Inside Lane

Issue 37 Beijing Motor Show

Hello and welcome to issue 37 of the magazine. Well this month has been full of big news such as Lamborghini’s brand new 4X4 that packs over 600BHP. Mercedes-Benz came to Beijing with what could just be the most beautiful saloon you will ever lay eyes on, and of course Dodge reveled the 2012 Viper.

Over the page you will find all this and more so enjoy!

Supercharged...

The premium crossover market is huge and with almost every brand having a stab at producing

a class leading machine, the pecking order changes almost on a monthly basis. Audi, not

wanting to lag behind bring the new 2012 Q5 to the forefront of the battle for the school run

mums.

Though the exterior changes may be small, the effect they have on the overall packaging

makes the Q5 a rather shiny penny. Going up against the refreshed X3, this new model had to

bring more than just some new lights to the table. The Germans have equipped the 2012 model

with a host of new engines that offer a wide range of capabilities. The top model diesel is

powered by a 3.0 litre TDI V6 with more power than last year, and the top petrol is now a

supercharged 3.0 litre V6 with 268BHP.

Enter The Dragon

China is becoming a huge market for all

car manufacturers. As more motors are

being bought there every day, it is the

European brands that are eager to capture

as many of those sales as possible to aid

the tough economic climate of their

homelands. Aston Martin enter the dragon

with some special cars.

The Dragon 88 Special Editions are to be

the ultimate in customization from Aston

Martin. Each of the 88 units feature a 24-

carat gold Aston Martin badge. 3 Special

colours can also be chosen for either the

DBS Volante, Virage Coupe, and V8

Vantage S that make up these rare

machines. This is all to celebrate Aston

opening 11 new dealers in China and help

promote the British brands new Q

customization branch.

The Rain In Spain...

The Seat Ibiza has been a good

source of income for the brand for a

long time now. Sharing many

components with the VW Polo, the

little hatch is a reliable as its German

counterpart but does lack in premium

to badge snobs. However, what this

car lacks in fit and finish it makes up

for in character. This is the new Ibiza

Cupra.

We love the Cupra badged Seats as

this is where the company gets a little

bit of freedom from the VW

configured Polo underneath. This

close to production concept previews

what is to come for the recently

launched 2012 Ibiza. The styling is

brilliant but better yet is that the cars

1.4 litre engine is both turbo and

supercharged! This makes for a hot

hatch with 180BHP that also packs a

class leading 7 speed DSG gearbox.

Mercedes-Benz

CSC

Design has come a very long way in the motor industry. From what once was form

following function we now bathe our eyes with evocative shapes. Swooping lines,

bulging bumps and muscular curves have all become standard on the roads of 2012.

As a result it is much harder to capture beauty that stands apart from the mainstream,

but my goodness, Mercedes-Benz have created something special here.

Going by the name of CSC (Concept Style Coupe) this breathtaking sculpture has to

be one of the most delectable machines on wheels. Set to cost under £20,000 when it

goes on sale next year, the car will rival the up and coming Audi A3 Saloon. Though in

concept form, designers have said that what you see before you is very close to what

the finished product will look like. Powered by a 2.0 litre turbocharged four cylinder,

the CSC produces 208BHP in this guise. Better yet is news of an AMG model with

over 330BHP! The overall silhouette of the car is very attractive but look even closer

and what you will see is art within art. The detailing is exquisite with every line and

LED enunciating another unique styling event.

We really can not wait for this car.

Pocket-MonsterIt is almost like a comical competition between the Germans to see just who has the biggest

portfolio. If you were to tell BMW that size doesn’t matter, their efforts with the X6 and 5 Series

GT should shout back “we don’t care!” Audi has been vastly expanding their model range also

and are now testing the water with a new concept car. Crossovers have flourished over the

past few years but the four rings hope to bring to the market its first proper performance baby

SUV.

This is the Audi RS Q3 Concept and it is what happens when the jacked-up A3 gets a little bit

of performance love. Powered by a 2.5 litre turbocharged 5 cylinder that powers all four

wheels, the RS Q3 will sprint from 0-62MPH in just 5.2 seconds. The rather butch looking

machine packs 360BHP behind that menacing grill. Debuting in Beijing, Audi say it is just a

concept car for now, but as always if enough interest is generated the car could hit showrooms

very soon.

Over the past few years Peugeot have been designing a series of cars that were rather bland and

unappetizing. They never showed aspirations of being class leaders and up until the launch of the RCZ we

were rather worried that Peugeot’s good work of the past would remain in the history books. The new 208

has shown that a change is coming for the French company and this new concept further pushed the point

home.

The HR1 Concept we saw in 2010 has been reborn into a much more production ready car named the

Urban Crossover. Looking to enter the premium market, Peugeot have used a bold styling design to make

the car really look the part. We very much like the sculpted rear end and flared wheel arches that give it a

touch of refined aggression. Let’s hope that the finished article stay true to this concept.

Peugeot Urban Crossover Concept

“Very Posh Indeed...”

Many brands have ambassadors of high celebrity stature. Just look at the many sportsmen Gillette use to

maintain that their product is “the best a man can get.” Victoria Beckham, former Spice Girl and wife of

England football star David, helped craft the excellent Range Rover Evoque. Now she has a special

edition all of her own.

The Vitoria Beckham Special Edition is limited to just 200 units making MRS B’s eye for design something

that will be sampled by very few. The car is finished in matte back paint that contrasts the gloss finish of

the roof. Inside you will find tanned leather seating and suede headlining. The cost of all this luxury and

exclusivity? £80,000. Now considering that the standard car costs about £40,000 I couldn’t really justify

why it is worth double. Then again I’m told by many women that the small, almost unreadable, logo on

their tiny handbag is worth the extra hundreds of pounds.

GTS Today car manufacturers are looking for undiscovered niches in the

market in order to gain every possible sale under the sun. We have

had crazy 4X4’s that pretend to be sports cars, the ever popular baby

SUV and now the rush is on for each badge to produce what is being

dubbed a “super SUV.” Porsche has added a sportier edge to the

Cayenne with a new GTS model.

It appears that the GTS badge will one day soon be available on every Porsche model, but this morning we

received word that the brilliant new Cayenne is next. Bases on the Cayenne S, the GTS is powered by the

same V8 engine but in this form BHP is cranked up to 420. The Germans have also loaded the car with their

8 speed flappy-paddle affair meaning the in tandem with all that power, the high riding Porch will cover

0-62MPH in just 5.7 seconds and 0-100MPH in 13.3. The chassis has had a good going over to insure a

more focused experience than other Cayenne models.

The Porsche Cayenne GTS will be available in July.

SNAKE BITE

The late 80’s and early 90’s really weren’t good times for American car manufacturers. Over this

period they managed to churn out some of the worst machines the world has ever had the

displeasure of hosting. But in 1992 America got its stars and stripes back. The Dodge Viper was a no

nonsense, fire spitting monster that fully intended to play rough with the big boys. In 2010 the snake

was put to bed as times grew tough for Dodge. But now two decades after the original made its

debut, the Viper is back.

This is the 2013 Dodge SRT Viper and isn’t it quite something to look at! It is pure attitude with clear

design eliminates taken from an actual viper. It is the sort of car that gets us all excited just looking at

pictures as every bold feature makes a statement. Powered by a 8.4 litre V10 producing 631BHP and

600lb-ft of torque, this beast has the meat to back up the astonishing visual drama. The body is

mainly constructed of carbon fibre and contributes to the car weighing 32% less than its predecessor.

Inside the cockpit is leaps and bounds better than the old car in terms of quality.

V12 MonsterThe notions of a parallel universe are nothing new. Science fiction has fueled the idea

for decades that for every decision we make, in another world an opposite and equal

effect takes place. Well if this all turns out to be true you can forget it happening on

another world first. Try Germany and the UK. The Mercedes G-Class is the antimatter

to the Land Rover Defenders matter.

This is the new 2013 Mercedes-Benz G-Class, and just like the Defender, its design

hasn’t changed for decades. Alterations this year come in the form of LED lights as per

the law these day, a more sculpted grill that goes much deeper, and an interior that

hasn’t changed all that much. What has change, however, is the selection of motors

you can have under the bonnet. This year the lineup consists of a G500, G350, a 5.4

litre V8 G55 AMG, and a biblical G65 AMG V12. The 12 cylinder from the SL65 is

ported over and squeezed under the short stubby nose of the G wagon. Its 6.0 litre

engine produces 612BHP. The downside? It is unlikely to make its way to the UK….

The Ultimate Cat

Pounces

The Jaguar XJ has been with us since 1968 and remained largely unchanged. That

was until late 2009 when the big cat reveled a big gamble it was to take. The new car

was a styling revolution and moved away from the cold war architecture of its

forefathers. It quickly became popular with diplomats and Prime Ministers wanting to

show that they, like Jaguar, are willing to move into the blazing light of modern day

Great Britain. Jag are now revealing what they call the ultimate XJ.

Debuting in Beijing, the Jaguar XJ Ultimate with its 510BHP supercharged V8 engine

is no pussy cat. Though inside passengers may find it puuur-fect (Ok, I’ll stop now)

with electric reclining seats, dual iPads built into the front seats, tables, chiller, T.V.,

LED lights and raised central console.

Lamborghini Urus

We have had the

speculation, the teasers

and the inevitable leaks but

now it is time to get all

official. The Lamborghini

Urus now stands bold on its

Beijing show stand with

nothing to hide. So what is

new now that Lamborghini’s

concept is out in the open?

Built to test the water for

the Italians third model, the

Urus becomes the second

4X4 Lamborghini has ever

built. There is no

confirmation on what

powers the car but the

raging bull promises over

600BHP and to be the

fastest production 4X4 in

the world. The cabin of the

concept seats four adults

with all your usual luxury

refinements. Lamborghini

says that this off-roader

path was taken over a

super saloon as many

Lamborghini owners also

own a 4X4. Though we

don’t know what engine is

squeezed under that raked

bonnet, speculation has it

that it is Audi’s twin-turbo

V8.