Greats Modern Design Infiniti Essence Concept Car

Luxury Design Infiniti Essence Concept Car

Infiniti Essence is a concept which designed to celebrates 20 year existence of the brand. Infiniti Essence concept has been premiered in Geneva Motor Show and features rear-wheel drive coupe, two-seater, and a front engine.

Beauty Design Infiniti Essence Concept Car Auto Car

While powered by a hybrid system, Infiniti Essence concept may develops 600PS (592bhp). Infiniti Essence also features 3.7-litre V6 gasoline engine that develops 440PS (434bhp) as it has been fitted with twin turbochargers.

Cool Design Infiniti Essence Concept Car in Front

Amazing Modern Design Infiniti Essence Concept Car in Back Body

Nice Design Design Infiniti Essence Concept Car

Modern Design Design Infiniti Essence Concept Car in Beside

New Modern Design Design Infiniti Essence Concept Car

Infiniti Essence also showcases a new type of electric motor, called a 3D Motor, that takes the power output up by 160PS (158bhp). The electric motor is particularly slim, disc-shaped and offers twice the torque of a conventional unit.

Greats Modern Design Infiniti Essence Concept Car

Luxury Design Infiniti Essence Concept Car

Infiniti Essence is a concept which designed to celebrates 20 year existence of the brand. Infiniti Essence concept has been premiered in Geneva Motor Show and features rear-wheel drive coupe, two-seater, and a front engine.

Beauty Design Infiniti Essence Concept Car Auto Car

While powered by a hybrid system, Infiniti Essence concept may develops 600PS (592bhp). Infiniti Essence also features 3.7-litre V6 gasoline engine that develops 440PS (434bhp) as it has been fitted with twin turbochargers.

Cool Design Infiniti Essence Concept Car in Front

Amazing Modern Design Infiniti Essence Concept Car in Back Body

Nice Design Design Infiniti Essence Concept Car

Modern Design Design Infiniti Essence Concept Car in Beside

New Modern Design Design Infiniti Essence Concept Car

Infiniti Essence also showcases a new type of electric motor, called a 3D Motor, that takes the power output up by 160PS (158bhp). The electric motor is particularly slim, disc-shaped and offers twice the torque of a conventional unit.

SPYKER PROVIDES FURTHER DETAILS ON SAAB ACQUISITION

ZEEWOLDE, The Netherlands (1 February, 2010) - In advance of the General Meeting of Spyker shareholders, to be held on 12 February 2010, and which was convened on 28 January 2010, Spyker Cars N.V. ("Spyker") provides further strategic and financial details regarding its acquisition of Saab Automobile AB ("Saab").


ACQUISITION RATIONALE AND SAAB BUSINESS PLAN

Spyker believes that through the purchase of Saab it has a rare opportunity to acquire and rebuild a global car brand which will be repositioned towards an independent performance-oriented niche car company with an industry-leading environmental strategy. Saab's brand DNA is unique and rooted in its aeronautical heritage, innovative and independent thinking and its Swedish origins. Spyker fully supports Saab's Business Plan which will be implemented by Saab management. The Business Plan, drawn up by Saab management over the past ten months, was analysed by Spyker in assistance with Booz & Co and KPMG Transaction Services, advisors to Spyker. The Business Plan has also been analysed and supported by several advisors to the Swedish Government and the EIB.

At the General Meeting, Spyker Cars N.V. intends to adopt a resolution to change its name to Saab Spyker Automobiles NV ("Saab Spyker"). This entity will operate Spyker and Saab as two separate operating companies, each focused on its distinct target markets with their respective vehicle lines. As previously stated, Saab Spyker is committed to execute the Saab Business Plan. It is the intention to enhance it in several areas. The highlights of Saab's strategy will be:

* Saab will be a stand-alone niche manufacturer with three to four model lines: 9-3 (sedan, hatchback, sports estate, X and convertible) and 9-5 (sedan, sports estate and X) and the 9-4X for both the US and European markets. In addition, Saab will investigate the potential of adding a fourth smaller car line ("9-1") in due course provided that the positive development of the smaller car segment continues. However, this model is currently not envisaged in the Business Plan so if the outcome of the investigation is positive, additional financing to develop this model could be required.

* Saab's product portfolio will be renewed completely, beginning with the launch of the new 9-5 early this summer, the new 9-4X in early 2011 and the new 'all Saab' 9-3 in 2012.

* Saab will continue to be repositioned against other brands such as Audi (A4/A6) and BMW (3/5 series) as a premium brand, leveraging its strong and unique brand heritage.

* Saab's Technical Development Center in Trollhättan has full capability in developing complete vehicles and will continue to do so. In areas such as safety, environment, driving characteristics, practicality, turbo technologies and several other innovations, the Saab brand is among the best in the industry.

* With Trollhättan as one of the most efficient mid-size car plants in Europe, production and sales volumes are aimed to be rebuilt to recent pre-crisis levels of about 100,000 to 125,000 vehicles including the 9-4X built in Mexico.

* The current dealer network will be re-energized with a new sales and distribution approach in certain markets, which will be implemented during 2010.

* The economies of scale of the on-going collaboration with GM after Closing the acquisition (February 2010) will continue to be leveraged in sourcing via ancillary agreements, with independent sourcing gradually increasing to reduce GM dependency and obtain improved access to other suppliers and the co-development of unique innovations.

Saab Spyker believes that its two brands, both deeply rooted in aeronautical and automotive history, will benefit from sharing certain assets and technology services. Examples include but are not limited to:

* Saab's extensive global network of 1,100 dealers.

* The extensive engineering know how and innovative technologies available at Saab.

* Sharing of activities in marketing & sales: i.e. merchandising, promotion & sponsorship activities, etc.

In the future, the two brands will be able to share certain parts and components and expect to obtain access to supplier and partner resources not available to Spyker or Saab individually today.


FUNDING OF SAAB

The Saab Business Plan requires approximately $1 billion in peak funding for Saab in advance of the return to profitability, forecast to occur by 2012. The funding is provided in part by GM, through $326 million Redeemable Preference Shares ("RPSs"), and in part through other contributions, which concern various substantial contributions to the funding of Saab's Business Plan on favorable terms for supplies by GM to Saab and deferred payments from Saab to GM. The remaining amount, apart from cash at bank, is to be provided by a EUR 400 million loan from the European Investment Bank for certain R&D projects at Saab. Securing this EIB loan is a condition precedent to closing of the Saab acquisition ("Closing").

With this financing in place, the business plan does not envisage any future funding being required, neither from Spyker or elsewhere, for Saab to return to profitability. The business plan targets car production and sales at or below historical levels of 100,000 to 125,000.


Explanation on the two sources of funding:

Redeemable Preference shares
At Closing, GM will convert USD 326 million of pre-closing receivables on Saab into RPSs in Saab. The issue of the RPSs will therefore NOT cause any dilution for the shareholders in Spyker. The voting rights attaching to these RPSs constitute 0.0005% of the total voting rights in Saab. The other 99.99% of the voting rights (100% of the ordinary shares) will be held by Spyker. Since the RPSs are capital and not a loan, no interest is due at any time by Saab. The RPSs carry no dividend from Closing until December 31, 2011. A dividend entitlement of 6% starts from January 1, 2012 through June 30, 2014 and increases over time to 12% as from July 1, 2014 until the scheduled redemption date of December 31, 2016. The dividend over 2012 will be added to principal, but as from fiscal year 2013 the dividend is payable in cash. Should Saab have insufficient distributable reserves to pay the cash dividend it will be added to principal increased with a penalty factor of up to 4%, but such that the total dividend entitlement will never exceed 12%.

In the period 2010-2016, the average dividend payable is about 4%, which is considerably below the average interest on a comparable subordinated loan.

The RPSs qualify as equity and therefore, if Saab cannot pay dividends or redeem the RPSs, Saab will not be in default but the RPSs will simply continue to accrue. Also, the RPSs cannot be redeemed as long as the EIB loan is not yet fully repaid. The Saab Business Plan envisages redemption of the RPSs starting in 2016 out of retained profit, without additional funding (from Spyker or anyone else) being required.


EIB loan
The Share Purchase Agreement is subject to the execution of a EUR 400 million loan agreement between Saab and the European Investment Bank ("EIB"), for which a guarantee was obtained from the Swedish Government on January 26, 2010. This loan will be issued to Saab. All amounts payable by the EIB are specifically earmarked to the Euro for designated Saab projects and capital expenditures and represent 50% of these projects or capital expenditures. The projects mainly relate to increasing fuel efficiency and clean car technology. The remaining 50% is funded by Saab itself pursuant to its Business Plan. Spyker will not have any access to the EIB funds which are completely ring-fenced nor will it pay any part of the Purchase Price with proceeds from the EIB loan. The guarantee is subject to approval by the European Commission. Saab and the Swedish Government have provided all required information to the EC prior to the issue of the guarantee so the decision by the EC is expected very soon.


FUNDING OF SPYKER

Spyker's existing bank loans in the aggregate amount of EUR 57 million are refinanced by Tenaci Capital B.V. ("Tenaci"). The terms and conditions of this loan will mirror those of the existing loans it repays, including the right to convert EUR 9.5 million into ordinary shares at EUR 4.00 per share. The term of the loan is 12 months and the interest 10 percent above Euribor. After payment of the last instalment of the Purchase Price, Tenaci has the right to collateralize the loan on terms and conditions identical to those on which the existing loans were collateralized.

The Purchase Price of Saab amounts to USD 74 million (EUR 53.23 million at the current exchange rate of 1:1.39). The first instalment of USD 50 million, to be paid on Closing, will be paid as follows: USD 25 million is borrowed from Tenaci at the same interest rate as the other funding extended by Tenaci, without the right to convert into shares. This amount is currently already in escrow with General Motors.

The other USD 25 million is financed through a share issue, largely through a commitment from GEM Global Yield Fund Ltd under an equity facility concluded between Spyker and GEM. Spyker currently does not intend to draw in excess of USD 25 million under this facility.

The second instalment, USD 24 million, will be payable on July 15, 2010. Spyker has been approached by various investors to fund this instalment. Spyker intends to finance this amount primarily through senior debt (senior to the debt owed to Tenaci), but does not rule out other alternatives. Spyker has committed to pledge its assets to GM as security for this final tranche.


FUNDING OF TENACI

Tenaci's equity is wholly owned by Investeringsmaatschappij Helvetia B.V., the personal holding company of Mr. Victor Muller. Tenaci obtains its debt funding from sources that wish to remain anonymous and with which Tenaci has entered into non-disclosure agreements. The terms and conditions of Tenaci's own financing do not impact Spyker or Saab in any way.

Tenaci has successfully bought Mr. V. Antonov's current shareholding in Spyker consisting of 4.6 million ordinary shares, subject to closing of the Saab acquisition. Currently Tenaci has no plans to make a public offer on all of the issued shares in Spyker.
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SPOILER ALERT: 2010 Rolex 24 at Daytona full of surprises, lead changes

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - David took on the Goliaths and won Sunday's 48th running of the Rolex 24 At Daytona. In a race marked by unusual weather, heavy attrition and a record number of lead changes, Joao Barbosa held off Scott Pruett by 52.303 seconds to win the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 race in the No. 9 Action Express Racing Porsche Riley.



It was the second consecutive runner-up finish in the race for Pruett, a three-time Rolex 24 winner who teamed with Memo Rojas, Max Papis and Justin Wilson in Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates' No. 01 TELMEX/Target BMW Riley, a team that won three of the last five Rolex 24 races.



Scott Tucker, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Richard Westbrook and Lucas Luhr finished third, four laps behind in the No. 95 Crown Royal/NPN BMW Riley. A jammed seat belt early Sunday morning - resulting from a piece of tape - cost the team two laps, taking them out of the fight.



Ricardo Zonta, Tracy Krohn, Nic Jönsson and Colin Braun finished fourth in the No. 75 Krohn Racing Ford Proto-Auto Lola, followed by Ozz Negri, John Pew, Burt Frisselle and Mark Wilkins in the No. 60 Crown Royal XR Ford Riley.



Sylvain Tremblay, Jonathan Bomarito, Nick Ham and David Haskell won the GT race by four laps in SpeedSource's No. 70 Castrol Syntec Mazda RX-8.





The race started under caution Saturday due to a deluge that soaked the track during the two hours prior to the start. While the rain quickly let up, conditions remained treacherous for several hours due to damp conditions, particularly off the racing line. Sunday's portion was run under dry but very chilly and windy conditions.



It was Barbosa's second consecutive victory in Rolex Series Daytona Prototype competition; he and Hurley Haywood won the 2009 season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway for Brumos Porsche. Barbosa led a race-high 129 laps; the four Action Express Racing drivers combined to lead 316 of the 755 circuits.



"It's just unbelievable," Barbosa said. "For the team to perform under really difficult circumstances like 24 hours, they did an amazing job."



For Borcheller, it was his third class victory in the Rolex 24 and first overall.



"It's really special," Borcheller said. "'04 was amazing, just because the way the race ended up in the last 15 minutes with us winning when Tony Stewart driving the Crawford broke. But that was also the first year I believe that a Daytona Prototype won overall. So the competition was - it's always there, but it was nothing like it is now."



It also marked the second consecutive and 22nd overall victory for Porsche in the event. David Donohue, Darren Law, Buddy Rice and Antonio Garcia won in 2009 in a Brumos Porsche Riley, using a flat-six Porsche engine. A Cayenne-based V-8 engine - built in Germany but highly modified in America by Lozano Brothers - powered Sunday's winning entry.



It was an emotional day for the defending race winners. Moments after five-time Rolex 24 winner Haywood turned a sizzling time of 1:42.2 in his final lap in professional competition, Raphael Matos went to the garage and retired the car they shared with Donohue, Law and three-time Rolex 24 winner Butch Leitzinger with two-and-a-half hours remaining.



Ironically, a false alarm gave the Action Express team some breathing room when Justin Wilson, driving the No. 01 BMW Riley, drove to the paddock as a precaution.



"We just had one hiccup," Wilson said. "I came out of the bus stop and heard a large clunk. I thought I'd blown a tire and I dove into the pits, but they told me it was all okay. Maybe it was just some debris on the track."





The race featured a record 53 lead changes among 29 drivers. All but two of the Daytona Prototypes led in the event, and all but two of them experienced heart-breaking problems that dropped them out of contention.



Scott Dixon, Dario Franchitti, Juan Pablo Montoya and Jamie McMurray combined to lead 139 laps in Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates' No. 02 TELMEX/Target BMW Riley. Montoya was leading the race at midnight when his car began smoking. Moments later, he went to the garage and the car was retired with engine failure.



The defending Daytona Prototype champion No. 99 GAINSCO Chevrolet Riley was retired while running fifth. An oil pump failure led to a variety of complications that eventually forced four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson to take the car he shared with Jon Fogarty, Alex Gurney and Jimmy Vasser to the garage.



Michael Shank Racing had both of its cars running at or near the front for most of the race before both broke in the closing hours. Burt Frisselle went out in the team's No. 60 Crown Royal XR Ford Riley co-driven by Ozz Negri, John Pew and Mark Wilkins, while NASCAR regular A.J. Allmendinger's day in the No. 6 Ford Riley co-driven by Michael Valiante, John Pew and Mark Patterson went up in smoke with 75 minutes remaining.



The No. 10 SunTrust Ford Dallara started from the pole by Max Angelelli, but had to recover from an incident early in the race to finish sixth. The car was also driven by team owner Wayne Taylor, his 20-year-old son Ricky Taylor and Pedro Lamy.





A team that experienced problems with cold tires at the pit exit was the new No. 7 Starworks BMW Riley driven by Ian James, Mike Forest, Bill Lester and Dion von Moltke.



Derek Johnston, the 2008-2009 British Radical UK Cup champion, drove in the event after winning the inaugural Sunoco Rolex 24 At Daytona Challenge, and finished 10th in class, sharing the No. 77 McDonald's Ford Dallara with Memo Gidley, Brad Jaeger and Fabrizio Gollin.



Defending race winners Rice and Garcia, sharing the No. 90 Menards Porsche Coyote with Paul Menard and Darren Manning, finished 13th in Daytona Prototypes.



Action Express Racing was formed during the offseason when Brumos cut back to a one-car team. Longtime team associate Bob Johnson leased a Riley chassis and mated it with a Porsche Cayenne-based V-8 engine.



The dawn hours saw terrific racing between Barbosa and Papis, who battled nose to tail for several laps.



"That's why Chip hired me," Papis said. "He hired me to run fast and take chances. I leave my friends at home."



The winners' average speed was 111.930 mph. The race was slowed 16 times by caution for 74 laps.





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2011 Audi A1 Teases Its Interior [Video]

Audi A1: The key is individuality



* The interior of the A1 offers an extraordinary range of creative options

* An intricate process: the new design of the air vents in the cockpit



Ingolstadt, February 1, 2010 - When a new car is introduced, everyone naturally wants to know what it looks like. The shape, the proportions, the color - especially when it comes to the exterior. But the interior also offers a lot of exciting details. With the Audi A1, the people who designed the interior concentrated on creating as many customizable elements as possible. One particularly distinctive example is the new design of the air vents in the control panel - which are constantly in the driver's field of vision.





"We imagined the control panel in the cockpit to be like an airplane wing with turbines," said Ivo van Hulten, interior designer of the new Audi A1, as he described the design process. "Naturally, we're building a car and not an airplane, but the first sketches of the air vents were created with this idea in our heads. And even at this early stage we were thinking about colors and materials. Our goal was to allow A1 drivers to be able to design the air vents according to their personal taste."





Detailed sketches are crucial, as the concept must be presented to the design team. Only then can the next steps begin. Based on the drawings and virtual data, precise models are made out of clay. These often show small details, but they can also represent entire components in the interior or even the car itself.





"We reconstructed the control panel from clay and then fitted an aluminum component in the shape of the air vent into the clay. By repositioning it and modifying the size, we were able to specify the precise position," van Hulten said. "The process is

highly complex, and the A1 includes many such details. We were only satisfied when everything was perfectly harmonized."





Along with the roof arch, which can be ordered in various colors, the interior of the A1 offers an especially wide range of elements whose color and material can be customized according to personal tastes.





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McLaren MP4-12C GTR Rendered

Jonsibal.com has published a new rendering featuring a proposed McLaren MP4-12C GTR. Jon drew up the idea in several different classic liveries, including Fina, Gulf, and Marlboro.


"I gave the car wider fenders to house four OZ wheels (with some lip) the previous F1 GTR ran back in the days," said the artist on the website. "I also added splitters in the front and rocker panels to keep the air moving underneath as fast and clean as possible."


The artist was a big fan of the Gordon Murray design for the McLaren F1, and the GTR version that followed. Photos of the F1 GTR are included on this page. The follow-up rendering to the MP4-12C GTR will be a Long Tail variety, an homage to the GTR '97 Long Tail. Once Jon sends it out, we will bring it to you.


The 2011 McLaren MP4-12C will be launched next year with a 3.8-liter V8 engine that produces 600 hp (447 kW) and up to 422 ft-lb. Pricing will be set at £150,000.


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FERRARI IS FIRST TO OFFER 24 MONTH WARRANTY ON APPROVED CARS

Ferrari is pleased to announce a 24-month Power Warranty on all Ferrari Approved cars purchased through the Official Ferrari Dealer network. Ferrari is the first manufacturer to offer a 24-month factory warranty on pre-owned vehicles, and offers customers twice the peace of mind when investing in the Prancing Horse of their dreams.

The warranty remains with the vehicle and has a duration of 24 months from the date of vehicle purchase from an Official Dealer provided that the vehicle is correctly maintained (including the annual inspection) at an Official Ferrari Dealer or Authorised Repairer within 30 days of expiry of the first 12-month period. In addition, customers of the Ferrari Approved programme also receive a free subscription to the Ferrari Magazine and Ferrari Roadside Assistance service for the duration of the warranty.

The Ferrari Approved programme offers peace of mind and reassurance for customers purchasing a Ferrari up to eight years old. With the support of a warranty underwritten by Ferrari, and a comprehensive 190-point technical inspection, Ferrari Approved is a testament to the company's confidence in the enduring appeal of cars which proudly wear the Prancing Horse badge.

The programme is available through all Official Ferrari Dealers and it offers considerable benefits to customers for ultimate peace of mind:

* 190-point comprehensive and detailed technical inspection
* Only Ferrari Genuine Parts are used to repair or replace defective items
* An independent verification check to certify the car's identity, mileage and ownership history
* Verification the car is not subject to any outstanding finance agreement
* A Ferrari Service History Check to verify the car has been appropriately maintained by Ferrari
* A minimum of 24 months Ferrari factory based warranty *
* A minimum of 24 months Ferrari Roadside Assistance

The programme's comprehensive 190-point technical inspection and factory-backed warranty are designed to offer similar standards of vehicle preparation for customers buying a pre-owned Ferrari as those buying a new one. Cars available in the programme include icons from both the V8 and V12 ranges:

V8 range:

* 360 Modena
* 360 Spider
* Challenge Stradale
* F430
* F430 Spider
* 430 Scuderia

V12 range

* 550 Maranello
* 550 Barchetta Pininfarina
* 575M Maranello
* Superamerica
* 599 GTB Fiorano
* 612 Scaglietti

The range of Ferrari Approved cars available can be viewed via the www.ferrariapproved.com website, with full details of each car available for sale through the Official Ferrari Dealer Network. The website features the most comprehensive and up-to-date list of Ferrari Approved Used Cars available in the network, with personalised search criteria to refine the search by preferred colour, mileage, transmission and price range.