Automotive
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.
Toyota's versatile Compact A-BAT Concept Vehicle
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January 14, 2008 Toyota rolled out a concept vehicle with direct roots to its heritage at NAIAS this week. The hybrid A-BAT is positioned below the Toyota Tacoma, and integrates truck features with car fundamentals, providing roominess, style and our favorite characteristic, versatility. The compact pickup architecture is designed to be equally as capable of manoeuvring the suburbs as dirt roads, as comfortable for long commutes as it is for road trips, as accommodating of outdoor toys as home improvement supplies. Inside the A-BAT has a retractable portable navigation unit, Wi-Fi Internet, portable device assistant synchronization, a hard drive for digital music and solar panels on the dash recapture energy from the sun to assist in the charging of the navigation unit, portable power pack and backlit information displays.
Audi adds a sportier version of the TT sports car
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January 11, 2008 The ‘S’ emblem that spells extraordinary performance in the Audi range graces the TT for the first time this month in a new, even more focused version of the iconic sports car debuting at the North American International Auto Show (January 19-27). Available mid-2008 in both Coupe and Roadster body styles, the TTS earns its esteemed badge through the adoption of a specially developed, 272bhp Turbo FSI petrol engine complemented by state-of-the-art chassis technology.
The world’s cheapest new car – just US$2500
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January 11, 2008 If you haven’t heard of India’s Tata Motor Company, rest assured you’ll certainly be hearing a lot more about it very soon. Tata is about to give the world’s automotive manufacturers a landmark lesson in production efficiency with the release of a 100,000 rupee car – that’s US$2500, brand spanking new. Unveiled last night, the Tata NANO, will bring motoring within the reach of millions when it is launched in India later in 2008. Like the four-minute-mile, now we’re aware that it can be done, we suspect that the auto industry is in for another shake-up thanks to the flow-on effects precipitated by this long-time innovative Indian company. Not yet impressed? Then try this for size – Tata Group has been named by Ford as the preferred buyer for its two up-for-sale brands, Jaguar and Land Rover.
Jaguar XK 120 C – brand new – US$133,000
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If you’ve ever lusted after a Mercedes 300 SLR, Jaguar XK 120 C or Aston Martin DB3S, no doubt your enthusiasm waned when you checked out the cost. The XK 120 C (C-Type) sold new for US$6000, twice the price of an XK120. A genuine, healthy C-Type will now set you back more than a million, and the 1953 Le Mans winner would be valued in excess of US$4 million if it was for sale (it’s not). Replicas are available from a variety of sources but few come with the heritage of Proteus which has been producing all aluminum bodied sports cars for two decades. Under new management, the company is now in expansion mode and is seeking international distribution for its thoroughly authentic US$133,000 replica. Even better news is the plan to extend the range to include SS100, XKSS, and D-Type Jaguars, Aston Martin DB3S and Mercedes Benz 300SLR.
The 225 bhp 700kg Avocet sports car surfaces
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January 10, 2008 After teasing us with sketches for some time now, the new ultra-lightweight two-seater Avocet British sportscar with exceptional chassis dynamics and a remarkable power-to-weight ratio (and hence performance) is to be unveiled later today at the 2008 Autosport International Show in Birmingham. Available with a 225bhp Ford 2-litre Duratec engine, the Avocet has an all-up weight of around 700 kilograms which is expected to make the car extremely competitive.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 .
2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 to top 200mph - NEW IMAGES
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Chevrolet has announced details of the 2009 Corvette ZR1 with the promise of an American supercar that will establish new benchmarks for production-based power and performance. Coming almost two decades after the official launch of the Corvette ZR1 at the Geneva Auto Show way back in 1989, the 2009 ZR1 features a long list of specialized components that include extensive use of carbon-fiber paneling and an all-new LS9 supercharged 6.2L V-8 that's expected to punch out 620 horsepower (462 kW) with around 595 lb.-ft. of torque (823 Nm). Though full performance specs will not be released until the summer 2008 launch draws closer, predictions are that the new ZR1 will be the first production Corvette to achieve a top speed of at least 200 mph, making it the the most powerful and fastest automobile ever produced by General Motors and giving it the muscle to claim dominance over international competition like the Porsche 911 GT2, the Ferrari 599 and the Lamborghini LP640.
One-off 1929 Ruxton alligator roadster up for auction
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December 21, 2007 In recent months we've covered a number of the spectacular rare automobiles set to go under the hammer at the 37th Annual Barrett-Jackson Auction. Now, just weeks away from the event, news that another pre-war classic - the only 1929 Muller Front Drive Ruxton Engineer Prototype "alligator" Roadster ever built - will be among the more than 1100 vehicles up for grabs.
FORUM: Nissan's advanced mini-van design concept
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December 21, 2007 In a further exploration of the theme of automobile as communal space displayed by the Round Box Concept shown in Tokyo this year, Nissan will unveil its FORUM concept at the 2008 North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January. The FORUM integrates a number of design features and communications technologies aimed at creating a family-friendly environment including trackless sliding side doors, the elimination of traditional B-pillars, versatile second row "Turntable Seating", an advanced Bose® Media System, multi-camera external monitoring, a built-in microwave and a "Kids Cam" monitoring system which allows adults to keep an eye on back seat mayhem via 2nd and 3rd row cameras mounted in the headliner and connected to the main instrument panel LCD display.
Toyota Prius turns 10
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December 19, 2007 This month marks the 10th anniversary of Toyota's landmark Prius hybrid-vehicle. Since the launch of the first generation model in Japan on December 15, 1997, approximately 900,000 vehicles have been sold worldwide - a drop in the ocean relative to total vehicle sales, but still a significant number that points to the important role the car has played in raising the profile of hybrid technology and proof that the public are willing to pay a premium for the fuel consumption and eco-friendly benefits it offers.
New York to expand diesel-electric hybrid bus fleet
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December 19, 2007 Public transport organizations in the USA and Canada have ordered a total of 1052 Orion VII Next Generation diesel-electric hybrid buses with New York to have the largest diesel-electric hybrid bus fleet in the world by 2010.
Mitsubishi plan clean diesel assault on 2009 Dakar
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December 18, 2007 Mitsubishi will use what must be the worlds toughest proving ground - the 2008 Dakar Rally - to garner technical feedback on the company's new high-performance clean diesel engines with a view to fully introducing the technology at the Dakar in 2009. Aiming for its 8th consecutive Dakar victory, Mitsubishi aims to derive durability and endurance data essential to the future development of clean diesel engines already seen in its Concept-cX and Concept-RA vehicles.
Land Rover to debut LRX Concept - UPDATED NEW IMAGES
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December 18, 2007 Land Rover will use the Detroit Motor Show (NAIAS) in January as the launch platform for its new LRX Concept - a 3-door, compact 4WD that hints at a future broadening of design philosophy for the company as it joins other manufacturers in gravitating toward smaller, lighter, low-emissions vehicles. Labeled a "cross-coupé" and smaller than Freelander 2, the LRX aims to retain the distinctive Land Rover design flavor despite its reduced footprint, which features a smaller frontal area to enhance aerodynamic performance - boosting fuel efficiency and reducing C02 emissions - and integrates a number of interior design innovations to create the impression of a spacious, airy cabin as well as maintain practical load carrying capability.
Aston Martin unveils V12 Vantage RS Concept Car
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December 13, 2007 The wraps have been lifted on Aston Martin’s 600bhp, V12 Vantage RS concept. Based the V8 Vantage coupe, the new Concept combines a low kerb weight of less than 1600kg with the formidable horses provided by the race-developed 6.0 litre V12 to give it a power-to-weight ratio of over 375bhp per ton. On the speedo this translates to 0-62mph (100km/h) in 4.0 seconds and 0-100mph (160km/h) in just 8.5 seconds, making it Aston Martin’s fastest accelerating road car to date.
Mazda to premiere Furai Concept in Detroit
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December 13, 2007 The Mazda Furai concept vehicle will make its World debut alongside the new Mazda RX-8 sports car at the 2008 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in January. Details of the Furai ("Sound of the wind") are still thin on the ground ahead of the launch and just one teasing image has been released, but the car will continue to extend the Nagare (Japanese for “flow”) design language most recently showcased in the radical Mazda Taiki Concept which premiered at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show in October.
New Mercedes-Benz system warns sleepy drivers
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Alcohol and speed are rightfully targeted as major causes of road accidents, but another deadly factor - falling asleep at the wheel - is not always given the profile it deserves in developing strategies to combat the road toll. In an effort to make driving safer for both the occupants of the vehicle and their fellow road users, Mercedes-Benz is working on a system that recognizes tiredness-related changes in personal driving style and warns the driver when it's time to take a break. Now entering the final stages of development and expected to go into series production in 2009, the Attention Assist system constantly monitors typical driving patterns to establish an individual profile and makes a decision on whether the driver is becoming tired when there is deviation from this saved data.
MILES ZX40ST all-electric work truck
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December 11, 2007 Commuters aren't the only ones set to benefit from the coming revolution in zero-emissions transport with all-electric light trucks like the low-speed MILES ZX40ST offering a viable, eco-friendly and cost-effective alternative to traditional internal combustion vehicles.
F1 shock: no more engine development allowed for 10 years
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December 10, 2007 Last Friday, at the World Motor Sport Council in Monaco, the FIA, which governs Formula One racing, made a decision to immediately freeze engine development for the next 10 years. Unbelievably, the engine each F1 team presents and homologates by the end of next March will be the engine that team races until 2017 – and the billions of Euros normally spent on engine development will be channeled into peripheral systems. The FIA sees development outside the engine, such as with Kinetic Energy Recovery, as a far more valuable contribution to road car development than spending money on squeezing another 1000rpm and 30 horsepower out of an engine that's already spinning three times as fast as the one in your family sedan.
Volkswagen's fuel cell powered space up! blue
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December 10, 2007 The zero emissions space up! blue is the third in Volkswagen's up! concept range currently being showcased in a global tour of major auto industry events. Like the space up!, the "blue" is a micro-van designed to provide the carrying capacity of a larger vehicle, but what separates the new variant is the powerplant - a rear-mounted, all-electric 45 kW (61 PS) motor utilizes the world’s first high temperature fuel cell and twelve lithium-ion batteries plus there's a large solar panel on the roof that feeds up to 150 Watts of extra energy into the battery.
Modec electric vehicle debuts in America
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December 5, 2007 UK based Modec is continuing to expand the market for its electric zero emission vehicles, making its American debut at the 23rd Electrical Vehicle Symposium from December 2-5. The Modec Vehicle is capable of a 100 mile range at up to 50 miles per hour, and with a payload of up to two tones. Impressively, it’s also comparable to diesel vehicles in total cost of ownership – and the lack of tax and congestion charge form a great incentive to fleet companies.
Can’t find your car? DON’T WORRY, HERE I AM!
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December 5, 2007 Now here's an interesting statistic: an estimated 12 million shopping hours are expected to be spent looking for lost cars this month in the UK alone as forgetful motorists struggle to remember where they parked amidst the Christmas rush. One solution offered by Chevrolet is to have your car shout at you so you know where to find it.
Citroen's Nemo Concetto people carrier Concept
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December 4, 2007 Citroen will roll-out a concept people carrier version of the company’s soon to be released new compact van at the Bologna Motor Show in Italy (7-16 December). Taking its name and its styling cues from the popular Disney animation "Finding Nemo", the Citroën Nemo Concetto sports the distinctive orange, black and white clownfish color scheme with the theme continuing into the vehicle's interior.
Pre-war classic and modern muscle added to auction list
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December 3, 2007 We've covered several of the automotive masterpieces set to star in the upcoming Barrett Jackson auction such as the rare 1935 Rolls Royce Phantom II and the one-off 1963 Ford Thunderbird “Italien” concept car, now news of more noteworthy
additions including a ‘33 Duesenberg J Dual Cowl Phaeton and a 2008 Concept ‘Cuda.
New Toyota driving simulator: the world's biggest arcade game?
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December 1, 2007 Toyota has unveiled a huge driving simulator designed to recreate realistic driving environments and further the analysis of driving habits and reactions for the development of active safety technology.
Nissan to launch "Long Way Down" branded 4WDs
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November 30, 2007 Nissan has announced plans for special versions of both the Navara Pickup and Patrol 4x4 to mark the company's involvement with Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman's "Long Way Down" expedition - a 15,000 mile motorcycle trek from John O'Groats at the Northern tip of Scotland to Cape Town in South Africa.
Porsche announces modern interpretation of 1960s racecar
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In case you ever wondered, the word "Spyder" simply refers to a sporty, "speedy" convertible. It harks back to the days of horse-drawn carriages where it was used to describe small, light two-seater carriages with a simple folding sunshade on top secured by four bows that looked like, well a spider sitting on top of the carriage. The name has made its way through into the auto business, and has been particularly popular on Euro sportsters with the latest example from Porsche being the limited edition Boxter RS 60 Spyder. The German company plans to produce only 1,960 of them in homage to the groundbreaking, "giant-killing" Porsche Type 718 RS 60 that blitzed the larger, more powerful competition in 1960's 12 hours of Sebring endurance race, and kicked off a successful streak in motorsport for the company.
BERU develops automated tyre pressure monitoring system for extreme-weather buses
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November 28, 2007 When tyre pressures drop below the optimal number, vehicles begin to suffer increased fuel consumption, increased tyre wear, increased risk of blowouts, and a reduction in braking and handling performance – which explains the rapid rise in the popularity of automated tyre pressure monitor systems. Fitting such a system to a bus that needs to operate in extreme weather conditions has its own set of design challenges, as BERU engineers discovered in the development of a system for Canada's Nova bus system.
MITSUBISHI Concept-RA set for Detroit debut
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November 28, 2007 Mitsubishi has released tantalizing design sketches of its Concept-RA ahead of the car's world premiere at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in January 2008. With a view to rolling high-performance, low-emissions and fuel efficiency into one package, the coupe Concept features the all-wheel control system and automated manual transmission used in the Lancer Evolution X and is powered by a turbo-charged, 2.2-liter, 4-cylinder, DOHC, 16-valve clean-diesel engine that delivers a maximum output of 150 kW (204 PS) and maximum torque of 420 Nm (42.8 kg-m).
Zeroshift adapts revolutionary instant-shift transmission to trucks and buses
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November 28, 2007 We've written before about Zeroshift's ground-breaking development of an exceptionally efficient automated manual transmission that does away with synchromesh and allows instantaneous shifting with zero torque interruption. For such a highly coveted performance and efficiency gain, the Zeroshift system is also much cheaper to produce than other high-performance gearshift systems such as continuously variable and dual-clutch transmissions. Now the UK company has announced a heavy-duty version suitable for trucks, buses and other commercial vehicles.
