Automotive

One of the many things that Gran Turismo 5 is particularly good at is displaying the many shortcomings of Sony's Sixaxis and DualShock 3 controllers. Logitech's official Driving Force GT wheel is a fantastic solution for gamers on a budget, but the small plastic pedals leave a lot to be desired for many lounge-room racers. The latest racing wheel with official Gran Turismo cred is the Thrustmaster T500 RS, and it looks to set the benchmark for some time. Read More

While plug-in electric vehicles (EVs) like the Nissan LEAF and Chevy Volt are currently making a play for eco-conscious consumers’ attention, some automobile manufacturers believe hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are the way of the future as they can be filled-up in minutes as opposed to the hours it takes to recharge EVs. One of the companies set on bringing Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles to showrooms is Hyundai, which has just completed development of its Tucson ix Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV). Hyundai will begin testing the vehicle next year, with the goal of starting mass production in 2015. Read More

SYNC is Ford's in-vehicle communications and entertainment system that lets drivers make hands-free phone calls, and control things such as their music player via voice commands. Instead of trying to cram more and more functions into SYNC’s virtual brain, Ford engineers have taken a more flexible approach – they’ve created smartphone apps that drivers can control through SYNC, using voice commands or steering wheel buttons. Existing SYNC systems will first require a download of the AppLink software, which will debut on 2011 Ford Fiestas. Read More

Nissan has provided a peak at the goodies it has in store for January's Tokyo Auto Salon aftermarket show. The vehicles from Nissan and its subsidiaries Autech and NISMO range from styling concepts to production racecars and includes makeovers for the just-out-of-the-blocks all-electric LEAF and mini-crossover JUKE. Read More

During the course of this year’s Gulf Oil Spill, a lot of media attention was paid to the oil booms used to contain and/or absorb the surface slick. While a small percentage of the sausage-shaped tubes of netting were stuffed with unusual materials such as hair, most of them contained oil-absorbent polypropylene. Now that the Deep Horizon well has been capped, the question of what to do with all that oily plastic arises. It turns out that some of it will find its way into Chevrolet Volts. Read More

Nissan has announced that its CARWINGS Information and Communication Technology system (ICT) for EVs will come as standard with the Nissan LEAF in the U.S. and Europe. The system, which allows users to use a mobile phone or PC to remotely check their electric vehicle’s status and control some onboard systems at any time – even when the vehicle is switched off – has been available to Japanese customers since 2007. While it hasn’t been revealed who will provide the wireless connectivity for the system in the U.S., the company has confirmed Telenor Connexion has been chosen as the European connectivity supplier for the vehicle. Read More

The lack of support infrastructure is one of the major hurdles for alternative fuel vehicles that use batteries and hydrogen fuel cells. Honda’s vision for solar-powered home-based hydrogen production station is one effort to ease the transition from fossil to alternative fuels and now the company has revealed plans to trial a solar-powered public EV charging station and conduct testing of a range of electric vehicles and technologies in real-world urban transportation environments, starting with Japan. Read More

If there’s one model of car that has generated more than its fair share of concept vehicles it’s the MINI. The 2008 Paris Motor Show saw the debut of the MINI Crossover, the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show brought us the MINI Coupé, and a year ago the MINI Beachcomber was revealed ahead of its public debut at the 2010 NAIAS. A year on from the Beachcomber and ahead of its public debut at the 2011 NAIAS, MINI is unveiling the MINI Paceman Concept, a vehicle it calls “the first Sports Activity Coupé in the premium small segment." Read More

There's a new member of the racetrack-inspired BMW M club – the BMW 1 Series M Coupe. While the compact 2-door might be pitched at a broader "everyday use" market than its predecessors, fans who fear the diluting of the M series pedigree need not worry, as high-performance is still high-priority. The M Coupe packs a 250 kW/340 bhp punch from its in-line 6-cylinder TwinPower Turbo petrol engine (that's 25% more than the original M1 produced in the late 70's) and reaches 62 mph (100 km/h) from a standing start in 4.9 seconds. Read More