Jaguar top 225 at Bonneville Salt Flat

Jaguar have pushed the new XFR to its limits in a secret test at the Bonneville Salt Flats, and in doing so broke the record for the fastest ever Jaguar.

The modified XFR reached a staggering 225.675 mph on its run, powered by a tweaked version of the newly launched 5.0 litre engine in the supercharged Jaguar XF. The engine was almost standard, save a new air intake, revised supercharger settings and new exhaust system, boosting the power from 503 to 600 horsepower, but all the engine internals were untouched, as was the standard gearbox, boding well for tuners to come along and liberate even more power. Jaguar also modified the bodywork with a new front skirt and a huge rear wing to give downforce and stability at speed, as you can see below:

All this work was done in conjunction with American racing company Rocketsports, and the car was driven by Paul Gentilozzi, who raced the Jaguar XKR to 5 series wins in the US Trans Am series between 2001 and 2006. He was quoted as saying "During my career, I've raced worldwide from the southern tip of New Zealand to Le Mans, Along the way, I have been privileged to drive and own so many exciting cars but I've never driven one that was as exciting to drive fast as this Jaguar.

"The previous Jaguar speed record was set by Martin Brundle in 1992 in a Jaguar XJ220.

(source: http://www.jaguar-cars-blog.com/)

Keeler Motor Car 2nd Annual Used Car Sale

Keeler Motor Car Company held its 2nd annual used car sale this past weekend. I have to say as marketers we went into the sale with not the highest of hopes due the recent economic downturn. Well, we are happy to report that the sale was a big success.

The sale was held in our Mercedes-Benz building and included all types of makes and models on sale from our franchises and also off-brand vehicles. Some of our most popular vehicles during the sale include the Honda Pilot, Honda Accord, BMW 3-Series, Jaguar XF, Land Rover Range Rover, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Mercedes-Benz E-Class, MINI Cooper, BMW X3, BMW 5-Series and the all new smart car.

As employees, we love this event because it brings us all together under one rooftop and builds camaraderie and moral. As a customer (which i am as well!) I love this event because you can see all the different lines that Keeler Motor Car Company represents in one place and plus, who doesn't love getting a good deal - especially nowadays!

Thanks to all the Keeler Motor Car Company employees and their families for giving up their Sunday to allow this event to take place and a BIG thanks to all the new Keeler customers we saw this past weekend - welcome to the family!

Honda tops Consumer Reports 2009 Automaker Report Cards... again

In what may be the least surprising news you read all day, Consumer Reports has released its annual 2009 Auto Issue that contains Automaker Report Cards. These report cards compile all of CR's road test data and predicted reliability ratings for all vehicles in its database, and Japanese automakers have again earned top rankings just as they have for as long as we can recall.

Honda, Subaru and Toyota came out on top after all the scores were tallied, with every single Subaru model earning a Recommended rating from CR. Honda was the brand that fared the absolute best in predicted reliability, with just its Element small SUV barely failing to make the grade as a Recommended nameplate. Toyota also fared very well in reliability testing, as we've come to expect from the world's largest automaker. European automakers managed to get a shout out for offering unmatched performance, comfort and safety along with incremental increases in overall vehicle reliability.

American automakers got their own separate report cards, which you can see by clicking here. Of the Detroit-based manufacturers, Ford came out victorious with its Flex and F-150 earning top ratings and many of the rest of its models scoring well. General Motors managed to sneak eight vehicles on the Recommended list: the new Pontiac G8, Cadillac CTS and Chevy Malibu, along with the Corvette and each of the Lambda-based CUVs. Chrysler pulled up the rear again this year among all automakers without a single vehicle earning a positive score from CR.[Source: Consumer Reports]

BMW 7-Series

I have seen the BMW 7 Series Individual Model displayed in Chicago and all I can say is that pictures don’t do any justice. The 7er is absolutely breathtaking and if you already love the new 7 Series, then with no doubt you will drool over the Individual model.
BMW Individual was established in 1991 as a division of M GmbH with the goal of leading the trend towards more individuality by concentrating on customers who were looking for made-to-measure solutions and making tougher demands on their BMW in terms of distinction, design and function.

One of the first thing that struck me when I entered the car in Chicago was the quality of the finishes and especially, the amazing leather. Now, we already know that the new 7 Series took the interior up a notch, and many claim that it’s the best interior design ever made by BMW. But the Individual version of the car, takes it to another level. There are unique upholstery colors and interior trims that distinguish the 750Li Individual from its production “brother”.
The Fine Grain leather by Merino comes to the 7 Series for the first time and it will be available in six different colors: Black, Platinum, Champagne, Polar Grey, Amarone and Rust Brown. The Merino leather can be also found on panel for the instruments and linings of the doors. The BMW Individual roof lining is currently available in Amaro Brown, Anthracite, Champagne, Platinum, and Silk Grey.
Interior trim is also offered in some unique color combination: Mahogany wood, Poplar Natural, Walnut Amarone and Piano Finished Black. It’s really hard to portray these colors, but BMW’s Individual website will give you the opportunity to visualize them.
And to make the BMW 7 Series Individual even more special, a series of new metallic paints are available for the BMW customers: Opal Black, Diamond, Blue Onyx, Ruby Black, Azurite Black, Moonstone, Diopside Black and Brilliant White.

To fully complete the luxury and uniqueness image, the BMW 7 Series Individual is equipped with 20-inch light alloys - V spoke design.
Since the Individual program is oriented towards consumers looking for the ultimate luxury, comfort and innovation, the 7 Series Individual comes with a cooling box which comes with expendable drawers which allow further convenient access to the bottles and glasses. The cooling box can accommodate tow large champagne bottles of around 7 liter/1.84 gallon and two 0.33 liter/11 ounce glasses.

Now all of us, the BMW fans, don’t have to feel inferior to the S-Class owners since the new 7 Series is the new king.

Keeler Motor Car 2nd Annual Used Car Sale

Mercedes celebrates 30 years of the G-Wagen with special EDITION30

The rest of the industry may change, but nothing can stop the Geländewagen. To give you an idea of how long it's been around, consider that the G was originally designed for military contract from the Shah of Iran, who was a major shareholder in Daimler-Benz. Known as the G-Wagen for short or G-Class in new speak, Mercedes (or Magna-Steyr, actually) has been hand-building it in Austria for 30 years now. We've already alerted you to the occasion, but now Mercedes-Benz is celebrating by launching a special anniversary model. Two, actually.

The EDITION30 is the more premium of the two, a special G-Class based on the W463-chassis G500 and spec'd out with a unique leather and wood interior and Platinum Black paintjob. The EDITION30.PUR is more hard-core, based on the older W461 chassis with G280 CDI running gear, and decked out with off-road tires, headlamp guards, flexible wheel arches and a hood that can support the weight of a human, allowing access the optional roof rack. Inside the EDITION30.PUR it's all business, with a wash-down interior upholstered in heavy-duty fabric or synthetic leather. Between the two versions, neither poseur nor trekker should be left out, as the G-Wagen proves yet again that it can be all things to all people... probably for another 30 years and then some.

BMW, VW investigating how thermoelectrics may juice up future automobiles

Volkswagen has supposedly created a device that generates electricity from the wasted heat created by an internal combustion engine. The device, known as a thermoelectric generator (TEG), relies on the reaction of two different metals as heat passes through, thereby generating electricity. According to VeeDub, its TEG can generate an impressive 600 Watts, which is about 30% of the electrical needs of a Golf Plus and enough to reduce fuel consumption by over 5%. Last year, BMW won awards with a similar system that was able to generate about 200 Watts of power. When gasoline is burned in an automobile, only about a quarter of the potential energy is turned into forward motion. The rest is wasted as heat. Automakers are keen to capture back a portion of these losses, but there's still a long way to go before a TEG like this is practical. Regardless, it's a technology that has plenty of promise if it's adopted on a large scale.

MINI Drops the Top on the JCW Cabrio

As far as cute cars go, it doesn't get much more adorable than the MINI. Especially in convertible form. But as the Anglo-Saxon carmaker has shown with the top-spec John Cooper Works versions of the hatchback and Clubman, cute can turn (kinda) mean with the addition of some go-fast bits and next month at the Geneva Motor Show MINI will do just that -- again -- when it takes the wraps off the new JCW cabrio.

Like its tin-topped counterparts, the JCW convertible packs a 1.6-liter turbo four with 211 hp and 192 lb-ft of torque, plus an extra boost in low-end grunt helping the open-air machine get to 100 km/h (62 mph) in a scant 6.9 seconds en route to a follicle-stimulating 146 mph top end. Retuned suspension and electronics, 17" alloys, beefier brakes, Works aero kit, dark grey soft-top and special interior touches, including three-spoke leather steering wheel, special pedals and piano-lacquer trim also form part of the package, which you can check out in full in the press release below.

PRESS RELEASE: MINI will unveil the world's fastest small premium cabriolet at the Geneva International Motor Show on 03 March 2009. The MINI John Cooper Works Convertible will take centre stage at the event and is on sale in the UK from 28 March 2009, priced at £23,470 OTR.

Featuring the same high performance engineering modifications as the Hatch model carrying the John Cooper Works badge, the Convertible's 1.6-litre twin scroll-turbocharged engine produces 211 hp and up to 280 Nm peak torque with Overboost deployed.

Performance data for both models is therefore equally impressive.

The newcomer's petrol power plant is a significantly revised version of the 1.6-litre turbocharged unit found in MINI Cooper S models, and the same as that in the MINI CHALLENGE race car. The engine is lighter, stronger and is supplied with a larger air intake and an exhaust system specifically designed for John Cooper Works cars.

The transmission's gearing is strengthened to handle the extra available power; power that pushes the car to a remarkable output of 132 hp per litre, yet still able to offer an amazing 39.8 mpg.

The lengthy standard kit list of every MINI John Cooper Works Convertible includes a bespoke John Cooper Works Alcantara steering wheel, sport seats, John Cooper Works floor mats and glossy piano black interior. Air conditioning is fitted as standard, as it is now on every new MINI.

Performance of the Works car is underlined by an exclusive speedometer, which runs to 160 mph to account for the car's higher top speed than that of any other MINI.

A Sport button is located in front of the gear stick. When pressed it activates a bespoke engine control map producing boost earlier in the rev range and sharpening steering and throttle response. The gear knob featuring a red gearing diagram is unique to the MINI John Cooper Works.

Unique lightweight 17" alloy wheels in Cross-spoke CHALLENGE design, shod with Run-flat tyres, feature on the exciting new Convertible. A John Cooper Works Aero kit is standard and the tuning brand's logo is positioned on the boot, grille, brakes and door sills.

Extra-large disc brakes paired with upgraded bright red Brembo performance callipers are supplied. Chassis technologies ensuring a sporty and safe driving experience are also standard features of the MINI John Cooper Works:

ABS Brakes
EBD Electronic Brake Force Distribution
CBC Cornering Brake Control
EDLC Electronic Differential Lock Control
DSC Dynamic Stability Control (incorporating Hill Assist)
DTC Dynamic Traction Control

Unique to MINI John Cooper Works models is EDLC. With DSC fully deactivated, the car's Electronic Differential Lock Control delivers an even sportier driving experience. EDLC works when the car is accelerating hard out of corners or tight bends. In this situation, it electronically slows the spinning inside wheel to enhance grip and ensure that all available power is transferred to the road through the wheel with greatest traction. In contrast to the way DSC and DTC manage power delivery to the wheels, EDLC does not intervene with the throughput of engine power, meaning the driver is in near total control of the handling of the car.

The MINI John Cooper Works Convertible will be built entirely in the UK.

With the new MINI Convertible now rolling off the line, several points of operation at MINI Plant Swindon and Oxford have been modified. BMW Group invested in new assembly stations for the Convertible tailgate at Plant Swindon. At Plant Oxford, the bodyshop installed and commissioned all necessary facilities and infrastructure to meet the high quality standards and geometrical accuracy for the Convertible body.

Associates in final assembly have transformed all work areas to integrate production of the new Convertible efficiently, and are now building the complete MINI model line-up once again on a single assembly line.

Jürgen Hedrich, MINI Plant Oxford's new Managing Director, said: "The launch of the new MINI John Cooper Works Convertible is incredibly important as it signifies that our complete model line-up is now back in production across MINI's UK production facilities."

MINI's on Top

MINI's on Top - 2009
June 27th 2009

Celebrate 50 years from Mini to MINI
More than a MINI adventure - a MINI vacation! Climb Mt. Washington and tour the White Mountains of New Hampshire.

For more details go www.minisontop.com