The Car Specifications Site

This is a quick introduction to some of the more advanced ways to search for information in the Carfolio.com database of car specifications.

To find cars that use engines made by any given manufacturer, you can use the search options page. Look for the field labelled "engine manufacturer" and type in the name of the manufacturer there. This will bring up a list of all models that we are currently aware of that use engines from that specific manufacturer.

The first thing you'll notice about the results, if you have chosen an engine manufacturer who also makes complete cars, is that their own cars appear in the result list. This is almost certainly not what you want to see, so to correct this issue, find the search option labelled "manufacturer". Change the drop-down alongside that from "contains" to "does not equal", and then type the manufacturer's name in the field to the right of that. This will exclude any cars made by that manufacturer from the results.

Here's an example: Mercedes-Benz engined cars that were not made by Mercedes-Benz.

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• Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG
• Image courtesy of Mercedes-Benz

Presented to the public at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show (IAA), the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG was the first car to be engineered entirely by Mercedes-Benz' AMG tuning division. The dramatic coupé, styled by Mark Fetherston, is unashamedly retro, and pays homage to the legendary 300 SL of 1954. Nowhere is this more prominent than in the gullwing doors - a trait so redolent of the W 198 300 SL series that that classic became more popularly known as "the Gullwing".

Today's 4638 mm long SLS AMG coupé makes extensive use of aluminium in the construction of its body and chassis. These and other lightweight construction techniques keep the kerb weight down to a respectable 1620 kg. The 6.2 litre V8, given the code M159, is a development of the M156 engine found in many other AMG models, but has been uprated to deliver 571 PS (420 kW) at 6800 rpm. This is up from 510 PS (380 kW) in its M156 guise in the (more recent) 2011 Mercedes-Benz C 63 AMG Coupé Black Series. Following racing practice, the SLS AMG also has a dry sump lubrication system. Power is delivered to the rear wheels via a seven speed automatic gearbox.

A reasonably slippery 0.36 coefficient of drag and a 2.13 m² frontal area help the big coupé on to a top speed of 317 km/h, whilst it sprints to 100 km/h from rest in 3.9 seconds. The standing quarter mile is dispatched in just 11.7 seconds, and the SLS AMG hits a terminal velocity of 201 km/h (125 mph) in doing so. Despite the performance ability and large displacement engine, the SLS AMG manages a very respectable 317 g/100km of CO₂ emissions, whilst delivering a combined fuel consumption of 13.2 l/100km.

The SLS AMG Coupé - C 197 in Mercedes-Benz model series code - was joined in 2011 by the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster, code R 197. The specification remained largely the same, but the convertible layout of this soft-top version left no possibility of keeping the gullwing doors. With the added weight of the necessary chassis stiffening, the SLS AMG Roadster weighed in at an additional 115 kg at the kerb, at 1735 kg.

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• Rolls-Royce Phantom Series II
• Image courtesy of Rolls-Royce

With the Geneva Motor Show 2012 currently underway for public access, we take a look at the updates that Rolls-Royce have bestowed on their Phantom range.

The Phantom Series II, as the range is now called, receives some cosmetic updates front & rear (or perhaps the nautical terms "fore" and "aft" would be more appropriate here). The resulting overall dimensions are virtually unchanged, with the Phantom and Phantom Extended Wheelbase gaining 8 mm, and the Coupé and Drophead Coupé gaining just 3 mm in length. All models gain 6 mm in overall height.

The engines are left as they were when the Phantom was introduced back in 2005. That means a 6.7 litre V12 with twin turbochargers, pushing out a respectable 460 PS (453.5 bhp, 338 kW) of power at 5350 rpm and 720 Nm (531 ft·lb) of torque at 3500 rpm. The biggest change to the range is in the transmission, where the previous models made do with a six-speed automatic gearbox, the new Phantom Series II models now have an eight-speed transmission.

The result of these few changes see CO₂ emissions dropping to 347 g/100km on the Rolls-Royce Phantom Series II Saloon, Phantom Series II Coupé and Phantom Series II Drophead Coupé and to 349 g/100km on the Rolls-Royce Phantom Series II Extended Wheelbase.

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• Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse

At the Geneva Motor Show of 2012, Bugatti revealed what they claimed to be the fastest open-top car in the world - the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse.

The original Bugatti Veyron 16.4 broke the supercar mould at the time of its launch in 2005. 16 cylinders, 4 turbochargers, 4 wheel drive, over 1000 PS (736 kW), a top speed of well over 400 km/h and a 2.5 second 0-100 km/h time: all these combined into a single package that was docile enough to be driven around town at maddeningly pedestrian speeds. It simply hadn't been done before. Now edging towards the twilight of its career, Bugatti has pushed what remains of the envelope a little bit further, first with the 1200 PS upgrade that was the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport and now again with the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse. This ultimate Bugatti combines the engine upgrades from the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport with the removable roof section of the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport. The end result is a topless car with a potential 410 km/h top speed.

This latest Bugatti Veyron gains aerodynamic modifications and chassis tweaks to cope with the extra potential performance. A specially-designed roof-mounted windbreak helps keep occupants shielded from the wind buffeting expected of high-speed open top cruising. The front and rear aerodynamic modifications from the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport are also incorporated in the Grand Sport Vitesse. The seven speed gearbox has been given revisions and has been reinforced, whilst the drivetrain has been strengthened and given additional cooling to better handle the power increase. Improvements to the dampers have resulted in less pitching and body roll during extreme acceleration and braking, lighter wheels and further suspension tweaks have also reduced the understeer characteristics of the car. Improved cooling for both the brakes and the engine also features amongst the tweaks for the topless Veyron.

As with all things associated with the Bugatti Veyron, the jaw-dropping specifications do not stop at the technical: the price of this ultimate roadster is a frankly unbelievable 1.75 million Euros.

When the Carfolio.com redesign launched, a new feature was added which enables you to save a bunch of cars into a list. You can then share the list with friends, link to it from a blog or use it to refer to a set of car specs in an easy to find place. There is no limit to the number of lists you can save, nor to the number of cars you can have in a list.

How do you go about creating one of these lists? Well, that's easy. Simply add cars to your stable (click on the orange plus icon next to any car on the site) and visit your stable page. You'll have to be logged in to be able to save your stable to a list. Registration is quick and free.

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• Morris Cowley Tourer
• Image courtesy of Arthur Bales

Does anyone recognise this Morris Cowley Tourer? It's pictured in Johannesburg, South Africa, around 1923.

The number plate would appear to read "TJ 2419".

If anyone has any info on this car please get in touch.

Carfolio.com welcomes 2012 with a new look and new features.

The first new feature is the ability to save your stable selections. In order to do so, log in and go to your stable, where you are able to give your selection a name and save it. You can share these lists with others, although only you can change or edit them.

Adding cars to your stable has become easier - simply click on the orange + icon that appears when your cursor is over the model name and it will be added to your stable.

Another new feature is the addition of pictures to most pages. When browsing the list of cars from any manufacturer, the latest few images added for the models of that manufacturer are shown to the left of the page.

2 new languages have been added to the specifications page, Italian and Spanish. These join the established French, German, Dutch and of course English translations. More work on the translations is in progress, so more languages will be added shortly.

If you experience any issues with the new interface or features, please drop an email to bugs@carfolio.com with as much detail as possible about what the problem may be and we will endeavour to fix it for you.

Thanks for using Carfolio.com, and have a great 2012!

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• Carfolio.com beta testing
• Image courtesy of Carfolio.com

Carfolio.com will soon have a completely new look, new functionality and have the specifications translated into new languages - Italian and Spanish ready to join the current French, Dutch and German translations.

Should you wish to apply to be a beta tester, please email beta@carfolio.com and please include a brief introduction about yourself.

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• BMW F30 3 Series
• Image courtesy of BMW

Today BMW released information on their latest 3 Series range, which carries the model designation F30. Initially available as a 4 door saloon with 4 engine choices, the range is sure to be expanded with more diesel and petrol engine choices, all-wheel drive variants, and of course, the obligatory station wagon (likely to still be called Touring), coupé and convertible versions, as well as the usual raft of powerful M-badged range-toppers.

Size-wise, the new 3 Series is longer, narrower and taller than the E90 3 Series it replaces. Overall length is 4624 mm (+93 mm), wheelbase is 2810 mm (+50 mm), width is 1811 mm (-6 mm) and height is 1429 mm (+8 mm). Despite this, BMW claims that the kerb weight across the range is lower by about 40 kg. Looking at the BMW 320d EfficientDynamics - the most aerodynamic of the 3 Series range - the coefficient of drag drops to 0.26 (from 0.27) but the frontal area rises from 2.17 m² to 2.20 m². Overall it means a reduction in CdA (which is the product of the drag coefficient and the frontal area) to 0.572 m².

The 320d EfficientDynamics, 320d and 335i saloons all have engines from the outgoing range, but the 328i is a new designation in some European markets, and is fitted with an engine that is new to the 3 Series family. This engine features the turbocharged 2 litre 4 pot currently found in the BMW Z4 sDrive28i and the latest BMW 528i. All engine variants can be ordered with either a 6-speed manual or an 8-speed automatic gearbox. Ventilated discs all round provide stopping power, and steering is courtesy of an electrically-assisted rack & pinion setup.

Update:

Since writing this, 3 new model variants have come to light. They are the BMW 316d, BMW 318d and BMW 320i. The two diesel models produce 116 PS (85 kW) and 143 PS (103 kW) respectively, and the petrol model has 135 kW (184 PS). All 3 of them are also available with the 8 speed automatic transmission as an option.

• 2011 BMW 320d
• 2011 BMW 320d Automatic
• 2011 BMW 320d EfficientDynamics
• 2011 BMW 320d EfficientDynamics Automatic
• 2011 BMW 328i
• 2011 BMW 328i Automatic
• 2011 BMW 335i
• 2011 BMW 335i Automatic

The 3 new engine variants:

• 2011 BMW 316d
• 2011 BMW 316d Automatic
• 2011 BMW 318d
• 2011 BMW 318d Automatic
• 2011 BMW 320i
• 2011 BMW 320i Automatic

• 
• 2011 Kia Rio
• Image courtesy of Kia Motors

Details of Kia's latest 5 door Rio hatchbacks have been released ahead of the launch of the 3 door Kia Rio models which will take place in September of 2011, at the IAA in Frankfurt. Kia's revised Rio has been styled by a team led by Peter Schreyer.

The new 5 door Kia Rio's body is 4045 mm (159.3 in) in length, and sits on a 2570 mm (101.2 in) wheelbase - 55 mm (2.2 in) and 70 mm (2.8 in) larger respectively than the outgoing Kia Rio model. All the models in the Kia Rio range (in the UK, at least) will have disc brakes and ABS all round, with the front discs being internally ventilated.

For the UK market at launch, the Kia Rio 5 door will have 4 engine options: 1.25 and 1.4 litre petrol engines, and a 3 cylinder 1.1 litre diesel and a 4 cylinder 1.4 litre diesel. All the engines feature twin overhead camshafts and 4 valve cylinder heads.

The 1.25 litre petrol engine has a capacity of 1248 cc (76.158 cu in). This produces power of 84.2 PS (83 bhp) (61.9 kW) at 6000 rpm, and torque of 121.0 Nm (89 ft·lb) (12.3 kgm) at 4000 rpm. The only gearbox available with this engine at the date of launch is a five speed manual. Claimed performance figures are 12.6 seconds for the 0-100 km/h dash, and a top speed of 171 km/h (106 mph). The combined fuel economy for the 1.25 litre Kia Rio is 5.0 l/100km, and the CO₂ emissions are 114 g/km.

The other petrol engines variant is the 1.4 litre. This engine has a displacement of 1396 cc (85.189 cu in), and produces power of 108.5 PS (107 bhp) (79.8 kW) at 6300 rpm and torque of 137.0 Nm (101 ft·lb) (14 kgm) at 4200 rpm. This variant has as choice of a 6 speed manual or a 4 speed automatic gearbox. With the manual gearbox, the 1.4 litre Kia Rio covers the 0-100 km/h sprint in 11.1 seconds, has a top speed of 183 km/h (114 mph) and 5.5 l/100km combined fuel economy. The carbon dioxide emissions are 128 g/km. With the automatic gearbox, the respective figures are 12.7 seconds to accelerate from standstill to 100 km/h, a top speed of 171 km/h (106 mph) and combined fuel consumption of 6.4 l/100km. The CO₂ emissions for the automatic are 150 g/km.

The 3 cylinder diesel engine has a swept capacity of 1120 cc (68.347 cu in). With a 16.0 compression ratio and common rail direct diesel injection, the diminutive turbo diesel engine produces maximum power of 75 PS (74 bhp) (55.2 kW) at 4000 rpm and maximum torque of 170.0 Nm (125 ft·lb) (17.3 kgm) at 1500-2750 rpm. With a six speed manual gearbox, the Eco version of the Kia Rio 1.1 CRDi manages an astonishing 85 g/km of CO₂ emissions. Performance is somewhat duller than the rest of the range, with the 0-100 km/h dash taking 14.9 seconds, and the top end not quite breaching the 100 mph (161 km/h) mark, at 158 km/h (98 mph).

The 4th, and final, engine for the Kia Rio 5 door hatchbacks at the time of the UK launch is a 4 cylinder, 1.4 litre common rail turbocharged diesel. This engine displaces 1396 cc (85.189 cu in) and produces 89.2 PS (88 bhp) (65.6 kW) at 4000 rpm power and 220.0 Nm (162 ft·lb) (22.4 kgm) at 1750-2750 rpm of torque, mated to a 6 speed manual transmission. This provides a top speed of 171 km/h (106 mph), a 12.6 second time for the 0-100 km/h benchmark and CO₂ emissions of 105 g/km.

• 2011 Kia Rio 1.1 CRDi Air
• 2011 Kia Rio 1.1 CRDi Eco
• 2011 Kia Rio 1.25
• 2011 Kia Rio 1.4
• 2011 Kia Rio 1.4 Automatic
• 2011 Kia Rio 1.4 CRDi