Automotive

Audi launches the R8 Mid-engined Supercar

By Mike Hanlon

Updated October 2, 2006 On the eve of the 2006 Paris Motor Show, Audi has unveiled its R8 supercar. Audi Chairman, Dr Martin Winterkorn told the assembled press how the R8 project had been a very personal one for him, having started the process when he returned to Audi as chairman in 2002, and having overseen the design and engineering teams for the past four years. “Everyone has been looking forward to this day, the world premiere of our first mid-engined sports car. It is a key moment in the history of Audi.” The mid-engined two-seater is powered by a five-litre V10 ‘biturbo’ engine with FSI direct fuel injection, developing 449 kW (610 bhp) at 6,800 rpm. Previous article and details here. Read More

Police evaluate Chrysler 300C

By Mike Hanlon

September 28, 2006 We like to keep people up-to-date on the various exotica being deployed by the police forces of the globe to catch villains, and over the years we’ve had some rippers, such as the Honda NSX Police Car, the Lamborghini Gallardo Police car and this 700 bhp Hummer H2 police special. Now Australia’s Victoria Police have boosted their vehicle fleet and injected some ‘cool’ with the addition of a Chrysler 300C and it must be said that the brutish snout of the beastie comes up well in police livery. What sets this story apart from the other stories is the look of delight on the face of Senior Constable Ruth Scott as she accepts the keys of the 425 bhp midnight blue 300C from Chrysler Group MD, Gerry Jenkins. There is absolutely no truth in the rumour that Ruth was last seen in the 300C somewhere near Darwin with her head out the window singing “yeeehaaaw!” Read More

Antonov explains the two speed supercharger

By Mike Hanlon

September 27, 2006 Antonov chief executive John Moore delivered a paper outlining the development of the world’s first two-speed supercharger drive at the Global Powertrain Congress last week. The paper outlined the technical and commercial development of the variable drive supercharger - a highly compact and efficient automatic shifting mechanical transmission system. The world’s first compact two-speed automatic drive system for centrifugal superchargers was developed by Antonov for sale initially to the US tuner market. Its introduction is well-timed when major vehicle manufacturers are considering engine downsizing for greater efficiency, lower fuel consumption and lower CO2 emissions. Read More

MINI back to Bathurst for the 40th Anniversary of its Historic Win

By Mike Hanlon

September 27, 2006 It was one of the most famous victories of its era, and both Bob Holden and Rauno Aaltonen remember their Bathurst victory with much delight. The 1966 event was especially sweet for Aaltonen as the BMC Works drivers had won the Monte Carlo Rally for the third time in a row - claiming first, second and third placings - only to be disqualified on a dubious technicality concerning headlamp globes. Forty years on from its epic win at the Gallagher 500 race at Mount Panorama, Holden will return to Bathurst to lap the famous track on Sunday 8 October 2006. Holden is now 74 and still a competitive racer and has raced at the mountain circuit 34 times, driving MINIs and Escorts in circuit racing and rallying and he raced a V8 Ute at Bathurst earlier this year and will drive a new MINI Cooper S at the reenactment. Read More

Tire pressure monitoring sensors for the aftermarket

By Mike Hanlon

September 25, 2006 One of the many wonderful new jiggers seen at last week’s Automechanika trade show in Frankfurt was a tire pressure monitoring wheel sensor that should open up new service potential for tire dealers and independent service workshops. The Tire Pressure Monitoring System Sensors detect changes in tire pressure and alert the driver. Each wheel rim is fitted with a pressure sensor, which constantly transmits tire pressure data by a radio signal to a control unit. Read More

ZAP electric commercial three-wheel XEBRA

By Mike Hanlon

September 25, 2006 Automotive pioneer ZAP will later today roll out a new, all-electric vehicle designed to address the need for gas-free alternatives with multi-purpose city driving, from industrial fleets to commuting. Called the XEBRA PK, the three-wheeled ZAP seats two with a multi-purpose platform behind the passenger compartment that serves as a hauler, dump truck or flatbed. Selling for less than US$10,000, the XEBRA PK will debut before California regulators participating in the 2006 Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Technology Symposium in Sacramento, September 25-27. ZAP Chairman Starr cited a study that showed more than a third of new car buyers in California would buy an electric vehicle if that vehicle were priced close to a gasoline vehicle and offered similar functionality. The 2000 Green Car Institute study titled "The Current and Future Market for Electric Vehicles" used the same research methodologies employed by the auto industry to identify markets for gas vehicles. Read More

EuroCombi – innovative commercial vehicle concepts unveiled at IAA

By Mike Hanlon

September 25, 2006. The International commercial vehicle industry has opened up a new chapter in truck history at the IAA, where it has presented the innovative commercial vehicle concept “EuroCombi” to the public for the first time. The modular and road-friendly combinations are designed to transport 50 percent more goods per vehicle while reducing the amount of traffic. As such, they represent one way of dealing with the expected 20 percent increase in freight transport by 2015. The EuroCombi consumes 15 percent less fuel for each ton of transported goods, and ideally could replace 23 percent of conventional truck trips and thereby reduce long-haul traffic in Germany alone by 2.2 billion vehicle-kilometers a year. In international transport, EuroCombi can generate economic savings of more than 10 percent, and cut operating costs by 16 percent per palette area. The EuroCombi consists of a truck (tractor) with a semitrailer attached to a dolly, or of a tractor truck with a semitrailer to which a trailer is connected. Two EuroCombi variants are being presented at the IAA: a volume-oriented concept with a length of 25.25 meters and 48 tons of GVW, and a weight-oriented variant of the same length and up to 60 tons of GVW. Read More

The Chrysler MyGIG Automotive Infotainment System

By Mike Hanlon

September 23, 2006 As automotive audio and navigation systems accelerate in their evolution, the initial feeble attempts of the manufacturers to recognise the massive sociological importance of the MP3, new media compatibility, in-car storage and a rapidly changing marketplace have not exactly been championed by mid-tier manufacturers. Chrysler Group announced a major step forward this week with the bundling of entertainment, information and communication into its new MyGIG multimedia head unit which combines navigation with real-time traffic, hands-free communication and multiple ways to save and play high-quality audio and images. You can rip music from the CD to the 20 gigabyte hard drive which has full Gracenote capability, a USB 2.0 interface and both voice (an advanced voice recognition system in English, French or Spanish that recognizes over 100,000 words) and 6.5-inch touch-screen control. The unit will be available first in the 2007 Chrysler Sebring, Dodge Nitro and Jeep Wrangler. Read More

Transparent All-wheel-drive Ford Transit revealed at Hanover Commercial Vehicle Show

By Mike Hanlon

September 23, 2006 - A new all-wheel-drive (AWD) Ford Transit has been revealed this week at the Hanover Commercial Vehicle Show in Germany. The AWD system automatically provides stepless torque flow to the front wheels when required on slippery surfaces. This new derivative is specifically targeted at customers who frequently face low friction surfaces, adding more flexibility and reliability to their transportation needs and will be rushed into production for sale in the first quarter of 2007. The 'intelligent' system increases traction without affecting road performance or ground clearance and was developed for the needs of utility companies, hotels, agricultural and forestry companies and police forces. Read More

It’s a van – but you’d be hard pushed to notice!

By Mike Hanlon

September 22, 2006 Making its debut at next week’s Paris Motorshow, the Corsavan Concept pushes the new Corsa base to a sportier level, while demonstrating how the three-door car looks as a city van. The Corsavan is powered by a 90PS 1.3-litre CDTi engine with six-speed gearbox. Black side panels replace the Corsa’s rear windows without detracting from it’s coupe-like lines. Black leather sports seats and piano-lacquer surfaces complete the interior, while a fully-lined load bay with a half-height bulkhead translates into a very competent panel van, with a versatile load area. Read More

The wheelchair-accessible limousine

By Mike Hanlon

September 22, 2006 Dignity Transportation caters for those in the Canadian community with special transportation needs. As its fleet has grown, it has commissioned numerous specially-built transportation designs from wheel-chair accessible taxies to full size vans to wheelchair accessible buses. Recognizing there was a demand for a truly luxurious wheelchair accessible limousine. The result is the Dignity Star, an 8 passenger limo-inside-a-van that began life as a 2006 Dodge High Roof Sprinter 2500 SHC. Believed to be the only such vehicle in North America, the luxurious wheelchair-accessible limousine accommodates two wheelchairs and six people on a curved leather couch and takes Special Needs Transportation to a new level. Inside it’s the usual over-the-top spec with control over everything from climate control to a 20" LCD TV, five-speaker sound system with four sets of wireless headphones, laptop connectivity, DVD/CD system, ad infinitum. In terms of accessibility, it has the lot. Read More

Hummer World Run 2006 near Munich

By Mike Hanlon

September 21, 2006 Hummer fans situated in the United States are well positioned to get their fill but beyond American borders, Hummers are few and far between unless you’re near a military base. Accordingly, if you’re European-based and keen to see the latest on offer in the radical customisation the beasties attract, the HUMMER WORLD RUN 2006 in Zorneding near Munich, is the place to be on October 7 and 8. The world’s first international meet for owners of the American SUV is being staged and promoted by Geiger Cars, Europe’s largest HUMMER dealer and perpetrator of some of the most stunning show and go cars on the planet. Numerous other attractions await visitors such as free test drives with various HUMMER models and rides in the 10-meter long HUMMER H2 stretch limo pictured. There’s also a competition with a Hummer for a year as the first prize. Read More

Kia pro_cee’d concept car previews all-new Kia cee’d hatch to launch in 2007

By Mike Hanlon

September 20, 2006 The custom of Asian manufacturers giving ridiculous names to their export offerings was taken to new levels today by Korean auto manufacturer Kia in naming its latest concept car the pro_cee’d, complete with an underscore and apostrophe. Set for a Paris Motor Show debut later this month, the strikingly styled, pro_cee’d showcar is based on the forthcoming three-door ‘sporty hatch’ version of the all-new Kia cee’d C-segment model. This five-door family hatchback has its world premiere (in production-ready form) at Paris and will be manufactured at Kia’s first European assembly plant in Slovakia from November 2006. Read More

The Unimog Dual-mode Road-Railer

By Mike Hanlon

September 20, 2006 The potential benefits of an affordable dual-mode road-rail vehicle are immense and we’ve featured previous concept vehicles in this vein from Hokkaido, Toyota (a very clever hybrid eco-friendly transit system) and Silvertip Design’s stunning Bladerunner. Now Unimog special-vehicles division has taken the wraps off a production road-railer at the Innotrans 2006 show in Berlin. Unimog’s exhibit features eight road-railer models illustrating numerous implementation scenarios on both road and rail. These include a Unimog road-railer for cost-effective shunting or manoeuvring of hauled loads of up to 1000 tonnes, a vehicle equipped with an access-platform for overhead-line maintenance and an auxiliary vehicle with crew's quarters and hydraulic equipment for rerailing derailed wagons. The vehicles are equipped with hydraulically lowerable guide wheels, with the drive on the rails being provided by the vehicle's wheels. A broad range of special railway equipment is optionally available for the Unimog road-railer, including an inductive train control system. Read More

The American-built Brammo Rogue GT – 850 bhp and 225mph

By Mike Hanlon

September 19, 2006 First details have emerged for the Brammo Rogue GT; the first V12 supercar designed and built in the USA. Brammo Motorsports has partnered with Ryan Falconer Industries to bring the famous Falconer V12 to the automotive marketplaceand the launch version of the car will use a naturally-aspirated 10 litre V12 engine tuned to deliver 850bhp and 1,000 Nm of torque. The Rogue GT will weigh in at 1315 kg and have a top speed in the 225-230 mph range, running through Xtrac’s new transverse transaxle six-speed transmission system which is designed to handle high levels of torque of up to 1,100Nm. But wait, there’s more - the Brammo/Falconer V12 engine can deliver a power output of up to 1,100 bhp in normally aspirated, and up to 1,600bhp (1,200kW) when turbocharged or supercharged, so it’s quite possible that the Bugatti Veyron’s days as the world’s fastest road car are numbered. Read More

Moonbeam the 100mpg DIY car costing US$2500 (and 1000 hours)

By Mike Hanlon

September 19, 2006 In a world where the price of oil is trending towards infinity, large companies are quickly seeking alternative energy sources for transportation. Jory Squibb decided he’d build an economical vehicle using conventional technology, and set about creating it from second-hand motorcycle parts. The resultant vehicle, christened MOONBEAM, gets 80-85 mpg around town and under economy run conditions (max 40 mph) delivers 105 mpg. Two scooters for the bits cost US$500, and the entire project took 1000 hours (a year of 20 hour weeks) to complete, with a total of US$2000 costs beyond the initial scooters. Moonbeam has a Variable speed transmission, so there’s no gear shifting (hand controls only). So if Jory can do this, from existing parts, in his garage, in his spare time, why is it that Honda, Toyota et al can't deliver us a 100mpg automobile? Read More

Nissan test advanced road traffic system aimed at reducing accidents and easing congestion

By Mike Hanlon

September 18, 2006 Nissan is set to begin testing an intelligent transportation system in Japan that allows vehicle-to-infrastructure communication to help reduce traffic accidents and ease congestion. The system uses information obtained from nearby vehicles and roadside optical beacons to wirelessly alert drivers to potential danger from approaching vehicles. It also provides drivers with fastest-route information with Nissan’s probe server collecting city –wide traffic data from the mobile phones of Nissan’s CARWINGS navigation service subscribers, taxi services, and vehicle data collected by mobile phone operator NTT DoCoMo. This information is then sent to the driver’s navigation screen where it is displayed as real-time maps showing the traffic flow and density. Screen shots and diagrams here. Read More

78 mpg petrol-engined Suzuki Super-mini

By Mike Hanlon

September 17, 2006 Suzuki has unveiled a web site previewing its next supermini which will have a remarkably economical petrol engine when it is released in late 2007 with a price around UKP8,500. The Splash design study will be shown at the Paris Motor Show and will form the basis of the petrol-engined production car which has reportedly achieved a combined cycle figure of 78mpg according to Suzuki engineers. The motor is an all-new 1200cc 16-valve DOHC four cylinder with variable valve timing. Read More

First Responder special from Hummer

By Mike Hanlon

September 17, 2006 Hummer’s latest marketing initiative is a stroke of genius in our opinion. The company has developed a First Responder package for its midsize H3 which will be available FREE until the end of this year for any active member of the fire and rescue community – volunteer or career firefighter or emergency response personnel associated with a fire association – who purchases or leases a new HUMMER H3. The HUMMER First Responder package includes the purchaser’s choice of either an emergency signal package from Whelen Engineering or Federal Signal valued at up to US$2,500, or a black wraparound brushguard and lower grille-mounted off-road lights. The HUMMER H3 First Responder debuted this week at the Fire-Rescue International 2006 show.

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The automobile safe

By Mike Hanlon

September 17, 2006 The automobile is not the safest place to leave valuables – opportunistic smash-and-grab theft typically most theft occurs when valuables are left in full view of the thief, however, the smallest sign of valuables within, such as a satellite navigation or PDA cradle can get you windows smashed regardless. As it’s not always possible to safely store your valuables when on the move, this might be the answer. Read More

smart forfun2

By Mike Hanlon

September 17, 2006 The smart forfun, a smart forfour with monster truck ambitions, caused quite a stir at the Athens Motor Show in November 2005. Following the extremely positive response to this, Greek 4x4 Rally Race Champion, Stefan Attart, decided to take it one step further and used a smart fortwo as the basis for his monster, with the mechanicals coming primarily from a Mercedes-Benz Unimog 406 series. Read More

Hyundai C-Segment Arnejs concept

By Mike Hanlon

September 15, 2006 Hyundai has released the first pictures of its stunning Arnejs concept; the best clue yet as to what the company’s all new C-segment car will look like when it arrives next year. The Arnejs, pronounced Ar-nez, will be formally unveiled the Paris Motor Show, on 28 September 2006. Designed at Hyundai’s European Research and Design centre in Russelsheim, Germany, the Arnejs builds on design elements first seen in the Genus concept at Geneva Motor Show earlier this year. And it marks a further significant milestone in Hyundai’s development of a stronger brand identity. Read More

The Audi Q7 V12 TDI - the world’s most powerful diesel passenger car

By Mike Hanlon

September 15, 2006 Audi is set to debut the first twelve-cylinder diesel engine in a series passenger car. A six-litre V12 will be available in the Audi Q7 that is reminiscent of the engine featured in the all-conquering R10 Le Mans racing car and it catapults the driving performance of the Audi Q7 SUV into the echelons of top-class sports cars. The V12 TDI engine produces a colossal 500 PS and 1,000 Nm of torque giving the car a 0 to 100 km/h time of just 5.5 seconds, and an electronically governed top speed of 250 km/h. Maximum torque is available from just 1,750 rpm. The high-tech diesel engine, with the world’s first 2,000 bar Bosch Common Rail system, provides the high-performance Audi SUV with superior power reserves in any situation. The impressive sound of the new Audi is provided by the ultra-modern piezo-injection system. The V12 TDI transmits this power through a new six-speed tiptronic gearbox to the quattro permanent four-wheel drive system. Read More

New VW Touran has automatic parking

By Mike Hanlon

September 13, 2006 Volkswagen has revealed the first images of its new Touran compact MPV, ahead of its world public debut at the Paris Motor Show later this month. With a fresh new appearance and innovative technologies, yet still boasting all the practical features for which the Touran has become renowned, the revised seven-seater people carrier looks set to continue the model’s success. The new Touran will be the first Volkswagen available with ParkAssist, an optional parking guidance system developed by Volkswagen engineers. ParkAssist enables automatic parking, using front and rear ultrasonic sensors to detect available parking space and a control unit to calculate the ideal manoeuvring path. Acoustic and visual displays guide the driver to the correct parking start position, then once reverse gear is selected the car parks itself in under 15 seconds. All the driver has to do in this time is accelerate and brake – the Touran does all the steering. The system will be available in the from June 2007. Read More

Fiat’s Oltre to debut in London at Viva Italia

By Mike Hanlon

September 13, 2006 As befitting a company whose development has coincided with that of Italy itself, Fiat has a major presence at London’s Viva Italia Show, a celebration of all things Italian, which opens on Friday 22 September at the National Hall, Olympia. Exhibits on the Fiat stand include the company’s highly successful new Grande Punto supermini, which became Europe’s best selling car soon after its international launch last autumn, the new Giugiaro-designed Sedici compact SUV, the Panda 4x4 and the Oltre, which dwarfs its brethren. Derived from the Iveco LMV, (Light Multirole Vehicle), a new military off-roader that embodies cutting edge technical features and has already won the FCLV (Future Command and Liaison Vehicle) contract for the British Army, Oltre Fiat was first exhibited at the Bologna Motor Show last year, and can perform a wide range of functions. It is powered by a turbocharged 3-litre common rail diesel engine producing 185bhp and driving through a six-speed automatic transmission. Despite weighing over seven tonnes, Oltre Fiat has a top speed of over 70mph, has a payload of around three tonnes and can seat up to five people while negotiating longitudinal gradients of 80%, and tackling rivers, lakes and streams up to a depth of 1.5 metres. We wrote up the Oltre in depth here. Read More