Automotive
Suzuki to exhibit Kizashi Concept x 2 at the Geneva Motor Show
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January 27, 2008 Suzuki will present both the Kizashi and Kizashi 2 Concept cars together for the first time at the upcoming Geneva International Motor Show. Unveiled separately at the 2007 International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt and 2007 Tokyo Motor Show respectively, the Concepts showcase the company's intention to build on its automotive presence already established in the compact car (Swift) and sport utility vehicle (Grand Vitara) segments by entering into the sedan market. The Kizashi - a Japanese word meaning “prelude” or “foretaste” - will feature a 2.0L 4-valve turbo diesel engine coupled with an intelligent all-wheel drive system targeting low CO2 emissions in a lean, muscular design that aims to optimize interior spaciousness and apply the no-nonsense, user-oriented approach to driver functionality gleaned from Suzuki's experience in motorcycle production. Read More
ZAP brings Alias highway electric car project closer to reality
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January 24, 2008 Electric-transport pioneer ZAP is now predicting a 2nd quarter 2009 production launch for the planned ZAP Alias(TM) highway electric car. The Joint Venture Company formed by ZAP and China Youngman Automotive Group has invited engineering and technology companies to participate in the project by initiating a RFQ (Request For Quotation) process for the 150-mile range, 100mph three-wheeler which the company hopes to bring to market for around USD$30,000. The news follows the showing of the company's made for iPod electric car and iZAP rechargable battery technology at Macworld 2008 and the announcement of a deal with Coca Cola that will see a fleet of 30 of Zap's compact electric trucks used for a new beverage distribution system in Montevideo, Uruguay, with the aim of targeting areas where larger vehicles are challenged by parking shortages, traffic congestion and air pollution. Read More
Cadillac premieres 2009 CTS-V high-performance luxury sedan
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Set to hit the market in Q4 2008 and to be sold for the first time in markets outside North America, Cadillac's new addition to the high-performance V-Series line - the 2009 CTS-V - boasts an array of performance enhancing technologies built around a new 6.2L LSA supercharged V-8 engine producing an estimated 550 hp (410 kW) and 550 lb.-ft. (745 Nm) of torque. These include an industry-first Performance Traction Management program, a new automatic transmission with paddle-shift control and a Magnetic Ride Control system that utilizes electro magnetic shocks and electronic sensors at each wheel to deliver what's billed as the world’s fastest-reacting suspension. The cars' blend of luxury and performance extends to an extensive on-board infotainment suite that includes a 40-gigabyte hard drive, factory-installed Bluetooth, Bose digital surround audio and an advanced navigation system. Read More
Records tumble at Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Event
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January 23, 2008 Auction company Barrett-Jackson has reported record breaking numbers at its 37th Annual Collector Car Event with preliminary figures showing over $88 million in sales and a new attendance record of 280,000 in a four day auction featuring 1,163 collector vehicles, 100 fewer than sold in 2007. Read More
Ford Mondeo gets Adaptive Cruise Control
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January 23, 2008 Ford has announced that its new Mondeo will get Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) technology as an option. The adoption of ACC technology, which has appeared previously in cars such as Volvo's S80 and more recently the new Jaguar XF, provides a significant safety boost by maintaining a pre-set distance from the vehicle in front and automatically decelerating when another vehicle enters this buffer zone. One the pre-set distance is renewed the vehicle then accelerates back to cruising speed. Read More
Car crash warning system could prevent the accident waiting to happen
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January 17 , 2008, According to the World Health Organization an estimated 1.2 million people lose their lives every year due to car accidents. With the hope of reducing that number, European researchers are developing a Collision Warning System (CWS) for cars, an early warning device which will warn drivers of dangers ahead and may give them enough time to avoid a crash. Read More
Mercedes E-Class and smart fortwo demonstrate fuel efficiency on the road to Detroit
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January 17, 2008 - Talk about making an entrance – the smart fortwo and the Mercedes-Benz E-Class travelled 4400 kilometres over seven days from Los Angeles to the Detroit Auto Show. In the trip, which aimed to measure fuel economy in real world conditions, the smart fortwo mhd recorded an average fuel consumption of 4.8 litres per hundred kilometres, the two smart fortwo cdis recorded 3.9 L/100 km, and the business saloon E 320 BLUETEC recorded 5.8 L/100 km. Read More
The US$80K Fisker Karma luxury plug-in hybrid sports car
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January 16, 2008 We’ve written before about the coming of Fisker Automotive and its highly credentialed designer/CEO Henrik Fisker, though we weren’t exactly expecting a hybrid when the premium sports car company announced its first production car at NAIAS. The Fisker Karma is a four-door plug-in hybrid with a solar panel roof, regenerative braking, a light weight body, does 0-60 mph in less than 6 seconds and will have a top speed beyond 125 mph when it goes on sale late in 2009 for a projected US$80,000. The drive train is entirely electric though the car has a small gasoline engine that runs the generator, which charges the lithium ion battery pack. This allows the car to be driven for up to 50 miles a day provided the car is charged every evening. Read More
Lexus transforms LF-A concept into a roadster
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January 15, 2008 In more news from the 2008 NAIAS, Lexus has taken the wraps off a roadster-version of its LF-A sports car concept. The open-top supercar uses a "front-mid" configuration of the high-revving, 500 hp V10 engine from company's LF-A coupe, first unveiled in Detroit back in 2005, and the body is also based on the Coupe's carbon-fiber and aluminum structure with the addition of a speed adaptive rear wing. Read More
Young graduates ace their first work assignment: the Hummer HX concept
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January 15, 2008 Talk about hitting the ground running - three young design students, fresh out of college, fronted up for their first day of work at GM and instead of a week of fetching coffees, their first assignment was to produce concepts for a new, compact, youth-oriented off-road Hummer. The three students' input drove the design of the new Hummer HX concept, which has sparked a lot of excitement among Hummer fans. Open-topped, with a configurable rear roof section, removable body panels and an E85-capable engine, the HX concept will debut shortly at the 2008 North American International Auto Show – and it's rumored to be the base for the upcoming H4 production SUV. Read More
Ford to introduce EcoBoost engines with turbocharging and direct injection
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January 14, 2008 Ford Motor Company is introducing a new engine technology called EcoBoost that will deliver 20-30 percent better fuel economy. The EcoBoost family of 4-cylinder and 6-cylinder engines features turbocharging and direct injection technology and is being touted as a more affordable alternative to hybrids and diesel engines, with improved fuel economy and lower emissions without compromising driving performance. Beginning with the 2009 Lincoln MKS sedan, the engine technology will be rolled out globally. Read More
Mazda’s new, production-ready 180mph Furai Concept
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Mazda unveiled the latest in its series of Nagare concept cars at North American International Auto Show yesterday - the Furai P2 concept celebrates 40 years of rotary engine development at Mazda plus the company’s international motorsport heritage with the raciest interpretation of Nagare design language to-date. The ethanol-burning, three-rotor rotary Furai is more than just a design exercise, having seen 180 mph on the racetrack and with strong hints that it is ready for production. The Furai concept serves as a turning point in the Nagare developmental process - while the four previous concept cars explored different ways to express Mazda’s emerging design philosophy and to explore an aesthetic, this one is all about function – every last texture and detail serves some functional purpose. Read More
Vodafone McLaren Mercedes MP4-23 Formula 1 car unveiled
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January 9, 2008 Vodafone McLaren Mercedes has presented the team’s 2008 Formula 1 car at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart. The MP4-23 was completed just in time for the event where drivers Lewis Hamilton and Heikki Kovalainen were joined on stage by Pedro de la Rosa and fellow test driver Gary Paffett to unveil the car. Read More
Hybrid Drive for the Porsche Panamera – the fuel efficient Gran Turismo
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January 8, 2008 Porsche has announced a hybrid drive version of the forthcoming four-door Gran Turismo Porsche Panamera. The hybrid Panamera will use the components of the Cayenne Hybrid expected in 2009 and is an interesting technical solution as the hybrid module can disengage either the combustion engine or the electric motor, or combine both drive systems as one joint power unit. Thus the Panamera hybrid will be able to be driven in a number of different modes ranging from all-electric through to the muscle car sporting style of motoring so typical of a Porsche. Read More
First glimpse of Aston Martin's Vantage GT2 race car
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Aston Martin Racing has released a sketch showing its first impressions of the new GT2 racing car. Based on the V8 engined Aston Martin Vantage road car and to be known as the Vantage GT2, the vehicle is designed to run on either standard race fuel or E85 bio-ethanol (where regulations allow), a conversion that was successfully completed for the DBRS9 in 2007. The new car also gives Aston Martin the mantle as the only manufacturer to offer cars in every GT racing category: GT1 – DBR9; GT2 – Vantage GT2; GT3 – DBRS9; GT4 – Vantage N24. Aston Martin chairman, David Richards, will be announcing Aston Martin Racing’s 2008 plans at the Autosport International show in Birmingham, UK, on Thursday 10 January at 10.45 am. Read More
Gleaming white KTM X-Bow set for UK debut
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January 3, 2008 Following on from its recent appearance at Bologna, KTM will show its high-performance X-Bow sportscar at the Autosport International Racing Car Show this month where UK audiences will see the car without the company's trademark orange finish for the first time. The "gleaming white" bodywork of the showcar is a new option for the lightweight, carbon fiber two-seater which is slated to enter production in the first half of this year. The motorcycle manufacturer has also confirmed that it will mark its move into the four-wheeled market with a limited run of 100 sequentially numbered "Dallara Series" models (all of which are sold) featuring premium equipment designed to bolster the track performance potential of the vehicle followed by production runs of 1000 units per-year at the company's new assembly plant in Austria. Read More
Third-generation G-Wiz electric vehicle launched
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January 2, 2008 UK electric vehicle retailer GoinGreen has announced the release of the latest incarnation of its G-Wiz range. Known as G-Wiz i, the emission free electric vehicle (EV) that has a certified top speed of 50mph, a range of up to 48 miles per charge and improved acceleration to 30mph. Extra torque enables the G-Wiz i to easily keep up with city traffic and to cope with hills, but the most attractive feature is sure to be running costs with the fuel bill for a year’s electricity costing less than the price of a tank of petrol. Read More
2008 Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class Roadster
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December 31, 2008 Mercedes-Benz has released details of its new SLK roadster models ahead of an April 2008 release. With around 650 newly developed parts in all, the latest line-up is marked by new-look front and rear sections - the redesigned front bumper with a modified air-dam arrangement enhances the two-seater's distinctive arrow shape while at the rear, a diffuser-style lower section, trapezoidal exhaust tailpipes and the AMG-inspired darkened tail lights have been added. Interior modifications include a new instrument cluster, three-spoke sports steering wheel and improved audio and telematics systems while under the hood the supercharged four-cylinder and V6 engine options have been boosted in terms of output and fuel economy with the 265 kW/360 hp, 5.5-litre V8 powerplant retained for the SLK 55 AMG . Read More
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. Read More
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. Read More
Aqua-car: Rinspeed preview sQuba diving concept vehicle
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Never shy of venturing into unchartered territory, Swiss automotive design company Rinspeed’s latest Concept takes the aquatic theme showcased in its 2004 Splash Amphibious Hydrofoil Sportscar to the next level with its latest creation - the sQuba diving Concept Car. Thirty years after the release of the film The Spy Who Loved Me, where James Bond took to the deep in a subaquatic Lotus Espirit, Rinspeed aim to turn the famous cinematic sequence into reality with an amphibious, zero-emission Concept designed to dive to depths of up to 33 feet (10 meters) using two propellers in the stern and two jet drives in the bow. Read More
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. Read More
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. Read More
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. Read More
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. Read More
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. Read More
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. Read More
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. Read More
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. Read More
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. Read More
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. Read More
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. Read More
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. Read More
Solar powered road studs offer 10-fold visibility improvement
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November 21, 2007 As drivers we tend to ignore "cat's eyes" until we strike inclement weather or unfamiliar roads at night, at which point their safety value in showing us the road ahead comes very much to the fore. Standard reflective road studs rely on illumination from the headlight beams of the approaching vehicle and are effective to a distance of up to 90 meters, a situation that is being greatly improved by the application of solar power to the create stand-alone, self-powered illumination devices. The latest generation of solar road studs has just been announced by pioneering British company Astucia - the SolarLite™ “smart” road stud uses stored solar power to run built-in Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs), providing an effective guide for drivers at up to a distance of 900 meters and extending reaction times from 3.2 to over 30 seconds when driving at 60mph. Read More
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). Read More
