SEBASTIAN VETTEL IS INFINITI'S DIRECTOR OF PERFORMANCE

On the opening day of the New York International Auto Show, Infiniti announced Sebastian Vettel, Infiniti Red Bull Racing driver and triple Formula One World Champion, as Director of Performance for the premium automotive brand.

This latest announcement extends and enhances Vettel’s relationship with Infiniti which formally began in 2011. In this capacity, Vettel already has played a crucial role in developing Infiniti’s vehicle line-up, starting with the exclusive Infiniti FX Vettel Edition and most recently with the all-new Infiniti Q50.

Making the announcement, Infiniti President Johan de Nysschen said: “Sebastian’s talent and ability behind the wheel is unquestionable and his role in developing Infiniti vehicles has already proven invaluable. How many premium automotive brands can honestly say its vehicles have been developed alongside a triple World Champion? As our technical collaboration with Infiniti Red Bull Racing continues to deepen, so does our relationship with Sebastian who will be crucial to the development of our future vehicle line-up, ensuring Infiniti stands for passion and performance in a brand that challenges the status quo.”

Vettel has been central to the development of the new Infiniti Q50 from its early stages. He spent time with Infiniti engineers in Japan, providing them with his world-class chassis dynamics, performance and handling feedback. He was then involved in testing early models alongside Infiniti Red Bull Racing Test and Reserve driver Sebastien Buemi in Japan, around the famed Nürburgring in Germany, and at the Formula One pre-season test at the Spanish Circuit de Catalunya in early March.

As Title and Vehicle Performance Partner of Infiniti Red Bull Racing from the start of the 2013 Formula One season, Infiniti has deepened its technical relationship with the Team. This announcement ensures that Vettel will become involved in the development of more future Infiniti vehicles.

“I am really happy to extend my relationship with Infiniti and become their Director of Performance,” said Sebastian Vettel. “Helping to develop the Infiniti Q50 was a very different type of driving duty for me but I approached it in exactly the same way as I do my Formula One car. I am looking forward to working closely with Infiniti in developing more of their road cars into the future.”

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Post Title → SEBASTIAN VETTEL IS INFINITI'S DIRECTOR OF PERFORMANCE

FOUR NEW AUDI RS MODELS FOR 2013

Audi’s quest to overtake BMW as the number one premium car maker in the world took a slight knock last quarter as it delivered 11 904 fewer cars globally than Bavaria. Nevertheless that will not keep the good four rings down as it plans to accelerate its mission by bringing out four new hi-performance RS models in 2013.

Said cars are the RS Q3, RS 6 Avant, RS 7 Sportback and the RS 5 Cabriolet. We are very excited about the first three, but while the RS 6 Avant looks to be a very useful performance tool, it may not reach Mzansi at all, due to our natural aversion to station wagons.

Audi executives in Europe said that RS models, which traditionally were brought out about two years before a model range was due for complete replacement, would not be launchedmuch sooner. You’ll now get our RS version no later than 2.5 years into a new model’s life cycle, or just before the facelift.

This is excellentnews, because it means that the all-new A4, due out in 2014, will show off its new RS 5 and RS 4 versions at the very latest in 2016, instead of what would previously have been 2019. It also means the next RS 3, with about 270kW, can now be expected before the middle of 2015.

Post Title → FOUR NEW AUDI RS MODELS FOR 2013

GM INJECTING LIFE-SAVING CASH INTO OPEL

Opel and its UK twin Vauxhall are to receive a massive €4 billion (about R46.5 billion) cash injection from parent General Motors over the next four years in order to help the struggling European brands crawl out of their current bad situation.

The money will be used, among others, to develop and eventually deliver about 23 new models to the market by 2016. Even in the Mzansi market, the once-respected Opel brand has taken a serious dip in sales, despite really good products like the Astraand Meriva ranges. It has been left far behind by its chief rivals from Ford, Toyota and Volkswagen, and to a certain extent, its own cousins at Chevrolet.

Post Title → GM INJECTING LIFE-SAVING CASH INTO OPEL

SMALLER PORSCHE BOXER ENGINE COMING?

There is news doing the rounds on the internet that Porsche is working on a smaller, 4-cylinder boxer engine. At the moment the German premium car maker is only offering the boxer option in 6-cylinderformat. Word online is that it will displace 2.5-litres, like Audi’s TT RS and previous-generation RS 3 Avant motor.

No one is saying much though in terms of official confirmation, but it is understood that the motor will deliver about 260kW and over 450Nm of torque, and come both naturally aspirated as well as turbocharged. The most likely recipients are the Cayman and Boxster, with the Macan a dark horse.

In any event, this rumoured little firecracker is supposedly only scheduled to appear inside a car for the first time in 2015.

Post Title → SMALLER PORSCHE BOXER ENGINE COMING?