Automotive
2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 to top 200mph - NEW IMAGES
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Chevrolet has announced details of the 2009 Corvette ZR1 with the promise of an American supercar that will establish new benchmarks for production-based power and performance. Coming almost two decades after the official launch of the Corvette ZR1 at the Geneva Auto Show way back in 1989, the 2009 ZR1 features a long list of specialized components that include extensive use of carbon-fiber paneling and an all-new LS9 supercharged 6.2L V-8 that's expected to punch out 620 horsepower (462 kW) with around 595 lb.-ft. of torque (823 Nm). Though full performance specs will not be released until the summer 2008 launch draws closer, predictions are that the new ZR1 will be the first production Corvette to achieve a top speed of at least 200 mph, making it the the most powerful and fastest automobile ever produced by General Motors and giving it the muscle to claim dominance over international competition like the Porsche 911 GT2, the Ferrari 599 and the Lamborghini LP640.
One-off 1929 Ruxton alligator roadster up for auction
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December 21, 2007 In recent months we've covered a number of the spectacular rare automobiles set to go under the hammer at the 37th Annual Barrett-Jackson Auction. Now, just weeks away from the event, news that another pre-war classic - the only 1929 Muller Front Drive Ruxton Engineer Prototype "alligator" Roadster ever built - will be among the more than 1100 vehicles up for grabs.
FORUM: Nissan's advanced mini-van design concept
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December 21, 2007 In a further exploration of the theme of automobile as communal space displayed by the Round Box Concept shown in Tokyo this year, Nissan will unveil its FORUM concept at the 2008 North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January. The FORUM integrates a number of design features and communications technologies aimed at creating a family-friendly environment including trackless sliding side doors, the elimination of traditional B-pillars, versatile second row "Turntable Seating", an advanced Bose® Media System, multi-camera external monitoring, a built-in microwave and a "Kids Cam" monitoring system which allows adults to keep an eye on back seat mayhem via 2nd and 3rd row cameras mounted in the headliner and connected to the main instrument panel LCD display.
Toyota Prius turns 10
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December 19, 2007 This month marks the 10th anniversary of Toyota's landmark Prius hybrid-vehicle. Since the launch of the first generation model in Japan on December 15, 1997, approximately 900,000 vehicles have been sold worldwide - a drop in the ocean relative to total vehicle sales, but still a significant number that points to the important role the car has played in raising the profile of hybrid technology and proof that the public are willing to pay a premium for the fuel consumption and eco-friendly benefits it offers.
New York to expand diesel-electric hybrid bus fleet
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December 19, 2007 Public transport organizations in the USA and Canada have ordered a total of 1052 Orion VII Next Generation diesel-electric hybrid buses with New York to have the largest diesel-electric hybrid bus fleet in the world by 2010.
Mitsubishi plan clean diesel assault on 2009 Dakar
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December 18, 2007 Mitsubishi will use what must be the worlds toughest proving ground - the 2008 Dakar Rally - to garner technical feedback on the company's new high-performance clean diesel engines with a view to fully introducing the technology at the Dakar in 2009. Aiming for its 8th consecutive Dakar victory, Mitsubishi aims to derive durability and endurance data essential to the future development of clean diesel engines already seen in its Concept-cX and Concept-RA vehicles.
Land Rover to debut LRX Concept - UPDATED NEW IMAGES
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December 18, 2007 Land Rover will use the Detroit Motor Show (NAIAS) in January as the launch platform for its new LRX Concept - a 3-door, compact 4WD that hints at a future broadening of design philosophy for the company as it joins other manufacturers in gravitating toward smaller, lighter, low-emissions vehicles. Labeled a "cross-coupé" and smaller than Freelander 2, the LRX aims to retain the distinctive Land Rover design flavor despite its reduced footprint, which features a smaller frontal area to enhance aerodynamic performance - boosting fuel efficiency and reducing C02 emissions - and integrates a number of interior design innovations to create the impression of a spacious, airy cabin as well as maintain practical load carrying capability.
Aston Martin unveils V12 Vantage RS Concept Car
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December 13, 2007 The wraps have been lifted on Aston Martin’s 600bhp, V12 Vantage RS concept. Based the V8 Vantage coupe, the new Concept combines a low kerb weight of less than 1600kg with the formidable horses provided by the race-developed 6.0 litre V12 to give it a power-to-weight ratio of over 375bhp per ton. On the speedo this translates to 0-62mph (100km/h) in 4.0 seconds and 0-100mph (160km/h) in just 8.5 seconds, making it Aston Martin’s fastest accelerating road car to date.
Mazda to premiere Furai Concept in Detroit
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December 13, 2007 The Mazda Furai concept vehicle will make its World debut alongside the new Mazda RX-8 sports car at the 2008 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in January. Details of the Furai ("Sound of the wind") are still thin on the ground ahead of the launch and just one teasing image has been released, but the car will continue to extend the Nagare (Japanese for “flow”) design language most recently showcased in the radical Mazda Taiki Concept which premiered at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show in October.
New Mercedes-Benz system warns sleepy drivers
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Alcohol and speed are rightfully targeted as major causes of road accidents, but another deadly factor - falling asleep at the wheel - is not always given the profile it deserves in developing strategies to combat the road toll. In an effort to make driving safer for both the occupants of the vehicle and their fellow road users, Mercedes-Benz is working on a system that recognizes tiredness-related changes in personal driving style and warns the driver when it's time to take a break. Now entering the final stages of development and expected to go into series production in 2009, the Attention Assist system constantly monitors typical driving patterns to establish an individual profile and makes a decision on whether the driver is becoming tired when there is deviation from this saved data.
MILES ZX40ST all-electric work truck
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December 11, 2007 Commuters aren't the only ones set to benefit from the coming revolution in zero-emissions transport with all-electric light trucks like the low-speed MILES ZX40ST offering a viable, eco-friendly and cost-effective alternative to traditional internal combustion vehicles.
F1 shock: no more engine development allowed for 10 years
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December 10, 2007 Last Friday, at the World Motor Sport Council in Monaco, the FIA, which governs Formula One racing, made a decision to immediately freeze engine development for the next 10 years. Unbelievably, the engine each F1 team presents and homologates by the end of next March will be the engine that team races until 2017 – and the billions of Euros normally spent on engine development will be channeled into peripheral systems. The FIA sees development outside the engine, such as with Kinetic Energy Recovery, as a far more valuable contribution to road car development than spending money on squeezing another 1000rpm and 30 horsepower out of an engine that's already spinning three times as fast as the one in your family sedan.
Volkswagen's fuel cell powered space up! blue
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December 10, 2007 The zero emissions space up! blue is the third in Volkswagen's up! concept range currently being showcased in a global tour of major auto industry events. Like the space up!, the "blue" is a micro-van designed to provide the carrying capacity of a larger vehicle, but what separates the new variant is the powerplant - a rear-mounted, all-electric 45 kW (61 PS) motor utilizes the world’s first high temperature fuel cell and twelve lithium-ion batteries plus there's a large solar panel on the roof that feeds up to 150 Watts of extra energy into the battery.
Modec electric vehicle debuts in America
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December 5, 2007 UK based Modec is continuing to expand the market for its electric zero emission vehicles, making its American debut at the 23rd Electrical Vehicle Symposium from December 2-5. The Modec Vehicle is capable of a 100 mile range at up to 50 miles per hour, and with a payload of up to two tones. Impressively, it’s also comparable to diesel vehicles in total cost of ownership – and the lack of tax and congestion charge form a great incentive to fleet companies.
Can’t find your car? DON’T WORRY, HERE I AM!
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December 5, 2007 Now here's an interesting statistic: an estimated 12 million shopping hours are expected to be spent looking for lost cars this month in the UK alone as forgetful motorists struggle to remember where they parked amidst the Christmas rush. One solution offered by Chevrolet is to have your car shout at you so you know where to find it.
Citroen's Nemo Concetto people carrier Concept
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December 4, 2007 Citroen will roll-out a concept people carrier version of the company’s soon to be released new compact van at the Bologna Motor Show in Italy (7-16 December). Taking its name and its styling cues from the popular Disney animation "Finding Nemo", the Citroën Nemo Concetto sports the distinctive orange, black and white clownfish color scheme with the theme continuing into the vehicle's interior.
Pre-war classic and modern muscle added to auction list
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December 3, 2007 We've covered several of the automotive masterpieces set to star in the upcoming Barrett Jackson auction such as the rare 1935 Rolls Royce Phantom II and the one-off 1963 Ford Thunderbird “Italien” concept car, now news of more noteworthy
additions including a ‘33 Duesenberg J Dual Cowl Phaeton and a 2008 Concept ‘Cuda.
New Toyota driving simulator: the world's biggest arcade game?
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December 1, 2007 Toyota has unveiled a huge driving simulator designed to recreate realistic driving environments and further the analysis of driving habits and reactions for the development of active safety technology.
Nissan to launch "Long Way Down" branded 4WDs
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November 30, 2007 Nissan has announced plans for special versions of both the Navara Pickup and Patrol 4x4 to mark the company's involvement with Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman's "Long Way Down" expedition - a 15,000 mile motorcycle trek from John O'Groats at the Northern tip of Scotland to Cape Town in South Africa.
Porsche announces modern interpretation of 1960s racecar
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In case you ever wondered, the word "Spyder" simply refers to a sporty, "speedy" convertible. It harks back to the days of horse-drawn carriages where it was used to describe small, light two-seater carriages with a simple folding sunshade on top secured by four bows that looked like, well a spider sitting on top of the carriage. The name has made its way through into the auto business, and has been particularly popular on Euro sportsters with the latest example from Porsche being the limited edition Boxter RS 60 Spyder. The German company plans to produce only 1,960 of them in homage to the groundbreaking, "giant-killing" Porsche Type 718 RS 60 that blitzed the larger, more powerful competition in 1960's 12 hours of Sebring endurance race, and kicked off a successful streak in motorsport for the company.
BERU develops automated tyre pressure monitoring system for extreme-weather buses
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November 28, 2007 When tyre pressures drop below the optimal number, vehicles begin to suffer increased fuel consumption, increased tyre wear, increased risk of blowouts, and a reduction in braking and handling performance – which explains the rapid rise in the popularity of automated tyre pressure monitor systems. Fitting such a system to a bus that needs to operate in extreme weather conditions has its own set of design challenges, as BERU engineers discovered in the development of a system for Canada's Nova bus system.
MITSUBISHI Concept-RA set for Detroit debut
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November 28, 2007 Mitsubishi has released tantalizing design sketches of its Concept-RA ahead of the car's world premiere at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in January 2008. With a view to rolling high-performance, low-emissions and fuel efficiency into one package, the coupe Concept features the all-wheel control system and automated manual transmission used in the Lancer Evolution X and is powered by a turbo-charged, 2.2-liter, 4-cylinder, DOHC, 16-valve clean-diesel engine that delivers a maximum output of 150 kW (204 PS) and maximum torque of 420 Nm (42.8 kg-m).
Zeroshift adapts revolutionary instant-shift transmission to trucks and buses
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November 28, 2007 We've written before about Zeroshift's ground-breaking development of an exceptionally efficient automated manual transmission that does away with synchromesh and allows instantaneous shifting with zero torque interruption. For such a highly coveted performance and efficiency gain, the Zeroshift system is also much cheaper to produce than other high-performance gearshift systems such as continuously variable and dual-clutch transmissions. Now the UK company has announced a heavy-duty version suitable for trucks, buses and other commercial vehicles.
Peugeot upgrades its in-dash audio/visual/navigation system
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November 27, 2007 Peugeot has announced an upgrade to its audio/visual/navigation system. The RT4 Multimedia system, launching shortly on selected 207 models throughout the UK, features a road-proof 30GB hard drive for up to 180 hours of MP3 music tracks, pictures and videos, as well as full color satellite navigation with mapping covering Western Europe and the TMC traffic information system. Happily, it's also significantly cheaper than its predecessor.
First Jaguar XF rolls off the production line
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November 27, 2007 Following on from its public debut in August, the first production model of the much anticipated Jaguar XF has rolled off the line at the company's new facility at Castle Bromwich. The first of the luxury four-door sports saloons - a Vapour Grey 4.2 litre SV8 - has been donated to the Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust collection and will go on display alongside some of the most prestigious members of the marque's stable including the oldest surviving Daimler, the 1897 Grafton Phaeton and the last E-Type, built in 1974.
Spectacular mismatch: Lamborghini Reventón v Tornado A200-A aircraft
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Perhaps not satisfied with taking on other supercars, Lamborghini pitched its Reventón against a Tornado aircraft in an acceleration race at Ghedi military airport last week... and yes, it lost, but not without a fight, and not without producing some great images. Driven by an official Lamborghini test driver, the 650 HP, 12-cylinder Reventón took the early lead on the 3000 m-long runway before being overtaken (and flown over) by the Tornado in the last few meters as it reached speeds in excess of 340 kmh (211mph).
Aptera officially launches futuristic, super-efficient three wheeler
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The pressing need for a shift to efficient, low-emission vehicles has seen an array of eco-friendly models showcased by major auto manufacturers in recent times, but this new era of personal transportation also provides a starting point for smaller players with fresh ideas to enter the marketplace. Fitting squarely into this category is Aptera Motors, a Californian based company that has just announced the official launch of the Typ-1 - a radical new three-wheel, two-seat design available in all-electric or plug-in-hybrid versions that bundles bleeding-edge aerodynamics, incredible fuel efficiency and a strong focus on safety in a package that will cost less than USD$30,000. Gizmag spoke to Aptera Co-Founder & CEO Steve Fambro on the technology behind these eye-catching vehicles and the future plans for the company as it moves rapidly into the commercialization phase.
Honda set to release hydrogen fuel cell car – and home fuelling station
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It seems Honda is gearing up to be the one of the first major companies to bring a hydrogen fuel cell car to market – their FCX Clarity is set to go to production in 2008, in a move they’re hoping will break the catch-22 dilemma stopping motor companies from producing cars because there’s no hydrogen distribution, and stopping fuel companies from distributing hydrogen because there’s no cars that use it. To nurse consumers through the infancy of the hydrogen economy, Honda’s also attempting to decentralize the production of hydrogen through their Home Energy Station unit, which sits outside your house and reforms natural gas to produce enough Hydrogen to power both the car and the home’s energy needs at around 50% of the normal cost and with a 30% emissions reduction.
Honda announce Internet TV channel
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November 22, 2007 Honda UK has announced the launch of a new Internet TV portal that will deliver on-demand viewing of the company's films, video clips and adverts including a closer look at Honda's cars, driving tips and racing coverage.
Volvo cleans-up in car portable satellite navigation
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November 22, 2007 In an effort to introduce portable satellite navigation without the clutter of wires or the use of unsightly suction cups, Volvo has developed a new mounting bracket for Garmin’s latest satellite navigation unit that can be fitted to all new Volvo cars.
BRABUS powered Maybach 57 clocks 205mph
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German automotive performance specialist Brabus has added to its long list of automotive records by achieving 330.6 km/h (205.2 mph) in a Maybach 57 at the high-speed test track in Nardo, Italy. Labeled the world’s fastest and most exclusive ultra-luxury sedan, the high-perfomance Maybach 57 is powered by a 6.3-liter, 730-hp/ 537-kW BRABUS SV12 S Biturbo engine originally developed for the BRABUS ROCKET, the record breaking four-door car based on the Mercedes CLS series which set a speed record for street-legal sedans of a head-spinning 365.7 km/h (227.2 mph) back in October 2006.
Industry project outlines vision for CO2-neutral transport
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November 20, 2007 A Swedish industry group has outlined its long-term vision to make future goods transportation entirely CO2-neutral. The commendable project is being undertaken by Volvo Trucks together with the Centre for Environment and Sustainability (GMV), Preem Petroleum AB (the largest oil company in Sweden), Schenker (one of the world's leading providers of integrated logistics services) and Vägverket (the Swedish Road Administration).
Caparo’s T1 lays claim to Top Gear’s lap record
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News from Caparo that its T1 high-performance two-seater sports car has smashed the leading lap time on the BBC's Top Gear motoring program by seven seconds. But there is a catch – the car wont appear at the top of the lap board because the car's inability to negotiate a speed hump doesn't meet the criteria specified by the programme makers. Drawing on its formidable power-to-weight ratio of more than 1000 bhp/tonne, the T1's lap time of 1:10.6 unofficially beat the previous record held by a modified Koenigsegg CCX.
Shape-changing vision of the future: Mercedes-Benz Silverflow
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November 20, 2007 More from Mercedes-Benz on the Silverflow - one of the standout designs we recently encountered as part of our coverage of the Los Angeles Design Challenge, a conceptual showcase of “blue-sky” designs from eight studios entitled "Robocar 2057" that's currently being held as part of the 2007 L.A. Auto Show. With a brief to explore the possibilities of transport in 50 years time, Mercedes-Benz has presented a vision of a sleek, shape-changing vehicle that could adapt to the users needs in various scenarios, transforming from highway cruiser to compact city car or economical two-seater at the push of a button.
Logan Renault eco² achieves emissions of 71g/km
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The Logan Renault eco² Concept has achieved emissions of 71g/km while traveling a distance of 172.2km on just 4.69 litres of biodiesel at the 2007 Challenge Bibendum in Shanghai – an event created by Michelin in 1998 that promotes sustainable transport and the development of fuel-efficient, clean automotive technology. In NEDC combined cycle homologation tests for the eco² it achieved a result of 97g CO2/km and finished second out of 74 vehicles in a combined criteria test involving an acceleration test, a slalom test, noise emissions and a regularity run. To put the emissions results in perspective, a compact diesel achieves around 130g CO2/km and the exceptionally green smart fortwo diesel comes in at 88 grams of CO2 per kilometer.
