2015 Mercedes-Benz GLA crossover revealed ahead of Frankfurt motor show

 

Mercedes-Benz will show its new-for-2015 GLA -- its first-ever shot at the compact SUV class -- at the 2013 Frankfurt motor show in September. The GLA will arrive in U.S. showrooms in fall 2014.

The GLA is a sharp, muscular-looking little thing, measuring 173.9 inches long and 58.8 inches high. The little SUV, set to battle the Audi Q3, BMW X1 and Range Rover Evoque, is the first Mercedes SUV available with the (optional) new-generation permanent all-wheel drive system (4MATIC) with fully variable torque distribution.

Power comes from a 2.0-liter turbo four developing 208 hp and 258 lb ft of torque, good enough for a 6.4-second sprint to 60 mph. The engine is mated to a 7-speed dual clutch automatic transmission. Stop-start is standard. Suspension is McPherson struts in front and multilink rear. 18-inch wheels are standard, 19 inchers are optional.

Mercedes promises high-quality materials inside, with a heavy emphasis on horizontal surfacing and tight gaps. You can choose aluminum or wood trim.

Of course there is safety equipment galore, including what Benz calls Collision Prevention Assist Plus: If potential for an accident arises and the driver doesn't respond, the system will brake the car at speeds up to 124 mph. The system also brakes in response to stationary vehicles up to 18 mph, and can prevent rear-end collisions at speeds up to 12 mph. You'll also find blindspot and lane-keeping assist and optional park assist.

There is also a long list of infotainment features, including full smart-phone integration, internet connectivity, applications such as Facebook and Twitter, and street view on the nav system.

BMW i3, electric 3-series with 100-mile range

FRANKFURT, Germany - BMW AG is showing off the production model of its new i3 electric compact that uses carbon-fiber materials to keep the weight down and improve driving performance.

Chief executive Norbert Reithofer stressed at a Manhattan unveiling that the car was designed as an electric from the ground up. The i3 is "born electric," he said.

The company says the i3, built in Leipzig, Germany, will go from zero to 62 mph in 7.2 seconds. Its range is billed as 80-100 miles. Models with an optional range extender gas engine can go as far as 200 miles.

Toyota Emirates Drifting Team secures 2nd place in round 6 of Drift UAE

In the final round of this season’s Drift UAE held at Yas Marina Circuit, Toyota Emirates Drifting Team, represented by Ahmed Al Ameri, grabbed 2nd place after an amazing display of poise and tyre smoke in front of hundreds of UAE drifting fans.

Al Ameri describing his performance said, “Tonight’s competition was amazing and the fans’ continuous encouragement made it even greater. My practice runs were fantastic meaning I qualified in top position, with a large margin, and went directly to the semi-finals. An unavoidable error in the final round prevented me from getting the 1st place I was striving for but I’m delighted with 2nd position today and finishing 4th in the overall championship. Ending the season on a high note will definitely give Toyota EDT a push for the next season with our Toyota 86.”

THREE STUDENT TEAMS TO REPRESENT THE UAE IN F1 in SCHOOLS WORLD FINALS

Abu Dhabi, UAE, 14th May 2013:  With less than six months to go until the 2013 Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Yas Marina Circuit was the scene of another F1 this week when it hosted more than 200 student competitors in the 5th annual F1 in Schools UAE National Finals presented by Mubadala.

Supported by parents, education officials and VIPs, competition between the 37 Senior and Junior teams was fierce as they went head to head in a bid to secure the title of UAE Professional Category Champions. As a result, three teams – ADROIT INFINITUM from The Indian High School in Dubai, Strike Automobiles from The School of Research Science in Dubai, and All-female Emirati team Popcom from Al Shohub School for Girls in Abu Dhabi – of the UAE’s best and brightest will represent the country in the F1 in Schools World Finals in Austin, Texas later this year.
Abdulla Al Shammari, F1 in Schools Manager at Yas Marina Circuit said the competition highlighted both the level of talent of UAE students as well as its growing Formula One fan base:

“Every student here today at the F1 in Schools National Final is a champion. If the dedication, passion of the students, and the quality of the work on display here today is any indication, the future of F1 and motorsport in the UAE is very bright.”
The two-day competition saw teams participate in a series of competitions that included team presentations, a team pit stop display, and head to head racing. At the end of the day, ADROIT INFINITUM, a team from The Indian High School in Dubai, was named the UAE Professional Category Champions 2013.  In addition to the overall champion title, the team won Best Engineered Car but it was another team from The Indian High School, VELOX, who earned the Fastest Car Award.
ADROIT INFINITUM’s Team Manager Malvikha Manog said the team was thrilled to be able to represent the UAE later this year at the F1 in Schools World Finals. “This is supposed to be our last year to participate as a student as we are going to grade 12, a very important educational year for us. We are so happy that we did it and we won! The feeling is great for all of us.”Malathy Mansingh, the F1 coordinator and supervisor of the technology department at the Indian High School in Dubai, said the school started participating in 2010 and have represented the UAE in the World Finals previously: “The kids, through this programme, learn a lot of life skills: team spirit, problem solving and learning how to take the loss and the win equally. I see the students that are involved in this program become so mature and I can argue that they can run their own business and more importantly they enjoy learning.”
Ruba Al Attas, the 16-year-old Finance Manager for Team Popcom confirmed the value of participating in F1 in Schools. “F1 in Schools is a great experience. It’s a learning experience,” she said.
Taking top spot in the F1 Junior Challenge 2013 Competition was Blazing Flames from Al Yasmina School, Abu Dhabi. The team was very excited about their win. “My heart was beating so fast during the competition,” said 10-year-old team member Hindh Imad. “It feels really good to win,” added team captain Riley Forbes.
Since 2010, more than 2,500 UAE students have participated in the F1 in Schools programme in the UAE. The programme aims to introduce engineering into the classroom through the excitement of F1 racing sees student teams develop and build all aspects of an F1 team. In addition to designing, building and racing small scale F1 cars, the teams are also tasked with designing a team identity, collateral and uniforms as well as securing sponsorships and marketing their teams.
Members of the Professional Category Champions 2013 team, Ardroit Infinitum, Indian High School Dubai.  Malvikha Manoj - Team Manager, Radhika Gupta - Marketing Manager, Mohamed Nassif - Manufacturing Engineer, Dhruv Kapoor - Design Engineer, Rahul Gupta - Graphic Designer and Jonathan Paulson, Resource Manager Supervising Teacher is Ms Malathy Mansingh.

A car that goes 1,000 km with just a litre of fuel

A team of engineering students in the UAE have designed a car that could potentially travel up to 1,000 km on just one litre of fuel.
The lightweight vehicle -- named Eco-Dubai 1 -- is in its final stage of construction and will begin testing in the next two weeks.
The product of almost two years of work by students at the Higher Colleges of Technology Dubai Men's College, the vehicle is half a metre wide, two metres long and half a metre high and weighs about 25 kg.
It will enter a race in July against similarly designed cars from around the world, including four other vehicles produced in the UAE.
Ahmad Khamis Al Suwaidi, one of the students behind the car, said: "Petrol is not going to last forever. One day we're going to run out. So in terms of developing a local eco-car industry, it starts with us. We're the future of the UAE in this."
The students will put their creation to the test at Shell's Eco-Marathon to be held July 4-7 in Kuala Lumpur.
The competition is based on designing a car that can travel the farthest on just one litre of fuel.
Students are allowed to use electricity, solar or hybrid technologies to reach their goal.
The record for the longest distance travelled is held by students from France's Polytech Nantes University, who designed a car that travelled almost 4,900 km.
--IANS/WAM