Automotive

There are many small cars with high-performance motorcycle engines, but there has never been one quite like the Spartan. Most use big in-line Japanese four cylinder engines which can produce meaty 200 bhp powerbands. The Spartan uses Ducati's 170 hp (106 kW) 1198 cc V-twin in a race chassis - there are no frills and the use of carbon fiber bodywork and the barest of essentials results in a kerb weight of 350 kg. Then there's the sound of the engine that won this year's World Superbike title just behind your left ear and the promise it feels at one with the driver ... it appears to be the perfect four-wheeled execution of the Ducati ethos. Fantastic picture library with this one. Read More

Of the various “joys” of winter, one of the biggest has got to be getting into a frozen-solid automobile, then sitting and shivering as you wait for the inside of the windshield to defrost. Many people instead opt for remote engine starters, although these must be professionally installed, plus they waste fuel while also creating air pollution – some cities have even passed anti-idling bylaws, to limit their harmful effects. So, what’s a winter wimp to do? Well, they can now buy the Car Interior Preheater. Read More

We've already seen rearview mirrors from the likes of Ford, Toyota and Mazda that display the vision from rear-mounted cameras, along with a GPS-enabled rearview mirror that includes a 4-inch touchscreen and Bluetooth. Now Hong Kong-based gadget wholesalers Chinavasion has started selling a kit that replaces any standard rearview mirror with a GPS and Bluetooth 2.1 enabled unit featuring a 4.3-inch touchscreen for multimedia playback and even playing touchscreen games (seriously), while DVR capabilities let you record what goes on inside and outside the car. Read More

A thinktank headed by Volkswagen Group Research has re-conceptualized the delivery vehicle and come up with a thought-provoking commercial EV concept vehicle named the eT! The eT! drives semi-autonomously on voice commands such as "follow me" and "come to me" and the driver can also steer from the passenger side using a joystick. There's an electric sliding door that opens in two stages for quick walk-on access, reducing the need for walking around the vehicle. For even quicker turnaround, the passenger side features a standing seat. Read More

The latest high performance variant of the Ford Mustang bearing the Shelby name has been unveiled at the 2011 LA Motor Show, and it's a beast. Packing a 5.8-liter supercharged V8 producing a headline-grabbing 650 horsepower and 600 lb-ft of torque, Ford claims the new 2013 Ford Shelby GT500 is the most powerful production V8 in the world. While the Mustang has never been the most aerodynamic vehicle on the road, the vehicle’s completely reworked drivetrain provides the power to propel it to a top speed of over 200 mph (322 km/h). And as surprising as the grunt under the hood, Ford says the new Shelby GT500 manages to avoid the United States’ Gas Guzzler Tax. Read More

It may not be the type of thing that would be used for everyday driving, but owners of the 2013 Ford Mustang will have a little something extra for days that they want to take their car out for some exercise – Track Apps. Displayed on a 4.2-inch LCD “productivity screen” located between the tachometer and speedometer, Track Apps will provide enthusiast drivers with real-time data on their pony car’s performance. Read More

As more and more mainstream car manufacturers join a new wave of electric vehicle development, it looks like we're definitely headed for an electric transport future. While powering a car with an electric motor is not exactly a new innovation, you may be surprised to learn exactly how old the technology is. A team led by Horst Schultz - the director and founder of Germany's Autovision Museum - has spent the last year or so painstakingly recreating the world's first street-ready electric car, designed and created by English scientists William Ayrton and John Perry, and which first hit the streets in 1881. Read More

As the luxury brand of the most aggressive electric major automotive producer (Nissan-Renault), Infiniti has been hinting for some time that it would go beyond its hybrid offerings and develop an all-electric sedan and more specifically, an all-electric sports car. With its successful ties with Formula One Champions Red Bull Racing, and F1 Drivers Champion Sebastian Vettel as its Global Brand Ambassador, it was really only a matter of time. Today, we had the first glimpse of the new sports EV. Read More

The race to bring electric vehicles to market finally appears to be on, with Honda today showing a battery electric version of the Honda Fit (known as the Honda Jazz in some markets) and announcing plans for a summer 2012 launch in the U.S. The 2013 Fit EV will have an MSRP of US$38,675 and a city range of 123 miles per charge (76 miles by the combined adjusted city/highway cycle) and will be available for lease to customers in select California and Oregon markets next summer, expanding to six East Coast markets in early 2013. Read More