Une DBS et une DB9 pour une série Tunisienne

À voir le specacle autombile Tunisien, chaque année il devient de plus en plus riche, du côté des modèles qui viennent visiter la Tunisie, et le nombre, qui augmente. Petit à petit, une petite diversité est entrain de se créer. Les fans de l’automobile en Tunisie, sont parfois chanceux de voir quelques exemplaires passer.

Une des surprises qui a pris les pages Tunisiennes de Facebook, c’est les premières images d’une Aston Martin DBS, dédiée pour la police. Ce qu’on ne savait pas à l’instant c’est que c’était pour le tournage d’une sitcom Tunisienne Bolisse. On laisse les mecs de la cinéma travailler, et on fait notre travail, l’automobile.

Qu’en est-il des deux monstres qui vont apparaître à la télé?

from Tunisian Cars

Ces voitures, Tunisiennes, sont la fièrté du constructeur Anglais, Aston Martin, qui n’a pas cessé de créer la surprise, et de garder le style britannique pur du design Aston. Les deux voitures en question sont La Aston Martin DBS, et la Aston Martin DB9. Les deux sont modèle de l’année 2009, alimentées par deux V12 monstrueux, et les deux voitures sont déjà en compétition chez les britanniques.

La Aston Martin DBS :

From Tunisian Cars

La voiture qui va apparaître dans la série a été construite pendant l’année 2009. Elle possède sous le capot un 5.9L V12 produisant 510 ch @6500 tr/min et génère un couple max de 570 Nm @5750 tr/min. La voiture a vu le jour pendant le tournage du fameux James Bond Casinon Royale en 2006. sont prix était de $274,350 là. Pour une meilleure entrée d’air et sortie de gaz, la voiture est dotée de 48 soupapes gérées en tout par 4 arbres à cames, et c’est ce qui explique la puissance. Le 0 à 100 était fait en seulement 4.3 secondes, et la vitesse maximum était de 310 km/h. Elle est dotée d’une boîte de vitesse ZF performance Touchtronic 2 à 6 rapports, comme presque toutes les Aston. Pour un plaisir de conduite, toute la puissance est transférée aux roues arrière.

From Tunisian Cars

À l’interieur, la DBS offrait un espace Sport, luxieux, et James Bond. L’intérieur est recouvert de l’alcantara tout comme le cuir. Pour se laisser aller avec de la bonne musique à 300 à l’heure, Aston Martin à pensé aux 600 personnes qui vont avoir du plaisir à la conduire, et on offert un système sono de 10 enceintes et 16 canaux de Bang & Olufsen comme une option standard. Si vous êtes fan de la conduite manuelle, aussi Aston Martin a pensé à vous, et a offert un petit levier de vitesse, en métal.

À l’exterieur, c’est le look habituel d’une GT coupé Aston Martin, un corps fuselé, une allure unique, et surtout un châssis fait en Alluminium et en fibres de Carbone, ce qui allège la voiture jusqu’à 1740 kg par rapport au modèle de 2008. La DBS est chassée de jantes 20 pouces à l’avant tout comme à l’arrière. L’utilisation de fibre de Carbone partout, le luxe de l’intérieur, et la puissance justifient chaque centime du prix affiché pour la voiture.

La Aston Martin DB9 :

From Tunisian Cars

La DB9 de 2009 est moins puissante que la DBS, son 6.0 V12 ne lui fournit que 470 ch @6000 tr/min, mais un couple massif de 600 Nm @5000 tr/min. Résultat : un 0 à 100 en 4,6 secondes et une vitese max de 306 km/h. La DB9 utilise la boîte à 6 rapport ZF Performance aussi, mais c’est une Techronic 1. Malgré la baisse de puissance (40 en moins) elle (la DB9) a une très bone sonorité, et donne le même plaisir de conduite.

Sinon à l’intérieur, l’unique différence qu’il y a, c’est qu’elle semble plus riche, en boutons, et en matériaux utilisés. En addition du cuir, de l’alcantara, sinon, pour le reste c’est le même esprit. Les ingénieurs d’Aston ont utilisé du bois, pour donner un look plus luxieux. N’oublions pas l’esprit James Bond, il faut faire attention en poussant les boutons, l’un d’eux risque de lancer un missile, ou de décoller la voiture, on ne sait jamais ce que cachent les bouton, d’une voiture Bond.

Pour l’année 2009-2009 c’est une évolution du design des coupés Aston Martin, et la DB9 a apparu avec un look différent, toujours dans l’esprit d’un museau long, et un corps sportif, venant avec des liges aèrodynamiques, et des courbes à vraiment battre le vent, ce qui lui donne un coefficient de drag bas.

À utiliser deux voitures de ce poids : puissance, prix, look, charme, dans une série Tunisienne, ce n’est aussi garanti, mais ce qu’on constate, c’est qu’il y a une évolution qui est entrain de se faire, pas à pas.

From Tunisian Cars

Lexus LC 500

English / French

L’année dernière, pendant le Los Angeles Auto Show, Lexus a donné un aperçu d’un concept venant futuristique, c’était pour la Lexus LF-C2 Concept. Ça a été un aperçu de ce que la voiture de production pourrait sembler. Il n’y avait pas d’idée claire à propos du prix, ni les spécifications de la voiture. Mais, pour le NAIAS 2016, Lexus est venue avec le model de production, et c’est la Lexus LC 500.

Les spécifications sont plus claires là. Tout comme la RC 500, La LC 500 est alimentée par un V8 5.0 développant jusqu’à 467 ch @7100 tr/min et un couple de 520 Nm @4800 tr/min. Lexus dit que le moeur a “été choisi pour sa douceur, sa réponse à l’accélération et le son émotionnel qu’il produit”. Les nouveauté du moteur sot des bielles faites en materiaux légers, et des soupapes fabriquées en Titane. La puissance est transmise au pont arrière via une boîte de vitesse à 10 rapports. L’accélération de 0 à 100 km/h en 4.5 seulement.
La LC 500 est le premier model Lexus à utiliser le tout nouveau model de la luxurieuse platforme de propulsion arrière. C’est un nouveau pas pour Lexus, et une introduction pour les modèles à venir. Afin d’améliorer le centre de gravité, les ingénieurs de Lexus se sont concentrés sur l’emplacement du moteur et la station de conduite dans une position inférieure, plus centralisée. Le résultat est un centre de gravité plus bas et une distribution de poids 52/48 pour l’avant / l’arrière. C’est proche de la perfection, mais ceci permet à la voiture d’avoir une plus grande stabilité de route et une expérience de conduite exceptionnelle.

L’extérieur, est comme présenté dans le Los Angeles Auto Show 2015, avec la LF-C2. La voiture est dôtée de lignes aérodynamiques courbées, un toit en fibres de carbone (ou fibres de verre en option). Des matériaux légers ont été utilisés pour la construction du châssis et de la carrosserie de la voiture. La calandre de la LF-C2 est gardée, avec des bordures chormées et avec prises d’air larges, de grandes prises d’air à l’avant, au côté, et un corps fuselé. Sur l’arrière, des sorties massives d’ un échappement double-sorties apparaissent. Les lampes frontales sont en forme de L, spécialement conçu pour la voiture, aussi bien que les feux arrière. Elle dispose également d’un large diffuseur arrière et un aileron arrière actif sera offert en option.

Tout comme le design extérieur, l’intérieur est basé sur celui de la LF-C2. Il est spacieux, accueillant et offre la même attitude sportive celles du look extérieur. La position du genoux du pilote a été calculée pour être le plus proche du centre de gravité de la voiture. Deux modèles sièges sont proposés:
* Confort, pour les personnes avec des pieds longs.
* Sport: qui sont plus enveloppant et offrir plus de “support latéral” à la prise de virages.
Le volant recouvert de cuir vient avec palettes au volant, et quelques boutons qui font des «choses». Il ya deux écrans numériques ofert, un tachymètre numérique et un écran pour se rendre à toutes les options de la voiture. Le cuir couvre la plupart de l’intérieur, L’alcantara a été utilisée aussi, mais surtout du cuir.

«À un stade précoce, les designers ont collaboré avec les ingénieurs à comprendre leur image pour la conduite de la dynamique de la LC 500, et ils ont l’incorporé dans la conception», explique M. Tadao Mori, le concepteur en chef de la LC 500.

Seulement 500 unités seront faites de la LC 500, et seront vendues au prix de 375 000 $. Elle sera en concurrence avec des monstres bruts en provenance de la scène automobile en Europe, comme la BMW M4, la AMG GT et peut-être la Mercedes Benz Classe S Coupé.

Lexus LC 500

English / French

Last year, in the Los Angeles Auto show, Lexus gave a glimpse at a concept from the future, it was the Lexus LF- C2 concept. It was just a presentation of the looks of the car, not a clear idea about the price, nor the power unit. At the NAIAS 2016, Lexus came back with the production model of the LF-C2, and they named it the Lexus LC 500.

The car specs are becoming clearer now. like the RC 500 it is powered by a 5.0 V8. The all aluminum, 32 valves, front-mounted drivetrain produces 467 bhp @7,100 rpm and 520 Nm of torque @4,800 rpm. Lexus says “it was selected for its smooth, linear throttle response and emotional engine sound”. The new features in the engine are lightweight, strong connecting rods, and titanium valves. Power goes to the rear wheels through a 10-speed automatic transmission. 0 to 60 is done in 4.5 seconds.
The LC 500 is the first car to use the new model of the rear-drive luxury platform. It is a new step for Lexus, and an introduction to the upcoming models. In order to improve the center of gravity, Lexus engineers focused on placing the engine and the driving station in a lower, more centralized position. Result is a lower gravity center and a 52/48 rear/front weight distribution. It is close to perfect, but allows the car to have more road stability and exceptional driving experience.

The exterior, is as presented in The 2015 Los Angeles Auto Show, with the LF-C2. The car comes with curvy aerodynamic lines, and a carbon (or glass-fiber) roof. Light materials have been used for the construction of the chassis and the body of the car. It keeps the LF-C2 front chrome-bordered grille, with air intakes, large air vents in the front, the side, and streamlined body. On the rear, massive double exhaust outlets appear. The head lamps are L shaped, specially designed for the car, same as the rear lights. It has also a rear large diffuser and an active rear spoiler will be offered as options.

Same as the exterior design, the interior is based on the same of the LF-C2. The interior is spacey, welcoming and offers the same sport attitude the exterior offers. The driver hip was calculated to be the closest the car’s center of gravity. Two driving seats models are offered :
* comfort, for the long legged people
* sport : which are more enveloping and offer more “lateral support” for cornering.
The leather covered steering wheel  comes with paddle shifters, and a few buttons that do “things”. There are two digital screens for the car, a digital tachometer and a screen to get to all the options of the car. Leather covers most of the interior, alcantara was used too, but leather mostly.

“At an early stage, the designers collaborated with the engineers to understand their image for the LC 500’s driving dynamics, and they incorporated this into the design” says Mr Tadao Mori, the chief designer of the LC 500.

Only 500 units will be made of the LC 500, with a staggering price tag of $375,000. It will be competing with rough monsters from the Europe scene, like the BMW M4, the AMG GT and maybe the Mercedes Benz S Class Coupe.

Jaguar F-Type SVR Revealing

Is there any way to make a Jaguar F-type any more interesting? apparently someone can. SVR, the tuning division for Land Rover, Range Rover and Jaguar, has the answer for that question, and it is definitely a HELL YES!!

Due to massive leakage for test spyshots, Jaguar decided to reveal the F-type SVR earlier than predicted in the NAIAS 2016, And what a machine it is : more powerful, faster and with a better exhaust note compared to the regular F-type.

The F-type was powered by a supercharged 5.0L V8 engine, with a 550 bhp. The SVR edition is more powerful, it produces 575 bhp from its supercharged 5.0 V8 engine, and 700 Nm of torque going to the four wheels. It comes with a 8-speed automatic, goes from stop to 100 kph in four tenth o a second faster than the regular F-type, which is in just 3.7 seconds, and reaches 194 mph (312 kph) as a top speed. The car gets all the gases out via a lighter (26 pounds lighter) Titanium exhaust. It is fitted with larger air intakes, a larger nose with larger splitter and more air vents, all that allows the engine to have more air to produce more power and get better cooling. In the rear, aerodynamic stability is guaranteed with the use of a large rear diffuser, for a better air channeling under the car, and a large rear wing. Careful guys, don’t let it fly!!

Aston Martin DB9 GT Full Review

The time came to say goodbye to a car that marked all the spirits, the Aston Martin DB9. When it appeared in 2003, it was breath-taking with its massive V12 under the bonnet, developing then 470 bhp, and rocketing the car from stop to 100 kph in just 4,6 seconds. On the road, it has one of the best driving experiences there is. But now, time come for Aston Martin to say its fair wells to the DB9, with a last edition : The DB9 GT.

First thing is first : What is it?
From the outside, it looks like any aggressive Aston : An aluminum body 2-doors coupe, with Vanquisher looks, a huge grill, aerodynamic profile, the rear lamps of the 2013 DB9. On the inside, it has pure Aston Martin’s DB GT cars spirit. Under the bonnet, lies the massive power unit of the car. A 5.9L V12, atmospheric, producing up to 540 bhp @6750 rpm and 620 Nm of torque @5500 rpm. It is a double Over-head camshaft, 48 valve aluminium block, front-mounted engine. Power is transmitted to the rear wheels via a 6-speed automatic “Touchtronic 2” gearbox. 0 to 60 mph (100 kph) is slightly improved compared to the DB9, and it became 4.5 seconds. The pleasure of hearing this car roar is thanks to a catalysed stainless steel exhaust system with active bypass valves. Fuel consumption has been kept the same as the DB9 it is 19 mpg’s . Top speed for the DB9 was 190 mph (310 kph) but the GT top speed has been lowered to 183 mph (295 kph).

The interior is rich, it mixes class and sportiness. It is covered with a full-grain leather body. The Steering wheel is Alcantara made. The seats are electronically adjustable. When it comes to technology, the DB9 GT came ready for everything, it has sat nav, cruise control, automatic temperature control, Bluetooth telephone preparation, front and rear parking sensor, integrated Apple connectors, remote control central door locking, and the list goes on for the interesting features. Sportiness is present with the dark grey attitude, the simplicity of it, it doesn’t have a 3000 buttons to do all sort of stuff, Aston Martin engineers made sure to put what is necessary for the driver to be comfortable, to be able to choose its wanted driving mode (Normal, Sport or Track mode, that is to choose how mad you want the car to be) seat adjustment, interior temperature…

The BD9 GT sits on 20-inch 5 spoke wheels, that do come with Pirelli P Zero tyres. Suspension is electronically regulated in height according to the driving mode. The car comes with independent double wishbones incorporating anti-dive geometry, coil springs, anti-roll bar and monotube adaptive damper for both front and rear suspension. For the Brakes, the four wheels are equipped with ventilated carbon ceramic discs, 398 mm diameter with six-piston monobloc calipers. It is fitted with ABS, DSC, EBD and to make the car mess with its tail, a traction control (that is required to be OFF for fun mode). To ensure aerodynamic stability, the body is volante-like made, the car is fitted with a carbon-fiber rear diffuser. The body is made of aluminum, carbon-fiber and magnesium alloys for weight gain reasons, and the car weights just close to 1900 kgs, which is 100 kg lighter than the old DB9.

The DB9 GT is the last of the Martins DB9’s. It marks the end for such an amazing car. The price put on it is justified by the pleasure it offers to drive it, or just even to look at it, 200,000$.

The most powerful Audi R8 ever produced

When the Audi R8 first appeared, it was quite charming, a baby Audi, that could wreak havoc on the road, with collaborations between Audi and Lamborghini Engineers. It had an astonishing V8 engine, but the most impressive version came with the V10 from the Gallardo. Right now, Audi presented the world with the second generation of R8: The Audi R8 V10 Plus.

Flash news, the second generation R8 won’t come with a cheap V8 alternative, only the 5.2L V10 version will be available with a whooping 610 bhp and 560 Nm @6500 Rpm. Power is transferred to the four wheels via a 7-speed S-tronic dual-clutch transmission, the 6-speed automatic will no longer be used. 0 to 60 is achieved in 3.2 seconds and the top speed is 205 mph (330 kph). There is another engine alternative though, less powerful, dubbed the V8 V10 that can produce 70 bhp less than the V10 plus i.e 532 bhp in total.

The New Audi R8 comes with new features, most remarkable of which is the new S-tronic transmission, which allows the car to open both clutches starting from speeds close to 35 mph, allowing the car to consume less fuel. Not only that, it comes with three driving modes : comfort, auto and dynamic. And if the driver likes to enjoy a nice cruise, he can use the manual paddle shift mode. The R8 V10 plus was developed in the same time and with the same engineer team as the Audi R8 LMS, so Audi expect high in and off track performance. We can add also that the All-wheel-has been added a new electrohydraulic multi-plate clutch differential that allows the engine torque to be fully transferred to the front wheels, fully to the rear wheels, or distribute it in different percentage

Being compared to the first generation of the Ardi R8, the second generation has lost significant weight, 110 pounds, and comes with a new 40% stiffer body structure. It comes with standard Carbon-Ceramic brakes. The interior is more race oriented. It has been added some screens, light materials to the construction. The first Glimpse at the Audi R8 was in the 2015 Geneva Motor Show, and now Audi teased with it in the NAIAS 2016.

Audi says that the starting price will be, and hold on to your chairs, between 165,000$ and 185,000$. Competitors will be the Mercedes AMG GT, the Ferrari 488, the Lamborghini Huracan, the mighty Porsche 911 GT3 RS and even the Bentley Continental GT Speed

Buick Avista Concept

Buick is back, with a cool new design for a new model, presented in the NAIAS 2016. The new model has been dubbed the Avista. It comes in a 2-doors coupe version, that comes with Rear-wheel-drive. It is basically an upgraded version of the Avenir model presented a year ago in the NAIAS 2015 in detroit.

The Avista, like the Avenir, comes with a turbocharged 3.0L V6 engine, producing 400 bhp and coupled to an 8-speed automatic gearbox. It has the same spirit as other General motors engines, as Chevrolet Camaro, Cadillac ATS and CTS. The rear-wheel-drive technology is based on those platforms too.

The interior is classy, bright, and futuristic. Buick has placed a new touch screen in the middle of the car. Carbon-fiber, Aluminum, and other light materials have been used to make the car as light and as futuristic as possible. The roof is all glass made. The seats inside are large, and it allows a comfortable driving experience.

The Avista came to tell loudly that the Buick is back in business, it gives a clear idea about the future of the company. It came with an innovative design,  lines extend from the front to the rear of the car. It has been fitted with a large front grill, and large exhaust pipes, that give a “blessing” note. All of this will be up for the grabs in 2017

2017 Mercedes Benz E Class

Ladies and Gentlemen, meet Mercedes Benz‘s new born baby, The 2017 E Class. After many teasers, many spyshots, and news here and there on the Internet, Mercedes presented finally the newest E Class, and it the most sophisticated, the most intelligent, and I am not sure on the most beautiful.

As always, Mercedes put each of its new models on the throne of its class. Let’s talk engines first. The presented models, were both the E200 and the E220, presenting the all new Mercedes 4-cylinder engine. The E 200 4-cylinder produces up to 184 bhp and 300 Nm of torque, while the more efficient, more powerful diesel E 220 4 cylinder, produces up to 195 bhp and 400 Nm of torque. It has a staggering fuel consumption value of 3.9 L to the 100 km. The new 4-cylinder engines are more compact, smaller, with less space per cylinder. Still, it powerful, in both diesel and petrol engine, and efficient in both fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. Levels go up to 102 g per km, which is fascinating. Another new engine has been presented, and was fitted on the 350 e. It is a 2.0 Liter cylinder, coupled with an electric engine, and producing both up to 286 bhp and 550 Nm in torque. There are two 6-cylinder engines, one fitted on the E300 variant and the most powerful is for the E 400 4 matic. This engine can produce up to 333 bhp and a torque of 480 Nm, but this variant will be sold in Europe only. Of course, let us not forget the mighty AMG variants, The E63 AMG will be having a reworked version of the 4.0L engine fitted to the AMG GT, and C63 AMG, but it will produce around 600 bhp. All that thanks to reworks on the engine material, the turbos, the camshafts… All of these engines are equipped with a 9-gears tronic automatic transmission, as a standard feature. The new feature will be having a Speecshift AMG pack instead of the usual torque converter for all the models.

As many of you noticed, the 2017 E Class, has a restructured face, new headlights, longer wheelbase, and a rear inspired from the S Class. These new “lines” give a direct idea to Mercedes new design philosophy. First of all, the E class is fitted with new Multibeam headlights that come with 84 independant LED bulbs. Road safety comes first, and Mercedes has been working quite hard on assuring the security of its cars, therefore, the new headlights turn towards the direction you’re headed to. Still, the car still has that impression of having the “4 eyes” a distinctive feature of the E class. Not only that, but the car new aggressive look is assured by a new revised grille, that comes with the tri-star in the middle. The new car lines improve the aerodynamics performance, the result is a staggering drag coefficient of 0.23. This improves the car road performance, and reduces overall fuel consumption.

The most fascinating thing about the new E Class is the interior. Everyone talks about it. And it deserves a 6 star rating. It embodies Mercedes Benz philosophy, “The Best Or Nothing”. This is, so far, the best, most sophisticated interior I witnessed, and the new features it comes with, makes the E Class, once again, the best sedan to have. For everyone who got inside the car, the first noticeable thing is that, it looks like the S Class from the inside, it has the same guts, but a spirit of its own. The feature most expected is the the Remote Parking Pilot function, which allows you to park in or out the car using only your smartphone, so just a spin on a circle on your phone screen will have you guide your car, in or out of the parking spot. Not only that, but also, the E Class is fitted with a smarter steering wheel, with new touch control, which makes it feel like a smartphone. The E Class did not have just the same interior as the S Class but also, some of the technological features, such as the lane keeping assist, which maintains the car in the same driving line and the same distance from other cars at speeds close to 120 mph (200 kph). It comes with assisted steering, that notifies the driver when a danger on the road is coming, that detects its pulse, and vibrates in case, he sleeps. You can say that the E Class is not the best car to have a crash in, it just won’t let you, it has enough assistance systems, radars, sensors to make it one of the smartest and the most secure cars on the planet. For the driver’s well-being, the seats are fitted with a massage option, a better surround sound system, one of the best actually, it is the new second-generation Burmester 3D surround system. It comes with 23 speakers and two amplifiers for a total of 1540 watts. The car has an impressive sound isolation system, when inside you do not have to worry about the outside world’s noise. Screens replaced all the buttons, so it seems like the car is a huge smartphone.

There is no price put on such luxury. The car is amazing, it is expected to rock the automotive world. Once again, Mercedes Benz has taken a new step forward compared to each competitors.