Automotive

dding to the long list of things to look forward to at the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show (IAA), Land Rover has announced that a "modern interpretation of the iconic Land Rover Defender" will be taking to the stage in the form of the DC100 Concept. The company has also made clear its intentions to bring a new Defender to market in 2015, but although the DC100 is aimed at stimulating debate about the new model, it remains a work in progress. Read More

Toyota Motorsport GmbH (TMG) has knocked more than a minute off the lap record for an electric vehicle at the Nürburgring Nordschleife circuit. With a time of 7 minutes, 47.794 seconds, the TMG EV P001 beat the previous record of 9 minutes 1.338 seconds set by the Peugeot EX1 in April. TMG achieved its aim of becoming the first EV to break the eight-minute barrier on August 29 in fine weather with the track temperatures remaining relatively low. Read More

When French automotive powerhouse Peugeot set out to redesign the MPV, it obviously took a look at the vehicle's target market and decided on making the boxy, aerodynamically-dysfunctional, aesthetically-unappealing van a lot more desirable to the genre's traditional driver – the young mum. The resultant HX1 concept is a long, low, wide and sleek, plug-in diesel-electric hybrid that seats six and returns economy of just 3.2 l/100 km (88.2 mpg), has CO2 emissions of just 83 g/km and can drive 30 km (18.6 miles) on electric power alone. It also teamed up with luxury shoe designer Pierre Hardy to create a concept shoe which transforms from a slipper suitable for driving, to a gorgeous high-heeled shoe suitable for more glamorous occasion. Vive La France! Read More

With gasoline prices steadily heading into the stratosphere, fuel economy is forefront in the minds of the majority of car buyers, prompting automakers to perform all kinds of stunts to highlight the efficiency of their vehicles. The latest such attempt comes from Korean company Kia, which is sending a 2011 Optima Hybrid on a road trip across the contiguous U.S. Kia hopes the journey will gain it an entry in the Guinness Book of World Records by setting a new record for the lowest fuel consumption in a gasoline hybrid car while driving through all 48 adjoining U.S. states. Read More

Four years ago, Canadian electronics engineering technologist Nap Pepin decided to buy a kit for a BugE electric vehicle. Not content with its out-of-the-box performance, he swapped in a lithium battery pack, and his own custom battery management system. This boosted its top speed from 80 km/h (50 mph) to 130 km/h (80 mph), and its range from around 48 km (30 miles) to 200 km (125 miles). For his next project, however, he wanted to build an EV from scratch. The result is his 197 km/h (122 mph) three-wheeled Lithium Hawk, which has just taken to the roads. We paid a visit to Nap for a closer look at his impressive machine. Read More

The continuing increase in gasoline prices around the world over the past decade has also seen an increase in the practice of hypermiling – the act of driving using techniques that maximize fuel economy. One of the most effective hypermiling techniques is maintaining a steady speed while driving instead of constantly stopping and starting. Unfortunately, traffic lights all too often conspire to foil attempts at keeping the vehicle rolling. Researchers at MIT and Princeton have now devised a system that gathers visual data from the cameras of a network of dashboard-mounted smartphones and tells drivers the optimal speed to drive at to avoid waiting at the next set of lights. Read More

A formidable strength-to-weight ratio combined with properties like high temperature tolerance have seen carbon fiber used in the construction of airplanes, bicycles, yachts, automobiles and now ... err, bags. Lamborghini, a company that has invested heavily in the development of carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) for supercars like the Aventador and Sesto Elemento concept, has just announced a line of carbon fiber bags. Read More

Audi will unveil a hybrid version of its flagship A8 at the 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show next month ahead of series production of the vehicle kicking off next year. Audi says a 2.0 TFSI gasoline engine generating 155 kW (211 hp) and 350 Nm (258.15 lb-ft) of torque and a disc-shaped, permanent magnet, synchronous electric motor developing 40 kW (54 hp) and 210 Nm (154.89 lb-ft) combine for a peak output of 180 kW (245 hp) and 480 Nm (345.03 lb-ft) of torque and give the A8 hybrid the power of a six-cylinder model with the fuel consumption of a four-cylinder vehicle. Read More

The iconic, brand-defining Porsche 911 Carrera has once again been redesigned, and the latest incarnation will be seen for the first time at the Frankfurt Motor Show. It's lighter, more economical, more powerful, cleaner and orders are being taken from September 1, with deliveries beginning December 3. After 48 years, the 911 remains a rear-engined, boxer six with vague styling similarities to the 956 and Volkswagen Beetle DNA, but the 911 name still represents excellence, performance and a badge of success. Read More