BMW will be set to reveal the new generation M3. This time, the model will only be offered as a coupe and cabriolet - the sedan version will be dropped - and will feature a twin-turbo 3.0 liter straight-six engine for the first time. This engine will be bumping up the M3’s horsepower to 450.25 years ago on this day,BMW announced the most powerful 3-Series they have ever built. And in its 25 years of history, the M3 has seen four different generations and evolved from a 2.3 liter in-line-four cylinder engine with 200 HP to an impressive V8 hitting 420 HP. It may not be the best sports car out there, but it is surely one that combines most of the virtues required from a sports car: an extraordinary look, great performance, the best class handling, and a luxury interior in one package.cant wait!

Volvo-Geely mearger soldiers ahead

Geely has set up a committee to facilitate communications with Volvo in one of its first concrete steps at integration since Geely's parent bought the Swedish carmaker from Ford earlier this year.

Geely and Volvo will each send four people to the nine-member committee, chaired by Geely founder and chairman Li Shufu, a company statement said.

Members of the committee will meet twice a year to discuss a wide range of issues, including marketing, manufacturing and new product development.

Chairman Li welcomed the establishment of the dialogue and cooperation committee: "This forum echoes our strategy of 'Geely is Geely, Volvo is Volvo'. Discussion will be carried out on an equal footing, with an aim to make the best of Volvo's cutting-edge technology in safety and environmental care and Geely's insights for the China market and customers. I am confident in the synergy and a win-win result."

Volvo's Jacoby, a former top Volkswagen executive, said: "This mechanism will help us better envision our future in China and seize the momentum of fast expansion here. We want to enhance the competitiveness of our brand and market share here so as to grow China into the second home market for Volvo."

Beyonce buys hubby Jay-Z a Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport for his birthday

For a man who seems to have everything  going his way:money, fame, and a smoking hot wife  you would think that there’s no gift on the planet that can make a guy like Jay-Z jump in surprise.Actually, you’d be surprised how a $2 million super-car can elicit that very reaction from the hip-hop mogul.

 last year he bought his wife  an island for her birthday,and now his smoking wife has returned the favor by giving him the keys to a brand new Bugatti Veyron grand sport!The Veyron Grand Sport is powered by a 16.4-liter engine that produces 1,000 horsepower with a top speed of 405 Kph and a 0-60 mph time of just 2.7 seconds.

The new Veyron Grand Sport is just the latest in a line off exotics that will be finding its way into Jay-Zs garage, joining such exclusive super-car company as We'd like to think that someday, our better half would find a way to get us a Bugatti Veyron for our birthdays too. Oh, Jay-Z, aren't you just the luckiest man on the planet. The fact that you have one of the hottest women as your wife that just so happens to give you a Veyron Grand Sport for your birthday is the stuff that our dreams are made of

Volkswagen selects Porsche for future sports car platforms

Volkswagen has decided out of its adopted children, Porsche and Audi, which will be in charge of providing sports car platforms for all future models, including Audi, Lamborghini and Bentley.Volkswagen Group boss Martin Winterkorn has decided that Porsche would be best up to the task of developing chassis layouts, specifically for all upcoming sports cars under the Volkswagen Group umbrella
. Porsche will develop both front- and mid-engined designs, including the new Panamera ‘modular standard matrix’ platform that will be used on future Bentley models.

Not to be left out, Audi will be responsible for the basis of all sedans such as the Audi A4 and A5, as well as the Q5, with the ‘modular longitudinal matrix’. Volkswagen will stick to its guns and continue to develop the smaller cars in the VW Group showroom. This ‘modular transverse matrix’ platform will be the basis of all Audi A3 and Volkswagen Golf-derived vehicles.
All this task assigning business comes as the company strives to cut production costs by as much as 20 percent and engineering costs by as much as 30 percent in the future.

Mercedes-Benz share Renault-Nissan diesel engines.

yesterday,reports indicating the engine sharing alliance between Renault-Nissan and Mercedes Benz excited the motoring world,with reports that Mercedes Benz would power Nissan's Infiniti name plate with its powerful AMG engines.now Nissan-Renault is going to supply Mercedes Benz with its diesel engines.Autocar has revealed Mercedes will  receive the new 95kW 1.6-litre diesel engine developed by the Carlos Ghosn-led Alliance.
The new engine is expected to make its debut in the new A-Class and B-Class ranges from next year.
It is also understood the two groups are collaborating on a range of smaller three- and four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines for use across the Renault, Nissan, Mercedes-Benz and smart ranges.

Lotus and Renault join forces for 2011 F1 to form Lotus Renault GP.

Next years formula one championship is going to be exciting,as Renault has joined forces with racing legend LOTUS  to create the Lotus Renault GP team.The Lotus Group and Genii Capital have announced the creation of Lotus Renault GP, the successor to the Renault F1 Team that will compete in Formula One from next year.

Following the return of the Lotus name to Formula 1 in 2010, under licence from Group Lotus, this historic announcement marks the complete return of the Lotus manufacturer to the sport, with the full backing of its parent company Proton.

Group Lotus plc will become a major equity partner of Genii Capital in Lotus Renault GP, and the two parties have concluded a title sponsorship agreement that will run until the end of the 2017 season.he new partnership has been enabled by Renault selling its remaining shares in the team to Genii Capital. Group Lotus plc will subsequently become a major equity partner in Lotus Renault GP, which it will co-own with Genii Capital.

Renault will continue its strong support of the team with which it won the 2005 and 2006 world championships, as a supplier of engines and technological and engineering expertise.

Reflecting this technological support, Lotus Renault GP will continue to compete with the Renault chassis name and Renault will enjoy pre-eminent brand exposure on the livery.

For 2011, the Lotus Renault GP cars will race in a new interpretation of the iconic black and gold colours that were last used when Lotus and Renault joined forces in the 1980s.

This livery, which has been on the drawing board for over two months in order to reinterpret its iconic graphic signature to suit modern media requirements, is sure to strike a powerful chord with the sport's enthusiasts around the world.

The team achieved a fifth-place finish in the 2010 constructors' championship, which included three podium finishes for Robert Kubica. Next season, Lotus Renault GP is aiming to take another step forward which will see it competing regularly with the most prestigious names in F1

Piquet Jr wins 'crashgate' case against Renault.

Nelson Piquet Jr and his father are to receive substantial damages from Renault after winning their libel case in the High Court with regard to the 'crashgate' scandal.

The duo pursued legal action after Renault issued a statement in September of last year in which they claimed the Piquets had lied about the events surrounding the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix, further suggesting there had been an attempt to blackmail the team.

The statement was issued as Piquet Jr had suggested that, at the bequest of senior Renault personnel, he deliberately crashed his car to help then teammate Fernando Alonso win that race.

At an extraordinary meeting of the World Motor Sport Council that followed, Renault were given a two-year suspended ban from F1 due to the “unparalleled severity” of the case.

That judgment allowed the Piquets to pursue Renault through the courts, resulting in yesterday's verdict.

The Piquets' lawyer Dominic Crossley said: “This marks the start rather than the end of the long journey they are both taking to correct many of the wrongs that took place during last year's 'crashgate' scandal.

“They were both treated appallingly by Renault F1 when they dared to reveal the scandal to the governing body, and Nelsinho was abused terribly throughout his absurdly short career in F1.

“It is to the immense credit of both my clients that they have refused to be deterred from righting the wrongs despite the ferocity of the attacks and the size of the opponents they have had to confront.”

In response, Renault said: “We would like to apologise unreservedly to Mr Piquet Junior and his father for the distress and embarrassment caused as a result.

Hyundai set to rival BMW.

It is no secret that Hyundai is really going places on the global sales charts, in Europe it has overtaken Toyota in total vehicle sales this year.the Korean car giant having pretty much proven that it can now make products that compete with the mainstream and more.

raised with this positive results,the top executives at Hyundai have endorsed a serious ambition strategy to make Hyundai a brand  to rival the very best. According to the Wall Street Journal, Hyundai is considering turning its Genesis nameplate into a fully-fledged sub-brand that will compete with Lexus and other premium badges.

Diving into these murky waters, it would naturaly  have to counter BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi as well as Nissan's Infiniti division and Honda's Acura sub-brand.

Hyundai already has a solid foundation to work with,  two rear-wheel drive sedans in the form of the 5 Series-sized Genesis and 7 Series-sized Equus, and the smaller Genesis coupe.

Hyundai's premium plans would stretch further than that, according to the carmaker. A BMW 3 Series rival would also be on the cards, as well as a crossover SUV to compete with the Lexus RX range.

However, Hyundai is currently considering three different options as far as its premium offerings go.all i can say is good luck to them!coz they will need it!

2012 MERCEDES BENZ SLK SPOTTED IN ACCIDENTAL YOU TUBE POST

Next year's Mercedes-Benz SLK was revealed in all its glory, albeit by accident, when a video advertisement for the car was posted on You Tube recently. While the video was swiftly removed, screen grabs like the ones you see here had made their way onto the internet by then.

If you'll excuse the hazy screen shots then, the basic front and rear styling of the SLK is clearly visible, with the large-grille front end clearly inspired by the SLS and the tail something of an evolution of the current SLK.

Mercedes-Benz has already revealed that the next SLK will boast an innovative new 'Magic Sky Control' glass roof that can be made transparent or darkened at the touch of a button. This optional system aims to offer brighter winter days and greater sun protection in winter.

According to the German automaker, the system is based on the physics of a plate condenser: if the glass is subjected to an electrical voltage, particles position themselves so that light is able to pass through the glass.

If the voltage remains switched off, the particles position themselves randomly which blocks the light, and the glass remains dark.

Not much other official information has been made available at this stage, although it's almost certain that the new SLK will be slightly bigger and that the range will largely mirror that of the current car.

Kia Optima and Kia Sportage win the prestigious iF Design Awards

For those who haven’t heard of the iF Awards, they originated from a German product show or trade show in Hanover called the ‘Die gute Industrieform’, or ‘Good Industrial Design’. This show has since grown into one of the world’s largest design award competitions, for Kia to pick up the ‘Transportation Design’ award for both cars, it proves the company is well and truly up there with the biggest and best.
 The new Kia Optima in particular is a great looking car. It was designed by Peter Schreyer  the former design chief from Volkswagen and Audi (the guy behind the first Audi TT concept) – and its  a looker and as modern as any other medium sedan out there.The new Kia Sportage is also a sophisticated yet crisp design, featuring much of the same design language as the Optima. With its ‘drooped’ headlight and grille layout, low and wide spotlight-integrated mouth and the bulged, almost pumped guards with sheered-off edges, the Sportage was also given the ‘Transport Design’ award by the prestigious ceremony.

The 2010 Top Gear Awards

the boys at top gear have finally announced the winners 2010 top gear awards.despite bieng all fun and pushing sarcasm to the next level on camera,the trio of Jeremy Clarkson, James May, and Richard Hammond may be all fun and jokes in front of the camera, they share a unique similarity: they know everything and anything there is to know about cars.

when they employ pun and banter to bash or praise a car,their opinions carry more oomph than the average joe because they’ve done their homework through countless hours of testing, free drives, and taped segments on the show. And now that we’re nearing the end of an amazingly eventful year, the trio have decided to finally release their choice of vehicles that will be included in the 11th Top Gear Awards.

With categories ranging from Hypercar of the Year, Grand Tourer of the Year, Coupe of the Year, and even Engine of the Year, the three hosts took everything they’ve seen, heard, and driven in 2010 to come up with a winner for each respective category.

In addition to these categories, Clarkson, May, and Hammond also picked their favorite cars of the year regardless of make, model, and type. interested?find out bellow the cars they chose for the class of 2010.

grand tourer of the year: Bentley continental GT

 Richard Hammond's favorite car of the year:PORSHE GT2 RS

 best hot hatch:GOLF TYPE R

 luxury car of the year: JAGUAR XJ

 small car of the year: CITROEN DS3

 family car of the year:BMW 530D TOURING

 james may's car of the year:BUGATTI VEYRON SUPERSPORTS

 best coupe of the year:PEUGEOT RCZ

 Jeremy Clarkson's car of the year:PAGANI ZONDA R

 best cabriolet of the year:MASERATI GRANCABRIO

 hyper-car of the year:KOENIGSEGG AGERA

 engine of the year :FIAT TWIN AIR