Meet the Artega SE, Germany’s Answer to the Tesla Roadster

The world of electric sports cars may soon welcome a new member; the Artega SE. Revealed in pre-production form at the Geneva, the ‘electrified’ version of the Artega GT is powered by two electric motors mounted on the rear axle that develop a combined output of 280 kW or 380HP. Each motor operates independently from one another and drives one of the rear wheels.

Thanks to the 80 extra ponies, the performance of the Artega SE is even better than that of its gasoline-powered sibling: 0 to 100 km/h takes 4.3 seconds, 0.5 seconds less than in the Artega GT. This is also because the electric motors transmit their torque in a linear and immediate fashion. Maximum speed is in excess of 250 km/h (155 mph).

A total of 16 lithium-ion battery modules, each of which contains 12 battery cells, power the electric motors. The total weight of the battery system is 310 kg (683 lbs), while the car tips the scales at 1400 kg (3,086 lbs) - that's only 10 percent more than the Artega GT.

The Artega SE has a driving range of up to 300 kilometers (186 miles), although the company admits that under normal driving conditions the car can achieve 200 km. The batteries can be recharged through conventional household electricity, but the fastest way is to use park-and-ride stations where a full recharge takes 90 minutes.

Artega claims that the SE’s road handling is similar to the GT version, since the weight has the same distribution (57% at the rear and 43% at the front).

Provided that the company receives enough orders, up to 500 Artega SE cars could be built each year in the Delbruck plant, with pricing set to start at €150,000 ($208,500). The company plans to introduce the final production model at the Frankfurt Motor Show this fall, and have it on the market by April 2012.

By Dan Mihalascu

ARTEGA SE EV

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ARTEGA GT

Jaguar Releases First Running Footage of its Hardcore XKR-S Sports Coupe

According to Jaguar, the new XKR-S is the most powerful and fastest mass production sports car the company has ever built. The hardest-looking version of the XK series gets an uprated supercharged V8 direct-injection engine churning out 550-ponies and 680Nm of torque, good enough to propel the sports coupe from 0 to 60 (96km/h) in 4.2 seconds and on to a top speed of 186mph (300km/h).

Following last week’s reveal at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show, the Indian-owned British carmaker released the first footage of the sports coupe being put through its paces on the road as well as on the track. Unfortunately, Jaguar also covered the supercharged V8 engine’s howls with some annoying music beats… Watch the video for yourself right after the break.

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Jaguar Dismisses Bertone's B99 Sports Sedan Concept

One of the highlights of this year's Geneva Motor Show was the B99 design study for an entry-level Jaguar sedan by Bertone. The concept car was created independently by the Italian design house, without the involvement of Jaguar. Therefore, the B99 does not preview the design of the future X-Type, as confirmed by a top Jaguar executive.

“It is not our concept. We appreciate the fact that Jaguar is interesting enough for people to do a concept around. It's not that we are offended by it, or against it - it is just not for us," Adrian Hallmark, Jaguar's global brand director, told Automotive News at the Geneva Motor Show.

However, according to Hallmark, a future entry-level Jaguar is in the cards for a 2013 or 2014 launch but the design of the small sedan has not been yet finalized. The B99 is simply a display of Bertone's capability.

Jaguar's current design language, as seen on the XF and more recently on the bolder XJ, is modern and has little to do with the past, whereas the B99 Concept is retro from most angles.

By Dan Mihalascu

Source: Automotive News

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