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Chevy Volt to go the distance with 230 mpg expected in city driving

By Darren Quick

00:30 August 20, 2009 PDT

GM expects the Chevrolet Volt to get 230 mpg

We’ve been following the Chevrolet Volt since it was a gleam in GM’s eye and, with the anticipated production date of 2010 rapidly approaching, GM has announced that its extended-range electric vehicle is expected to achieve city fuel economy of at least 230 miles per gallon. Read More

Porsche’s 911 race car for the road – the 911 GT3 RS

By Gizmag Team

00:09 August 20, 2009 PDT

The 2010 Porsche 911 GT3 RS offers more power, less weight, a slicker gearbox and a sleeke...

Porsche's GT3 RS provides the basis for homologation of the 911 GT3 race cars for Porsche Supercup and Carrera Cup championships throughout the world. It is a showcase of Porsche’s road-and-race know-how, and hence a most endearing creature to enthusiasts in that it is essentially a race car for the road. Next year's model will bring increased engine power, reduced weight, slicker gearbox ratios and upgraded body and suspension changes when it goes on sale early in 2010. Read More

Lexus Premium Compact Concept at Frankfurt

By Gizmag Team

18:16 August 19, 2009 PDT

Toyota will reveal a new Lexus concept car in Frankfurt next month that will 'raise the ba...

Lexus, Toyota's premium auto brand, is to show a concept car at Frankfurt next month which will demonstrate “a mix of technical innovation and ground-breaking design that promises to raise the bar in the premium compact segment”. Given that's effectively what Toyota already did with the IQ - which is now in production - we're quite looking forward to seeing what the world's market leader delivers. Read More

Peugeot's frugal RCZ Sports Car

By Gizmag Team

06:05 August 19, 2009 PDT

The concept RCZ Hybrid4 has 147 kW yet delivers 70 mpg.

These are the first images of Peugeot's RCZ sports car due to debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in mid-September. First unveiled as a concept two years ago, the production model's unique shape houses some remarkable technology. F'rinstance, an active rear spoiler, a Twin-Scroll turbocharger, direct petrol injection, variable valve lift and variable valve timing, Hill Assist to facilitate maneuvers on steep gradients, an intelligent traction control system (ASR), electronic brake force distribution (EBFD) and emergency brake assist (EBA). There's also a concept RCZ Hybrid4 which uses a 120 kW 2.0-liter HDi FAP diesel engine at the front and a 27 kW electric motor at the rear to deliver 70 mpg. Read More

Eaton announces major development of plug-in hybrid commercial vehicles

By Jeff Salton

19:52 August 18, 2009 PDT

President Obama toured Southern California Edison in March 2009 to see the first of the F-...

Eaton Corporation’s truck and electrical businesses will play a major role in producing 378 plug-in hybrid electric power vehicles, the largest commercial hybrid deployment to date in the U.S., thanks to a USD$45.4 million government grant. Eaton will also provide the electrical charging infrastructure for these vehicles. Read More

Bentley Mulsanne debuts at Pebble Beach

By Gizmag Team

19:10 August 18, 2009 PDT

The new Bentley Mulsanne debuted at the Pebble Beach Concours D'Elegance in Monterey, Cali...

Bentley Motors finally took the wraps off its all-new flagship grand tourer, the Mulsanne, at the Pebble Beach Concours D’Elegance in Monterey, California on the weekend. The Mulsanne is inspired by the company founder W.O. Bentley’s crowning achievement in 1930, the 8-liter. Fittingly, W.O.’s own sensitively preserved 1930 company car shared the podium with the new Mulsanne in Pebble Beach. This early motoring masterpiece represented the last big Bentley that was designed, engineered and built from the ground up by Bentley engineers – until now. Read More

Fisker Karma PHEV hits the tarmac for the first time

By Jeff Salton

19:27 August 17, 2009 PDT

The Fisker Karma PHEV during its hot lap at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.  Look for productio...

The Fisker Karma Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) recently demonstrated how quick it is in two ways – it goes from 0-60mph in six seconds and from concept to public driving debut just 19 months after the company was formed. The 403hp prototype Karma PHEV almost silently attained a top speed of 100mph (using no gasoline) as it made its way around the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca during the Rolex Monterey Historic Automobile Races. Read More

Spyker C8 Aileron Spyder prototype let loose

By Jeff Salton

23:18 August 16, 2009 PDT

The Spyker C8 Aileron Spyder

Spyker Cars may not have impressed in its F1 venture, but it certainly has made up for it off the track. The exclusive sportscar-maker has kept true to its promise made in March at the Geneva Auto Show by debuting the first prototype of the Spyder version of its second-generation Spyker C8 Aileron. The 300kmh open-top model is scheduled to go into production in the first half of 2010. Read More

Full steam ahead! British Steam Car hits 131mph

By Michael Mulcahy

21:18 August 16, 2009 PDT

The British Steam Car reached speeds of 131mph - well above the existing record - in testi...

There’s something endearingly quixotic – and awfully English – about the British Steam Car Challenge. The team has spent the last ten years trying to successfully marry Victorian-age transport with modern technology in an effort break a 100-year-old steam land speed record. And, on Friday August 7 at Edwards Air Force base in California, they finally beat that world record speed with a run of 131mph – but because the FIA wasn’t present, it’s not yet official. Read More

Diesel used as gasoline 'spark plug' improves economy and emissions

By Michael Mulcahy

23:18 August 11, 2009 PDT

The most fuel-efficient diesel engine in the world, the Wärtsilä RTA96C, convert...

The two engine technologies tend to be regarded as completely separate, so we rarely contemplate how gasoline and diesel can work together. But, in a series of tests conducted at the University of Wisconsin, scientists have used an engine’s fuel injection to produce the optimal diesel-gas mix for any given moment. The results are impressive: an average 20% greater fuel efficiency; combustion temperatures reduced by up to 40%; and effortless meeting of the stringent EPA 2010 emission regulations. Plus, the researchers believe that if their findings were implemented into every gasoline and diesel engine in the US, the savings could be as great as 4 million barrels of oil daily. Read More

The changing world automotive order

By Gizmag Team

19:02 August 11, 2009 PDT

Global Auto sales - first half of 2009

Now that clean emissions and petrol pricing are firmly on the global agenda, the world's consumption habits are changing accordingly, and the world order of automobile manufacturers is in massive flux. Japan's Toyota took over from America's General Motors last year and is now safely the world's number one, but the big mover of the last 12 months has been Korea's Hyundai/Kia group, which has now passed Ford for fourth place. When GM is broken into saleable chunks, Hyundai/Kia could become the third largest – up from 11th spot just a decade ago. The big question now is how long it will take to get Chinese and Indian representation within the top 10. Read More

Porsche next generation 911 Turbo gets new 500 BHP engine

By Gizmag Team

21:43 August 7, 2009 PDT

Porsche next generation 911 Turbo gets new 500 BHP engine

In 1974 Porsche introduced the 911 Turbo (Porsche 930 in the U.S.) and it became an instant classic with its swollen wheel-arches, whale tale spoiler, distinctive exhaust rasp, demanding handling and 256 bhp of eye-popping acceleration. Now Porsche is poised to release a next generation 911 Turbo at Frankfurt Motor Show next month and the extensive check list of techno-wizardry highlights just how far automotive technology has progressed in a third of a century – driving dynamics have improved dramatically from previous turbos, it uses less than half the fuel (24 mpg) of the original and produces TWICE the power. Read More

Obama bets US$2.4 billion on battery-electric vehicles

By Loz Blain

03:29 August 7, 2009 PDT

The Chevy Volt - a flagship American electric car that's sure to benefit from Obama's reco...

Awesome news: battery technology is about to get a US$2.4 billion-dollar kick in the pants. US President Barack Obama has announced the single largest funds injection into battery development and electric/hybrid vehicle technology the world has ever seen. Obama's hope is that this huge chunk of stimulus funds will be enough to knock down the biggest wall standing between electric vehicles and the mainstream: the fact that current batteries are still too expensive, take too long to charge, and don't hold enough energy. If the move succeeds, it could put America right at the front of the electric car revolution - but at the least, it could help the next generation of iPhones last more than a day between charges. Read More

High-tech rescue vehicle will carry more patients

By Darren Quick

22:23 August 6, 2009 PDT

The box kit could be fitted to vehicles such as this mobile intensive care unit (MICU) bas...

Sadly, emergency rescue vehicles get too much use. Disasters, natural or man-made, place a great deal of pressure on rescue services trying to take care of a high number of victims in a short period. To this end, a high-tech rescue vehicle capable of carrying up to four patients has been designed under the pan-European research and development EUREKA network. Read More

MIT tackles challenge of electric car that recharges in ten minutes flat

By Michael Mulcahy

00:53 August 6, 2009 PDT

An electric vehicle is nothing without a catchy name - meet MIT EVT's elEVen

Sometimes in science, it helps to set the bar high. That seems to be the attitude of the MIT Electric Vehicle Team (EVT). By their reckoning, one of the biggest impediments to the average driver adopting an electric vehicle is recharge times. So, having converted a Porsche 914 to electric, their next project is to produce a prototype family car that will achieve 0-60mph in under nine seconds, have a range of 200 miles, and fully recharge in under 11 minutes. Read More

The new Mercedes-Benz E-Class Intelligent (E)state-of-the-art

By Gizmag Team

20:26 August 5, 2009 PDT

The new Mercedes-Benz E-Class Intelligent (E)state-of-the-art

The term “station wagon” is not favored by premium automotive brands, as it originated in reference to the distinctly proletarian vehicles with enlarged luggage space which loitered at railway stations to carry travelers the final miles to their destination. The term “Estate car” derived from the bodyworks modified upmarket vehicles used on the estates of European gentlemen to move people and gear. Estate cars have come a long way in 100 years, as witnessed by the fifth generation of the Mercedes Benz E-Class Estate with its nine airbags, adaptive damping, self-leveling rear suspension, adaptive highbeam, drowsiness detection and powered tailgate. Read More

Mazda MX-5 Superlight without a windscreen

By Gizmag Team

05:42 August 5, 2009 PDT

The Mazda MX-5 Superlight

It might seem like only yesterday that the Mazda MX5 hit the market, but the iconic roadster actually celebrated its 20th birthday on the U.S. Market last month (March in Japan). In order to commemorate two decades of the best-selling two-seat sports car in the world, Mazda has released a special edition in Japan, but the prospect of something even more special looms at this year's Frankfurt Motor Show where an MX-5 Superlight version will be unveiled with a radical exterior design requiring no windshield. Read More

Virtual co-drivers will make trucks of the future safer

By Jeff Salton

06:55 August 4, 2009 PDT

The truck of the future could have an on-board digital co-driver that can even take over i...

Trucks of the future could be equipped with an on-board digital co-driver to help the human behind the wheel, or even take over if the driver loses control. The HAVEit project (short for Highly Automated Vehicles for Intelligent Transport) has 28 million euros (USD$40 million) at its disposal and is aiming to develop an intelligent driver assist system that responds to both traffic conditions and drivers' needs. Read More

Amphibious hybrid concept car - street machine to mean marine

By Jeff Salton

18:45 August 3, 2009 PDT

From street car to mean marine ... this concept car's tires are extremely adaptable

Despite the fact that very few make it off the drawing board to prototype stage, ‘go anywhere’ concept cars are an ever popular subject for budding auto designers and car lovers alike. And why not - they allow us to forget about the pesky practicalities of design and tiresome economics and imagine what could be. The latest to cross our desk - the Amphibious Hybrid concept vehicle - is a case of Bond meets the Transformers with its automatically adjusting tire design that morphs to ensure maximum grip on any given terrain including ice and water, where it becomes a kind of three wheel paddle boat. Read More

U.S. vehicle fuel efficiency has increased only 3 mpg in 80 years

By Michael Mulcahy

23:50 August 2, 2009 PDT

At 25 mpg, an original Model T would still give you better fuel economy that most vehicles...

Gizmag is always on the lookout for alternative means of powering vehicles and saving precious fossil fuels. But, in truth, the vast majority of us still drive exclusively petrol-powered cars. And the even sadder truth, outlined in a new research from the University of Michigan, is that the average fuel efficiency of a US vehicle has improved only three miles per gallon since the days of the Ford Model T. Read More

(UPDATED - VIDEO) Nissan LEAF: 100 mile range, mid-size production EV revealed

By Gizmag Team

20:05 August 2, 2009 PDT

Nissan LEAF EV

Last month we looked at the Nissan's latest prototype EV and the infrastructure it hopes to put in place to support the "electric future". Now production plans have been revealed with the company taking the wraps off a fully-electric mid-size vehicle which it intends to launch in Japan, the United States and Europe in late 2010. With a name to compliment its green credentials, the LEAF is a five-seat hatchback powered by lithium-ion batteries which deliver a range of 160km (100 miles) on one full charge. The electric motor delivers 80kW (107bhp) and 280Nm of torque with top speed slated at 140kmh (around 90mph). Read More

New driver-assist systems from Nissan help straighten out curvy roads

By Jeff Salton

19:07 July 31, 2009 PDT

New Nissan technology makes cornering easier and safer

We've been covering a raft of new technology from Nissan this week and one of the most interesting is its innovative assisted steering system, which synchronizes navigation, engine, braking and steering systems to help drivers make smoother (and safer) turns. By linking Nissan’s existing Distance Control Assist System to on-board navigation map data, the Navigation-Cooperative Intelligent Pedal can help the driver decelerate or brake as the car enters a curve based on real-time navigation information. Read More

Nissan's next generation CVT claims world's highest transmission ratio

By Jeff Salton

18:14 July 30, 2009 PDT

The Nissan/Jatco CVT transmission which Nissan says will be incorporated into its compact ...

Nissan and its transmission supplier Jatco have developed a next generation CVT (continuously variable transmission) that promises better fuel economy and performance in a compact and lightweight package. The new CVT combines conventional CVT belt operation with an auxiliary gearbox and has a significantly increased gear ratio range – roughly 20 percent higher than other CVTs and among the world's highest for production vehicles according to Nissan. Read More

Nissan’s 2010 EV in detail

By Jeff Salton

07:34 July 29, 2009 PDT

Nissan's Tiida-based EV-11 prototype has many features including a top speed of around 87m...

Nissan has showcased its electric vehicle (EV) platform on a Tiida-based hatchback model. The Nissan EV-11 prototype seats four-five adults, has a top speed of around 87mph (140kmh), a cruising range of 100 miles (160km) between charges and, being a full EV, produces zero local CO2 emissions. The in-house developed electric motor delivers 80kW (107hp) for “high response and powerful acceleration”. Nissan has also plans some clever IT for its EV platform, like remote ON/OFF charging via a cell phone or the Internet, useful mapping features including automatic updates on the nearest charging stations, a global data center providing 24/7 support and a scheme that could even see non-contact charging introduced in carparks. Read More

Ferrari’s innovative new V8 – the 458 Italia

By Gizmag Team

06:31 July 28, 2009 PDT

Ferrari’s innovative new V8 – the 458 Italia

The 458 Italia is the latest incarnation of the mid-rear engined Ferrari berlinetta and will be unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September. While it’s true that every Ferrari is innovative by definition, it’s equally true that in the course of the Prancing Horse’s history, certain cars have marked a genuine departure from the current range. This is very much the case with the Ferrari 458 Italia, which is a massive leap forward from the company’s previous mid-rear engined sports cars. Read More

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