Automotive
The re-birth of an icon - the new BMW M3 Coupe
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April 7, 2007 BMW has announced details of the new BMW M3 Coupe, a model that 21 years ago created an entirely new segment for super-high-performance compact cars. In the past two decades and three previous generations, the M3 has proved a success on road and track. Originally powered by BMW’s first 16-valve four-cylinder engine and subsequently by 3.0-litre and 3.2-litre powerplants, BMW M3 engines took top category honours on a record six successive occasions in the Engine of the Year awards. Racing derivatives have also won more Touring Car titles than any other car as well as numerous Endurance races.
Wide-angle driver visibility and safety innovations distinguish Volvo BeeVan Truck Concept
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April 10, 2007 Unparalleled driver visibility and innovative design ideas are combined with advanced safety technologies for Class 8 trucks in a one-quarter-scale model truck concept from Volvo Trucks North America. The concept was shown at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January, and is part of the Michelin Challenge Design competition.
Chevrolet’s innovative Beat, Groove or Trax concepts and an equally innovative market research initiative
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April 4, 2007 Three Chevrolet minicar global concepts designed to appeal to young car buyers in urban markets will be revealed later today at the New York Auto Show; the Chevrolet Beat, Groove and Trax concepts. In an innovative move, Chevrolet will take the market-testing notion one step further than normal by asking the public to pick their favorite at a web site designed specifically for the purpose. The results will help Chevrolet determine U.S. market interest in the minicar segment, and which design/capability package resonates best with potential buyers.
All-New Subaru Impreza debuts at the New York International Auto Show
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April 4, 2007 Subaru will unveil its all new Subaru Impreza at the New York International Auto Show press launch tonight, with the third-generation of the car which started the pocket-rocket phenomenon slated to hit the market mid-year. The new Impreza may look similar to its predecessors but it is entirely new with a redesigned chassis, body construction and drivetrain, as well as substantially improved overall performance.
Nissan Introduces New Engine Valve Control Technology - Variable Valve Event & Lift (VVEL)
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March 30, 2007 Over the last century of automobile development, we have seen an enormous range of valve actuation technologies, ranging from pushrod, through single then double overhead camshafts, then a range of more recent technologies to enable variable cam timing. Nissan has now announced a new method of valve actuation that delivers a balance of responsiveness and power, fuel efficiency and low emissions. The system combines Nissan’s new Variable Valve Event and Lift (VVEL) and continuous valve timing control (C-VTC) technologies to deliver significantly enhanced performance. A rocker arm and two types of links close the intake-valves by transferring the rotational movement of a drive shaft with an eccentric cam to the output cam. The movement of the output cam can be varied by rotating the control shaft within the DC motor and changing the fulcrums of the links. This makes a continuous adjustment of the valve lift possible. The advanced technologies will be made available initially through the Infiniti G37 coupe, scheduled to be unveiled at the upcoming New York International Auto Show next week. Nissan plans to install the VVEL system, which contributes up to a 10% reduction in carbon-dioxide emissions, on its products worldwide starting from FY07 under the Nissan Green Program 2010.
The bullet-proof Range Rover Vogue
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March 28, 2007 Most luxury vehicle manufacturers have been quietly producing armoured versions of their range for special private customers for years, with Mercedes Benz the most prolific and high profile and the Combat T98, International MXT-MVA and Rhino Runner the most extreme. Whereas once it was considered gauche to advertise such services, and companies were content to have the most influential people seen in their vehicles, marketing imperatives are now being brought to bear and the world’s prestige manufacturers all seem to be adding an armoured model to their range. Now Range Rover will add a fully-armoured Vogue to the range, designed to resist attack from machine gun or hand grenade while its four-wheel drive chassis and off-road ground clearance allows a quick getaway from attack or ambush. Unlike conventional armoured limousines, the Range Rover Vogue Security Vehicle can be driven across all terrains, including unforgiving urban obstacles like high kerbs or even steep steps. Its broad shouldered strength also allows it to be driven at and through obstacles such as gates or even walls.
Callaway C16 Cabrio to debut in New York
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March 23, 2007 Callaway Cars didn’t take long to follow up the first showing of the C16, and will be exhibiting the company’s convertible variant of the limited production C16 supercar, the C16 Cabrio, at the New York International Auto Show. Six-speed manual or paddle-shift automatic transmissions will available with either standard 560 or optional 616 horsepower engines. Our favorite Callaway engineering project is the Cyclone 16-cylinder engine - a 4.0-liter normally aspirated V16 with 5 valves per cylinder which makes 550 bhp at 10,000 rpm yet is less than 36 inches long. Check the image gallery – apart from being visually enchanting, it apparently has a “distinctive noise signature.”
The 640 bhp Electric ZAP-X Crossover SUV
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March 22, 2007 Announced only recently, the development of the ZAP-X Crossover vehicle in conjunction with Lotus is looking likely to produce a remarkable automobile. The compact-SUV design will feature all-wheel drive with in-hub electric motors capable to deliver 644 horsepower and a top speed of 155mph. By combining a lightweight aluminum chassis, a new efficient drive system and advanced battery management system, the goal for the ZAP-X is a 350-mile range, with a rapid 10-minute recharging time.
The new Fiat 500 and 50th anniversary model
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March 22, 2007 Fifty years ago, on 4 July 1957, Fiat introduced the Nuova Fiat 500, which became an icon of our times, and with which Fiat completed a revival that had begun immediately after the Second World War. This year on 4 July 2007, exactly 50 years later, and once again in Turin, the company will be presenting its new Fiat 500, which will go on sale immediately after the launch. The new 500 is a 3-door model with very compact measurements: 355 cm long, 165 cm wide, 149 cm tall and a wheelbase of 230 cm. Produced with three engine options: a 75 bhp 1.3 16v MultiJet turbodiesel and two petrol engines, a 69 bhp 1.2 8v and a 100 bhp 1.4 16v, with five or six speed manual gearboxes, the new Fiat 500 is designed to be notably entertaining to drive.
Caparo T1 to offer best power-to-weight ratio ever
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March 22, 2007 After 12 months of highly secretive development, the Caparo T1, which looks and performs like a Formula One car, will be launched as a running car at the 15th Goodwood Festival of Speed (22-24 June 2007) with a new and more powerful engine than previously mooted. The higher specification is reflected in a launch price for the T1 of UKP180,000 plus taxes. The bespoke lightweight, all aluminium V8 has a higher capacity of 3.5 litres and is now normally aspirated. The engine has a mass of less than 100kgs and can produce power outputs of up to 200bhp-per-litre. As the T1 will maintain its nominal 500kg kerb weight this means the Caparo’s specifications of 500kg for 550 bhp give it the best power-to-weight ratio of any production roadgoing car or motorcycle in the world. As the T1 will participate in the Goodwood hill climb at the annual Festival of Speed, the debut will be worth attending as the car promises an astonishing 0-60mph time of 2.5 seconds.
The three-wheel, 225 mpg plug-in hybrid XR-3 kit car
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March 21, 2007 Robert Q. Riley’s radical high-efficiency designs, concepts and kits have been public for a long time, and have often been viewed as non-mainstream and largely irrelevant by an American population with a highly distorted view of the real cost of cheap petrol. Now his fuel-efficient designs seem suddenly relevant – we desperately need new transportation alternatives that conserve energy and protect the planet’s ecosystem, Riley’s latest creation, the XR-3 plug-in hybrid, is a sleek two-passenger, three-wheel sports car that is expected to return 225 miles per gallon. Designed to be assembled by someone with average mechanical abilities and no prior experience, the all-wheel drive vehicle will be available as a kit or plans for complete do-it-yourself construction. The XR-3 Hybrid is currently under development and is scheduled to debut in June 2007.
The Acabion GTBO 450 km/h road registerable streamliner
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March 20, 2007 Stand by to be shocked. The Acabion GTBO is a streamlined, enclosed motorcycle with the most astounding set of vital statistics we’ve ever seen. It has an extremely low frontal area and the aerodynamics of a bullet. It tips the scales at just a fraction the weight of a Formula One race car yet has much less rolling resistance and it is powered by a 700 bhp turbocharged motor giving it a power-to-weight ratio better than anything ever conceived for road usage and is claimed to be capable of 450 km/h. That’s some claim because the recently established land speed record for motorcycles is 565 km/h. The GTBO is also claimed to be capable of reaching 400 km/h from standstill in under 20 seconds (i.e. 0-400 km/h). AND it’s road registerable, AND Swiss-based Acabion intends to build 26 GTBOs over the next four years. The GTBO is a two-plus-two-wheel concept. It runs on four wheels at low speeds and two wheels at high speeds. The sidewheels can be ordered as lightweight racing-versions (pictured) or with heavier but more practical struts with a compact hydraulic drive so you can manoeuvre quite easily. The aim is to offer a limited edition, very expensive super vehicle with Swiss precision engineering and craftsmanship and a performance factor that is truly remarkable – the power-to weight of the GTBO is 0.51 kg per horsepower – compare that to the Ultima GTR (1.38 kg/bhp), Koenigsegg CCXR (1.16), Pagani Zonda F (2.07), Bugatti Veyron (1.89), Tramontana (1.74), Bristol Fighter (1.58) and the Gumpert Apollo (1.53). For the records, the GTBO’s figure is almost twice as good as the current crop of supersports 1000cc road bikes (1.0-1.1) and compares favourably to the 2007 F1 Ferrari (0.71) which Kimi Raikkonen used to smoke the field in the first Formula One Grand Prix of the season and Casey Stoner’s Ducati (0.60) which streeted Valentino Rossi’s Yamaha M1 (0.62) in the opening round of MotoGP in Qatar. We’ll be reporting in much more detail on the remarkable beastie in the next few days including an interview with the man behind the project. Sign up here to be notified of the full article and read on for more details and images.
The first 550 bhp US$300,000 Foose Coupe to be auctioned
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March 19, 2007 The Foose Coupe was conceived back in 1990 when Chip Foose was still a student at the Art Center College of Design, long before his designs became famous. The prototype Foose Coupe debuted at the 2006 SEMA show and caused such a sensation that a limited edition run of 50 coupes are to be built by MetalCrafters, each one tailored to the exact requirements of the customer, with prices starting at US$298,000. The mid-engined 550 bhp Mopar Hemi V8 engine Foose Coupe has a carbon fiber monocoque cabin mated to a modular steel space frame and planted to the pavement with a suspension by Hotchkis, Koni coil-over shock absorbers and a 6-piston Baer Brake system. Now the rights to the first production unit are to be sold at auction.
The Air Car - zero pollution and very low running costs
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March 19, 2007 Many respected engineers have been trying for years to bring a compressed air car to market, believing strongly that compressed air can power a viable "zero pollution" car. Now the first commercial compressed air car is on the verge of production and beginning to attract a lot of attention, and with a recently signed partnership with Tata, India’s largest automotive manufacturer, the prospects of very cost-effective mass production are now a distinct possibility. The MiniC.A.T is a simple, light urban car, with a tubular chassis that is glued not welded and a body of fibreglass. The heart of the electronic and communication system on the car is a computer offering an array of information reports that extends well beyond the speed of the vehicle, and is built to integrate with external systems and almost anything you could dream of, starting with voice recognition, internet connectivity, GSM telephone connectivity, a GPS guidance system, fleet management systems, emergency systems, and of course every form of digital entertainment. The engine is fascinating, as is and the revolutionary electrical system that uses just one cable and so is the vehicle’s wireless control system. Microcontrollers are used in every device in the car, so one tiny radio transmitter sends instructions to the lights, indicators etc Most importantly, the 68 mph Aircar is incredibly cost-efficient to run – according to the designers, it costs less than one Euro per 100Km (about a tenth that of a petrol car). Its mileage is about double that of the most advanced electric car (200 to 300 km or 10 hours of driving), a factor which makes a perfect choice in cities where the 80% of motorists drive at less than 60Km.
Formula One 2007 – Ferrari emphatically takes the first battle
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March 18, 2007 The first round of the 2007 Formula One championship got underway at Albert Park in Australia today, with Kimi Raikkonen claiming an emphatic first victory for Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro. Ferrari F1 supremo Jean Todt said, “a new chapter in Ferrari's history has got off to a very good start,” and well he might. Raikkonen led from pole to his first pit stop, briefly handed the lead to the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes of talented rookie Lewis Hamilton, then was never headed again. When the pace was at its hottest, he was close to a second a lap faster than his rivals. For McLaren Mercedes, two podiums secured it the manufacturers championship lead with 14 points, but Massa’s drive from last place into sixth means Ferrari trails by just a point.
Nissan Intelligent Transportation System moves to next phase of testing
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March 15, 2007 Nissan’s intelligent transportation system (ITS) project, which employs vehicle-to-infrastructure communication to enable synchronized communication between vehicles and traffic light signals, is about to begin the next test-phase. Nissan is installing the advanced traffic signal infrastructure within its Nissan Technical Center in Kanagawa to collect real-world vehicle data from several hundred employee cars participating in the project. The new advanced traffic system is designed to reduce accidents as well as ease traffic congestion, leading to improved on-the-road fuel consumption.
New tire with retractable studs
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We’re not sure whether the Qtire is named after Q the gadget guy of James Bond movie fame, but it would be entirely apt – the new qtire uses a patented all-weather tire technology for autos and trucks that enables studs to be extended from the surface of the tire in snow and ice, yet lie below the tread when not required. The retractable-stud tires incorporate an air bladder that pushes the studs out from inside the tire when needed, and deflates so the studs retract into the tire when not needed. The tires are not entirely maintenance free - the bladder needs to be refilled with air after the studs have been deployed around 50 times – not much effort for a significant improvement in safety.
Rare Mercedes-Benz Prototype Brings US$275,000
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March 13, 2007 The 1948 Mercedes-Benz A320 two-door cabriolet we wrote up in detail back in January has fetched AUD$350,000 (US$275,000) at auction. The imposing two-tone blue totally-restored vehicle, which was discovered in derelict state in Indonesia in the 1980s, was designed to revive Mercedes-Benz’s image as a luxury carmaker following the devastation of its German factories in World War II.
Enova’s Unique Post Transmission Hybrid Drive System
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March 13, 2007 Enova’s Post Transmission Hybrid System offers a very different way of looking at hybrid power transmission in automotive applications – it is a non-invasive system that requires almost no modification to chassis, body, or instrument panel. The system does not intrude on nor require any alteration to the Engine Control/Communication system, thus avoiding any emissions certification issues. The system monitors but does not impact anything within the existing engine and does not effect the existing engine calibration. The hybrid system can be designed as either a Charge Sustaining or Charge Depleting (“Plug In”) system. Depending on the route, fuel economy improvement is from 30% to 55% for a Post Transmission Charge Sustaining System, and 70-100% or better for Post Transmission Charge Depleting Systems. Perhaps retro-fitting hybrid systems to the existing national fleet might be the quickest way to reduce emissions.
Loeb and Citroen back on top at Rally of Mexico
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March 12, 2007 Sebastien Loeb (Citroen) took the Rally of Mexico today to become the first driver of the season to win two races, moving his own points score to within 4 points of Marcus Gronholm’s lead in the drivers' standings. Loeb’s 30th career victory was the first win on gravel for the new C4 car and he maintains an air of invincibility in the title chase. In the manufacturers title, a double podium by the BP-Ford World Rally Team saw it defend its sizeable points lead. Marcus Gronholm and Timo Rautiainen finished second in a Ford Focus RS World Rally Car on the demanding three-day gravel event in the mountains of central Mexico, while team-mates Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen were third in another Focus RS. As the first gravel round of the season, the dominant surface of the championship, Rally Mexico was viewed as the first true form guide for the year. Drivers tackled 20 speed tests covering 366.06km over dusty gravel tracks north and east of the rally base in León. The special stages climbed to more than 2700m and the thinner air at that altitude made it hard for engines to 'breathe'. As a result power output was reduced by about 30 per cent on usual levels.
Honda shows Small Hybrid Sports Concept Car
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March 9, 2007 Honda has unveiled a new hybrid sports concept car with a potent blend of sports performance and low emissions at the Geneva Motor Show. The Small Hybrid Sports Concept is a compact sports car that features advanced hybrid technology – proving stylish design and driving enjoyment can be combined with low environmental impact. It was designed by Honda R&D Europe, based in Offenbach, Germany.
The customisable youth car of 2020
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March 9, 2007 If like us, you find it hard to picture what a mobile phone might look like 15 years from now, try to imagine the car our childrens’ children will drive. Graduates from Coventry University’s Automotive-Design MA course recently began a project to develop a such a vehicle for the year 2020. The aim is to create a vehicle that can be easily customised to reflect the individualism of its owner, or the style and values of a group. The premise is that trendy teenagers create their own fashion and deliberately try to stand out from their peers. The idea of customising their car appeals to these people and encourages a stronger bond between the owner and their car. It’s a common trend with personalised iPods, mobile phones and other gadgets, and is something likely to grow. More than just superficial graphics, the interior of the car will also be customisable, with a gaming or music theme and option package.
Morgan breaks with tradition with plan for fuel-cell prototype
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March 9, 2007 It’s showtime at Morgan and the factory of the icon of traditional motoring is abuzz as the show cars are all pushed onto the tarmac (pictured), ready for transportation to Geneva for the season's biggest motor show. It’s exciting but we warrant not as exciting as this time next year when this very same alley will see the Morgan Lifecar which has been promised for next year’s show. Many British specialist sports car makers have fallen by the wayside, but Morgan just keeps on going – and now it’s looking to the future with a plan to be one of the first car makers to commercialise a hydrogen fuel-cell car. The company is famous for its traditional production methods, but for next year’s Geneva show managing director Charles Morgan announced a plan to launch the Morgan Life Car - a hydrogen-fuelled, zero-emissions car – but built using Morgan’s wooden-framed body. The car is intended to demonstrate that a zero emission vehicle can also be fun to drive. Artist’s impressions of the car show a vehicle shaped like the Aero 8, but with aerodynamic fairings covering the wheel arches. It will be a very lightweight car with a fuel cell hybrid powertrain, which will give it a 200-mile range. We first wrote about the LifeCar back in 2005. It’s being developed in partnership with hi-tech specialists including Cranfield University, QinetiQ, Oxford University, Linde AG and the Open Source Car Project (OSCar).
Spyker C12 Zagato unveiled
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March 8, 2007 If you haven’t heard the name Spyker before, we suspect you’ll hear it a lot more from now on as the aspiring Dutch Supercar maker is now trading in the black, has some aggressive new cars such as the Spyker D12 Peking-to-Paris Super Sports Utility Vehicle (SSUV) entering the marketplace, and is just about to begin competing in the most visible sporting event on the planet – Formula One. Spyker purchased the Midland F1 team, did a deal to secure Ferrari engines and hired Mike Gascoine as Chief Technical Officer – the group clearly doesn’t wish to remain in a rear field position. At Geneva, Spyker and Zagato announced the Spyker C12 Zagato, a limited edition of 24 sports cars. The idea for the car came from a discussion between Victor Muller, CEO of Spyker Cars, and Andrea Zagato, CEO of Zagato, at the Villa d’Este Concorso d’Eleganza. “Last April, at Villa d’Este, we sat down and discussed the increasing market demand for truly one-off and limited edition super sport cars,” said Muller. “In a certain sense the modern market is not unlike the 1930’s, where wealthy customers would order exotic bespoke designs from high-end coach builders on Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Delage, Delahaye and Isotta-Fraschini chassis, just to mention a few.” Norihiko Harada, Zagato’s Automotive Chief Designer, and Muller co-operated closely to design the rear wheel drive sports car, based on the Spyker C12 Spyder. The C12 is powered by the 6.0 liter, 12 cylinder, 500 bph W12 engine from Volkswagen and is equipped with a six-speed manual or automatic gear box with F1 style shifting, Chronoswiss instruments and a Zagato designed full leather interior with brushed aluminium instrument panel. The C12 Zagato has an aluminium body with stainless steel roof rails and has many F1 derived design details such as an F1 nose, air scoop, chimneys, mirrors, rain light, fuel flap and diffuser. It has a panoramic roof that features the Double Bubble, a typical Zagato style element. Top speed is 310 km/h (193 mph).
The 750 bhp 200 mph haute–couture Stola Coupe
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March 8, 2007 One of the more interesting new vehicles to be shown at the Geneva Motor Show is an extremely exclusive luxury coupe from the Stola Group. The coupe is the first of a family of cars to be produced in the near future by Stola that marry haute–couture with the automobile and only 25 will be built. The lucky few who will purchase this VERY expensive car will not only be able to define the interior and exterior of the car spawned by this concept, but even decide the name itself. Based on a Brabus V12 biturbo powertrain-platform, with a 6.3 litre engine producing 750 bhp and 1360 Nm of torque, the car boasts a top speed in excess of 330 Km/h (200 mph).
Toyota Hybrid X Concept
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March 7, 2007 Toyota ripped the covers off its Hybrid X at the Geneva Motor Show overnight with the reveal of a concept car that proposes a new design language for hybrid models, while also acting as an innovative technology showcase for future generation hybrid cars. Hybrid X is designed as a four-door, four-seat open-space concept and further extends the use of its Hybrid Synergy Drive.
ZAP adds solar option to electric Xebra Xero
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March 7,2007 After a positive response for its Xebra Xero, electric car pioneer ZAP has designed a solar option for the three-wheeled electric workhorse - a photovoltaic panel that ZAP says can offer short-distance driving on sunlight alone. ZAP intends to showcase the new Xebra Xero (pronounced zebra zero) Truck at up-coming industry events for automotive fleets. The Xebra truck is a city car, available as a 4-door sedan or 2-passenger truck, good for city driving up to 40 mph and will cost about US$12,000 with the Xero Solar Panel Option. The car recharges normally by plugging into a standard 110 volt outlet for a full charge in up to six hours and a 50 percent charge in 1.5 hours. The ZAP Truck converts into a flatbed or dump-bed that can tilt to allow maximum exposure to the sun.
Hyundai and GE Plastics develop the QarmaQ Advanced Technology Vehicle
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March 7, 2007 At the Geneva International Motor Show yesterday, Hyundai and GE Plastics presented the QarmaQ, Advanced Technology Demonstration Vehicle (ATDV) that showcases over 30 different environmentally progressive technologies led by the innovative “Elastic Front”, an innovative solution that can help reduce the risk of severe injuries in Crossover Utility Vehicles (CUV) pedestrian collisions. Designed at Hyundai Motor Europe's Design and Technical Center in Russelsheim and engineered in close cooperation with GE Plastics, QarmaQ develops and validates over 30 key technologies, which will be selectively incorporated into Hyundai’s new models to be rolled out from 2008-2014.
KIA RIO Hybrid
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March 7, 2007 To mark the massive expansion of Korea’s domestic hybrid vehicle development programme, Kia Motors is displaying a very special version of the Kia Rio Hybrid saloon at the 77th Salon de l’Automobiles in Geneva. The European premiere of the Kia hybrid comes on top of the recent announcement that Kia and Hyundai are to supply the Korean Ministry of the Environment with an additional 3,390 hybrid vehicles over the next two years, as part of the country’s on-going programme of ‘real-world’ testing to develop hybrid vehicles for the future. The Kia Rio Hybrid saloon created by Kia R&D to take part in these ‘real-world’ test fleet activities, features a unique powertrain with a 1.4-litre petrol engine, mated to a 12kW, 95 Nm AC synchronised electric motor and a CVT gearbox.
The BMW M3 Concept Car
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March 7, 2007 For two decades, the BMW M3 has embodied the athletic heart of the brand in its most fundamental and succinct form. Now BMW has given us an inkling of the future of this lineage with the presentation of the new BMW M3 Concept Car. The concept study being presented to the public for the first time at the 77th International Motor Show in Geneva (8th to 18th of March, 2007) gives a first impression of what a future BMW M3 might look like. At the core of this concept study is an M3-typical V8 engine tuned to the high revving M concept.
Citroen’s six wheel cruise crosser concept
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March 7, 2007 Citroen has teamed up with the world famous Espera Sbarro School to develop the Cruise Crosser all-terrain concept car. Based on Citroen’s first SUV, the C-Crosser, also making its world debut at Geneva, the new concept features three axles and six wheels to provide outstanding traction to tackle even the harshest of off-road conditions. The vehicle is designed to tackle the roughest possible road and weather conditions.
The Bentley Brooklands Limited Edition Coupe
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March 7, 2007 Bentley has taken the wraps off a very exclusive coupe which it will call the Bentley Brooklands. The motivation behind the new coupe is Bentley’s proud sporting pedigree, forged by the exploits of the immortal ‘Bentley Boys’ on the famous Brooklands racetrack in the 1920s. The stunning new model marks the company’s return to the luxury coupe market with just 550 of the machines to be built. It is the ultimate Bentley: a stylish, four-seat, grand touring coupe with classic British proportions and muscular performance from the most powerful V8 engine Bentley has ever produced – a 530bhp, twin-turbocharged 6.75-litre unit that also produces a prodigious 1050Nm of torque.
Abarth reborn – the return of the scorpion!
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March 4, 2007 Fiat is relaunching one of the motor industry’s legendary performance and sporting car brands this week at the Geneva International Motor Show, when it takes the wraps off its new Grande Punto Abarth, the first of a new range of high performance and sporting Fiats, as well as performance and sporting kits for the Fiat range. Fiat supremo, Luca de Meo, decided some time ago that Abarth had to be much more than a badge attached to certain models in the Fiat range. So a new Abarth division of the company will run its own racing and rally teams, starting with the successful Grande Punto Abarth S2000, which won both the Italian and European Rally Championship titles last year, in its debut season. The new Abarth division will also prepare racing and rally cars for customers in a wide range of series and one make championships. For road car customers, Abarth will develop new models for the Fiat range, starting with the Grande Punto Abarth, as well as developing performance and styling packages for the owners of existing Fiat products.
Subaru's new Impreza WRC contender
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March 4, 2007 The Subaru World Rally Team (SWRT) has released details of the latest evolution of its rally challenger, the Impreza WRC2007, which will make its competitive debut in the fourth WRC round of 2007 next weekend at Rally Mexico in the hands of Petter Solberg and Chris Atkinson. Although outwardly similar to its predecessor, a number of key engineering improvements have justified the production of a new car for the remainder of this season. As the basis of a rally winning machine, few cars can match the competitive pedigree of the. First launched in 1992, the Impreza road car has developed in tandem with its rallying counterpart and over the last 13 seasons, has scored 46 WRC victories and lessons learned on the rally stages have been fed back into the production model. The targets were to produce a car with a more responsive front end with better traction and more balanced tyre wear, particularly on longer stages. To achieve that, SWRT applied a different philosophy into areas such as weight distribution, suspension geometry and differential set-ups.
Flower Power - Koenigsegg's 1018 bhp biofuel-burning CCXR
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March 3, 2007 When Bugatti unveiled the Veyron supercar, many people thought the ongoing contests for the world’s fastest, most powerful, and most expensive car in history were over – many motoring scribes wrote that due to increasing environmental concerns and the immense cost of developing a faster car, we’d never see the like of it again. It’s figure of 1001 bhp so completely eclipsed the previous best-of-breed cars such as the Koenigsegg CCX's 806 bhp that quite realistically, the game appeared to be over. Volkswagen spent so much money developing the Veyron, that although the car sells for UKP840,000 (US$1,630,000), when the all-up cost of development is added, they should be charging roughly UKP 5 million (US$9,700,000) per vehicle just to break even. No other manufacturer would be prepared to take a hit like that. Everything about the Veyron, from its 64 valve, quad turbocharger, W16 (16 cylinders in 4 banks of 4 cylinders) 8.0 litre engine, it’s dual-clutch DSG computer-controlled seven speed manual transmission, to its remarkable brakes are thoroughly engineered to enable the 1890 kg projectile to travel safely at over 400 km/h. Now Koenigsegg has surpassed the Bugatti’s power output, and is likely to threaten the Veyron’s 407 km/h top speed too. In a wonderful example of how a small goal-focussed team can achieve the seemingly unattainable, Swedish supercar manufacturer Koenigsegg has announced details of a new variant of its 806 bhp CCX which will run Biofuel. Due to the fact that the biofuel has higher octane and better cooling characteristics, the power has gone up 25% to 1018 bhp at 7200 rpm and torque is up 10% to 1060 nm at 6100 rpm, compared to the “standard” CCX’s 806 bhp at 6,900 rpm and 920 Nm at 5,700 rpm. Even though the low and exclusive production volume of Koenigsegg is hardly likely to have a measurable impact on the Co2 problem faced by global society, it is an impressive statement that a small company can afford to develop environmentally focussed solutions.
