Automotive

Porsche’s 911 GT3 R Hybrid racing project uses Williams Hybrid Power's KERS Flywheel technology (think of it as a mechanical supercapacitor), to capture energy from regenerative braking and then give it back as horsepower under acceleration. After showing lots of promise in its early races, the hybrid has come home with a rush in the closing stages of the season, winning its class and finishing sixth outright in the final round of the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup. Last night its true standing as a significant automotive innovation shone through once more when it won Powertrain Innovation of the Year, Vehicle Development of the Year and Design Engineer of the Year at the Professional MotorSport World Expo in Koln, Germany. Read More

It has been an exciting year for hybrid power train development in major racing series, with the teams deciding that KERS will return to Formula One in 2011, the growing success of the Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid in the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup and now the news that Oshkosh Corporation will be fielding a 400 bhp hybrid diesel-electric Light Concept Vehicle in the Baja 1000 desert race which begins later this week in Mexico. Perhaps even more interesting than the hybrid powertrain is its TAK-4 suspension which offers 20 inches of independent wheel travel. Read More

Dale Vince, founder of British green power company Ecotricity, decided two years ago that he wanted to create a flashy, fun, fast automobile, that ran on nothing but electricity created by his company's own wind turbines. Vince and his team proceeded to buy and gut a used Lotus Exige, outfitted it with two electric motors, and after 18 months ended up with the Nemesis – a one-of-a-kind 170 mph green machine that reportedly eats V12 Ferraris for breakfast. Read More

London mayor Boris Johnson has announced the Spring (Q2) 2011 launch of the Source London electric vehicle program. For a GBP100 (US$159) annual membership fee, participants will have access to over 1,300 public EV charging points located across the city. Once all those stations are up and running, which should be by 2013, London will have twice as many charging points as petrol stations. It’s a big step forward in an even larger scheme, which would see a network of Source charging points in cities across the UK. Read More

Lamborghini's high-revving V12 engines have been at the heart of the brand since 1964, powering dreamcars such the Miura, Espada, Countach, Diablo and Murciélago. Its next 6.5 litre V12 powerplant is brutally powerful (700 bhp) but raw numbers alone do not do it justice. The 48 valves are electronically actuated while the sophisticated engine, thermal and oil circulation management systems ensure engine health under extreme conditions. You can bet the farm this masterpiece will win Engine of the Year and the new seven-speed “emotional” ISR (Independent Shifting Rod), robotized, servo-actuated transmission is equally as impressive, further illustrating an all-encompassing innovation process. Read More

Nissan will show a new car at the Los Angeles Motor Show later this week, which takes unique attributes from at least three different segments to create a vehicle seemingly purpose built for Southern California. Set to go on sale in early 2011, the Murano CrossCabriolet 2011 is an all-wheel drive crossover convertible which Nissan says has plenty of room for four adults, plus enough space for golf bags and luggage, even with the top down. Read More

The major announcement of last week's Brazilian Motor Show in São Paulo was Kia's Soul Flex. Though it's the first Flexible Fuel Vehicle (FFV) from Korea, ethanol derived from sugar cane is 40% cheaper than gas in Brazil, so flex fuel vehicles make up 85% of new car sales. On top of the cheaper fuel, the Soul Flex gets a 44% improvement in fuel efficiency, with power and torque figures also a slight improvement compared with the existing petrol model. Scheduled to go on sale in Brazil early next year, the Soul Flex is able to run on 100% ethanol, 100% gasoline or an ethanol-petrol mixture. Read More

The all-electric Whip LiFe from Atlanta-based automaker Wheego will be making its debut at this month’s LA Auto Show. Not to be confused with the luxury hybrid LIFECar being developed by Morgan Motors in the U.K., the 65 mph, 100 mile range LiFe is designed as a practical little runabout and it looks... well, it looks pretty “Smart.” Read More

As electric cars take to the streets, the people at Audi have been confronted with what they see as a new problem to solve: their cars are too quiet. Acoustic technicians have been enlisted to find the new sound of Audi, and it won't be a roaring V8 or hissing turbo – the inspiration might just come from the sci-fi world. Read More