Audi Planning More than Just One e-Tron Variant for the Future

George Delozier — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 17:45:56 -0700

Since first being introduced a few months back, the Audi e-Tron has received quite a bit of attention from both journalists and consumers alike. While Audi has kept the details scarce, they have been willing to talk about future uses of the e-Tron name. Now, the German based automaker has let it slip that they have more vehicle planned for the e-Tron lineup.

Honda Considering Sportier CR-Z Hybrid...Possible Si?

George Delozier — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 19:43:59 -0800

While the Honda CR-Z Hybrid may be able to provide a respectable number of miles per gallon, some are wishing it could also offer a bit more performance for the money. Honda as responded to this accordingly, by opening the doors for a Type-R variant of the CR-Z.

BMW Says "No M1 on the Horizon"....Hints at "S" Variant for the 135i

George Delozier — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 15:11:29 -0800

For the past few months, rumors of the BMW "M1" have had nearly every fan of the Bavarian Auto Maker on the edges of their seats. Sadly, after an interview with Inside Line, BMW has said there are no plans for an M-Spec 1-Series. However, the interview also revealed that there was a 135is in the works.

First Annual Internet Car and Truck of the Year Winners Announced

George Delozier — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 10:36:29 -0800

More and more people are turning to the vast quantities of information on the internet when it comes time to purchase a new vehicle, rather than walk into a dealership uninformed. This is mostly due to the growing number of people who will provide their own unbiased opinions about their recent purchase. This was also the grounds for creating the Internet Car and Truck of the Year Awards, the winners of which were announced late last month.

Valmet Automotive to Debut Hybrid As "Technological Showcase "

George Delozier — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 18:21:09 -0800

Even though Hybrid powertrain developments have been dominating the spotlight for quite some time, we are still suckers for in-car technology and will never miss an opportunity to check out something new. This time however, thanks to the new Valmet Eva Concept, we can enjoy both at once.

Pocket Sized GPS Tracking Key to Offer Parents and Bosses Piece of Mind

George Delozier — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 18:43:09 -0800

Even the most trusting parents will agree that the most intelligent teenager can be quickly swayed by not so intelligent friends. Compounding this problem is that simple fact that this often happens when they are behind the wheel of a car. However, thanks to a new GPS tracking system made by LandSeaAir, parents can carefully monitor how and where their loved ones go when they are not sitting in the passenger seat.

Sofia Concept to Help Bring New I.DE.A Institute into Light

George Delozier — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 17:16:36 -0800

While Geneva may be about showcasing the latest and greatest automotive concepts from today's automakers, it is also a place for up and coming companies to introduce their idea of what automobiles will be in the future. Such is the case with the I.DE.A Institute and their new hybrid concept.

Citroen DS High Rider Concept to Offer SUV Capability and Hybrid Drivetrain

George Delozier — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 08:00:00 -0800

As expected, automakers are inundating the world with teaser images of their concepts slated for the Geneva Show Floor. It is also no surprise that many of these new vehicles are either hybrid based or all electric. The most recent of these reveals, and one that has a respectable chance of making it to production, is the DS High Rider Concept by Citroen.

Rinspeed UC? to Make Use of Rail System to Provide Clean Transportation

George Delozier — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 21:00:00 -0800

Rinspeed never fails to impress us with their concepts during the Geneva Motor Show, with the iChange of last year being their most recent. For 2010 it seems the company decided to keep with the clean and green ideology, bringing us the UC? Electric Concept vehicle.

Tesla Teams Up with Design Students to Bring Futuristic EYE Concept EV

George Delozier — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 11:29:35 -0800

While a great deal of Tesla's resources have been devoted to the upcoming Model S, the designers have had a little time to work on future vehicles. One particular concept designed in conjunction with the Istituto Europeo di Design of Turin, or IED for short, could be hinting at the direction Tesla is planning on taking in the future.

All Electric Mercedes-Benz Vito to Challenge Ford Transit Connect

George Delozier — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 15:29:53 -0800

Limited range vehicles are being introduced by the dozen these days, and for a good reason. Many people in the market for more fuel efficient vehicles live close enough to their jobs that it doesn't matter. But what about those companies that need a short range vehicle for something as simple as delivery? Mercedes plans on solving this with the production of their Vito Electric Vehicle.

Kia Ray Plug-In Concept to Bring Hybrid Power without A Radical Exterior

George Delozier — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 18:04:10 -0800

After breaking into the hybrid race several months back, Kia has decided to take another step down the clean transportation path. Unlike many of the current hybrid concepts out today, Kia wanted a more subtle look without compromising the overall fuel economy. The result was the Ray Concept.

Proton Designed Hybrid Concept Looks to Please a Tough Crowd of Buyers

George Delozier — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 20:28:18 -0800

Proton, an automaker based out of Malaysia, has been studying the evolution of vehicles for the past few years. They have since been able to identify a few key features that many people look for when buying a new automobile. After teaming up with Italdesign-Giugiaro, the company has decided to put the knowledge to good use in the form of a new hybrid concept.

Hyundai Bringing New iFlow Concept to Geneva…Promising New Style for 2012

George Delozier — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 08:00:00 -0800

With Geneva quickly approaching, automakers are beginning to build the hype surrounding their upcoming reveals. This time it is Hyundai who has cracked the lid on their next concept and it looks as though production is only a short time away.

Volvo's New Diesel Promises to Be Cleaner and More Efficient

George Delozier — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 19:27:26 -0800

For some reason many people still look down upon the diesel engine, citing billowing clouds of black smoke as their reason. However, today's diesels are much cleaner and offer a great amount of efficiency when used properly. Volvo is out to make this message even clearer with the introduction of their newest lineup of diesel engines.

Top 10 Most Extreme Custom Cars in the World from SEMA 2007

George Delozier — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 07:07:25 -0800

As the Specialty Equipment Market Association Show comes to a close, theres only one thing left to do : Divy out bragging rights. Here are my picks for the top 10 Extreme Custom Cars from SEMA : read more »

EDAG Bringing Next Evolution Light Car to Geneva

George Delozier — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 20:42:25 -0800

Toward the middle of last year, EDAG released the first version of their Light Car Concept. Since then, they have been improving upon their design as well as developing new technologies to shed even more weigh. Now they have finalized their second design, named Next Evolution, and are planning on unveiling it at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show.

Flux Human Powered Concept Could be Next Stop in Clean Future

George Delozier — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 10:13:34 -0800

As our technology and capabilities increase, we will become more and more dependent on clean forms of transportation. The real question is, how far are we willing to take it? A new futuristic concept may be able to provide that answer.

BMW Moving Forward with Vision EfficientDynamics Hybrid Sports Car

George Delozier — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 19:40:30 -0800

A short while back, BMW brought us the Vision EfficientDynamics Concept, with no real hint as to whether or not it would see production. Now, it seems as though the Bavarian automaker has decided to move ahead with the sporty hybrid and is planning an introduction for 2013.

Breakthrough Material to Provide Crash Protection and Extended Range for Electric Vehicles

George Delozier — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 10:01:36 -0800

While the fuel economy returned by the current generation of hybrid vehicles is worth bragging about, the extra weight often added by the batteries is not. However, Volvo is out to solve this very problem by developing a material that can act as both a battery and a body panel.

SunHydro Planning Solar Powered Hydrogen Highway for East Coast

George Delozier — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 19:54:38 -0800

The future of Hydrogen Fuel Cell vehicles is beginning to brighten thanks to the unveiling of Honda's at home refueling station. However, this won't solve the problem of taking a road trip with a hydrogen powered vehicle. To pick up where the at home solution leaves off, a company called SunHydro has drafted a plan to build stations along major highways in the US.

Honda Still Pushing Hydrogen...Promising Fuel Stations in A Home Near You

George Delozier — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 19:54:50 -0800

While many automakers are still looking into gasoline electric vehicles or diesel electric vehicles for the future of our vehicles, Honda has remained faithful to the Hydrogen Fuel Cell. This decision was made while being well aware of the problems they will face when trying to develop a useable fueling infrastructure. Now, they have developed a new fueling station that may make this transition even easier.

Toyota Promising Sporty Aftermarket Division for Nearly Every Vehicle…Hybrids Included

George Delozier — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 19:14:03 -0800

With so much attention being put on the upcoming Toyota FT-86, it should come as no surprise that the parent automaker is also working on an aftermarket performance division to boost sales even more. What makes this news even more exciting is that the automaker may also be using the new department to build full models.

Jaguar Moving Forward with Electric XJ Sedan

George Delozier — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 16:47:27 -0800

Early in the 2nd quarter of 2009, Jaguar/Land Rover received a massive chunk of funding from the European Investment Bank to help offset the costs of developing more fuel efficient vehicles. Since then the Engineers have been working tirelessly to get the new concepts from paper to production, a goal that will be realized with the introduction of the hybrid electric XJ Sedan.

Kia Planning New Hybrid Concept for Chicago

George Delozier — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 19:41:20 -0800

It should come as no surprise that the upcoming Chicago Auto Show will once again be dominated by the hybrid variety. While many will be updated versions of previously introduced models, Kia is planning on using Chicago to introduce their recently teased Ray Concept.

Mitsubishi Still Teasing Hybrid Lancer Evolution...Bringing Green to Rally Racing?

George Delozier — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 14:28:20 -0800

Rumors of a hybrid driven Lancer Evolution have been flying around since October of last year. This is mostly thanks to the MX-MiEV concept that was built on the same platform as the all wheel drive legend. Now, a few more details have been released that could mean production for the hybrid variant.

Volvo Looks to Replace 5-Cylinder Lineup with Turbo-4's

George Delozier — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 16:32:33 -0800

It seems like all of the world's automakers these days are beginning to realize the potential of smaller turbocharged engines. Thankfully, this rarely comes at the expense of performance, making them extremely versatile when it comes to sportier models. Volvo has given us yet another example of this with their latest GTDi Engine.

Kia UVO Challenges SYNC Infotainment System

George Delozier — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 20:30:54 -0800

Infotainment systems are slowly but surely becoming just as common as air conditioning in today's vehicles, and for a good reason. As we become more dependent on new technologies, it only makes sense that we want to use them all the time. Advancements like these are likely why Kia has introduced their UVO system.

Australian Facial Recognition System to Halt False License Applicants

George Delozier — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 12:00:00 -0800

Having your driver's license suspended or revoked is a serious matter. Even more serious is the number of people who have had this happen and then successfully applied for another in a different state or even county in some instances. The Australian Police have developed a new computer system to help cut down on these occurrences which could eventually make its way into the US.

Audi Teams With NVIDIA to Bring Google Maps 3D Navigation to the 2011 Lineup

George Delozier — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 06:00:00 -0800

As expected, Audi has given us another upgrade to their constantly improving Multi Media Interface for the New Year. This iteration features not only a more impressive visual experience, but will also include a 3 Dimensional representation of buildings and landmarks.