Bernhard Niedermaier, BMW's head of human-machine interaction, is expounding on the automaker's elaborate HMI interface design process. Having stepped off a plane from the U.S. just hours earlier — with no coffee in sight — jet lag is causing my interest to wane. It's not that Herr Niedermaier's presentation — detailing the intricacies of the design cycle that's brought to the world BMW innovations such as iDrive — isn't interesting, or the lack of sleep and caffeine that's causing my mind to drift. It's what's on the other side of the conference room's floor-to-ceiling windows that's attracting my addled attention. All Eyes on Pupilometry Behind the glass, in a cavernous section of the building, is a contraption that looks like an egg on stilts. It's actually BMW's Driving Simulation and Usability Lab. It's where BMW developed the latest generation of iDrive and is working on its new ConnectedDrive platform. It's also where the automaker's pioneering research into "pupilometry" is now taking place. Our small group is promised a tour of the simulator as the highlight of today's visit, and even though it was built five years ago (at a cost BMW won't divulge), we're told we're the first outsiders to get a close-up look at the lab.
According to CE Outlook, the price of car stereo components may be on the rise. The report says that even before Japan suffered its earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disasters, manufacturers responsible for automotive audio equipment were already beginning to increase MSRPs. The main source of that surge came from steeper prices for metals like aluminum and copper, which are used in heat sinks and connectors. Rockford Fosgate and JL Audio both increased their prices by March 1 of this year after the cost of materials increased six to eight percent. Manufactures say they expect another increase of similar severity by the end of 2011.
Meanwhile, the tragedy in Japan has delayed or stopped business completely at several suppliers responsible for building car audio components. CE Outlook reports that Alpine has already announced that a number of its suppliers have suffered substantial damage. That damage may lead to delays or additional price increases as manufacturers scramble to find interim replacements.
After one stab of the loud pedal, you understand why BMW doesn't bother to make an M version of the 7 Series. The 2011 BMW 750Li Alpina B7 is all the M7 you'll ever want, a fire-breathing 500-horsepower version of the BMW 7 Series that doesn't forget that it's all right to be comfortable while you're hurtling down the autobahn at top speed.
Fortunately the 2011 BMW 750Li Alpina B7 isn't restricted to the German autobahn. The Alpina B7 is available through BMW dealers in the U.S. as the successor to the limited-edition 2007-'08 Alpina B7.
The Alpina B7 is actually the fourth generation of Alpina's high-performance version of the full-size BMW sedan. And now that Alpina also has its own design, engineering and test center, the B7 is also the most comprehensively engineered car in that series. Maybe that's why the 2011 BMW 750Li Alpina B7 manages a subtlety that completely belies the car's uniqueness.
Tuner car with tacked-on body kit and loud exhaust this is not.
The BMW 7-series is the pinnacle of BMW sedans. A big luxury sedan that is loaded with state-of-the-art technology to keep you safe on today's roads.
Available in rear-wheel drive, or xDrive all-wheel drive, the 750i and long-wheelbase 750Li are powered by a direct-injection, 400-hp 4.4-liter, twin-turbo V-8 bolted to a six-speed automatic transmission with manual shift control. The 750 has many standard luxury features such as four-zone automatic climate control, power sunroof, high-gloss wood trim, heated 16-way multi-contour seats, voice-activated navigation system on a 10.2-inch color monitor, power trunk lid, HD radio and BMW Assist emergency and information communications. Standard run-flat tires wrap 18-inch alloy wheels, while standard Park Distance Control, adaptive brake lights and steerable adaptive bi-xenon headlights provide active safety. High-tech options include rear and surround-view cameras, high-beam assistant, lane departure warning, blind spot detection, dual LCD screens for rear seat entertainment and ventilated front seats.
For 2011, the 750 is unchanged, with the exception of a power trunklid and Comfort Access keyless entry becoming standard equipment.
Infiniti IPL G Convertible Concept – Click above to enlarge image
The first Infiniti Performance Line offering was unveiled at Pebble Beach last month in the form of the IPL G37 Coupe. The 348-horsepower G hardtop wears a factory-designed bodykit and came with engine and chassis tweaks to make things slightly firmer and faster. It goes on sale in December.
This week, its droptop brother will arrive at the Paris Motor Show. Infiniti hasn't announced power output, but we expect the IPL G Convertible Concept will probably be a shade less muscular than the coupe, as is the case with the non-IPL models. The automaker hasn't given away any hint of pricing, either, but VP Ben Poore did say "IPL promises unique driving attributes from other Infiniti models, without adding stratospheric prices," if that's any consolation. Stay tuned for complete details later in the week.
The Audi TT 2.0 TDI’s sales success proves that dynamism and efficiency are not mutually exclusive. On the contrary, this modern combination appeals strongly to customers. Since its market launch in 2008, the proportion of Audi TT sports car sales accounted for by the 2.0 TDI version with 125 kW (170 hp) has risen steadily. This week the 10,000th of these highly efficient cars will leave the Audi assembly line.
The Audi TT Coup� 2.0 TDI quattro and Audi TT Roadster 2.0 TDI quattro are the world’s first series-production sports cars with a diesel engine. It’s a two-liter, four-cylinder unit with a power output of 125 kW (170 hp) and 350 Nm (258.15 lb-ft) of torque for dynamic propulsion. In the TT Coup� the TDI engine is content with a fuel consumption of 5.3 liters per 100 km (44.38 US mpg) – the lowest figure in the sports car segment of the market.
A major factor in the TT’s combination of high performance and pioneering efficiency is the body. It uses Audi Space Frame (ASF) technology, with a combination of lightweight aluminum at the front and pressed steel at the back of the car. This material mix helps to achieve well-balanced axle loads and keep the overall weight down to a very low figure. The body of the TT Coup� weighs only 206 kilograms (454.15 lb), made up of 140 kg (308.64 lb) of aluminum and 66 kg (145.5 lb) of steel.
Audi has now stepped up the pace with an effective blend of dynamic performance and low fuel consumption: after this product improvement the Audi TT is available with a new, extensively revised version of the 2.0 TDI engine. The TT Coup� now sprints from 0 to 100 km/h (62.14 mph) in 7.5 seconds and has a top speed of 226 km/h (140.43 mph), but with CO2 emissions of only 139 g/km (223.7 g/mile).
Just the fastest production Mustang ever, and the quickest, with some serious upgrades from the substantially revised 2010 GT500.
The improvements start under the hood, where the GT500 retains the 5.4-liter V8 developed for the Ford GT supercar, rather than adopting a variation of the new 5.0-liter V8 introduced in the standard 2011 Mustang GT. Horsepower increases by 10 from the 2010 GT500, to 550 hp at 6,200 rpm (peak torque holds at 510 lb-ft), but that's a relatively minor part of the story. The 2011 GT500 gets a new aluminum engine block, cast by Honsel in Germany and finished with a metallurgical process called Plasma Transfer Wire Arc. Steel cylinder liners are sprayed in under extreme pressure at 35,000 degrees Fahrenheit, then machined to a thickness of 150 microns.
As result, the 2011 block weighs 102 pounds less than the previous cast-iron block. Other weight (and fuel) savers include an electric power-steering pump. Charge cooling capacity for the Roots-type supercharger increases 40 percent, thanks to a larger, two-layer intercooler. Bottom line, the GT500's curb weight drops 120 pounds compared with the 2010, to 3,820 pounds. Nearly all of the reduction comes over the front axle in what is a nose-heavy car.
The 2011 GT500 also has aerodynamic improvements and sound-dampening refinements that reduce interior noise levels 20 percent, according to Ford. For the first time, it offers an optional Performance Package developed from the limited-run 2009 GT500 KR. The package includes a limited-slip differential with a shorter 3.73 gear, stiffer springs that lower ride height slightly, forged wheels, Goodyear's latest-gen Eagle F1s (255/40Z-19 front, 285/35ZR-20 rear), and unique, thinner hood stripes.
The 2011 GT500 is available now, starting at $49,495 for the coupe, including the $850 destination charge. Options include the Performance Package ($3,495), a glass roof ($1,995), a navigation/electronics package ($2,340), and Ford's Shaker 1000 audio upgrade ($1,295).
"I think the value here is unprecedented," says Jamal Hameedi, chief program engineer at Ford's Special Vehicle Team. "We're delivering supercar performance for under $50,000."
How's it drive?
The 2011 GT500 drives like ticket bait on the street, and like the fastest Mustang ever on a track. With another short reload on substantive improvements, the big swinging Mustang buries old-school pony-car shortcomings deeper in the past.
Ford's track numbers speak for themselves: 0-60 mph, 4.2 seconds; quarter-mile, 12.3 seconds at 119 mph; skid pad, 1.01 g; 60 mph-0, 106 feet. It's more than five seconds faster than the 2010 GT500 around the full 3.2-mile circuit at Virginia International Raceway. Yet the track numbers only begin to explain how much better the 2011 GT500 is than its predecessor.
The 2011 floats and drifts less readily than the 2010. It understeers less. It's generally better balanced and it has even more grip (thanks, presumably, to Goodyear's latest compounds or construction). In sport mode, its stability electronics seem more progressive.
The GT500 remains a big, heavy, wide car. It takes some familiarity to get comfortable about exactly where its edges are. But it's also quite predictable and easily manageable, even for less-accomplished drivers. Momentum is not necessarily critical in this car. The brakes are strong enough and the torque band so broad that it will cover up a lot of mistakes. You can mess up a corner, scrub off most of your speed and still count on the torque to get you flying again.
Clutch action is definitely not stiff but the pedal isn't resistance-free mush, either. It's just about right. The shifter is firm and tight--one of those single-digit salutes to the pony cars of yore. Steering is probably the element we enjoyed least. It still feels lighter than a lot of European performance cars, with a hint more wanderlust. It's not particularly quick.
On the road, third gear will get you almost anywhere you want to go, once the GT500 is rolling. The flow of torque seems almost limitless. We wouldn't guess many enthusiasts will be chugging around at 2,200 rpm, however. From midrange up, the GT500 sounds fantastic, but never intrusive. We commend SVT for its exhaust tuning.
Ford's performance group seems particularly proud that the 2011 GT500 is the first without a gas-guzzler tax (delivering 15 mpg city, 23 mpg highway, according to the EPA). Of course, top gear in the Tremec six-speed has a way-tall 0.5 ratio. It's good for fuel economy, but few enthusiasts will have the restraint to use it often, unless the day's journey covers a few hundred miles of interstate.
Do I want it?
Who among the Mustang faithful wouldn't want the fastest and arguably best Mustang ever? The 2011 GT500 is fabulously fast, ruggedly handsome and imposingly obvious. It has leading-edge technologies that pony cars aren't necessarily supposed to have. We'd guess, though, that the Performance Package might be a tad stiff on what passes for pavement in places like greater Detroit or eastern Pennsylvania.
As for value, you won't find 550 hp on a new-car lot for less cash. Then again, one might consider a base LS3 Chevrolet Corvette coupe. It has a nearly identical retail price (as of 2010), only a slight power-to-weight disadvantage and even better EPA ratings than the new GT500.
Closer to home, the 2011 Mustang GT 5.0 delivers 412 higher-revving, aluminum-block horsepower hauling 215 fewer pounds than its big brother's supercharged engine, with still better EPA ratings (17 city, 26 highway). And it costs $19,000 less than the new GT500.
Seems like a pretty good deal on the not-quite-the-best Mustang ever.
2011 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500
Price: $48,645 coupe, $53,645 convertible
Available: Now
Layout: Front engine, rear-drive 2+2 coupe or convertible
