Automotive

21:10 February 3, 2009 PST

Aptera have displayed two prototypes at the Technology, Entertainment, Design (TED) conference held annually at Long Beach California and have revealed more specifications for the 2009 production 2e. The big news is that we finally have some specs for the powertrain. The 1500lb (680kg) curb weight Aptera 2e will have a 60 ft/lb (81 Nm) electric motor driving the front wheels through a 10:1 single speed gearbox with power provided at 336 volts by a 10 – 13 kw/hr Lithium iron phosphate battery pack. Read More

Hypermiling Toyota iQ returns 71.6 mpg

22:13 February 2, 2009 PST

Toyota's hypermiling iQ topped 500 miles to a tank

We're a competitive bunch us human beings, with the same evolutionary skill sets which took us to unquestioned lords of the fuel chain, seemingly able to turn our competitiveness to any challenge. Witness the alarming gas price rises of recent times, a marked change in our driving habits and … the advent of hypermiling - the best new word of the year according to the New Oxford American Dictionary. Last week a pair of Toyota-employed hypermilers managed to push Toyota's new iQ way beyond its official mpg figures. Read More

DIY Honda Civic gets 95 MPG

17:25 February 1, 2009 PST

1992 Honda Civic gets a boat tail
Image: Aero Civic

It might look ugly but this 1992 Honda Civic has double the fuel mileage of a standard Civic simply by lowering the coefficient of drag (Cd) from 0.34 to 0.17 with a little engineering savvy and $400 worth of material bought the local hardware store. In fact the drag on this 350,000 miles (563,270 km) old Civic has been reduced to the point where it is virtually equal to the radical tear drop shaped Aptera which has a Cd of 0.15. Read More

The 600bhp 1000kg US$425,000 Hulme CanAm

16:09 February 1, 2009 PST

Denny's championship-winning CanAM car and the new Hulme CanAm.

The name Hulme holds a special respect in New Zealand, partly because Denny Hulme won a World F1 title in 1967 and two CanAm (the nearest any major international racing series ever got to “anything goes”) titles, and partly for the Rambo-esque, Victoria Cross-winning exploits of Denny's father Clive during WWII. The Hulme Supercar which honours his name was announced in 2005, and recently former F1 driver Chris Amon did a demo lap of a pre-production CanAm Hulme at the NZ round of A1GP. The open top road legal CanAm weighs less than 1000kg and produces 600bhp and will go into limited production in 2010 for an expected GBP295,000 there's a coupe version coming too. Read More

Black Bess, famous Bugatti Type 18 goes under the hammer

23:55 January 29, 2009 PST

‘Black Bess’, the famous Bugatti Type 18 Sports two-seater will go under the auctioneers hammer next week. One of just three Type 18s in existence, the car was purchased new by pioneer French aviator Roland Garros and has been driven competitively on road and track by a string of distinguished owners for almost all of its 96 years. Black Bess, named after highwayman Dick Turpin’s legendary steed, will be just one of an array of very special automobiles at Bonhams’ auction at Retromobile in Paris on February 7, 2009. Expect to pay EUR1.3 to 1.5 million if you want a slice of this beauty. Read More

Aptera 2e pre-production model rolls out, on track for October launch

19:13 January 29, 2009 PST

Aptera has released news that the initial pre-production front wheel drive version of the all-electric model known as the series 2e has rolled out the door of its Californian production facility. For the next several months a small number of vehicles will be built for internal testing. Volume production for retail deliveries is now scheduled for October 1, 2009. Read More

The Extreme Bentley – fastest, most powerful ever

13:45 January 28, 2009 PST

The Extreme Bentley – fastest, most powerful ever

It has been interesting to see the continued rise of the time-honoured Bentley automotive brand and its immense desirability to the young and nouveau rich. The attractiveness levels are about to rise another magnitude with the imminent unveiling of the Extreme Bentley, the perfect badge of success for extreme athletes and other non-conventional financial achievers. Only a promotional film and single darkened image have been released so far, along with the news the vehicle will feature Bentley’s new flexfuel powertrain, announced at the NAIAS a week or two back. Oh, and the news it will be the fastest, most powerful production Bentley ever. That means … Read More

Ultimate Aero EV: 1000 horsepower electric supercar

03:18 January 28, 2009 PST

Ultimate Aero EV: 1000 horsepower electric supercar

January 28, 2009 In the latest installment from the company that announced only four months ago that it is working on a new breed of EV super car “featuring a revolutionary power source allowing for the possibility of several years between charging”, we now have the just-as-fantastic prospect of the world's first roadgoing 1000 bhp battery electric vehicle. Shelby Sports Cars says it expects to roll out its first full-scale, pre-production Ultimate Aero EV in Q2 2009 so we won’t have long to see if this ambitious claim can become reality. Read More

P1-E electric car with a McLaren F1 beating 0-60 in 2.9 sec

23:09 January 27, 2009 PST

From the country with more cottage industry sports car manufactures per capita than anywhere else in the world, the British are at it again. No sooner has the much publicized British Lightning GT - an all electric Aston Martin look-a-like with four wheel motors - vanished from sight following wheel motor manufactures PML flight link being put into administration another previously unknown British sports car hopeful has announced an all electric sports car. Former McLaren employee Jim Dowle whose company JJAD first released details about his P1 sports car in February 2008 has now announced the P1-E. The P1 was originally conceived as a 200hp 870 kg petrol powered challenger to the Lotus Exige but Dowle has obviously seen the writing on the wall and the P1 has now been reincarnated as an All Wheel Drive battery electric sports car. Read More

Wet weather braking tests show budget tires don’t pay

20:26 January 27, 2009 PST

Tires are a distress purchase for many car owners, so when the time comes to replace them it’s no surprise that many motorists shop on price. British magazine Autocar has performed some interesting comparison tests revealing that fitting budget tyres can seriously affect your health. wet weather. With on average 200 days of rain each year in the UK, the magazine tested a range of budget Chinese imports against a premium brand in wet conditions and found an alarming discrepancy in stopping distances. Read More

Mitsubishi i MiEV SPORT AIR Concept with transparent removable roof

14:42 January 26, 2009 PST

Artist's impression of the i MiEV SPORT AIR

Mitsubishi has just announced i MiEV SPORT AIR concept, which will be shown at the Geneva Motor Show in March. The i MiEV SPORT was announced at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show (announcement/show report/gallery), weighing 970kg with 107 kW (143.5 bhp) and a whopping 680 Nm of torque – compare that with the 2009 Tesla’s 185 kW, 375 nm and 1238 kg. Now a brief cryptic press release indicates that the new i MiEV SPORT AIR will be a "proper sports car", inferring the i MiEV SPORT was not. So we’re expecting some pretty special performance to match the stunning good looks and the transparent removable top. Read More

ZAP Alias three wheel electric vehicle unveiled

23:43 January 25, 2009 PST

ZAP has shown a pre-production version of its three-wheeled, all-electric Alias roadster at the National Automobile Dealers Association annual conference and exposition in New Orleans. The company, which is best known for its small-footprint, low-emissions, low-speed electric cars and trucks for urban use is looking to get on the highway with its latest creation. The preliminary specs for the two-seater Alias give it a top speed of 105 mph, acceleration of 0 – 60 mph in 7.8 seconds and a range of over 100 miles on a single charge. Throw in a sculptured low slung design, gull-wing style doors and a price point predicted to be under the USD$35K mark and you have another promising prospect for the soon to explode EV marketplace. Read More

The Prowler Emergency Response Vehicle

22:38 January 23, 2009 PST

January 23, 2009 We can see emergency responders queueing up for this one. ATVCorp has created versions of its Prowler Light Tactical All Terrain Vehicle (LTATV) for fire-fighting and emergency response. The Prowler Wild Fire ERV provides a self-contained fire fighting unit and can act as a remote pumping station. TheMedical Response ERV has a full EMT supply case and Stokes basket mount. The Prowler LTATV is a remarkable machine, with the ability to fit inside the lightest of cargo aircraft and be airdropped without the need for disassembly, ensuring immediate deployment of a fully equipped and crewed vehicle upon touchdown. Read More

Ferrari goes solar

18:34 January 21, 2009 PST

When you think Ferrari you think fire breathing supercars and F1 racing, not environmental consciousness, but the renowned marque is looking to boost its green credentials with the unveiling of a new photovoltaic system at its Engine Mechanical Machining facility in Maranello, Italy. The 210,000 kWh photovoltaic system is part of an ongoing sustainability program which also includes plans for a new tri-generation plant which the company says will cover "virtually all" of its electricity requirements and cut its annual CO2 emissions by 25-30% compared to the present levels when it becomes operational mid-year. Read More

Mercedes Benz BlueZERO EV on show in Detroit

04:13 January 21, 2009 PST

Mercedes Benz BlueZERO EV on show in Detroit

We first encountered the Mercedes-Benz BlueZERO concept vehicle platform when it was announced in December and recently we had chance to take a closer look at the 2009 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Read More

New MINI Convertible due in March 2009

19:09 January 19, 2009 PST

Busting out of simulated ice blocks in one of the more notable pieces of razzle dazzle at last week's Detroit Auto Show preview was MINI's new convertible. Due for release in March, the 2009 MINI convertible gets new generation turbocharged four-cylinder gasoline engines (118 hp for the MINI Cooper Convertible and 172 hp for the MINI Cooper S Convertible), a pop-up rollover bar activated by the car’s central safety electronics, a redesigned storage compartment and an electrohydraulic-powered soft-top roof that can be opened in 15 seconds at speeds of up to 20 mph. There's also a new "Openometer" feature which keeps track of the time spent traveling with the roof down. Gimmicky? Yes, but it will give you one unique stat that your non-MINI convertible driving friends can't match. Read More

Maserati 250F voted best racing car of all-time

18:51 January 19, 2009 PST

Maserati 250F voted best racing car of all-time

January 20, 2009 Readers of British motoring magazine O c t a n e have voted the Maserati 250F the greatest racing car of all time, beating out a nominated field that included the Auto Union Type C, Lotus 49, Porsche 917, Cobra, Mercedes-Benz W196 and Toyota TS010 Group C. Read More

Cadillac One 2009: President Obama's new ride

00:17 January 19, 2009 PST

The United States will celebrate the inauguration of its 44th President tomorrow, and the President has a new set of wheels. Continuing a tradition that's almost as old as the automobile itself, President Barack Obama will cruise down Pennsylvania Avenue in an all-new Cadillac Presidential Limousine. The completely redesigned limo replaces the DTS Presidential Limousine introduced in 2004 and while official details of the car's drivetrain, on-board tech and armored capabilities of course remain top secret, speculation has it (possibly) equipped with five-inch thick bulletproof glass and high strength ceramic armor. We don't expect confirmation on these details any time soon, but it's safe to say that this rolling fortress incorporates the best in protection (and comfort) that modern bespoke automobile production has to offer. Read More

Tesla to make battery packs for SMART EV

22:12 January 15, 2009 PST

Tesla to make battery packs for SMART EV

Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Motors, announced Tuesday in Detroit that Tesla is producing the battery pack for Daimler AG's Smart EV. The companies, which have been partnering on electric powertrain technology for almost a year and a half, will produce 1,000 vehicles in 2009 and 2010, and Musk said the deal could grow into the "tens of thousands" of Smart EVs after that. Daimler already has an existing relationship with German tier one automotive supplier Continential who will supply a 25kg lithium-ion battery pack, with cells from Johnson Controls-Saft, to be used in the new Mercedes S400 BlueHYBRID hybrid-electric car available from the middle of 2009. Read More

Lincoln's vision of a luxury compact includes Eva, the talking car computer

By Loz Blain

08:23 January 15, 2009 PST

The 2008 oil price bonanza seems to have given the U.S. auto industry a much-needed kick in the pants - pity it was closely followed by a crippling recession. While last year's petrol prices in America still seemed outrageously cheap to many Europeans, the spike was enough to finally put fuel economy and smaller cars on Big Auto's agenda. Take this concept from Lincoln, Ford's luxury brand, better known for its enormous presidential limousines. The 'C' Concept is Lincoln's vision of a luxury compact. Its 4cl, 1.6l, 180-horsepower Ecoboost engine gets 43mpg on the highway, 25% better than the Ford Focus manages - and its reconfigurable dash, hubless steering wheel and spooky KITT-style omnipotent conversational computer ("Eva, I need the most fuel efficient route to Luciano's") combine to make it one of the most unabashedly "futuristic" concepts shown at this year's Detroit Auto Show. Read More

BYD target US launch for electric cars in 2011

09:23 January 14, 2009 PST

One of the carmakers showing off its electric power at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit is from China. The Shenzhen-based company BYD — which stands for Build Your Dreams — has built the world's first mass-produced, plug-in hybrid car, beating both Chevrolet and Toyota to the punch. BYD is targeting 2011 to get into the United States market. Read More

2010 Honda Insight world premiere

20:29 January 13, 2009 PST

While Honda revealed the 2010 Honda Insight Hybrid at the Paris Motor Show in October 2008 the Paris car was a ‘show’ version with LED headlights and 18 inch wheels that were never intended for the final production model. Today Honda revealed the full specification of the ‘production’ version. Honda's plan to sell half a million hybrid vehicles annually by 2012 with the upcoming Honda Insight to account for 200,000 of those. It was nearly 10 years ago that Honda shook up the automotive world with the then-new Honda Insight, the world's first mass-production hybrid vehicle that looked like a CRX and packed a unique hybrid powertrain. Read More

Chrysler displays EV vision - first electric vehicles due 2010