Top Ten Lists

ItÂ’s never
too early to see whatÂ’s under the hood for the top 10 car makers
of the world. Because of the peculiarities of the industry, some
2014 models have already been shown at auto shows like Paris and
Frankfurt or pictures have been released in advance to stir the
pot some more.

So letÂ’s
gaze into our crystal ball for some clues about which new models
will be on display at 2013Â’s largest auto shows in preparation
for 2014 season. From luxurious super cars only the super rich can
afford these green vehicles that are easier on Mother Nature. We
canÂ’t wait to see what the shows have to offer and donÂ’t
mind to dream of the big as well.

1. 2014
Audi RS4 Avant

RS is the best
of its kind when it comes Audi cars. The previous RS4 ranks high
– very high on almost everyone’s car wish list or at least
those who can afford it. This one will kill with an expected minimum
of 450 hp.

Power for the
model is expected to be a 4.2-liter V8 engine that generates around
450 PS (331 kW / 444 hp) and 430 Nm (317 lb-ft) of torque. It will
be coupled with AudiÂ’s Seven-speed S tronic transmission and
the companyÂ’s best Quattro all-wheel-drive system. It should
enable the RS4 Avant to accelerate from 0-100kph (0-62mph) in just
under 5 seconds before reaching an electronically limited top speed
of 155 mph (250kph).

As Audi keeps
producing more of its RS line into U.S. showrooms, exchange rates
are continuing to improve and emissions regulations approach parity
with Europe, meaning the RS3 is a possibility. The TT and RS5 models
are due late this year and sometime after that, possibly in the
2013 calendar year as a 2014 model, the RS4 is expected to arrive.
We believe that the introduction of the RS5 will be a solid indication
of the performance levels to expect from the RS4. Audi knows that
competition is stiff for the RS5 and its production has taken longer
than usual for a company with a long history of creating performance
sedans and coupes.

2. 2014
Ferrari Enzo

Luxury auto
lovers have debated over the Italian luxury car makerÂ’s latest
incarnation, which will arrive at the Geneva Motor Show in March
of 2013. Car lovers are more excited than ever before about the
F1-derived KERS hybrid system paired with a V12 engine, which Ferrari
has never done before. Renderings and spy video of the mystery car,
the car has a sleek, very low-to-the-ground body that is without
a doubt designed with aerodynamics in mind.

Information
is limited, but hereÂ’s what is known so far. Unlike the F12berlinetta,
the design of the new Enzo – internally designated the F70 –
will not be a collaborative effort with Pininfarina, but will be
an internal affair instead. A V-12 will likely be the engine of
choice, combined with a KERS hybrid system with all-wheel-drive
traction.

3. 2014
Aston Martin Vanquish

This new 5.9
liter V-12 sits lower and lighter, blending much more power (565
hp, 457 lb-ft) than any old millÂ’s 510 hp, while still claiming
greater fuel efficiency, thanks in part to the incorporation of
variable valve timing. Connecting the power plant to the 6-speed
automated manual rear transaxle is a carbon fiber prop shaft surrounded
by an alloy torque tube. Aston claims that 60 mph will arrive in
4.1 seconds, and that the Vanquish tops out at 183 mph.

Inside the
car, there is a brand new interior, which reveals One-77-inspired
stitch patterns and details like a haptic touch surface on the center
stack. The cockpit has been expanded for less of a cocooning effect,
while the “boot” offers 60 percent more space.

So all you
have to do is open the upwardly tilting “swan” doors and
go inside where you will be comforted by the pleasant leather interior.
You can snuggle up to the imaginatively sculpted leather seats – some
of which are available with teardrop-style quilted patterns. Oh,
we cannot forget that Vanquish always offers AstonÂ’s typically
operatic sense of occasion, right down to the glass-capped key fob
that slides into the dash and starts the big V-12 engine.

4. 2014
C7 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray

The 2014 Corvette
Stingray is designed to withstand convention. It is made to dismiss
the ritualistic and the clichés. Created to oppose the expected,
eliminate the empty traditions and discover the undiscovered. Two
functional parts are all that remain of the past. Purpose alone
is sacred.

The machine
is totally new. But some already known cues are reappearing. Distinct
aeronautical lines. A flowing, aerodynamic exterior. A thin fastback
finish. For the first time in decades, a stunning machine emerges
with the aesthetic impact and the performance prowess worthy of
the Stingray emblem.

This is the
most ambitious 3000-pound weight target coming out on the market,
C7 is constructed like an aircraft. The three-rail space frame GM
patented for C5 continues with greater and better improvements.
The hydroformed-aluminum main members developed for Z06 and ZR1
are now standard across all C7s, an upgrade enabled by transferring
frame manufacturing from an outside supplier to the CorvetteÂ’s
Bowling Green assembly plant. Carbon-fiber (CF) floor and bulkhead
panels adhesively bonded between the central backbone and the perimeter
rails augment structural stiffness. We also expect CF to replace
all the sheet-molded fiberglass exterior panels. A single-piece
lift-off roof – a Corvette feature since 1984 – remains standard
on the coupe.

5. 2014
BMW i3

This model
is unlike any other BMW car youÂ’ve ever seen before, the compact
hatchback i3 is made of lightweight material and with super-strong
carbon fiber – the same stuff used in the fuselage of the 787
Dreamliner. More importantly, the i3 is BMWÂ’s first all-electric
car. Its range is said to be around 100 miles, and anxious drivers
can add a small motorcycle-like gasoline engine that extends the
EV to 190 miles. The i3 is expected to go on sale late in 2013 for
about $45,000 and there are limited cars. Production versions will
have doors that are solid and not transparent below the belt line.

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the rest of the article

January
24, 2013

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Ten Lists