ford focus 2011

Ford has presented, before the opening of the the Detroit Motor Show, the first information and pictures of the new generation Focus, a model that, this time, will be the same both in US and Europe.
Ford presented the first official pictures of the new generation Ford Focus 2011 that will have its world premiere during the day, at the Auto Show in Detroit. Unlike the previous generations, the new Focus is a global model, planning to have the same form in the US and Europe, which is also why the model is presented to anauto show in its native country. Moreover, Ford has chosen – for this very reason – to present, in the same time, both the hatchback and the sedan versions of the new model, the US market being accustomed to rather choose the ordinary four-door version than the Focus hatchback so present on the European streets.
Aesthetically speaking, the new Focus highlights a very clear belonging to the new line of models of the Blue Oval, being practically a larger version of the Fiesta subcompact model. Focus’s design is purely European, the car being  developed at a design center in Germany that the Michigan brand owns. The dimensions remained the same both for the sedan and the hatchback, the dimensions of the chassis and the suspension’s hardware being also borrowed from the old generation, with the necessary improvements.

The chassis and the entire suite of mechanical elements that make up the new model will be the basis of a series of 10 different models of the Focus family, models that will be lounched by 2012. At the engines chapter, the great new appearance will be represented by a Ecoboost 1.6-liter turbo unit that will rise to the same performance as the 2.0 liter engine that it replaces, provided that consumption will be, say the guys from Ford, “an exceptional one”. The Duratorq diesel engine will not escape the improvements, but these will be presented only in March, when the newFord Focus 2011 will make its European debut at the Geneva Motor Show. Both in U.S. and Europe, the new model from Ford will have a new automatic transmission with six-speed dual-clutch that promises, just like the 1.6-liter Ecoboost, interesting consumption figures.
The new generation Focus will be made in parallel in the Ford plants in Saarlouis (Germany), Michigan (USA) and Chongqing (China), following that, later, production sites in Spain and Russia to enter the game, too. The new Focus will go on sale in 2011.

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Venturi Fetish 2011

Appearing on the stand alongside the awesome Venturi America at the 2010 Paris Motor Show was an updated Fétish. While it retains a lot of similarities to the original, it has a fresh fascia, a new rear spoiler and a more-refined interior. Under the skin there now resides a liquid-cooled 220 kW (295 horsepower) rear-mounted motor that said to propel the carbon-fiber machine from 0-60 in four seconds and provide a top speed of 200 km/h – a clip it can attain in 12.8 seconds. That's despite a battery system that's has grown to 450 kilograms (992 lbs). The new 54 kWh pack is said to give Venturi's oldest electric model a "90 km/h stabilized" (56 miles per hour) range of 340 kilometers (211 miles).

Production of the 2011 model is supposed to be greatly increased over the original iteration, with 10 a year planned for production at the company's new manufacturing facility at Sablé-sur-Sarthe. Only about 10 units of the first Fétish were sold since its launch in 2004 and with a new new price tag of €300,000 ($410,600 U.S. at today's exchange rates) the new Fetish should remain a pretty rare bird despite increased industrial capacity. Hit the jump for a bonus video form Venturi promoting its latest automotive efforts.

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Noble M600 2011

It's been a long time coming, but Noble has finally released the production version of its new M600 sports car. The British-made model comes with a full carbonfiber body and a mid-mounted 4.4-liter twin-turbocharged V8 engine from Yamaha that sends up to 650bhp at 6,800 rpm and 604 lb-ft of peak torque at 3,800 rpm to the rear wheels through a Graziano six-speed manual gearbox.
The M600 is equipped an Adaptable Performance Control (APC), which adjusts the power output and tailors the boost curve, traction and throttle response, allowing the driver to select from three different modes with 450, 550 and 650bhp. 

It's curb weight of 1,200kg [2,645 pounds] is 50 kg less than the original prototype, and gives the M600 an amazing power-to-weight ratio of 520bhp per tonnes. The company states that the M600 can accelerate from 0 to 120mph [193 km/h] in a ridiculous 8.9 seconds en route to an estimated top speed of 225 mph [362 km/h].
One of the most eye-catching features in the M600's cabin is the fighter-jet inspired 'Missile Switch' which activates (or deactivates) the Traction Control system.
The M600 is poised to go on sale before summer with pricing to be announced closer to the launch date.

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VW XL1 Hybrid Coupe 2011

The highlight of Volkswagen's presentation at this week's Qatar motor show is the new XL1, a futuristic looking diesel-electric plug-in hybrid study for an everyday-use coupe vehicle with a combined fuel economy of just 0.9 liters per 100 kilometers or an amazing 261 mpg US.

The extremely low fuel consumption is achieved through the use of a lightweight construction, carefully honed aerodynamics and of course, the hybrid powertrain that combines a 0.8-liter twin-cylinder diesel producing 48-horses with a 27HP electric motor. If you follow the jump, you can check out live photos as well as on the road videos of the XL1. For more details on the study.

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