http://www.cabriocars.net en-us Tue, 19 Aug 2008 21:19:36 -0500 http://www.cabriocars.net/ford-mustang-convertible/ The Ford Mustang convertible, the best-selling convertible ever, is now top specialty sports car in history to earn the highest possible safety ratings in all New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) test modes performed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The perfect 2008 Ford Mustang convertible stands alone as the only convertible of any type that can be called a five-star safety vehicle, having aced all NCAP crash testing and rollover resistance evaluations.

To succeed five stars in all categories, vehicles must receive the highest possible safety ratings in:
- Frontal crash evaluations for both driver and front-seat passenger.
- Side impact evaluations for both driver and rear-seat passenger directly behind the driver.
- NHTSA's rollover test, a two-tiered evaluation used to gauge a vehicle's resistance to rollover.


The new Mustang convertible also received the highest side-impact performance rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). “The five-star ratings confirm our own analysis of the safety performance of this excellent vehicle,” said Jim Vondale, director, Ford's Automotive Safety Office. “The Mustang convertible is another example of working at all levels to offer a vehicle that is both sporty and safe. It was developed with a dedicated focus on safety, making it the highest rated Mustang ever built."

For 2008, Mustang adds standard side air bags to an already comprehensive safety package. Along with the addition of seat-mounted thorax side air bags, safety features include the Personal Safety System – a suite of restraint technologies designed to tailor their response to the severity of the crash and other factors. The system includes dual-stage driver and front passenger air bags, safety belt pretensioners, seat weight sensing system for the passenger seat and crash severity sensing. A vehicle occupant's best line of defense in crashes remains the safety belt. Ford Motor Company's industry-leading technology, Beltminder, reminds the driver and front-seat passenger to buckle up. The technology has been installed in more than 20 million vehicles. Both NHTSA and IIHS have noted the effectiveness of Beltminder as a significant life-saving technology.

Mustang convertible features a crash-optimized structure designed to help absorb and dissipate crash energy and maintain occupant compartment integrity. Ford designs all of its vehicles with the objective of reducing the risk and severity of injury in a crash. Ford safety engineers and experts use the most advanced computer modeling technology in the industry to ensure its vehicles meet or exceed our stringent internal crashworthiness standards. Ford incorporates an array of other stringent safety testing in the development of its vehicles, including frontal offset, side impact and rear impact.

Mustang remains one of the best automotive sales success stories of all time. Nearly 50 percent of all sports cars sold in the U.S are Mustangs and it's the best-selling convertible in the country. The 2008 Mustang intends to hold on to that sales leadership with innovative available features that will add personal appeal, including High Intensity Discharge (HID) headlamps, 18-inch wheels on the V-6 coupe, and an interior ambient lighting system. ]]> Mon, 19 May 2008 10:58:32 -0500 http://www.cabriocars.net/ford-mustang-convertible/ http://www.cabriocars.net/the-new-audi-a4-cabriolet/ An enjoyable and sporty driving experience, superior and complex technology, classic and exciting styling, and luxury that even satisfies the demands made in the luxury class: Audi is presenting the new generation of a car that has become a classic – the A4 Cabriolet.

The advent of a new model generation is evident at first glance: the open-top four-seater now has the single-frame grille that typifies the brand. The newly styled rear lights add a further visual touch. The car’s taut styling, clear surfaces and tension-packed shoulder line extending along the entire body are characteristic features of the A4 Cabriolet.

The car’s technology lives up to the promise made by its new styling: the A4 Cabriolet is being launched with four engines, three of which are being offered for the Audi A4 Cabriolet for the very first time. FSI and turbo FSI technology represent the most advanced state of the art for petrol engines, as do the ultramodern piezo injectors in the three-litre TDI, which is already familiar from the A4, A6 and A8. The sporty yet comfortable dynamic suspension converts the power delivered by these units into sheer driving pleasure – on every bend, on every mile of the journey.

Innovative and highly sophisticated technologies are an integral part of practically all vehicle areas and components: the optional xenon plus headlights, with dynamic cornering lights as an option, are proof of this, as indeed is quattro permanent four-wheel drive.

Comprehensive occupant protection systems – including a two-stage driver’s airbag and side airbags – together with the highly complex, latest-generation electronic stabilisation program ESP provide high reserves of safety. Features specific to the Cabriolet include improved side impact protection and the active roll-over protection system with two roll-over bars which are projected behind the rear seats.

The quality of materials and workmanship in the interior are of a standard that need not fear comparison with the luxury class. The architecture of the driver’s area, especially the cockpit – a perfect synthesis of ergonomics, function and design – is pioneering.

Powerful yet economical petrol and TDI engines provide the basis for the new Audi A4 Cabriolet’s excellent performance. Audi is now also offering two highly modern petrol engines with FSI petrol direct injection for the new A4 Cabriolet: the 188 kW (255 bhp) 3.2 FSI V6 and the turbocharged two-litre four-cylinder 2.0 TFSI, which delivers 147 kW (200 bhp). These combine high performance with a spontaneous response to every movement of the accelerator pedal and a peak-torque range at a high level. The 163 bhp (120 kW) 1.8T already familiar from the previous model is also available.

The TDI range at launch will comprise the six-cylinder 3.0 TDI with common rail injection and piezo injectors. Equipped with ultramodern technology, the TDI engine delivers 171 kW (233 bhp) in the A4 Cabriolet. This immensely powerful V6 makes a torque of 450 Nm available between 1,400 and 3,150 rpm. The four engines deliver their power to the road either via the front wheels or by means of quattro permanent four-wheel drive. Customers can choose from 5-speed and 6-speed manual gearboxes, the continuously variable multitronic, which has seven speeds in the tiptronic mode, and the 6-speed tiptronic transmission.

The set-up of the dynamic suspension system, with four-link front and self-tracking trapezoidal-link rear suspension, has been completely modified and numerous new components added. Audi’s chassis engineers have made extensive changes in the area of elastokinematics, and to the spring and shock absorber settings.

The steering has been completely modified to give the driver greater precision, but also better feedback from the road when cruising. In connection with this, the engineers adopted several mountings and the dimensions of the front and rear shock absorbers from the new Audi A6; the rear trapezoidal links and the front track rods originate from the S4.

These modifications add up to a significantly higher level of agility and precise handling, combined with first-class ride comfort – all qualities which benefit drivers of the Audi A4 Cabriolet. This also applies to the brakes, the dimension and consequently performance of which have been adapted to suit the potential of the new engines.

At a glance:
- Newly designed body with emphatically sporty styling

- Dimensions: length 4,573 mm, height 1,391 mm, wheelbase 2,650 mm. Luggage compartment: 315 litres (246 litres with the hood open)

- Engines (longitudinally installed): 1.8 T developing 120 kW (163 bhp), 225 Nm, 0-100 km/h: 9.4 s, top speed: 226km/h

2.0 TFSI developing 147 kW (200 bhp), 280 Nm, 0-100 km/h: 7.9 s, top speed: 238 km/h

3.0 TDI V6 developing 171 kW (233 bhp), 450 Nm, 0-100 km/h: 7.3 s, top speed: 242 km/h

3.2 FSI V6 developing 188 kW (255 bhp), 330 Nm, 0-100 km/h: 6.8 s, top speed: 250 km/h (governed)

- 5-speed or 6-speed manual gearbox, alternatively 6-speed tiptronic (for quattro models) or continuously variable multitronic automatic transmission (in combination with front-wheel drive)

- Front-wheel drive or quattro permanent four-wheel drive

- Dynamic suspension: optimised four-link front suspension and self-tracking trapezoidal-link rear suspension for precise, agile handling, brake system with improved performance, latest-generation ESP New: adaptive light (dynamic cornering lights) ]]> Sat, 29 Mar 2008 13:38:25 -0500 http://www.cabriocars.net/the-new-audi-a4-cabriolet/ http://www.cabriocars.net/2008-bmw-m6-convertible/ With a redline in excess of 8,000 rpm, BMW's 500 horsepower V10 engine delivers its power in a way that many observers likened to a turbine– smooth, effortless and seemingly limitless. With its 5.0-liter capacity, this normally aspirated engine delivers 100 horsepower-per-liter, a power output that not that long ago was exclusively racecar territory. The engine features double-VANOS variable valve timing for both the intake and exahsut camshafts, a motorsports-inspired wet-/dry-sump lubrication system to protect the engine from oil starvation during high-speed cornering, ten individual throttle butterflies for instant response and powerful engine management electronics developed for Formula 1 racing. Innovative weight savings the M6 Coupe builds on the intelligent weight saving innovations pioneered on the 6 Series Coupe and Convertible, such as an aluminum front structure, sheet-molded compound trunk lid and thermoplastic front fender liners.

Despite their undeniable good looks, convertibles have often had the reputation of not providing a stable enough platform for crisp, precise handling, especially when combined with a high-horsepower engine. In fact, conventional automotive wisdom has long held that the more power a convertible has, the more its handling suffers. That's because the very feature that was most appealing to open-air driving enthusiasts, the folding soft top, often sapped the chassis of the rigidity necessary for knife-edge driving dynamics.

BMW M engineers focused on this critical issue realizing full well that their credibility was on the line. In what must be considered the ultimate validation of their efforts, the M6 Convertible can lap the 12-mile Nordschleife (North Loop) of Germany's legendary Nurburgring racetrack nearly as fast as the M6 Coupe.

The M6 Convertible's soft top is made up of three layers. A special noise and heat insulating layer of polyurethane foam is held between the weather-proof outer layer and the interior roof lining. Its unique fin-look gives the M6 Convertible the same dynamic profile as the M6 Coupe. The C-pillar features the traditional BMW Hofmeister kink.

Although the roof covers a generous passenger compartment, it folds into compact dimensions. The vertical rear window requires very little storage space and can be raised or lowered independently of the roof. It can be lowered with the top up to provide additional ventilation and can be raised with the top down to act as a wind deflector. The roof can be raised or lowered if the car is traveling up to 20 mph. The top can be ordered in either black or gray cloth.

Befitting the exclusive nature of the M6 Convertible, the list of standard features includes auto-dimming interior and exterior mirrors, Park Distance Control, On-board Navigation, Adaptive Xenon Headlights, Real Time Traffic Information and Bluetooth hands-free phone interface.

Also included is BMW Assist for four full years and enrollment in an exclusive one-day M driver training course at the BMW Performance Center in Spartanburg, SC. The standard Logic7 sound system with surround sound simulation may be enhanced with optional Sirius Satellite Radio and High Definition Radio. Other options include the Head-up Display and BMW Comfort Access. New options for 2008 include an iPod USB adapter for instant integration, a heated steering wheel and High Beam Assistant.

The newly optional High Beam Assitant automatically adjusts the M6's headlights for ambient light and road conditions. It greatly improves nighttime visibility without distracting oncoming traffic and the constant need to switch between low and high beams.

The BMW M6 Convertible features state-of-the-art passenger protection systems, controlled by the Intelligent Safety and Information System (ISIS) that determines the intensity of a collision and activates the appropriate safety features quickly and precisely where they are needed. The three-point seat belts on all four seats are equipped with belt force limiters. The integrated restraint systems on the front seats feature belt latch tensioners, with two-stage front and side airbags to reduce the risk of injury.

BMW strives to produce its motor vehicles and other products with the utmost attention to environmental compatibility and protection. Integrated into the design and development of BMW automobiles are such criteria as resource efficiency and emission control in production; environmentally responsible selection of materials; recyclability during production and within the vehicle; elimination of CFCs and hazardous materials in production; and continuing research into environmentally friendly automotive power sources. Tangible results of these efforts include the recycling of bumper cladding into other vehicle components; water-based paint color coats and powder clear coats; near-future availability of hydrogen-powered models; and various design and engineering elements that help make BMWs easier to dismantle at the end of their service life. ]]> Sat, 16 Feb 2008 09:18:53 -0600 http://www.cabriocars.net/2008-bmw-m6-convertible/