Technology
Nissan Eases Child Seat Purchases with new Initiative
Purchase incentives usually involve a zero-percent interest rate, cash back after purchase or no-cost options, but Nissan is going another direction to target families with young children. One of the problems a family that relies on child seats faces is finding a product that fits both their cars and child. For those of us without…
Subaru BRZ Aftermarket Rendering By Australia’s Tunehouse
While the Toyota GT86 and Scion FR-S has received a lot of attention from aftermarket outfits during the past couple months, things have been rather quiet from the Subaru BRZ end… until now. The first aftermarket tuner BRZ has been rendered by Sydney, Australia-based performance company Tunehouse, known for its work on Holdens, Fords, and…
Ferrari 458 Special Edition Celebrates 20th Anniversary in China
Black and yellow prancing pony badges have been available in the Chinese car market for 20 years and Ferrari is celebrating the anniversary. To mark its growing success in the country, the automaker announced the inauguration of a permanent brand exhibition at the Italia Center of the Shanghai World Expo Park. Covering almost two square miles,…
Self-driving cars by 2020, Former GM Exec Says
Self-driving cars aren’t new, but if electric vehicles’ slow adoption rates among U.S. consumers are any measure of new technology acceptance then autonomous cars can’t be close at hand, or can they? According to a speech given by Larry Burns, former General Motors research and development head, we can expect such technology by 2020. Unless…
Survey: Over 60 Percent of Hybrid Buyers Don’t Buy Another One
Despite the commitment of many automakers to go green, consumers do not share the sentiment. According to a Polk study released today, almost two-thirds of U.S. hybrid buyers do not return to the market for another hybrid. The only exception in the survey is from the best-selling Toyota Prius, receiving a repurchase rate of 41…
SRT Auctions First Viper To Benefit Pediatric Cancer Foundation
The all-new 2013 SRT Viper is without a doubt the star of this year’s New York Auto Show. Boasting big numbers, the Viper’s enormous 8.4-liter V10 engine produces 640-hp. Plus, SRT has announced a factory-backed return of the Viper to the American Le Mans Series and international endurance racing. But here comes the most important…
PAL-V Flying Car Makes Successful Maiden Flight
Riding on the heels of April 1, better known as April Fool’s Day, it’s harder than steel to believe that the PAL-V Flying Car is more than an elaborate hoax, but against our better judgement it seems like it might be real. Based on the detail-rich site and video footage, we’re reluctantly ready to say…
2013 Cadillac SRX Packed with New Technology: New York Auto Show Preview
In two days’ time the 2013 Cadillac SRX will make its debut at the 2012 New York Auto Show to display new technology and illustrate the brand’s intent to continuously improve its vehicles. “The 2013 SRX illustrates the Cadillac philosophy of never leaving well enough alone,” said Don Butler, vice president of marketing for Cadillac….
BMW i8 Spyder Concept Revealed Ahead of NY Auto Show Debut
The i8 plug-in hybrid is the product of BMW‘s best engineering and innovation in an effort to create the most advanced automobile to ever come from the Bavarian automaker. Motivated by a 170-hp electric motor driving the front wheels and a 1.5-liter 3-cylinder engine producing 223-hp and 295 lb.-ft. of torque at the rear, the…
Honda FCX Clarity Fuel Cell Powers Japanese House For Six Days
While many new plug-ins boast the convenience and simplicity of recharging the car battery from a household wall socket, how many vehicles can claim to provide the opposite? Honda has installed an inverter in the trunk of one special FCX Clarity hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle, providing output power that could supply up to 8 kilowatts of…
Infiniti JX and Cirque du Soleil Stream Acrobatic Performance – Video
Bringing together modern social media marketing and classic high-profile presentation, Infiniti and Cirque du Soleil collaborated in an one-of-a-kind, 11-minute live-streaming performance featuring incredible acrobatics and innovative engineering. Now available on YouTube and Facebook, the performance, choreographed by Cirque du Soleil’s Special Events team, featured an Infiniti JX crossover suspended in the air with with…
Proton May Purchase Team Lotus F1
For the first two races of the 2012 Formula 1 season, Team Lotus has received a mixed bag of results. Formula 1 World Champion Kimi Raikkonen finished both races in the points despite mediocre qualifying. Meanwhile, GP2 champion Romain Grosjean displayed rapid pace during qualifying but suffered a DNF for both races. Such is the mix…
2013 Nissan GT-R Track Pack Available For Left-Hand-Drive Markets; Not Confirmed For US
The engineering wizards of Nissan continue to massage more power and performance into their halo GT-R. As a MY 2013, Nissan has just released its right-hand-drive Nissan GT-R Track Pack for the Japan, UK, Australia and South Africa markets this month. While initial reports suggested that the Track Pack is intended as a right-hand-drive exclusive,…
Fisker Battery Supplier A123 Systems Face Financial Obstacles
Start-ups are inherently risky and while many bright-eyed visionaries initially display great potential, up to fifty percent of new enterprises run out of money. Unfortunately, Waltham-based A123 Systems Inc. are at risk of becoming a statistic. Earlier this month, Consumer Reports reported that a brand-new Fisker Karma plug-in hybrid electric vehicle with less than 200…
BMW Welt: Museum and Munich Factory Tour Experience
From the Porsche European Delivery Program to the Master Italian Lifestyle Maserati Driving Experience, European automakers go the extra mile to make customers feel special. BMW enjoys sharing its enthusiasm for automobiles also but best of all, you don’t even have to own a Bimmer to experience its passion. Its headquarters feature a unique principal visitors…
Mercedes-Benz Releases Promo Video Featuring 2013 SL550
An all-new Mercedes-Benz SL does not come very often. Since 1954, Mercedes-Benz has only introduced five generations of its luxury grand-touring coupe. For the 6th generation 2013 SL that will hit showrooms later this year, Mercedes-Benz spared no expense, packing it full of all the most desirable luxuries available to make it a true successor…
Opel Ampera Wins 2012 Monte Carlo Alternative Energy Rally
When Opel/Vauxhall first announced that its Ampera plug-in hybrid electric vehicle would participate in the 13th International Monte Carlo Rally for alternative energy vehicles, it made a point to challenge the Tesla Roadster, which won the previous two years. Completing the racing stages from Annecy-le-Vieux to Monte Carlo from March 22 through 25, the Opel Ampera of Bernard…
Lexus GS-F Rumors Surface Once More
Considerations for developing a Lexus GS-F have been raised and discussed in multiple occasions in the past but the idea has yet to take hold. Now, rumors surface one again as Lexus product planning chief Karl Schlicht says that we could expect to see a high-performance GS-F on the market in the not-too-distant future that…
Saab 9-3 TTA Race Car Hits the Track – Video
Despite the demise of the Saab automaker, racing team Tidö and Flash Engineering are hard at work developing and performing shakedown tests on their new Saab 9-3 TTA race car that will compete in the Swedish Racing Elite League. Recently, the Saab 9-3 TTA was seen conducting first round testing in France with Swiss driver Fabian…
Semi-Autonomous Car Could be Licensed By Month’s End – Video
It was only December of last year when Google earned patents for autonomous vehicles. Now, the technology continues to rapidly move ahead as automotive supplier Continental has commenced testing a semi-autonomous vehicle of its own that is more affordable and could be among the first licensed for use on Nevada’s designated public roads by months…
Lexus Eco Challenge Grand Prize Winners Announced
Toyota supports environmental consciousness by holding the annual Lexus Eco Challenge competition, encouraging middle and high school students to practice eco-friendliness in creative ways. Since the program’s inception, $4 million in scholarships and grants have been awarded to middle and high school students for their distinguished projects. “Through this program, more than 25,000 participants have demonstrated…
Renault Alpine Sports Car Revival Rumored To Borrow Nissan GTR Platform
Marking the 50th anniversary of the legendary Alpine A110 Berlinette rally racing car, rumors of an all-new Renault Alpine concept for the 2012 Paris Motor Show started circulating. Details are limited for now but some information is available from Renault marketing director Stephen Norman, who says the new Alpine will follow the path of a lightweight…
2013 Mercedes-Benz GL to Debut at New York Auto Show
Six years ago, Mercedes-Benz unveiled its new GL Class crossover, a full-size vehicle designed specifically for the North American market, at the 2006 North American International Auto Show. Enjoying quite a bit of commercial success, Mercedes-Benz now prepares to unveil a refreshed second-generation 2013 GL Class for the upcoming New York Auto Show. Details are…
Lithium-ion Batteries to Cost 30% Less By 2017
Despite the fuel efficiency benefits of a hybrid vehicle, the average cost premium of purchasing a hybrid over a conventional internal combustion vehicle is still approximately $2,000. In order to begin seeing the cost benefits of fuel frugality, an ownership period may be as long as 6 years before money saved at the tank can…
