Carscoops: Russia

Showing posts with label Russia. Show all posts

Saved by Antonov: Saab Sells Production Facilities to Russian Banker to Get Cash

The Swedish government offered Saab conditional backing for a deal to free up cash for the company (see previous story here), whose production lines have been stopped for two weeks as Saab didn't pay suppliers. "We have decided to allow the Debt Office to conclude an agreement with Saab," said enterprise minister Maud Olofsson during a news conference on Friday.

The government has approved a proposal from the Debt Office to allow Saab to sell real estate, including the production plant, to Russian financier Vladimir Antonov and then lease it back from him. The minister said this deal would bring €30 million to Saab in the first phase, although the real estate was worth much more than that.

A security camera in Russia caught a drunk driver in a Ranger Rover Sport climbing the doorsteps and parking the luxury SUV right in front of the entrance of an apartment building in Chelyabinsk, a city located to the east of the Ural Mountains, on Miass River. The intoxicated driver is seen in the security video stumbling out of the British SUV with a bottle in his hand.

When he's not driving a Renault Formula 1 car or a locally-made Chrysler Sebring, Russian prime minister Vladimir Putin test drives hybrid cars – or at least that's what he did on April 1 (no, really), when he got behind the wheel of the country’s first hybrid vehicle, the Yo-Mobile.

Built by Yo-Auto, a joint-venture between truck maker Yarovit Motors and Onexim Group, the company of Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov who also owns the New Jersey Nets, the car has an unusual hybrid setup. It uses a rotary vane engine (see video below) that works on petrol and natural gas and is linked to a pair of electric motors.

As time goes by, Fiat SpA’s integration with the Chrysler Group LLC deepens and the results become more evident with the two carmakers making several plans for the future. Speaking at Fiat's annual shareholders meeting on March 30, Fiat and Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne revealed plans to launch two new Dodge-based sedans in China and Russia.

The first sedan will be a compact model built on the next generation Dodge Caliber, which is expected in the USA next January. According to an Autonews report, this model will enter production in China in the second half of 2011, while timing for the Russian launch has not yet been disclosed. The other four-door saloon will be a mid-size model based on the replacement for the Dodge Avenger, which is scheduled for launch in the USA in 2013. It will go on sale in China and Russia the same year.

Watching a modded Porsche Cayenne stuck in the mud can be quite amusing, as this video proves. While the details surrounding the incident are still fuzzy, the clip first shows a truck trying to pull the blacked out Cayenne from its muddy prison and then for some reason, the owner decides to do it by himself. The result? One of the wheels explodes triggering the airbags and causing damages to the vehicle. Watch this Porsche owner’s ‘Moment of Zen’ in the clip after the break. Read more »

VIDEO: Moscow Street Drifting with Nissan 200SX Pickup Truck and Silvia

In today’s video find, we present a pair of daredevil Russian drifters swooping and sliding their way through the streets of Moscow, Russia in a Nissan 200SX ute [S13] and what appears to be a Nissan Silvia [S15]. The drivers are Evgeniy Satyukov and Geprgiy Stepanyan who took first and second place respectively in the ‘Russian Drift Series 2010’.

The creators of the film are quick to point out that “all the stunts in the film are performed by professionals on the blocked streets” and that viewers should “not try to do this on public roads”. Drift past the break to enjoy the video.

You may not know the name Timur Bekmambetov, but you would surely have seen Wanted: that over-the-top movie with Angelina Jolie, Morgan Freeman and that guy from Atonement. That was him.

He also made two really cool Russian language urban sci-fi / horror movies called Night Watch and Day Watch, the first of which made more money in its homeland than the first three Lord of the Rings movies put together. So when Mr. B releases a new movie, I’m there. His latest effort is Black Lightning, which is a superhero origin story. Spoilers ahead...

Italian automaker Fiat SpA and Russia's Sollers OJSC, backed out of a potential partnership today following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in February 2010 for the launch of a Russian joint-venture to produce passenger cars and SUVs.

Fiat, which controls US automaker Chrysler, and Sollers did not give any explanation for the breakup of negotiations, with both companies simply stating that they intend to continue expanding their existing operations and activities in the region. The 2.4 billion-euro deal signed last year was aimed at producing as many as 500,000 cars annually by 2016 and would have been supported by a 1.2 billion- euro loan backed by the Russian government.

Literally only minutes after the joint statement by Fiat and Sollers, Ford Motor Company came out with a press release announcing that is has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Sollers, under which the two parties intend to launch a new 50:50-owned joint venture called Ford Sollers for the production and distribution of Ford vehicles in Russia.

Previously on Carscoop, we’ve seen Pontiac Fieros turned into “Fierarris”, Toyota Soarers adorned with Mercedes-Benzes off cuts and some others too hideous to even mention. For the most part, it’s a case of turning a boring, mainstream car into something that resembles a high-priced exotic if you’re squinting through grease paper with the sun in your eyes and have lost a lot of blood.

What you rarely see is something exotic transformed into something that some people would call mundane. That’d just be silly. Never to be one to shy away from a challenge, the Russians have done just that: taken a Jag and turned it into a GAZ.

Originally this car was a 1993 Jaguar XJ40 with an automatic transmission and a 3.2 L V6. Its exterior has been adorned with the grille, head- and taillights, unique side vents and boot emblem from a ‘70s Volga. It’s not quite in the same league as the BMW 6-series derived Volga V8 Roadster or the Porsche Cayenne-based “Lenin-mobile”, but it’s still an impressive transformation.

Hyundai is continuing its ambitious plan to further increase global sales with the start of production at its first factory in Russia located at Saint Petersburg. The company’s sixth newest overseas assembly plant will make the Solaris, a subcompact sedan we will come to know as the new Accent.

Operating heavy machinery near a muddy riverbank can be very hazardous, as this video demonstrates. A mud water-trapped Russian dump truck was just about to be pulled clear by a bulldozer, when it seems that the towing cable snapped, causing it to go underwater in less than 5 seconds. We’d say it’s quite a miracle that the driver made it out of the cabin and the presumably cold waters. Watch the clip after the break.

It's only been a few weeks since Topcar presented its most recent Porsche Cayenne package called the Vantage GTR2, yet the Russian firm has launched another tuning proposal for the second generation of the German automaker's luxury SUV. The new package is named Vantage 2 and it comes with a wide body kit and a choice of performance upgrades.

Just picture this; you are standing at the corner of a snow covered road in freezing temperatures when all of a sudden two cars crash and one of them heads straight towards you. Chances are most people would have frozen stiff at the spectacle, but not this man who displayed some very sharp reflexes by quickly running out of ways harm's way. Video follows after the break.

The Mercedes-Benz 190E is a great car, especially in Cosworth form. But not all people value the classic Merc as much as we do. Take for example this Russian owner who decided to make a one of a kind special out of the Mercedes sedan and call it the E90 crossover.

Earlier today, 44-year-old Moscow resident named Oleg N. went on a road rampage for reasons that have yet to be determined. Russian news sites reported that the driver of the silver-colored Hyundai Terracan crashed into some 20 or so cars. The incident was partially caught on video where we see the Moscow resident trying to escape a mob of angry drivers by getting into his SUV and ramming several cars in an attempt to flee the scene. He was eventually caught by the police and a number of drivers who showed him no mercy - guess the Christmas Spirit ain't as infectious as we hoped...

Topcar might be a newbie in the industry, but the Russian tuning firm is churning one proposal after the other. Following a display of project cars at this year's Essen Motor Show, the company has unveiled its latest package in the form of the Vantage GTR 2 for the latest Porsche Cayenne.

Saab has revealed plans to begin distribution to China and Russia. Deals for both countries will be signed before the end of the year, while Saab is also pondering the assembly of cars in the Far East. In other news, the Swedish maker also said that it's unlikely that we'll see a diesel-powered 9-4X any time soon.

In regards to China, Saab CEO Jan Ake Jonsson, told reporters on the sidelines of the Los Angeles Auto Show: "Until we launch the new 9-3 at the end of 2012, it will be just a couple of thousand units (annually), all based on imports. As we lead up to this, we have to make a decision if and when we are going to introduce local manufacturing in China."

Former Russian President and now Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is doing his best to remain in the spotlight. After his country decided to back the Renault F1 team, by branding it with Lada advertisements, Mr. Putin was invited to drive the R30 Formula One racer at a special event held in St. Petersburg. Video after the break.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev hopes to revive the ZiL limousine, a former Soviet symbol of transportational power, for use by himself and other government officials and diplomats. Due to these rumors, which came to light earlier this year, the Slava Saakyan design studio - named after its founder, a former AMO ZiL designer - has dreamt up its own interpretation of the once-presidential vehicle.

What was shown as the Concept RB at Moscow's International Motor Show has become the Hyundai Solaris, a re-nosed Accent [Verna in South Korea] for our Cold War counterparts. Starting in January, the Solaris will be Hyundai's first model to be assembled at the Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Rus plant.

Carscoops

Saved by Antonov: Saab Sells Production Facilities to Russian Banker to Get Cash

Twit of the Day: Drunk Driver Finds Ideal Parking Space for his Range Rover Sport

Prime Minister Putin gets behind the Wheel of Russia's First Hybrid Car

Fiat to Introduce Two New Dodge-Based Sedans in China and Russia by 2013

Wheel Explosion Fail: Porsche Cayenne and Mud don’t Mix [with Video]

VIDEO: Moscow Street Drifting with Nissan 200SX Pickup Truck and Silvia

Black Lightning: A Russian Delivery Boy Fights Capitalism in a…Flying Volga

Sollers Ends Negotiations with Fiat Group for Joint Venture in Russia, Then Signs Deal with Ford

Russian Customizer Turns a Jaguar into a GAZ-21 Lookalike

Hyundai Begins Producing Cars at its New Russian Plant

FAIL: Dump Truck Goes Underwater, Driver Narrowly Escapes [Video]

Russia's Topcar Continues Porsche Cayenne Tune with Vantage 2

VIDEO: Pedestrian Shows Awesome Reflexes, Avoids Out of Control Car

Weird Tuning: Mercedes-Benz 90E Fastback Crossover from Russia

VIDEO: Crazy World... Hyundai Driver Rams Two Dozen Cars in Moscow

Topcar jumps on the Porsche Cayenne Tuning Bandwagon with Vantage GTR 2

Saab Targets Chinese and Russian Markets, Unlikely to Develop a Diesel 9-4X

VIDEO: Vladimir Putin Drives a Renault Formula 1 Car

Slava Saakyan envisions a New ZiL Limo for Russian President Medvedev and his entourage

New Hyundai Solaris: Russian-built Accent is Ready for the Ice Cold