Carqacteristic Design ; Facelifted 2012 Skoda Superb and Octavia Snapped Testing in the Alps

While the Volkswagen Group is keeping itself busy with new introductions such as the VW brand's Up! and the soon-to-be launched Skoda MissionL (albeit under a different name), the company has not forget about its current portfolio and is working on improving its offerings in all segments..

This time, our team of spy photographers snagged the 2012 Skoda Superb facelift in sedan form undergoing testing in the Alps.

Skoda's engineers had the front and rear ends of the cars covered up to hide the styling tweaks, but it seems that the Superb will gain a similar front end treatment to the MissionL concept with a slightly longer grille, revised headlamps and a redesigned bumper with a large opening that encompasses the lower set of lights.

Comparable changes are expected at the back with new tail lamps (possibly with LEDs) and a re-sculptured bumper.

In one of the spy pictures, we also spotted a camouflaged Skoda Octavia Combi (that would be the silver car you see in the spy pictures below). Apparently, even though the Czech automaker refreshed the Octavia in late 2008, it is preparing another facelift for its compact model.

The changes that we can see on the Octavia prototype include a revised front end with a new bumper that sports the same styling cues as the MissionL Concept and the 2012 Superb. 

New Design Avanti is India’s First Sports Car, Production Enter in 2013

The Italian automotive industry is renowned not only for supercar-making companies like Ferrari and Lamborghini, but also for its carrozzerias like Pininfarina and Bertone, which design and engineer cars for other automakers as well as manufacture their own limited production models.

The Indian automotive industry, on the other hand, is best known as the country that manufactures the world’s cheapest car, the Tata Nano, which may or may not lose the title to the Bajaj RE60.

own sport car thanks to DC Design’s Avanti that was launched at the 2012 New Delhi Auto Expo.

Founded by former GM designer Dilip Chhabria, DC Design is mostly known for its one-off prototypes. The Avanti, however, is a production ready sports car that will be manufactured at the company’s brand new plant at Talagon near its existing Prune facilities.

“Every country which has written its name in the pantheon of automobile manufacturing has invariably distinguished itself with sports cars by its own nationals and I thought that India rightly needs to be in this exclusive club”, said Chhabria. “The design is completely our very own as is the engineering and also the production process. Type approval and on-road tests would follow soon”.

Chhabria added that DC Design plans to manufacture 300 units of the Avanti in 2013-2014 and, if all goes well, increase annual production to four figures.

As its creator admits, India’s first supercar “doesn’t reinvent the wheel” as far as its conception and manufacturing process is concerned.

Like all small-volume manufacturers, DC Design will use parts from various carmakers, especially in the powertrain and suspension depaetments.

The prototype that was unveiled at the 2012 Auto Expo is constructed around a lightweight but rigid spaceframe chassis. It features unequal-length wishbones and coil over shock absorbers on both axles, 19-inch wheels with 255/35 front and 295/30 rear tires and 330 mm ventilated disc brakes with AP Racing calipers.

It is powered by a mid-mounted 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder EcoBoost engine sourced from Ford and tuned to deliver 240HP and 366Nm (270 lb-ft) of torque. Thanks to its compliance with Euro 5 emissions regulations it can also be exported, while a slight change in the engine mapping will make it compatible with the oncoming Euro 6 regulation.

Power is transmitted to the rear wheels via a Ford-sourced six-speed manual gearbox, while the Avanti will also be optionally available with a dual-clutch PowerShift transmission.

Although 240HP combined with a dry kerb weight of 1,562 kg (3,443 pounds) isn’t exactly supercar territory, the Avanti will be priced at a reasonable Rs 30 lakh, or around US$56,000 at the current exchange rates.

Later on, it may also be offered with a turbocharged Honda V6, which with an output of around 400HP should seriously improve performance (and, presumably, increase the price accordingly). 

Photo Gallery

super fast sports car : 2012 Lamborghini Gallardo LP550-2 Spyder

2012 Lamborghini Gallardo LP550-2 Spyder-Interior

The exterior design of this cool sport car is similar to the Lamborghini Gallardo LP550-2 Valentino Balboni, lean and in shape of a tapered body follow is symbolizing the revised aerodynamic so that this new Gallardo has a special character and super fast sports car. The suspension of Gallardo LP550-2 Spyder was redesigned to cater to large power that is exhaled by V10 which can generate power for up to 550 hp and torque 540 NM great Power from the V10 engine can transmitted to the rear wheels with six-speed transmission this car can sprint from 0 to 100 km/h just in 4.2 seconds at a speed peak of translucent 319 km/h.

2012 Lamborghini Gallardo LP550-2 Spyder : super fast sports car

Lamborghini typically unveils a droptop chronicle of a single of a models during a LA Auto Show, in all with a really prolonged as good as really Italian name. This year is no exception, as Lamborghini has pulled a wraps off a Gallardo LP550-2 Spyder, radically a automobile chronicle of a Gallardo LP550-2 Valentino Balboni.

As described in a name, a idealisation Lambo facilities a long ways mounted V10 make-up 550 horsepower that is driven to one side by a back wheels. The cessation has been privately tuned to work with a rear-wheel-drive architecture, as good as aerodynamics have been somewhat revised, as well, in some-more aged to a customary Gallardo LP570-4. Both a six-speed primer as good as six-speed e-gear delivery will be offered, nonetheless we’re guessing many business will opt for a flappy paddles.

You can review some-more sum about Lamborghini’s ultimate Gallardo LP550-2 Spyder in a press recover after a jump, as good as check out a automobile in item in a art studio above.

Automobili Lamborghini is expanding a many successful indication line ever built underneath a pointer of a longhorn with a really special car – a ultimate Gallardo LP 550-2 Spyder combines a open spyder physique impression with precisionist back Wheel Drive. This chronicle brings together that overwhelming turn of alfresco pushing fun that can come usually from a super sports automobile with a folding roof tiles as good as an unbelievably flexible as good as extemporaneous handling.

“With a Gallardo LP 550-2 Spyder, you have been expanding a Lamborghini lineup with a precisionist indication that adds nonetheless an additional dimension of pushing fun. This will interest in sold to a really special organisation of business that suffer a energetic pushing impression as good as additionally similar to to knowledge a undiluted wish of alfresco driving,” says Stephan Winkelmann, President as good as CEO of Automobili Lamborghini. “This special indication with rear-wheel expostulate is a judicious enlargement of a lineup of spyder models with all-wheel drive.”

The many critical technical characteristics of a Lamborghini LP 550-2 Spyder have been already tangible from a indication nomination – LP stands for Longitudinale/Posteriore, for a mid-engine built long ways in front of a back axle. 550 refers to a energy outlay in hp, as good as a 2 stands for a expostulate to a back wheels. At Lamborghini, a word spyder equates to a idealisation singularity of a fascinating, strenuously fluent super sports automobile design, a idealisation alfresco disturb as good as undiluted wish for all a senses.

A pushing knowledge of a tip precision
The Lamborghini Gallardo LP 550-2 Spyder with rear-wheel expostulate is a undiluted fit for a kind of sports automobile motorist that enjoys a quite hands-on as good as energetic impression of driving. The setup is laid out to safeguard that a back finish stays arguable as good as fast during all times, whilst a front spindle steers with a tip turn of pointing as good as boundary transformation to an comprehensive minimum.

Thanks to a magnificently absolute V10 engine, tranquil oversteer is not a problem, nonetheless regularly as good as usually to a border prescribed by a driver. Its easy-to-control highway manners as good as a ESP partner complement grown for these vehicles have a Gallardo LP 550-2 Spyder an outstandingly protected sports automobile to drive.

Further grown chassis, expostulate complement as good as engine

In sequence to figure this singular impression of pushing fun as good as safety, a engineers in Sant’Agata Bolognese carried out endless modifications to a Gallardo LP 550-2 Spyder, building it privately for these ultimate characteristics. Not usually was expostulate strong upon a back axle, a automobile was additionally utterly retuned in all a energetic details. This Includes a specific dampers setting. The aerodynamics were additionally blending to comment for a shift in a placement of forces.

The automobile uncover out a products with a back spindle with a 45-percent locking differential, as good as a embracing a cause of a e-gear transmission. All finished with a glorious instrumentation of a ESP fortitude carry out system. While a customary module puts a priority upon stability, a CORSA module allows incomparable deposit angles as good as delivers a rarely complete tall regard of a full dynamics of a LP 550-2. All a glorious characteristics of a Gallardo framework have been entirely defended – a appreciative bodyroll comfort, as good as a glorious directional fortitude during tall speed.

Outstanding opening is guaranteed

The heart of a Gallardo – a 5.2-liter ten-cylinder – was additionally retuned as good as a characteristics optimized for rear-wheel drive, delivering that undiluted as good as monumental singularity of high-revving pleasure, pulling power, generous spirit as good as absolute tune in all keys. In a LP 550-2 Spyder, a compress as good as lightweight energy section delivers 405 kW (550 hp). Thanks to one after another Lamborghini lightweight pattern as good as an intensely low dry weight of only 1,520 kilograms, unusual opening is on trial – a LP 550-2 catapults itself from 0 to 100 km/h in only 4,2 seconds. And a tip speed of 319km/h guarantees it a place between a idealisation super sports cars. The soft-top of a Gallardo Spyder is written for sum top-speed delight both open as good as closed.

Careful individualization of a lineup

With a Gallardo LP 550-2 Spyder, Lamborghini is expanding a many successful indication line of all time (to-date a sum of scarcely 11.800 have been built in Sant’Agata Bolognese) with a overwhelming various that continues a successful individualization of a lineup. This includes a LP 560-4 Spyder, as good as a ultra-high-performance Gallardo LP 570-4 Spyder Performante, that boasts an even serve weight rebate by carbon-fiber lightweight engineering. The idealisation chronicle between a coupe variants is a Gallardo LP 570-4 Super Trofeo Stradale – a road-going chronicle of a competition automobile featured in a world’s fastest single-brand racing series.

Twin-turbo Lamborghini Gallardo competition an Aventador - more than 600 horsepower

There’s no disbelief a batch Lamborghini Gallardo doesn’t have a courage to go toe-to-toe with a some-more absolute sibling, a Aventador. But have no mistake: That’s zero a integrate large turbochargers can’t fix.

The identical tiwn turbos come pleasantness of Heffner Performance, as well as they spin a Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera in to a beast with some-more than 600 horsepower force fed by a V10 engine as well as to all 4 wheels. For a consequence of comparison, a of course aspirated Aventador offers up 691 horsepower true from a factory.

There’s no interpretation upon which Heffner pack this Gallardo has been propitious with, so you can’t contend just how most horses it’s stealing underhood – it could be as most as 1200. At any rate, after examination a video, all you know is which it’s some-more than 691. See for yourself… as well as keep a racing cramped to a racetrack, please.

Frankfurt Motor Show, Lamborghini to benefaction idealisation Gallardo during Frankfurt

The Lamborghini Gallardo has been upon the marketplace right divided for the improved partial of the decade. Along the way, it has led to large variants: the small with roofs, the small without, the small with all-wheel drive, the small with rear, the small with as reduction than 500 horsepower as well as the small with scarcely 570. Soon the complete operation will be transposed with the latest indication suspicion to be called Cabrera, though prior to it does, word upon the strada is which the Raging Bull marque is formulation the single last hurrah.

And what the hand it will be. Reportedly formed upon the Super Trofeo competition automobile that’s fielded in the spec racing array of the same name, the “Super Trofeo Stradale” is sloping to entrance during subsequent month’s Frankfurt uncover as the last iteration of the Gallardo.

Little word during this indicate upon only what it will entail, though design some-more energy as well as reduction weight than any various which has preceded it. For reference, the track-bound Super Trofeo packs the 562-horsepower V10 though with 240 pounds reduction heft than the customary Gallardo as well as 88 pounds reduction than the stripped-out Superleggera. Expect the roadgoing chronicle to strike 60 miles per hour in 3 seconds prosaic as well as run out to the tip finish of the small 210 mph.

We’ll have to wait for until you get to the Messe to find out more, though that’s small over the month away, so stay tuned.