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Automotive
Four channel, multi-camera, automotive Digital Video Recorders
By Mike Hanlon
October 4, 2006 As digital imaging becomes cheaper to implement, one wonders to just what extent we’ll see security video systems deployed around our homes and that other piece of costly travelling real estate, the automobile. When we saw this new 4-channel DVD quality mobile digital video recording system we weren’t thinking about its intended market of police cars, public transportation, and school buses, but where we might get to a decade from now when video systems might well become an integral part of every automobile. Apart from being readily available to assist with parking and reversing (analog rear vision mirrors don’t zoom), they could also verify insurance claims, sense nearby cars and people and alert the driver, and bear faultless testimony to any accidents. Who knows, as digital storage becomes a legitimate part of the automobile's entertainment armoury, we may eventually find multiple camera systems keeping records of every business-related trip. Read More
Caparo completes build of first T1 prototype
By Mike Hanlon
October 3, 2006 We’ve been writing about the Caparo T1 since it was first announced in April of this year as a 500bhp, 500 kilogram road car with the cornering ability of a Le Mans prototype and one of the fastest 0-60mph times of any roadgoing car in the world (2.5 seconds). We wrote about its debut at the prestigeous Monaco Top Marques Show, it’s appearance at Goodwood Festival of Speed and we’re now pleased to bring the first piccies of the lightweight tandem two-seater’s first running prototype and the news that the order book for the first year's supply, which begins in March 2007, is already half gone. The car’s creators – design director Ben Scott-Geddes and engineering director Graham Halstead – climbed into the high performance two-seater last week to start the engine and complete the first trial run. Read More
The Peugeot 908 V12 HDi DPFS
By Mike Hanlon
October 3, 2006 Over the years, we’ve often had emails from technology fans asking what motorsport has to do with our primarily advanced technology menu and our response is always that new technology is not just about doing it different but doing it better. Motorsport is different – motorsport requires doing it best. That means that you won’t even be competitive unless you have world’s best practice or thereabouts in every single aspect of a race team, let alone the design of the car and the quality of driver. So when one of the world’s top manufacturers sets out with a goal of starting from scratch and winning a world class event, we figure that’s a smorgasbord of fascinating technologies and organization worth exploring. In June 2005, Peugeot announced its decision to accept a new technological challenge: to win one of the world’s most prestigious and demanding motor races, the Le Mans 24 Hours, with a car powered by an HDi diesel engine equipped with a diesel particulate filter system (DPFS). This week, the company unveiled the race car and a lot of the details. Read More
The world’s first commercially-available electric-solar hybrid, and a sporty one at that
By Mike Hanlon
October 2, 2006 It’s not often we get lead stories on consecutive days from the same company (never before in fact) but French transportation futurists Venturi have done it again – this time with the first solar electric hybrid to be commercialised in the world. Named Astrolab (latin astro = star, labe = to take) because it takes its energy from the sun in order to move, the solar commuter is capable of working with very little energy (16 kW engine) and of recharging even when in motion, and does not need to be permanently exposed to the sun in order to move. The car’s performance is remarkably close to that of a petrol-engined vehicle as it has a top speed of 120 kmh and a minimum range of 110 km. To attain this level of performance while using very little energy, the Astrolab has been designed like a Formula 1 car with an ultra-light carbon monocoque chassis serving as an oversized protection cell in the event of a collision and at the same time offering a large surface for the 3.6 square metres of photovoltaic cells. Its profile recalls the aqua-dynamic design of great racing yachts and Venturi draws the parallel between Astrolab and a sailboat : both advance silently while making best use of the elements and both offer sensations unlike any other. Its designer Sacha Lakic describes Astrolab as “a flying wing set on four wheels.”Astoundingly, it’s not just a show car - EUR92,000 will buy you one and the first vehicles are scheduled for delivery in January, 2008. Do be sure to see yesterday’s equally remarkable story about the world’s first energy-autonomous vehicle. Venturi, we salute you! Read More
Renault’s Twingo communicating city car concept
By Mike Hanlon
October 2, 2006 After previewing its spectacular Nepta Concept with motor-driven gull wing doors in the weeks leading up to the Paris Show, we figured Renault had played all its cards, but we were very wrong. At the opening of the show, Renault trotted out the youth-culture-inspired Twingo Concept, the most wired and desirable city car we’ve yet seen. The centre console features a USB port as well as sockets for devices like an Apple iPod and the Nokia Smartphone. A mixing deck built into the dashboard is ideal for partying with friends. The tiny city car is no slouch – powered by a turbocharged 1.2-litre engine delivering 73kW (100hp), the Twingo combines efficiency, response, power and environmental friendliness. Read More
Honda shows next-generation diesel engine
By Mike Hanlon
October 2, 2006 Honda has developed a next-generation diesel engine that reduces exhaust gas emissions to a level equal to a petrol engine and expects to have the engine available in its U.S. market cars within three years. The engine employs an NOx catalytic converter that enables a reduction in NOx emissions sufficient to meet stringent U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Tier II Bin 5 emission requirements. This catalytic converter uses the reductive reaction of ammonia generated within the catalytic converter to “detoxify” nitrogen oxide (NOx) by turning it into harmless nitrogen (N2). Read More
The first energy-autonomous vehicle
By Mike Hanlon
October 2, 2006 There is no doubt that if you rated all the automotive companies in the world on their forward thinking and commitment to commercialising new concepts in sustainable mobility, Monaco-based Venturi would win by a country mile. The company which produced the world’s first available electric sportscar (see articles here here and here), recently announced it would partner with Intel to make energy sharing possible via the Venturi Fetish platform and now it has debuted the first energy-autonomous vehicle and despite its non-traditional appearance, production has already begun. The urban 3-seater electro-solar vehicle named the Eclectic goes well beyond anything previously offered by car manufacturers, being the first vehicle powered entirely by renewable energies, the first solar production vehicle and the first car that can be directly recharged with a personal wind turbine. A limited run of 200 vehicles will be available in June 2007 at a price of EUR24,000. The company is shooting for an even higher level of production from 2009 at an estimated base price of EUR15,000. Innovative and astonishing, Eclectic is much more than a simple vehicle ; it is a production and storage plant for renewable energies, either solar or wind based. Charging of these energies, which is intermittent in certain regions, can also be complemented by electrical recharging. Read More
Subaru develops horizontally opposed Turbo Diesel engine
By Mike Hanlon
September 29, 2006 Subaru Europe President Hiroyuki Ikeda dropped an unexpected announcement in his Paris motor show speech when he mentioned that the company was working on a SubaruBoxer Turbo Diesel and that development is nearly complete. The horizontally opposed engine layout made famous by Volkswagen has long been favoured by Subaru and has been the mainstay of its fleet for more than three decades with its latest effort winning first place in the 2.5-liter class of the International Engine of the Year Awards. Though it’s logical that the company would develop the world’s first horizontally opposed diesel engine, there are many technical difficulties to overcome, so it was by no means regarded as a given. Anyway, we have the drawings in high res and we suspect it’ll be a beauty. Read More
Ford’s tricky F-450 Series Super Duty with bed-extender
By Mike Hanlon
September 29, 2006 Ford’s top-selling work truck, the F-Series Super Duty, has been overhauled for the 2008 model year and will go on sale in early 2007 with a new range-topping F-450 pickup as the star of the show. The F-450 can handle payloads in excess of 6,000 pounds, has a towing capacity of more than 24,000 pounds, and can be powered by the well-known 362-horsepower 6.8-liter V-10 Triton gasoline engine, or a new 6.4-liter Power Stroke Diesel that delivers 350 horsepower at 3,000 rpm and 650 lb.-ft. of torque starting at 2,000 rpm. The bit that really caught our eye though, was the ingenious two-piece stowable bed extender. Read More
Sportshift – the automated manual transmission from Aston Martin
By Mike Hanlon
September 29, 2006 One of the genuinely interesting aspects of a major motor show such as the 2006 Paris Motor Show, is just how much genuinely innovative new design gets buried because there is indeed so much information being blasted at the assembled media. One such gem which will probably not get its share of media attention because Ford is looking to sell off the loss-making sports car manufacturer is the Aston Martin automated manual transmission option for the V8 Vantage – Sportshift. Sportshift adds electro-hydraulic control to the existing Vantage 6-speed manual gearbox to offer improved shift times and replaces the conventional manual gear lever with push button controls on the centre console to select ‘Auto Drive’, ‘Reverse’ or ‘Neutral’. Read More
Ford iosis X concept
By Mike Hanlon
Updated October 2, 2006 Ford of Europe's Design team has interpreted the Company's distinctive new 'kinetic design' form language in an exciting new crossover concept - the iosis X – which makes its debut at the 2006 Paris Motor Show. One of the specific purposes of iosis X is to prepare the public for the introduction of a future Ford of Europe niche model. Ford Europe’s CEO John Fleming, President and CEO, Ford of Europe. "The iosis X is intended to send a very strong message that we will be entering this market in around eighteen months from now, and that our new model will be both stylish and individual." Read More
New VW CrossGolf combines SUV and MPV
By Mike Hanlon
September 28, 2006 Volkswagen will be showing a new crossover version of the Golf at the Paris Motor Show which opens today. The CrossGolf merges the can-do qualities of a compact SUV with the versatility of a small MPV into a new model. SUV means “Sports Utility Vehicle”, denoting a significantly more “civilian” stage on the path to the “tough” off-road vehicle. Approximately 480,000 compact SUVs were sold in Europe in 2005. MPV means “Multi Purpose Vehicle”, referring to a van. With its versatile and spacious interior, the CrossGolf also bridges this segment which sold 1.4 million compact SUVs in Europe in 2005. As a combination SUV and MPV, the new CrossGolf is precisely positioned between these poles and has no direct competitor in this class due to its positioning and conception. Read More
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
Freedom Glen
- November 25, 2009 @ 02:47 UTC
