The new Volvo V60 that runs on diesel and electric powertrain will be rolling out in the UK market come spring time and has a tag price of £47,000. This car though will qualify the buyer for a £5,000 car grant from the government which can bring the price down to £42,000.

The plug-in V60 will be marketed by Volvo as the V60 D6 with carbon dioxide emission of just 49 grams per kilometer. No figures were disclosed yet about the fuel economy of the ride but we can expect this as the launch comes near. The front wheels of the D6 will be depending on a 2.4L turbodiesel poweplant that gives out 212 bhp and a torque of 324 lb-ft paired with a six speed automatic gearbox.

The all wheel drive setup is completed on the rear axle by the electric motor that gives out 69 bhp and a torque of 147 lb ft. The electric motor depends on a pack of lithium ion battery stored under the floor of the boot. Set the driving mode on Pure (there is also Power and Hybrid) and you will be able to cruise for 32 miles. The electric only driving range will be enough for the daily European driver according to studies done by Volvo. The hybrid mode can bring drivers thru 746 miles.

The Power mode is specifically designed to bring the best performance of the hybrid setup. The driver will be able to make use of the maximum potential of the car’s engine and zoom from 0 to 62 miles per hour in just 6.2 seconds.

Another great feature of the Volvo V60 D6 is the option to switch on an electrical AWD mode which is more economical than a mechanical system and only used during low grip scenarios like when driving in mud or snow.

Production will have an initial release of 1,000 units and is expected to ramp up to 6,000 cars per year thru 2013.

German car manufacturer BMW recently unveiled the features of the seventh generation 3-Series which is set to roll out by 2020. The design philosophy for the BMW 3-Series focuses on being safer, more economical, and more functional. The emission of this 3-Series is expected to be a lot lower since it will be dealing with the stricter requirements in 2020.

The future BMW 3-Series might have the following features:

3 cylinder diesel engine with turbo and electric motor assist

The next generation 3-Series will make use of a three-cylinder powerplant as the carmaker aims to drop the CO2 emission of the engine to around 77grams per kilometer which is a lot better than the set 95 g/m set for 2020.

Improved gas engine

There will still be petrol engines by 2020 for the 3-Series. These engines are more cost efficient to build compared to diesel powerpants. The car manufacturer is planning to include features like self ignition and combined injector. It plans to cut the CO2 emission by 80 g/km by 2020 and 70 g/km by 2025.

Enclosed engine

The engine of the next generation BMW 3-Series will almost be enclosed. Designers are also installing an undertray for the whole length of the car to make sure that the drag is decreased significantly.

Sensors

A number of laser sensors will be used to detect pedestrians, cyclists, and other motor vehicles on the road.

Headlamps

Engineers will also equip the BMW 3-Series with laser headlamps which is twice more efficient than the LEDs that we know of today.

Wheel housings

A lot of efforts are being poured into designing wheel housing which are more aerodynamic. The design draws inspiration from the i8 so the next gen 3-Series will be using scoops o direct air so the drag and turbulence can be decreased.

Brakes

Even the brake setup will consider lesser drag on the car. Instead of having the brake pads on the disc, BMW will have an intelligent braking system which will only bring them out when the driver is about to step on the brake.

Other notable features include 9-speed automatic gearbox, adjustable suspension, 3D navigational system, and high tech infotainment system.

For its 2012 product line up, luxury car brand Mercedes-Benz decided to take out the SL600 and the SL65 AMG sledgehammer that belong to the V-12 SL-Class line. The reason for this is to pave the way for the debut of the newly revamped 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class which is due late next year.

Anyway, here’s a recap of the kicked out SL models. The SL600 comes with a 5.5-liter V12 engine with a massive 510 horsepower and 610 lb-ft of torque. This model has been kicked out of the lineup first without any press release from Mercedes-Benz.

The second to take the knife is the SL65 AMG that is powered with a 6.0-liter V12 engine with an impressive 640 HP and 740 lb-ft of torque. This time, Mercedes-Benz made a statement that the model is being taken out of the 2012 product line to give way to its new 2013 baby.

Of course, the automotive community is speculating that one of the reasons behind this is the poor sales of the two models as well as the existence of the SLS AMG model, which is somehow less in power but carries the same price tag. Moreover, there’s the issue of the SLS AMG Roadster that kept stealing the spotlight from the two kicked out models.
What we want to know is whether the brand will make the V12 models obsolete to give way to the V8 units which are more fuel efficient. Well, let’s hope they would still keep some V12 units on hand.

New reports say that the C63 AMG Black Series by Mercedes Benz might be unveiled before the end of this month during the German Grand Prix. The coupe was first spied during its test runs at the Nurbugring back in May.

The Mercedes Benz C63 AMG Black Series will sport a V8 6.2L engine that can give out 510 horsepower or more with a torque of 640 Nm. Most likely the powerful engine will transfer its brute force to the wheels via a Speedshft 7-speed MCT gearbox that will allow the car to go at a whopping 300 kilometers per hour as limited. Given these specs, the C63 AMG Black Series can easily blast from 0 to 100 kph in a matter of 4 seconds.

It was first assumed that this Black Series release might have a bi turbo 5.5L V8 which has more oomph in terms of horsepower and torque. We will update you as soon as we have the official numbers.

Aside from the Black Series modifications, consumers can also expect coilover suspension that is adjustable, a rear differential with locking fucntion, and the car to roll on a 19 inch alloy rim.

It was also confirmed that the new Black Series coupe will have four seats and has been configured to be used on a daily basis with only 20 kilos cut off from its curb weight. The car will also not have limited production. Tag price is expected to be at around €100,000.

Fiat and the Chrysler Group will be producing Jeep and Alfa Romeo models in Fiat’s Turin factory as part of a joint venture aiming to respond to the global market of the brands. The partnership will be injecting around $1.3 billion to properly equip the facilities.

The factory will be busy with the production of the Giulia sedan and its station wagon version which will take the place of the 159 range of Alfa Romeo. It will also produce the medium SUVs under the badge of Jeep and Alfa. The SUV of the Alfa Romeo is aiming to compet with the GLK of the Mercedes-Benz, BMW X3, and the Audi Q5. The model under the Jeep brand will be stepping in for the Compass/Patriot.

The volume of vehicle production is expected to roll out towards the end of 2012 according to Fiat. Fifty per cent of the vehicles will roll out to European dealerships while the other half will be heading off to North America. The Alfa Romeos will play a vital role in the relaunch of the brand in North America.

The Turin factory used to have an output of 178,500 according to 2009 reports but this will be boosted up to around 250K to 280K units annually. The vehicles that will go on production are also expected to be patterned after the Compact Wide architecture of Fiat which is all about comfort, safety, and performance.

Fiat insiders also shared that the Italian carmaker is aiming to raise its holding with Chrysler which is currently at 20% Fiat is going for 25% during the first three months of next year and for 35% before the end of 2011.

We all want affordable car insurance, but depending on the car you want to drive and the profile you have, that's not always realistic. Whatever your profile though, make sure to check out our friends over at CarInsurance.org, as they're known to provide the best rates on the market!

Tuning firm Heico Sportiv recently gave the autoworld an idea of what they plan to do with the new S60 from Volvo. Judging on the recently released sketches, the designers of Heico is planning to give the second gen S60 some aftermarket parts that will give the ride a more aggressive look.

The planned engine modifications are set to give the new S60 some added power and raise the output bar to 325 horsepower.

The German tuner is looking to install a set of lightweight alloy rims, give the car a customized spoiler, redesign the side skirts, and redo its front bumper. We can also expect a rear diffuser and decklid spoiler.

The package might also include new tailpipes. Heico is also set to modify the suspension of the S60 to make the ride even smoother.

While some may see the modifications going a bit too far, Heico assures everyone that the Volvo will still have its subtle design lines and all they will be doing is spice things up a bit.

Heico has not release information if they will also do some work on the interiors of the Volvo S60.

We will update you as soon as we get more details about this tweaked Swedish sedan that looks promising enough.

Rolls-Royce is feeling it and may be well on the way to double their sales figures this year while leaning on the popularity of their Ghost model and a resurgence of the demand of its market for high end cars across the globe.

The sales of the brand in China also see a first time as its seven dealerships will exceed the sales in their home market. China might overtake the United Kingdom as the 2^nd biggest market of Rolls-Royce after the United States.

Insiders are foreseeing a big growth in the Chinese market while rebounding in sales performance in the US is also expected for this year.

In the UK, Rolls-Royce was able to get a 50% jump in figures. This was attributed to the launch of the new Ghost last December. The model is the smallest car in the Rolls-Royce garage and is the lowest-priced in their line up too.

The Ghost has a tag price starting at $250,000 compared to the $380k through $450K sticker prices of their Phantom flagship model.

The numbers from the Middle East, which has been a strong market, are showing some signs of how the market reacted to the financial crisis of Dubai. But the brand though still remains optimistic for the recovery of this market.

The global sales of Rolls-Royce doubled the volume of last year’s sales. From January through May, the luxury brand was able to deliver 678 cars.

Choosing a safe car is hard.  Face it, half of the time you have no idea what features you are looking for in the way of a safe car.  That is what research is all about though, finding out exactly what features you should be looking at.  For one – you want to make sure that you are looking into what type of airbags are going to be in the car.

This is important information, especially if you get into a car accident.  You also want to make sure that you are looking into anti-lock brakes, for that can actually save your life because they will not lock on you when you are pumping them.

Finally, you want to make sure that the car has rear parking sensors so that you do not get into an accident whenever you are backing up!

The color of your car is one of those things that people have to think long and hard about half of the time.  To be honest, I have to think long and hard about a lot of the color choices that are out there but it seems that pink is popping up everywhere lately.  You want a chic and fashionable looking car?  Then you’ve got to get it in pink.

Pink is definitely one color that is hot and seems to certainly be showing up on the streets of New York and everywhere else.  Now, it is not the typical pink either, it is the bright and brilliant pink that makes you stand out.

Pastels and drab colors are out lately and the bright and poppy colors like pink are in!

I do not remember a whole lot from chemistry, mainly because I was horrible at it and because I hated the subject — but I do remember quite a bit about protons and electrons. However, I don’t think my dry old chemistry professor had this particular concept in mind when he was droning on and on about protons.

“This,” by the way, is the Proton concept, which comes to us courtesy of Italdesign Giugiaro. It is part of an entire family of vehicles specifically designed to have a low environmental impact. They are to be created in conjunction with the Proton company, a manufacturer working out of Malaysia.

This is the first of those series, revolving around a hybrid drive system, and it will be unveiled at the motor show in Geneva.