BMW Alpina D3

BMW Alpina D3 fills the niche in between the 320d and 325d, meanwhile Alpina acquires a wider audience for their products. It is equipped with four diesel engines and a range of sporting accessories, while maintaining top-fuel economy figures.

BMW Alpina D3 is equipped with diesel engine, which is taken from the BMW 320d. Alpina engineers installed a larger turbine, more productive injector nozzle, sport exhaust system and changed electronic engine management. Consequently, the engine develops 200 horsepower and 410 Nm maximum torque at 2000 rpm.

Stock BMW Alpina D3 obtains the original design aerodynamic body kit with Alpina recognition marks, 18-inch wheel-drives (for an extra charge - 19-inch), a dual exhaust system, sports seats and steering wheel.

0-60 it does in 7.4 seconds and the maximum speed reaches 148 miles per hour. However, disconnecting the electronic stability system - both the draft and the exchange rate stabilization - BMW Alpina D3 disappoints. It is not posible to drift or make a burnout with it. Of course, it is frivolous but it should be posible. BMW Alpina D3 will be suitable for someone who wants a car with sporting equipment and the origin, but at the same time wants to drive it everyday and not to think about lap times on the race track. But the best thing about it is that BMW Alpina D3 makes 40 mpg, so with one tank it is able to go up to 621 miles.


Stock model costs about 47'000 dollars. This car is also available as Coupe and as Touring.

Volkswagen Scirroco

Until now Volkswagen Scirroco associated with an old car for young people. Although they are already been well used, however, both first-and second-generation cars are still able to present their drivers with good dynamics and interesting design.

Volkswagen engineers managed to bring it back in presenting the concept of Iroc. The Iroc-base new Scirocco was presented last year in March at the Geneva car exhibition. Exactly the same places where 34 years ago was presented the first generation Scirocco.


German engineers has managed to preserve the characteristic features of the concept in the real model. Car is longer, lower and wider than the Golf, and, most importantly, does not look like it. Massive front bumper, which includes the giant black hole for air intake, as well as irregular headlamps clearly indicates the highly aggressive nature of this car. Scirocco seems wider from the rear than it is in reality.


Unfortunately the car interior is a disappointment. Attractive Iroc design elements have been switched to Volkswagen standard design solutions, which are derived from other VW models in most cases. It's not bad but pretty boring. The car's steering wheel is deeply profiled, exactly the same as the Cache up equipment seats.


Cheapest version - 1.4 TSI (122 horsepower) is offered only with 6-gear manual gearbox. More powerful versions 1.4 TSI (160 hp), 2.0 TSI (200 hp) and the 2.0 TDI (140 hp) can be selected from the 7-gear DSG gearbox and 6-gear manual gearbox.

All Scirocco versions includes sports suspension already in stock. It is hard so response to the rotation of the steering is sharp and precise. Also the stock versions are equipped with electronic stability control system (ESP).

Aston Martin One-77

After numerous concept presentations, Aston Martin has finally presented the first fully completed one-77. New British supercar presentation was held at the exclusive car show Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este in Italy. The concept car exterior design was already seen in pictures, but now it was posible to see the car interior.

There will be made only 77 Aston Martin One-77, and each car will cost at least 1,8 milion dollars. Very soon they will make the first custom-made copy. All the small series production will be completed by the end of the next year. Moreover, as Aston Martin representatives have pointed out, each car will be made in close conjunction with its next owner, and the manufacturer will use its best efforts to be sure that none of 77 unique cars is coming into the so-called profiteers hands.


Like F1 racing car, the One-77 design is based on the ultra-light and highly resistant carbon fiber moncok (continuous body structure). At moncok there has been attached the four wheel doble lever suspension and it is almost the same as it is on F1 racing car, where the vertical suspension is converted into horizontal. It is also the first time when a street car has recieved DSSV technology, which allows to adjust damping characteristics very precise whitout removing the suspension elements off the car.


The One-77 engine is also unique. Although it on Aston Martin popular 6.0-liter V12 engine's base, its capacity has increased to 7.3 liters, meanwhile the engine weight has been reduced by 25%. In the result the engine has more than 700 horse power. The car also has specially developed six-speed automatic gearbox.


Aston Martin One-77's maximum speed exceeds 2oo miles per hour, while acceleration from 0-60 miles per hour will take around 3.5 seconds. For stopping the car it has carbon-ceramic composite brakes to minimize the brake fluid heat system.

Holden Torana GTR-X, a car which never got to the production line

When you see a picture of this car it is hard to say that it has been developed 40 years ago. Clean and straight lines are still the reason to consider Holden Torana GTR-X as a very beautiful car. And for us it is hard to imagine that a car like this have been developed in Australia.


In the middle of 1969. the Australian branch of General Motors engineering department was given a task of developing small series sports car that would be cheap enough in the production. Moreover, as the basis for this car is needed to be used existing components of the available models.

And so in 1969. The Holden Torana GTR-X was born. For the base of creation of this car was used the serial car GTR-Xu, which was derived from the Vauxhall Vivas model, which was very popular in Europe in sixties. The two seated Torana GTX-R was planned to be equipped with 3.0 liter six cylinder raw engine, which developed 160 horse power and 285 Nm high torque. Wheel power was transmitted to the rear wheels with a four-speed manual transmission.


In the tests Torana GTX-R was able to reach 210 km per houre. The 160 horsepower engine in those times was a very good achievement. But the most important character was the Torana GTX-R weight. It was 1043 kg (2300 pounds) only, which made it possible for this car to ensure comparable dynamic performance.


Car body was mostly made of fiberglass, and its design provided the unusual purity of lines for those times. Similarly the style was retained in interior where all required gages were placed in a simple design aluminum panel. In addition, the vehicle occurred some quite revolutionary solutions for sixties - ergonomic seating with high back and very good lateral aid, as well as a height adjustable steering wheel.


Torana GTX-R was already very close to get on the production line and there were built several models for pre-production tests and even had a video advertisement. But after all the company decided not to produce it. They were not convinced of the project's financial success.