Honda Wants Dealers to Move “Full Speed Ahead” as N.A. Production Returns to Normal

Not all automakers are affected by the economic crisis raging in Europe. Volvo, meanwhile, expects to sell between 430000-440000 units this year compared to 374,000 cars last year.

CEO of the Swedish carmaker, Stefan Jacoby, the reason for this is that the Volvo's largest markets are the Nordic countries and Germany, which is not the financial crisis that the storms of the south, like Italy, Spain and Greece.

"There is no sign of abating. Our order books are full until the spring of 2012," Jacoby told Automotive News Europe.

The Swedish manufacturer current global workforce of about 24,000 employees, including 16,000 in Sweden, 5000 in Belgium, in 1000 China and 2000 in other markets.

As a result, a thriving sales, Volvo will bring more than 10,000 new employees in order to achieve sales targets 800 000 2020. In the words of Jacoby, "in 2020, we must increase the number of employees is 33 000 -. 35 000 employees"

Volvo, which was sold by Ford to China's Geely in 2010, plans to add two new plants in China. The first to Chengdu is expected to open in 2013 and has an annual capacity of 150,000 units employing nearly 3,000 workers, while Jacoby expects local government to approve a second plant in the coming year.

Therefore, most of the 10 000 additional employees in the world is China, where Volvo wants to quadruple its sales, from 48 to 49 000 units this year to 200,000 by the end of this decade.



 

Read More

Audi Unveils Quattro Concept to Celebrate its Original Rally Monster's 30th Birthday

Audi has finally revealed its "quattro concept" in Paris to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the original 1980 model of its debut. The new quattro, like the original, it took about the rally stages of their dreams for a 5-cylinder turbo.

In this case, however, is a 2.5-liter 408-hp / 300 kW and uses a 6-speed manual gearbox driving all four 20-inch wheels with 480 Nm / 354 lb-ft. Behind the central locking dubs carbon-ceramic discs are wearing a 6-piston calipers.

Its high-performance 5-pot, and diet, the new Quattro is said to be able to spring to 100 km / h / 62 mph 3.9 seconds and return to low fuel consumption of 8.5 litres/100 km (27.67 U.S. mpg).

It is relatively fast and efficient, and thanks to an amazing 9.48 pounds / hp ratio and a huge weight loss.

Using the venerable RS5 starting point, the designers have cut 150 mm (5.9 inches) from the past - is now 2.6 meters - and crushed the roof of 40 mm in order to save the weight of the get-go. Dimensions officially enter 4.28 m long, 1.86 m wide and 1.33 m high.

In order to achieve a thin 1300 kg / 2866 pounds (200 kg / ~ £ 441 less than the TT RS), Audi has used an abundance of aluminum and carbon fiber. Carbon fiber has been used primarily for the hood, rear hatch, spoiler and other odds and ends. The designers also threw the rear seats have been replaced by a helmet rack / luggage.

Inside the front fascia is all-LED setup (the same goes for the rear), which is located between the Audi grille wide mouth. Go in front of wide-body fenders, and understand that with a 5-suspension, "key components" of aluminum.

At the rear, you should use separate springs and dampers of the track-controlled trapezoidal link suspension bearings elastic mounted on steel cradle. Now it from about 20 meters back and you will see that the wheel just seem to be integrated and not sharp enough to make the original car justice.

Open the door to see a very detailed (if somewhat spartan) interior. The two passenger seats to 18 pounds have three or four-point harness, while the driver faces a fully digital display has two modes, "normal" and "race." If you choose the career mode, Audi says the design of "revise and refine" the digital display of the Ur-quattro.

Before reading, Audi has given the driver more atavistic: four buttons (two on each side) to control the timing and MMI functions. One of these media is an accurate web-radio, which uses mobile phones to connect to radio stations from around the world. Need more? There is also a rally driver high on "prayer book" (description of the route), available in Race mode.

So, dear reader, this is a fitting tribute to meeting the original bad boy, or is it just another marketing campaign to push the memory Awesomeness more about the product?

By Phil Alex

 

Read More