USA - Kia celebrates with International car of the year award for the Cadenza

 Cadenza Recognized for Distinctive Design, Advanced Technology and Unmatched Value

• All-new 2014 Cadenza premium sedan earns top honors from ICOTY
• Back-to-back ICOTY victories for Kia coincides with Road & Travel Magazine’s 25th anniversary

Kia Motors America (KMA) is proud to announce that Road & Travel Magazine (RTM) has named the 2014 Kia Cadenza as the International Car of the Year (ICOTY) at the 2014 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit. The all-new 2014 Cadenza’s stunning design combined with premium amenities and impressive value propelled the Kia brand into the premium sedan segment, and the ICOTY award adds to the growing list of accolades the Cadenza has earned since its launch in early 2013. The award marks back-to-back victories for Kia as the 2013 Optima mid-size sedan was honored by RTM with the ICOTY award last year.

“This year marks Kia’s 20th anniversary in the U.S. market, and in that time, we have become known for taking bold steps. The 2014 Cadenza is another leap forward for the brand and has brought new and affluent customers into our retail showrooms, people who had never considered Kia before,” said Michael Sprague, executive vice president of marketing & communications, KMA. “To win the prestigious ICOTY award two years running is a clear indication that our products continue to offer a world-class balance of design, amenities and value for today’s discerning car buyers.”

RTM presents two “Of the Year” awards annually, one for car of the year and one for truck. In addition to product attributes such as style, comfort and performance, the awards also consider how well the brand connects emotionally with the consumer through its marketing efforts.  The winners are chosen by the ICOTY jury, which consists of nationally renowned automotive journalists from respected publications such as Consumer Guide® Automotive, MSN Autos, New Car News Syndicate and RTM.

“The Kia Cadenza wins in this category for a variety of reasons, including Kia's remarkable effort to emerge in the entry-lux category,” said Courtney Caldwell, editor-in-chief of Road & Travel Magazine. “Overall, the car is beautiful and affordable, making upscale style and performance attainable to mid-America. We applaud Kia's rapid rise from underdog to unbelievable!”

The ICOTY award is the most recent in a string of accolades the 2014 Cadenza has received. Just a few months ago, the Cadenza took top honors in Motor Trend Magazine’s full-size sedan comparison test and was named to the 2014 North American Car of the Year short list.

Stunning Alfa 4C gain FHM Magazine "car of the year" title

• Alfa Romeo 4C takes top honours in the 2013 FHM Car of the Year awards
• Lauded for its advanced, lightweight construction and immense driver appeal, the Alfa Romeo 4C is described by FHM’s influential editors as “a magic car”
• This prestigious accolade is a significant endorsement for both the Alfa Romeo 4C and the Alfa Romeo brand from the UK’s biggest men’s lifestyle brand

The Alfa Romeo 4C has been named FHM Magazine’s 2013 Car of the Year. The editors of the UK’s biggest men’s lifestyle brand regard the Alfa Romeo 4C as the vehicle that the British man most aspires to, respects and desires. Alfa Romeo 4C has seen off significant competition to claim the overall victory in FHM’s inaugural Car of the Year awards, and the win highlights not only the appeal of the Alfa Romeo 4C to driving enthusiasts and petrol-heads, but also the broader desirability and allure of this exotic sports car and the Alfa Romeo brand.

Described by FHM as “one of the most exciting sports cars on the planet”, the Alfa Romeo 4C is lauded for its “supertech carbon-fibre chassis, super-lightweight body and clever steering” as well as the note of its engine and the “laser-precision” of its dynamics.

Designed, engineered and built in Italy as a pure driving machine, the mid-engined Alfa Romeo 4C is powered by a new, all-aluminium, 240hp, 1750 Turbo Petrol engine and features Alfa Romeo’s latest-generation ALFA TCT transmission and Alfa D.N.A. driving mode selector - now with a new “Race” mode. The 0-62 mph sprint takes just 4.5 seconds and top speed is 160 mph, but thanks to its light weight and advanced engine and transmission technologies, its official combined-cycle fuel economy figure is 41.5 mpg and its CO2 emissions are just 157g/km.

The Alfa Romeo 4C’s compact shape accentuates its remarkable agility: With a dry weight of 895kg; a 40:60 front-to-rear weight distribution; track-honed double-wishbone suspension and Brembo brakes, the Alfa Romeo 4C is capable of generating 1.1g of lateral acceleration and in excess of 1.2g of deceleration force.  The exhaust has been tuned to emit a full, rich sound and the unassisted steering is progressive, direct and engineered to convey as much feedback and feel as possible. The steering ratio (16:2) is such as to allow 90% of bends to be taken without having to take your hands off the steering wheel.

Conor McNicholas, FHM Motoring Editor commented: "After much deliberation, there was only one car that could take the accolade of FHM's Car of the Year. With its neck-tingling speed, dramatic looks and real-world price, the Alfa Romeo 4C was the car that most turned us on in 2013."

Damien Dally, Head of Brand, Alfa Romeo UK noted: “We’re thrilled that the Alfa Romeo 4C has taken top honours in the inaugural FHM Car of the Year awards. FHM has its finger on the pulse of what’s cool and desirable and for the editors to rate the Alfa Romeo 4C so highly is indicative of just what a game-changer this new supercar is.”

Priced from £45,000 OTR, the Alfa Romeo 4C will be available to order shortly, but with some customers putting their names forward when the concept was first unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2011 most, if not all, of the UK’s production allocation for 2014 is already spoken for.

Rolls Royce wins Top Gear Magazine award - with a rather splendid name

Rolls-Royce Wraith was honoured this evening at the BBC TopGear Magazine 2013 Car of the Year Awards, winning the category ‘Rather Splendid Motor Car of the Year’.

Following a comprehensive road-test by Associate Editor Tom Ford, Motoring Editor Ollie Marriage took on the role of delivery driver, traversing 951 miles from his home to the car’s International Media Launch in Vienna in one day, arriving in time for dinner.

In delivering the award, TopGear Magazine had this to say about the fastest, most powerful Rolls-Royce in history: “It’s massive and magnificent: a staggering, bewitching, gorgeous object to spend time with. In short, an experience.”

“Since launch, I have been delighted to see Wraith win plaudits from some of the most respected writers in our industry. In taking the car from the UK to Vienna in just one day, TopGear embraced the car’s intended use; crossing continents effortlessly at pace. This award today is an endorsement of Wraith’s status as the ultimate gentlemen’s gran turismo,” said Richard Carter, Director of Communications, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.

This is not the first time Rolls-Royce has been honoured this year. Walpole awarded the marque its 2013 Award for Excellence in the British Luxury Brand category whilst the 2013 Centenary Alpine Trial won ‘Best Rally of the Year’ at the International Historic Motoring Awards.

Subaru Forester names Mid Range SUV of the year by 4x4 magazine

• Subaru Forester wins prestigious award from 4x4 Magazine
• Judges praise on-road driving characteristics and off-road ability
• Subaru UK’s best-selling model, the Subaru Forester, has this week been named ‘Mid Range SUV of the Year’ by 4x4 Magazine.

Subjecting the new Forester to a wide range of tests both on- and off-road, 4x4 Magazine awarded the Forester with class honours in one of the hardest-fought categories in its annual ‘4x4 of the Year’ issue.

Commenting on the Forester’s victory, Nigel Fryatt, Editor of 4x4 Magazine, said: “Subaru's latest Forester impressed us both on and off road. This version is fresh, good-looking and a great drive. It has 'good for its class' approach and departure angles and with the automatically controlled X-Mode system, the Forester maintains its competent off-road ability and bad weather credentials. That it is also great to drive on the road is the bonus that grabbed the class victory.”

The all-new Forester went on sale in the UK in May and builds on the model’s established reputation as a tough, likeable and highly capable SUV. At the same time, the new Forester offers improved performance, safety and efficiency and a more spacious and better appointed cabin.

Sales of the Forester are up 75% year on year against 2012. The petrol turbo XT has been in particularly high demand among the Subaru faithful - bucking the trend for strong diesel SUV sales – with its 240ps 2.0-litre turbocharged direct-injection petrol engine and clever X-Mode hill descent system. The new model is also available with Subaru’s latest 2.0-litre petrol and diesel Boxer engines, with all versions featuring Subaru’s trademark symmetrical All-wheel drive as standard.

Paul Tunnicliffe, Managing Director of Subaru UK, commented:  “We are delighted with this recognition. The Forester has always been popular with owners who need a car that is highly accomplished off-road but also entertaining on it, and the decision by 4x4 Magazine’s expert judges is testament to the car’s varied abilities. Customers should also take comfort from our enviable reputation for reliability and durability, five-year, 100,000-mile warranty and rock-solid safety credentials.”

To find out more about the Subaru Forester, visit www.subaru.co.uk, or read the full 4x4 Magazine report.

The 2014 Jeep® Grand Cherokee SRT has been named “SUV of the Year” by Esquire magazine

The 2014 Jeep® Grand Cherokee SRT has been named “SUV of the Year” by Esquire magazine in this year’s Esquire Car Awards.

Vehicles considered for the 2013 Esquire Car Awards were required to be all-new, appealing to Esquire readers, stylish, a good value and most importantly, a vehicle you want to drive.

“The one sonic experience of the year that I will not forget is engaging the ignition on the [Grand Cherokee] SRT,” said David Granger, Esquire magazine editor-in-chief. “This is the sweetest-sounding most reasonably priced engine note of our time.”

Esquire editors drove numerous vehicles to make the selections for the 2013 Esquire Car Awards, which appear in the magazine’s November issue on newsstands now.

“The new 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT combines impressive performance and luxury wrapped in a muscular and stylish exterior,” said Ralph Gilles, President and CEO – SRT Brand and Motorsports, Chrysler Group LLC. “Winning Esquire’s ‘SUV of the Year’ award continues to help set us apart from esteemed competitors by appealing to the passionate, performance-enthusiast consumers with its unique blend of value, technology, power and character.”

Starting with the performance-oriented and functional designs from Chrysler Group’s SRT (Street and Racing Technology) brand, the 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT model builds on that success with new technologies and exterior and interior styling cues that convey an even higher level of opulence and power.

Enhancements for the 2014 model year include an all-new, fully electronic eight-speed automatic transmission that delivers improved fuel economy, significantly improved towing capacity, hardware and software revisions that further heighten Grand Cherokee SRT’s fun-to-drive factor during a daily commute or for more spirited driving on the race track.

The new transmission is mated to the proven and powerful 6.4-liter HEMI® V-8 with Fuel Saver Technology delivering 470 horsepower (351 kW) at 6,000 rpm and 465 lb.-ft. (630 N•m) of torque at 4,300 rpm and helps deliver greatly enhanced towing performance of 7,200 pounds – a 44-percent improvement over the 5,000-lb. towing capacity from the previous model.

Outside, the new 2014 Grand Cherokee SRT sports styling that is even more aggressive than the previous model. Design enhancements for 2014 include a new signature LED character lamp treatment, a brawnier grille, a new, one-touch liftgate and a new rear spoiler.

Inside, Grand Cherokee SRT customers are treated to a new 8.4-inch touchscreen that displays a wealth of SRT-exclusive Performance Pages data. A new launch control button is situated behind the new T-handle shifter on the center console, and a redesigned SRT-exclusive three-spoke, heated steering wheel with more ergonomically efficient paddle shifters, features a host of comfort, convenience and connectivity controls.

About SRT
The Chrysler Group’s SRT (Street and Racing Technology) brand uses a successful product development formula featuring five proven hallmarks: awe-inspiring powertrains; outstanding ride, handling and capability; benchmark braking; aggressive and functional exteriors and race-inspired and high-performance interiors to remain true to its performance roots.

The 2014 SRT lineup features five vehicles that are world-class performance contenders and bring the latest in safety technologies and creature comforts. The Chrysler 300 SRT, Dodge Challenger SRT, Dodge Charger SRT and Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT join the flagship SRT Viper, which made its highly anticipated return to the high-performance sports car market in 2013.

Subaru Forester Sports/Utility wins award from Motor Trend Magazine

Subaru’s best-selling model, the Forester compact SUV, has won the coveted 2014 Sport / Utility of the Year award from the USA’s influential Motor Trend magazine.

The Forester’s latest accolade makes Subaru the first and only brand to have won three Sport / Utility of the Year awards from Motor Trend, which is read by over 1.1 million people every month.  The previous-generation Forester picked up the award in 2009, and the Subaru Outback was also crowned winner in 2010.

The Subaru Forester beat 21 other SUVs to take first place during Motor Trend’s exhaustive testing process, with models graded according to six criteria: Design Advancement, Engineering Excellence, Intended Function, Efficiency, Safety and Value.  The new Forester scored highly in all categories.

Motor Trendeditor-in-chief Ed Loh commented: “Smart design, thoughtful engineering, and a compelling performance on-road and off were the keys to the Forester’s win.  Our editors were particularly impressed by the powerful yet efficient turbocharged engines, the intelligent and sporty CVT transmission, and the excellent visibility and interior package.  Practical, affordable, efficient and fun-to-drive – the Forester truly ticked every box.”

The new Forester went on sale in the UK in May 2013, and builds upon the model’s reputation as a modern, rugged SUV with improved performance, safety and efficiency and a more spacious and better appointed cabin.

Since the UK launch, sales of the new model have been strong, with particularly high demand for the XT Turbo model which is bucking the market trend for diesel SUV sales, equipped as it is with a 240ps 2.0-litre turbocharged direct injection petrol engine delivering smooth and strong pulling power both on and off-road.

F-Type takes another awrd to add to its ever growing collection.

The Jaguar F-TYPE has been voted the winner of the Autonis design award by the respected German motoring magazine,Auto Motor und Sport, following a poll of its readers.

The F-TYPE, which has been available in Germany since May of this year, was judged in the convertible segment - one of eight categories - taking top-spot with an outstanding 32 percent of almost 18,000 reader votes.

Jaguar Director of Design, Ian Callum, and Peter Modelhart, CEO of Jaguar Land Rover Germany, accepted the prize at an awards ceremony at Hohenheim Castle yesterday evening.

Speaking from the ceremony, Ian Callum said: "Creating the F-TYPE has given both my team and I great satisfaction. Working on a sports car that holds true to Jaguar's design values - beauty of line and purity of form - has been a great privilege, and I'm honored the readers of Auto Motor und Sport have recognized our work with this award."

TANK moto magazine - premier issue

Cool!
Found the premier issue of TANK moto in my mailbox this week, thanks guys!
From the makers of the very nice FUEL magazine.
TANK moto is a 100% two wheeld sister puplication.
Size, stock, page count, all stand side by side.
TANK moto's editor is Geoff Baldwin. He is successfully running the Return of the cafe Racers blog for 7 years now and is organizer of the Oil Stained Brain event.

Printed on very nice paper. 145 pages packed with beautifull shots of cool bikes. It's not just cafe racers but all customs with two wheels. Bobbers, choppers, flat trackers, classic racers etc. Great selection in this first issue.
In this issue they got in touch with Jim Phillips and he shared his story about his time at Tracy's Fiberglas Works. Great story with loads of cool pics and nice art work.
Get your issue here