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Automotive
Opel Ampera: Europe's Chevrolet Volt unveiled
By Paul Evans
23:52 March 3, 2009 PST
After various sneak peeks and spy shots, we now have official pictures of the European version of the Chevrolet Volt. To be officially launched at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show, the left hand drive Opel/Vauxhall Ampera will go on sale late 2011 with a right-hand drive Vauxhall version available in 2012. Read More
Aston Martin reveals One-77 technical showcase
By Mike Hanlon
19:07 March 3, 2009 PST
The One-77 is Aston Martin’s definitive sports car, one that epitomises everything Aston Martin from technology, the hand-craftsmanship of the hand rolled aluminium panels to the attention to detail. A culmination of all the marque’s know-how, the One-77 delivers effortless beauty guaranteed to stir the senses with performance potential eclipsing any previous Aston Martin. Which makes the Geneva Auto Salon quite special because Aston Martin will be presenting a One-77 technical showcase with chassis no.1 will be on display as an exposé throughout the show detailing the quintessence of Aston Martin engineering and design expertise. Read More
Mitsubishi and Citroen to develop European i MiEV electric vehicle
By Mike Hanlon
02:06 March 3, 2009 PST
The move to electric automobiles gained momentum rapidly in Geneva over the last few days with the announcement that Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) and PSA Peugeot Citroen will collaborate on electric vehicles based on a Mitsubishi's i MiEV. Then the wraps were pulled off a European prototype i MiEV featuring several changes compared to the Japanese market i MiEV due in Q3, 2009. Read More
Lamborghini Murcielago LP 670-4 SuperVeloce – the new king of the bulls
By Mike Hanlon
20:26 March 2, 2009 PST
At the extreme end of the supercar producer spectrum is the Volkswagen-owned Automobili Lamborghini and development of the company's product offering is nowadays seemingly continuous. Bearing witness to this is the new, exceptionally purist and even more extreme top-of-the-range Murcielago LP 670-4 SuperVeloce which is more powerful, lighter and faster than the Murcielago LP 640. With output from the 6.5 liter V12 raised to 670 bhp and a weight reduction of 100 kg (220 lbs), the limited edition SuperVeloce now boasts a power-to-weight ratio of 2.3 kg (5.1 lbs) per hp, enabling a top speed of 342 km/h (212 mph) and a 0-100 km/h time of 3.2 seconds. Read More
The world's fastest open top car
By Mike Hanlon
13:06 March 2, 2009 PST
A new Bugatti goes on sale this week, and like every other automobile to ever bear the revered name, it's so over-the-top you can't help but admire the audacious spirit which permeates all aspects of its engineering. The limited edition open-top Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport will be the world's fastest open top car, capable of travelling at 360 km/h with the roof off, and 407 km/h with it closed. Just 150 will be made of the EUR 1.4 million Grand Sport with the first 40 reserved for existing Bugatti customers. The usual cut-no-corners approach has seen the original Veyron virtually reengineered to accommodate the lack of the roof as a structural component. Read More
New hydraulic hybrid transmission doubles MPG in city driving
By Paul Evans
18:57 March 1, 2009 PST
Mechanical transmission of power using gears is very energy inefficient. The familiar automotive multi-speed gearbox and differential suffers from the friction losses that result in 20 – 30% of engine power being lost between a car's engine and the wheels. Many techniques are being developed to eliminate mechanical transmission including Wheel Motors and Hydraulic transmissions that we have seen being trialed in UPS delivery vans. Now in an innovative new approach, Scottish company Artemis Intelligent Power has developed a hydraulic hybrid transmission system it says can double a vehicle's MPG in city driving. Read More
Maybach Zeppelin reborn
By David Greig
13:41 February 26, 2009 PST
Maybach is bringing out a reincarnated Maybach Zeppelin to spearhead its luxury saloon model range. The new model, which is receiving its premiere at the Geneva Motor Show, will represent the brand in the high-end luxury saloon segment. It will be a successor to the legendary Maybach Zeppelin, which was revered worldwide as one of the ultimate in high-class automotive engineering in the 1930s. The 21st Century model is the most powerful Maybach ever (471 kW/640 hp and a peak torque of 1000 Newton metres) and two models are on offer, the Maybach 57 Zeppelin which costs €406,000 ($521,000 USD) and the Maybach 62 Zeppelin with a price tag of €473,200 ($607,000 USD). You even get a world first perfume atomizer! Read More
50th Anniversary of the 3-Point Seat Belt
By David Greig
13:40 February 26, 2009 PST
It's now been 50 years since the first automobile with standard 3-point-safety belts left the assembly lines: the Volvo P544. Patented in 1958 by Volvo engineer Nils Bohlin, the 3-Point safety belt has become the most important automotive restraint system worldwide, saving an estimated one million lives so far - so it's definitely an anniversary worth celebrating. Not much has happened visually to the belt since 1958 and ongoing developments have focused on the systems that compliment the belt to do its job better. Read More
Toyota’s dream – a car made of seaweed
By Darren Quick
16:19 February 25, 2009 PST
Toyota is taking the concept of green cars literally with the development of a hybrid concept car made from seaweed which will to be shown at the Melbourne International Motor Show in Australia this week. The 1/X (pronounced one-Xth) gets its name because it envisages a hybrid-powered car of the future with a fraction of the environmental footprint of today's cleanest cars. Read More
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
leojman
- November 23, 2009 @ 07:42 UTC
