Motor briefs
'New' Chrysler due by Friday
CHRYSLER’S SALE of most of its assets to a group led by Italian automaker Fiat will be appealed to the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, bypassing the lower District Court, a bankruptcy court judged ordered yesterday.
The bankruptcy court judge approved the sale on Monday.
Unless blocked on appeal, the sale becomes effective on Friday, bringing a "New Chrysler" out of bankruptcy.
An attorney representing three pension funds from Indiana has said he will be appealing the approval of the sale, which he said violates the traditional priority of repayment by favouring unsecured creditors over secured creditors.
Compact carrier for the catwalk
PEUGEOT HAS released details of its new 5008, a new compact people carrier which is to be unveiled at the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show.
The car harks back to the renowned 5 Series range of Peugeots and will go on sale in Ireland at the start of 2010.
Available in both five and seven seat versions, the car features a large front windscreen with extra headroom for the driver and front seat passenger.
It will also boast a new flexible folding rear seat formation.
The load area of the 5008 offers a generous capacity, ranging from 758 litres to 823 litres under the parcel shelf with the third row seats folded away.
This capacity increases to 1,247 litres when the vehicle is loaded to the roof and to 2,506 litres with the second row seats folded away as well, making it one of the largest in the sector.
The car will also feature a Head-Up Display, to be launched first on the 3008, providing the driver with essential driving information (speed, cruise control/speed limiter and distance alert) via a translucent panel which extends from the top of the instrument panel.
At launch, the 5008 will be available with six power-train options, combining performance and fuel economy and including a 1.6 HDi 6-speed electronically controlled gearbox, emitting only 135g/km CO2, and a 1.6 HDi FAP 110bhp 6-speed manual, which will emit 143g/km CO2.
BMW starts work on an M7
AFTER BMW decided to stop its CS project, Munich now seems to favour another solution to strike against the competition from the 500bhp Porsche Panamera.
Here we have a prototype of what is to become the M7, equipped with a typical M-style front bumper with huge air-intake underneath the lamp units.
The rear skirt appears to be modified, too, but more interesting is the fact that the new M7 will receive a front bonnet made of aluminium to improve handling and weight-balance.
Under that alloy bonnet we expect to see the X6 M’s bi-turbo V8 pumping some massive 550bhp.
That would in fact be an enormous jump in power over the current 407bhp 750i, but also over the Alpina B7 (507bhp) and even Panamera.