Aston Martin Chief Executive Officer, Dr Ulrich Bez, said: “The Aston Martin DBS is the ultimate expression of Aston Martin’s engineering and technical ability. It offers pure performance without compromise. The Aston Martin DBS delivers the complete driving experience and bridges the gap between our road and track cars - the Aston Martin DB9 and Aston Martin DBR9.”

Equally at home on a twisting mountain circuit as on the open road, the DBS is a true thoroughbred. The Aston Martin DBS is a 6.0-litre V12 powered, race-bred, two-seater shaped by the aerodynamic demands of high performance, with an exquisite interior that marries beautifully hand-finished materials with the very latest in performance technology.

A combination of elegant design, innovative manufacturing processes, race-derived materials and components and Aston Martin’s unrivalled hand-build expertise makes the Aston Martin DBS a luxury sports car without equal. Every line, crease and curve conveys the enormous potential of the Aston Martin DBS, a seductive blend of refinement and raw power, provided by the hand-built V12 producing 380kW (510bhp/517PS), a top speed of 191mph (302km/h) and a 0-62mph (0-100km/h) time of 4.3 seconds.

The Aston Martin DBS will be built at Aston Martin’s global headquarters at Gaydon, near Warwickshire in the UK, joining the current Aston Martin line-up. This now comprises the elegant DB9, the agile Aston Martin V8 Vantage Coupe and the critically acclaimed Aston Martin V8 Vantage Roadster.

Aston Martin DBS: Performance

The need for high-performance stability, handling ability and low kerb weight defined the DBS’s form and construction. Accordingly, the Aston Martin DBS becomes the first production Aston Martin to make extensive use of ultra-light carbon-fibre body panels. High levels of performance and control are delivered by the combination of inherent light weight, near-perfect weight distribution, a supremely powerful and flexible V12 engine, and a performance-honed six-speed transmission, together with new carbon ceramic brakes and an adaptive damper controlled suspension system.

At the heart of the Aston Martin DBS is a 6.0-litre V12 engine. The DBR9 and DBRS9 race cars are powered by an enhanced version of this same V12, tuned to produce in excess of 600bhp. The shared powerplant continues the strong link between Aston Martin’s road and race cars, just as the six-cylinder engine used in the DBR1 also powered the Aston Martin DB4, DB5 and DB6 in the 1950s and 60s.

As with all current Aston Martins, the engine is hand-assembled at Aston Martin’s dedicated engine facility in Cologne, Germany. The classic 6.0-litre V12 features a number of power-increasing enhancements. These include a ‘by-pass’ engine air intake port that opens above 5500rpm to allow more air into the engine, and re-profiled air inlet ports that further improve airflow into the combustion chamber. Combined with a compression ratio of 10.9:1, the result of these enhancements is prodigious power and torque: the Aston Martin DBS delivers 380 kW (510 bhp/517 PS) at 6500 rpm. The 3.71:1 final-drive ratio ensures that the additional power is usable, enhancing in-gear acceleration in particular.

A lightweight, rigid structure is the design engineer’s ultimate goal, and achieving the right balance between strength and mass is crucial. Like the DB9 and its sibling DBR9 and DBRS9 race cars, the DBS uses Aston Martin’s class-leading all-alloy VH (Vertical Horizontal) architecture, a lightweight bonded aluminium structure that provides outstanding strength and rigidity. Aston Martin’s engineers have also employed advanced materials and processes to further reduce weight and increase the Aston Martin DBS’s performance and dynamics.

Carbon-fibre panels are used for the boot enclosure, boot lid, door opening surrounds, front wings and bonnet, giving a saving of some 30kg over more conventional materials without any reduction in strength. “There are no restrictions on form or shape in using carbon-fibre,” says Marek Reichman, Aston Martin’s Design Director, “and the material allowed us to wrap bodywork around the 20″ wheels and maintain the precise relationship between the wheel and the bodywork.”

Each panel has been carefully sculpted to direct the airflow around the car, into the engine and to help cool the braking system. The carbon-fibre elements are produced using advanced manufacturing techniques developed from the aerospace and motorsport industries.

The new panel-making procedure also delivers an industry-best surface finish, thanks to a patented ‘Surface Veil’ process. The application of a 200 micron layer of epoxy and glass to the panel delivers a class-A surface that is in line with Aston Martin’s tradition of high-quality finishes. Inside the car, the weave patterns on the exposed carbon-fibre elements have been carefully selected to present the most harmonious surfaces.

Aston Martin DBS: Control

As with the DB9 and DBR race cars, the Aston Martin DBS benefits from the inherent characteristics of the VH architecture. The VH underframe consists of pressed, extruded and cast aluminium components, bonded together to create an immensely strong underlying structure.

This structure means that weight is kept to a minimum, with the front-mid mounted engine and rear-mid mounted transaxle ensuring a near perfect weight distribution: 85% of the car’s weight is positioned within its wheelbase. The Aston Martin DBS’s polar moment of inertia is therefore very low, producing a car with natural agility, a strong, stable platform for the V12’s high power output and an exhilarating driving experience.

To take full advantage of its extremely precise and rigid platform, the Aston Martin DBS employs a new and sophisticated Adaptive Damping System (ADS) which uses two separate valves to set the dampers to five different positions, allowing instant adjustment of the car’s ride and handling characteristics. The ADS automatically alters the suspension settings to ensure the driver has high levels of control at all times, with the ability to respond instantly to different driving conditions. The dampers can be ’softer’, with a corresponding improvement in ride quality, or ‘firm’, providing improved body control for more spirited driving.

The damper settings are determined by an electronic control unit which takes sensor readings from the car’s systems, including throttle position, brake position, steering wheel rotation and vehicle speed. This data establishes the prevailing driving conditions and the demands the driver is making on the car.

The Aston Martin DBS’s Adaptive Damping System perfectly captures the car’s sporting character, ensuring that stiffer dampers are available for better handling and control when the car is being driven enthusiastically, without compromising ride comfort during ‘normal’ driving conditions. A designated ‘Track’ mode automatically sets all dampers to their firmest positions, making it ideal for circuit driving. The Aston Martin DBS is fitted with Pirelli P-Zero tyres that have been developed especially for the car, along with new 20″ lightweight alloy wheels.

The DBS also has a revised Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) system, designed to help maintain maximum traction in challenging driving conditions. In default operation, the DSC is automatically on. Select and press the button for two seconds and DSC ‘Track’ mode is engaged, raising the threshold at which the system intervenes to allow the experienced driver to explore the car’s limits. Hold the button for four seconds and DSC is disengaged entirely.

The car’s braking system features another innovation, the first time Carbon Ceramic Matrix (CCM) brakes have been used on a road-going Aston Martin. The end result is shorter stopping distances with excellent resistance to fade in even the most demanding driving conditions. CCM brakes are also some 12.5kg lighter than a conventional system, reducing the weight of the car overall and, in particular, the unsprung weight and rotational masses, further enhancing the performance of the suspension.

Aston Martin DBS: Design

The Aston Martin DBS is manufactured using the finest materials, with a combination of hand-finishing and pioneering high-technology processes. From the exceptional quality of the design and finish to the advanced production techniques employed to save weight and create strength, the DBS is both a technological masterpiece and a powerful visual and tactile experience, inside and out.

The Aston Martin DBS is the culmination of the DB bloodline, a synthesis of race-bred technology and road-going practicality that can be traced back to the iconic Aston Martin DB2, DB3S and DB4 GT, and is continued today with the DBR9 and DBRS9 race cars. The DBS’s powerful, flowing form fuses the visual language of the DBR9 GT1 race car with the innate elegance of the DB series. Lower and tauter than other Aston Martin production models, the DBS has subtly flared wheel arches accommodating standard 20″ diameter wheels and tyres. These provide excellent stability and grip, while giving the car a muscular and athletic stance that evokes the DBR9 and DBRS9. The design process involved continuous revision and honing of the Aston Martin DBS’s surfaces, ensuring that the shapes and forms represent perfectly the car’s inherent power, while never diluting the fundamental proportions that are the essence of every Aston Martin.

The external detailing reflects the power and dynamic abilities of the Aston Martin DBS, with revised inlets and enlarged grilles that deliver more air into the engine and increase its cooling capacity. Subtle design details include a new five-bar design for the polished alloy main grille, as well as two additional vents in the enlarged power bulge on the carbon-fibre bonnet. These vents are entirely functional, improving engine performance and efficiency, yet also communicating the increased power output of the uprated V12 engine.

The DBS’s aerodynamic enhancements are shaped by Aston Martin’s racing experience. A carbon-fibre splitter and a new front bumper design help channel airflow around the car’s wider bodywork. The aerodynamics team worked hand in hand with the modelling team to ensure that the forms and surfaces of Aston Martin DBS were sculpted for inherent stability at high speeds.

The widened front and rear track improve handling and give the car a more muscular character. To accommodate this additional width, the surfaces of the wings have been sculpted and re-shaped with harder lines, which also serve to emphasise the car’s strength and power. The lowered ride height is accentuated by the enhanced side sills, carefully profiled to improve aerodynamic performance and reduce drag along the flanks. The iconic Aston Martin side strake, a design feature of every DB car since the DB4, has been redesigned for the DBS, incorporating a side repeater formed by a bank of LEDs.

Improved aerodynamics shape the rear of the Aston Martin DBS, where the more prominent boot spoiler is carefully incorporated into the carbon-fibre boot lid. A horizontal chrome finisher is set into the lid to accentuate the wide track of the new car. The car’s flat undertray helps to improve the aerodynamics of the underbody surface and culminates in a new carbon-fibre rear diffuser, another feature carried over from the race cars. This device creates an area of low pressure beneath the rear of the car, reducing lift and improving high-speed stability without the need for large, unsightly external spoilers. The new one-piece diffuser also incorporates the DBS’s large and distinctive twin exhaust tailpipes.

The interior of the Aston Martin DBS represents the epitome of Aston Martin’s commitment to using materials honestly, without disguise or embellishment. Lightweight materials are used throughout to save weight; door pulls are made from carbon-fibre, for example, and the carpet has been woven with lighter fibres to save valuable kilograms. Special semi-aniline leather is used throughout the cabin, saving weight as well as giving a soft feel and distinctive aroma.

The DBS features unique primary controls, including a new steering wheel profile with a twin-stitched detail marker that indicates the ‘on-centre’ position. The gear knob is fashioned from polished alloy to echo the metallic finishes on the new centre console. The instrument cluster is designed with white numerals on a dark graphite background for excellent legibility. The twin-stitch pattern runs through the interior as a signature device; the alignment of both stitch lines is testament to Aston Martin’s ongoing tradition of exceptional craftsmanship.

As an option the Aston Martin DBS may be equipped with specially developed lightweight seats (outside North America). These feature a carbon-fibre and Kevlar® composite structure and are manufactured by a supplier to the motorsport and aviation industries before being returned to Aston Martin’s Gaydon factory for hand-trimming. The structure is created by sandwiching a layer of Kevlar® between two layers of carbon-fibre with the outer finish left exposed on the seat backs, lacquered to create a durable and attractive finish.

The combination of Kevlar® and carbon-fibre provides crucial weight saving by allowing the structure of the seat to be incredibly slim: between 2.5mm and 3mm. Overall, the trimmed seat provides a weight saving of 20kg. The lightweight seats are a fixed structure, but can be adjusted for rake as well as sliding fore and aft.

The Aston Martin DBS start sequence blends tradition with high technology and a touch of theatre. The ignition ECU (Emotion Control Unit) has evolved into a machined and highly tactile polished sapphire ECU, incorporating a stainless steel inner case. Resembling a fine wristwatch or a piece of contemporary sculptural jewellery, this sapphire ECU epitomises the spirit of the Aston Martin DBS.

To operate the car, the sapphire ECU is inserted into a special docking station in Aston Martin’s signature dashboard-mounted sapphire starter button, and glows red to indicate when the car is ready to start. The engine is fired by pressing the ECU flush with the surface of the starter button. After pressing to stop the engine, the ECU automatically motors out of the dashboard for removal.

The start sequence of the Aston Martin DBS is augmented by an all-new centre console design with a cast metal surround, crisp typography and new graphics. The new console has a traditional dial-face clock at the centre, flanked by two rotary controls for the heating and air-conditioning system, fashioned from solid, turned aluminium.

These controls are also used to navigate the audio system, Bluetooth telephone preparation and satellite navigation functions. The Aston Martin 700 W Audio System, with Dolby® Pro Logic II® has been exclusively developed for Aston Martin to provide outstanding sound quality. A slot for the six-CD autochanger is located at the top of the console, while within the centre armrest cubby box there is inbuilt connectivity for MP3 players. Bluetooth telephone preparation is standard on the DBS, enabling you to synchronise your mobile telephone directory through the car’s display screens. It can also display the last 10 calls received, made and missed.

Aston Martin DBS Specification

Body

• Two-door coupe body style with 2+0 seating
• Bonded aluminium VH structure
• Aluminium, magnesium alloy and carbon-fibre composite body
• Extruded aluminium door side-impact beams
• High Intensity Discharge (HID) headlamps (main beam)
• LED rear lamps and side repeaters

Engine

• All-alloy, quad overhead camshaft, 48-valve, 5935cc V12.
• Compression ratio 10.9:1
• Front-mid mounted engine, rear-wheel drive
• Fully catalysed stainless steel exhaust system with active bypass valves
• Max power: 380kW (510bhp/517 PS) at 6500rpm
• Max torque: 570Nm (420 lb.ft) at 5750rpm
• Acceleration: 0-100 km/h (0-62mph) in 4.3 seconds
• Max speed: 302 km/h (191mph)

Transmission

• Rear-mid mounted, six-speed manual gearbox
• Alloy torque tube with carbon fibre propeller shaft
• Limited-slip differential
• Final-drive ratio 3.71:1

Wheels and Tyres

• Front: 8.5” x 20” Pirelli P Zero 245/35
• Rear: 11” x 20” Pirelli P Zero 295/30

Steering

• Rack and pinion, Servotronic speed-sensitive power-assisted steering, 3.0 turns lock-to-lock. Column tilt and reach adjustment

Suspension

• Front: Independent double wishbone incorporating anti-dive geometry, coil springs, anti-roll bare and monotube adaptive dampers
• Rear: Independent double wishbones with anti-squat and anti-lift geometry, coil springs, anti-roll bar and monotube adaptive dampers
• Adaptive Damping System (ADS) with Track mode

Brakes

• Front: Ventilated carbon ceramic discs, 398mm diameter with six-piston calipers
• Rear: Ventilated carbon ceramic discs, 360mm diameter with four-piston calipers
• Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) with Track mode
• Anti-lock Braking System (ABS)
• Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD)
• Emergency Brake Assist (EBA)
• Traction control

Dimensions

• Length: 4721mm (185.9”)
• Wheelbase: 2740mm (107.9”)
• Width: 1905mm (75”) (exc. Mirrors) 2060mm (81.1”) (inc. Mirrors)
• Fuel tank capacity: 78 litres (17.2 Imp.galls, 20.5 US galls)
• Height: 1280mm (50.4”) Weight: 1695kg (3737lb)

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Performance Inspiration: Carroll Shelby and Ford Special Vehicle Team join forces to create a modern successor to the famous Shelby GT500 of the late 1960s
Performance Hardware: 475-horsepower supercharged V-8, 6-speed manual transmission, race-tuned suspension, four-piston Brembo brakes
Performance Design: Mustang heritage with aggressive muscular front-end design, Le Mans racing stripes, unmistakable “Cobra” logo and Shelby nameplate

DETROIT, Jan. 8, 2006 - What happens when a legend from Texas reunites with a legend from Dearborn? The most powerful Mustang ever.

After 40 years, racing legend Carroll Shelby and the Ford Mustang are back together with the introduction of the 2007 Ford Shelby GT500.

Performance legend Carroll Shelby first put the muscle in the pony car.

The collaboration between Shelby and Ford’s Special Vehicle Team (SVT) is yielding an instant collector’s Mustang that builds 475 horsepower in its 5.4-liter supercharged V-8.

A modern interpretation of the Shelby Mustang of the 1960s, the Ford Shelby GT500 uses advanced engineering to attain the performance that made the original GT500 the king of the road.

True to the original GT500, it will be available both as a coupe and as a convertible when it goes on sale in the summer of 2006.

“When Carroll was developing the original GT350 and GT500, he wanted to build the most powerful, most capable Mustangs of his day,” says Hau Thai-Tang, director, Advanced Product Creation and Special Vehicle Team. “Our goal was to build the most powerful, most capable Mustang ever.”

Serving as touchstone and inspirational leader for both the concept and the production versions, Shelby was impressed by what the team has accomplished.

The rear spoiler of the Ford Shelby GT500 echoes that of the classic GT500, while the rear air diffuser is inspired by the modern Ford GT.

“It’s one thing to put 450 horsepower in an exotic supercar,” says Shelby. “It’s another to put that much power in something as affordable as a Mustang. The fact that they not only met their goal but pushed on to 475 horsepower is a remarkable achievement.”

Shelby knows something about creating modern supercars. He served as a senior adviser on the team that developed and built the 550-horsepower Ford GT.

Power Play

As expected of anything with Shelby’s name on it, the heart of the car is what’s under the hood. The Ford Shelby GT500’s supercharged 5.4-liter, 32-valve V-8 evolves from Ford’s experience with tuning its modular, or MOD, engines. Output is a brawny 475 horsepower.

The engine is force-fed an air-and-fuel mixture via a “Roots-type” supercharger providing 8.5 pounds per square inch of boost. The GT500 uses a cast-iron engine block. It borrows from the Ford GT program aluminum, four-valve cylinder heads, piston rings and bearings, adding a high level of performance durability to the drivetrain. “Powered by SVT” camshaft covers add the finishing touch to the engine.

Helping put the power to the pavement is a 6-speed manual gearbox. For the performance driver, its evenly spaced gears mean less “stirring” is needed to find the “sweet spot.” This gives a rewarding experience throughout the engine’s broad torque curve. The heavy-duty transmission has proven itself a willing companion to Mustangs in both road and track environments, including recent road-going Mustang Cobras and the new race-winning Mustang FR500C.

Power Requires Control

The Ford Shelby GT500 continues a legacy of all-around performance that made the original a world-class racer on tracks and road courses around the world.

The Ford Shelby GT500 starts with the solid Mustang underpinnings. The all-new Mustang was designed from the beginning with performance derivatives in mind, providing an exceptionally rigid, well-engineered starting point for GT500 chassis engineers.

SVT engineers retuned and upgraded key chassis components. Improvements such as revised shocks, spring rates and upgraded stabilizer bars help the Ford Shelby GT500 stop and turn with the same authority as it goes.

The Ford Shelby GT500 features a MacPherson strut independent front suspension with Reverse L lower control arms, and a solid-axle, three-link rear suspension with coil springs and a Panhard rod for precise control of the rear axle.

This rear suspension design has been validated on the track by Ford Racing. The Ford Racing Mustang FR500C was purpose-built from the base 2005 Mustang body structure and suspension geometry to run in the Grand-Am Cup series, a class of road racing for production-based cars.

Competing against the best from Germany and Japan, a Mustang FR500C won its first race in the season opener at Daytona International Speedway in February 2005. It went on to dominate the season and clinch the championship.

“SVT and Ford Racing will be working closer than ever as we go forward on future projects, especially Mustangs,” says Thai-Tang, a Ford Racing alumnus who served as the race engineer for the Newman-Haas Racing team in 1993.

To match this power and handling ability, engineers fitted some of the biggest brakes in the business to the Ford Shelby GT500. Four-piston Brembo calipers are fitted to 14-inch Brembo vented rotors up front, and 11.8-inch vented discs in the rear continue SVT’s legacy of great-braking Mustangs. Secure footing is provided by 255/45ZR high-performance tires in front and 285/40ZR high-performance tires in back. Wheels are 18 inches by 9.5 inches.

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The new BMW 7-Series is the result of perfection in design and supreme engineering on the drivetrain, on the chassis, in terms of safety systems, driver assistance, and comfort. And at the same time the sophisticated but very modern interior proves that both driving and riding in the new BMW 7-Series is a truly impressive experience the driver and all passengers will enjoy at all times.

The high-performance and outstandingly efficient engines as well as the suspension technology of the new BMW 7-Series are both quite unique in the luxury saloon segment. Two petrol engines with Twin Turbo technology and High Precision Injection - the 300 kW/407 hp V8 in the top-of-the-range BMW 750Li and the 240 kW/326 hp straight-six in the new BMW 740i - as well as a newly developed straight-six diesel with common-rail fuel injection, piezo-injectors and an aluminium crankcase with maximum output of 180 kW/245 hp in the new BMW 730d are available right from the start upon the introduction of the car. All power units offer the highest standard of efficiency in their respective class and comply in full with the EU 5 emission standard. The new BMW 7-Series comes as standard with Dynamic Damper Control including Dynamic Driving Control operated by the touch of a button on the centre console.

Important options are the Integral Active Steering together with rear axle steering as a function of driving conditions (a technology absolutely unique the world over), as well as Dynamic Drive anti-roll stability.

The new BMW 7-Series also introduces the new generation of BMW’s trendsetting iDrive control system. A newly developed Controller with direct selection buttons and a high-resolution 10.2-inch Control Display facilitate intuitive management, control and activation of numerous functions.

BMW’s new iDrive also offers ideal conditions for unrestricted use of the internet in the car offered by BMW as the world’s first manufacturer in the context of BMW ConnectedDrive. The clear structure of the cockpit dominated by the instrument cluster in innovative black panel technology gives the driver absolute supremacy and unrestricted control of his car at all times. The driver assistance systems featured for the first time in the new BMW 7-Series and exclusive the world over include BMW’s new Night Vision with detection of individual persons, a camera-based Speed Limit Indicator, Lane Change Warning and Cruise Control with Stop & Go, an active Brake Assistant and a proximity warning function when approaching another vehicle from behind.

Both the “regular” and the long-wheelbase versions of BMW’s new Luxury Saloon - with the latter available right from the start in the guise of the BMW 750Li and the BMW 740Li - come with the longest wheelbase in their segment. In practice, this means particularly generous space and roominess within the car. A wide range of lightweight features - including the doors, roof, engine compartment lid, side panels and the engine crankcase made of aluminium - enhance both the efficiency and the agility of the new BMW 7-Series. And through its comprehensive safety concept alone, BMW’s new Luxury Saloon guarantees maximum occupant safety in all conceivable types of collision.

Design: sporting character BMW style in its most elegant form.

A harmonious combination of elegance and sportiness is the key issue in the body design of the new BMW 7-Series. Over and above the long wheelbase, the long and stretched-out engine compartment lid and the short body overhang at the front, the passenger compartment moved relatively far to the rear and the low and sleek roofline characterise the dynamic proportions of the new BMW 7-Series.

Seen from the front, the new BMW 7-Series emanates a sense of clear and calm superiority through its large and smooth engine compartment. The BMW kidney grille stands out far to the front and is fully integrated in the front end without any visible joints or seams, emphasising the powerful presence of the car. The bottom air intake stretches across the entire front air dam, thus highlighting, together with the foglamps and the chrome band above the air intake, the significant width of the car and its powerful stance on the road.

Dual round headlights in generous size and design ensure that concentrated focus so typical of BMW - first through their corona rings providing a daytime headlight function and second through the bright light bar bordering on the headlights at the top. A further new design feature is the direction indicators made up in each case of eight LED light units. The new BMW 7-Series interprets the classic style and design of a thoroughbred saloon in a unique manner typical of the brand. The interplay of concave and convex surfaces so characteristic of BMW generates highly effective light and shadow lines, tense surfaces around the wheel arches and the doors as well as the narrow shoulder surface above the contour line extending from the headlights to the rear lights emphasising the elegant character of this unique Luxury Saloon.

The high-rising doorsill line, in turn, reinforces the impression of a particularly slender and dynamic stature. An additional effect is provided by the chrome-plated gill unit complete with the integrated direction indicator at the transition point between the front side panel and the driver’s and, respectively, front passenger’s door. As a special feature characteristic of a truly sporting car, this gill unit again highlights the long distance between the front axle and the instrument panel.

Longest wheelbase in the luxury performance segment providing lots of space inside the car.

The sporting and elegant side view of the car is further highlighted by the long wheelbase: The new BMW 7-Series comes with the longest wheelbase in the luxury saloon segment, both in its “regular” guise (3,070 millimetres/ 120.9”) and in the extended-wheelbase version (3,210 millimetres/126.4”). In both cases this means extra space within the interior and a significant enhancement of motoring comfort, particularly since the wheelbase of the BMW 750Li and the BMW 740Li extended by 14 centimetres or 5.5” completely benefits the passengers’ legroom at the rear.

Yet a further important point is that both models come with their own distinctive roofline and C-pillar contour creating a side view reminiscent of the “regular” model with its normal wheelbase. And at the same time headroom on the rear seats of the longwheelbase model is up by 10 millimetres or 0.39”.

The sculptural design of the car’s surfaces ensures a smooth and flowing transition of the side panels into the rear end of the car, the roofline flowing down via the car’s flanks all the way to the bumper. The entire rear section is therefore surrounded by dynamic lines creating an even more sporting and muscular look.

Horizontal lines and light edges give the entire rear end a powerful and superior impression accentuated in particular by the chrome bar above the numberplate support. The rear light clusters of the new BMW 7-Series come in an L-shaped look, again typical of the brand. Inside, the rear lights are dominated by wide, horizontally arranged light bars with a special threedimensional look rising to the outside and therefore following the contour of the light units.

Fed by LED lights, the light bars provide a warm and homogeneous light effect. The direction indicators also use LED technology likewise featured on the third brake light at the upper end of the rear window and on the numberplate illumination.

Modern, luxurious, inviting: the interior.

In its interior design, the new BMW 7-Series offers a particularly modern and inviting rendition of sheer luxury. With the centre console slanted slightly towards the driver, the cockpit comes with the driver orientation so typical of BMW. Encountering the new BMW 7-Series for the first time, therefore, the driver immediately has the feeling of being able to handle the most advanced and sophisticated technology in genuine style in a truly exclusive setting.

The dashboard is subdivided into various levels above one another separated by horizontal lines. The instrument cluster and Control Display come on one level, the controls and buttons for all major functions are one level further down, beneath the trim surface likewise covering the entire width of the dashboard. And thanks to innovative presentation and surface technology, finally, the Control Display does not require the usual binnacle to keep out sunglare.

Vertical arrangement of the instruments and control units again serves to facilitate the process of controlling the car, adding extra safety in every respect. Information and control units relevant to the driver are on the side of the cockpit facing towards the driver himself. All controls, buttons and switches serving to operate comfort functions, in turn, are positioned in the middle of the car, with the same logic being applied to the control units integrated directly on the multifunction steering wheel.

Black panel technology: familiar flair, new options.

The design and presentation of the instrument cluster offers new options in presenting information with supreme clarity. For the first time the entire instrument cluster is made up of a high-resolution colour display in black panel technology comprising the four circular instruments arranged in traditional sports car style as well as status and function instruments important for motoring, navigation instructions, information from the Check/Control, feedback from the controls, and the Service Interval Indicator.

When not in use, the display forms a black homogeneous surface. The numbers in the circular instruments are generated electronically when required, thus not becoming visible - like all other symbols on the display - until the system is activated. On cars fitted with a navigation system the instrument clusters supports the High Guiding function, true-to-life arrow symbols giving the driver information on, say, criteria to be observed when changing his lane or when taking a bend at an unclear road junction.

The settings on the automatic air conditioning featured as standard are presented in a second display on the centre console, again in black panel technology. In the new BMW all settings of the automatic air conditioning may indeed be masterminded from a control panel on the centre console.

Electronic gear selector lever and Dynamic Driving Control button on the centre console.

The new BMW 7-Series comes with an electronic gear selector lever on the centre console. Right next to the lever are the Dynamic Driving Control operating unit on the side facing the driver and - on the opposite side - the iDrive Controller.

Instead of a conventional handbrake, the new BMW 7-Series comes with an electrohydraulic parking brake operated merely by pressing a button, that is without requiring any strength or particular effort. The Auto-Hold function likewise operated by a button, automatically holds the car when at a standstill, providing extra comfort in stop-and-go traffic.

A wide range of paintwork colours, interior colours, trim surfaces and seat upholstery enables the customer to personalise his or her car, catering for each and every individual wish. And at the same time, BMW is the world’s first car maker to offer high-tech ceramics as an option on specific control units and elements.

Enhanced consistently, used intuitively: BMW iDrive.

The new BMW 7-Series naturally comes with BMW’s trendsetting iDrive control system serving to activate and mastermind all entertainment, information, navigation and telecommunication functions featured either as standard or as an option. Indeed, the new generation of iDrive gives BMW an even greater lead over other manufacturers with their comparable systems.

Newly designed Controller with direct selection buttons.

Fitted in the perfect ergonomic position, the newly developed Controller enables the user to conveniently and intuitively choose and activate specific functions through standardised tilt, rotating and pushing movements. A picture of the Controller shown in the Control Display ensures even greater clarity and orientation in choosing the next control function or operating step, as does the clear graphic arrangement of the menus arranged as tables on top of one another. And with all menus structured according to the same standard scheme, the user will become fully acquainted with operating requirements almost immediately, not having to make himself accustomed with the control process.

Using the new direct selection buttons on the Controller, the user is able to change spontaneously to the CD, radio, telephone and navigation functions without the slightest effort or waiting time. The range of direct selection buttons is now rounded off by the three command buttons MENU, BACK and OPTION, the eight favourite buttons on the centre console serving for the first time to save and directly retrieve not only radio stations, telephone numbers and navigation destinations, but also menu items directly available through iDrive.

Extra-large display with variable layout, pre-view maps and full-screen presentation.

BMW iDrive in the new 7-Series comes with a 10.2 inch Control Display exceeding all graphic surfaces so far used in the world of motoring not only through its dimensions. For offering image resolution of 1,280 x 480 pixels, the Control Display is able to present detailed graphics or complete websites from the internet much better and more clearly than ever before, visual control aids ensuring additional clarity and ease of use and operation.

To spell out the names of places or streets, for example, and to enter telephone numbers, the driver simply has to use a very convenient circular “Speller” for rapid and easy entry of names and numbers. Optimised BMW iDrive with its upgraded technical features also facilitates use of the optional navigation system, full-screen presentation of maps providing an incomparably detailed overview of the region the driver is currently travelling through. Both travel maps and individual symbols may be shown as three-dimensional graphics, a pre-view screen presenting the appropriate map section when entering a specific destination.

The engines: superior, dynamic and extremely efficient.

Featuring the world’s most efficient V8 petrol engine, the most powerful straight-six within BMW’s line-up of power units, and the first representative of a new generation of straight-six diesels, the range of power units available right from the start upon the introduction of the new BMW 7-Series is full of superlatives.

The three engines stand out through dynamic power and performance, supreme motoring culture, and unique efficiency. In their respective power and performance segments they therefore offer an incomparably good balance of power and economy all in one. The engines thus comply in full with the BMW EfficientDynamics development strategy featuring a wide range of further innovations in the new BMW 7-Series.

So over and above the highly modern power units, BMW EfficientDynamics in the new 7-Series stands, among other things, for Brake Energy Regeneration, on-demand control of ancillary units, consistent lightweight technology and optimised aerodynamics, as well as electronically controlled air flap management for a further reduction of fuel consumption and emissions.

The most efficient car in its segment: the BMW 730d with its newly developed six-cylinder diesel.

This enhancement of efficiency comes out particularly in the new BMW 730d. Offering average fuel consumption of just 7.2 litres/100 kilometres (equal to 39.2 mpg imp) in the EU test cycle, this is the most economical car in its entire segment, with a standard of all-round fuel efficiency made possible by the first generation of straight-six diesel engines.

The newly developed power unit comes with an aluminium crankcase and the latest generation of common-rail direct fuel injection, piezo-injectors injecting fuel into the combustion chambers under a pressure of up to 1,800 bar.

The significantly upgraded turbocharger system with variable intake geometry provides smooth development of superior power tailored to the respective driving conditions, with maximum power and supreme harmony at all times.

The new diesel engine displacing 3.0 litres develops maximum output of 180 kW/245 hp at an engine speed of 4,000 rpm. Maximum torque of 540 Newton-metres or 398 lb-ft, in turn, comes at just 1,750 rpm. Compared with the former model, the new BMW 730d thus offers an increase in power by 10 kW or 14 hp on 10 per cent less fuel.

Weighing just 185 kg or 408 lb, the new six-cylinder diesel is another 5 kilos lighter than its predecessor, this optimisation of weight enhancing not only the efficiency of the new BMW 730d, but also the car’s performance and agility, with acceleration to 100 km/h in just 7.2 seconds and top speed of 245 km/h (152 mph).

Following BMW’s usual commitment, the new BMW 730d comes as standard with a diesel particulates filter and an oxidation catalyst. The exhaust management units are fitted in one joint housing positioned directly downstream of the engine.

Thanks to the innovations in technology featured on the new six-cylinder, this model significantly outperforms the EU 5 emission standard, with the new BMW 730d generating just 192 grams of CO2 per kilometre.

Unique: eight-cylinder petrol engine with Twin Turbo and High Precision Injection in the new BMW 750Li.

The most important technical asset shared by both petrol engines is Twin Turbo technology exclusive to BMW in conjunction with High Precision Injection. Featuring these sophisticated systems, both drive units achieve a level of power and torque natural-aspiration engines would only be able to offer on much larger engine displacement and with an inevitable increase in weight.

Displacing 4.4 litres, the eight-cylinder power unit featured in the new BMW 750Li is the first petrol engine of its kind worldwide to feature the turbochargers in the V-section between the two rows of cylinders. In addition to the optimisation of weight provided by the aluminium crankcase, this configuration also makes the engine extremely compact in its dimensions.

The V8 develops maximum output of 300 kW/407 hp in the speed range from 5,500 to 6,400 rpm, with maximum torque of 600 Newton-metres or 442 lb-ft all the way between 1,750 and 4,500 rpm.

On the road this means truly impressive power and performance from low engine speeds and with substantial thrust maintained throughout the entire range. Hence, the BMW 750i accelerates to 100 km/h in 5.2 seconds and is limited electronically to a top speed of 250 km/h or 155 mph. Average fuel consumption of the BMW 750i in the EU test cycle, already applying the EU 5 standard, is just 11.4 litres/100 kilometres or 24.8 mpg imp, with CO2 emissions of 266 grams per kilometre. Compared with the previous model homologated under the less strict and less demanding EU4 standard, this is an improvement by approximately 3 per cent with an increase in engine power by 30 kW or 41 hp.

As a result, the new model complies both with the ULEV II emission standard in the USA and the EU 5 standard in Europe.

Even more power: straight-six with Twin Turbo and High Precision Injection in the BMW 740i.

The second petrol engine version of the new BMW 7-Series is powered by a straight-six with unmistakable performance characteristics again resulting from the combination of Twin Turbo technology and High Precision Injection.

Appropriate modifications of the turbocharger system serve to increase output of the 3.0-litre power unit to 240 kW/326 hp. On the straight-six with Twin Turbo two exhaust gas turbochargers each supply three cylinders with compressed air, the low inertia of the relatively small turbochargers ensuring a significantly better response also on this power unit and building up larger pressure without the slightest delay from low engine speeds.

Maximum engine power comes at 5,800 rpm, with maximum torque of 450 Newton-metres or 332 lb-ft from just 1,500 rpm. This helps the new BMW 740i to accelerate to 100 km/h in 5.9 seconds, with the car’s top speed limited electronically to 250 km/h or 155 mph.

High Precision Injection plays a key role in ensuring the most efficient use of fuel. In this case the second generation of direct gasoline injection incorporates piezo-injectors positioned in the cylinder head directly next to the spark plugs and conveying fuel into the combustion chambers with an absolutely precise dosage under a pressure of 200 bar.

This particular configuration enhances not only fuel economy, but also emissions and engine acoustics. Accordingly, average consumption in the EU test cycle is just 9.9 litres/100 kilometres or 28.5 mpg imp, with a CO2 rating of 232 grams per kilometre. Compared with its predecessor, the new BMW 740i thus offers 15 kW/20 hp more power on a reduction in fuel consumption by 12 per cent. And again, it almost goes without saying that the new BMW 740i complies in full with the EU 5 emission standard.

Featured as standard: automatic transmission with precise and fast gearshift.

Power is transmitted as standard on the new BMW 7-Series by a further enhanced six-speed automatic transmission with particularly sporting gearshift characteristics. A newly developed control unit offering an even higher level of performance and modified converter technology allow even more precise selection of the right gear at all times. And as a further point the six-speed automatic transmission ensures superior comfort when shifting gears and an enhanced standard of efficiency.

Yet a further contribution to greater efficiency comes from the final drive likewise optimised to an even higher standard, now offering even lower friction and optimised thermal management.

Through the first-ever use of an aluminium housing on the final drive, weight is reduced by approximately 15 per cent versus the former model.

Innovative suspension technology for a unique combination of motoring comfort and dynamic performance.

Newly developed suspension technology guarantees excellent body and roll comfort, while at the same time the new BMW 7-Series comes with a standard of agility quite unique in the luxury segment. A further point is that the driver can decide himself at any time which of these features to give priority, varying the set-up of his car via Dynamic Driving Control.

The combination of a double-arm axle at the front and an integral-V axle at the rear offers not only a wide range of additional benefits in terms of motoring comfort and driving dynamics, but also outstandingly harmonious roll and transient behaviour in bends. In addition, the new BMW 7-Series comes with electronically masterminded Dynamic Damper Control, the newly developed dampers adjusting both to the road surface and the driver’s particular style of motoring. And as the first car maker in the world, BMW uses a damper system where the inbound and rebound stages are adjustable in a continuous, independent process on each wheel. This allows a truly unique combination of a firm suspension set-up, on the one hand, and a comfortable response to bumps on the road, on the other.

Driving Dynamic Control button on the centre console.

The driver is able to vary the Dynamic Damper Control map through the Dynamic Driving Control button.

With Dynamic Driving Control, the set-up of the car my be varied for COMFORT, NORMAL, SPORT and SPORT+ at the simple touch of a button, acting not only on Dynamic Damper Control and the DSC Dynamic Stability Control threshold points, but also on the gearshift dynamics of the automatic transmission as well as the gas peal and steering assistance control maps.

Another button directly in front serves to choose the various Dynamic Stability Control set-ups, for example providing a special traction mode for setting off more easily on snow whenever required.

Integral Active Steering controlling the steering angle both front and rear.

As a further development of Active Steering, Integral Active Steering is now making its world debut in the new BMW 7-Series. For the first time this option varies the steering angle via an additional transmission on the front- wheel Active Steering and, for the first time, the steering angle on the rear wheels through a concentrically positioned motor with spindle drive on the rear axle, in a highly sophisticated function provided by Servotronic in accordance with current driving conditions.

The maximum steering angle of the rear wheels is 3 degrees. At low speeds the rear wheels are turned against the steering angle of the front wheels to give the BMW 7-Series significantly greater agility on the road. At higher speeds the Integral Active Steering gives the car an absolutely outstanding level of motoring comfort and supremacy on the road in changing lanes and in bends, with the rear wheels turning in the same direction as the front wheels. Even in abrupt steering manoeuvres, therefore, the BMW 7-Series follows the driver’s commands precisely and with absolute superiority, any change in direction under dynamic driving conditions leading to an increase in lateral acceleration hardly having any influence on the car’s yaw rate.

This clear separation between changes in direction and yaw or roll motion of the car is perceived as a significant increase in comfort above all on the rear seats.

Supreme precision: BMW Night Vision with detection of individual persons.

BMW is the world’s first car maker to offer Night Vision with detection of individual persons and an appropriate warning in the new BMW 7-Series. The fundamental feature used in this system is a thermal imaging camera providing a moving video picture in which the driver is able to detect people, animals and other objects also outside of the headlight beam in a highresolution presentation on the central Control Display.

Now BMW Night Vision comes for the first time with detection of individual persons giving the driver an additional warning whenever the person(s) detected is/are at risk.

Precisely on course: Lane Change Warning and Lane Departure Warning.

Lane Change Warning available for the first time in a BMW enables the driver to overtake other vehicles in superior style and with a significantly reduced risk. Radar sensors at the rear end of the car monitor traffic conditions on the adjacent lanes, covering an area extending from the so-called blind angle on the next lane all the way to a distance of 60 metres or almost 200 feet behind the car.

A triangular symbol illuminated permanently on the base of the exterior mirror shows the driver that there is another vehicle in the critical range. Then, once the driver sets the direction indicator in order to change his lane in the process of overtaking, this LED signal will start to flash on and off, providing a clear warning in the process. The driver is also warned by discreet but unmistakable vibration on the steering wheel following the same signal as the Lane Departure Warning. This sophisticated system also available as an option on the new BMW 7-Series detects any unintentional departure by the driver from his desired course. Lane Departure Warning is made up of a camera installed on the windscreen near the interior mirror, a control unit for the comparison of data and a signal generator making the steering wheel vibrate. The camera in the system scans the road markings on at least one side of the car as well as the edge of each lane and the distance from the car. The system is able to look ahead some 50 metres or 165 feet and may also be used at night as soon as the driver switches on the headlights.

World debut in the new BMW 7-Series: recognition of traffic signs.

In combination with a navigation system and Lane Departure Warning, the new BMW 7-Series offers yet another exclusive function: the Speed Limit Indicator enables the driver to constantly monitor the speed limit on all routes he is currently taking.

For this purpose a camera fitted near the interior mirror permanently registers traffic signs by the road as well as variable signs on bridges above the road (eg on motorways). The data determined in this way from traffic signs is compared with the data saved in the car’s navigation system and the speed limit at the driver’s current location is shown in the instrument cluster or, as an option, in the Head-Up Display.

Optimum visibility: bi-xenon headlights featured as standard.

The new BMW 7-Series comes as standard with dual bi-xenon headlights. Adaptive Headlights available as an option, in turn, ensure clear and precise illumination of the road ahead following bends and winding roads. The Bending Lights function, as yet another feature, is integrated in the headlights. And last but not least the Adaptive Headlights allow variable light distribution for optimum illumination of the road ahead particularly when driving in a straight line.

Maximum agility, efficiency and solidity ensured by intelligent lightweight technology.

The bodyshell of the BMW 7-Series offers an unusually good balance of low weight and superior strength and solidity. This is made possible by intelligent lightweight technology, appropriate use of high- and ultra-high-strength steel giving the body an extremely stable structure and, together with the use of aluminium on numerous further components, providing a significant improvement of passive safety on lower overall weight. As a result, overall weight of the new BMW 7-Series is down from that of the previous model by 35 kg (77 lb) and even 55 kg (121 lb), taking the range of equipment into account. At the same time the bodyshell of the new BMW 7-Series offers about 20 per cent greater torsional stiffness than the bodyshell of the former model, thus providing the foundation for the car’s excellent driving dynamics.

A unique feature in the BMW 7-Series segment is the combination of an aluminium roof and a steel body. The advantage in weight provided by this solution versus a conventional steel roof is approximately 7 kilos, the lower centre of gravity achieved in this way helping to give the car significantly greater agility. The engine compartment lid, the doors, the front side panels and the front spring supports on the body are also made of aluminium, with the use of aluminium on the doors for the first time in a large-scale production BMW reducing weight once again by another 22 kg or 49 lb.

Exemplary protection of the occupants on all seats.

High-load-resistant carrier structures, extra-large and exactly defined crumple zones as well as highly efficient restraint systems coordinated by high-performance electronic control set the foundation for the high level of passive safety in the new BMW 7-Series.

Within the interior, in turn, frontal and hip/thorax airbags as well as side curtain head airbags all come as standard. BMW’s new Luxury Saloon features three-point inertia-reel seat belts on all seats.

The restraint systems furthermore come with a belt force limiter and, on the front seats, an additional belt tightener. To protect the occupants from cervical spine injury in the event of a collision from behind, the front seats come as standard with crash-activated headrests. And last but certainly not least, ISOFIX child seat fastenings are featured as standard on the rear seats.

Highest standard of climate comfort in the luxury class.

Featured as standard, the automatic air conditioning ensures highly effective cooling quality quite unparalleled in the luxury performance segment. The driver and front passenger are able, with this sophisticated system, to individually control air temperature, air volume and distribution on the right and left side of the car.

Available as an option, four-zone automatic air conditioning also allows individual control and regulation on the rear seats. And the long-wheelbase BMW 7-Series even comes as a further enhancement of four-zone automatic air conditioning with roof vents at the rear complete with separate controls, supplied by an additional air conditioner fitted in the luggage compartment.

As an option the new BMW 7-Series is available with adjustable single seats at the rear, and both climate and massage seats are available as an option at the rear of the car.

Hard disc memory for audio data and the navigation system.

To make use of the audio and navigation system particularly convenient and comfortable at all times, the new BMW 7-Series comes as standard with a hard disc memory. Offering capacity of 80 GB, this high-performance memory ensures exceptionally rapid access to the digitally prepared map material used for navigation purposes. In addition, no less than 12 GB is available for a comprehensive list of music files, also enabling the user to transmit music files from a CD, an MP3 player or a USB stick straight to the hard disc.

The audio system in the new BMW 7-Series features a DVD player, an AUX-in and a USB port all as standard. Optional equipment includes a six DVD changer, a TV module and a receiver for DAB Digital Audio Broadcasting. To offer the driver and his passengers an even greater experience in sound quality, the optional Professional HiFi system is able to play back multi-channel audio formats. As an option, furthermore, the new BMW 7-Series may also be fitted with the BMW Individual High-End audio system.

The entertainment systems available on the rear seats of the new BMW likewise set new standards in the world of motoring, with two TV screens integrated in the front seat backrests and allowing individual use on each side, two headsets and two AUX-in ports as well as a DVD player all included in the entertainment package.

World debut: unrestricted use of the internet in the car.

BMW is the world’s first car maker to provide unrestricted use of the internet in the car through BMW ConnectedDrive.

Use of the internet is an optional extra in the new BMW 7-Series and comes at an attractive flat rate.

As in the case of the BMW Online internet service, BMW, making this new offer, is once again paving the way in the use and availability of online services in the automobile.

Use of the internet in the car is based on BMW iDrive now enhanced to an even higher standard, the Controller taking over the function of a conventional computer mouse. Internet sites may be presented in high resolution on the Control Display, but for reasons of safety only when the car is at a standstill.

Fully integrated use of the Apple iPhone and other Smartphones.

The mobile phone preparation kit complete with a Bluetooth interface available on the new BMW 7-Series allows safe and comfortable use of a wide range of the latest mobile phones while driving. In addition, Smartphones with an MP3 function may also be fully integrated into the car using a specially developed snap-in adapter together with a USB port again available as an option. Using this option, the driver and passengers are able to use both the communication and the entertainment functions of their mobile phone, masterminding the entire process of operation through the iDrive control system. The new interface is suited for fully integration of Apple iPhone, Sony Ericsson K850i and Nokia 6500c mobile phones.

World-first achievement: Integrated Owner’s Manual.

The wide range of innovative functions offered by the new BMW 7-Series in terms of sophisticated electronics is rounded off by the Owner’s Manual fully integrated in the car. In the same way as conventional computer programs, the Integrated Owner’s Manual gives the driver information on all features and equipment of his car within seconds at the touch of a button via iDrive. Instructions for use are presented clearly and easily-to-understand by animations backed up by sound information and even by slide shows. Short and clear texts as well as interactive graphics enable the user to quickly take up and process information received in this way.

Exquisite highlights from BMW Individual.

Choosing from the wide range of options offered by BMW Individual, the discerning driver of a BMW 7-Series is able to express his sense of select quality and exclusive style even more convincingly.

Among other highlights, the range includes new BMW Individual leather in Merino fine grain standing out not only through the unique quality of the material and exclusive colours, but also through distinctive seam patterns on the seats, the dashboard and the door linings. Matching the various leather colours, BMW Individual offers an even wider range of colours on the Alcantara roof lining, with fine trim bars in Satin Nut Brown, Reddish Brown plane tree and Black Piano paint ensuring particular class and style. A new highlight in the wide range of BMW Individual exterior colours is Citrin Black in Xirallic technology.

Yet a further feature offered by BMW Individual is the newly developed, fully integrated cooling box able to accommodate two 0.7-litre bottles and two 0.33-litre cans.

New 20-inch BMW Individual light-alloy wheels in V-spoke design round off the car’s exclusive appearance on a truly personalised BMW 7-Series. In a nutshell, therefore, the wide range of features offered by BMW Individual combines the safety and maturity of the regular production car with the unparalleled appeal, style and class of a genuine one-off masterpiece.

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But this is not the only piece of good news to come from the Prancing Horse at the Paris Show as they will also be announcing the extension of the One To One Personalisation Programme, debuted in March 2008 solely for the Ferrari 612 Scaglietti, to the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano.

Thanks to the success it has enjoyed over the last few months, the service is beeing extended to the most powerful 12-cylinder in the current range. Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano One-to-One clients will now be able to visit the dedicated Atelier in Maranello to create their own truly bespoke car. Not only will they have a vast range of special content to choose from but they will also be assisted by specially trained Ferrari consultants.

As at the 2008 Geneva Auto Show, Ferrari recreated the Atelier for its stand at the Paris Show too. This is an area to which clients can come to work out every last detail of their Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano on the basis of their own personal needs and tastes.

Dedicated Ferrari staff will be on hand to work with clients at each step of the way. Naturally, all of the various personalisation options on offer will ensure that the intrinsic character of the car is unchanged and will not in any way impinge upon the car’s active or passive safety systems.

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The new Jaguar XF: a dramatic expression of a bold new Jaguar design language, with a driving experience that exceeds expectations created by the striking appearance: relaxed and confident, with outstanding ability and control.

Resolutely true to the Jaguar philosophy of creating Beautiful, Fast cars, the Jaguar XF goes further, adding a new dimension to the marque. The four-door XF has the visual excitement of a coupe, but room inside for five adults to enjoy an interior wholly contemporary in style yet uniquely Jaguar.

As well as space, the new Jaguar XF’s interior ambience is enriched by crafted, luxurious materials, sophisticated instruments and calm interior mood lighting. Engineering excellence and attention to detail mean the Jaguar XF’s interior matches the best-in-class for refinement, while Jaguar’s intelligent use of technology and driver-friendly Touch-screen controls add new layers of comfort and ease of use.

Every XF model has shift-by-wire transmission control, with Jaguar’s class-leading sequential shift system - its popularity already confirmed by feedback from XK sports car customers - used for the first time in a saloon. Shift-by-wire replaces manual shift linkages with electronic commands and gives every XF rapid and very smooth gearshifts - faster, even, than the acclaimed XK’s transmission.

The Jaguar Sequential ShiftTM System gives the driver the option of one-touch manual gearchange control via steering-wheel mounted paddles. There are also multiple JaguarDrive ControlTM transmission modes, including Dynamic and Winter settings, which interact with throttle progression, Dynamic Stability Control thresholds and shift strategy to match mood and conditions.

But the most exciting feature of the Jaguar XF’s transmission control is the all-new JaguarDrive SelectorTM - an industry-first rotary shift interface that combines precise, intuitive control with space-saving packaging, to allow maximisation of interior storage options.

Other innovative functional features add more ’surprise and delight’. Air-conditioning vents present a flush dashboard surface until the ignition is switched on, at which point they elegantly rotate to the open position. Another new technology - JaguarSenseTM - introduces touch or proximity-sensing control for overhead console lights and the glovebox release.

Every level of audio system features at least eight speakers, with a premium system designed in association with highly respected audio specialist Bowers & Wilkins available on range-topping models. Radio options now include a Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) system and Sirius Satellite Radio for the North American market, while the Jaguar XF technology count includes Bluetooth® communications technology, plus optional iPod® and MP3 player connectivity with full-function control through the Touch-screen - and an auxiliary port on every car for other portable audio devices.

Other available features include JaguarVoiceTM control to operate navigation and telephone functions, Blind Spot Monitor, Front and Rear Parking Aids and Rear Camera Parking Aid, Adaptive Cruise Control, Automatic Speed Limiter, Tyre Pressure Monitoring System and Electronic Parking Brake.

Mick Mohan, XF Chief Programme Engineer comments: “The interior of the Jaguar XF is a combination of style and substance. It bristles with innovative, industry-leading features. From the smart technical solution of the JaguarDrive SelectorTM, through the seamless efficiency of rotating vents, to the simplicity of Touch-screen control, the Jaguar XF proves aesthetics and function can work together in perfect harmony.”

Engineering excellence and class-leading structural rigidity are at the heart of the new Jaguar XF’s construction. The advanced body structure, which comprises high-tech materials and new-generation design techniques, maximises strength and minimises weight to give the Jaguar XF superb performance, refinement and efficiency across its range of V6 and V8 engines. These engines include the quietest diesel engine in its class and a supercharged V8 that delivers outstanding levels of performance.

The new Jaguar XF is best in class for torsional stiffness, and with a wide rear track displays excellent handling characteristics. These elements underpin a dynamic ethos that is driver-focussed yet supremely comfortable and refined. Just as its looks promise, the new Jaguar XF excels across the board, in every role from a sports car to a luxurious long-distance cruiser.

DESIGN - EXTERIOR

The defining element of the new Jaguar XF as a true sporting Jaguar is its visual strength. Driven by a bold new design language, the Jaguar XF firmly emphasises contemporary and emotional themes while remaining unmistakeably a Jaguar. Targeting leadership in exterior and interior design, the Jaguar XF builds on already high standards of craftsmanship, quality and dynamic refinement, while improving packaging and aerodynamics even further.

The new Jaguar XF enters the range in the niche previously occupied by much-loved mid-sized Jaguar saloons such as the original XJ Series 1 (a car that was smaller than today’s XJ). But unlike many D/E segment premium saloons, the new Jaguar XF pushes boundaries away from the ‘three box’ style and creates a four-door, five-seat saloon with strong, coupe-like lines. Jaguar’s new design language, which debuted with the new XK sports car, is applied to a saloon car for the first time in XF. The visual step forwards is as significant as it is obvious - the Jaguar XF’s proportions, for example, are so closely matched to those of the XK that the screen rake angles are the same on both cars.

Having the space and practicality of full five-seat accommodation was a programme imperative, so the Jaguar XF is proportioned to provide interior space and levels of comfort that challenge for best-in-class honours. At 4961mm long and 1877mm wide, on a lengthy 2909mm wheelbase, the Jaguar XF is 45mm longer and 25mm wider than its nearest ‘dimensional’ competitor, the Audi A6 - with even greater advantages over the BMW 5-Series, Lexus GS300 and Mercedes-Benz E-Class.

The Jaguar XF’s visual emphasis is sporty, muscular and dynamic - a character defined by a sweeping silhouette inspired by the XK, a powerful grille, dramatic side window graphics and, of course, strong Jaguar ’shoulders’. The look, however, does not come at the expense of efficient packaging. The Jaguar XF’s waistline rises to meet the roof rather than the roof coming down to meet the waist, which improves interior space. This rising waistline gives the Jaguar XF a higher tail than any previous Jaguar, providing the twin benefits of much improved aerodynamic performance, together with substantially increased luggage volume. At a maximum of 540 litres (500 with a spare wheel) the Jaguar XF’s boot is the equal of anything in the class and betters most rivals.

The Jaguar XF’s Jaguar character is defined by its face - centred around a bold intake grille which provides a focal point for the feature lines which stream back over the bonnet and cabin, it has inherent visual strength. The grille’s mesh pattern is itself an important element of external jewellery, the woven pattern an emotional design signature that is quintessentially British, with strong sporting connotations.

The headlamps further emphasise the way in which Jaguar’s design language has progressed. The one-piece clusters have a wide aspect ratio and wrap around the corners of the body onto the front wings. Closer inspection of the headlamp internals reveals twin round elements incorporated within the overall shape; a subliminal reminder of the Jaguar saloon ‘quad lamp’ signature.

The front lower bumper includes powerful air intakes, carrying chrome ’splitter’ blades whose simple, modern lines evoke the technical, strongly engineered shape of a propeller blade.

In profile, the new Jaguar XF follows the Jaguar credo of having flowing, uninterrupted lines. The feature line that starts at the outboard edge of the lower air intake, runs up over the front wing, rises into the waistline and then runs around the trailing edge of the bootlid is an example of this.

The stance of the Jaguar XF is new for a modern-day Jaguar saloon. It gives the car a ‘ready to pounce’ look that suggests latent power and energy, the strong wedge profile of the waistline imparting a forward-biased dynamic before the car has even turned a wheel.

The Jaguar XF’s wide rear track not only enhances the handling and dynamic values of the car but also reinforces the visual confidence of the new shape. At the rear, the design elements integrate to emphasise the width of the car. The bright signature blade, which proudly carries the ‘JAGUAR’ script, appears to extend beyond the boot lid and into the tail lamps by aligning it with the clear ‘windows’ of the reverse/indicator clusters.

The tail lamp graphics wrap around onto the rear wings, leading your eye out to the broad, muscular rear wheel arches. The lamps use state-of-the-art LED technology to give the Jaguar XF an unmistakeable night-time signature and an exotic personality. The wheels lie at the extremities of the body, with the wings sculpted to make them look like powerful, bulging muscles. Every wheel and tyre combination has been engineered to have the same rolling radius, giving a consistent ‘wheel to body’ visual relationship. The Jaguar XF is fitted with either 17, 18, 19 or 20-inch alloy wheels, the supercharged SV8 being the only car in its class to have 20-inch wheels as standard.

The exterior details of the Jaguar XF have been designed as if they are finely crafted items of exquisite jewellery. The distinctive bright aluminium finisher around the side window, for example, is unusual in being a single-piece pressing and is an unmatched piece of craftsmanship. The side power vents have the Jaguar name embossed on an ‘ingot’ bar across the centre, while the ‘venturi’ shape below the tail - which hints at the Jaguar XF’s sophisticated aerodynamics - is positioned above large, stylised twin chrome tailpipes.

The Jaguar XF is unmistakably a Jaguar and its badging unequivocally identifies it as such: a large ‘growler’ badge is prominent on the front grille, while adding the Jaguar ‘leaper’ to the rear boot lid is an emotional statement - a powerful signature that customers associate strongly with the most sporting Jaguars.

From launch, the Jaguar XF offers three trim levels: Luxury, Premium Luxury and SV8. Externally, with the exception of wheel styles and a badge on the SV8, all cars will look the same - a customer is buying an XF, rather than an XF in a particular trim level.

AERODYNAMICS

As well as facilitating packaging excellence, the Jaguar XF’s new design language has another significant functional advantage: for the first time on any Jaguar, the entire body was developed using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) before the car ever saw a wind tunnel. Every area from the outer skin to the lightweight, composite undertray to the cooling airflow (even the shape of the exterior mirrors) was optimised using this process. The higher, squarer tail is more efficient aerodynamically than a lower, rounded one, and the Jaguar XF’s coupe-like roofline and subtle, raised bootlid lip improve airflow over the rear of the car. As a result, the Jaguar XF has the best aerodynamic performance, in terms of drag, of any production Jaguar ever and is better than the race-bred, limited edition XJ220 supercar.

The Jaguar XF’s drag coefficient is just 0.29 and the front-to-rear lift balance is precisely zero. This aerodynamic performance contributes to impressively low wind noise, aids fuel consumption and strong high-speed stability and, of course, is vital in ensuring ideal handling balance through optimising drag and lift forces.

DESIGN - INTERIOR

Relax inside the Jaguar XF and you are in a very special place indeed. There is space - more than many will imagine given the Jaguar XF’s sports saloon design - but also the sense of being in a perfectly proportioned, agile car. There is also comfort - of course - but it is the craftsmanship, materials and attention to detail that impress. Consider, too, the generous equipment specification - the features that empower rather than overpower the driver - and the strengths of the Jaguar XF are readily apparent.

The interior design maximises the feeling of space, with driver and passenger seating positions, the relationship of seats to window areas, and the volume and versatility of stowage options all contributing. New thinking on seat design - the front seats are deliberately sculpted and reduced in size (but not comfort) - liberates space and makes access easier, too. The increased track and best-in-class rear seat width means tall adults can sit in complete comfort. And while the Jaguar XF roofline might say ‘coupe’, the rear headroom says ’saloon’ better than many rivals.

Just as the Jaguar XF’s exterior defines a new design direction, its interior moves from traditional themes to contemporary, sporting luxury - emphasised by ’surprise and delight’ features such as the JaguarDrive SelectorTM and the rotating vents; through the use of sophisticated new materials; and by all-new graphics and interior lighting systems.

The line defined by the soft-trimmed dashboard top and aluminium finisher runs continuously through the front and rear doors, making the interior feel more spacious, and especially making it seem wider from the front seats.

Real wood - more than in any Jaguar since the iconic MkII saloon in the 1960s - underlines what is a luxurious interior, with veneers including Satin American Walnut, Burr Walnut and a very modern, straight-grained Rich Oak that works particularly well with textured aluminium highlights that are used in every XF to enhance the contemporary, technical feel. And true to Jaguar’s core values of authenticity of materials, what looks like wood really is wood.

Even the Jaguar XF’s headlining material is a step on from conventional materials. Using a modern technical weave called Morzine, the entire cabin roof and A-pillars are trimmed in this eye-catching, contemporary finish.

In the Jaguar XF, many features are ‘invisible until needed’ - a different approach from carmakers who push technology as a dominant interior theme. The rotating vents revolve out of sight when they are not in use; the Touch-screen controls many features, allowing mechanical buttons to be reduced to a discreet panel below the navigation screen. Jaguar design is about reducing clutter; the switches that are there primarily give quick and easy access to functions such as audio volume and climate control temperature.

As well as the centre cubby, which includes CD storage, an auxiliary power supply and a Portable Audio Interface for an iPod® or other MP3 player (depending on market), the centre console has two compartments with veneered lids. It can take a 44-ounce ‘big-gulp’ cup and two more modestly sized cups plus other oddments. Without the cupholders in place there is generous oddment storage space for items such as sunglasses in their cases. There are large storage pockets in each door and on the backs of the front seats, while the rear centre armrest also incorporates two cupholders.

But it is not only in the storage of everyday items that the Jaguar XF excels - the minimum capacity of the boot is more than 500 litres, with the possibility to add even more storage space depending on factors such as whether the space-saver spare wheel or Jaguar Tyre Repair System is fitted. At its maximum 540 litres, the Jaguar XF’s boot is equal to the best in class - and there is still the option to liberate a further 420 litres of space by folding down the rear seat backs.

One feature that maximises space efficiency is the JaguarDrive SelectorTM, an unobtrusive yet completely practical solution to selecting an automatic gear mode. But the Selector does much more than this thanks to a start-up sequence that is a strong driver ‘handshake’ ¬and a real statement of the Jaguar XF’s individuality.

Get into an XF and the start button in front of the JaguarDrive SelectorTM pulses red, like a heartbeat. Press this button to start the engine and the cast alloy JaguarDrive SelectorTM rises into the palm of your hand. Simultaneously, the navigation system initialises to its home page and the rotating vents turn from their flush, ‘parked’ position to their functional open position. While the vents are open, they offer vertical and horizontal directional vane adjustment and full airflow adjustment down to zero.

With the JaguarDrive SelectorTM, automatic transmission functions are selected simply by turning the control with the fingertips. As an example, Drive to Drive Sport selection is accomplished with a simple push and turn action. Returning from S to D, the rotary control operates with spring-assistance, which eliminates the need to pull the Selector. It couldn’t be simpler.

Phosphor blue mood or ‘halo’ lighting echoes the ambience you might find in a favourite contemporary bar or restaurant. This same lighting technology is also used in MP3 players and mobile ‘phone handsets to illuminate keypads and controls. On the Jaguar XF, halo illumination around the switch panels and JaguarDrive SelectorTM console, the start-stop button and Electric Parking Brake gives a soft glow that indicates their positions without distracting the driver.

Mood lighting is also incorporated into the header console, bathing the centre console in a cool blue light, while lights under the front door releases softly illuminate the door-mounted switches.

Soft, phosphor blue illumination is also used on the instrument dials, highlighting the sporting feel of the aluminium-coloured dials. As well as being soothing, blue does not conflict with any of the green, yellow or red alert or warning signals on the car.

Following the luxury theme, there are chrome highlights on the column stalks and the moulded halo material around the JaguarDrive SelectorTM and audio/climate switch-pack appears as a soft, almost smoky, chrome until illuminated.

The main switches have been designed to give the feel of a high-quality audio system, incorporating short travel with positive feedback to the user. This design is then used in the minor switchpacks in the overhead console and the auxiliary pack outboard of the steering wheel.

Electric window switches are illuminated through a jewel-like design that diffuses a soft phosphor blue glow around the switch. All switches and buttons have the same Tungsten finish to emphasise harmony and sophistication in the interior.

To say that luxury comes as standard on the Jaguar XF is an understatement. Front seats are electrically adjustable, with a minimum of eight-way seat adjustment for the driver and front passenger, while the SV8 offers 16-way driver’s seat and 12-way passenger’s seat adjustment with 4-way power lumbar and cushion length adjustment for the driver. The new Jaguar XF also introduces the option of active heated and cooled ventilated front seats, with fan-assisted whole seat heating, whole seat cooling, or just squab heating or cooling. And because the Jaguar XF cleverly separates seat and cabin temperature controls, it gives the option of a warm cabin with a cool seat, or vice versa. And all of this with a new climate control system that is also the most efficient Jaguar has ever offered.

Attention to detail was a mantra throughout the Jaguar XF’s development. The three trim levels offer combinations of Bond Grain leather and Softgrain leather in a subtle colour palette. The Luxury trim level uses non-perforated Bond Grain leather for the seat facings with matching material for the twin needle stitched facia and door top rolls. Premium Luxury and SV8 have a sumptuous interior with Softgrain leather used throughout for seats, facia and door top rolls, while perforated Softgrain leather is used on the seat facings to facilitate the fan-assisted heating/cooling feature.

The Jaguar XF is exceptionally well equipped. Bluetooth® technology allows mobile handsets with Bluetooth® capability to communicate with the car’s in-built telephone system and phone calls can be controlled either via the Touch-screen or hands-free, using the steering wheel controls or JaguarVoiceTM control.

The Jaguar XF offers three levels of audio system, again all controlled through the Touch-screen. The eight-speaker Jaguar Sound System has a woofer and tweeter unit in each door - the woofer being mounted much higher than conventional systems to ensure good bass reproduction. The Jaguar 320W Premium Sound System has a DSP amplifier linked to nine speakers: eight premium door-mounted and (through clever packaging of the boot area) a 32-litre sub-woofer for enhanced bass. The Bowers & Wilkins 440W Surround Sound System has a remote amplifier with Dolby® Pro-Logic® II 7.1 Surround Sound and 14 speakers. Bowers & Wilkins technology, exclusively used in Jaguar cars, is acclaimed by audiophiles, artists and recording engineers alike. Kevlar cones in the larger speakers (the distinctive yellow appearance is discretely visible through the speaker grille) improve linearity of response and reduce distortion, while aluminium domes on the tweeters improve sound reproduction at high frequencies by reducing the weight of the moving part.

XF customers can import their own portable media player to interface with the car - including iPod® and other portable audio players, or USB storage devices such as memory sticks. In a world first, full Touch-screen control of the iPod® allows access to Playlists and Music search by Artist, Album or Genre. USB Mass Storage devices may also be accessed via the Touch-screen and other players can be connected to the car through the standard fit Auxiliary Input port.

The Jaguar XF audio system also offers Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) and in North America, Sirius Satellite Radio. Sirius is growing in popularity because of its commercial-free output and because the same network is available coast to coast, north to south. XF owners also have the option of analogue/digital TV reception, with up to nine analogue and nine digital channel pre-sets with full function control, including country or format selection and one-touch channel-search, all through the Touch-screen menus.

JaguarSenseTM - an electronic control system that gives touch or proximity operation to open the glovebox lid and to control the overhead console lights - is another XF (and industry) first and removes the need to locate a small switch, especially useful in the dark. JaguarVoiceTM, meanwhile, offers the driver the option of voice control for functions including satellite navigation, telephone, and display functions.

The Jaguar XF also uses new technology to make driving safer and more relaxing, with the choice of traditional cruise control or Jaguar’s Adaptive Cruise Control. In tandem with normal cruise control, an Automatic Speed Limiter that allows the driver to select a maximum speed that should not be exceeded, makes life easier and safer. A new optional Blind Spot Monitor system remotely covers areas that still can’t be seen either directly or by mirror, with a radar (rather than camera-based) blind spot monitoring system. The Jaguar XF has a Rear Parking Aid as standard and a Front Parking Aid as an option - and for the first time on any Jaguar, a Rear Camera Parking Aid offers a system that combines a rear-facing digital video camera with the Touch-screen information centre.

SUSPENSION

The Jaguar XF’s class-leading torsional rigidity has significant benefits for refinement and provides the perfect platform for a suspension system that is a further development of the Jaguar XK sports car, and delivers a ride/handling balance and steering characteristics absolutely in line with the Jaguar XF’s sporting looks. Unequal length wishbone front suspension with weight-saving aluminium components, and multi-link rear suspension are both subframe mounted for maximum control, including excellent straight-line stability and strong anti-dive characteristics under heavy braking, with minimum road noise and vibration.

The only suspension variations on the Jaguar XF are between the V6 petrol, V6 diesel and V8 naturally aspirated models, which all use finely tuned passive suspension, and the SV8, which for all markets uses Jaguar’s Computer Adaptive Technology Suspension (CATSTM). The latest CATSTM is a sophisticated system shared with the new Jaguar XK sports grand tourer. It uses electronically controlled, two-stage, adaptive dampers whose characteristics are automatically adjusted within milliseconds in response to road conditions and driving inputs, for the optimum balance between comfort and control.

POWERTRAIN

The new Jaguar XF will be available with a choice of four engines - 2.7-litre V6 turbodiesel, 3.0-litre V6 petrol, 4.2-litre naturally aspirated V8 petrol, and 4.2-litre supercharged V8 petrol (depending on market). Both petrol and diesel V6 engines are offered in Luxury and Premium Luxury models; the naturally aspirated V8 will be Premium Luxury only (and Luxury for US models) and the supercharged SV8 has its own unique specification, for a very logical, easily understood range with only six major variants.

The Euro IV compliant twin-turbocharged 2.7-litre 24-valve V6 diesel delivers high efficiency, high performance and class-leading refinement - its headline figures including 207PS (EEC) and 435Nm (EEC) of torque. With its Compacted Graphite Iron (CGI) cylinder block and aluminium cylinder heads it is the lightest diesel engine of its type and size - making a significant contribution to the new Jaguar XF’s power-to-weight ratio, performance and fuel economy.

The V6 diesel features the latest generation high-pressure Common Rail direct-injection, ‘multiple pilot’ injection, and piezo-electric injection control, allowing sophisticated management of the injection patterns to make combustion smoother and quieter. Four valves per cylinder and advanced combustion chamber shapes contribute to high combustion efficiency with low combustion noise, alongside very low mechanical noise levels.

Emissions are further reduced by using twin variable-geometry turbochargers with electronic control, exhaust gas recirculation, and a variable-swirl intake system. Using two small turbochargers, with ‘drive-by-wire’ throttle control, rather than one larger unit, also gives a quicker, smoother response.

The 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine is another compact, lightweight, all-aluminium design with four overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder, VCP Continuously Variable Cam Phasing and variable geometry air intakes. It produces 240bhp (SAE)/238PS (EEC) and 221lb ft (SAE)/293Nm (EEC) peak torque - with more than 80 percent of peak torque from below 1500rpm to maximum engine speed at 6800rpm.

Variable Camshaft Phasing produces faster response and performance at all engine speeds - with more torque at low speeds and maximum power at high speeds. It also provides internal exhaust gas recirculation, reducing both hydrocarbon and NOx emissions.

The 4.2-litre V8 comes in naturally aspirated or supercharged versions. With a ribbed aluminium block and cylinder heads it is very light but extremely strong, and its superb structural stiffness minimises radiated engine noise and increases mechanical reliability. The V8’s exhaust system has also been completely retuned to remain quiet at cruising speeds but deliver a substantially more purposeful V8 roar under hard acceleration.

In naturally aspirated form it develops 300bhp (SAE)/298PS (EEC), and 310lb ft (SAE)/411Nm (EEC) of torque. The supercharged version uses a highly efficient rotor-type supercharger, belt-driven from the crankshaft. It develops 420bhp (SAE)/416PS (EEC), and 413lb ft (SAE)/560Nm (EEC) of torque from low engine speeds. Just as important as the supercharged engine’s peak torque is the way the usable torque is spread across a wide rev range - with at least 86 percent of the peak from 2000rpm to maximum engine speed.

A superior six-speed automatic transmission - renowned as one of the best in the world and already proven in other Jaguars - is used on all versions of the new Jaguar XF. There is no manual gearbox option. The transmission is a key element in the Jaguar XF’s sporting character, its adaptive gear-changing strategies responding both to road conditions and the way the car is being driven, giving the smoothest shifts and optimum performance. Adding another layer of driver focus, the transmission is controlled by the new JaguarDrive SelectorTM with the option of manual selection through Jaguar Sequential ShiftTM. The JaguarDrive SelectorTM is also used to access the Jaguar XF’s Sport mode which uses shift-by-wire technology pioneered on the XK.

These high-tech, modern powertrains give every XF model outstanding performance. The 2.7-litre V6 diesel reaches 60mph in just 7.7 seconds (0-100kph in 8.2 seconds) and has a top speed of 143mph (229kph). The 3.0-litre V6 petrol version sprints to 60mph in 7.9 seconds (0-100kph in 8.3 seconds) and goes on to reach 148mph (237kph). The naturally-aspirated V8 model has a superb 0-60mph time of just 6.2 seconds (0-100kph in 6.5 seconds) and has an electronically limited top speed of 155mph (250kph). Lastly, the supercharged SV8 XF storms to 60mph in just 5.1 seconds (0-100kph in 5.4 seconds) and, like the naturally aspirated V8, is limited to a maximum of 155mph (250kph).

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Front and rear styling updates combine to create a more-chiseled overall appearance with revisions to the grille, bumpers, and headlight and taillight color combinations. Inside, styling updates include revised three-dimensional-style meters, a new steering wheel design, and enhanced controls, buttons and displays for the air conditioning, audio, cruise control and headlights. New technology-friendly features include the addition of a 115-volt power outlet on the Honda Ridgeline RTL, MP3/auxiliary input jack on the Honda Ridgeline RTS and RTL, and all audio systems become MP3/WMA compatible. New safety features include active front seat head restraints and daytime running lights. Capable of accommodating 4-foot-wide sheets of plywood between the wheel wells, the composite cargo bed, gains two cargo tie-down points (eight total).

“The Ridgeline channels the company’s vast experience with motorcycles, dirt bikes, ATVs, marine engines, personal water craft, power equipment and automotive products,” said Dick Colliver, executive vice president of American Honda Motor Co., Inc. “The end result is a truck designed to best meet the needs of people who take family, work and recreation seriously. All-around, it’s the right tool for the job.”

The four-door, five-passenger Honda Ridgeline is built on a closed-box, unit-body frame that combines the strength characteristics of a ladder frame with the packaging and handling advantages of a unit-body design. All 2009 Honda Ridgeline are powered by a 250-horsepower, 3.5-liter VTEC V-6 engine. A 5-speed electronically-controlled automatic transmission and a Variable Torque Management® 4-wheel drive system (VTM-4®) are standard. The EPA rates city/highway/combined fuel economy at 15/20/17. A fully-independent suspension with MacPherson struts in the front and a multi-link suspension design in the rear contribute to a smooth ride and responsive handling. Standard equipment for towing includes an integrated tow hitch, transmission and oil coolers, heavy duty brakes, dual radiator fans and a wiring harness for a 7-pin trailer hook up (pre-wiring only on RT). Maximum recommended tow capacity is 5,000 pounds.

A 5-foot-long composite cargo bed provides a half-ton payload rating of 1,100 lbs. Four cargo area lights illuminate both the bed and the in-bed trunk. A dual-action tailgate opens down for traditional access to the cargo area or to the side for ease-of-access to the lockable In-Bed Trunk. New accessories for 2009 include a motorcycle bed extender and a bed-mount bicycle attachment, in addition to a wide variety of existing accessories that are designed to accommodate motorcycles and ATVs.

Powertrain

The all-aluminum, 60-degree, SOHC 3.5-liter VTEC engine produces 250-horsepower at 5700 rpm and 247 lb-ft. of torque at 4300 rpm. The Ridgeline’s variable valve timing enhances low rpm torque while extending high rpm horsepower for a broad, confidence-inspiring power band. For 2009, the engine produces three more horsepower and a torque curve that is up to 10 lb-ft. broader at RPMs as low as 2500 - while maintaining the same EPA-rated fuel economy as 2008 and its CARB Ultra-Low Emissions Vehicle certification.

The majority of the additional power is achieved through a new camshaft profile tuned for maximum torque, larger intake valves and a revised dual-stage intake manifold capable of a higher flow rate (now made from ultra-lightweight magnesium instead of aluminum).

A closer look inside the engine bay reveals more technical enhancements. Improved engine control electronics incorporate a 6-degree crank pulse sensor for enhanced knock control. An airflow meter within the air intake increases fuel injection precision. Optimized coolant passages in the engine block increase cooling performance and allow for more advanced ignition timing, contributing to power in demanding situations. A new EGR valve runs from behind one of the close-coupled catalytic converters to the cylinder head cover.

Upgrades have also been made to the starter motor, now more powerful and quick-starting. Cranking time has been reduced to the point where full engine ignition occurs in ultra-quick succession from the point where the key reaches the start position.

Revised transmission gear ratios are configured to take advantage of the additional engine torque for responsive acceleration during normal driving, towing or hauling heavy cargo loads. Gears 3 and 4 are approximately 5 percent lower to accommodate enhanced passing performance.

The fully-automatic VTM-4 system provides confident, decision-free operation in rain, snow, ice, sand and mud, while also improving on-road and towing performance by distributing torque to all four wheels as needed. The system operates predominately in front-wheel-drive during dry-pavement cruising conditions and continuously proportions torque to the rear wheels during acceleration and low traction situations.

The Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) system, commonly referred to as electronic stability control, can apply braking force to a wheel with low traction and direct driving force to the wheel with more traction. For the rear differential, a “VTM-4″ lock button located on the instrument panel allows the driver to temporarily hold engagement of both rear wheels to aid traction while in gears “1″ and “2″ at speeds of up to 18 mph.

Chassis

Designed for 1,550-pound total vehicle payload toughness, the Honda Ridgeline integrates a fully-independent suspension with MacPherson struts in the front and a multi-link with trailing arm design in the rear. The VSA system with active yaw control monitors lateral (cornering) stability and discretely integrates traction control, four-wheel drive, anti-lock braking, throttle control and stability control functions by modulating brake power at each wheel and controlling throttle input. The VSA system is designed to feel smooth and unobtrusive for neutral, predictable and safe handling characteristics.

The heavy duty braking system includes 12.6-inch front and 13.1-inch rear 4-wheel anti-lock disc brakes with Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist. Wheels on the Honda Ridgeline RT are 17×7.5-inch steel affairs; the Honda Ridgeline RTS upgrades to alloy. P245/65 R17 all-season tires are standard on the Honda Ridgeline RT and RTS. The Ridgeline RTL is equipped with new-for-2009 18×7.5-inch alloy wheels and P245/60 R18 all-season tires. A standard tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) provides individual low pressure warnings. A tow hitch becomes standard equipment on every 2009 model and a 7-pin wiring harness is included on the Honda Ridgeline RTS and RTL. The 22-gallon fuel tank provides a maximum highway driving range of up to 373 miles based on the EPA-rated combined city/highway fuel economy and the fuel tank capacity.

Body

The closed-box, unit-body architecture delivers vastly superior rigidity compared to traditional body-on-frame designs and provides the foundation for the Honda Ridgeline’s spacious interior cabin and bed, outstanding safety performance and class-leading ride and handling performance.

By choosing a unit body frame with an integrated and fully boxed ladder structure as the base for the Honda Ridgeline, the interior can have more space and the body can be more rigid while containing multiple load paths for enhanced collision energy management. The elimination of traditional body-on-frame construction allows for another feature no other truck product can claim - a spacious In-Bed Trunk with 8.5 cubic feet of secure storage.

Honda’s approach to exterior styling on the Honda Ridgeline incorporates a machined billet architecture styling approach for a solid, strong one-piece appearance. No separation between the bed and the cab exists. Designed to appear modern and athletic, the Honda Ridgeline incorporates short front and rear overhangs with integrated bumpers, a large and dominating grille connected to a long and expansive hood, large door handles, and large truck-style side mirrors for good rear vision while towing. The windshield wipers have a heated wiper zone that enhance wiper performance and minimize ice scraping in cold, winter driving conditions.

For 2009, vehicle length measures 207.0 inches, up 0.2 inches due to the new front and rear bumper design. All other key dimensions remain the same: wheelbase 122.0 inches, height 70.3 inches, width 76.3 inches, track front/rear 67.1/66.9 inches, and ground clearance 8.2 inches. The approach, rampover and departure angles (in degrees) measure 24.5, 21.0 and 22.0, respectively.

The cargo area measures 49.5 inches wide between the wheel wells, 20.7 inches deep and 60.0 inches long (79.0 inches with the load-supporting tailgate in the down position). The tailgate is rated to support up to 300 pounds (while the vehicle is moving) and can easily close with contaminates like sand, snow or mud in the space between the bumper and the tailgate.

Interior

The interior takes advantage of the Honda Ridgeline’s superior unit-body packaging efficiency to deliver full-size interior space dimensions while maintaining a garage-friendly, mid-size exterior footprint. The driving position provides ergonomically comfortable access to large and easy-to-use controls - the majority of which become more tactile and user-friendly for 2009.

The large multi-function console features a sliding armrest and sliding lower tray - each with a hidden storage area. Other console storage areas accommodate items both large and small like mobile phones, beverages, compact discs and portable digital music players.

The 60/40 lift-up rear seats feature a storage area underneath large enough to accommodate a golf bag. Plus, the rear seating area can be quickly converted for cargo duty by lifting the seats up to create enough room for a full-size mountain bike with the front tire removed. Family-friendly, the rear seat incorporates three LATCH positions.

The Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation System® with Voice Recognition and Zagat Survey™ restaurant information is available on RTL models and includes XM Satellite Radio®. An off-road tracking function remembers where the vehicle has traveled within unmapped regions.

Safety

The 2006 Honda Ridgeline was the first-ever 4-door pickup to receive the federal government’s top 5-star safety rating, the highest safety rating possible, for both frontal and side impacts. The 2009 Honda Ridgeline continues to achieve the highest 5-star ratings for frontal and side impacts. All Ridgelines are equipped with standard anti-lock brakes; VSA; brake assist; advanced dual-stage, dual-threshold driver’s and front passenger’s SRS airbags; front side airbags with passenger-side Occupant Position Detection System(OPDS); two-row side-curtain airbags with a rollover sensor; front seat active head restraints; a tire pressure monitoring system and daytime running lights.

Trim Levels

Standard comfort and convenience features on the Honda Ridgeline RT include an integrated trailer hitch, pre-wiring for 7-pin trailer wiring, trip computer with instaneous and average fuel economy; air conditioning; tilt steering wheel; power windows and door locks; power sliding rear window; cruise control; keyless entry; automatic heated wiper zone; a six-speaker, 100-watt audio system with CD player with MP3/WMA playback capability; 60/40 split lift-up rear seat with underseat storage;.

The Honda Ridgeline RTS adds alloy wheels; a 7-pin trailer wiring connector; body-color painted door handles; painted inner grille surfaces; a seven-speaker 160-watt audio system with subwoofer and six-disc in-dash audio system; steering wheel-mounted controls; an auxiliary audio input jack; dual-zone automatic climate control, an eight-way power driver’s seat with lumbar support; privacy glass; and all-weather floor mats.

The RTL adds a leather-trimmed interior with heated front seats, 18-inch alloy wheels; fog lights, moonroof, a 110-volt power outlet, XM® Satellite Radio, HomeLink® remote system, carpeted floor mats, and a compass in the rearview mirror. A Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation System with voice recognition is available (and replaces the rear-view mirror interior compass). Vehicles equipped with the navigation system also include Bluetooth HandsFreeLink and a multi-information display.

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With more than 500 produced units the Magnum is the most successful model in the 20-year history of TECHART Automobildesign. At the Frankfurt International Auto Show IAA 2007 the new TECHART Magnum based on the latest Porsche Cayenne celebrates its world debut.

Like its predecessor the new TECHART Magnum sets itself apart with a spectacular aerodynamic-enhancement package that fits all versions of the Porsche SUV. All body components are manufactured from PUR-RIM plastic in OEM quality.

The curved TECHART fender flares add eight centimeters to the width of the Cayenne. The Magnum rocker panels provide a fluent transition between the wider wheel arches.

The new aprons for front and rear that replace their production counterparts were designed to correspond visually to the more pronounced contours of the wheel arches. The TECHART Magnum front apron lends the latest Cayenne generation an even more striking appearance. Its large air inlets feature elegantly styled slats and provide ample cooling air for radiators and front brakes. A total of four auxiliary headlights and daytime running lights improve active safety.

The TECHART Magnum rear apron with integrated diffuser reduces lift on the rear axle and provides the perfect backdrop for the TECHART stainless-steel sport exhaust system with two chrome tailpipes on either side.

The body conversion can be rounded out with moldings for front and rear lights, as well as with a new hood that features two air outlets that optimize heat balance in the engine bay.

The Magnum also features custom-tailored wheels and tires. The largest possible version features TECHART Formula II light-alloy wheels in size 10.5Jx22 in front and in size 11,5Jx22 in the rear. For optimal tires TECHART chose ContiCrossContact UHP tires in sizes 295/30 ZR 22 and 335/25 ZR 22, which are approved on the Cayenne for a top speed of 300 km/h.

These tires also make the Magnum a prime candidate for the engine tuning of the Cayenne Turbo that is currently under development and in its most powerful incarnation will produce up to 620 hp / 456 kW.

The air suspension of the Cayenne Turbo is modified with the TECHART sport module that lowers the ride height for enthusiastic on-road driving by 30 millimeters. The entire range of adjustment from the lowest ride height (loading level) to the highest (special off-road level) measures some 110 millimeters.

The TECHART Magnum repertoire also includes countless interior options. The range of products starts with exclusive accessories such as an ergonomically shaped sport steering wheel and carbon-fiber applications for the cockpit, available in a number of different colors.

Requests for an even higher degree of customization can be fulfilled with exclusive TECHART fully leather interiors in any color and design imaginable.

The TECHART interior line de Sede of Switzerland, created in cooperation with the Swiss furniture manufacturer, represents an especially exclusive option. The high-quality de Sede leather skins are transformed by the company-own TECHART upholstery shop into meticulously finished upholstery for seats, door and side trim, dashboard, roof pillars and headliner.

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Genesis is built on Hyundai’s all-new, performance-driven rear-wheel-drive architecture. It offers three powertrains, including 3.3-liter and 3.8-liter V6 engines, and Hyundai’s all-new 4.6-liter Tau V8. Tau will produce an estimated 368 horsepower on regular fuel, and lead all its competitors in specific output with 80 horsepower per liter. With technology rivaling more expensive luxury sedans, Hyundai Genesis showcases features such as XM NavTraffic, Adaptive Front Lighting System (AFLS), Smart Cruise Control, Lexicon® audio systems and electronic active head restraints.

“While Genesis will compete for customers with cars like Chrysler 300 and Pontiac G8, our engineering benchmarks were Mercedes E-Class, Infiniti M, and Lexus GS,” said John Krafcik, vice president, product development and strategic planning, Hyundai Motor America. “Genesis provides a potent combination of performance, luxury, and value. We think it has the opportunity to be an extremely disruptive force in the large sedan and near-luxury segments.” Genesis ushers in a new era for Hyundai. Its all-new rear-wheel drive architecture will spawn more products in other segments, as suggested by the Hyundai Genesis Coupe Concept shown at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November 2007.

NEW PERFORMANCE-DRIVEN REAR-WHEEL-DRIVE ARCHITECTURE

Hyundai Genesis is built on an all-new rear-wheel-drive architecture, its first application in a U.S. Hyundai model. Genesis boasts a near ideal 53/47 front-to-rear weight distribution for exceptional handling and more refined steering characteristics. The rear-wheel-drive layout allowed engineers to position the car’s front wheels farther forward delivering outstanding handling and steering performance. Standard Electronic Stability Control (ESC), the industry’s most important new safety technology, further enhances the vehicle’s driving confidence. Hyundai leads all popular car brands in the standard application of ESC, with more than 70 percent of 2007 Hyundai sales featuring ESC as standard equipment.

Hyundai Genesis reduces interior noise levels and improves ride and handling with a stiffer, lighter body structure. The use of high tensile steel in critical areas in the unibody provides Genesis with 12-14 percent higher dynamic torsional rigidity and a lower body structure weight than the BMW 5-series and Mercedes-Benz E-Class - despite having a substantially larger cabin than either of those benchmarks. Hyundai Genesis has more interior volume than Mercedes Benz E-Class and BMW 7-Series.

WORLD-CLASS Tau V8

Headlining the Genesis’ performance capabilities is Hyundai’s all-new Tau 4.6-liter V8 engine mated to a ZF 6-speed automatic transmission with SHIFTRONIC® manual control. The Tau V8 delivers an estimated 368 horsepower to fit the demands of performance-oriented consumers. Unlike many competitors and most premium sedans, it achieves this impressive power output using regular unleaded fuel - further demonstration of Hyundai’s commitment to value. This powertrain combination will launch Hyundai Genesis to 60 miles per hour in less than six seconds. The Tau produces more horsepower and torque than the powerplants found in Lexus GS450, BMW 750i, Audi A8 and Infiniti M45 and has more horsepower per liter than any of its V8 competitors. The Tau engine is built with flexibility for the future. Future Tau variants may offer larger displacement, forced induction options and other technology enhancements.

STRONG LAMBDA V6 PERFORMANCE

Hyundai Genesis also delivers spirited performance through its two V6 options — all-aluminum 3.3-liter and 3.8-liter DOHC V6 engines that deliver an estimated 268 horsepower and 233 lb-ft. of torque and an estimated 290 horsepower and 264 lb.-ft. of torque, respectively. To maximize the power spread, the engines utilize Continuously Variable Valve Timing (CVVT) on intake and exhaust cam shafts and a new Variable Intake System (VIS) that helps cylinders breathe efficiently at low and high RPM. The better breathing results in outstanding off-the-line acceleration and passing performance, and remarkable fuel efficiency. The V6 engines use an alloy block and cylinder heads for lighter weight and thermal efficiency, and feature timing chains with no scheduled maintenance. Even with their impressive output, all Genesis engines are also environmentally friendly, with all three achieving Ultra Low Emission Vehicle (ULEV) certification levels.

ADVANCED 6-SPEED TRANSMISSIONS

Both Genesis V6 engines use an Aisin 6-speed SHIFTRONIC automatic transmission that features an overdrive lock-up torque converter for improved highway fuel economy. The transmission offers smooth shifts and a wide spread of ratios that ideally suit both engine’s characteristics including a tall-overdrive sixth gear for quiet, efficient highway cruising. Drivers can access the SHIFTRONIC® feature by moving the gear selector into a separate gate. Pushing the selector forward or pulling it rearward will shift the transmission up or down sequentially, adding to driver control. A clear LCD readout on the instrument panel shows the gear that’s in use.

The Tau V8 Genesis is mated with an enhanced, high-output ZF 6-speed transmission to handle the added horsepower and torque.

INNOVATIVE AND SOPHISTICATED SPORT-TUNED SUSPENSION

Hyundai Genesis features a suspension design that is among the most sophisticated and refined anywhere, at any price. The front five-link suspension features upper and lower arms linking the front wheels to the chassis. This artfully articulated arrangement creates a virtual king pin axis that dramatically reduces unwanted kickback through the steering wheel as well as improving responsiveness. The five-link independent rear suspension is equally sophisticated, enabling precise suspension geometry for a premium ride and engaging handling prowess. The capabilities of the advanced front and rear-suspension are maximized through Amplitude Selective Dampers (ASD) allowing tuning flexibility at smaller damper displacements. The ASD suspension provides:

• Improved ride comfort with more body / wheel control
• Increase driving comfort without compromised handling
• Optimizes road surface contact
• Technology used in Lexus, BMW and Mercedes-Benz models

Genesis’ design is a progressive interpretation of the modern rear-wheel drive sports sedan. To match its dynamic capabilities, Hyundai Genesis combines strong, sculpted forms which integrate precise details, natural materials and innovative lighting to provide a well-crafted, premium design aesthetic.

HIGH-TECH ACCOMMODATIONS AT ACCESSIBLE PRICE POINTS

The new 2009 Hyundai Genesis is the most advanced Hyundai ever. From its design and spaciousness to its technology and appointments, it delivers a wealth of features and performance befitting flagship European and Asian brands, but delivers them at a much more accessible price point. Starting with its Lexicon state-of-the-art audio system featuring LOGIC 7® technology, Genesis offers an extraordinary combination of technology, premium appointments, and value. Standard is a soft-touch instrument panel with woodgrain accents, Bluetooth® hands-free mobile phone interface, and USB/iPod® auxiliary inputs. A state-of-the-art navigation system with an eight-inch display is available. The navigation unit is accessed by a user-friendly multi-media controller that also controls the radio. Backing out of tight spaces and avoiding mishaps is much easier with the available backup camera that uses the eight-inch display to show the driver a clear view immediately behind the car.

A leather-wrapped dash, door panels, and console lid surround the driver in a luxurious environment, while heated and cooled driver’s seat provides optimal driving comfort. An automatic windshield defogger with humidity sensor and rain-sensing wipers allow crystal clear sight lines. No other car in the segment offers an ultraviolet reflective leather steering wheel, which keeps the surface cool to the touch, even in scorching sunlight. Hyundai Genesis also offers the conveniences of power rear sunshade, automatic electronic parking brake, proximity key and push button starter.

ADVANCED LIGHTING TECHNOLOGY

The 2009 Hyundai Genesis offers Xenon high-intensity discharge (HID) headlights. The advantages of HID headlamps include greater lighting power, daylight-type lighting and reduced power consumption. In addition, the cut lines of the new HID headlights are extremely precise, providing maximum nighttime visibility without distracting other drivers. The lamps also feature an auto-leveling function which keeps the headlights level regardless of how the vehicle is loaded with passengers or cargo. Hyundai Genesis also offers an Automatic Front Lighting System that allows the headlamps to automatically swivel for better visibility when cornering.

NEW TECHNOLOGIES DELIVER IMPROVED SAFETY PERFORMANCE

Maintaining Hyundai’s emphasis on delivering leading safety technology, Hyundai Genesis boasts world-class active and passive safety features to help both prevent accidents, and maximize the well being of its occupants in the event of a collision. The Genesis continues the Hyundai tradition of standardizing key life-saving safety technology such as Electronic Stability Control (ESC), eight airbags and electronic active head restraints.

Genesis’ total of eight airbags include advanced dual front airbags, front and rear seat-mounted side-impact airbags, and roof-mounted side curtain airbags for both front and rear outboard seat occupants.

An electronic active head restraint system will debut on the 2009 Hyundai Genesis. Hyundai is the first popular brand to offer electronic active front head restraints, an improvement over mechanically based active head restraint systems. Until now, electronic active head restraints could only be found on select Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Lexus models. Active front head restraints have been proven by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety to help prevent whiplash.

Hyundai Genesis has a total of 8 ultrasonic sensors located on the front and rear bumpers. The sensors along with the rear backup camera help detect how close objects are when parking. Distance is indicated on the in-dash screen and accompanied by an audible warning tone.

Forward-looking radar is used in Genesis’ Smart Cruise Control system. Smart Cruise Control adjusts vehicle speed to maintain distance from the vehicle ahead in the same lane.

Hyundai Genesis is brought to a halt by large four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes with Brake Assist and Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD). The 12.6-inch front rotors have single-piston floating calipers and the rear brakes feature 12.4-inch rotors with single-pistons on V6 models. Twin-pistons and larger rotors are featured on V8 models.

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The Mercedes-Benz SL 63 AMG Edition IWC will be the first vehicle to be offered with the all-new designo magno Kashmir white finish. An interesting contrast to this color is formed by the components with a Carbon matte finish: the trailing edge , the diffusor insert in the lower back panel, and the side air vents on the front apron. In stylistic sync with these components is the Carbon matte trim on the center console and the interior door panels.

They are harmoniously augmented by the Tobago Brown nappa leather upholstery on the electronically adjustable AMG sports seats, which feature multicontour and memory functions, heating, an AMG-specific perforation pattern, a special design, and AMG badges. The vehicle’s limited edition status is discreetly emphasized by black AMG floormats with Tobago Brown leather piping, AMG door sills with white illuminated AMGlettering, and the IWC logo on the lid of the center console.

To ensure that the driver remains in perfect control of his or her vehicle, the two-tone AMG Performance steering wheel has a reduced diameter, a rim that’s flattened at the bottom, and silver-finish aluminum gearshift paddles. The steering wheel is part of the Performance package, which also includes forged 19-inch AMG light alloy, double-spoke wheels with a titanium gray finish and polished surfaces. The 8.5-inch and 9.5-inch rims sport 255/35 R 19 and 285/30 R 19 format tires, respectively.

The front axle is equipped with internally ventilated, perforated composite disc brakes (390 x 36 mm) that keep braking distances to a minimum and ensure the vehicle is extremely resistant to fading. Handling is further enhanced by other technical features from the Performance package, including a rear-axle, multi-disc limited-slip differential with a lock factor of 40 percent, as well as an AMG Performance chassis equipped with Active Body Control.

AMG naturally aspirated V8 with 6.3 liters displacement and 386 kW/525 hp

The drive system of the Mercedes-Benz SL 63 AMG Edition IWC will provide motorists with an exhilarating driving experience. Boasting a top output of 386 kW/525 hp and a maximum torque of 630 Nm, the AMG 6.3-liter V8 engine is augmented by an extremely responsive partner in the shape of the all-new AMG SPEEDSHIFT MCT seven-speed sports transmission. The Mercedes-Benz SL 63 AMG Edition IWC accelerates from zero to 100 km/h in 4.6 seconds, while its top speed is electronically limited to 300 km/h.

Mercedes-AMG and IWC Schaffhausen: A luxurious partnership

Along with the vehicle, buyers of the Mercedes-Benz SL 63 AMG Edition IWC will also receive a limited edition model of IWC’s “Grosser Ingenieur” watch. This precious chronometer has a stainless steel housing measuring an impressive 45.5 millimeters in diameter. The design of the watch’s wristband and face compliment the vehicle concept. In addition, the watch’s bottom is made of sapphire glass that reveals the intricate mechanical clockwork with its automatic Pellaton winding system.

Mercedes-AMG has been collaborating with the time-honored Swiss watch manufacturer IWC Schaffhausen since 2004. In October of that year, the two companies presented their first jointly designed vehicle, the Mercedes-Benz CLS 55 AMG “IWC Engineer.”

Customers will be able to order the Mercedes-Benz SL 63 AMG Edition IWC beginning in fall 2008 , and vehicle deliveries will commence in November 2008. The model will be limited to 200 units.

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The Denali XT has a unibody architecture and rear-wheel drive, enabling its distinctive design and efficient performance. It builds on the equity of the Denali line and its reputation for advanced engineering and refinement, including the first combination of GM’s two-mode hybrid system with an E85 ethanol-capable engine. Denali XT’s new, more efficient 4.9L version of GM’s small-block V-8 features fuel-saving technologies such as direct-injection technology and Active Fuel Management.

The engine is matched with GM’s unique two-mode hybrid propulsion system, giving the powerful SUT exceptional fuel economy and uncompromising capability - including all-electric drive at low speeds. It is a powertrain combination that makes the Denali XT perfectly suited to a variety of active lifestyle activities, such as hauling skis and snowboards to the mountain or towing a sport jet boat to the lake.

“Like all GMCs, the Denali XT is functional and capable, but it blends those traits with a more efficient, sporty driving experience,” said Jim Bunnell, GMC general manager. “It is a vehicle that exemplifies GMC’s engineering excellence, as well as GM’s commitment to hybrid and advanced technologies.”

With its unibody structure, the Denali XT is lighter than conventional body-on-frame trucks, with great ride-and-handling characteristics. This design enhances fuel economy while giving the vehicle a sporty driving experience. True to its GMC Professional Grade heritage, the Denali XT is filled with technologies and features that maximize its flexibility, including a cargo space-enhancing Midgate® and height-adjustable suspension.

The Denali XT’s proportions are framed around a high cowl and 123.4-inch (3,134 mm) wheelbase. This enhances the vehicle’s truck functionality, but packages it in an efficient, unibody architecture.

Design and construction were spearheaded by Holden Design, within the Australian arm of GM’s global design and engineering network.

“Denali XT is about working hard, playing hard and enjoying an active lifestyle,” said Bunnell. “It is the same philosophy that has helped make the GMC Acadia crossover a huge hit with consumers.”

Dramatic design statement

A muscular form and wide, firmly planted stance give the Denali XT a confidently capable road presence. Minimal overhangs, large wheels, sleek headlamps and a low roof profile deliver an aggressive, performance-oriented appearance.

“It is a robust yet tailored design statement that is unlike anything else on the road,” said Ed Welburn, vice president, Global Design. “It has the youthful look of a custom automobile that incorporates the capability customers expect from a truck.”

The Denali XT’s design includes a new take on GMC’s iconic grille, with a prominent, four-bar element in addition to the large, red GMC logo and signature Denali background. Flared fenders accentuate the wide road stance. The stance is also enhanced when the Denali XT is lowered on its air-adjustable suspension, which creates a sleeker appearance that simultaneously improves aerodynamics. Large, bold 23-inch wheels and custom Kuhmo tires complement the Denali XT’s stance.

Inside, the Denali XT blends mechanical functionality with leather-trimmed comfort.

Billet-metal surrounds, controls and instruments convey the cold precision of an aircraft cockpit. This is balanced by the warmth of bespoke saddle-leather trimmed seats and other contact surfaces.

“The form language is smooth and structured to characterize GMC’s power. The details have a deliberately contrasting mechanical aesthetic to mark GMC’s engineering sophistication,” said Warrack Leach, lead designer.

The interior features innovative instrumentation with “floating” red-illuminated numerals backed by surface chaplets in the clusters and a large integrated vehicle interface screen. The interior illumination was supplied by Osram.

The Denali XT seats four. The high-cowl vehicle architecture enables higher seating positions, allowing the couple distance between front and rear occupants to be reduced without compromising knee room. This packaging efficiency creates generous interior and cargo bed dimensions within a more compact package.

Truck capability

With stiffness that is greater than most conventional, body-on-frame trucks, the Denali XT’s unibody structure supports a very capable truck platform. It also serves as the mounting point for a four-wheel independent suspension that gives the vehicle its performance feel on the road. The multilink front suspension features a forward-mounted steering rack and dual lower links with ball joints at the outer ends, providing sharp responses to driver input. At the rear, a four-link suspension design uses coil-over shocks and a decoupled stabilizer bar to enhance cornering control, reduce body roll and optimize longitudinal compliance. In short, it’s a truck that hauls more than cargo on twisting roads.

The rear cargo area is wide, deep and flat, with no suspension or wheelhouse protrusions; the cargo floor measures 55 inches long (1,397 mm) by 47.5 inches wide (1,206 mm). It all adds up to the space to haul a wide variety of lifestyle accessories.

The easy-to-operate Midgate can be lowered to extend the cargo-carrying capacity inside the vehicle. The rear seats fold flat to provide a longer floor for carrying items such as skis, surfboards or wood from the home improvement store. A fixed rear window allowed engineers to retain the vehicle’s structure, reducing mass and complexity.

The Denali XT has an estimated payload capacity of 1,100 pounds (499 kg) and a towing capacity of an estimated 3,500 pounds (1,587 kg). This capability is delivered through unique vehicle and powertrain integration, where the multiple modes of GM’s two-mode hybrid system provide towing capability.

New 4.9L SIDI V-8 and two-mode hybrid system

For the first time, GM’s rear-wheel-drive two-mode hybrid transmission is paired with a smaller-displacement version of the small-block engine. The new V-8 4.9L E85-capable engine powers the Denali XT with an estimated 326 horsepower (243 kW). It uses direct-injection technology to produce the power of a larger engine, but consumes less fuel and produces lower emissions.

Also, the functionality of GM’s Active Fuel Management system has been expanded through the use of hybrid technologies, enhancing the cylinder-deactivating feature to further improve fuel efficiency.

The Denali XT’s two-mode hybrid system is partnered with the 4.9L engine and uses an electrically variable transmission to enhance fuel efficiency in city and highway driving. In city driving, all-electric propulsion is used at low speeds; on the highway, fixed-gear operation enables efficient performance even when towing a trailer.

The specific characteristics of the Denali XT allowed the synergistic evolution of GM’s small-block V-8 and two-mode hybrid beyond the recently introduced in GM two-mode hybrid products, such as the GMC Yukon Hybrid and Sierra Hybrid. During this optimization process, additional powertrain technologies have been integrated, including Active Thermal Management, which transfers thermal energy from one driveline component to another to improve efficiency; and a high-efficiency axle configuration, which fundamentally reduces the losses normally associated with conventional axle configurations.

The integration of the advanced internal combustion engine technologies and two-mode hybrid system on the Denali XT reinforces GMC’s Professional Grade position as a brand that continues to exceed customer expectations.

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