Thanks to the Chevy Volt and the plug-in Prius, every other major automaker seems to be preparing to subdue the probably monopoly of GM and Toyota in this particular market. Volkswagen is currently testing 20 plug-in hybrid Golf TwinDrives in Berlin. The plug-in Golf is slated to be a 2011 model to be sold late 2010 just in time to compete with the Chevy Volt.

The 20 cars in the test fleet are powered by a 2.0L turbodiesel and an electric motor that dishes out 122 hp. 82 horses is generated by the electric motor. Eventually, the 2.0L diesels will be swapped with smaller 1.4L gasoline engines dropping the powertrain output to 100 hp.

Power for the electric motor is stored in a 350-lb. lithium-ion battery pack made by Sanyo. On a full charge, the battery pack allows the car to run for 30 miles as an EV. Aside from the plug-in option, the battery can be charged through some of the power coming from the gas engine.

Source: Motor Trend

We have to apologize for sporadic and late posting of news here on AutoJab. We’re currently working some other efforts over at our home - Bloggy Network. Rest assured, consistent updates will be back ASAP.

Now, I just can’t let this newsbit pass since it’s about one of my favorite cars as of late - Godzilla with four wheels - the Nissan GT-R. And it’s getting some flak from Porsche with the German automaker claiming that Nissan cheated when they set the GT-R’s then-record-breaking lap time around the Nurburgring.

Porsche engineers have been running tests with the 911 around the ‘Ring and claim that they couldn’t get within 25 seconds of the GT-R’s 7:29 lap time. For them, that kind of time is impossible if it was a regular production car and that Nissan probably used a different set of tires.

Well, let’s get the facts straight. Porsche purchased a US-spec Nissan GT-R and raced them against the standard GT2 and a 911 Turbo. At the hands of Walter Rohrl one of their engineers, the Porsche cars beat the living hell out of the Japanese supercar.

Maybe, the GT-R is really just built for the Japanese. They set the lap time with ex-F1 Toshio Suzuki behind the wheel. Or maybe the GT-R just hates German drivers. But come on, in the hands of the Stig, the Porsche 911 Turbo clocked in 1.31.0 around the Top Gear test track and the GT-R clocked in at 1.19.7.

Then again, this just builds up the controversy whether Nissan was really tuning their test cars for better performance over the production ones.

The Paris Motor Show is ongoing and what a chance to finally see the previews in metal, steel, and carbon fiber. BMW unveiled the X1 - the supposed entry-level SUV marketed as a crossover. While the one on show right now is slated as a concept, insider buzz says that what’s shown is more of a near-production version since the X1 is due to be out by next year. It is set to compete with the Ford Kuga and the Volkswagen Tiguan by 2010.

Compared to those crossovers, though, the X1 looks bigger (actual dimensions are 4.457 m length, 1.789 m width and 1.535 m height) and tougher. It rides quite high too, sitting on 18-inch wheels. It resembles a more outdoorsy look than a sporty people-mover look that many new crossover designs tend to have. It does really look like the younger brother of the X5 and X3.

Engine choices would include a 170 bhp 2.0L gasoline one for the xDrive20i model, a 177 bhp 2.0L common-rail diesel in the xDrive20d. Tamer xDrive18i and xDrive18d might also be in the works (18=1.8L). In time, BMW is lining up a power-punching 3.0L gas and diesel engines dishing out 272 bhp and 245 bhp, respectively.

Source: Autocar

How much power can you slap on a hatch anyway? Everyone’s into the hothatch thing ever since engineers have found ways to trump the poor safety ratings that plagued the hatchback. Now, looks like the challenge is how can you make the hatch faster and more powerful.

Volvo just confirmed that they will be building a 300 bhp, AWD C30 hatchback. Indeed, tres sientos horses is sure to make this C30 one of the coolest things it will produce in recent years but with all the platform and technology sharing across Ford’s divisions, it somehow makes you think whether this car will be any hotter than the Ford Focus RS which pretty much is in the same power ranges.

For one, the C30 will share its powerplant with Ford Focus RS. That’s a 2.5L turbocharged five-cylinder gasoline engine. But unlike the Focus, the C30 gets a Haldex-derived four-wheel drive system to help keep all 300 hp on the ground. To make the C30 just a bit more sporty, the car will get a facelift and have a special body kit and racing seats. It will also be sitting on top of 20-inch rims with color-keyed brake calipers.

So yeah, aside from the 4WD, how’s this going to be better than the Focus RS.

A couple of my friends are really big toy collectors and one of them collects Transformers toys though not one of them are really car enthusiasts. Well, I do prefer the bigger machines, though I have to admit that collectibles still amuse me.

Just check this Tomy Nissan GT-R Transformer toy in 1:24 scale. I have to agree with some takes that this doesn’t look too impressive and awesome in robot form. Perhaps it’s the whole front jutting out like a massive hunk of chesticles. Hey, they managed to point the front end down with the Bumblebee toy. In car mode, they say that it also doesn’t look sleek and stylish as GT-R should due to some unpolished gaps and seams.

For those of you wondering why this thing looks a bit like Optimus Prime, it’s because Optimus Prime’s called Convoy in Japan. Pretty lame for him to be a GT-R though. He’ll always be that runaway semi to me. Probably explains the chesticles too.

More Aston Martin news today with the DBS. The Bond car will get its share of hoopla with the release of the new James Bond movie later this year. But before that, Aston decided to make the DBS just a bit better by slapping on a new Touchtronic 2 gearbox.

The Touchtronic 2 has been tweaked from the DB9 to adapt to the DBS’ power and performance. The final drive ratio has been shortened from 3.15:1 to 3.46:1. This just means you can be harsher in your gear changes. And this also works with the flappy paddles. However, if you hate electronics, the Touchtronic only comes as an option to the standard six-speed manual.

Other improvements for the DBS are a Bang & Olufsen BeSound system, 2+2 seating and lightweight 20-inch rims with diamond-turned surface. If you want to get one of these Sex-on-Wheels, the manual option costs $269,000 though if you want the Touchtronic option, you have to add four grand more.

Ah, the beast worth a million quid. Aston Martin is surely beefing up its line with this car - the One-77. Dubbed as Aston Martin’s answer to other beastly supercars like the Lamborghini Reventon - powerful and quite exclusive. Today, Aston Martin has been gracious enough to dish out just a few more details on this car.

While the Reventon packs a 6.5L V12 that dishes around 650 hp, the One-77 won’t be far behind as far as engine size and power output goes. New details tell us that Aston’s car will be powered by a more massive 7.3L V12 capable of 700 hp with a max torque of 553 lb-ft. This is different from the previously reported 7.0L V12. Whoosh. With those kinds of numbers, 0-60 in sub-four seconds is quite easy and it will definitely breach the 200 mph top speed mark.

Aston also revealed that the engine will be front mid-mounted and will have a dry sump lube system. It will be mated to six-speed ASM/SSM Automated Manual Transmission. An adaptive ride height suspension will be used to improve handling and helping to stop the car is a carbon ceramic matrix breaking system.

Since lightweightedness is the trend these days Aston Martin will be liberally using carbon fiber and aluminum for the car to get the weight to just 1500kg. That’s 466 hp per metric ton!

Back to the battle of the flagships. Jaguar’s slowly inching its way back into the game after jumping from one ownership to the other. Now they’re under Tata Motors, Jaguar is gearing up for a new direction and part of that is reinventing their flagship car’s direction.

The next-generation XJ flagship is set to be available within two years’ time. Be prepared as the next XJ will be targeting a more upscale market compared to the current XJ. Jaguar execs claim that it will be more of a Bentley than a BMW.

Now that’s quite a big market sector shift if you ask me. For one, the Merc’s S Class and the BMW 7 Series fare better as luxury flagships. Now they plan to take on the spiffier crowd of Bentleys and Maybachs.

Jaguar has also patented the C-XE and C-XJ designations, possibly to be used for their concepts. The C-XE is speculated to be a roadster to compete with the Porsche Boxster and the BMW Z4.

The Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren will be ending its run next year and these boys know how to end things with a real bang. One of the biggest trends this year is to take hardtop supercars and wrestle their tops of for sexier topless looks. Just look at the Bugatti Veyron. Now it’s the SLR’s reprises its topless image with the new Roadster 722 S.

Powering the Roadster 722 S is the 5.5L V8 AMG engine that produces as much as 650 hp and max torque of 604 lb-ft. The engine’s mated to a 5-speed automatic transmission. The powertrain allows the car to zoom from 0 to 62 mph in 3.7 seconds and a top speed of 220 mph. Pretty much the same figures from the hardtop 722. And yes, Merc claims that the soft-top is capable of withstanding speeds in excess of 200 mph without undressing itself.

Helping the car stop are 19-inch lightweight aluminum wheels with red brake calipers. The Roadster 722 S also gets a stiffer suspension and the body gets lowered by 10mm at both the front and back. These improve handling and performance and carbon fiber bits are integrated to the car to improve structural integrity due to the loss of the roof.

Only 150 of these babies will be built.

Not really something new, but improvments are definitely welcome. Ford will be taking the new Ford Kuga with a new powertrain and a styling body kit to next week’s Paris Motor Show. That means this new Kuga will look and feel like a whole new machine.

Powering the Kuga is a new 2.4L Duratec gasoline engine that produces 197 hp mated to the new (optional) Durashift 5-tronic automatic transmission. The bigger displacement seemed to have altered the fuel economy numbers returning only 24 mile to the gallon.

The Kuga will also get the treatment initially offered for the Mondeo and the Fiesta where buyers can customize the interior stylings which is pretty neat. Ford also created a bolder and aggressive body kit that includes a new front grille, chrome intakes, body-colored wheel arches, longer bumpers (by 50mm) and 20-inch rims.

Ford’s still figuring out the numbers if this compact crossover will ever get to the US market soon (still slated to be taken stateside in a three years’ time). For now, only Europe will enjoy the new Kuga.

Source: Ford