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The crew at Translogic took the time to stop by and see the the team at ALTe Powertrain Technologies recently. Founded by a group of former Tesla Motors executives, the company focuses on building plug-in hybrid conversions for fleet vehicles. From creations like a Ford F-150 with a 2.0-liter gasoline engine and two 60-kilowatt electric motors to full-size delivery trucks, buses and vans, the company is focused on reducing fuel consumption on some of the largest and hardest-working machinery out there. ALTe says the F-150 conversion supplies up to 465 pound-feet of torque, which is more than the old 4.6-liter V8.

Most of the truck conversions come with 22-kWh lithium-ion battery packs, which yield 25-40 miles of all-electric range. From there, the four-cylinder kicks in to keep the batteries charged and the motors spinning.

ALTe says the company has focused on Ford conversions first, since the F-Series is the largest-selling pickup in the country. While E-Series and Panther-based creations are also on the docket, ALTe is also focusing on partnering with OEMs in China. Scroll down to check out the video for yourself.

Continue reading Translogic examines the power of plug-in hybrids for commercial fleets

Translogic examines the power of plug-in hybrids for commercial fleets

GTI Treffen may have started out as a gathering for owners of Volkswagen pocket rockets, but by now it’s blown into a full-on celebration of everything related to hot hatches and more. And though it remains a grassroots event by enthusiasts for enthusiasts, Volkswagen is wise not to ignore it. These days, it comes to the annual lakeside gathering in Austria with a handful of show cars in tow, and brings its sister-brands along for the ride, too.

Audi has already announced the Q3 Red Track concept destined for Wörthersee, and Skoda is coming with a pair of Citigo concepts – one made up as a DJ booth and the other as a rally car. Now their Spanish cousins at Seat have revealed the veritable motorcade of show cars it’s bringing to the meet-up.

Seat will be showcasing the Ibiza Cupra Concept it unveiled in Beijing, but that’s not all. It’ll also display a customized Ibiza FR and Leon Cupra R, a Mii city car (that’s the Spanish version of the Volkswagen Up!) imagined in sporty FR trim and, most enticing of all, a pair of racing models that are ready to hit the track.

The Ibiza SC Trophy packs a 180-horsepower turbo four with DSG, locking differential, upgraded brakes, modified oil sump and competition-spec suspension, available to aspiring racers for 31,500 euros (before taxes, or about $40K). The Leon Super Copa, meanwhile, is closely mirrored on the car that Seat ran in the World Touring Car Championship and packs a 300-horse 2.0-liter turbo four with all the trimmings, available for 63,000 euros (about $80K). Both can be fielded in spec-racing series across Europe and arrive at Wörthersee in grey with fluorescent orange accents.

Check out the full spread in the high-res image gallery above and the press release below.

Continue reading Seat bringing boatload of hot hatches to Lake Worthersee

Seat bringing boatload of hot hatches to Lake Worthersee

This could be interesting: Oscar-winners Martin Scorsese and Richard Attenborogh are teaming up to make a film called Silver Ghost, based, in part, on the lives of Charles Rolls and Henry Royce. The screenplay was written by Jeffrey Caine (Goldeneye) and playwright Sharman Macdonald, who also happens to be actress Kiera Knightley’s mom.

According to Top Gear, the biopic will be set at the dawn of the 20th Century, during the seminal days of the auto industry. But the report says the real hero of the story will be one Lord John Douglas-Scott Montagu, the Second Baron Montagu of Beaulieu and a member of British Parliament who used his position in British society to champion motoring.

While we’re not quite sure what all that Barons and Lords stuff is about, reading that in 1899 Montagu drove the first car to enter the yard of the House of Commons made us think he must have been a decent enough chap. According to the report, he even launched a monthly car magazine. And like any good period-film protagonist, he was romantically linked to another key figure in the story, Eleanor Thornton, the woman who inspired the Rolls-Royce Spirit of Ecstasy mascot that became a defining feature of the marque.

The film is still a long way from the screen, although Scorcese’s involvement can’t hurt its chances of getting made. Neither would casting Knightley as Thornton, if you ask us.

Martin Scorcese to produce Silver Ghost film about Rolls-Royce

If you thought the Volkswagen Group was about to wind down the endless stream of concept cars based on the new Up! city car, think again. Because not only is the Volkswagen brand itself keeping the train a-moving, so are its sister brands.

Skoda has its own version of the Up called the Citigo. But what racing fans know the Czech subsidiary for best is its rally program that has become a dominant force in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge and the basis for VW’s own foray into the World Rally Championship. Now Skoda is bringing the two together with an exciting concept car previewed by the rendering above and confirmed in the press release below.

Following in the footsteps of the tantalizing Fabia roadster unveiled last year, the Citigo Rally concept is to be the centerpiece of the Skoda display at the Volkswagen Group’s annual hot-hatch gathering at Lake Wörthersee in Austria. Details are scarce, but the show car will feature rally-inspired bodywork complete with 18-inch white alloys packed into aggressively flared wheel arches, a substantial rear wing and vents aplenty.

It will be joined by a second Citigo converted into a mobile DJ booth with a 100,000-watt sound system that will be scoring the Skoda booth at Wörthersee, but our eyes will be on the rally concept.

Continue reading Skoda racing Up! to Worthersee with Citigo Rally concept

Skoda racing Up! to Worthersee with Citigo Rally concept

As with any uncomfirmed Apple news, take this one with a big ole grain of sodium chloride. PatentlyApple reports that Apple has been granted a patent for a steering-wheel-mounted remote control for various iDevices.

The patent describes a device looking like the multi-touch controller from an original Apple iPod but mounted to a clamp that grabs your car’s steering wheel. Once attached to the outer rim, it would put control of your iPhone, iPod touch or, conceivably, iPad right at your finger tips.

Genius? No. It looks ridiculous and potentially more distracting than just fumbling for your iPhone while driving. The patent says the device is touch-sensitive, so any accidental touch during every hand-over-hand turn ups the volume, changes songs or calls your ex-girl/boyfriend. How’s that for driver distraction? On top of all that, many states (if not all) have outlawed anything attached to a car’s steering wheel.

Like many companies, Apple files hundreds of patents every year. A good percentage of them are just meant to protect the company’s intellectual property and are never used for a consumer product. Some analysts speculate that Apple also files patents for wild ideas just to throw off the competition. This could easily fit into either of those categories.

Apple granted patent for steering-wheel controls to curb distracted driving

Say what you want about the German-based tuner Mansory, but the company definitely has a style all its own. The same can be said for their latest creation, the Ferrari 458 Spider Monaco Edition, which is channeling quite a bit of the Ferrari Enzo on its snout.

Mansory says that the new body panels, all of which are constructed of lightweight carbon fiber, save a little over 130 pounds, and with power boosted to 590 horsepower the car is capable of hitting 100 kilometers per hour (62 miles per hour) in 3.2 seconds and reaching a top speed of 205 mph. The interior of the 458 Spider Monaco Edition gets the Mansory treatment as well, with custom upholstery done in leather, Alcantara and carbon fiber in a combination of red and white.

Mansory says it will produce just three of the Monaco Edition Ferrari 458 Spiders. No word on pricing, although we can’t imagine the changes come cheap. Scroll down below to read the official details from Mansory.

Continue reading Mansory channels Enzo styling in Ferrari 458 Spider Monaco Edition

Mansory channels Enzo styling in Ferrari 458 Spider Monaco Edition

Ford dealers have started taking orders for the 2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid, the company announced today.

The gas-electric hybrid will arrive later this year with a starting price of $25,995, undercutting its most direct competitor, the Toyota Prius V hybrid, which has a base price of $26,550.

“C-Max Hybrid offers better fuel economy, performance, technology and functionality than Prius V – and C-Max Hybrid customers will pay less at the dealership and at the pump,” said Ken Czubay, vice president, U.S. Marketing, Sales and Service, in a press release.

More importantly, Ford will provide some stiffer competition for Toyota, which has ruled the hybrid market, selling 77 percent of all hybrids in the U.S. this April. The C-Max will only be offered in the U.S. as a hybrid, similar to Toyota’s Prius strategy. There will also be an all-electric version, known as the C-Max Energi, that arrives this fall.

Ford sells the C-Max, which is built on Ford’s compact car platform, in Europe as a gas powered model. Since introducing this utility vehicle in 2010, Ford has sold more than 150,000 C-Max vehicles in Europe.

Continue reading Ford C-Max pricing to undercut Toyota Prius V

Ford C-Max pricing to undercut Toyota Prius V

The annual GTI festival at Lake Wörthersee in Austria has exploded over the years into a celebration of all things hot-hatch in the Volkswagen Group – including concept cars and new debuts from Audi, Seat and Skoda – but the event has always been about VWs at heart. And the brand central to the empire isn’t about to sit it out.

At the heart of VW’s motorcade for this year’s pocket-rocket fest is the Polo WRC Street, a preview of a special edition modeled on the actual rally car which Volkswagen Motorsport will be fielding in the top-level rally series next year. The street version features a 220-horsepower 2.0-liter TSI four-cylinder – significantly more than the existing 180-hp Polo GTI and a whole lot of muscle for such a little car – with an aggressive aero package and of course the requisite decals. In other words, it is, for all intents and purposes, a Polo R with some stripes.

VW will also be showcasing the competition-spec Polo R-WRC. And Wörthersee being centered around the Golf GTI, is also bringing the GTI Cabriolet that debuted in concept form at the same location last year and in production form at the Geneva Motor Show just a couple of months ago, plus a pair of black and white GTI concepts. Keep reading for the full press release and scope out the trio of images previewing the Polo WRC Street for a closer look at what Wolfsburg is driving eastwards.

Continue reading Volkswagen previews 220-hp Polo WRC Street special ahead of Wörthersee debut

Volkswagen previews 220-hp Polo WRC Street special ahead of Wörthersee debut

Are you one of the few people looking to put a brand-new Lexus HS 250h in your driveway? Better act fast. Inside Line reports that Toyota’s luxury division has killed off its slow-selling HS model:

“Production of the HS 250h ceased in January, 2012. Lexus continues to monitor sales for each product and we make adjustments to make sure that we meet market demand, and the discontinuation of HS was part of that adjustment. The ES 300h is not replacing HS in our lineup. It’s merely part of the hybridization of many of our existing vehicles in the Toyota and Lexus lineups.”

We can’t say we’re surprised. Reports first surfaced in November of 2011 indicating that the HS 250h’s days were numbered. After selling 10,663 units in 2010, which was already well shy of projections, HS sales dropped a whopping 73 percent to just 2,864 in 2011.

It’s interesting that Lexus says the ES Hybrid is not a replacement for the HS, but we’d be a bit surprised if another standalone hybrid model made it into Lexus showrooms to replace the canceled HS – it seems to us that the current CT 200h hatchback and ES 300h ought to satisfy the needs of Lexus hybrid shoppers.

Lexus kills off slow-selling HS 250h

Automobile Magazine scribe Jason Cammisa was sent into the desert to referee four carbon-fiber-bodied wild animals fighting it out over the quarter mile: the V8 McLaren MP4-12C, the V10 Lexus LFA, the V12 Lamborghini Aventador and the W16 Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport. It’s a tough job, innit?

The Head 2 Head race was run elimination style, with the winner of each two-up challenge facing the next devil up the totem pole. Although you might not have any doubts about the eventual victor, how each of these supercars fared is good watching. See all the screaming for yourself in the video below.

Continue reading Bugatti Veyron, Lexus LFA, McLaren MP4-12C and Lambo Aventador in 1/4-mile shootout… who wins?

Bugatti Veyron, Lexus LFA, McLaren MP4-12C and Lambo Aventador in 1/4-mile shootout… who wins?

Ably Carrying The Banner For Internal Combustion

Forget the Mazda CX-5. The Mazda3 still carries the sales gravitas that the CX-5 aspires to, but for now, the C-segment sedan and hatchback that has provided eight years of sales bedrock is still the most important Mazda model. That’s why, after making hay with the debut of the CX-5 crossover and its innovative Skyactiv powertrain, the tried-and-true Mazda3 was the next in line for the engine, transmission and aero-tweak hat trick that’s allowed the car to claim a 40 miles per gallon highway fuel economy rating.

Putting a new engine in an older car as a way to boost interest and sales isn’t a new idea, of course. Sometimes it works, and other times it’s not enough to re-float sales that have run aground on the sandbar of customer ennui. The Mazda3 has also consistently pleased enthusiasts, so we wanted to find out how its comportment has changed after the heart transplant.

Continue reading 2012 Mazda3 Skyactiv

2012 Mazda3 Skyactiv

Acura is recalling 52,615 TL sedans from the 2007 and 2008 model years. The problem: a faulty power steering hose that could, over time, deteriorate and develop a fluid leak.

According to the automaker’s official statement, a leaky power steering hose “could lead to loss of power steering assistance or, if it leaks onto a catalytic converter it may result in smoke, or in the worst case, fire.” Acura states that no crashes, injuries or fires have been reported because of this issue.

Owners will receive notification by mail starting in mid-June, and Acura dealerships will replace the defective hoses free of charge. If owners want to find out if their specific vehicle is affected before being notified by mail, Acura invites them to visit www.recalls.acura.com or call 1-800-382-2238 and select option 4. Scroll down for the official press release.

Continue reading Acura recalling over 52,000 TL sedans over power steering hose

Acura recalling over 52,000 TL sedans over power steering hose

When you’ve got the most powerful factory V8 in the world, even the best driver can struggle with getting that power to the pavement. The 662 horsepower and 631 pound-feet of torque the 2013 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 is packing can easily turn its rear tires into expensive clouds of smoke. That’s why the 2013 Ford Shelby GT500 is the first Shelby Mustang to be factory-equipped with launch control. “With so much more power and torque on tap from the new 5.8-liter V8,” says SVT senior engineer John Pfeiffer, “launch control makes it easier for drivers to take advantage of the performance.” What’s different about the Shelby GT500s launch control is that drivers can engage it by just pressing a single button, and it’s also capable of being fine-tuned for the best reesults.

Launch control is by now a familiar technology, with systems operating by holding engine RPM at a set point to help facilitate clean, repeatable launches. “Launch control is essentially a special mode of the traction control system that integrates the brake and engine management systems to keep the tires balanced on the peak of the mu-slip curve,” explains SVT’s Pfeiffer. In plain English, it’s designed to send as much torque to the tires as they can handle. What’s different about the system in the 2013 GT500 is its flexibility. “Most of our competitors’ launch control systems have a fixed engine launch speed,” says SVT Engineering supervisor Eddie Khan, but since “not every driver has the same style, and surface, tire, and climate conditions vary,” he points out, “we’ve given Shelby GT500 drivers the ability to adjust the engine speed to achieve the best and most consistent performance.”

Drivers can use TrackApps through the instrument cluster or tap a switch to the left of the instrument panel to enable the system. Through TrackApps, the engine launch rpm can be adjusted between 3,000 to 4,500 rpm with steps of 100 rpm. There are other tricks up the GT500s sleeve, too. Extinguish the traction control while using launch control and you’ll get an rpm-only mode that keeps the brakes out of the picture to avoid sacrificing any possible speed. Launch control also works with the different stability control modes to allow some wheelspin when that’s the fastest way out of the hole. “It’s not as intrusive as some TC systems have been in the past,” said SVTs Khan. “We’e given our drivers the ability to exert control over all the power and torque this Mustang can produce.”

Continue reading 2013 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 features clever variable-RPM launch control

2013 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 features clever variable-RPM launch control

Frenemies Ford and General Motors have taken to cyberspace for a little verbal sparing, trading snarky shots this week over which company is more likeable on Facebook.

GM set itself up Tuesday after news broke that the carmaker decided not to spend $10 million on Facebook advertising the same week the social media juggernaut prepares for its initial public offering expected to raise $100 billion dollars.

Ford used the opportunity to tweak its crosstown rival, tweeting: “It’s all about the execution. Our Facebook ads are effective when strategically combined with engaging content & innovation.”

GM couldn’t leave that alone, going onto its Facebook page, “Just wanted to let our millions of Facebook fans know, we’re still here, and we ‘like’ you back!”

Both carmakers will continue to use Facebook, where both have millions of followers of their brands and vehicles. And, really, they are both right.

Ford has done an extremely good job incorporating Facebook into its marketing strategy. When it came time to launch the new Ford Explorer, it did it through Facebook reaching millions of people.

GM has determined its money will be better spent in other areas. A recent Associated Press-CNBC poll showing more than half of all Facebook users never click on sponsored ads and only 12 percent said they felt comfortable to buy anything over Facebook. Google, The Wall Street Journal points out, is much more effective.

Ford and GM in Twitterfight over Facebook advertising?

Calling it “Holden’s worst kept secret,” a report in Australia’s Drive indicates that the General Motors antipodean brand will announce “very soon” that it will be exporting “thousands of Commodores to the U.S. from 2013.” Or, put another way, we will be getting thousands of Chevrolet SS Performance sedans – the Pontiac G8 in a previous life – starting next year.

The report says Holden is divulging the news earlier than planned because leaks just about everywhere, including OnStar, as well as trade-publication reports and speculation about GM’s 2013 NASCAR entrant, have got everyone looking southward for confirmation of the answer we already (almost) know.

Drive says our rear-wheel drive Chevrolet will get a revised take on the VF-model Commodore that has an aluminum hood to make it lighter and less aggressive wheel arches to make it more slippery. No hard numbers are attached to the export rumors, but it is expected to number “much fewer than the 50,000-odd” units that were predicted for the Pontiac G8 program.

The scintillating line for bitter enthusiasts still chafing over the confirmed-then-cancelled G8 ST Ute corn tease is that the exports “could also expand to involve ute and sportwagon variants.” Drive didn’t, but we will emphasize the word “could,” since we’ve been here before. However, that does jive with a report in Car and Driver indicating the same thing. Holden’s announcement could be made as soon as later today right now – see below for update.

*UPDATE: Well that didn’t take long. General Motors has officially confirmed that the new Holden-derived sedan sold in the U.S. will be called simply Chevrolet SS. The “limited production” SS will race in NASCAR beginning with the 2013 Daytona 500 and will appear in showrooms in 2014. GM isn’t getting into specifics, but says “The much anticipated Australian-built car will benefit from significant technology advances which enhance overall performance.” As to additional bodystyles like a wagon or pickup, well, GM isn’t saying. See more in the official press release added below, and click on the image above to get a look at GM’s newest racer all camo’d up.

Continue reading Holden announces export of RWD Commodore to North America, other bodystyles could follow *UPDATE

Holden announces export of RWD Commodore to North America, other bodystyles could follow *UPDATE

Calling it “Holden’s worst kept secret,” a report in Australia’s Drive indicates that the General Motors antipodean brand will announce “very soon” that it will be exporting “thousands of Commodores to the U.S. from 2013.” Or, put another way, we will be getting thousands of Chevrolet SS Performance sedans – the Pontiac G8 in a previous life – starting next year.

The report says Holden is divulging the news earlier than planned because leaks just about everywhere, including OnStar, as well as trade-publication reports and speculation about GM’s 2013 NASCAR entrant, have got everyone looking southward for confirmation of the answer we already (almost) know.

Drive says our rear-wheel drive Chevrolet will get a revised take on the VF-model Commodore that has an aluminum hood to make it lighter and less aggressive wheel arches to make it more slippery. No hard numbers are attached to the export rumors, but it is expected to number “much fewer than the 50,000-odd” units that were predicted for the Pontiac G8 program.

The scintillating line for bitter enthusiasts still chafing over the confirmed-then-cancelled G8 ST Ute corn tease is that the exports “could also expand to involve ute and sportwagon variants.” Drive didn’t, but we will emphasize the word “could,” since we’ve been here before. However, that does jive with a report in Car and Driver indicating the same thing. Holden’s announcement could be made as soon as later today.

Holden to announce export of RWD Commodore to North America, other bodystyles could follow

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has crowned two sedans and a hatchback as Top Safety Picks: the 2013 Chevrolet Malibe Eco, 2012 Hyundai Azera and 2012 Toyota Prius c. The redesigned 2013 Malibu joins its 2012 model-mate as a Top Pick, and the 2013 earned a good side impact rating even without its optional side airbags.

The Prius c also has siblings that have won the award, the Prius and Prius v. The Azera had been rated in a few earlier tests, but in completing the testing regime with good marks all ’round it earned the accolade. The Top Pick moniker is given to vehicles that score “Good” in the IIHS’s front, side, rollover and rear-impact tests.

Have a look below for video of the Malibu and Prius c going through their side-impact exams.

Continue reading IIHS crowns three new Top Safety Picks [w/video]

IIHS crowns three new Top Safety Picks [w/video]

If you’re looking to give your Mercedes-Benz an added dose of performance, look no further than Brabus. The aftermarket tuning house specializes in customizing Daimler’s finest, and doesn’t stop at upgrading the engine and running gear, either. With packages like the iBusiness suite, Brabus will turn your S-Class, for example, into a 219-mph high-tech office on wheels. In other words, it’ll make it more like a private jet. But what if you want your jet to feel more like your customized Mercedes? Brabus can help with that, too.

The new Brabus Private Aviation division is set up in response to customer demand and follows a similar project launched recently to outfit yacht interiors. It allows discerning and well-heeled clients to either retrofit the cabins of their existing private jets or commission the accoutrements to be fitted to new aircraft direct from whatever aerospace concern is building their new private jet.

The focus is on both luxury and business capabilities, which Brabus is currently displaying with two concepts at the European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition in Geneva. Scope ‘em out in the high-resolution image gallery above, the press release below and the dedicated website beyond the link.

Continue reading Brabus turns its attention to custom jets

Brabus turns its attention to custom jets

RM Auctions only just finished pulling in record numbers at its event in Monaco, but it’s already gearing up for the next event set to take place during Pebble Beach weekend in Monterey, California.

Headlining the Canadian specialist auctioneer’s catalog for the August event are the rare 1955 Ferrari 410 Sport Berlinetta and the timelessly elegant 1938 Talbot-Lago Teardrop Coupe pictured together above.

Considered by some to be one of the world’s most desirable Ferrari classic road car, this particular 410 Sport Berlinetta is the second of just four built and the only fixed-roof coupe. Chassis 0594 CM features bodywork by Scaglietti in ivory with blue leather. It will be making its first appearance both in North America and at auction, having only traded hands a few times between private European collectors until now.

The Talbot, meanwhile, is one of only five of its kind built (of four remaining) and the only such coupe built upon a four-seat chassis. The winner of several concours, this particular example of French art deco in motion is expected to fetch $2.5 to $3.2 million. Scroll down for the full press release and peruse the high-resolution images of the two cars together in Monaco for a sneak preview.

Continue reading Elegant classic Ferrari and Talbot-Lago to headline at Pebble Beach

Elegant classic Ferrari and Talbot-Lago to headline at Pebble Beach

The Touchskin interface has beeen on display since last October; now it’s at a stage where Magna is shopping it to automakers. Although Magna is the marquee name, the various components that comprise Touchskin are produced by nine companies: Plastic Electronics, Engel Mould Technologies, Schöfer, Magna Exteriors and Interiors, Hueck, Niebling, Votteler, Hennecke Polyurethane and formquadrat.

It is exactly what it sounds like: instead of buttons and knobs populating the center tunnel space around the gearshift, there is a a perfectly smooth Clearmelt panel whose glossy surface heals itself of scratches and nicks. On either side of the shifter in the concept is the IDMP area, where your mobile phone rests. Without needing to be docked, the phone can connect with the car through Qi transmitters (common to phones as of this year) and be charged. The IDMP area and near-field Qi system is one of Magna’s contributions and the company says it can’t be hacked like Bluetooth or Internet protocols.

To the rear of the concept panel is the haptic interface, a protuberance that responds to numerous fingertip gestures to provide control of the car’s various systems. It is made possible by the Touchskin film, produced in reel-to-reel fashion at a rate of 80 meters per minute, that can be molded to any shape and is wedded to the Clearmelt with copper foil.

There’s a video just below to take you through the production process and how Touchskin works. It’s unlikely the entire panel would make it into a new car, but we can certainly see it creeping, piece by glossy piece, into our Minority Report futures.

Continue reading Magna Touchskin technology takes a swipe at switchgear in cars [w/video]

Magna Touchskin technology takes a swipe at switchgear in cars [w/video]