The still unnamed roadster will be built on the 370Z platform and will take its styling cues from the 370Z and the Nissan Urge concept, which made its world debut at the Detroit Auto Show in 2007. The sports car will be powered a new turbocharged 1.6-liter petrol engine that will feature Nissan’s new Variable Compression Ratio (VCR) Piston Crank System that uses a multilink connecting rod to vary the compression ratio. Under light load conditions, the engine will use a higher compression ratio and low turbo boost for improved thermal efficiency and fuel economy, but under heavy acceleration, the VCR system will shift to a lower compression ratio with higher boost pressure for greater power! According to inside sources, the engine will produce a maximum power in the region of 200 to 225 bhp, enough to propel the car from 0 to 60 mph in 6.5 seconds and on to a top speed of 140 mph, while producing low CO₂ emissions and a fuel economy of around 35 mpg!

According to Auto Express, Nissan hopes to keep the price right around $20,000 and hopes to have the car in dealers’ showrooms by 2011.

[Source: Auto Express]

It seems the German automaker has shelved plans for a diesel version of the Audi R8 after 12 months of deliberation! Two concept versions the R8 diesel made their appearance last year, first the Audi R8 V12 TDI made its world debut at the Detroit Motor Show and then the Audi R8 V12 TDI Le Mans appeared at the Geneva Motor Show, impressing on both occasions.

Both concept cars were powered by a twin-turbo 6.0-liter V12 TDI engine that produces 500 bhp and a maximum torque of 738 lb-ft. Zero to 60 mph was claimed to be achieved in just 4.2 seconds while a top speed of 186 mph was also claimed. However, Audi officials have now indicated that the R8 V12 TDI will not see production as the R8’s chassis would need to be changed to accommodate the massive twin-turbo 6.0-liter V12 TDI engine, especially as there is limited space in the R8’s aluminium spaceframe.

The cost of re-engineering the R8 to accommodate the V12 TDI and the slump in US demand for diesel-powered cars, which accounts for a third of Audi R8 sales worldwide means that Audi would not able to recoup investments in re-engineering the R8 through sales!

[source Auto Express]

The naturally aspirated 5.2-Liter V10 engine will has dry sump lubrication and produces a maximum of 525 bhp at 8,000 rpm and 391 lb-ft of torque at 6,500 rpm. This, combined with a weight of only 3,571 lb, thanks to a aluminum body, a six-speed manual transmission (a sequential R tronic transmission is available as an option) and a the all-wheel drive Quattro system propels the Audi R8 V10 5.2 FSI Quattro to a scorching zero to 62 mph time of just 3.9 seconds and on to a top speed of 196.35 mph! Eight piton brake calipers at the front and four piston brake calipers at the rear, as well as large ventilated and perforated brake disks all round are responsible for stopping the R8 V10 Quattro. In addition, a ceramic brake system that provides even better stopping power is available as an option.

The Audi R8 V10 5.2 FSI Quattro will be available on the show room floor from the second quarter of 2009 and will retail at a basic price of € 142,400.

The next generation NSX was to be the most powerful car ever built by Honda and was to feature a V10 engine, which is now also in doubt. However, Honda hasn’t scrapped the NSX completely and may return to the project once the auto industry recovers from the current economic crisis. Despite the unveiling of the next generation NSX, Honda will have a low-key presence at the Detroit Auto Show, having canceled its press conference.

The 60 degree twin-turbo V12 TDI engine is based on the engine in Audi’s two-time LeMans wining R10 sports prototype race car! For the Audi R8 TDI Le Mans the high performance V12 TDI engine has been enlarged to 6.0-liters (up from 5.5-liters in the Audi R10 sports prototype) and detuned for the road. Though the engine still produces a massive 500 horsepower and a peak torque of 737.56 lb-ft from only 1,750 rpm to 3,000 rpm! With that amount of torque, zero to 62 mph is reached in just 4.2 seconds before reaching an electronically limited top speed of over 185 mph!

The power is transferred to all four wheels via Audi’s quattro permanent all-wheel drive system and a compact six-speed manual transmission with a double-plate clutch. The quattro permanent all-wheel drive system distributes power variably between the front and rear wheels starting from a 40:60 ratio.

The Audi R8 TDI Le Mans twin-exhaust system features a special catalytic converter downstream of the oxidizing catalyst and the particulate filter and an additional tank containing an aqueous urea solution that is injected into the exhaust system. The hot exhaust gases break the solution down to form ammonia that splits the nitric oxides into nitrogen and water and enables the Audi R8 TDI Le Mans to meet the Euro 6 emissions standard that is likely to be introduced in 2014!

[Source: Audi]