Automotive
BMW Mille Miglia Concept Coupe
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May 12, 2006 The world’s most expensive travelling museum gets its annual showing this weekend when the fabled Mille Miglia is run over the original course from Brescia to Rome and back. The most famous motor race in the world in the immediate pre- and post-WW2 period, the Mille Miglia was held on public roads over 1000 miles with Sterling Moss setting a record for the journey in a Mercedes 300 SLR averaging 157.65kph in 1955. Banned in the late fifties, it is now run as a reliability trial where some of the most memorable automobiles in motoring history participate. Each year more than 20 cars are liberated from motoring museums to drive in the event, and the total value of the 375 entries would be in the hundreds of millions of dollars. This year, the magic of the event was heightened when BMW unveiled a concept vehicle to commemorate the BMW 328 Touring Coupe which won the event in 1940. The chances it will ever be built are very low – which is an enormous shame because under that gorgeous skin are the mechanicals of the 252 kW BMW Z4 M Coupe. Perhaps there’s a market for retro sports cars built with modern methodology? Read More
Mazda to release limited edition driver-focused RX-8 PZ
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May 9, 2006 Mazda is set to introduce an even more ‘focused’ version of its highest performance, four-door, sports coupe. On sale in the UK from 1 July it will be called the ‘Mazda RX-8 PZ’. Based on the 231ps high-power version of Mazda RX-8 with leather trim, the PZ has been further developed by Mazda jointly with leading motorsport company Prodrive, and specialist component suppliers Bilstein, Eibach and OZ Racing. Mazda’s brief to Prodrive was to build on the attributes of the RX-8 and create a special model that delivers greater driver involvement and an even more rewarding motoring experience, with enhanced ride and handling, while staying true to the original concept and without compromising the car’s passenger comfort as a unique four-seater sports car. Ensuring a touch of exclusivity, just 800 examples of the Mazda RX-8 PZ will be available, priced at UKP 25,995 on-the-road with an insurance rating of 17E compared to 16E for the standard RX-8 231ps model. Read More
Mount, power, and play your iPod in your car
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May 9, 2006 FM transmitters are a great way of taking your MP3 player on the road with you, though the quality of these items has traditionally varied between terrible and acceptable. Early reports on Belkin’s two new TuneBase FM products for the iPod suggest that the product’s improved built-in FM-transmission technologies exceed all expectations offering crisp and clean audio performance. Not surprisingly, sales have gone off with such a bang that demand has outstripped supply and the units are temporarily out of stock. The compelling factors include that both (one for all iPods except the shuffle and another smaller unit for the diminutive iPod nano) let you power, charge and listen to your iPod simultaneously, both utilise the iPod LCD for tuning and the flexible-steel neck offers easy repositioning so it’s where you want it so you don’t drive off the road while changing music. If you have an iPod and you spend a lot of time in the car, this US$80 product is an investment in lifestyle. Read More
The unique Mercedes-Benz Museum concept
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May 6, 2006 On May 19, 2006, the new Mercedes-Benz Museum will open its doors to the public putting another must-see on the map of the automobile enthusiast. This new building at the gates of the parent plant in Stuttgart-Unterturkheim (Germany) is far more than a home to 120 years of automotive history. The museum was created in a very similar process to that of a new car series. First it was conceived and rough-sketched in the mind and with computer assistance. All parties involved entered unknown territory with the concept. Prototypes of the structure were designed, some even full-scale, to test the feasibility of the idea. As everything gradually neared completion, an intensive test run was conducted to put the entire museum to the acid test. Now the new model is ready. It stands for the brand and its values and is intended to display the permanent innovative spirit of the Mercedes-Benz culture which professes that innovations are the milestones on the way to the future. Read More
General Motors, DaimlerChrysler and BMW premiere two-mode hybrid technology
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June 19, 2006 UPDATED with extensive image and diagram library Details of the hybrid drive system under co-development by General Motors, DaimlerChrysler and BMW have been released and the new system is quite a technological feat due to the full integration of electric motors with a fixed-gear transmission. As a result of its low- and high-speed electric continuously variable transmission (ECVT) modes, the system is commonly referred to as the 2-mode hybrid. The system also incorporates four fixed gear ratios for high efficiency and power-handling capabilities. During the two ECVT modes and four fixed gear operations, the hybrid system can use the electric motors for boosting and regenerative braking. Traditional “one-mode” hybrid systems typically have only one torque-splitting arrangement and no fixed mechanical ratios. Due to their less capable mechanical content, one-mode hybrids need to transmit a significant amount of power through an electrical path that is 20 percent less efficient than a mechanical path. Working collaboratively, the group has conceived a full hybrid system featuring four fixed mechanical ratios, within the two ECVT modes, to reduce power transmission through the less efficient electrical path. Consequently, the electric motors are more compact and less dependent on engine size. Read More
Happy birthday to Porsche
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April 27, 2006 We’re forever missing birthday’s and we missed a biggie this week when Porsche Engineering Group GmbH, the oldest forerunner company preceding Porsche AG as we know it today, turned 75. On 25 April 1931 Ferdinand Porsche founded an Engineering Office in Stuttgart under the name "Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung, Konstruktion und Beratung für Motoren- und Fahrzeugbau" ("Dr. Ing. h. c. F. Porsche Ltd., Construction and Consultancy Company for Engine and Vehicle Production"), and subsequently had the new Company entered in the trade register. There are few males on Planet Eart who haven’t lusted after one of Porsche’s products and we have some lovely images of the company’s finest work in the image database. Read More
Schumacher and Ferrari take San Marino F1
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April 24, 2006 Ferrari F1 supremo Jean Todt had this to say when Michael Schumacher scored a narrow win over Fernando Alonso in Sunday's San Marino Grand Prix at Imola: "When I was going up to the podium, I said to Michael that I could not remember the way anymore, as it had been such a long time since the last victory!” The result came courtesy of hard work and was “all the better coming in front of so many of our fans and employees who filled their own grandstand here.” Ferrari's win moves Schumacher to second in the Drivers' championship, and gives Ferrari 30 points in the World Championship to Renault's 51 and McLaren's 33. Renault F1 Managing director Flavio Briatore, after this week giving notice he would be extending his contract with the ultra-successful Renault team, thought it was just another day at the office. “We had both cars in the points, Fernando has a big lead in the drivers’ championship, and it was another good team performance today,” said the colourful power player. Sadly, the drama of the event surrounded the historic circuit’s reputation as one on which it is almost impossible to overtake. Schumacher started from pole so raging championship favourite Fernando Alonso could only hope to pressure his rival into a mistake that never came. Schumacher had every reason to make a mistake, as his tyres were suffering “a bit of graining” and he drove a large portion of the race at modest speeds but on the limits of adhesion. Read More
FUSE Sports Coupe Concept
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April 13, 2006 - Scion, a brand of Toyota Motor Sales unveiled the all-new FUSE Sports Coupe Concept vehicle at a press conference today at the 2006 New York Auto International Show.FUSE was designed to be the new Scion sports coupe icon. Its goal was to push the limits of a coupe concept by combining entertainment, digital technology, and versatility into one sinister looking package. Most importantly, its styling makes a visual statement about its intention to expand the performance envelope among affordable, entry-level sport coupes. Read More
Rent-A-Racer Shelby GT350H (for Hertz)
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April 14, 2006 EXTENSIVE IMAGE LIBRARY UPDATED In a throwback to the famed Shelby GT350H "Rent-A-Racer" program from the 1960s, Ford Motor Company, Shelby Automobiles and The Hertz Corporation are partnering to produce a special run of performance-modified Ford Mustang GTs – designated Shelby GT-H, for "Hertz" – that will be available for rent later this spring exclusively through Hertz. Approximately 500 units will be available through the Hertz Fun Collection at select airport locations Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Nevada, Oregon and Washington. Weeehahhh!
Nespresso InCar coffee machine concept
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April 10, 2006 – “Design” and “innovation” were the buzz words this week as thousands converged at the Milan furniture fair Salone del Mobile. Creativity was also flowing at the Triennale, one of the primary centers for emerging trends of modern decorative and industrial arts, as the winners of the 2005 Nespresso Design Contest were announced. We love the the capsule-based single cup coffee concept which has grown remarkably over the last decade through the likes of Nespresso, Senseo, Tassimo et al. Given the compact nature of the pod-based coffee systems, Nespresso initiated a design contest encouraging European design students to explore and consider new innovations in the coffee lifestyle without boundaries—freeing themselves from traditional conceptions of coffee and coffee preparation. Students were also urged to consider how coffee rituals will evolve in the future. The results were fantastic, with the winning concept a “Nespresso Card” which holds coffee preferences for registered individuals, thus enabling them to access their favorite coffee anytime, anywhere. For our money though, the second-placed “Nespresso InCar” coffee machine aroused the most interest. Though only a concept we’ve got three people in our office alone who would buy one. The idea is that the machine fits conveniently into the centre console of a car and doubles as an armrest when travelling. Read More
F1 Round 3: Renault F1 streets the field again in Melbourne
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April 3, 2006 Reigning World F1 champion Fernando Alonso may be beginning to rue his decision to move to McLaren next year as the Renault F1 team again displayed complete dominance in yesterday’s third round of the Formula One World Championship in Melbourne. Alonso took his tenth career victory after starting from third position on the grid in an action-packed race which featured no fewer than four safety car periods. The Spaniard took the lead on lap 4 at the end of the first safety car period, in a perfectly-judged manoeuvre on pole-sitter Jenson Button’s Honda, and only relinquished it briefly during the first round of pit-stops. It was not so much the win that was scarey about the Renault peroformance – it was the ease with which Alonso drove away from the best of the rest whenever the safety car pulled off the track – the advantage is so great that Renault’s world championship already looks safe. Giancarlo Fisichella was forced to start from the pit-lane after his R26 stalled on the grid, but a determined, forceful drive saw him claim fifth position right on the line, overtaking Button’s stricken Honda on the finishing straight. The result leaves the Renault F1 Team with a nineteen point championship lead over its nearest rival, and Alonso leads the individual title by 14 points from his teammate Giancarlo Fisichella and McLaren’s Kimi Raikkonen. Read More
Acura To Debut New MDX Concept At New York International Auto Show
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March 29, 2006 Celebrating its 20th anniversary as a brand, Acura overnight announced plans to debut a concept version of the all-new MDX luxury sport-utility vehicle, April 12, at the New York International Auto Show and released an artist's rendering of the new vehicle. Scheduled to debut later this year, the 2007 Acura MDX will be the second generation of Acura's luxury SUV to be designed, developed and manufactured exclusively in North America. "The 2007 MDX will speak clearly to the advanced image of Acura and promises to put MDX solidly at the front of the pack with a striking new image, new technology and performance unmatched in the segment," said Honda’s Dick Colliver. "The designers and engineers working on this new MDX have a tremendous passion for this product that will be evident in all aspects of its design and performance."
Renault F1 takes 1-2 in round 2 and rockets to championship favoritism
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March 20, 2006 A day can make a big difference in any form of sport, but perhaps none as pronounced as in Motorsport. Just a week ago, in the first round of the championship, the rule changes that will define a new era in Formula One appeared to have levelled the competitiveness of the field. Renewed pace from Ferrari, reliability from McLaren and Honda, and promise from Williams and BMW looked to have made for a season of intruige and a broadly contested title. But following the application of the Malaysian blowtorch, Renault now appears set to successfully defend its Formula One dual crown. The French team that gave Fernando Alonso his first Formula One crown last year has already demonstrated in 2006 that it has the speed and the reliability to run two cars at the front all year and yesterday was the first one-two for the blue and gold since Renault returned to the sport as a works manufacturer in the 2002 season and only its second in history. It was a day for technology too as Ferrari debuted a new brake cooling drum (technical details here) - an evolution of similar devices seen on cars last year, but Ferrari have taken it to its extreme. The cooling drum not only covers the brake disc and calliper, preventing heat being transferred to the wheel rim, it also completely fills the space inside the wheel rim, not only improving brake cooling, but also dramatically reducing the vortices generated by the rotation of the wheels, hence making this area more aerodynamically efficient. Other news included the coolest new helmet for some members of the Renault pit-crew and young lion Nico Rosberg who was once again the talk of the paddock with third fastest in qualifying before an engine failure wrecked his race. Read More
Fioravanti Fiat Punto Skill Concept
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March 11, 2006 One of Europe's leading styling and design companies, Fioravanti, revealed an open top version of the new Fiat Punto it has dubbed the Skill, and which is the star of the company’s stand at the Geneva Show. Indeed, the Skill would appear to be the ideal small car for a summer lifestyle, with its combination of a flip-top glass roof that drops down behind the seats in a matter of seconds and a pick-up load bay. Read More
Volkswagen and Microsoft display multimedia and communication automotive concept at the CeBIT
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March 9, 2006 One of the more interesting exhibits (among thousands) at the CeBIT exhibition opening today is the Volkswagen Eos, which looks at what tomorrow's automotive multimedia and communication functions might be. Created in collaboration with Microsoft, the Eos is on display at the Microsoft stand in the new CeBIT "Digital Living" area. Based on a car PC from inperio Systems with an Intel Celeron Processor (650 MHz), a RAM with 256 MB and a hard drive with 20 GB, the user enjoys all the functions that he has at home. The data processor is centrally located in the backrests of the rear seats and two seven inch monitors are installed in the head restraints of the front seats. Read More
Car Makers and fuel suppliers unite to promote synthetic fuels in Europe
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March 8, 2006 The Alliance for Synthetic Fuels in Europe (ASFE) was launched yesterday. At a conference held in Brussels and attended by European Commissioners Gunter Verheugen and Andris Piebalgs and Austrian Minister for Environment Josef Proll, leading automotive manufacturers and fuel supply companies layed out their common vision of sustainable mobility in Europe. Founding members of the Alliance of Synthetic Fuels in Europe (ASFE) - DaimlerChrysler, Renault, Royal Dutch Shell, Sasol Chevron and the Volkswagen group – addressed the strategic role of synthetic fuels in tackling today’s energy and environmental challenges and reducing the environmental impact of road transport through improved energy efficiency and the use of cleaner fuels. Read More
Macarena Concept has folding glass roof
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March 8, 2006 French automotive manufacturer Heuliez is showing a unique concept vehicle on its stand at the Geneva International Motor. The Macarena Concept Car has a glass roof with a difference. The three glass panels automatically fold and compactly store themselves away into the trunk in order to offer plenty of luggage space. The Macarena name came from the likeness to the way the two roof arches fold like the arms of the dancers in the famous Macarena dance. The roof can have a substantial span and is hence particularly suitable for turning larger four door cars with four comfortable seats into an elegant and sporty coupe-cabriolet. Though the Macarena is based on the Peugeot 407, Heuliez is hoping to license the system to auto manufacturers around the world. Read More
BMW Motorsport announces ready-to-race Z4 M Coupe
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March 7, 2006 BMW Motorsport has torn the wraps of its ready-to-race two seater. Designed for enthusiast customers who ache to post a competitive time at the famed Nordschleife as much as for professional touring and production car race teams around the world. The Motorsport Version of the BMW Z4 M Coupe, which itself has only just been revealed in production guise, is the first two-seater BMW Motorsport has offered for customer teams. Read More
Honda’s 200 bhp Civic Type R Concept set for 2007 delivery
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March 6, 2006 With a level of success way beyond Honda's initial expectations, the Civic Type R which ended production last year proved a smash hit among those seeking the thrills of a sporty, high performance car, yet still delivering a strong dose of practicality at an affordable price. That dual personality thrilled over 35,000 customers, far exceeding Honda’s initial sales forecasts during its relatively short production run. The bold styling of the Civic Type R Concept unveiled at Geneva last week provides a clear indication of how the final production car will appear. Honda engineers have designed a 'superhatch' to deliver blistering performance (200 bhp). The aggressive, lower and wider-looking body encases a new 2.0 litre DOHC i-VTEC engine and the model, built in Britain, will go on sale in early 2007 priced around UKP18,000. Expect to see more 3 door versions at the London Motor Show in July. Read More
Koenigsegg completely re-engineers one of the world's fastest cars - the CCX
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March 5, 2006 On a good day with a stiff tail wind and a very long piece of very private road, the new Koenigsegg is one of just two road cars in the world capable of touching 400 km/h. Named the Competition Coupe X (CCX), the car commemorates the 10th anniversary of the completion and test drive of the first CC maiden prototype, which rolled out from the R&D Department in 1996. The CCX is actually quite a different car to the world record-setting Koenigsegg CCS of just 12 months ago, having been completely re-engineered to comply with the US regulation and market demands. And despite settling into the outer stratosphere of exclusivity, the CCX’s standard price of US$540,000 represents a bargain compared to its main competitor, the US$1.47 million Bugatti Veyron. Even fully optioned, with carbon fibre rims, ceramic brakes, rear view cameras, parking sensors, entries into various elite Motorsport events and personal driving tuition from famous test driver and world record holder Loris Bicocchi, the CCX just tops US$600,000. Read More
The most fun you can have in a car for under UKP15,000
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March 4, 2006 Anyone who has driven one will tell you the Caterham Seven is a fun car to drive, though now it’s official. The British sportscar manufacturer took the chequered flag first in a Test Drive Magazine Supertest to find the best fun car for a UKP15,000 budget. The Caterham 1.4 Classic beat off stiff competition from rivals such as the Mazda MX-5, Ford Streetka and Mini Cooper to take the chequered flag for its all round good looks, speed, engine performance and driveability. Read More
FPV builds a concept car for Drifting
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March 3, 2006 Motor racing has always been about speed. For the last 100 years, Motorsport has been about racing from point A to Point B, and subsequently, once racing circuits were built, from point A to Point A. Now there’s a new form of Motorsport evolving and when Australian Ford subsidiary Ford Performance Vehicles developed an “unofficial” concept car specifically for the new sport, we decided it was time to sit up and take notice. The sport is known as “drifting” and if you haven’t heard of it, no doubt you soon will – whatsmore, unlike all prior forms of Motorsport, it isn’t about speed. If motor racing is the equivalent of the 100 metre freestyle in the pool at the Olympics, think of drifting as synchronised diving. Originating in Japan and popularised by computer games in the US, drifting combines extreme driving skill with flair and artistry as drivers negotiate complex courses or routines in a controlled slide. Combining both solo qualifying runs with head-to-head competition, each event is judged on execution and style rather than speed, and is akin to skateboarding and freestyle motocross competition. So what makes an ideal concept car for Drifting? Ford’s DRIF6 features a lightweight chassis, racing cockpit and uprated version of its critically-acclaimed intercooled and turbo charged 4.0-litre in-line six cylinder producing more than 380kW of power and 700Nm of torque. Read More
IED Turin Haizea concept car: a tribute to Lancia
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February 27, 2006 The Istituto Europeo di Design of Turin (IED) is now well established as one of the top international automotive design schools. As has become custom over recent years, the Institute creates a design concept each year which it displays at the Geneva International Motor Show. This year, the concept car project is named Haizea and is designed by the students of the Master RSP in Transportation Design. Read More
MINI Concept Geneva celebrates Monte Carlo Rally winner
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February 26, 2006 From 1964 to 1967 Mini dominated the Monte Carlo Rally, setting the foundation for its legendary reputation as a highly agile and nimble sports car. Now, commemorating the 100th birthday of Sir Alec Issigonis (the creator of the Mini and the outstanding victories scored by the Mini brand some 40 years ago, MINI Concept Geneva offers an up-to-date interpretation of the small British racer in its great days. In particular, this new concept model presents the core idea of the Mini Traveller, Mini Countryman, and Mini Clubman Estate in a highly progressive new model variant. Read More
World Premiere for new Porsche 911 GT3
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UPDATED NEW IMAGES AND PRICING February 25, 2006 The new Porsche 911 GT3 to be unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show on February 28 sets a new benchmark for road-legal production sports cars with a 3.6-litre naturally aspirated engine. This uncompromised 911 sports coupe produces 305 kW of power for a specific output of 84.7 kW (115.3 bhp) per litre of displacement to create the new class benchmark. The 911 GT3 will be one of two star cars from Porsche at Geneva, with the 911 Turbo Coupe also making its World Premiere at the motor show.
200 mph Carbon Fiber Electric Supercar to cost US$125,000
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April 23, 2006 Electric cars have until now been relatively tame machines compared to their petroleum-engined supercar brethren from Bugatti, Koenigsegg and McLaren. The Venturi Fetish was the world’s fastest and most exclusive electric car until this week, being assembled to order by hand in Monaco but it has a top speed of just 180 km/h – hardly the sort of performance you’d sell the kids for, and indeed, that may be necessary given that it comes with a price tag starting at 450,000 Euro (US$583,000). The stakes have now been raised raised considerably though as Hybrid Technologies has joined with Los Angeles-based exotic sports car manufacturer Mullen motors to create a new benchmark for electric car performance. Mullen’s distinctive GT with its combination of style, handling and performance was recently named by Forbes magazine as the 7th fastest American production car, an honour shared with Saleen and Dodge Viper. The remarkable news is that with its transplanted 700 horsepower electric motor, the new electric sports car will not only be much faster than the Venturi Fetish, but will perform slightly better than the current petrol-engined Mullen GT with a top speed of 200 mph and a 0-60 mph time of just over 3 seconds. The only external difference will be the badges. Read More
Dodge 170 hp Hornet Concept set to create a BUZZ
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February 21, 2006 The Dodge brand rejoices in its role as the hardest hitting and least politically correct of the Daimler Chrysler Group. As such it can do things which other brand custodians couldn’t dream of, and the rallye-ready Dodge Hornet concept vehicle to be shown next week at the Geneva Motor Show is a perfect example. Tough and brash, the Dodge Hornet concept vehicle brings to the competitive entry-level B-segment market an ideal combination of European sensibility regarding engine size and overall footprint with an American flair for aggressive attitude and flexible interior space. Underhood is a 1.6L 16-valve OHC supercharged intercooled four-cylinder engine producing 127 kW (170 hp) and 224 N m (165 lb.-ft.) of torque at 4000 rpm. The interior though, is based on extreme flexibility and function, having been modelled on studies of space capsule interiors, since they are designed for high efficiency in a limited space. The space-saving foam seats are exceptionally slim and adaptable. Both the passenger front bucket seat and the 40-60 three-passenger rear seats fold forward and collapse to the floor to provide a flat load bed. To facilitate this, the headrests fold forward to stow between the seat back and cushion. In addition, the rear seats also flip rearward to stow in back, flush with the liftgate sill. This position provides for the highest possible vertical storage behind the front seats. When upright, the rear seats track rearwards to provide an additional 225 mm of legroom for rear seat passengers. Read More
One turbocharger per cylinder concept
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February 18, 2006 Just as the major automotive manufacturers build concept vehicle to exhibit their design ideas and expertise, so too do specialist companies create projects designed to showcase technological knowhow and potential future developments. UK-based automotive performance specialists specialists Owen Developments has unveiled just such a project with its unique Quad Turbo Kit concept. The project was created to evaluate how small a turbocharger would need to be to be used for each cylinder of an engine. The company sees the main benefit of multi turbochargers is to produce sufficient turbine speed to achieve optimum boost pressure for each of the four cylinders, resulting in better driveability, engine response and more performance. Read More
VW Crossover Concept A combines sports car design with SUV elements
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February 17, 2006 Volkswagen has revealed its latest design study, the Concept A, a crossover between a sports car and a compact SUV (Sports Utility Vehicle). The concept combines a sleek coupe-style silhouette with the raised stance of an SUV. The study shown in Berlin yesterday is powered by a 110 kW (150 hp) Twincharger (TSI), with power reachingthe wheels via a six gear transmission and an all wheel drive 4MOTION system. Studies such as this are allowed complete freedom though, and VW also suggested that the study might find its way into production (as VW concepts tend to do), powered by a turbo diesel direct fuel injection (TDI) motor or the FSI Turbo of the Golf GTI (147 kW / 200 hp). Read More
Peugeot debuts new 207, 207 Rcup sports concept car, and 307 CC Hybride diesel Hdi concept
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February 16, 2006 At the 76th Geneva International Motor Show, the new Peugeot 207 will make its world premiere, and to emphasise the importance of 207, a stylish and sporty RCup concept model will be shown that is likely to be the design blueprint for a future Peugeot Sport competition programme. The 207 Rcup is powered by a naturally-aspirated 2.0-litre 16v petrol engine producing 280bhp at 8,500rpm, with a 6-speed sequential gearbox and 18 inch alloy wheels. Also to be shown in Geneva is the 307 CC Hybride HDi diesel technology demonstrator, like the 307 HDi hatchback unveiled by PSA Peugeot Citroen in January. Read More
Rinspeed zaZen – vision of the future automobile unveiled
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February 17, 2005 Rinspeed and Bayer MaterialScience have finally unveiled images and details of the car we previewed in December as “Automotive enlightenment on four wheels” - the jointly develop concept zaZen involves a number of revolutionary lighting techniques and a transparent hardtop and will be displayed to the public at the Geneva Motor Show on February 28, 2006. zaZen is the work of famous Swiss designer, Frank M. Rinderknecht, and it represents his vision of the car of the future. The vehicle was produced in cooperation with Bayer MaterialScience, one of the world's largest plastics producers. It also embraces a technical revolution in car manufacture, with the transparent backlite being turned into a luminous holographic area. As if from nowhere, the third brake light shines out of what looks like a floating transparent hardtop.
Rinspeed consistently produces innovative concept cars, but this time it has outdone itself. Read More
Mazda begins leasing Rotary Hydrogen Vehicles
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February 15, 2006 Yet another major automotive company has taken a hydrogen vehicle to market. Mazda announced today that it has received permission from Japan’s Ministry of Land Infrastructure and Transport (MLIT) to begin leasing the RX-8 Hydrogen RE to corporate customers. The RX-8 Hydrogen RE vehicles are equipped with a rotary engine, and feature a dual-fuel system that allows the driver to select either hydrogen or gasoline. Mazda today signed those leases with Idemitsu Kosan Co. Ltd. and Iwatani International Corporation and delivery is scheduled for late March 2006. Read More
New high-performance Mazda3 MPS unveiled
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February 14, 2006 Mazda premiere a new high-performance Mazda3 MPS at the 76th annual Geneva International Motor Show on February 28. The flagship of the Mazda3 range, the all-new Mazda3 MPS, will give sports-minded customers outstanding performance coupled with a stylishly sophisticated design and everyday practicality and comfort the Mazda3 line up is known for. Mazda3 MPS is the second model in the Mazda Performance Series, following the Mazda6 MPS launched in the UK in January. The car will be called Mazdaspeed Axela in Japan, Mazdaspeed3 in North America and, in other key regions including Europe, Australia and New Zealand, Mazda3 MPS. Read More
Sixth generation Porsche 911 Turbo debuts with 60 more horsepower
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February 14, 2006 The sixth generation of the famous Porsche 911 series’ top-of-the-range Turbo model will be celebrating its world premiere at the Geneva Motor Show and will be available in German dealerships from June. The 911 Turbo (Type 997) now has an output of 353 kW (480 bhp) at 6,000 rpm, 60 bhp more than its predecessor (Type 996). The specific output of the 3.6-litre boxer engine thus climbs to a new all-time high of 98 kW (133 bhp) per liter of displacement. Rated torque has been increased from 560 to 620 Newtonmeters. The speed range in which this power is available has also been extended. While the previous model’s maxi-mum torque was available between 2,700 and 4,600 rpm, the corresponding figures are now 1,950 to 5,000 revs. In addition to the 911 Turbo, Porsche will be presenting another world premiere at the Geneva Motor Show: the new 911 GT3, billed by Porsche as a “racing car for the road.” Read More
The first McLaren road car goes to auction
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February 13, 2006 It was sadly many years after the death of New Zealand racing driver and automotive engineer Bruce McLaren that his dream of creating the world’s fastest road car became a reality with the McLaren F1 road car. McLaren’s legacy in all forms of racing, from winning Le Mans in the famous GT40, to creating one of the most successful Formula One teams in history, puts him among automotive history’s immortals. And now one of his most significant creations is to go under the hammer: the stillborn M6-GT, of which only two examples were ever completed by the factory. The official Bruce McLaren Trust web site chronicles the history of the car which was modeled after the McLaren M6 CanAm monocoque sports racer. The head of the McLaren design department during the development of the M6-GT was aerospace engineer Robin Herd who recalls the M6 McLaren tests and certifies it as one of the earliest examples of a ground-effects car, with the nose shaped to create negative pressure under the car. From an article on the McLaren Interntaional site, “On the day of the big test … we went all high-tech with a half-inch rubber tube taped to the bottom of the car leading to a pressure gauge which I was holding. I had crammed myself into the passenger seat and Bruce was barrelling into the first corner at Goodwood … when the gauge suddenly registered negative pressure. I had rather hoped that Bruce would be concentrating on staying on the road, but he spotted the change on the gauge and started whooping and shouting and laughing and banging my arm. We’d cracked it!” Read More
