Automotive
Networkfleet adds sophisticated vehicle diagnostics to fleet management
August 13, 2007 Networkcar, together with Siemens, has constructed a wireless vehicle management system that not only intricately documents the paths and progress of the cars, but contains a comprehensive vehicle diagnostics program that alerts the fleet manager about any technical difficulties before they become costly problems. Read More
Power Tool Drag Racing weapon - the chainsaw powered wheelbarrow
Image Gallery (6 images)
August 12, 2007 Since our first report back in May we’ve been waiting impatiently to see what flavor of unlikely contraptions would emerge at the Silverline Power Tool Drag Racing contest - and if the belt sander-driven toaster and the chainsaw powered wheelbarrow are any indication, the entries did not disappoint. Amazing photo library with this story! Read More
Big life decisions made in the front seat of the car
Image Gallery (6 images)
August 12, 2007 In today’s increasingly fast-paced, ADHD, lifestyle- and workplace- deconstructed world, there is growing evidence that family relationships are changing dramatically. A new U.K. survey adds further evidence to this phenomena with the news that some of our biggest life-changing decisions are made in the front seat of a car. It seems that the intimate environment and lack of distractions that a car offers creates the ideal environment for significant conversations. Read More
The original Volkswagen Van sketch
Image Gallery (4 images)
August 10, 2007, We’ve already written up the fact that it’s 60 years since Volkswagen produced the first Transporter (nee Kombi, nee Bulli, nee Camper) but when we saw this sketch that started it all, we got all weak at the knees and felt compelled to do it all again. Inspired by a vehicle staff had built to transport heavy panels around Volkswagen’s Wolfsburg factory, this is the actual concept sketch that led to the first Volkswagen T1 van, famous for its split-windscreen. Read More
On-road pollution monitoring for car exhausts
Image Gallery (2 images)
August 8, 2007 In the future drivers may only have to glance at their dashboards to see the pollution coming out of their vehicle's exhaust. A new laser measuring device capable of recording the levels of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and methane directly from the inside of an exhaust has been constructed by a team from The University of Manchester. By monitoring a vehicle's emissions while driving along, it is hoped the system will potentially help people reduce their emissions by adjusting their driving style. Monitoring gases inside the exhaust is faster and more sensitive than the normally used extractive measurement techniques which involve the gases being caught in a box and tested while the engine is idling. Read More
Nissan boosts pedestrian protection
Image Gallery (2 images)
August 6, 2007 Every year an estimated 780,000 pedestrians die worldwide in automobile accidents – that’s 65% of total automobile related fatalities. This tragic level of pedestrian injuries affects the GDP of countries by 1-3% and exceeds malnutrition, war, and liver cancer as an international cause of death. With a forecast of 60 million further injuries and six million deaths over the next decade in developing countries, car manufacturers like Nissan are investing in ways to curb this trend such as the “pop-up hood” - a safety measure to be introduced for the first time in the the Skyline coupe scheduled for release in Japan this year. Read More
Handheld safety devices provide emergency-out in car accidents
Image Gallery (2 images)
August 6, 2006 More than 43,000 people died in car accidentsin the US during 2005 – 500 of whom died as a result of being trapped in their vehicle before rescue teams could extricate them. In case of a collision, many buses buses and trains are equipped with emergency hammers, but the average trapped automobile driver has to wait for the Jaws of Life to arrive with emergency services – leaving them vulnerable to further injury from leaking batteries or fuels, unexploded airbags or debris whilst still trapped in the vehicle. LifeHammer and ResQMe are personal devices to cut through seat belts and punch out windows that are designed to form an effective first line of defense in case the unthinkable, but statistically likely, happens. Read More
SANYO car reversing camera improves rear-view perspective
Image Gallery (2 images)
August 3, 2007 Backing up your vehicle is often a "hit or miss" situation and relying on guesswork can lead to expensive vehicle damage or even danger to life and limb. SANYO's new CCA-BC200 rear view backup camera system with AirCam technology is a new rear view camera that employs advanced digital processing to deliver accurate, natural-looking rear view images. Freed from distorted wide angle images and hard-to-interpret "fish-eye" perspectives, the camera is designed to enable drivers to negotiate tight spots and make critical back-up manoeuvres with safety and confidence.
The CCA-BC200 digitally creates visual guidelines that appear on your car's video monitor screen (monitor not included). These helpful guidelines make it easy to align your car while backing into parking spaces or parallel parking. Guidelines include vehicle width and distance indicators at two, four and eight feet.
New Bentley Continental GT Speed breaks 200mph
Image Gallery (19 images)
August 2, 2007 Three times the speed limit’s just not enough for some. These tortured souls are left to seek purely numeric goals from their car’s speedometer and 200mph is a lofty target to achieve in a street car – particularly if you wish to attain such speeds in style. Bentley’s exclusive Continental GT maxed out at a tantalizing, but for some ultimately disappointing, 198mph, and now the company has atoned for their sins with the creation of the new Continental GT Speed. Fifty extra horsepower bring it up to 600bhp, making it the most powerful production car Bentley has ever built and nosing its top speed up to 202mph. The GT Speed retains all the luxury and decadence of its predecessor, while adding a harder performance edge. Read More
All-new five-door MINI Clubman a technophile’s dream
Image Gallery (12 images)
August 2, 2007 Mini seems very keen to pack all the technology it can into the newest addition to its range – the Mini Cooper Clubman. Almost but not quite a Mini wagon, the Clubman seats five in relative comfort, with a backwards-opening barn door behind the passenger door opening out to give your friends some sense of dignity as they climb into the back seats. The Clubman also features run-flat tyres, smart regenerative braking and a clever fuel-saving system that automatically stops the engine when you’re sitting at the lights in neutral with the clutch out, firing it back to life in an instant the minute you put the clutch down. Twin rear doors, each with its own windscreen wiper, finally give the Mini a decent carrying capacity, but the extra space doesn’t get in the way of the model’s famous go-kart style handling. Safety-wise, the cabin is packed with airbags from all directions, ABS, Electronic Brake Distribution, Cornering Brake Control, Stability Control and a hill assist system that stops the Clubman from rolling backwards on hill starts. A technophile’s delight, the car even provides a real-time analysis of what gear you should be in for maximum fuel efficiency. Dear Mini designers, it appears you’ve left out the kitchen sink… Read More
210mph with the wind in your hair: the topless Callaway C16 Speedster - updated: new pics
Image Gallery (5 images)
August 1, 2007 America doesn’t have a strong tradition of ultra-high end supercars. The Vector WX3, Mosler MT900S, Vision K2 and Cunningham V12 were all fine cars but failed to make a splash in the market, much less create the sort of dynasties the European brands have spawned. Renowned Corvette tuners Callaway are lining up a shot at the title with the upcoming unveiling of their Callaway C16 Speedster, which starts with a Corvette C6 base and basically reworks everything for maximum power, speed, slippery aeros and style. The hardtop and convertible C16s, released earlier in the year, were magnificent beasts, but Callaway has left no panel un-tweaked in the design of the big-brother flagship Speedster. Its hand-made supercharged engine grunts out 700-odd horsepower, enough to take it well over 210 mph – and these sorts of speeds will feel even faster thanks to the topless, twin-screen cockpit. Retailing at just over US$300,000 and custom-tailored to every buyer, the Speedster is nearly three times the price of its lower-spec siblings, and it looks absolutely stunning. Read More
Porsche Panamera hybrid could be world's fastest
Image Gallery (5 images)
August 1, 2007 GoAutonews is reporting that first Porsche four-door sedan, the Panamera, will be produced with a range of engines including a V10 model and a hybrid version using the same drivetrain as the Cayenne hybrid revealed last week, potentially giving it the mantle of the world's fastest hybrid. Read More
Peugeot set to unveil 308 RC Z concept car
Image Gallery (19 images)
July 31, 2007 One of the highlights of the upcoming 2007 Frankfurt IAA motor show in September is sure to be the Peugeot 308 RC Z concept car. The brutish, muscular looks of the 2x2 hatchback coupe are unashamedly reminiscent of the Audi TT, and Peugeot is using the concept to test the waters on a sporty variant of the standard 308. While the company points out that the aim of the RC Z, like any concept, is "to pioneer technical and styling ideas free from the constraints of volume production", the fact that it shares so many components with the existing hatchback hints that the RC Z might be quite close to production-ready. So the response it receives at Frankfurt, the world's largest motor show, could be very telling. Read More
Toyota experimenting with a plug-in electric Prius
Image Gallery (4 images)
July 31, 2007 Toyota’s Prius was pretty much the mass-market pioneer of hybrid cars and its sales success has demonstrated to the company that a significant sector of the community are willing to pay a premium for a car that’s both exceptionally fuel-efficient and environmentally friendly. Still, it remains a petrol-based car in its current form, using its electric motor mainly to maintain cruising speed and charging it indirectly through the output of the petrol engine. Toyota’s latest announcement could turn that equation on its head – by incorporating bigger, longer-lasting batteries and enabling plug-in overnight charging, they’re experimenting with making the Prius a primarily electric-powered car that only falls back on petrol when it absolutely has to. The changes could give the Prius massive fuel economy if used for short commutes – between 100 and 500 miles per gallon is possible. Although the company’s sticking with old-school nickel-metal hydride batteries instead of the latest lithium-based units ( and it may well only be doing this in response to some smart aftermarket operators) this could be our first glimpse of a mass-market commercial car that runs primarily on batteries, but has all the comfort of petrol to fall back on. Read More
MITSUBISHI Concept-cX 'Compact crossover' for Frankfurt debut
Image Gallery (3 images)
July 31, 2007 Mitsubishi will unveil the Concept-cX at the 62nd Internationale Automobil Ausstellung (IAA; commonly known as the Frankfurt Motor Show) in September. The MITSUBISHI Concept-cX represents a new-generation compact SUV, and uses a new high-output, high-efficiency 1.8-liter clean diesel engine, featuring a variable geometry (VG) turbocharger for optimum boost control and a diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC) with diesel particulate filter (DPF) for compliance with Europe's Euro 5 emission standards. The company's new Twin Clutch SST (Sport Shift Transmission) adds superior power transmission efficiency for a powertrain that delivers nimble performance alongside excellent fuel economy and low emissions. Among the number of new environmental technologies applied in the Concept-cX is the extensive use of interior trim materials made from Mitsubishi's own Green Plastic — made from bamboo and other plant-based resins.
Sixty Years of the VW Camper
Image Gallery (3 images)
July 30, 2007 It was precisely 60 years ago this week that Dutch Volkswagen importer Ben Pon discovered a vehicle at the Wolfsburg factory, which Volkswagen staff had built for their own use to transport heavy panels around the site. It was this vehicle that provided the catalyst soon afterwards for the first sketch and concept of the "Bulli" (affectionate term for the Volkswagen Camper - the "Kombi" in Australia!), later to become the driving force of the economy, vehicle of choice for the flower power generation, holiday camper and people carrier. Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has used the unparalleled history of this vehicle as an opportunity to organise an international VW Camper event from 5th to 7th October at the Exhibition Centre in Hanover. Read More
Porsche demonstrates Cayenne SUV hybrid prototype
Image Gallery (3 images)
July 27, 2007 Porsche this week demonstrated a Cayenne SUV hybrid prototype, providing a glimpse of what the company will offer to consumers by the end of the decade. The Cayenne Hybrid features a full-hybrid design where the hybrid module (clutch and electric motor) is positioned between the combustion engine and the transmission. The design will improve acceleration and engine flexibility compared to a conventional Cayenne and Porsche is targeting average fuel consumption figures of 9.8 liters/100 kilometers in the New European Driving Cycle and about 24 miles per gallon in the US FTP cycle for the Cayenne Hybrid, and hopes future developments may allow it to push towards a consumption figure of 8.9 liters/kilometer (approximately 26 miles per gallon). Porsche plans to introduce similar hybrid technology in a version of its Panamera four-door Gran Turismo. The Panamera will debut in 2009, with a hybrid to follow.
Pikes Peak Hill Climb 10 minute barrier narrowly missed by ‘Monster’ Tajima
Image Gallery (2 images)
July 26, 2007 The 10 minute barrier was almost broken at the famous Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in the United States on July 21 with Nobuhiro ‘Monster’ Tajima breaking the previous record of 10 minutes and 4 seconds which has stood for 12 seasons. We have written before about the Pikes Peak Hill Climb and also written about Nobuhiro ‘Monster’ Tajima here. The theme of this years 85th running to the top of Pikes Peak was ‘Beat the Record’ which is exactly what Tajima did with a run of 10:01.04 seconds which eclipsed the previous best time by more than three seconds.
Monster’s Suzuki XL7 features a twin-turbocharged 3.6-litre V6 that produces a stunning 750 kW (1007 horsepower) at 8500 rpm and 1000 Nm of torque at 6250 rpm.
Mercedes-Benz unveils DiesOtto - the “future of the gasoline engine”
Image Gallery (3 images)
July 25, 2007 Don’t count out the petrol engine just yet according to motoring giant Mercedes-Benz, which has unveiled a new gasoline engine offering the high torque and fuel economy of a diesel together with extremely clean emissions. The company is highly optimistic, calling it “the future of the gasoline engine.” The Mercedes-Benz DiesOtto powertrain is a further development of the spark-ignition engine and includes features such as direct gasoline injection, turbocharging, variable valve timing and variable compression and it will be used in conjunction with a hybrid integrated starter/generator module. At its core lies the controlled auto ignition, a highly efficient combustion process similar to that of a diesel. The result is an 1800cc four-cylinder motor producing 238 bhp (175 kW) with torque of 400 nm while delivering 6 l/100 km (47 UK mpg, 40 US mpg) in an S-class. Read More
Auburn Speedster reborn
Image Gallery (4 images)
July 30, 2007 The Auburn automobile was among the most distinctive and beautiful cars ever built with its showy chrome, long pointed boat tail and exceptionally elegant pontoon fenders. Now Speedster Motorcars has been authorized by the original Auburn Manufacturing Company to produce modern replicas of the Auburn Boattail Speedster. Read More
All new Japanese Toyotas to have side-impact and curtain shield airbags
Image Gallery (4 images)
July 24, 2007 If you don’t die as a result of age or illness, today’s sad reality is that you’re most likely to be killed in a motor vehicle accident. Car manufacturers have been working hard to reduce trauma from accidents, building in crumple zones, safety cells and driver/passenger airbags to maximise protection for the precious living cargo they carry, and these measures have been effective in reducing deaths and serious injuries in front and rear collisions. Recent figures, however, show that nearly three quarters of serious side collisions still result in head and upper body injuries – and it’s these injuries that Toyota’s latest initiative aims to combat. By fitting side-impact airbags and curtain shield airbags to all Japanese passenger cars as standard, Toyota believes it can reduce deaths from side impacts by as much as 37% - a huge step towards making the road a safer place to be. Read More
MINI tops U.K. retained values list
Image Gallery (2 images)
July 20, 2007 The MINI has topped the Lex retained values list for second-hand automobiles in the U.K. for the second year running, beating out a long list of seemingly far more prestigious vehicles. The Lex listing looks at how much each model will be worth in the second hand market after a typical three year/60,000 mile contract and the MINI had the highest retained value at 54%, taking out top single car honours. Viewed by brand name, Audi was the most coveted used car brand according to the data compiled by the UK’s leading leasing company. Last year's results can be found here. Read More
Ferrari adds 430 Scuderia berlinetta to line-up
Image Gallery (8 images)
July 20, 2007 Ferrari will add a 2-seater Scuderia Berlinetta version of the 430 to its line-up at IAA (Frankfurt) Motor Show in September. The spartan new car has an extremely low weight-to-power ratio of just 2.45 kg per hp thanks to a low dry weight of just 1250 kg - 100 kg less than the F430 - and to the naturally-aspirated 4308cc V8's 510 hp at 8500 rpm. Accordingly, the car should be one of the fastest accelerating supercars available. Reflecting Ferrari’s F1 heritage, the car bristles with F1 technology such as “F1 Superfast” software which reduces gearchange times to just 60 milliseconds, and new traction control which, for the first time, combines the E-Diff electronic differential and the F1-Trac traction and stability control in a single integrated system. Read More
Volkswagen returns to Formula 3 as engine supplier
Image Gallery (8 images)
July 19, 2007 Volkswagen is preparing to return to Formula 3 racing as an engine supplier with a newly developed 210 bhp two-litre engine. Volkswagen was previously very successful in F3 in the 1980s, with Michael Schumacher and Tom Kristensen setting up successful careers by driving a winning Volkswagen in the German Formula 3 Championship. The new power unit will debut at the seventh round of the Formula 3 Euroseries at the Nürburgring on September 2. Read More
The new Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster
Image Gallery (45 images)
July 18, 2007 With McLaren now hot favourites to win both the driver and constructor World F1 title in 2007, the announcement of the new model Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster takes on new dimensions. The exquisite roadster is built in the same factory as the cars driven by Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso, and combines all the F1 high-tech you can imagine, a 626 bhp AMG kompressor V8 producing an almost obscene 780 newton metres of torque and the long-distance attributes and sophisticated atmosphere of a classic Gran Tourismo car. The most telling F1 gift in constructing the open-top 332 km/h masterpiece is the systematic and intelligent use of high-tech materials for the body and safety technology. As in the Coupé, the bodyshell of the high-performance Roadster is primarily carbon fibre, as are the front-end and rear-end structure, the passenger cell, the swing-wing doors and the bonnet. Compared to steel, the high-tech material represents a weight saving of around 50 per cent, which is why the Electrohydraulic braking system employs massive brake discs made from carbon-fibre reinforced ceramics. There’s even an airbrake in the boot lid that extends automatically when you hit the anchors at high speed. Read More
The first hybrid race win
Image Gallery (5 images)
July 18, 2007 A new era dawned on the weekend when Toyota won the Tokashi 24-Hour Race with its Supra HV-R hybrid race car. It is the first time a hybrid race car has won a competition of any form though the Supra is quite different to roadgoing hybrids as it incorporates a quick-charging capacitor system and the four-wheel energy regeneration is tuned to work efficiently in recovering a large amount of the car’s energy during rapid deceleration. The system uses 10kw in-wheel motors in the front wheels plus a 150 kW rear-axle mounted electric motor. In total, the 1,080 kg Supra has a whopping 700 horsepower (473 bhp from the 4.5 litre petrol motor and 227 bhp from the electric motors). More importantly, the low down grunt afforded by the electric motors along with the ability to measure and modify the additional torque thousands of times per wheel per second make the car far more controllable than a simple petrol engined vehicle … not to mention kinder on tyres, more economical and brutally quick on the exit to corners. Read More
KUKA and EXATEC present: the robotic glazer
Image Gallery (5 images)
July 18, 2007 A sign we are living in the future: cars these days are so complex and advanced that even making the windows now requires the use of sophisticated robots. Granted, we aren’t flying around like the Jetsons yet, but this is a good first step. EXATEC, a provider of window glazing systems, has partnered up with KUKA, a leading manufacturer of industrial robots, to engineer a hi-tech method for applying a defroster to polycarbonate windows. Read More
Porsche to unveil 530 bhp twin-turbo 911 GT2 at Frankfurt
Image Gallery (5 images)
July 17, 2007 Porsche will reveal its most powerful production 911 ever on September 11, 2007 at the Frankfurt Motor Show - with 530 horsepower, the US$191,000 GT2 911 is based on the current 911 Turbo but with more herbs (50 bhp to be exact) than ever before – it will accelerate to 60 mph in just 3.6 seconds and reach a top speed of 204 mph. The power increase in the .6-litre boxer engine is provided by two turbochargers with a larger compressor wheel and a flow-optimized turbine housing raising turbocharger pressure to an even higher level. Read More
Espionage and sabotage in the high-stakes world of Formula One
Image Gallery (5 images)
July 17, 2007 An intriguing tale of industrial espionage and general skulduggery at the highest level is breaking out in the world of Formula One. Amidst an investigation of one of Ferrari's chief mechanics, who is under suspicion of sabotaging the two Ferrari F1 cars before the Monaco race this year, it has emerged that the McLaren-Mercedes team's chief designer was in possession of a large amount of highly classified documents detailing the design of the 2007 Ferrari F1 cars. While it may be some time until the truth emerges, this scandal in the top ranks of racing's richest competition is threatening to overshadow the jaw-dropping debut season of McLaren's Lewis Hamilton as the defining moment of the 2007 Formula One GP season. Read More
Wireless fleet monitoring: spot the company car leadfoot
Image Gallery (5 images)
June 17, 2007 Got a sneaking suspicion your employees might be driving your company's fleet cars like they stole them? Fleet cars are a significant expense for a company, and ensuring they're treated well, both by drivers and mechanics, can reap rewards in maintenance costs, insurance and resale value. That's why many companies are starting to use automated, wireless fleet diagnostics systems. These clever devices plug into the CPUs of fleet vehicles and silently relay information back to the fleet manager on a range of maintenance, running information and fault issues. They can also tell you who's been a leadfoot in the company car - including how much time they've spent over the speed limit, how much fuel they're using, and a range of other information that can help instil a sense of accountability in fleet car users. Read More
World's first hydrogen-powered racecar to debut this weekend
Image Gallery (5 images)
July 15, 2007 Alternative engine technologies face several challenges in the battle to be viewed as a serious alternative to the internal combustion engine - and a key hurdle is the perception that they can't deliver enough power and performance to compete with their fossil-fuel burning counterparts. How better to dispel such fears than to race a hydrogen-powered car against petrol-powered competitors? The first hydrogen-powered race car will take to the track this weekend in the worldwide Formula Student category, and if the notion of green car racing catches on, we can look forward to watching the ingenuity of the racing community making some significant contributions to the development of emission-free consumer cars in the near future. Read More
The Auto Rucksack - a backpack for small cars
Image Gallery (11 images)
July 11, 1007 More and more people are interested in the convenience and economy of small car ownership - but many are put off by the small carrying capacity that goes with it. This handy German gadget operates as an aerodynamically efficient and better-looking alternative to the roof rack - the Auto Rucksack is exactly that - a backpack for your small car that clips on to give you extra storage, and clips off to become a suitcase or sports bag on wheels. Read More
smart set to roll out a full complement of Alternative Drive Systems
Image Gallery (10 images)
July 10, 2007 Mercedes-owned smart is set to become the first mainstream production vehicle with a full complement of alternative drive systems. It has begun touting four new versions of the smart fortwo, all of which can be expected in production form before the year is out. We’re not sure which is the most exciting as they all offer different solutions depending on your needs. The cleanest of the new smarts is the 30 kW plug-in electric version with a range of 115 kilometres (EUDC), but there’s also a 100 mpg 53 kW diesel hybrid drive, a slightly less economical petrol hybrid for those who don’t want diesel, a 52 kW micro hybrid petrol variant and a diesel-engined fortwo which will become the world’s most economical combustion-engined production car with 85 mpg (3.3 litres of fuel per 100 kilometres - NEDC) and the ability to travel 1000 kilometres without refuelling. The smart fortwo diesel is the world champion in low CO2 emissions at just 88 grams of CO2 per kilometre. This is huge news. Read More
Pulse plugs boost horsepower, torque and fuel economy
Image Gallery (10 images)
June 10, 2007 Significantly increased torque and horsepower for almost any petrol vehicle, exceptional fuel economy benefits, a five minute screw-in installation process, no decrease in longevity or reliability and a miserly US$25 per unit price. These may sound like outrageous claims, but Pulstar are confident their "pulse plugs" are the next step in the evolution of the spark plug. Pulse plugs use a pulse cycle to draw the same amount of power as a normal spark plug, store it and release it at about 20,000 times the wattage. The fuel in your cylinders burns much more quickly and completely, creating extra cylinder pressure and resulting in more horsepower and torque for each revolution, not to mention wasting much less fuel in the process. They screw right in where your old plugs came out, and require no further modification. As a performance mod, they deliver more horsepower for your buck than just about any alternative - and their increased economy should see them paying for themselves within 12 months. Fantastic stuff! Read More
92mpg, high-performance 3-wheeler from FuelVapor Technologies
Image Gallery (7 images)
July 6, 2007 Achieving 0-60mph in under five seconds with an electronically limited top speed of 140mph at 92 miles per gallon plus impressive handling and extremely low emissions, this striking 3-wheeler from FuelVapor Technologies looks to have all the answers. The “alé” (pronounced alay) concept car is described as running on "fuel vapors" rather than liquid fuel meaning it has a greater than 25% better fuel to air ratio than standard gasoline engines and this, coupled with the use of aerodynamic design and lightweight materials is the key to its outstanding performance. Read More
