Automotive

This Monday at the Detroit Auto Show 2011, Ford introduced the public to its Vertrek compact SUV concept. The vehicle is built on Ford’s new global C-segment platform, which the company states will replace three platforms currently in use, and underpin more than 2 million automobiles (including the ubiquitous Focus) by 2012. Ford describes the Vertrek as its “vision for a utility vehicle that will appeal to customers around the globe; it signals the direction Ford will take in developing a new global utility vehicle.” Read More

Hyundai has unveiled its new 3-door coupe Veloster and Curb concept vehicle at Detroit Auto Show 2011. The Veloster combines the style of a coupe and the functionality of a hatchback with a single driver-side door, two passenger-side doors and a hatch, while the Curb concept is a compact crossover that is also intended as a test bed for Hyundai’s Blue Link telematics system. Read More

Park it somewhere picturesque, unbolt the wheels, dispense with the dash and Kia's KV7 Concept Van would become a comfy little lounge-room retreat ... throw in a decent coffee machine and I'd move in. Unveiled at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show today, the KV7 was developed by Kia’s Southern California design team as a re-think of the segment that attempts to go beyond the notion of a van as simply an A-to-B family troop carrier. The design influences of Kia's recent offering like the Soul is clear, but what really grabs you about the KV7 is the interior – floating tabletop touch-screen computer display, four swiveling single-seats plus a three-seater corner mini-lounge, clever storage compartments, Wi-Fi connectivity and ... what every lounge-room needs ... a grand entrance courtesy of a long gullwing door and pillarless front door on the passenger side. Read More

When Porsche promises a world premiere you expect something very special and as the curtain went up on the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) this morning, it delivered. The company has taken the drivetrain of the 911 GT3 R Hybrid and spliced it together with the silky lines of the 918 Spyder Concept to create the Porsche 918 RSR – a mid-engine coupé that puts out a remarkable 767 hp at peak using the combined forces of its direct injection V8 engine and electric motors on each of the front wheels. Read More

With a speed of 88.738 km/h (55.077 mph), the University of New South Wales’ Sunswift IVy has claimed the Guinness World Record for the fastest solar-powered vehicle. The record-beating run took place on January 7 at HMAS Albatross navy base airstrip in Nowra, Australia, and outdid the previous record-holder by more than 10 km/h (6.2 mph). Read More

A last minute addition to our list of automotive-goodness to watch out for when the Detroit Motor Show kicks-off tomorrow – this time from Hyundai. The Korean automaker will rip the covers off its HCD-12 Curb Concept as well as presenting the world debut of its 2012 Veloster sports coupe, a vehicle that's immediately notable for it's three forward-hinged doors (two on the passenger side, one on the driver’s side). Read More

The wireless gurus over at Parrot have just announced the company's latest car receiver, the Asteroid, and from what we can see so far it looks pretty sweet. In addition to the usual the bells and whistles you'd expect from a modern day system – like geo-location, hands-free music listening, and hands-free telephony – the Asteroid has thrown an unexpected element into the mix. It's running on Android. Read More

Ted Cardenas, Director of Product Planning for Pioneer Electronics , likes smartphones. Much as he likes, them, however, he feels that they’re too small and require too much attention for use while driving. That’s why, today at CES in Las Vegas, he unveiled his company’s new in-dash navigation systems. Pioneer has partnered with Aha Internet Radio to bring online social media services such as Facebook and Twitter to the system, which actually reads drivers their text messages, traffic updates and other text-based information aloud as they’re driving – along with playing a swag of online radio stations via Pandora. Cardenas also presented the Smart Cradle, an earlier-previewed dash-mounted iPhone holder that enhances GPS-enabled apps. Read More

If you’re looking for a car that doesn’t mind getting its feet wet then you might want to head over to eBay before January 13 where this one-of-a-kind amphibious vehicle is up for sale. The Dobbertin HydroCar was designed and built by Rick Dobbertin and changes shape at the flip of a switch, transforming from land mode to water mode in a matter of seconds. Although Dobbertin says his HydroCar is fully functional, it hasn’t been fully tested, so he recommends the vehicle as more of a collector car rather than a daily driver. Read More