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Automotive
New tire with retractable studs
By Mike Hanlon
We’re not sure whether the Qtire is named after Q the gadget guy of James Bond movie fame, but it would be entirely apt – the new qtire uses a patented all-weather tire technology for autos and trucks that enables studs to be extended from the surface of the tire in snow and ice, yet lie below the tread when not required. The retractable-stud tires incorporate an air bladder that pushes the studs out from inside the tire when needed, and deflates so the studs retract into the tire when not needed. The tires are not entirely maintenance free - the bladder needs to be refilled with air after the studs have been deployed around 50 times – not much effort for a significant improvement in safety. Read More
Rare Mercedes-Benz Prototype Brings US$275,000
By Mike Hanlon
March 13, 2007 The 1948 Mercedes-Benz A320 two-door cabriolet we wrote up in detail back in January has fetched AUD$350,000 (US$275,000) at auction. The imposing two-tone blue totally-restored vehicle, which was discovered in derelict state in Indonesia in the 1980s, was designed to revive Mercedes-Benz’s image as a luxury carmaker following the devastation of its German factories in World War II. Read More
Enova’s Unique Post Transmission Hybrid Drive System
By Mike Hanlon
March 13, 2007 Enova’s Post Transmission Hybrid System offers a very different way of looking at hybrid power transmission in automotive applications – it is a non-invasive system that requires almost no modification to chassis, body, or instrument panel. The system does not intrude on nor require any alteration to the Engine Control/Communication system, thus avoiding any emissions certification issues. The system monitors but does not impact anything within the existing engine and does not effect the existing engine calibration. The hybrid system can be designed as either a Charge Sustaining or Charge Depleting (“Plug In”) system. Depending on the route, fuel economy improvement is from 30% to 55% for a Post Transmission Charge Sustaining System, and 70-100% or better for Post Transmission Charge Depleting Systems. Perhaps retro-fitting hybrid systems to the existing national fleet might be the quickest way to reduce emissions. Read More
Loeb and Citroen back on top at Rally of Mexico
By Mike Hanlon
March 12, 2007 Sebastien Loeb (Citroen) took the Rally of Mexico today to become the first driver of the season to win two races, moving his own points score to within 4 points of Marcus Gronholm’s lead in the drivers' standings. Loeb’s 30th career victory was the first win on gravel for the new C4 car and he maintains an air of invincibility in the title chase. In the manufacturers title, a double podium by the BP-Ford World Rally Team saw it defend its sizeable points lead. Marcus Gronholm and Timo Rautiainen finished second in a Ford Focus RS World Rally Car on the demanding three-day gravel event in the mountains of central Mexico, while team-mates Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen were third in another Focus RS. As the first gravel round of the season, the dominant surface of the championship, Rally Mexico was viewed as the first true form guide for the year. Drivers tackled 20 speed tests covering 366.06km over dusty gravel tracks north and east of the rally base in León. The special stages climbed to more than 2700m and the thinner air at that altitude made it hard for engines to 'breathe'. As a result power output was reduced by about 30 per cent on usual levels. Read More
Honda shows Small Hybrid Sports Concept Car
By Mike Hanlon
March 9, 2007 Honda has unveiled a new hybrid sports concept car with a potent blend of sports performance and low emissions at the Geneva Motor Show. The Small Hybrid Sports Concept is a compact sports car that features advanced hybrid technology – proving stylish design and driving enjoyment can be combined with low environmental impact. It was designed by Honda R&D Europe, based in Offenbach, Germany. Read More
The customisable youth car of 2020
By Mike Hanlon
March 9, 2007 If like us, you find it hard to picture what a mobile phone might look like 15 years from now, try to imagine the car our childrens’ children will drive. Graduates from Coventry University’s Automotive-Design MA course recently began a project to develop a such a vehicle for the year 2020. The aim is to create a vehicle that can be easily customised to reflect the individualism of its owner, or the style and values of a group. The premise is that trendy teenagers create their own fashion and deliberately try to stand out from their peers. The idea of customising their car appeals to these people and encourages a stronger bond between the owner and their car. It’s a common trend with personalised iPods, mobile phones and other gadgets, and is something likely to grow. More than just superficial graphics, the interior of the car will also be customisable, with a gaming or music theme and option package. Read More
Morgan breaks with tradition with plan for fuel-cell prototype
By Mike Hanlon
March 9, 2007 It’s showtime at Morgan and the factory of the icon of traditional motoring is abuzz as the show cars are all pushed onto the tarmac (pictured), ready for transportation to Geneva for the season's biggest motor show. It’s exciting but we warrant not as exciting as this time next year when this very same alley will see the Morgan Lifecar which has been promised for next year’s show. Many British specialist sports car makers have fallen by the wayside, but Morgan just keeps on going – and now it’s looking to the future with a plan to be one of the first car makers to commercialise a hydrogen fuel-cell car. The company is famous for its traditional production methods, but for next year’s Geneva show managing director Charles Morgan announced a plan to launch the Morgan Life Car - a hydrogen-fuelled, zero-emissions car – but built using Morgan’s wooden-framed body. The car is intended to demonstrate that a zero emission vehicle can also be fun to drive. Artist’s impressions of the car show a vehicle shaped like the Aero 8, but with aerodynamic fairings covering the wheel arches. It will be a very lightweight car with a fuel cell hybrid powertrain, which will give it a 200-mile range. We first wrote about the LifeCar back in 2005. It’s being developed in partnership with hi-tech specialists including Cranfield University, QinetiQ, Oxford University, Linde AG and the Open Source Car Project (OSCar). Read More
Spyker C12 Zagato unveiled
By Mike Hanlon
March 8, 2007 If you haven’t heard the name Spyker before, we suspect you’ll hear it a lot more from now on as the aspiring Dutch Supercar maker is now trading in the black, has some aggressive new cars such as the Spyker D12 Peking-to-Paris Super Sports Utility Vehicle (SSUV) entering the marketplace, and is just about to begin competing in the most visible sporting event on the planet – Formula One. Spyker purchased the Midland F1 team, did a deal to secure Ferrari engines and hired Mike Gascoine as Chief Technical Officer – the group clearly doesn’t wish to remain in a rear field position. At Geneva, Spyker and Zagato announced the Spyker C12 Zagato, a limited edition of 24 sports cars. The idea for the car came from a discussion between Victor Muller, CEO of Spyker Cars, and Andrea Zagato, CEO of Zagato, at the Villa d’Este Concorso d’Eleganza. “Last April, at Villa d’Este, we sat down and discussed the increasing market demand for truly one-off and limited edition super sport cars,” said Muller. “In a certain sense the modern market is not unlike the 1930’s, where wealthy customers would order exotic bespoke designs from high-end coach builders on Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Delage, Delahaye and Isotta-Fraschini chassis, just to mention a few.” Norihiko Harada, Zagato’s Automotive Chief Designer, and Muller co-operated closely to design the rear wheel drive sports car, based on the Spyker C12 Spyder. The C12 is powered by the 6.0 liter, 12 cylinder, 500 bph W12 engine from Volkswagen and is equipped with a six-speed manual or automatic gear box with F1 style shifting, Chronoswiss instruments and a Zagato designed full leather interior with brushed aluminium instrument panel. The C12 Zagato has an aluminium body with stainless steel roof rails and has many F1 derived design details such as an F1 nose, air scoop, chimneys, mirrors, rain light, fuel flap and diffuser. It has a panoramic roof that features the Double Bubble, a typical Zagato style element. Top speed is 310 km/h (193 mph). Read More
The 750 bhp 200 mph haute–couture Stola Coupe
By Mike Hanlon
March 8, 2007 One of the more interesting new vehicles to be shown at the Geneva Motor Show is an extremely exclusive luxury coupe from the Stola Group. The coupe is the first of a family of cars to be produced in the near future by Stola that marry haute–couture with the automobile and only 25 will be built. The lucky few who will purchase this VERY expensive car will not only be able to define the interior and exterior of the car spawned by this concept, but even decide the name itself. Based on a Brabus V12 biturbo powertrain-platform, with a 6.3 litre engine producing 750 bhp and 1360 Nm of torque, the car boasts a top speed in excess of 330 Km/h (200 mph). Read More
Toyota Hybrid X Concept
By Mike Hanlon
March 7, 2007 Toyota ripped the covers off its Hybrid X at the Geneva Motor Show overnight with the reveal of a concept car that proposes a new design language for hybrid models, while also acting as an innovative technology showcase for future generation hybrid cars. Hybrid X is designed as a four-door, four-seat open-space concept and further extends the use of its Hybrid Synergy Drive. Read More
ZAP adds solar option to electric Xebra Xero
By Mike Hanlon
March 7,2007 After a positive response for its Xebra Xero, electric car pioneer ZAP has designed a solar option for the three-wheeled electric workhorse - a photovoltaic panel that ZAP says can offer short-distance driving on sunlight alone. ZAP intends to showcase the new Xebra Xero (pronounced zebra zero) Truck at up-coming industry events for automotive fleets. The Xebra truck is a city car, available as a 4-door sedan or 2-passenger truck, good for city driving up to 40 mph and will cost about US$12,000 with the Xero Solar Panel Option. The car recharges normally by plugging into a standard 110 volt outlet for a full charge in up to six hours and a 50 percent charge in 1.5 hours. The ZAP Truck converts into a flatbed or dump-bed that can tilt to allow maximum exposure to the sun. Read More
Hyundai and GE Plastics develop the QarmaQ Advanced Technology Vehicle
By Mike Hanlon
March 7, 2007 At the Geneva International Motor Show yesterday, Hyundai and GE Plastics presented the QarmaQ, Advanced Technology Demonstration Vehicle (ATDV) that showcases over 30 different environmentally progressive technologies led by the innovative “Elastic Front”, an innovative solution that can help reduce the risk of severe injuries in Crossover Utility Vehicles (CUV) pedestrian collisions. Designed at Hyundai Motor Europe's Design and Technical Center in Russelsheim and engineered in close cooperation with GE Plastics, QarmaQ develops and validates over 30 key technologies, which will be selectively incorporated into Hyundai’s new models to be rolled out from 2008-2014. Read More
KIA RIO Hybrid
By Mike Hanlon
March 7, 2007 To mark the massive expansion of Korea’s domestic hybrid vehicle development programme, Kia Motors is displaying a very special version of the Kia Rio Hybrid saloon at the 77th Salon de l’Automobiles in Geneva. The European premiere of the Kia hybrid comes on top of the recent announcement that Kia and Hyundai are to supply the Korean Ministry of the Environment with an additional 3,390 hybrid vehicles over the next two years, as part of the country’s on-going programme of ‘real-world’ testing to develop hybrid vehicles for the future. The Kia Rio Hybrid saloon created by Kia R&D to take part in these ‘real-world’ test fleet activities, features a unique powertrain with a 1.4-litre petrol engine, mated to a 12kW, 95 Nm AC synchronised electric motor and a CVT gearbox. Read More
The BMW M3 Concept Car
By Mike Hanlon
March 7, 2007 For two decades, the BMW M3 has embodied the athletic heart of the brand in its most fundamental and succinct form. Now BMW has given us an inkling of the future of this lineage with the presentation of the new BMW M3 Concept Car. The concept study being presented to the public for the first time at the 77th International Motor Show in Geneva (8th to 18th of March, 2007) gives a first impression of what a future BMW M3 might look like. At the core of this concept study is an M3-typical V8 engine tuned to the high revving M concept. Read More
Citroen’s six wheel cruise crosser concept
By Mike Hanlon
March 7, 2007 Citroen has teamed up with the world famous Espera Sbarro School to develop the Cruise Crosser all-terrain concept car. Based on Citroen’s first SUV, the C-Crosser, also making its world debut at Geneva, the new concept features three axles and six wheels to provide outstanding traction to tackle even the harshest of off-road conditions. The vehicle is designed to tackle the roughest possible road and weather conditions. Read More
The Bentley Brooklands Limited Edition Coupe
By Mike Hanlon
March 7, 2007 Bentley has taken the wraps off a very exclusive coupe which it will call the Bentley Brooklands. The motivation behind the new coupe is Bentley’s proud sporting pedigree, forged by the exploits of the immortal ‘Bentley Boys’ on the famous Brooklands racetrack in the 1920s. The stunning new model marks the company’s return to the luxury coupe market with just 550 of the machines to be built. It is the ultimate Bentley: a stylish, four-seat, grand touring coupe with classic British proportions and muscular performance from the most powerful V8 engine Bentley has ever produced – a 530bhp, twin-turbocharged 6.75-litre unit that also produces a prodigious 1050Nm of torque. Read More
Abarth reborn – the return of the scorpion!
By Mike Hanlon
March 4, 2007 Fiat is relaunching one of the motor industry’s legendary performance and sporting car brands this week at the Geneva International Motor Show, when it takes the wraps off its new Grande Punto Abarth, the first of a new range of high performance and sporting Fiats, as well as performance and sporting kits for the Fiat range. Fiat supremo, Luca de Meo, decided some time ago that Abarth had to be much more than a badge attached to certain models in the Fiat range. So a new Abarth division of the company will run its own racing and rally teams, starting with the successful Grande Punto Abarth S2000, which won both the Italian and European Rally Championship titles last year, in its debut season. The new Abarth division will also prepare racing and rally cars for customers in a wide range of series and one make championships. For road car customers, Abarth will develop new models for the Fiat range, starting with the Grande Punto Abarth, as well as developing performance and styling packages for the owners of existing Fiat products. Read More
Subaru's new Impreza WRC contender
By Mike Hanlon
March 4, 2007 The Subaru World Rally Team (SWRT) has released details of the latest evolution of its rally challenger, the Impreza WRC2007, which will make its competitive debut in the fourth WRC round of 2007 next weekend at Rally Mexico in the hands of Petter Solberg and Chris Atkinson. Although outwardly similar to its predecessor, a number of key engineering improvements have justified the production of a new car for the remainder of this season. As the basis of a rally winning machine, few cars can match the competitive pedigree of the. First launched in 1992, the Impreza road car has developed in tandem with its rallying counterpart and over the last 13 seasons, has scored 46 WRC victories and lessons learned on the rally stages have been fed back into the production model. The targets were to produce a car with a more responsive front end with better traction and more balanced tyre wear, particularly on longer stages. To achieve that, SWRT applied a different philosophy into areas such as weight distribution, suspension geometry and differential set-ups. Read More
Flower Power - Koenigsegg's 1018 bhp biofuel-burning CCXR
By Mike Hanlon
March 3, 2007 When Bugatti unveiled the Veyron supercar, many people thought the ongoing contests for the world’s fastest, most powerful, and most expensive car in history were over – many motoring scribes wrote that due to increasing environmental concerns and the immense cost of developing a faster car, we’d never see the like of it again. It’s figure of 1001 bhp so completely eclipsed the previous best-of-breed cars such as the Koenigsegg CCX's 806 bhp that quite realistically, the game appeared to be over. Volkswagen spent so much money developing the Veyron, that although the car sells for UKP840,000 (US$1,630,000), when the all-up cost of development is added, they should be charging roughly UKP 5 million (US$9,700,000) per vehicle just to break even. No other manufacturer would be prepared to take a hit like that. Everything about the Veyron, from its 64 valve, quad turbocharger, W16 (16 cylinders in 4 banks of 4 cylinders) 8.0 litre engine, it’s dual-clutch DSG computer-controlled seven speed manual transmission, to its remarkable brakes are thoroughly engineered to enable the 1890 kg projectile to travel safely at over 400 km/h. Now Koenigsegg has surpassed the Bugatti’s power output, and is likely to threaten the Veyron’s 407 km/h top speed too. In a wonderful example of how a small goal-focussed team can achieve the seemingly unattainable, Swedish supercar manufacturer Koenigsegg has announced details of a new variant of its 806 bhp CCX which will run Biofuel. Due to the fact that the biofuel has higher octane and better cooling characteristics, the power has gone up 25% to 1018 bhp at 7200 rpm and torque is up 10% to 1060 nm at 6100 rpm, compared to the “standard” CCX’s 806 bhp at 6,900 rpm and 920 Nm at 5,700 rpm. Even though the low and exclusive production volume of Koenigsegg is hardly likely to have a measurable impact on the Co2 problem faced by global society, it is an impressive statement that a small company can afford to develop environmentally focussed solutions. Read More
The EDAG LUV - a modular vehicle concept with maritime flair
By Mike Hanlon
March 2, 2007 As we previewed last month, EDAG’s latest concept car will be making its first appearance on March 6 in Geneva – the “EDAG LUV”. The design concept of the “LUV” is based on an luxury-class SUV and incorporates a maritime look from bow to stern: oiled teakwood on the hood, as the flooring on the interior, and on the elegant cargo area conveys a maritime flair. But the “EDAG LUV” is a real eye-catcher in other respects as well: the cargo area, behind the two rows of seats with plenty of room for 5 passengers, has been outfitted with teakwood and distinctly resembles a quarterdeck – in keeping with the maritime look of the concept car. Read More
US$660,000 Tramontana supercar set to begin production
By Mike Hanlon
February 28, 2007 The law of averages suggests the gestation period for a new elite sportscar marque ranges from two to three years between first sighting and available product, and the Tramontana looks set to fall well within this time-frame despite liberal lashings of leading edge technologies. First seen two years ago at the Geneva Motor Show, the final production version will be seen at this year’s show and six are planned for production before the end of the year. a.d.Tramontana is located on the Costa Brava of North-eastern Spain and is one of the new generation of entrepreneurial automotive engineering companies seeking to apply creativity and new technologies to all aspects of automotive design and manufacturing - the company even has a modern distribution model for its bespoke services. Its avowed intention is to create a brand that is synonymous with extreme quality – the equivalent of a Koennigsegg, Pagani and Spyker in performance terms and the modern day flagbearer of Spanish automotive excellence in the same vein as Hispano Suiza or the Pegaso Z-102. The company’s first product is very exciting – the Tramontana G-07 – make a note of that name because we suspect it’ll fit right in amongst the aforementioned elite. It is a combination of advanced materials (Carbon, titanium, specially treated wood, exotic leathers and gold) and the kind of exquisite craftsmanship and fine detail that is incredibly rare these days. It doesn’t really have a fixed price because every car is custom made – a one off vehicle for which you are not only measured as if for a Saville Row suit, but the company’s aim is to craft a vehicle that perfectly fits its owner’s every ergonomic requirement. Each year from 2008, just a dozen cars will be made, and we’re tipping that very few customers will be opting for the base level vehicle which retails for US$660,000. Read More
New 370 km/h ultra-high performance Pirelli PZero
By Mike Hanlon
February 28, 2007 Founded in 1872, Pirelli is known variously around the world for its Pirelli International Award (involving the communication of Science & Technology), its sponsorship of Italian Soccer Club Internazionale and the Brazilian soccer club Palmeiras, the Pirelli Tower in Milan, its highly-sought-after calendars and more recently its short films starring Uma Thurman, but mainly because of its tyres. To celebrate 100 years of motorsport, the Italian icon has launched its most technologically advanced ultra-high performance tyre ever - the P Zero. The tyre features a new tread pattern, innovative compounds and structure, and is protected by five patents. It is already being fitted to the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano, the Lamborghini Murciélago and Gallardo, the Audi R8 and S8, the Aston Martin DB9, the Maserati Quattroporte, the Jaguar XK, the Mercedes AMG, and will shortly appear on the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione and the hottest Porsche and BMW models. Read More
Mercedes-Benz builds new armoured Pullman State Limousine
By Mike Hanlon
February 27, 2007 Mercedes-Benz is developing a new, armoured luxury limousine designed to carry business tycoons, government ministers, monarchs and heads of state. The new Mercedes-Benz S 600 Guard Pullman Limousine will be based on the extended wheelbase S 600 to provide a level of roominess worthy of its high-ranking occupants. Originally, the term “Pullman” derived from the luxuriously appointed rail cars produced by the American Pullman Palace Car Company before it was borrowed to describe Mercedes-Benz cars with an extra-long wheelbase and an extremely large passenger compartment in the rear. The first Mercedes-Benz to be factory-fitted with armoured protection was the 1928 W 08/460 Nurburg model which was modified to create the first Popemobile for Pope Pius XI in 1930. Similarly, heads of state such as Emperor Wilhelm II and Emperor Hirohito became customers during the thirties with the creation of the 770K, beginning a long lineage of Pullmans which were used to safely transport heads of State. Power is provided by a 5513cc twelve-cylinder biturbo engine with an output of 380kW/517 hp and an impressive peak torque of 830 Nm. The first editions of the new Mercedes-Benz State Limousine are due to be delivered in late 2008 with a full range of options including a fully equipped mobile office, all the communications and entertainment equipment required plus secure, comfortable, individually-styled surroundings for discreet meetings. Read More
800 MotoGP bikes already faster than last year’s 1000s
By Mike Hanlon
February 26, 2007 It’s ironic indeed that the premier motorcycle roadracing class MotoGP decided to cut its engine capacities to 800cc from 1000cc for safety reasons. The need to develop new machinery for the 2007 season has seen manufacturers dig deep into their technological bag of tricks, and culminated yesterday when the first shots were fired under the new 800cc engine format. Each year the riders finish testing and are given one 40 minute session to post the fastest time, with the fastest walking away with the BMW M award, in this case in the form of vehicle. This year testing finale was held yesterday at the Spanish circuit of Jerez. In the closing stages of the session Yamaha’s Valentino Rossi lapped in 1’38.394, almost seven-tenths of a second faster than Capirossi’s 2006 pole time on the Ducati 1000cc Desmosedici with both Honda’s Dani Pedrosa and Rossi’s Yamaha teammate Colin Edwards bettering Caprirossi’s time too. Lap records can only be set in a race, not in practice, but the lap record on a 1000cc MotoGP bike was set in 2005 when Rossi lapped in 1’40.596 – yesterday, 15 riders on six different makes of 800cc machines lapped faster than the 1000cc lap record. Read More
Audi A5/S5 revealed
By Mike Hanlon
February 25, 2007 Audi is launching a fascinating new model series for its entry into a highly emotionally charged segment of the market. The A5 successfully unites the acclaimed Audi design language and thrilling dynamic driving performance, and combines generous refinement with the brand’s characteristic quality and sophistication. Its progressive design gives the new coupé an appearance that is both elegant and dynamic. With its muscular FSI and TDI engines, its entirely newly developed high-precision running gear, and a raft of innovative, luxury-class equipment features, the Audi A5 has been crafted to be a modern grand tourer, a touring coupé in the best tradition. The Audi S5 is an extra sporty offering to complete the new series. A powerful V8 FSI engine gives the S5 a dynamic edge, which underscores its athletically accentuated design. The A5 and S5 are available to order from March 2007 with the first vehicles due for delivery from June. Read More
Rex Alfie Lee
- November 9, 2009 @ 12:19 UTC
