>> Send us a Letter to the Editor

ENLARGE

Volvo S60 concept

Volvo S60

Vehicle type: 4-door coupe

Powertrain: 180-hp, 1.6-liter 4-cylinder engine

Debut: Detroit auto show

Designer: Orjan Sterner

What’s cool: Volvo’s take on the latest European styling trend — the 4-door coupe — is a sexy one. The swoopy sedan has muscular fenders and an in-your-face grille with an oversized Volvo badge that looks as if it were borrowed from a Volvo truck. The rear doors are hinged at the rear and swing back, clear of the body, to create a wide opening to the interior.

Will it be built? Yes; it goes on sale in mid- 2010.

Infiniti Essence

ENLARGE Infiniti Essence

Vehicle type: 2-passenger, 2-door coupe

Powertrain: Hybrid, 434-hp, 3.7-liter twin-turbocharged V-6 and 158-hp starter-generator; 592 combined hp

Debut: Geneva auto show

What’s cool: This is one gorgeous machine. It could be twice as gorgeous if they stretched the car, added two doors and turned the Essence into a lower-priced competitor for the Mercedes-Benz CLS coupelike sedan.

Will it be built? The automaker has said the Essence is a rear-drive design study for future Infiniti models. But Infiniti also said the Essence could be considered for production.

Honda CR-Z

ENLARGE Honda CR-Z Vehicle type: 2+2 hatchback Powertrain: Hybrid, with 1.5-liter 4-cylinder engine Debut: Tokyo auto show Designers: Motoak Minowa, Makoto Iwaki What’s cool: Who says hybrids need to be limited to 4-door sedans? Green can be cool-looking. AutoWeek called it “Best in Show.” Will it be built? Yes. Look to the Detroit show in January for the real car. One change: It will be a 2-seater.

Fisker Karma S

ENLARGE Fisker Karma S Vehicle type: 2-door convertible with retractable hard top Powertrain: Hybrid from General Motors Co. Debut: Detroit auto show Designer: Henrik Fisker What’s cool: The powertrain can deliver 50 miles on electric power and an additional 250 miles once the gasoline engine cranks up. The folding metal hard top gives the car a sleek look. Will it be built? Yes, in 2011 — priced at around $87,900.

Chrysler 200C EV

ENLARGE Chrysler 200C EV Vehicle type: 4-door sedan Powertrain: Plug-in hybrid Debut: Detroit auto show Designer: Ralph Gilles, who at that time was Chrysler’s vice president of design What’s cool: Stunning, elegant design that’s still a head-turner. Will it be built? The 200C EV is built on a shortened version of Chrysler’s 300 platform. With Fiat now pulling the strings, Chrysler’s next-generation mid-sized cars will be developed on a front-drive Fiat Group platform. The body’s proportions might need to be modified for a Fiat platform, risking the beautiful balance of the design.

Lexus LF-Ch

ENLARGE Lexus LF-Ch Vehicle type: 5-door hatchback Powertrain: Hybrid Debut: Frankfurt auto show Designers: Tom Matsumoto, Alex Shen, Edward Lee, William Chergosky What’s cool: Practicality, fun to drive and eco-friendliness are what this premium, rear-drive compact is all about. Will it be built? Yes, likely unveiled at the Geneva auto show in March.

Toyota FT-86

ENLARGE Toyota FT-86 Vehicle type: 2-door 2-seater Powertrain: 2.0-liter engine from Subaru Debut: Tokyo auto show Designers: Designed at Toyota’s ED2 studio in Nice, France, and Newport Beach, Calif. What’s cool: This is a head-turning sports car — 2-passenger, rwd. Did someone say street racer? The badge says Toyota, but beneath the skin it’s all Subaru — engineering, manufacturing, even assembly. Will it be built? Yes, in 2011. A sub-$30,000 sticker price is talked about.

Cadillac Converj

ENLARGE Cadillac Converj Vehicle type: Coupe Powertrain: Plug-in hybrid Debut: Detroit auto show What’s cool: There is no mistaking the Converj for anything other than a Cadillac, with its creased body lines, vertical lights fore and aft, and egg crate grille. The concept shares the Chevrolet Volt hybrid powertrain. Will it be built? That’s the $64,000 question.

Bugatti Galibier 16C

ENLARGE Bugatti Galibier 16C Vehicle type: 4-door sedan Powertrain: 8.0-liter V-16, 2 superchargers; horsepower estimate: 800 to 1,000 Debut: Molsheim, France, the birthplace of Bugatti Motor Co. What’s cool: The Galibier 16C is “intended to be the most exclusive, elegant and powerful 4-door automobile in the world,” Bugatti says on its Web site. If produced, an asking price of around $1.5 million has been hinted at. The concept seats 4 and emphasizes luxury, not sportiness. Will it be built? Whether it is this car or something else, Bugatti wants to have a sedan in production by 2013. But how big is the market for a car that might cost over $1.5 million?

Audi Sportback

Vehicle type: 5-door hatchback

Powertrain: 3.0-liter, direct-injection, turbodiesel V-6

Debut: Detroit auto show

What’s cool: The Sportback refines Audi’s design vision, a minimal working of sheet metal that leaves the body decisive in shape and graceful in tone.

Will it be built? Yes. It’s the inspiration for what will be the Audi A7. The car is expected to arrive in 2011.

Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann again raised that possibility recently.

“A third model would fit Lamborghini very well,” Winkelmann, 45, told Bloomberg. “A four-door car would be a very feasible approach.”

Lamborghini most recently considered the concept of a four-door with the Estoque sedan, a prototype revealed at the 2008 Paris motor show. But since then, the Italian company has been mum about the car’s fate, except for a statement last year indicating that no decision had been made either way for production. AutoWeek named it the Best in Show in Paris.

The Estoque is a four-door supercar with a 500-hp V10 borrowed from the Gallardo running with all-wheel drive and a lightweight chassis.

Lamborghini, the iconic 47-year-old dream maker, has never produced a sedan. It did make a four-seat coupe, called the Espada, though that was discontinued in 1978. The Estoque would be a dramatic departure for the brand lionized by icons such as the Miura, the Countach and the Reventón.

But modern realities have been harsher for Lamborghini, and it hasn’t completely rebounded from the global economic meltdown. Revenue fell 2.6 percent through the first six months, and sales were down 18 percent. Last year, sales plummeted 41 percent, though figures in China more than tripled, which is Lambo’s second-biggest market after the United States. Sales in other Asian countries grew as well.

Winklemann has admitted that this is a transitional year for the storied company.

In addition to a potential sedan, Lamborghini is also investing heavily in carbon-fiber technology, and it showed the Gallardo LP570-4 Superleggera at the Geneva motor show this year.

Lamborghini historically has fought Ferrari for sales around the world, but now McLaren has jumped into the fray as well. Diverging from its historical base of lightweight, high-powered supercars would be a landmark step for Lamborghini and position it to fight Porsche, Aston Martin and Maserati, which all offer top-shelf four-doors.

Traditionalists have twice panned Porsche–which, like Lamborghini, is also owner by German giant Volkswagen–for producing the Cayenne SUV and now the Panamera. Alternately, those vehicles have bolstered the company’s finances, enabling it to continue making sports cars.

ENLARGE

The Ferrari 599 GTO has a top speed of 335kph

TURIN – Ferrari S.p.A. on Thursday released the first images of the 599 GTO, the company’s fastest road car. The 599 GTO, which is a limited-edition variant of the 599 GTB coupe, makes its public debut at the Beijing auto show that starts April 23.

A select group of Ferrari customers will get a look at the car in Modena, Italy, on April 14.

The 599 GTO is derived from the 599XX, a limited-edition racecar variant of the 599 GTB coupe.

The 599 GTO’s 6.0-liter V-12 engine delivers 670 hp – 50hp more than the standard powerplant in the 599 GTB – and pushes the car to a top speed of 335kph (about 208 mph).

The 599 GTO accelerates from 0 to 100kph in 3.35 seconds. The 599 GTB reaches 100kph in 3.7 seconds.

Because of it is lighter and more aerodynamic than the 599 GTB, the 599 GTO’s CO2 output is even less than its sister model (411 grams per kilometer compared with 415g/km for the 599 GTB).

Ferrari will build 599 units of the 599 GTO.

The car’s starting price has not been announced yet, but in Italy the 599 GTB’s base price is 251,000 euros (about $334,380).

>> Send us a Letter to the Editor

The 918 Spyder. pictured, is one of three hybrid models Porsche presented at the Geneva auto show in March

BERLIN (Bloomberg) — Porsche AG may price the 918 Spyder, which accelerates to 100 kilometers an hour in 3.2 seconds, at 500,000 euros ($630,000), topping the Carrera GT as its costliest model, according to two people with direct knowledge of the plan.

At least 2,000 individuals have put in non-binding expressions of interest for the supercar, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the information is confidential. The 918 Spyder is one of three hybrid models Porsche presented at the Geneva auto show in March.

Demand for luxury cars is returning as Wall Street firms add jobs for the first time in two years and offer guaranteed payouts to attract top bankers.

While Porsche hasn’t decided whether and when it will begin production of the model, at that price the 918 Spyder would top the 453,000-euro Carrera GT. Fewer than 1,500 units of that model were built between 2003 and 2006.

“The Spyder will become Porsche’s new supercar showpiece project,” said Stefan Bratzel, director of the Center of Automotive at the University of Applied Sciences in Bergisch- Gladbach, Germany. “It unites Porsche’s high-performance engineering with intelligent drive technology.”

Porsche, which is merging with Volkswagen AG, needs at least 1,000 sales pledges to approve limited production of the car, development chief Wolfgang Duerheimer said in an April 24 interview. If only half of those who signed up eventually bought the car, Porsche stands to reap 500 million euros in revenue.

500-horsepower

A Porsche spokesman declined to comment on the potential price tag and said a decision on production of the model will be made later this year.

The two-seater car accelerates to a top speed of 320 kilometers (199 miles) per hour, relying on a 500-horsepower V8 engine and electric drive-systems allowing the vehicle to run up to 25 kilometers on electric power.

The 918 Spyder emits no more than 70 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometer on fuel consumption of three liters per 100 kilometers, according to Porsche’s Web site.

Frank Biller, an analyst at Landesbank Baden-Wuerttemberg in Stuttgart, where Porsche is based, said the 918 Spyder may enhance the carmaker’s environmental credentials and potentially help attract customers to the brand which he says builds “Europe’s worst gas guzzlers.”

Lamborghini SpA, another luxury brand owned by Volkswagen, introduced its Reventon Roadster supercar at the Frankfurt motor show last September. At 1.1 million euros, the Reventon is the priciest model Lamborghini has ever made.

Ferrari 599 GTO

Fiat SpA’s Ferrari unit charges 320,000 euros for the 599 GTO, which the Italian carmaker calls its “fastest road-going model in our history.”

Boosting demand for super-luxury cars, average Wall Street bonuses jumped 17 percent to $123,000 last year, New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said Feb. 23.

Morgan Stanley and Citigroup Inc. are among banks that are hiring to replenish their ranks, while Nomura Holdings Inc. and Jefferies Group Inc. have been recruiting talent from larger firms in a bid to increase their standing on Wall Street.

In the first six months, BMW AG’s Rolls-Royce almost doubled deliveries. Daimler AG’s Mercedes- Benz unit increased sales by 22 percent in the U.S. alone.

Porsche is promoting the 918 Spyder at a time when VW is seeking to revive the sports-car manufacturer’s vehicle lineup.

Volkswagen last week named its head of strategy, Matthias Mueller, as chief executive officer of Porsche from Oct. 1, replacing Michael Macht, who will head production at the parent company.

Boxster, Cayenne

Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn said last week Porsche will probably add a new line of smaller Boxster roadsters to its four-model lineup as the manufacturer aims to double sales in the medium term to 150,000 cars and sport-utility vehicles.

A further addition may be a compact SUV, smaller than Porsche’s best-selling Cayenne model, with production based on the Q5 model of VW’s Audi division, the people said.

Porsche’s deliveries in North America, which includes Canada and Mexico, fell 18 percent to 15,592 units in the nine months through April. Sales in the U.S., Porsche’s biggest single market, slumped 40 percent last fiscal year to 19,024 cars and SUVs.

Uwe Hueck, Porsche’s works council chief, said July 6 that building the 918 Spyder at the main Zuffenhausen plant would help create jobs at the factory where about 5,500 workers are employed. Hueck is aiming to conclude talks with management over investment and employment terms at Zuffenhausen by July 22.

Why do you want the oil exploitation Synthetic motor oil? Sat Viscositester performance is much better than natural oil, which causes less wear and better overall mechanical performance. It provides better lubrication on cold start and is more stable than natural oil. This, to a loss of the smallest contributing driving steam combines less mechanical wear, which also means that the motor will take longer. This also means that the oil must as often as the natural oil to be changed, which finance the least to do well in both oils benefit the environment and motorists. To further improve the environment and personal finances, use of synthetic motor oil means more efficiency in fuel utilization for specific vehicles and engines.

Why Should You Play Online Games

One of the biggest benefits to playing online games is the fact that you can access them whenever and the skill level usually increases
the more it is played by a player. They are designed to be fun online games whether they are games for girls, games for boys or games designated
for everyone.

There is a vast amount of games available out there that are perfect for educational purposes, especially fun math games. Kids have the opportunity
to learn there mathematics while playing an online game, and half the time they don’t even realize that it is a math game.

Never-Ending Selection of Fun and Games

That is absolutely true. There is a never-ending selection of fun and games. Hundreds of online games are released each year for the public to play,
meaning players have the opportunity to try out new online games just about every day of the year.

Many designers are developing games specifically for the Internet, which has tripled the amount of games available online over the past few years.
The most fun games are the ones that a lot of the gaming websites promote more, so keep an eye out for these gaming choices.

When someone is on the hunt for a new, exciting game to play the best place to turn is the Internet. Playing fun free games online is something
everyone can do, and millions of people are doing it each and every month. Instead of paying to play games, why not go for free online games instead.
They are still jam packed full of fun and can easily keep a person attached for hours on end.

The Way of the Future

Online games are becoming the new thing and is something that isn’t going to disappear any time soon.

Why play those dull, costly games when there is the option to play fun online games instead. The opportunity is there, all it takes is finding that
perfect online gaming website that supplies a vast variety of options that matches exactly what the player is looking for.

Fun Games Arena is your home to all the latest online gaming options. We have taken
the time to get our users the most fun games available online while maintain quality gaming choices. If you are on the hunt for some fun games then
Fun Games Arena is the place for you!

In fact, barbie dress up games online offer plenty of advantages to both kids as well as grownups such as increased enthusiasm, excitement, funs, entertainment, mental relaxation, removal of depression, improved lifestyle and fitness. Interestingly these online games are very efficient and useful especially for teenage girls in the worldwide market today. That is why most of young girls are today bound to buy online barbie games in order to get lifetime entertainment immediately. So, one should not overlook the significance of online barbie dress up games at all.
In short, they are a great way to get an increased amount of enjoyment and excitement today. That is why they have become the most favorable choices especially for young girls and boys these days. Also they are very cost effective as well as useful games beyond your imagination. Therefore if you want to get lifetime enjoyment, you should get barbie dress up games from your online games shop within economical price rates immediately.

Cape Town World Cup 2010 Stadium

The Stadium

Cape Town is building a new stadium for the 2010 World Cup in the suburb of Greenpoint, 500 metres from the Atlantic Ocean with Table Mountain as a backdrop.

Upon completion, the stadium should seat 70,000.

Group matches to be played in Cape Town

• 11th June – 8.30pm: Uruguay v France
• 14th June – 8.30pm: Italy v Paraguay
• 18th June – 8.30pm: England v Algeria
• 21st June – 1.30pm: Portugal v Korea DPR
• 24th June – 8.30pm: Cameroon v Netherlands

Soccer City

Johannesburg will have two stadiums in the World Cup 2010 and also boasts the opening match, one semi final and the final match of the tournament.

Soccer City is the jewel in South Africa’s crown, built in 1987 and with a capacity of 94,700 (excluding Media and VIP’s) it is sure to offer a great atmosphere for the lucky few that get tickets and hopefully as the stadium to be used for the first game, provide an excellent springboard for a magnificent tournament.

For 2010, the upper tier will be extended around the stadium, an encircling roof will be constructed, new changing room facilities will be developed and new floodlights will be installed.

Ellis Park

Ellis Park was constructed in 1982 as a modern, integrated stadium offering outstanding sight lines from every seat. The Stadium stands within a world class sporting precinct, barely 15 minutes’ walk from the Johannesburg City Centre, and offers outstanding office, security and medical features.

For 2010, new upper tiers will be constructed behind each of the goals, at the north and south ends of the venue, increasing the net capacity by 10,149 seats to a total 60,000.

Ellis Park will host one quarter final match.

The Stadium

Durban will boast the new Moses Mabhida stadium, unveiled on June 15th 2006 at Durban’s ICC by KwaZulu-Natal’s Premier Sbu Ndebele and eThekwini Mayor Councillor Obed Mlaba.

The stadium will be built on the site of the existing King’s Park stadium and has been designed as a first-class multi-purpose sporting facility with a seating capacity of 70,000.

The stadium is named after named after Moses Mabhida, a former General Secretary of the SACP.

Group matches to be played in Durban

• 13th June – 8.30pm: Germany v Australia
• 16th June – 4.00pm: Spain v Switzerland
• 19th June – 1.30pm: Netherlands v Japan
• 22th June – 8.30pm: Nigeria v Korea Republic
• 25th June – 4.00pm: Portugal v Brazil

The Stadium

Construction of the new Mbombela Stadium on open land just eight kilometres north of Nelspruit will confirm the recently rising fortunes of this far north-eastern corner of South Africa.

The Mbombela Stadium has been designed to ensure it enjoys a prosperous life beyond the tournament as an adaptable, relevant multi-sport, entertainment and exhibition venue.

The stadium will be specifically constructed to ensure that it meets all FIFA Requirements and presents a compact and attractive venue for both first and second round matches with a capacity of just over 40,000.

Group matches to be played in Nelspruit

• 16th June – 1.30pm: Honduras v Chile
• 20th June – 4.00pm: Italy v New Zealand
• 23rd June – 8.30pm: Australia v Serbia
• 25th June – 4.00pm: Korea DPR v Ivory Coast

The Stadium

Only minor renovations will be required to bring the Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace into line with requirements for a stadium able to host first and second round matches at the 2010 World Cup. The stadium will have a capacity of just over 40,000.

For 2010, essentially cosmetic measures such as installation of new electronic scoreboards and upgrading of the floodlights and public address system will render the Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace ready to welcome the football supporters of the world.

Group matches to be played in Rustenburg

• 12th June – 8.30pm: England v USA
• 15th June – 1:30pm: New Zealand v Slovakia
• 19th June – 4.00pm: Ghana v Australia
• 22th June – 4.00pm: Mexico v Uruguay
• 24th June – 8.30pm: Denmark v Japan

The Stadium

The main west stand of the Loftus Versfeld stadium was completely rebuilt in 1977, and the other three stands have been rebuilt since, creating an impressive arena, that rises steeply on all sides and incorporates some of the country’s finest facilities for corporate hospitality.

Minimal upgrading will be required for the stadium to qualify as a venue for first and second round matches, but the floodlights, sound system and scoreboards will all be improved. The stadium has a capacity of 45,000 and this will probably rise to 50,000 for the World Cup.

Group matches to be played in Pretoria

• 13th June – 4.00pm: Serbia v Ghana
• 16th June – 8.30pm: South Africa v Uruguay
• 19th June – 8.30pm: Cameroon v Denmark
• 23rd June – 4.00pm: USA v Algeria
• 25th June – 8.30pm: Chile v Spain

The Stadium

The roof over the existing west stand of the Peter Mokaba Stadium will be removed and replaced by a roof that covers the entire western stand of the new Stadium.

An additional 20 rows of seating will be built around the entire stadium to increase capacity to 40,000.

In addition to the structural work, the Peter Mokaba stadium will be provided with first rate equipment, including an electronic scoreboard in the northern stand, new floodlights, a modern sound system and a fire detection and protection system.

Group matches to be played in Polokwane

• 13th June – 1.30pm: Algeria v Slovenia
• 17th June – 8.30pm: France v Mexico
• 22nd June – 8.30pm: Greece v Argentina
• 24th June – 4.00pm: Paraguay v New Zealand

The Stadium

The Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium will have a capacity of 49,500 and will be a multi purpose facility launched at the World Cup in 2010.

Click here for the host city website.

Group matches to be played in Port Elizabeth

• 12th June – 1.30pm: Korea Republic v Greece
• 15th June – 4.00pm: Ivory Coast v Portugal
• 18th June – 1.30pm: Germany v Serbia
• 21st June – 4.00pm: Chile v Switzerland
• 23rd June – 4.00pm: Slovenia v England

The Stadium

In advance of 2010, a second tier will be added to the main grandstand of the Free State Stadium on the western side of the ground, increasing the net capacity beyond the 40,000-mark required for venues to stage first and second round matches.

Additionally, new turnstiles will be erected, the floodlights will be upgraded, electronic scoreboards will be installed and the sound system will be revamped to the required standards.

Group matches to be played in Bloemfontein

• 14th June – 4.00pm: Japan v Cameroon
• 17th June – 4.00pm: Greece v Nigeria
• 20th June – 1.30pm: Slovakia v Paraguay
• 22th June – 4.00pm: France v South Africa
• 25th June – 8.30pm: Switzerland v Honduras

In just over two weeks the World Cup kicks off and tonight, Australia were the first team to arrive in South Africa. I guess it really is about to happen.

Brazil arrive tomorrow, while the Argentina and Denmark national teams are due to land on Saturday morning. All will be flying into O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg.

If you happen to be in South Africa and you are interested in knowing when each team arrives, we will list each date below. The airport will have a viewing area for you but be warned, security will be tight.

“With the arrival of teams, the FIFA World Cup becomes real. This marks a very special moment because we have provided the stage, now the players take the spotlight and that is what the FIFA World Cup is about.

“The focus will now shift to the excitement around the teams and the build-up to the games. The teams will certainly have a wonderful time in this country and be part of the African spirit while playing in world-class facilities,” said FIFA Secretary General Jérôme Valcke.

World Cup 2010 Team Arrival Dates

• 26 May – Australia
• 27 May – Brazil
• 29 May – Denmark
• 30 May – Argentina
• 31 May – USA
• 1 June – Korea DPR
• 3 June – England and Paraguay
• 4 June – Mexico and Chile
• 5 June – France, Korea Republic, Uruguay and Nigeria
• 6 June – Japan, The Netherlands, Portugal, New Zealand, Greece and Algeria
• 7 June – Germany, Ghana and Slovenia
• 8 June – Serbia
• 9 June – Cameroon, Italy, Honduras and Slovakia
• 10 June – Ivory Coast and Switzerland
• 11 June – Spain