Gumpert Tornante 700 HP Supercar Coming in 2012

The German company that brought us the extreme Apollo hypercar teamed up with Italian coachbuilder Touring Superleggera to create the Tornante, a more refined, GT-style version of the Apollo, that will go on sale in 2012.

The design and body engineering are the work of Touring Superleggera, a company which is also known for the Bentley Continental Flying Star shooting-brake. The 2-seater Tornante builds on the style of the Apollo, yet its appearance is less edgy and more luxurious.
Details that underline its Gumpert DNA, such as the huge frontal and lateral air intakes have been reshaped in a more pleasant way for the eye, while the racing-style cabin, the high-sitting rear-view mirrors and the gull-wing doors have been retained. At the rear, the Apollo's huge wing gave way to an elegant extension of the cabin, whose main attraction is the split rear window.
Design refinement aside, Touring Superleggera also worked on improving passenger and luggage space, comfort, access and ventilation, and noise levels.
Gumpert's engineers used an Apollo-derived space frame chassis with the same central engine layout for the Tornante. Thanks to various weight saving measures, the Tornante tips the scales at only 1,300 kg (2,866 lb), which means its should be only marginally slower than its more extreme sibling.
It has the same Audi-sourced 4.2-liter V8 biturbo engine that has been completely reworked by Gumpert engineers, producing 700 ponies. Mated to an automatic six-speed gearbox that changes gears faster than the blink of an eye (40 milliseconds), the unit produces a hefty 900 Nm of torque (663.7 lb-ft) at 4,000 rpm. Performance figures have not yet been revealed, with Gumpert only saying that the car can reach speeds of over 300 km/h (186 mph).

By Dan Mihalascu

TECHNICAL DATA

2-seater sports car with a mid-engine arrangement, chrome-molybdenum steel chassis with an integrated safety cell, doors and the boot lid open with gullwings, carbon body, 100 l stainless steel tank behind the passenger cell with integrated catch tank, long and pushrod-operated double transverse control arm suspension with fully adjustable dampers front and rear and anti roll bar in front, ground clearance adjustable between 60 and 140 mm, two circuit ABS brake system with six piston callipers, inside ventilated discs (378 x 32 mm) at front and rear.
Dimensions and Weight
Length - 4,475 mm
Width - 1,971 mm
Height - 1,215 mm
Wheelbase - 2,700 mm
Track front / back - 1,648 / 1,600 mm
Boot volume - ca. 200 liters
Kerb weight (depending on equipment components) - 1,300 – 1,400 kg
Engine
V8-cylinder-Biturboengine with 90° cylinder angle, Closed-Deck light metal crankcase, light metal cylinder heads with five valves per cylinder, four overhead camshafts, variable time of ignition (Vario Cam direct) on the intake, hydraulic valve clearance compensation, dry sump lubrication, double-flow exhaust system with 3-way catalytic converter, four Lambda probes for gas mixture and diagnostics, On-board diagnostic system, 2 Intercoolers, electronic ignition with a rested ignition distribution (eight ignition coils), sequential multipoint fuel injection, electronic accelerator system (drive-by-wire)
Cylinder / type / valves per cylinder - 8 / 90°-V/5
Cubic capacity - 4,163 cm³
Stroke – Bore - 93 / 84,5 mm
Nominal output (kW / HP at rev / min) - 515/700 at 6,500
Max. torque (Nm / lb ft at rev / min) - 900/663.7 at 4,000
Maximum rev – 7,400 rpm
Litre performance (kW/l / HP/l) - 123.7 / 168.1
Compression / recommended fuel type - 9.3 / 98 ROZ / 88 MOZ
Emission standard - Euro 5
Gearbox - Automatic six-speed gear box TT40e with synchronization and oil cooling, operated with paddle shift controls, twin plate clutch configuration (diameter 240 mm), Torsen differential lock
Wheels/Tires - Michelin Pilot Super Sport front 265/35 ZR19, back 345/30 ZR20
Wheel dimension- front 10 J, back 13 J
Wheel rim type - Aluminum cast or forged wheels with centre lock
Performance Figures
Top speed (est.) - above 300 km/h (186 mph)

Spurt Bicycle Trailer for Ambitious Cyclists with Kids

Nowadays, concept designers are concentrating on delivering better products which not just look good but also address many of the essential concerns that the user has. Spurt is a bicycle trailer designed to satisfy the parents and children alike. The concept ensures that it’s far beyond its good looks as it also ensures the basic needs of riding a bicycle like agility, safety, and comfort. The design addresses the problem of poor vehicle handling, as the overall construction makes it easier to maneuver and handle just as a normal bicycle with the difference being that the passenger sits inside the wheel on the floating seat. Thus, the rider can concentrate on riding the bicycle rather than concentrating on the passenger!

Max’s words :
Since SPURT is always following the track of the bicycle, the rider can concentrate on the trail in front. The big wheel overruns obstacles as easy as the voluminous tire absorbs vibrations. The construction makes steering easy under narrow condition hence the trailer is just as wide as the bike itself.
As the small passenger is sitting inside the wheel on a floating seat he enjoys the comfort of a simple damping system. It becomes unnecessary to wear a helmet inside SPURT since the whole body is covered by a hard plastic shell, while the body is kept in place by a sportive strap-system.
An easy to handle built-in rain cover protects the child against bad weather. The self-illuminated coating assures visibility in the night and the attention of motorists in the daytime.

Geneva 2011: Skoda’s Vision of its Design Future

Skoda seems to be shedding its old style language for a new bolder corporate design direction. The aim is to highlight Skoda's green line up while differentiating the brand from others in the Volkswagen group. The VisionD is the first such concept car under this new design direction, the overall effect is a simple, clean design that is to feature in all future Skoda cars.

The VisionD is quite a pretty car. The design is unobtrusive and taut. Compared to other family hatchbacks on sale in Europe, the the Czech automaker’s concept emulates a class and sophistication usually seen in more premium vehicles. The most prominent feature of the car's design is the sharper more dominant grill, one that again would not look out of place on a car two classes larger.
The main focal point of the grill is the all new emblem. The new Skoda logo and script are part of the new brand rejuvenation. As previously reported, the logo leaves behind the natural green hue for the all new "ŠKODA Green" with a chrome contour. The objective of the new design language and logo is to highlight Skoda's growing strengths internationally.