Automotive
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Ferrari upgrades FXX prototype
November 14, 2007 After two years of ferocious testing, Ferrari have made large-scale improvements to one of the most extreme supercars they’ve ever built. Available only to a select handful of owners (including 7-times Formula One champ Michael Schumacher), the FXX prototype now makes a ridiculous 860 horsepower (641.3kW) at a screaming 9500RPM, and incorporates the absolute bleeding edge of barely-filtered F1 technology. Never intended for road use, the car can only be driven at trackdays approved by Ferrari, and all driving data is fed back into the Ferrari roadcar development program. (read more...)
Acclaim for Toyota Supra HV-R hybrid race car
November 14, 2007 Following on from its history making win in the Tokachi 24-Hour Race in July, Toyota’s Supra HV-R hybrid race car has been named "Race Engine of The Year 2007" by the editors of Race Engine Technology magazine. (read more...)
Back to the future: electric-drive Lohner-Porsche at the L.A. Auto Show
Porsche will present a fascinating historical treat alongside the Cayenne Hybrid SUV at the upcoming Los Angeles Auto Show – the 108 year old all-electric Lohner-Porsche. One of the world’s first zero emission vehicles and an early forerunner to environmentally friendly technologies like the Full-Parallel-Hybrid system now being showcased in the Cayenne prototype, the Lohner-Porsche was first unveiled at the Paris World Fair in 1900 and its appearance in L.A. this month will be the first ever public display outside Europe. (read more...)
2008 Porsche 911 GT2: Faster, lighter, harder
Vastly lighter than the 911 Turbo after dropping from all-wheel-drive to rear-wheel drive, loads more powerful and efficient thanks to twin turbos and clever intake manifold innovations, and more racetrack-ready than ever before: the 2008 911 GT2 will be showcased in a few days at the LA Auto show, and it’s a beauty. In fact, it’s the fastest and most powerful production road Porsche 911 the company has ever homologated for the road, belting out a stern 530 rear-wheel drive horses, hitting 100kmh in a mere 3.7 seconds and topping out at an eye-widening 329kmh (or just over 200mph). (read more...)
Scania’s third-generation ethanol buses debut in Stockholm
November 9, 2007 Stockholm Transport (SL) is taking delivery of 10 Scania buses featuring the company's third generation of ethanol engines - technology which can cut carbon dioxide emissions by up to 90 per cent compared to conventional diesel motors. (read more...)
The HB Special: a driving experience from yesteryear
Classic racecar fans might find this offer appealing: if the idea of owning, restoring and maintaining a 1950s racecar requires too much commitment, why not “experience” one for a week through the twisty mountain roads of Europe? Contrary to the modern trend of making supercars more and more easy to drive with electronic assistance, the Huet Brothers’ Triumph TR6-based “HB Special” is very much an accomplished driver’s car that rewards concentration, skill and finesse if you want to get the most out of it. Mind the dress code, though! (read more...)
Rare 1935 Rolls Royce Phantom II coupe on the auction block (UPDATED-NEW IMAGES)
November 8, 2007 One of only 19 total 1935 Rolls Royce Phantom II’s bodied as a coupe, and one of only two completed by Hooper & Company, will be sold at No Reserve during the 37th Annual Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Event on Jan. 12-20, 2008, in Scottsdale, Arizona. The renowned styling of Hooper is evident in the flowing wing lines, rear-hinged passenger doors and lean side windows of the Phantom II. The right-hand drive chassis is equipped with a 6-cylinder, 40/50 horsepower engine with a 4-speed manual transmission. (read more...)
Motor Oil goes “Green”
November 6, 2007 Green Earth Technologies has announced a completely biodegradable motor oil which the company claims is the “first bio-based, high-endurance motor oil to provide superior performance during the maximum oil change interval recommended by vehicle manufacturers”. (read more...)
Discovery 3 gets integrated rear-entertainment
November 6, 2007 Land Rover has announced that a fully integrated rear seat entertainment system option is available for Discovery 3. The Alpine system features a six disc DVD player that independently serves twin 6.5inch screens giving each passenger their own viewing or listening choice. (read more...)
A study in luxury: the Maybach Landaulet
November 5, 2007 Maybach has lifted the wraps on a luxury landaulet based on the 62 S saloon. The one-off Maybach Landaulet study lets passengers enjoy the open-air via a retractable roof that electro-hydraulically disappears into the rear-parcel shelf in 16 seconds, leaving the reinforced rear windows in place and the chauffeur’s compartment completely enclosed. (read more...)
Subaru doubles the battery range on its electric car concept
November 2, 2007 Bucking the industry trend towards Hydrogen fuel cells, Subaru has released a vastly improved second cut at a plug-in a battery-electric commuter car. The 65-kilowatt, 5-seater G4e’s new high energy-density lithium-ion batteries give it a 200km range from a charge (more than double the previous R1e’s range) and using a quick-charger it can be topped up to 80% in only 15 minutes. The new Subaru’s stats make it an instantly viable commuter, while underlining the exciting potential this fledgling sector will offer. (read more...)
Lotus Exige S Police Car boosts road safety
November 2, 2007 Police in East Sussex have added a Lotus Exige S to their arsenal as part of a campaign to promote road safety. The fully liveried Lotus police car has proved an ideal ice-breaker in opening up lines of communication and educating drivers in the high-risk group 17-25 age group. (read more...)
Hitachi’s biometric steering wheel technology
November 1, 2007 Another technological gem to surface at the Tokyo Motor Show is Hitachi’s finger vein authentification steering wheel system. The potential for this biometric system goes way beyond the enhancement of vehicle security – not only does it provide driver verification in a fraction of a second just by gripping the steering wheel, it also paves the way for authorization of automatic payment in drive-thrus or for music downloads to increasingly sophisticated networked car audio systems. (read more...)
BMW Concept 1 Series tii: the upcoming 1 Series roadster in race trim
November 1, 2007 Shortly before the on-sale date of the new BMW 1 Series Coupé on 24 November, BMW designers have given an insight into what an out-and-out motorsport-focussed derivative might look like. The BMW Concept 1 Series tii uses lightweight materials, optimized aerodynamics and a race-inspired interior to deliver an uncompromising focus on motorsport. (read more...)
One-off Pininfarina-Bodied 1963 Corvette 'Rondine' Concept up for auction
October 30, 2007 Another historically significant concept car is set to go to auction at the 37th Annual Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Event. The world’s only 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Coupe Speciale “Rondine” will join the Ford “Italien” Thunderbird Concept of the same vintage on the block in Scottsdale, Arizona in January. (read more...)
i MiEV Sport: Mitsubishi’s 180kmh electric sports car prototype
October 29, 2007 Mitsubishi’s i MiEV Sport has made its much anticipated appearance at the Tokyo Motor Show allowing us to bring you loads of new images of the groundbreaking electric vehicle concept. Based on the i MiEV (Mitsubishi innovative Electric Vehicle), but promising genuine sporting capabilities via 680 Nm of torque combined with a body weight of just 970kg, the car features a 3-motor system with the company’s own in-wheel 20 kW motors at the front and another 47 kW at the rear - all controlled via the S-AWC (Super All Wheel Control) vehicle dynamics system and wrapped in a lightweight, rigid aluminium space frame. (read more...)
Variable tint “Smart Windows” on show in Tokyo
October 29, 2007 Hino Motors, Ltd has unveiled a concept motorcoach incorporating SPD-Smart light-control windows – a technology that blocks more than 99% of UV radiation and allows vehicle occupants to instantly control the amount of sunlight, glare and heat passing through the windows and sunroofs. (read more...)
Mitsubishi Fuso's hybrid concept dump truck
October 27, 2007 Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (MFTBC) has unveiled the “Canter Eco-D” hybrid concept dump truck at the Tokyo Motor show. The truck delivers extremely low emissions and quiet performance while incorporating a host of advanced features. With a 3350 mm wheelbase the Canter Eco-D is capable of carrying a 3000 kg dump body. Its potential uses include light construction, road repair and landscaping. With its hybrid drive and emissions control system, the truck is designed to achieve significant reductions of nitrogen oxide (NOx) and particulate matter (PM) over conventional diesel-only-powered vehicles. (read more...)
No longer a Skyline: the 2008 Nissan GT-R a huge hit in Tokyo - UPDATED, NEW IMAGES
October 25, 2007 Perhaps the biggest buzz we’ve seen yet at the Tokyo Auto Show has been around the official launch of the new Nissan GT-R performance car, which packs a 3.8 litre, 480-horsepower twin-turbo engine, electronically adjustable suspension, shift and stability control modes, and the world’s first independent twin-axle 4WD. Looking sharp, the GT-R is clearly aimed at the Porsche 911 Turbo, which it has apparently beaten around both the Nurburgring and Laguna Seca in racetrack testing. (read more...)
Audi’s hybrid metroproject quattro
October 25, 2007 We’re running around like kids in a candy store at the Tokyo Motor Show, it’s a technophile’s delight – and Audi has just come out swinging. The German company has just unveiled its sexy metroproject quattro, a plug-in electric/petrol hybrid concept car with some amazing features, including a detachable remote control that acts as an integrated or standalone mobile phone, navigation unit, MP3 and video player and keyless ignition tag, while letting you turn the car’s heater on before you leave the house. (read more...)
Is hydrogen the answer to our future transport needs?
It’s the most commonly-occurring element in the universe, it can be burned in a combustion engine or used to fuel electric motors, and it’s vastly cleaner emissions-wise than gasoline. The automotive industry seems to have settled on hydrogen as the magic bullet solution to the looming energy crisis, and each year we see a number of fuel cell concept cars showcased by the major manufacturers – but it’s a technology with some serious hurdles to overcome before it becomes fully viable. So how does hydrogen compare to batteries as a means of propelling transport in the future? (read more...)
Space Up!: Volkswagen expands on "New Small Family" vision - UPDATED: NEW IMAGES
October 24, 2007 Volkswagen will use this week's Tokyo Motor Show as the platform to launch its new Space Up! Concept. Following on from the launch of the two-door urban Up! at the IAA in Frankfurt six weeks ago, the company is expanding its "New Small Family" with the Space Up! – a small van designed to provide the interior space of a larger vehicle despite its relatively small 3.68 x 1.63 meter dimensions. Between 220 and 1,005 liters of cargo space are made available (depending on how many of the removable seats are needed) through the use of rear mounted engine and powertrain reminiscent of the Beetle and the Kombi. (read more...)
Seeing around corners: adaptive front lighting system for new Mondeo
October 23, 2007 Ford has incorporated an adaptive front lighting system (AFS) which beams light around corners into its new Modeo model. (read more...)
Nissan’s Intima concept revealed in the lead-up to Tokyo Auto Show
Perhaps the least outrageous of the Japanese concepts to be unveiled at the Tokyo Auto Show – and thus the most likely to directly influence a production model, Nissan’s Intima concept saloon lays out the company’s definition of modern luxury. Slick exterior looks sit well with a glass-roofed interior that’s designed to soothe its occupants in an aesthetic sense as much as physically. Wide-angle barn doors on the driver and passenger sides give exceptionally easy access, and they’ve even included an 80-degree swiveling motorised passenger seat to assist the elderly or disabled in a comfortable and dignified entry and exit. (read more...)
Toyota RiN Concept promotes driver well-being
October 22, 2007 Toyota’s RIN Concept will take the stage at the Tokyo Motor Show later this week with a view not only to promote environmental sustainability, but also to encourage the healthy living and well-being of its occupants. Through features such as heated seats that help maintain good back posture, an oxygen-level conditioner and pinpoint humidifier, and the use of green glass to reduce ultraviolet and infrared light and increase cabin comfort, drivers are encouraged to turn their attention to maintaining a healthy mind and body. (read more...)
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