Mercedes-Benz Announces AMG-Ducati Cooperation at LA Show

At this week's Los Angeles Auto Show, Mercedes-Benz announced that performance division AMG, and Italian motorcycle maker Ducati will develop common marketing activities in the near future. Mercedes-AMG CEO Ola Källenius and Ducati CEO Gabriele del Torchio signed the agreement during a press conference held at the LA Show.

According to the deal, AMG will be the Ducati MotoGP Team's Official Car Partner in the 2011 championship and, in return, during various events held by the Germans, participants will also have the opportunity to test Ducati motorcycles and vice versa.

AMG plans these events for its Private Lounge members, numbering more than 13,000 customers worldwide. The two companies noted that other activities and strategic steps are also under consideration, but didn't disclose any further information yet.

"I am very pleased that we are able to announce our strategic cooperation with Ducati today. AMG and Ducati ideally complement each other, as both companies share the same values: racing as the driving passion, and high performance plus exclusivity as the central brand messages of both AMG and Ducati. This long-term cooperation will help us to jointly access new customer groups", said Ola Källenius, CEO of Mercedes-AMG GmbH.

"I am especially proud to have AMG as one of our sponsors for the MotoGP Team. I am also very pleased that our joint marketing activities are well under way. In AMG we have found a partner who perfectly reflects our brand values of high performance, motorsport, excitement and our sense of unmistakable style and design", Gabriele del Torchio, President and CEO of Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A, added.

Both companies are highly respected in their line of work, so their cooperation sounds like a good idea, as customers have the opportunity to experiment with new ways of achieving that gratifying adrenaline-rush.

By Csaba Daradics

_______________________________GALLERY_______________________________

Piaggio NT3 Concept targets the TATA Nano

At this week's 2010 Milan Motorcycle Show (EICMA), Piaggio presented the NT3 Concept, a three-seater four-wheel mini that could become the TATA Nano's biggest competitor in emerging markets like India or Vietnam.

Despite its small size (it only measures 2.4 meters in length), the NT3 is a highly versatile vehicle, with multiple cabin configurations, also made possible by the center driving position. It uses a spaceframe architecture with crashbox, meaning that it's safer than it looks. Power comes from internal combustion engines or a hybrid powertrain.

The smallest one has a capacity of 200 cc and it was created with economy in mind. It is followed by a more powerful 300 cc variant and a hybrid, which combines the more potent conventional engine with an electric motor.

The two can work together and propel the NT3 to a top speed of 80 km/h (50 mph). In "electric only mode" the car's top speed is 30 km/h or 19 mph.

Piaggio says that the NT3 can do more than 30 km with 1 liter of fuel – 3.33 lt/100 km or 71 US mpg –, though it's not known with which engine. In any case, the Italian manufacturer promises low operating costs and emissions.

The Italian maker, best known for its Vespa scooters, said the NT3 could enter the market in the next three years, but hasn't made any final decisions yet.

By Csaba Daradics

BMW Unveils Concept C Scooter, will Spawn Production Model

At the annual Milan Motorcycle Show (EICMA), BMW Motorrad unveiled the Concept C (C standing for "commuter"), a big scooter that is set to expand the German manufacturer's motorcycle line-up and offer an alternative method of transportation in congested urban areas. This segment could be very lucrative for BMW, as registrations for individual transport vehicles have skyrocketed in recent years.

The concept model will spawn two production versions with internal combustion engines and possibly even an all-electric variant in the very near future, though no details on availability or pricing have been released yet.

Featuring a metallic gray paintjob, with chrome and blue accents, the Concept C presents quite a few unusual and innovative engineering solutions in this segment, like the complex monolever mechanism with hollowed-out shaft, twin disc brakes with ABS and CVT gearbox.

The technological tour de force continues with an LED headlamp and two video cameras, replacing the conventional rear view mirrors.

From a design standpoint, the Concept C is immediately recognizable as member of the BMW Motorrad family. This was achieved by borrowing design cues from various motorcycle models (S 1000 RR, GS Series).

The production models will also come with a range of matching rider and stowage equipment.By Csaba Daradics

_______________________________GALLERY_______________________________

VIDEO: Chinese Biker Survives Accident thanks to some Crazy Kung Fu-Like Moves

Talk about lucky; here's a video of a Chinese motorcyclists who seemed to have all the right moves when he slammed into a little carry-all truck. As you can see from the clip after the jump, he was either extremely skilled or extremely lucky to be thrown off his ride the way he was.

If this accident weren't captured on CCTV, it would be the kind of stunt I'd expect to see in some 90's Jackie Chan movie. In that case, however, there would be people swarming the guy and dude would be using the formerly-known-as-a-motorcycle debris to whoop evildoers' behinds instead of probably being in shock. Hey, at least one or two of the surrounding drivers stopped to lend a hand.

Any (I'm guessing) Mandarin speakers out there, feel free to throw us a translation of the text in the comments below.

By Phil Alex

Via: Gizmodo / Jalopnik

_______________________________VIDEO_______________________________

KTM Announces 2011 X-BOW R Model with 300HP

Austrian motorcycle specialist KTM is hard at work on the 2011 model year version of its X-BOW track-focused sports car, which will gain a higher performance R model. The original 790 kg (1,742 lb) X-BOW is powered by an Audi-sourced 240HP 2.0-liter TFSI. Around 500 have been sold worldwide since it was launched into the market in 2008.

The R model will have an additional 60 hp (45kw) over the standard model thanks to the adoption of the more powerful 2.0 TFSI from the Audi S3, which features changes to the engine electronics and peripherals to bump output to 300-horsepower.

It will be available in two equipment packages: a road legal / homologated "Sport" package and a more track orientated "Race" pack.

Many of the parts that go into the R will be available through X-BOW's PowerParts, so owners can tune their existing X-BOW to Sport and Race specifications.

Pictured in our gallery is a prototype version of the 2011 X-BOW R with the new parts installed undergoing testing at the Nürburgring Nordschleife.

More detailed information, including pricing, will be released early next year.

By Tristan Hankins