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Automotive
Ferrari gives the 599 GTB Fiorano a spit and polish with its HGTE package
By Darren Quick
23:48 September 13, 2009 PDT
As it nears the end of its product cycle, Ferrari is giving the 599 GTB Fiorano an extra lease on life with a 'Handling Gran Turismo Evoluzione' (HGTE) package. The package hones the 599’s performance with the inclusion of modified suspension with stiffer springs, rear anti-roll bar and new calibration settings for the magnetorheological (a type of smart fluid that becomes a viscoelastic solid when subjected to a magnetic field) shock absorbers. Read More
Mercedes-Benz Vision S500 Plug-in Hybrid
By Gizmag Team
15:34 September 10, 2009 PDT
Having launched its S 400 HYBRID, currently the most fuel-efficient luxury-segment saloon with a petrol engine, Mercedes-Benz is set to show its Vision S 500 Plug-in HYBRID technology vehicle in Frankfurt next week. Aimed at demonstrating the company’s scalable and intelligently organized set of hybrid systems, and previewing the next model, the compact 15-kW electric motor hardly differs from the S 400 HYBRID, yet is three times more powerful and can be elegantly incorporated into the housing of the 7G-TRONIC seven-speed automatic transmission. Read More
Mercedes' reinterpretation of the Gullwing
By Gizmag Team
11:56 September 10, 2009 PDT
We first wrote about the coming reinterpretation of the legendary gull-wing in March. In preparation for its first showing next week at Frankfurt Motor Show, Mercedes has released a lot more information about the new Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG. The super sports car’s technology package which includes an aluminum space frame body, sports chassis with aluminum double-wishbone suspension, and a kerb weight of 1,620 kilograms. The 571 hp AMG 6.3-liter, front-mid V8, runs a seven-speed transmission with dual-clutch in a transaxle configuration. The Gullwing accelerates from 0 to 62 mph in 3.8 seconds and has an electronically-limited top speed of 197 mph. The most surprising aspect is the relatively frugal (for a supercar) fuel consumption of 21.4 mpg (combined). Read More
Renault to preview radical Zero Emission product range at Frankfurt
By Gizmag Team
10:21 September 10, 2009 PDT
Renault will show four new electric vehicle concepts at next week’s Frankfurt Motor Show, previewing what is expected to become a new Zero Emission product range from the French manufacturer. No details of the four cars have been made available, but sketches of the four vehicles have been released showing them from above, and the most exciting concept appears to be a very small and narrow single seat four-wheeled personal transport concept (pictured). Check out the from-above images of all four vehicles inside. Read More
McLaren MP4-12C delivers jaw-dropping looks, performance and economy
By Paul Lester
22:26 September 9, 2009 PDT
Supercars are 20 to the dozen these days and it takes something pretty special to elicit that all-important ‘wow’ factor from a modern production car. McLaren is one manufacturer who is most certainly capable of such feats of design and engineering, and while it’s debatable as to whether the original F1 will ever be usurped in terms of pure aggression and innovation, subsequent models suggest that it hasn’t lost its edge when it comes to jaw-dropping new designs. This claim is underlined with the release of the new MP4-12C, a car that most should agree from an aesthetics standpoint hits the ‘goldilocks zone’ between the sublime and the ridiculous. Read More
REVA unveils two new electric cars with emergency roadside recharging
By Jeff Salton
17:19 September 9, 2009 PDT
Indian electric car company REVA will unveil two new electric cars at the forthcoming Frankfurt International Motor Show (IAA) on September 16. The REVA NXR is a four-seater, three-door hatchback family car aimed at urban drivers while REVA’s showcar, the NXG, is a sporty two-seater with a targa roof that was designed by Dilip Chhabria of internationally-renowned automotive design company DC Design. REVA says it has added a unique technology to its cars that addresses ‘range anxiety’ – worrying about running out of charge mid-journey. The REVive telematics technology acts like an invisible reserve fuel tank. Drivers telephone or SMS REVA for an instant remote top-up should they run out of charge. At present, details are scarce about how REVive actually works but REVA assures us all will be revealed at IAA. Read More
Ford's iosis MAX concept becomes reality as the C-MAX
By Gizmag Team
19:55 September 6, 2009 PDT
It may not be identical but the all-new Ford C-MAX, which will make its global debut at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show, clearly takes its design cues from the stunning iosis MAX concept car unveiled at this year’s Geneva Motor Show. Departing from usual multi-activity vehicle (MAV) thinking by using Ford's 'kinetic design' styling language to adopt a more dynamic passenger-car look, the new model features a coupé-like, sweeping roofline while still retaining the established Ford C-MAX hallmarks of comfort, space, and practicality. Read More
The new Rolls Royce Ghost - the most powerful Roller ever!
By Gizmag Team
08:17 September 6, 2009 PDT
Due for its first public showing at the Frankfurt motor show is the new Rolls-Royce Ghost. Though it is the most powerful car ever produced by the company, Rolls-Royce power is delivered in a very different manner to other cars. It arrives in an elegant, cosseting way that some have described as being designed to lower the pulse, not raise it. With a plethora of complex electronic aids and safety systems designed to operate as one, imperceptibly to the driver, one can expect the new automobile to remain perfectly poised and capable of bearing the legendary Ghost name with honor. Read More
Citroen shows off the new C3
By Gizmag Team
04:02 September 6, 2009 PDT
Citroen’s task in redesigning the best-selling C3 was not an enviable one – how do you better a car that is still selling strongly, with more than two million units on the road. We’ll see the finished product at Frankfurt later this month, but the brand’s new ‘Visiodrive’ certainly looks the goods with its huge windscreen, remarkable interior space and what Citroen claims will be “astonishing” road behavior. Read More
Hyundai prepares eco-friendly showcars for Frankfurt
By Gizmag Team
04:26 September 5, 2009 PDT
The race to provide ecologically responsible mobility is on and Korean giant Hyundai is preparing an interesting range for the Frankfurt Motor Show with the first showing of the ix-Metro (pictured) and i10 Electric. The ix-Metro is a Hybrid Electric CUV for the European sub-B segment and the i10 Electric is a production-ready plug-in 49kW electric vehicle set to go on sale in Korea in the second half of 2010 with a range of 100 miles and top speed of over 80 mph. Read More
Gordon Murray T.25 City Car interior revealed
By Gizmag Team
15:02 September 4, 2009 PDT
We've been writing about Gordon Murray's innovative T.25 City Car for some time with great anticipation - after all, three of them will fit in a single parking space. Now, at long last, we can reveal the internal layout which is designed around a central driving position with six reconfigurable layouts within the same vehicle. Read More
Iveco Electric Daily LCV prototype begins testing in Brazil
By Gizmag Team
17:18 September 3, 2009 PDT
Iveco is showing a prototype of its new Electric Daily in Brazil, a vehicle destined to become the first zero emission light commercial vehicle produced in Latin America. The vehicle has regenerative braking, a range of 100km (65 miles) and a fully-laden top speed of 70kmh (43mph). Read More
Mercedes announces three Concept BlueZERO electric vehicles
By Gizmag Team
15:05 September 3, 2009 PDT
Mercedes-Benz reckons it won’t be just one technology that paves the way to sustainable mobility. After showing the 200 km range all-electric BlueZERO E‑CELL at the NAIAS in January, the German giant is to create a family of modularly-constructed, liquid-cooled Lithium-ion electric cars by adding two more derivatives of the close-to-production vehicle in Frankfurt next week. The BlueZERO E-CELL PLUS extends the range to 600 km using a turbocharged petrol engine as a range extender generator, while the BlueZERO F-CELL is fuel-cell-powered with a range of about 400 km. Read More
Torotrak’s new generation transmission is good gear
By Darren Quick
00:30 September 3, 2009 PDT
Most of the efforts to produce more environmentally-friendly cars in recent years have focused on alternative fuels and more efficient engines. UK-based engineering company, Torotrak, has instead decided to turn its expertise to another vehicle component with the development of a new generation transmission that it claims can not only slash CO2 emissions and improve fuel efficiency, but also boost performance. Read More
Toyota Auris HSD full hybrid concept for Frankfurt
By Gizmag Team
17:21 September 2, 2009 PDT
Toyota is set to unveil the Toyota Auris HSD Full Hybrid Concept at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor show. The concept represents a milestone in Toyota’s strategy: introducing Toyota’s full hybrid technology to a mainstream model, and the first step in the deployment of Hybrid Synergy Drive across the company’s model range. Other firsts at Frankfurt for Toyota include the new Prius Plug-in Hybrid Concept, an all-new Toyota Land Cruiser and two customised iQ show cars - iQ for Sports and iQ Collection. Read More
Innovative camera system improves safety by seeing around corners
By Gizmag Team
16:01 September 2, 2009 PDT
A device to see around blind corners and provide a “top view” will help drivers to manoeuvre trucks and buses more safely. Alpine’s Multi Camera technology is linked with a navigation database offering the ability to see all aspects of the vehicle and its surroundings, eliminating dangerous blind spots. Read More
BMW to show 75 mpg, 350 bhp, 150 mph hybrid at Frankfurt
By Gizmag Team
15:49 September 2, 2009 PDT
BMW’s new Vision Efficient Dynamics concept is remarkable to look at and even more so when you consider the numbers. Powered by a three-cylinder turbodiesel and two electric motors (one in each axle), the all-wheel drive produces 262 kW (356 bhp) and 800 NM of torque, giving it M power performance (0-100 km/h in 4.8 seconds and an electronically limited top speed of 250 km/h) thanks in part to its slippery drag coefficient of just 0.22. It’ll run 50 km (31 miles) in electric mode alone and its consumption in the EU test cycle is 3.76 litres/100 km (75.1 mph imp) with CO2 emissions of 99 grams/km. Read More
Mini Coupe Concept revealed for 50th birthday celebrations
By Jeff Salton
19:19 September 1, 2009 PDT
Mini celebrated its 50th birthday on August 26, 2009 with BMW announcing it will unveil the very sleek Mini Coupe Concept at the forthcoming Frankfurt Motor Show (17-27 September). This two-seater will happily take the most powerful engine currently available in the Mini range (the 1.6-liter twin-scroll turbocharged power unit carried over from the 2010 Mini John Cooper Works), with a maximum output of 155kW/211hp and peak torque of 260Nm/192lb-ft. Through the Overboost function, this increases to 280Nm/206lb-ft. for a short burst. Add to that its improved aerodynamics and it’s no wonder BMW is confident that this model Mini will deliver the best ever performance. Read More
Environmentally-friendly navigation - the Vexia Econav 435 GPS
By Mick Webb
18:16 September 1, 2009 PDT
As GPS navigation systems increase in popularity, the world’s fuel supplies simultaneously are in decline. However, the Vexia Econav 435 GPS is attempting to do its bit for the environment by offering a system that gives drivers information on the most economical route, which gear to use and when - even how firmly to accelerate. The manufacturers say the aim of the unit is to reduce drivers' fuel consumption by up to one third. Read More
Mercedes-Benz announces first series-produced fuel cell car
By Jeff Salton
19:57 August 31, 2009 PDT
After much discussion about the latest iterations of battery-powered hybrid vehicles, you’d be forgiven for thinking that fuel cell technology had been left behind. Not so. Mercedes-Benz is launching what it says is the world’s first series-produced fuel cell car: the new B-Class F-CELL. This electric car has zero emissions, has a range of 400km, takes three minutes to refuel with hydrogen and consumes the equivalent of 3.3 liters of diesel per 100km in the NEDC (New European Driving Cycle). Read More
The Renault Dacia YAV III - the world’s most affordable motorhome
By Gizmag Team
08:21 August 31, 2009 PDT
Without doubt Caravan Salon Düsseldorf 2009 heralded a new era for the vibrant European motorhome industry when it opened yesterday, and the unlikely innovator set to stimulate the industry was Romanian auto manufacturer Renault Dacia. A collaboration with the Hymer Innovation Design Centre has yielded an ingenious motorhome for 3-4 people based on the super budget Renault Dacia Logan MCV with an anticipated price tag of less than EUR15,000 when it goes on sale in 2010. Read More
Ferrari advances driver-car interface
By Mike Hanlon
07:18 August 29, 2009 PDT
In the run-up to the official unveiling of the Ferrari 458 Italia at the Frankfurt Motor Show, Ferrari has released new imagery of the 458 Italia’s interior and of the steering wheel and instrument binnacle which represent a significant step forward in the concept of the ergonomic interface between driver and car. Read More
Gumpert Apollo Sport claims Nurburgring lap record for road legal cars
By Darren Quick
18:27 August 24, 2009 PDT
German manufacturer Gumpert Sportwagenmanufaktur is claiming a lap record for road legal cars on the world famous Nurburgring Nordschleife. Florian Gruber completed the 12.93-mile track (20.81km) in a standard factory specification Gumpert Apollo Sport equipped with road legal Michelin Pilot Sport Cup tires and an adjustable suspension by KW suspensions in a time of 7 minutes, 11.57 seconds. That averages out at 106.78mph (171.84kmh) and is 3.32 seconds faster than the Donkervoort D8 RS06, which posted a time of 7 minutes 14.89 seconds in November 2005. Read More
Ford PHEVs to save by ‘talking’ to electric grid
By Jeff Salton
23:38 August 20, 2009 PDT
A new development by Ford allows owners of the company’s plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) to further reduce their operating costs by programming when to recharge the vehicle, for how long and at what utility rate. Ford says it has developed a vehicle-to-grid communications and control system for its (PHEVs) which enables them to ‘talk’ directly with the nation’s electric grid. Read More
The world's best sports car show
By Gizmag Team
20:19 August 20, 2009 PDT
Imagine a sports car show held not in an exhibition center, but at the safest racetrack in the world, so the cars can be appreciated in their natural surroundings, without speed limits. The first “International GT & Supercar Show” will be held at Circuit Paul Ricard in the South of France on September 26 and 27. Exhibitors include Ferrari, Gumpert, Koenigsegg, Ad Tramontana, Aston Martin, Bentley, Bugatti, F&M, Morgan, Audi Wiesmann, Spyker, Mosler, Pagani, Porsche, Saleen, TVR, Yes, Venturi, Alfa Romeo Zagato, Jaguar, Lamborghini, Mercedes, Castagna Milano, Maserati, Lotus, Lightning and Tesla. Read More
gadgetmind
- November 9, 2009 @ 09:47 UTC
