new car information: 11/13/09

Friday, November 13, 2009

Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Available for Order in Germany, Priced from €177,319

Starting from Monday, 16 November 2009, Mercedes-Benz outlets as well as the brand's sales partners in Germany will begin taking orders for the new SLS AMG. The sales price for the 571HP supercar with the characteristic gullwing doors in its home market is €177,310 (including 19 per cent VAT), which comes to about US $264,000 at today's exchange rates.

"Following a high-profile world premiere at the IAA, we are very excited about the SLS AMG's commercial release on Monday. There is huge interest in our new super sports car and we are convinced that the SLS AMG will captivate our customers," said Volker Mornhinweg, Chairman of the Management Board at Mercedes-AMG GmbH.

SLS AMG buyers may also choose from a variety of options including special paint finishes, carbon fiber trims and ceramic brakes. You can check out some of the main options in the list below.

Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Optional Equipment

AMG ceramic composite high-performance braking system: €9500 net / €11,305 gross

AMG performance suspension with a stiffer setup for optimum lateral dynamics: €1200 net / €1428 gross

AMG light-alloy wheels in a 5-twin-spoke design, size 9.5 x 19 inches (front) and 11.0 x 20 inches (rear), tyre sizes 265/35 R 19 (front) and 295/30 R 20 (rear): €950 net / €1130.50 gross

AMG forged wheels in a 10-spoke design, size 9.5 x 19 inches (front) and 11.0 x 20 inches (rear), with tyre size 265/35 R 19 (front) and 295/30 R 20 (rear): €2000 net / €2380 gross

AMG performance steering wheel in leather/Alcantara: €400 net / €476 gross

AMG sports bucket seats: €3300 net / €3927 gross

AMG carbon-fibre engine compartment cover: €4000 net / €4760 gross

"AMG alubeam silver" paint finish: €10,000 net / €11,900 gross

"AMG monza grey magno" paint finish: €3250 net / €3867.50 gross

AMG carbon-fibre trim (front stowage tray and rear stowage compartment including lid, AMG DRIVE UNIT surround, surrounds for the centre console, shiftgate and rear, trim strips for centre console and door armrests): €3500 net / €4165 gross

AMG interior carbon package (carbon-fibre trim, trim on seat backrests and sides, door sill panels): €3500 net / €4165 gross

leather nappa exclusive single-/two-tone: €2500 net / €2975 gross

Memory package with electric seat and steering column adjustment, as well as four-way lumbar support: €1225 net / €1457.75 gross

6-disc DVD changer: €660 net / €785.40 gross

Bang & Olufsen BeoSound AMG surround sound system: €5900 net / €7021 gross

Peugeot Begins Accepting Pre-Orders for All-Electric i0n Mini

Even though we're still a full year away from the European market launch of the iOn, Peugeot has already started to take pre-reservations for the all-electric car in the UK. Revealed at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, the i0n is actually a rebadged Mitsubishi i-MiEV. As part of the PSA Peugeot-Citroen and Mitsubishi deal, Citroen will also launch its own version of the i-MiEV called the C-Zero.

With four doors and four seats, and a compact length of 3.48 m, the i0n is powered by a 64bhp electric motor that allows it to reach a top speed of 80mph or 129 km/h.

The small city car has a driving range of 80 miles (129 km) on a single charge of its lithium-ion batteries which can be recharged in six hours through a conventional mains power supply or recharged to 80% capacity within thirty minutes with a fast charging system.

Peugeot has not disclosed prices for the i0n. However, we do know that in Japan, the Mitsubishi i-MiEV is priced from 4,599,000 Yen (that's €34,500 or $51,300 at today's exchange rates), which is more than twice the cost of a Toyota Prius.

Renault to Produce Electric Fluence Sedan at Bursa Plant in Turkey from 2011

Having already confirmed the production versions of the Twizy and Zoe Z.E. electric concept cars, Renault today announced that the third member of its new family of EVs, the all-electric Fluence sedan, which was also presented at the Frankfurt Motor Show this past September, will be manufactured at the OYAK-Renault Bursa plant in Turkey. The French automaker said that it plans to launch the Fluence EV first in Israel and Denmark, followed by other countries, from the first half of 2011.

Evidently, the electric saloon will be based on the recently launched Fluence sedan, but it is unclear if Renault will spice up the looks of the car in the same way it did with the Frankfurt Show concept model.

Renault said that owners of the electric Fluence will have three battery charge options: standard charge, rapid charge and a 'QuickDrop' battery exchange that allows that removal and replacement of the batteries in a mere three minutes.

We don't have any details on the vehicle's specs yet, but it is safe to assume that the production model will be powered by the same 95HP electric motor found in the concept car.

Ford to Reveal Brand-New Police Interceptor in 2010 to Replace the Crown Victoria

Being the nation's largest provider of police and municipal vehicles with around 45,000 police cars sales every year, Ford wasn't about to let General Motors and its new 2011 Chevy Caprice patrol vehicle to get a piece of the pie without a fight. Today, the Blue Oval company announced that it will introduce an all-new, purpose built Police Interceptor specially designed and engineered to replace the current Ford Crown Victoria law enforcement vehicle lineup from 2011.

We don't have any pictures of the car (the vehicle featured here is a Carscoop photoshop based on Ford's 2006 Interceptor Concept) nor on which model it will be based, but the Detroit automaker said that the new Police Interceptor is being developed in conjunction with Ford's Police Advisory Board, which provided input during the past 14 months on key vehicle attributes, such as safety, performance, durability, driver convenience and comfort.

"We have heard the repeated requests from the law enforcement community to continue uninterrupted support of the law enforcement community," said Mark Fields, Ford's president of The Americas. "Ford is answering the call with the new Police Interceptor – engineered and built in America."

Ford said that it plans to reveal the new Interceptor and provide full vehicle specifications sometime during the first quarter of 2010.

BMW 335i Convertible Receives a Power-Boost from ATT TEC

German tuning shop ATT TEC is trying to further close the performance gap between the BMW 335i and M3 Convertibles with the release of a new sport package that includes two stages of power upgrades. ATT TEC's basic kit, which is priced at €2,355, takes the 335i's standard 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged straight six from 306 HP and 400 Nm of torque to 345 HP and 481 Nm.

For €4,130, ATT TEC will boost the engine's output to 362 HP and 536 Nm while the new exhaust system that's included in this package will inform your friends of the changes under the hood.

The performance package is complemented by M3-style front fenders (€1,843 unpainted or €2,440 in your car's body color) and a set of 20-inch multi spoke alloy wheels wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport tires size 245/30 ZR20 up front and 285/25 ZR30 at the rear (€3,475).