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Here’s a fun fact: According to Mobile Future, the connected car is the third-fastest growing technological device in the world, falling only behind smart phones and tablets. If that’s not proof that personal transportation is falling ever more heavily into the appliance realm, we don’t know what is.

Toyota is looking to get ahead of that trend by partnering with Intel on a joint research project designed to yield its next-generation of infotainment systems. Intel says that the company has been researching vehicle connectivity for years now, and that it hopes the new partnership with Toyota will produce more seamless smart phone integration.

That makes two of us.

But the project won’t just focus on improving current technology. Intel also says that the two corporations will investigate ways to integrate vehicles with owners’ homes. What does that mean, exactly? We have no idea, and chances are it will be at least a year or two before we find out.

Continue reading Toyota wants Intel inside its future cars

Toyota wants Intel inside its future cars

Shelby SuperCars has released images and video depicting a rendering of the interior of its forthcoming Tuatara. The company says that designers have worked to integrate some of the vehicle’s exterior elements into the cockpit, which is why we’re guessing the cabin is littered with perforations. The driver will be treated to a glass gauge cluster that relies on Pico projectors to display pertinent information like speed and engine rpm. The tech functions similarly to heads up displays on vehicles like the Chevrolet Corvette. The right side of the cluster depicts current gear selection along with a shift-indicator tree while the left side fields any other practical information.

Interestingly, the passenger will also be provided a set of screens with a variety of information, including current speed, engine speed or horsepower at any given time. The company says that the effort makes riding shotgun more of a co-pilot experience. In addition, a large touch screen in the center console takes care of most creature comfort and entertainment settings, though the vehicle still relies on honest tactile buttons for more critical systems like traction control and drive modes. Follow the jump to see the video for yourself.

Continue reading SSC previews radical Tuatara interior

SSC previews radical Tuatara interior

General Motors is recalling a small number of 2012 Cadillac CTS models for concerns over the vehicle’s braking system. According to a report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the affected cars could have a power vacuum brake boost pushrod retention nut that may not have been torqued to the proper specification. This could cause the pushrod to separate from the brake pedal, which may result in a loss of braking ability. Yikes.

The recall, however, only affects 624 CTS models, all of which were manufactured between October 21 and October 26 of this year. Cadillac dealers will inspect the pushrod retention nut, and if necessary, re-torque it to the proper spec. Of course, this service will come at no cost to owners. Follow the jump for the official NHTSA report.

Continue reading Cadillac recalls small number of 2012 CTS models over brake pedal fears

Cadillac recalls small number of 2012 CTS models over brake pedal fears

As a tipster put it: “Crap.”

Even though there is plenty of evidence that the Chevy Volt is a safe car (one just protected its occupants in a recent crash with a bus), there are now new and seemingly legitimate worries about the safety of the 16-kWh battery pack after a crash. Bloomberg reports that a Volt that was parked at a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration test center recently caught fire, burning nearby vehicles. The Volt had been put through a side-impact crash test three weeks prior and an official told Bloomberg that investigators determined the battery was indeed the source of the fire. Apparently, NHTSA reps are talking with “all automakers” with lithium-ion vehicle for sale (or coming soon) about the safety of their battery packs.

On the one hand, this is bad news for people who already have worries about the safety of plug-in vehicle. On the other hand, a crashed car, whether powered by gasoline or lithium, isn’t exactly a safe item. Given that this fire follows a second garage fire involving a Volt (whose cause has not yet been determined), we expect a spike of “plug-in cars are bad” news soon. Whether this is warranted or not is another question. The NHTSA’s issued a statement to Bloomberg that said:

Based on the available data, NHTSA does not believe the Volt or other electric vehicles are at a greater risk of fire than gasoline-powered vehicles. In fact, all vehicles – both electric and gasoline-powered – have some risk of fire in the event of a serious crash.

Indeed. We’ll have more on this as details are released.

Chevy Volt battery catches fire at NHTSA

Think Your Job Is Stressful? Try Redesigning The 911

The world’s most iconic sports car, the Porsche 911, is redefined about every seven years. This is no easy feat, as each new model must not only conform to ever tightening emissions, fuel economy and safety regulations, but must be faster and more competitive in motorsports. The 911 remains one of the most successful racing cars ever built, and for many, it’s not just a sports car from Porsche – it is Porsche.

Now, an all-new seventh-generation Porsche 911 Carrera has been unveiled. While the rear-engine replacement lacks serious controversy (the move from an air-cooled flat-six to water-cooled powerplant more than a decade ago was dreadfully traumatic), the new Type 991 presents altered proportions to improve passenger comfort, handling and stability. But don’t think for a moment that the 2012 model has gone soft. It is much more dynamic and capable than its predecessor. To substantiate the fact, Porsche divulges that its all-new Carrera S is capable of lapping the Nürburgring’s Nordschleife circuit in just 7:40 minutes. Not only is that 14 seconds faster than last year’s 997, but it matches the time of the race-ready Type 997 GT3. And that’s just the start.

Continue reading 2012 Porsche 911 Carrera S [w/video]

2012 Porsche 911 Carrera S [w/video]

The problem with most voice-recognition systems in modern cars is the stilted, unnatural commands required to execute even the simplest functions. Cadillac is supposedly working on bringing more natural voice commands to market with CUE, but Pioneer and its new Zypr voice-to-cloud platform aims to take it a step further.

Utilizing a tethered smartphone or embedded modem, the new system listens and acts on commands based on conversational direction. Say, “Play some music” and Zypr responses with “Which artist?” or “Which source?” Tell the system “I’m in the mood for Thai” and it will list off the nearest restaurants, provide Yelp ratings and allow you to get directions and email the address to your friends. Facebook and Google integration is also part of the package, and since it’s all handled in the cloud, the expansion of sources and options is infinite. And Zypr won’t just be limited to cars.

Pioneer wants the technology to find its way into every consumer electronics device on the market (for obvious licensing reasons), and with Apple’s Siri functionality on the iPhone 4S putting a new emphasis on natural speech recognition, consumers will be demanding similar tech in almost everything they own within the next few years.

Pioneer bringing Siri-like control to the car

Maybe racing would stand on its own merits in an ideal utopia, but in the real world it has to make a business case for itself. So while the inaugural Baltimore Grand Prix may have been a success in the purest sense of the term – bringing IndyCar, ALMS and several other series to the city’s harbor front – financial woes could relegate it to history even faster than it came about… or the race cars that made it the spectacle it was.

The trouble, it seems, is between Baltimore Racing Development, which organized the event this past Labor Day, and the city in which it was held. Apparently BRD failed to pay all that was required by the municipality, and now city officials are demanding it pay up or get out of town.

According to reports, organizers owe city coffers some $1.5 million for services rendered, taxes and other expenses. Combined with the estimated $1.8 million it owes third parties, the Baltimore Grand Prix is looking at a huge debt that could take years to pay off, but if it doesn’t get the chance to hold the remaining four races for which it’s contracted, that debt could prove insurmountable.

Baltimore Grand Prix collapsing under weight of debt?

List price is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg when considering the purchase of a new supercar. Never mind the premium you’re likely to pay a speculator to avoid long waiting lists, or astronomic insurance rates, for that matter. If you actually plan on driving your six-figure exotic, you’re going to be spending a whole lot on fuel, plus another chunk on gas-guzzler tax. Right?

Well, usually, but the latest intel suggests otherwise when it comes to no less a capable performance machine than the McLaren MP4-12C. While most supercars achieve dismal fuel economy figures – after all, that’s not why they’re bought in the first place – and are subsequently hit with the EPA’s fossil-gulping penalty, the MP4 has reportedly managed to avoid it with (relatively) respectable fuel economy figures of 15 city/22 highway miles per gallon.

That’s enough for the carbon-fiber wonder and its twin-turbo V8 to skip the extra tax, which just leaves more money for all the rubber you’re bound to burn through while gleefully sliding Britain’s finest around every corner in sight. It’ll undoubtedly come as good news by January when the buyers lining up for the 500 examples bound for the U.S. market will begin taking delivery. That’ll be taking place at a new network of dealerships, which will, incidentally, each display a vintage grand prix racer from the company’s illustrious racing heritage, and you can check ‘em out in the high-res image gallery below.

McLaren MP4-12C avoids gas-guzzler tax, U.S. deliveries commence in January

‘Tis the season, boys and girls. Sure, the holidays are around the corner, but with the end of the year in sight, it’s time for every magazine and its sister (publication) to choose its favorite car(s) for the year. And the latest to do so is Automobile magazine.

The venerable glossy book has already announced its 2012 Automobile of the Year, the Audi A7, along with its Man of the Year (Kia design chief Peter Schreyer), Technology of the Year (the trifecta of turbocharging, direct injection and variable valve timing) and Design of the Year (Fisker Karma). But now Automobile has revealed its ten favorite cars for the annual All-Star list.

The final list represents an eclectic cross-section of American, European and Asian vehicles – all available in the U.S., naturally – including the:

• Audi TT RS
• BMW 3 Series
• Dodge Charger
• Ferrari 458 Italia/Spider
• Ford Focus
• Ford Mustang Boss 302
• Honda Odyssey
• Porsche Boxster & Cayman
• Land Rover Range Rover Evoque
• Volkswagen Golf TDI & GTI

Think Jennings and company chose well? Follow the jump for the press release, and be sure to click here to read the full All-Stars story, as well.

Continue reading Automobile names its 2012 All-Stars

Automobile names its 2012 All-Stars

When Porsche launches a new 911, it doesn’t just launch one model, it starts a process that will see literally dozens of variants to follow. Some with turbos, some without. Some with all-wheel drive, some driving just the rear. Coupes, convertibles, targas, lightweight models, and yes, even racing versions.

The 911, after all, is one of the most prolific racing cars on circuits around the world. This example, however, is not based on the new 911. What you see here is still based on the old 997. But it is the pinnacle of Porsche Motorsport’s range of customer racing cars.

The new GT3 RSR is built to race in the ACO’s GTE category, making it instantly eligible for competition in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Le Mans Series, the American Le Mans Series and the new FIA World Endurance Championship, as well as the International GT Open and a variety of other series and events.

Its 4.0-liter boxer six drives 460 horsepower (kept in check by a mandatory air restrictor) to the rear wheels via a six-speed sequential gearbox. Porsche has also fitted larger wheels front and rear, and given it a completely new aero package to keep it glued to the tarmac, slicing through the air and at front of the pack.

The best part is that you can buy one yourself. That is, assuming you’ve got half a million euros (about $675k) to spend on a track toy. Either way, you can check it out in the high-res image gallery and the press release after the jump.

Continue reading Porsche launches updated 911 GT3 RSR

Porsche launches updated 911 GT3 RSR

When Motor Trend tecnical director Frank Markus decided he needed to get away, you should know that his ‘time out’ wouldn’t merely be a weekend at the local hot springs or camping down by the river. The MT crew has made fine work of taking glorious trips in glorious cars – and a Subaru Outback – and Markus would keep it up, tracing Viking routes and his own heritage in an Audi R8 V10 Spyder along Norway’s Atlantic Road.

We’d love to tell you about it but we’d be remiss – the story is worth the read and the video, after the jump, is even moreso worth the watch. To Markus and his steed, we say “skaal!“

Continue reading Motor Trend visits Norway, looks for lineage in Audi R8 Spyder

Motor Trend visits Norway, looks for lineage in Audi R8 Spyder

Lots of automakers participate in F1 racing: Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz, Lotus, Renault… and not so long ago, BMW, Honda and Toyota were in on the action, too. But while these companies have made their own cars, engines and even fielded their own teams in the top motorsport discipline, Infiniti’s participation has been a little more removed.

Nissan’s luxury division, as you may well be aware, is one of the top sponsors of the current reigning championship team Red Bull. But without actually building or powering Sebastian Vettel’s car, Infiniti has been on a constant search for ways to capitalize on its partnership. That could soon amount to a Red Bull-tweaked line of performance models, and has already lead to a Sebastian Vettel edition FX. But for those who can’t stretch that far, Infiniti has announced – drum-roll, please – a vinyl wrap.

The celebratory livery is available at an as-yet undisclosed price to current FX owners, but for the “lucky” ten customers who buy an FX now in the UK and win a tour of the factory, it could be theirs for free. We’d be glad to take the tour, but we’ll leave the wrap off our luxury crossovers, thank you very much.

Continue reading Infiniti and Red Bull wrap up the F1 season, FX in style

Infiniti and Red Bull wrap up the F1 season, FX in style

Oh, how far things have come. NASCAR, as you may have heard, traces its roots back to moonshiners trying to outrun police cars. Now it’ll be the stock cars chasing after the police when NASCAR rounds out the season at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

The vehicles in question are Ford’s latest “purpose-built” Police Interceptors – the Taurus-based sedan and Explorer-based utility – which Dearborn rolled out last year to replace the old-school Crown Victoria-based squad cars patrolling America’s highways and city streets. The pair have been selected, much to the anticipated delight of race-loving cops, to serve as the pace cars for the upcoming Ford Championship Weekend, where all three of NASCAR’s major series – Camping World trucks, Nationwide Series and Sprint Cup – wrap up their seasons.

It’s not the first time, of course, that Fords have been used as pace cars in NASCAR – far from it – but while the Focus, Explorer, Fusion Hybrid and Mustang GT have all taken their turn recently as what they’d call “safety cars” overseas, this is the first time in the many years of leading the field in law enforcement vehicles that Ford will use its cop cars for the task.

Continue reading Ford Police Interceptor vehicles pacing NASCAR races in Miami

Ford Police Interceptor vehicles pacing NASCAR races in Miami

Aston Martins often prove capable of tangling with the likes of Ferraris and Lamborghinis. But one thing that sets them apart is that, while their Italian counterparts often place their engines amidship, Astons are always front-engined. Right?

Well, discounting their Lola-built LMP1 Le Mans racer, everything that rolls out of the factory in Gaydon – much as they did before at Newport Pagnell – has its engine up front, even with supercars as exotic as the One-77, V12 Zagato and Vanquish. That’s where HBH comes in.

The Danish firm, as we initially reported back in May and followed up on in July, takes its initials from the last names of its brain trust: Jesper Hermann, Christian Brandt and Torben Hartvig, who between them have a wealth of niche supercar experience to impart. For their latest project, the trio teamed up to produce the vehicle you see here: the Aston Martin Bulldog GT.

Aside from the engine being place behind the cabin, the Bulldog GT features unique aluminum bodywork that looks suitably Aston-like and accommodates placing the engine in the middle. And in case the 6.0-liter V12 lifted from the Vantage weren’t powerful enough, HBH has bolted on two superchargers to boost output up to 666 horsepower. That’s said to be enough for a 3.9-second run to 62 mph and a 186-mph top end, but we wouldn’t be surprised to find those numbers conservative.

Perhaps the most intriguing bit is that HBH is not just selling the car, but half of its production rights along with it. That means the buyer can choose whether to keep it as a one-off or put it into limited production and reap the rewards. Sounds like an interesting business model to us. Take a closer look at the finished product in our gallery of images and draw your own conclusions.

HBH reveals final design for mid-engined Aston Martin Bulldog GT

F1 cars aren’t made by teams. They’re not made by automakers, either. They’re made by chassis constructors. And few have the kind of experience in the field that Lola has.

The British company (similar to Dallara, Reynard and Panoz) makes a business out of designing and manufacturing racing cars. It makes Aston Martin’s Le Mans prototype (among others) and spec racers for various feeder formulae. It made the last Champ Car chassis before the series folded into the IndyCar series, and it makes the SP/300.R track toy for Caterham. For many years, Lola made F1 cars for a variety of teams, too – like the THL1 pictured above, driven by Alan Jones and Patrick Tambay for Team Haas in 1985. And now it wants back in.

A couple of years ago, Lola was one of several outfits vying for a spot on an expanding F1 grid, but was ultimately overlooked in favor of the likes of Team Lotus, Virgin Racing and HRT. Back then, Lola hoped to design and build the chassis for an independent team to race, but now it wants to field its own F1 team. If only the FIA would give it a shot.

It’s exactly the thing, say Lola’s management, that the company needs to boost its profile. Having lost out to longtime rival Dallara for the new IndyCar contract, it could prove to be just what the doctor ordered. The FIA, for its part, already cleared the way for a 13th team on the grid, but opted not to award the slot to any of the applicants – Lola included. Looks like it’s time to start lobbying again.

Lola wants back into F1

Now that he’s retired, Norman Mineta – the longest serving U.S. Transportation Secretary in history – is publicly speaking the kind of plain sense you don’t much get from sitting politicians. Or, at least, he’s taking the credit and the heat for it. Mineta released a white paper at a National Press Club that presented the position of the U.S. Coalition for Advanced Diesel Cars, a group founded in 2009.

The paper title is a clear enough indicator of the lengthy points made: “The Case for Technology Neutral Public Policy in Fuel Economy Debate: Allowing Performance To Determine Solutions.” Mineta asks that, instead of the government choosing which technologies it thinks are superior and supporting them with taxpayer dollars, in this case EVs and plug-in hybrids, that it take a technology-neutral approach and allow each technology and mass-market adoption decide where fiscal resources should be placed.

Among other things, the paper argues that high-efficiency gasoline and diesel engines are within 15 percent of the performance of EVs and hybrids, and that they are the most effective way to lower emissions in the near- and medium-term. As well, the Administration’s preference for battery-assisted vehicles is taking R&D money away from potentially better solutions, taxpayer money should be used to subsidize technologies for so little return and – surprise – the CAFE measurement methodology is outdated.

Mineta met current Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood to discuss diesels, but it would be shocking to imagine the administration would walk back from the initiatives its been pushing almost since it took office.

Ex-DOT head urges Washington to ‘treat diesels fairly’

Sometimes, even concept cars evolve. Take the Nissan Pivo, an ungainly, all-electric bubble-on-wheels that first appeared in 2005 at the Tokyo Motor Show. The first version was pretty round, but the Pivo 2 somehow managed to add extra curves around the wheels. For the Pivo 3, unveiled today in advance of this year’s Tokyo show, Nissan is keeping some of the quirkiness of the first two Pivos but has scrapped most of the supple round curves. Instead, the new Pivo gets some artistic angles to go with its city functionality. Whether this is an improvement or not is in the eye of the beholder.

The changes don’t mean that the Pivo is ready for sale quite yet, but Nissan does say that the third-gen Pivo is “what Nissan envisions to be a more ‘realistic’ EV of the near future.” Aside from the zero-emission powertrain (note the “e” logo, as also seen on the Leaf) and in-wheel motors, what’s notable about the Pivo 3 is that has got a lot of automated parking capability. In “specially equipped parking lots,” you can even let the car park and recharge itself using “Automated Valet Parking.” Even better, you can have the Pivo 3 come to you using your smartphone and the car’s autonomous driving skills. Bruce Wayne’s got nothing on Pivo. When you are driving, the center-located driver’s seat and ultra-tight (two-meter) turning radius.

As you can see in the video after the jump, Nissan is considering putting the Pivo – of something like the Pivo – into production. Would you buy one? Sound off in the Comments.

Continue reading Nissan shows off Pivo 3’s new angles, considering quirky EV for production [w/video]

Nissan shows off Pivo 3’s new angles, considering quirky EV for production [w/video]

Honda does a whole lot more than just cars. They do motorbikes, ATVs, power equipment, outboard marine engines, personal watercraft, business jets… and yes, even robots. In fact its ASIMO humanoid robot (parodied in a rather disturbingly hilarious episode of South Park) is one of the most advanced in the field of robotics, and it’s only getting more so as the Japanese industrial giant has just unveiled its latest iteration.

While ASIMO may look more-or-less the same as he/she/it always has, the new model encompasses several advancements. For starters, ASIMO longer needs to be controlled by a human – it can walk about and do stuff all on its own, taking in its surroundings and making spatial decisions accordingly. Its new arm and hand mechanisms also allow it to perform delicate and intricate tasks like opening a bottle of water and pouring it into a paper cup without crushing it under the might of its own technological superiority.

The long and short of it is that ASIMO – now under the newly-formed Honda Robotics division – will soon be able to do everything a human can, only better. So start stocking the bomb shelter again. Or better yet, let ASIMO do that for you. You’ve had a long day.

Click past the jump to let ASIMO pour you a drink and show off some of its newfound skills.

Continue reading Honda’s new ASIMO robot can now pour you a drink all on its own [w/video]

Honda’s new ASIMO robot can now pour you a drink all on its own [w/video]

In 2010, Porsche and Audi were both understood to be vying for the chance to provide future sports car platforms for the entire Volkswagen Group. Not to take anything away from Audi, but few would be surprised to learn that Porsche was chosen for the task.

It seems that Porsche had plans for the platform as early as March of 2011, considering it might underpin a Ferrari 458 competitor that would slot in between its own 911 and 918 Spyder. If such a car is made, what it is based on now seems to be a matter of timing: if Porsche produces its new model soon, a report in Autocar says VW wants it built on the next-generation R8 chassis that will also support the coming Lamborghini Gallardo. The overlords apparently feel that the aluminum and carbon fiber structure will be good enough for Porsche’s light heavyweight challenger.

That might not be good enough for Porsche – at least according to Autocar, which suggests that Porsche might wait all the way until 2020 to produce its rumored supercar. By then, all of the group’s sports cars will be on Porsche-designed platforms, so the Stuttgart firm won’t need to accept one from across the aisle.

Will Porsche be forced to use next-gen Audi R8 platform for Ferrari 458 rival?

Of the many motorsport disciplines in which Lotus is competing these days and will be in the near future, the British Touring Car Championship isn’t one of them. And of all the manufacturers taking part in the BTCC, Lotus isn’t among them. Which could be why race organizers have solicited the services of the Norfolk, England-based engineering consultancy in regulating the performance between the various cars competing in the series.

The issue comes down to the variety of racing formulas employed in the touring car series: some are naturally aspirated, some are turbocharged. Some follow the S2000 rules, some the BTCC’s own Next-Generation Touring Car regulations, while others are still on the old BTCC rule book. It’s a heck of an act to juggle, particularly when as many as 30 cars from a dozen or so different manufacturers are all racing towards the same checkered flag.

After Lotus presents its findings to the BTCC’s Engine Technical Review Panel, organizers will then be able to establish what amount of boost the turbocharged cars can run in order to make it a fair fight for those running without them. Details in the press release after the jump.

Continue reading Lotus enlisted to regulate BTCC engine performance

Lotus enlisted to regulate BTCC engine performance