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Automotive
Kia No 3 concept with unconventional panoramic roof
By Mike Hanlon
13:46 February 24, 2009 PST
There are few details available just yet but you don't need to look hard to see the Kia No3 concept is quite different to anything you've seen before. The concept features a unique extended windscreen and panoramic glass roof with a diagonal supporting bar and an automatic sun visor. If the vehicle follows Kia tradition of turning its concepts into production vehicles, we suspect this is the first foothold for a new niche in the small car market. Read More
Nissan NV200 people carrier and light Commercial NV200 production details
By Mike Hanlon
12:42 February 24, 2009 PST
We first glimpsed Nissan's NV200 small van at the 2007 Tokyo Show when it displayed one of the most intelligent design concepts we've seen for a commercial vehicle. Now, the wraps are off the production version of the global small van and although three versions of the NV200 will be available, the box-within-box concept is sadly gone. Despite feeling we've been short-changed, the NV200 has an intelligent layout with seats that fold unconventionally to offer the largest load space (4.1 m3) in its class, petrol or diesel and a low cost of ownership. Read More
Toyota's Hybrid Camry Concept Vehicle unveiled
By Paul Evans
21:55 February 23, 2009 PST
Toyota has premiered its HC-CV (Hybrid Camry Concept Vehicle) ahead of the 2009 Melbourne International Motor Show in Australia. Using the same continuously variable transmission layout as a Toyota Prius, the new Hybrid pairs a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine with an electric motor and battery pack, with the familiar Camry exterior lines tweaked in favor of aero efficiency. Read More
3D dashboard prototype to be shown at CEBIT
By Darren Quick
21:33 February 23, 2009 PST
While 3D looks like being the next big thing for home entertainment, researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Telecommunications, Heinrich-Hertz-Institut, HHI in Berlin think 3D displays also have a place in the family car and have developed a car dashboard that shows velocities, engine speeds or warnings in three dimensions. Read More
Alfa Romeo MiTo GTA Concept
By Mike Hanlon
16:06 February 23, 2009 PST
If cars are purposefully given facial features to help personalise them to the public (they are), then we're not sure what to make of Alfa Romeo's high performance concept Alfa MiTo GTA which has a not-so-charming visage reminiscent of a berserker warrior. The famous GTA (Gran Turismo Alleggerito) signature indicates a lightweight (Alleggerito means reduced weight in Italian) sports throughbred, and the MiTo GTA boasts massively increased horsepower (from 155 bhp to 240 bhp), along with a dramatic, though unspecified, weight reduction brought about by a diet of carbon fibre and aluminium. Read More
Maserati GranTurismo S Automatic premier in Geneva
By Mike Hanlon
13:16 February 23, 2009 PST
True to Maserati’s commitment to introduce a new model at each international car show, the GranTurismo S Automatic will premiere at the Geneva Auto Show next week. The major novelty is the combination of the automatic transmission with the most powerful wet sump Maserati V8 on the GranTurismo – until now offered as 4.2 litres with automatic transmission and 4.7 litres with an electro-actuated gearbox. The new model features a 4.7 litre V8 which develops 440hp (323kW) at 7000rpm and maximum torque of 490Nm at 4,750rpm. Thanks to smoothness of the ZF 6-speed automatic gearbox, the car remains consistent with the granturismo concept while at the same time offering peak performance. Read More
San Francisco gets EV charging stations
By Paul Evans
04:00 February 22, 2009 PST
As part of a two-year public demonstration project conducted with the City of San Francisco three Coulomb charging stations have been installed across the street from City Hall. Announced at a press conference with the Mayor of San Francisco Gavin Newsom, these charge points are the first in 40 to be installed in the City’s efforts to transform the Bay Area into the EV Capital of the United States. The charge points are intended to allow on-street charging the city's municipal fleet of electric vehicles, as well as those owned by car-sharing services City CarShare and Zipcar. Read More
The drive in, drive out Touchless Car Cover
By Karen Sprey
21:48 February 19, 2009 PST
Keeping your just-washed-and-polished car looking good longer and protecting it from the elements is a problem faced by motoring enthusiasts the world over. Enter the Touchless Car Cover: a ‘drive in, drive out’ cover that takes less than a minute to set-up and helps protect your car from rain, sun, dirt and mildew without, as the name suggests, sitting directly on your paintwork like standard covers which tend to trap moisture. Read More
The World's Most Powerful Off-Roader - 515 kW and 1,320 Nm
By Mike Hanlon
20:13 February 19, 2009 PST
German auto Krafthaus Brabus regularly builds the world's fastest cars to showcase its tuning abilities, presenting these outrageous beasts at the major European auto shows each year. For the upcoming Geneva International Auto Show, it has produced the world's most powerful 4x4 based on the Mercedes G-Class. The five-door 4x4 is powered by a BRABUS SV12 S Biturbo engine (a reworked Mercedes S 600 V12 engine) which produces 690 bhp (515 kW) at 5,100 rpm and an astonishing peak torque of 1,320 Nm (973 lb-ft) at 2,100 rpm, though it is electronically limited to 1100 Nm. Prices start from EUR 379,000 (USD 478,500) and head upward from there depending on just how personal and comprehensive the desired luxury fit-out. Read More
New Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupé - the world's most aerodynamically efficient series-production car
By Mike Hanlon
23:23 February 17, 2009 PST
The Geneva Motor Show will see the launch of the new Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupé. The sports-oriented luxury two-door is claimed to be the most aerodynamically efficient series-production car in the world with a drag coefficient (Cd) of just 0.24. It comes standard with driver drowsiness detection, preventive occupant protection, an Active Bonnet and a Dynamic Driving package that allows different suspension setups at the touch of a button. Read More
Rinspeed iChange Concept Car set for Geneva debut
00:55 February 17, 2009 PST
Rinspeed is one automotive company that can only be described as forward-thinking and its radical concept car offerings have graced our pages on a regular basis over many years. More images and details have now emerged on the company's latest thought-provoking platform, the all-electric, shape-shifting „iChange“, which will make its debut at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show. Read More
Japan's bargain Kei Cars
By Mike Hanlon
22:45 February 15, 2009 PST
Kei cars are a uniquely Japanese phenomena which began as a tax and insurance stimulus for the Japanese car industry in the post WWII era. Kei regulations only restrict physical size, engine displacement and power, so manufacturers have used every square centimetre and stacked it with as many advanced technologies as possible. The top-selling Kei car is Suzuki's Wagon R which offers a DOHC VVT 660cc engine, CVT transmission, engine stop-start, EBD, ABS, plus a Viscodrive coupling that provides on-demand AWD capability without electronics. Prices start at under 10 million yen (USD 9100) and the fully optioned Wagon R still comes in at under USD15,000. Maybe we need a similar stimulus based around size and emissions. Read More
Michelin Tweel becomes Lunar Wheel for NASA Lunar Rover
By Mike Hanlon
13:53 February 14, 2009 PST
The Tweel is an non-pneumatic Tire/WhEEL combo which offers an idiot-proof, no-maintenance, easily-retreadable tire for consumers and the holy grail for the military - a tire that can't be “shot out.” You won't see the Tweel on your sandmobile any time soon because it has noise, vibration, heat and wear problems at highway speeds, but its unique construction enables it to be specifically engineered with ideal characteristics for highly specialized low speed applications. The ultimate badge of credibility was bestowed on the design when it rolled down Pennsylvania Avenue on NASA’s Small Pressurized Lunar Rover prototype during the Obama presidential inauguration. Read More
Porsche unveils Panamera “cockpit for four” interior
By Mike Hanlon
23:17 February 13, 2009 PST
The Porsche Panamera is quite unlike any sports car that has been before it in that it was conceived to offer equal comfort and luxury for four occupants. Porsche has previously released external images of the Panamera, due for showrooms in September/October this year, and the image gallery contains the first images of the gran turismo’s knockout interior. With a continuous center console that extends from the dashboard to the rear seats, the Panamera offers a new spatial experience for the driver and passengers featuring optimal ergonomic seating with an individual cockpit-like environment for all. Read More
MIT students develop Hydraulic Regenerative Shock Absorbers
By Paul Evans
19:34 February 12, 2009 PST
We reported recently on several new methods of regeneration for hybrid vehicles. These included regenerative shocks based on electric motors and a hydraulic drive train. Now students at MIT have developed a regenerative shock absorber that is a cross between those two. Fitted to a heavy truck, each shock absorber could generate up to an average of 1 Kw on a standard road, completely displacing the large alternator load and even running accessory devices such as hybrid trailer refrigeration units. Read More
Mitsubishi close to releasing i MiEV in Europe
By Mike Hanlon
18:44 February 12, 2009 PST
Mitsubishi appears to be getting very close to releasing its i MIEV electric car in Europe. Just a fortnight ago we ran the news that the i MiEV SPORT AIR concept would debut at the 79th Geneva International Motor Show on March 3. Now comes the late news that another prototype i MiEV will also debut at the Geneva Palexpo complex, that it will have left-hand drive, the wider track and longer overhangs of a European specification and that feasibility testing in Europe is already underway. Read More
The Carbon E7 purpose-built police car dashboard takes shape
By Mike Hanlon
20:14 February 11, 2009 PST
Carbon Motors is building the world's first purpose-built law enforcement patrol vehicle, the Carbon E7, so the announcement earlier this week that it would use L-3 Displays interface equipment in the E7’s On Board Rapid Command Architecture (ORCA) will probably impact most patrol officers at some point in the future. ORCA will replace the laptops that most officers are currently utilizing in their patrol vehicles to send and receive data while on patrol. That's the new Carbon E7 Cockpit pictured. Read More
Chevy Volt to get energy efficient Bose sound system
By Darren Quick
19:20 February 11, 2009 PST
It’s obvious that car manufacturers working to provide consumers with environmentally friendly vehicles must deal with power, weight, and space constraints to make the next generation of automobiles a reality. What isn’t so obvious is that manufacturers of in car systems will also need to address these constraints, which is the reason Bose has been working on a new sound system that utilizes a proprietary design to produce a system that is 30% smaller, 40% lighter, and uses 50% less energy than conventional Bose sound systems, while still delivering premium, high-quality audio. Bose will debut its Energy Efficient Series sound system in the Chevy Volt, which is set to hit showrooms in 2011. Read More
McLaren to significantly increase road car production
By Mike Hanlon
03:55 February 11, 2009 PST
The bitter rivalry between McLaren and Ferrari which has dominated F1 of recent times looks certain to spill over from the track to the showroom floor. In a typically bold move, McLaren is to ramp up production of its elite sports cars from 100 to 1,000 per year by 2011 and eventually to 4000 annually. The SLR McLaren sells at UKP 300,000 plus, but McLaren supremo Ron Dennis told the Financial Times earlier this week that volume production would enable McLaren to make a ‘far more affordable’ car and compete with its F1 rival Ferrari in the sports car market. Read More
SEAT Exeo solar sunroof harnesses sun to cool car
By Mike Hanlon
20:53 February 10, 2009 PST
SEAT, the Spanish arm of the Volkswagen Group, will launch its new Exeo upper medium sector saloon in April, along with some interesting technologies designed to keep it cool in the Spanish sun. The optional solar sunroof uses mini solar panels embedded in the glass to generate electricity which powers the car’s ventilation system, even when the ignition is off, drawing in cooler ambient air and significantly reducing the automotive ‘greenhouse’ effect on a hot day. Read More
Ford’s first Battery Electric Vehicle confirmed as the 2010 Transit Connect
By Paul Evans
15:34 February 9, 2009 PST
True to their word Ford Motor Company has become the first of the big three to announce plans to market a pure battery electric-powered light commercial vehicle in North America. Based on the all-new Transit Connect global commercial vehicle platform, the Transit EV will be available in U.S. Ford dealerships in 2010. Read More
640 bhp Hulme Spyder to follow 600 bhp Hulme CanAm
By Mike Hanlon
02:23 February 9, 2009 PST
Last week we ran the news that New Zealand-based Hulme Supercars had demonstrated a 600 bhp two-seat CanAm version of the lightweight carbon fibre machine at the New Zealand round of the A1GP series. A subsequent conversation with Hulme MD Jock Freemantle has revealed the news that a Hulme Spyder will follow the CanAm with a supercharged 640 bhp Chevrolet LS9 engine as used in the ZR1. The initially-announced F1 car will now be third in the development queue. Read More
Thermoelectrics to replace car alternators and improve MPG
By Paul Evans
16:06 February 8, 2009 PST
Thermoelectrics - the phenomena in which a temperature difference creates an electric potential - have been known about for almost 200 years, but practical applications have not been widespread due to their low energy efficiency. That may all now be about to change as Germany automakers Volkswagen and BMW have developed thermoelectric generators (TEG) that recover waste heat from a combustion engine. Read More
Monster truck turns snowmobile
By Mike Hanlon
15:21 February 8, 2009 PST
With arctic conditions bringing the entire United Kingdom to a halt, the staff at Santa Pod Raceway in Northamptonshire decided to employ Podzilla, the racetrack's 1200 bhp Monster Truck, to travel the otherwise inaccessible 180 acre grounds. With a fuel consumption of 15 gallons per mile (that's not a misprint), Podzilla isn't exactly practical winter transport, but it is a lot of fun in the snow and the six foot tall tires get traction everywhere. Read More
1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa expected to break world auction record
By Mike Hanlon
17:22 February 7, 2009 PST
IMAGE LIBRARY UPDATED The world record auction price for a motor car was set last May at the Ferrari Leggenda e Passione by a 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spyder which sold for USD 10,894,400 (€7,040,000, £5,598,208 GBP). The event is held annually in Maranello, during the final stretch of the Mille Miglia and the RM/Sothebys auction always sees the finest available specimens of the Prancing Horse go under the hammer. This year a Scaglietti-designed, ‘pontoon-fender’ 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa (pictured) is expected to break the record once more. Read More
Rex Alfie Lee
- November 9, 2009 @ 12:19 UTC
