Hybrid Wars! - Toyota Prius Vs Honda Insight - Part 1
We compare the specs and design features on the two latest and most interesting hybrid vehicles - the Honda Insight and the all-new Toyota Prius ...Saturday, July 30, 2011
Hybrid Wars! - Toyota Prius Vs Honda Insight - Part 1
We compare the specs and design features on the two latest and most interesting hybrid vehicles - the Honda Insight and the all-new Toyota Prius ...Friday, July 29, 2011
New Concept Car: BMW i8
It’s been nearly two years since BMW’s Vision EfficientDynamics concept debuted at the 2009 Frankfurt show, and the car has now officially re-emerged one step closer to production as the BMW i8 concept. As you can see, little has changed in the styling department. In fact, other than a new wheel design, the only other notable change we’ve spotted concerns the doors, which seem to have claimed some territory along their bottoms and thereby reduced the size of the blue body-side accent. Interestingly, the car didn’t show that change when BMW paraded it around for spy photographers this past March, but we like it.
As with the i3 city car concept that debuted at the same time (you can read about it in full here), the story of the i8 begins with its LifeDrive architecture. BMW says that its experiences in creating the Mini E and 1-series-based BMW ActiveE showed that adapting cars engineered for internal-combustion power to electric propulsion results in a lot of excess weight and compromises in packaging. As a result, both the i8 and i3 are built using two purpose-built modules: one to house passengers, dubbed “Life,” and one for propulsion and suspension components, called “Drive.” Combine them, and you have a car—and marketing-friendly “LifeDrive” branding.
While the i3 and i8 share the LifeDrive architectural philosophy, the cars differ in execution. That’s because the i3 is fully electric, while this i8 is a plug-in hybrid, so its Drive component is actually split in two, with an electric motor at the front axle and a gas engine at the rear. Unlike the i3, which situates its batteries below the passenger compartment, the i8’s lithium-ion cells are actually part of the Life module, stacked through a central tunnel that might house a transmission and driveshaft in a conventional car. Arranging them this way allowed BMW’s engineers to achieve yet another claim of perfect 50/50 weight distribution, thereby preserving peace in the city of Munich. As in the i3, the i8’s Drive components are largely crafted of aluminum, while the Life module uses a carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic monocoque. Using so much lightweight material essentially cancels out the added weight of the heavy electric drive components, thereby allowing the car to weigh less than 3300 pounds, according to BMW. The rigidity imparted by the carbon fiber also allows for long, dramatic doors that ease access to the two small rear seats, and is a boon to crashworthiness, too.
While most other so-called “through-the-road” hybrids (meaning the propulsion systems each drive their own axle) are based on existing front-drive vehicles—meaning they add electric power to the rear wheels—BMW had the luxury of starting from scratch. Because most braking energy gathers at the front of the vehicle, the i8 has its electric motor up front for the sake of recapturing energy. The i8 uses a modified version of the i3's electric motor, with a peak output of 168 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque. It’s fed juice, of course, by those lithium-ions, which take about two hours to charge and return 20 miles of all-electric driving.
Thanks to: Car and Driver
New Concept Car: BMW i3
BMW has been hyping up its “Megacity Vehicle” for a couple of years now, and despite teasers about innovative tech features and full carbon-fiber body structures, we’ve withheld judgment, even when we spied one in the wild over the winter. But as of now, the shroud of mystery has been lifted about all the details except how the thing actually drives. Like a BMW? Like nothing before it? Maybe both?
The i3’s story begins with its LifeDrive architecture. According to BMW, experience with the Mini E and BMW ActiveE (the electric 1-series coupe) has proven that creating an electric car out of a structure designed to house an internal-combustion engine results in wasteful excess weight and imperfect packaging. As a result, the i3 (as well as the i8 sports car also being announced now) is made up of two separate modules. The “Drive” portion houses a large array of lithium-ion batteries, plus the suspension, transmission, and electric motor. For a low center of gravity, all of these heavy components are low to the ground, with the batteries spread within the wheelbase for optimal handling. The main structure is all aluminum, with an additional aluminum barrier around the batteries for crashworthiness.
The “Life” module sits atop the drive components and houses passengers and luggage. As BMW has already announced, this structure consists of carbon-fiber reinforced plastic, or CFRP, a first for any vehicle this side of a few exotic supercars. While the aluminum Drive module weighs 30 percent less than a similar steel structure, the weight reduction in the CFRP Life module is closer to 50 percent. As a whole, the i3 weighs in at 2756 pounds, according to BMW. When speaking about the safety of CFRP, the company points to Formula 1 cockpits as proof of security. While metals require large crumple zones, carbon can be designed with special deformation elements that result in large amounts of energy being consumed in a very small space. A further benefit of the LifeDrive architecture is the deletion of a driveshaft tunnel, allowing more space to be dedicated to the cabin. BMW says each set of seats (front and rear) is connected so that every passenger can leave from one side in a tight parking space, but we think someone at the company just really digs bench seats. There’s approximately seven cubic feet of space left over in the rear for luggage, as well as a small compartment up front where the gas engine would usually be for stowing a charging cord or other small items.
Back inside the Drive structure, the i3 uses an electric motor that’s 40 percent more compact than that of a Mini E, allowing it to fit right above the rear axle that it powers through a one-speed transmission. Yes, one speed. That means the car will never shift on its way up to a computer-limited top speed of 93 mph, which BMW has determined to be the point at which the batteries drain too quickly. The company says the i3 will run 0 to 62 mph in 7.9 seconds. In terms of passing power, accelerating from 50 to 75 mph should take just six seconds.
Peak power is 125 kW, or 168 hp, and 184 lb-ft of torque. Range is estimated at 80–100 miles, and a standard charge will take about six hours. With a special high-speed charger, the i3 is said to be capable of reaching an 80-percent charge in just an hour, meaning medium-range drives can be done with just a long coffee break in the middle. But wait, there’s more, as the infomercial folks might say.
Thanks to: Car and Driver
Car Review Of New Toyota Prius Hybrid
Car Review of New Toyota Prius Hybrid
The Toyota Prius hybrid electric car is the top selling green car in the US. But is this hybrid really green, or just a guilt free yippie mobile ...
Spied: 2014 Mercedes CLC
Mercedes will enter the premium small saloon market in late 2013 with a swoopy new Mercedes CLS-inspired car based on the upcoming front-drive B-class.
Called the Mercedes CLC, and pictured here testing for the first time in the US, the new four-door will also spawn an AMG model as an indirect successor to the classic 190E 2.5-16 Evolution II.
The CLC, codenamed C117, will use the long-wheelbase version of Mercedes’ new compact MFA platform that will also underpin the upcoming GLC off-roader (codenamed X156), as well as the new B-class (W426). A short-wheelbase iteration of the platform will be used for the rakish new A-class (W176).
Standard versions of the CLC will be offered in front-wheel drive, with selected models — including the AMG — coming equipped with four-wheel drive.
Turbocharged petrol engines include a 1.6 in 121bhp and 154bhp guises. There’s also a 207bhp 2.0, with 0-62mph performance of 7.0sec and a 145mph top speed. Diesels include a 1.8, in 108bhp and 134bhp forms, and a 2.1 with a choice of 168bhp or 201bhp.
The Volkswagen Golf R-rivalling CLC AMG will be powered by a twin-turbocharged 2.0-litre engine producing 296bhp. It will also have a dual-clutch gearbox, while other models get a six-speed manual gearbox as standard.
Thanks to: Autocar
New Car: 2012 Renault Twingo
Renault has released this first official image of the facelifted Renault Twingo, ahead of the car’s launch at the Frankfurt motor show
The front-end of the new Renault Twingo features a “stylistic renewal,” with big Nissan Juke-style fog lights and an enlarged and more vertically positioned Renault logo.
Renault describes the Twingo’s new look as in-keeping with the model’s “typically expressive front face.”
Under the bonnet, the biggest change to the range is likely to be the addition of Renault’s new 0.9-litre, three-cylinder petrol engine, first seen in Renault’s R-Space concept at the Geneva show earlier this year.
Thanks to: Autocar
Sneak Peek Up Date: 2013 Infiniti JX
Smile for the camera! Halfway through its strip-tease of the 2013 JX crossover, Infiniti has released the clearest shot yet of the car: a photo showing most of the front end. No shadowy figures here, just straight-on front thee-quarter.
We can see that the JX falls right in line with the rest of the Infiniti family, bearing a familiar resemblance to both the QX and FX. The grille reminds us of the larger QX, but it also takes after that on the Ethera concept shown earlier this year in Geneva. Headlamps are shaped like those used on the FX, but are a little less aggressive. Two lateral hood bulges leading into the A-pillar match the JX into the rest of the Infiniti lineup.
We’ll get a full look at the JX in the coming weeks, as Infiniti has told us that there will be a total of seven teaser shots before the JX Concept’s debut on August 18 at the Pebble Beach Concoursd’Elegance, and the production car’s unveiling this fall at the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show.
Once it hits the marketplace, the JX will do battle with the Audi Q7, Mercedes-Benz GL-Class, Lexus’ long-rumored three-row crossover, and Cadillac’s forthcoming sub-Escalade crossover.
Thanks to: Motor Trend
2011 Toyota Land Cruiser Exterior,Interior,Photos
2011 Toyota Land Cruiser Exterior,Interior,Photos,amazing cars wallpapers,amazing cars in the world,Amazing sports cars,amazing luxury cars,Mercedes sports cars,Mercedesbenz smartcar,Mercedes wallpaper,mercedes benz car wallpaper
BMW M3 E92 Wallpapers
BMW M3 E92 Wallpapers,2011 Toyota Crossover Pictures,amazing cars wallpapers,amazing cars in the world,Amazing sports cars,amazing luxury cars,Mercedes sports cars,Mercedesbenz smartcar,Mercedes wallpaper,mercedes benz car wallpaper
2011 Toyota Crossover Pictures
2011 Toyota Crossover Pictures,amazing cars wallpapers,amazing cars in the world,Amazing sports cars,amazing luxury cars,Mercedes sports cars,Mercedesbenz smartcar,Mercedes wallpaper,mercedes benz car wallpaper
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Unofficial Picture: 2013 Subaru XV
The Subaru XV will be produced in China via the still unofficially announced joint venture between Subaru and Chery in 2012 and should sit under the Forester in terms of product placement according to media reports. Chinese consumers have already seen the XV in concept form at the Shanghai Auto Show earlier this year where it gained center stage on the Subaru stand. The original XV is already on sale in China as a crossover version of the current Subaru Impreza, but the latest generation is expected to offer a cleaner design for the whole car and will come in crossover and regular styling.
Engines are likely to be 2.0L, although Subaru could potentially introduce some its smaller engines from the Japanese market into China – possibly even some small displacement turbo units.
Pricing is purely guesswork at this stage, but anything from 120,000rmb and rising with an eventual product launch date of early to mid 2012.
Thanks to: China Car Times
Hot News: 2013 Audi Allroad
The new A6 Avant has only just arrived, but Auto Express has learned that Audi is already working on expanding the line-up, with the next generation of the popular Allroad model.
Our exclusive image shows the new version gets a similar look to before, with a raised ride height, steel bumper guards and subtle plastic cladding to protect the body over rougher terrain.
Hot News: Toyota Prius Family
The Prius family is growing again. Toyota is already set to bring the seven-seater Prius Plus to UK showrooms early next year – but Auto Express can reveal that it’s also planning to launch a trio of all-new models in the next three years as it moves to turn the Prius into a standalone brand. This bold step will see hybrids sold through specific dealers by 2014.
That’s when the replacement for the current Prius saloon is due to arrive, and our illustrations show the cars that will join it in these new franchises. Readers may be familiar with the first of these, as the Prius C was previewed by the striking Prius C Concept at the Detroit Motor Show in January.
Gone are the blade-like headlamps and distinctive LED running lights seen on the car on the stands. The bold indent running down the flanks has also been axed, as the production C takes on a more conservative design. The idea remains the same, though, with the compact five-door hatch providing a new entry point to the Prius brand and competing with smaller hybrids like Honda’s Insight and CR-Z.
With its compact dimensions and low kerbweight, as well as its combination of a 1.5-litre petrol engine and an electric motor, the C will be the most efficient Prius. It’s set to deliver economy well in excess of 80mpg. But if you thought the new Prius brand wouldn’t be exciting, think again – a two-door performance hybrid is also earmarked for 2014.
The Sports Coupe is based on a rear-wheel-drive platform taken from the next Lexus GS. It will get a new plug-in hybrid set-up featuring lithium-ion batteries, and be offered with a manual gearbox. Also set to debut in 2014 is a Prius SUV. This high-riding model has been rumoured since the Hybrid X Concept was seen at 2007’s Geneva Motor Show, and it’s set to be based on the Toyota RAV4.
Our sources say it will be the most efficient car in its class, and offer the latest Hybrid Synergy Drive set-up or a version of the Sports Coupe’s plug-in drivetrain. For more details click here.
Thanks to: Auto Express
Thanks to: Auto Express
Hot News: Land Rover Defender to be Axed?
Is Land Rover about to ditch the Defender? That’s certainly one of the options being considered by the brand’s bosses, as it decides the fate of its iconic mud-plugger.
In an exclusive interview with Auto Express, Land Rover UK’s MD Colin Green explained that coming up with a plan for the 4x4 was a huge challenge. “If we get it wrong we are messing up one of the industry’s biggest icons, and in that sense it’s a tremendous responsibility.”
Other options include fitting cleaner engines to extend the life of the Defender yet again, or a complete redesign, according to Green.
On sale since 1947 and meeting Euro V emissions regulations until 2016, Defender is popular with farmers, rescue services and utility companies. But Green said the issue was how to keep its legendary capability, but expand its appeal to attract new customers seeking a less functional vehicle.
One proposal would see a new version built on the same platform as Discovery and Range Rover Sport, but that chassis is expensive compared to the current one.
“Another option is to carry on the current model using Euro VI engines. A third is that we abandon that section of the market. It’s our least preferred choice because we have serviced that customer base for a long time, but there’s no point in servicing the customer and not the business. We have to make money and all three options are on the table,” said Green. For more details click here.
Thanks to: Auto Express
Thanks to: Auto Express
Spied: 2012 Renault Twingo
The facelifted Renault Twingo has taken its first public steps, more than a month ahead of its scheduled worldwide debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show.
Toyota Yaris Hybrid Synergy Drive Concept Explained By Guillaume Gerondeau - Video
Toyota Yaris Hybrid Synergy Drive Concept explained by Guillaume Gerondeau - Video
Video of Toyota Yaris Hybrid Synergy Drive Concept explained by Guillaume Gérondeau, Vice-President Product Planning & Marketing, Toyota Motor ...Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Lexus cars IS 250 review models & pictures
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Lexus is the luxury vehicle division of Japanese automaker Toyota Motor Corporation. First introduced in 1989 in the United States Lexus is now sold globally and has become Japan's largest-selling make of premium cars. Lexus vehicles are officially marketed in over 70 countries and territories worldwide. flagship sedan project begun in 1983, which developed into the original Lexus LS, launched in 1989 as the first model marketed under the marque. Subsequently, Lexus added sedan, coupé, convertible, and SUV models. In 2005, a hybrid version of the RX crossover debuted, and additional hybrid models were subsequently introduced to the Lexus lineup. In 2007, Lexus launched its F marque performance division with the debut of the IS F sport sedan, followed by the LFA supercar in 2009. 2010, Lexus underwent a gradual sales recovery in North America and Asia as the marque focused on adding hybrids and new model derivatives. Sales in the U.S. for the first half of 2010 held steady despite the 2009–2010 Toyota vehicle recalls, several of which included Lexus models. The ES 350 and certain IS models were affected by a recall for potentially jamming floor mats while parent company Toyota bore the brunt of negative publicity amid investigations over its series of product recalls and problem rates per-vehicle. The redesigned GX 460 was also voluntarily recalled in April 2010 for a software update, one week after Consumer Reports issued a recommendation not to buy the SUV, citing a possible rollover risk following the slow stability control response to a high-speed emergency turn. Lexus produces its highest-performance models under its F marque division. The name refers to Flagship and Fuji Speedway in Japan, whose first corner, 27R, inspired the shape of the "F" emblem. F marque models are developed by the Lexus Vehicle Performance Development Division. The first F marque model, the IS F, went on sale in 2007, followed by the LFA in 2009. A related F-Sport performance trim level and factory-sanctioned accessory line is available for standard Lexus models such as the IS 250 and IS 350.
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