Automotive

BMW launched its X6 in 2008 dubbing it "the world's first ever Sports Activity Coupé." The SAC moniker was adopted because the vehicle combined the high ground clearance and all-wheel drive attributes of an SUV, with the body styling of a coupé. Despite mixed reviews regarding its styling upon launch, BMW says the vehicle has since racked up sales of over 150,000. Now the German automaker has announced it is giving the X6 a facelift - although you'll have to look pretty closely to pick the changes. Read More

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the Mercedes-Benz SL and to celebrate the occasion, Mercedes has completely restored the oldest surviving example to its original condition. Introduced to the press on 12 March 1952 on the autobahn between Stuttgart and Heilbronn, the prototype 300 SL (Super Lightweight) was powered by a 3-liter, six-cylinder in-line engine canted at 50 degrees with an overhead camshaft, three Solex twin carburetors and dry sump lubrication, which put out 170 bhp for a maximum speed of 143 mph (230 kph). Not bad for 1952. Read More

One of the highlights of the Tokyo Motor Show last month was the world debut of the TEEWAVE AR.1 Electric sports car. Commissioned by advanced materials manufacturer Toray and designed and built by Gordon Murray Design, my original story last October covered the design and Murray’s revolutionary iStream® manufacturing system, but at the Tokyo Motor Show I was able to see the AR.1 in fine detail (see in-depth (see extensive image library)). Yesterday Murray and Toray announced a technological partnership in the use of carbon fibre and other advanced materials in volume production, the development of structural thermoplastics and advanced crash structures. The two believe that in working together, they can deliver significant benefits in the areas of light-weighting, efficiency, cost, safety and sustainability. Read More

BMW M Performance is adding four new models to its product range, all powered by a new triple-turbocharger, piezo direct injection, three liter diesel motor that looks to be a contender for the engine of the year already - 280 kW, 740 Nm, instantaneous response, very economical, low emissions. The BMW M550d xDrive, BMW M550d xDrive Touring, BMW X5 M50d and BMW X6 M50d models will be seen at the Geneva Motor Show in March with availability just a few weeks later. The numbers are remarkable, Read More

Drayson Racing Technologies and the Lola Cars group have just revealed what is intended to be the fastest electric-powered racing car in the world. The Lola-Drayson B12/69EV features Drayson's brand new 4X2-640 electric drivetrain, inductive charging, composite battery power, moveable aerodynamics and electrical regenerative damping. Its four electric motors are said to deliver a whopping 850 horsepower and a top speed of around 200 mph. Read More

Last October Toyota announced its participation in the 2012 FIA World Endurance Championship with a hybrid prototype race car. Today Toyota revealed some of the details of the TS030 HYBRID with surprises galore. The car uses a normally-aspirated 3400cc V8 petrol engine and a supercapacitor energy storage system developed by Nisshinbo. Remarkably, though the hybrid drive train has already been dubbed THS-R (Toyota Hybrid System – Racing), the team is still evaluating whether it will use a front motor system from Aisin or a rear motor system from DENSO. Read More

A new zero-emissions engine capable of competing commercially with hydrogen fuel cells and battery electric systems appeared on the radar yesterday when respected British engineering consultancy Ricardo validated Dearman engine technology and its commercial potential. The Dearman engine operates by injecting cryogenic (liquid) air into ambient heat inside the engine to produce high pressure gas that drives the engine - the exhaust emits cold air. It's cheaper to build than battery electric or fuel cell technology, with excellent energy density, fast refuelling and no range anxiety. It just might be a third alternative. Read More

Volkswagen has unveiled the latest addition to its "New Small Family" series of ultra-compact city vehicles based on the first Volkswagen up! concept car that debuted at the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show. Since then we've seen numerous up! concept cars such as the up! Lite, the E-up! and the Space up!, and even before the production launch of the three-door up!, which hit showrooms last December, Volkswagen had already hinted a five-door model was in the works. Now the company has revealed that this new addition will be available in Germany from May, and the rest of Europe by mid-year. Read More

Currently, brakes made from composite materials tend to be expensive, and as such mainly just find their way onto high-performance cars and motorcycles. That could be about to change, however. Researchers from Michigan-based materials company REL and the Polytechnic Institute of New York University (NYU-Poly) are developing aluminum composite brake rotors for everyday cars. Not only should they be much easier to produce than existing composite rotors, but they should also be 60 percent lighter than their iron counterparts, and last three times as long. Read More