Hoa Hong

Price of this new car:

After the new Special Consumption Tax (engine capacity method) becomes effective as from 1st April, 2009, Mercedes-Benz Vietnam (MBV) has reduced the prices of its luxury sedans C200K Elegance and E200K Avantgarde.

The two models enjoy a lower SCT of 45% (previously: 50%) and therefore have price reduction of USD2,000. The new prices, applied from April 1, are 59,990 USD for C200K Elegance and 79,900 USD for E200K Avantgarde.
“We are pleased that from now Vietnamese customers can enjoy lower prices. The 4 cylinder engines of Mercedes-Benz of below 2.0 liters are powerful with 184hp, giving same performance as cars with bigger engines. The good news is our efficient, eco-friendly engines have become even more affordable from April 1,” said Dr. Udo Loersch, General Director of Mercedes-Benz Vietnam.

“Mercedes-Benz is the only CKD automobile manufacturer in Vietnam that meets the stringent EURO4 emission standards with exceptional performance on these engines”, he added.

Under the new system, SCT is 45%, 50% and 60% respectively on passenger cars up to 9 seats with cylinder capacity <2.0l,> 3.0L.

Source: mercedes-benz

The Honda NSX may yet surface but not as the 5.5-litre V10 rocket that it was initially supposed to be. Having shelved the project in late 2008 reports suggested that virtually nothing could be done by Honda to salvage it. That is until now.

It appears that automakers are steadily shifting towards the green sports car and the NSX could be the next one on the list. A rumour has surfaced that says not only is the NSX back on track but it will now ditch the petrol V10 for a next generation "valveless throttle" 3.5-litre V6 with a hybrid system.

In total the car would produce about 330kW (450PS), effectively taking it out of Nissan GT-R territory and putting it squarely against the Toyota FT-HS as well as the likes of the Audi RS 5 and the BMW M3. However the added weight of the batteries and other hybrid apparatus could negate its performance potential. So the times previously posted by the V10 at the Nurburgring might be revised.

The company's SH-AWD system is to be used and placed on an aluminium platform. No launch dates are yet mentioned, but given that the original V10 car was expected to launch in 2010, the hybrid version could follow along similar lines.

Source: 7tune

new car: 2010 Acura ZDX 

best car

With today's leak, we would not be surprised to get official word from Acura about the RDX sometime soon.

Source: satoauto.com via autoblog.com

Infiniti has released official photos of the new 2011 M37 and M56 sedans upon its unveiling at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. Revealed through a unique video mapping process, in which a ‘virtual M' was created on a 3D form, it is the world's first ‘virtual only' (no physical vehicle) automotive application of this cutting-edge technology.

Featuring dynamic styling, inspired by the Infiniti Essence concept, the new M sedans have an aggressive appearance with elegant detailing. The front end is dominated by a massive grille which is beautifully integrated into the flowing lines of the hood and front bumper. Further back, the character lines rise above the rear wheels to help give the M a "hunkered down" stance.

Inside, the 2011 M sedan is a huge improvement over its predecessor. Materials and build quality seem excellent, while the flowing design helps to add interest. As before, the center stack is dominated by a large display, "top-mounted" controls, and plenty of wood trim. Oddly enough, the car appears to feature two different controls knobs: one on the center console and another below the navigation system.

While official specifications weren't released, the M37 should adopt a 3.7-liter V6 engine with 328 hp and 269 lb-ft of torque. On the other hand, the M56 will likely boast a 5.6-liter V8 with at least 390 hp. In Europe, the M56 will be replaced by a "V6 performance diesel".

Look for the M sedans to make their public debuts later this year, with sales scheduled to begin in spring 2010.

Source: Infiniti

Handwriting-recognition feature for navigation system will allow drivers to simply write out a destination name by hand

Reports have surfaced that the next-generation Audi A8's satellite navigation system will feature handwriting-recognition software so that drivers can enter destinations by hand rather than writing them out by dialing through the system.

The point of the new technology is to do away with cumbersome keypads and eliminating the need to use dials to select letters to spell out destination names. This way, the driver simply writes the destination by hand and the software recognizes it instantly.

Current A8 models also feature fingerprint recognition technology, so that a driver can return all of the car's settings, including seat adjustment, to their personalized preferences.

The new Audi A8 is expected to debut sometime later this year and go on sale in 2010.

But hey, isn't the whole point of a computer that you don't have to write things out by hand, olden times-style?

And how come voice-recognition hasn't worked out?

Technology: supposed to make things simpler - only makes them more complicated.

 
Source: autocar.co.uk and autoexpress.co.uk