2011 Chevrolet Volt – Click above for high-res image gallery
For the past three years, has consistently described the as a pure electric vehicle with a range-extending on-board gas engine/generator. Today we learned that, in fact, there are instances where the to move the car along, which technically makes the Volt a plug-in hybrid, not a pure EV. The question we’d like to ask is, how big a deal will this range-extended EV versus plug-in hybrid debate be for The General?
Already, several media outlets such as have over feelings that they’ve been “lied to” for the past three years in regards to whether or not the Volt’s engine can power its drive wheels. The boys from have gone so far as to Photoshop Chevy’s Volt as the devil. GM, meanwhile, claims this news didn’t come to light earlier because the company was protecting its patents on the Volt drivetrain, which have since been approved.
You can bet you’ll be hearing plenty more on the topic from those of us who Obsessively Cover the Auto Industry, but for now, we’re more curious about what you think.
Has General Motors knowingly lied about how the Volt operates or is the explanation less sinister? Or do you simply not care as long as the final design is as efficient as possible? Take our poll below and then weigh-in with your more detailed thoughts in the Comments.
has released a sketch of the next-generation , and in the process has confirmed the new model will be sold in the United States. The benefited from minor equipment and pricing changes, but the next Versa looks to take on much more stylish design language, with the Versa adopting some of the familial lines of its larger and siblings.
Details are still very limited at this point, in fact we only have the above image and confirmation that this next-gen Versa will be sold here, but with the auto show season just ramping up, we’d expect to see Nissan’s new compact bowing at the LA Auto Show this November.
One of these days, we’ll turn around and find that the last of the one-off special editions of the Pagani Zonda has come and gone. And that’ll be okay, because by then we should have its oft-spied and highly-anticipated successor (tentatively dubbed C9) to ogle instead. But that day is not today, as yet another specially-commissioned Zonda has hit the interwebs.
Called the 750, this edition is based on the five-of-a-kind Zonda Cinque, but sets itself apart with an unmistakable magenta paint job and a redesigned rear window to accommodate that giant overhead fauxhawk air inlet. Specific details have not been announced, but given the one-off’s name, it could be packing a 750-horsepower version of the AMG-built 7.3-liter V12 engine. Or the 750 could stand for something else entirely.
The supercar is currently undergoing construction, commissioned by an unspecified Middle Eastern buyer. Color us surprised… which happens to be a similar shade of purple.
It would appear that the timing for the 2012 Honda Civic’s unveiling has reached the “any day now” point. caught the latest version of the popular econo-sedan undergoing desert testing, basically devoid of camouflage. If you were waiting with bated breath for an extraordinarily new and different-looking Civic, stop reading. The 2010 car falls solidly into the “extensive refresh” category rather than a full redesign.
As you can see , the front and rear fascias are updated; a new grille and bumper appear up front, while out back, all-new taillamps will be the most distinguishing visual element on the 2012 car. The overall profile of the Honda Civic sedan is clearly a carryover, however.
Likewise, the interior has been mildly tweaked with a new steering wheel and some updated trim panels, but it’s basically window dressing over the passenger cabin recent Civic owners are familiar with. (The bi-level instrumentation is there, and the radio, HVAC controls, and air vents are all in the same locations as the current car.)
What powertrain changes (if any) Honda has in store still remain a mystery. for a video of the new Civic out in the wild, and of spy pics. Thanks to all who sent tips.
2011 SSC Ultimate Aero II – Click above for high-res image gallery
Top Gear has let loose another batch of pics showcasing the SSC Ultimate Aero II. In addition to the tantalizing imagery, we get some facts and figures. For starters, this new Ultimate Aero is powered by a 6.8-liter twin-turbocharged V8 that can scream up to a 9,000 rpm redline. Power? 1,350 horses, every last drop of which will be needed to hit the targeted top speed of 275 mph. Obviously, this rocketship won’t be available for short money; it’s going to cost $970,000.
SSC aims to recapture the , which responded this year by . Shelby Supercars believes the Ultimate Aero II will once again allow it to take back the speed crown.
SSC team isn’t simply relying on monster power and a slick . In a nod to Colin Chapman, the new Aero weighs much less than a Veyron thanks to a handful of engineering feats. The wheels are the world’s first one-piece carbon-fiber units and tip the scale at just under 13 pounds. In fact, there’s carbon-fiber all over the Ultimate Aero II, with the exception of some aluminum bracing for added safety in the event of a crash. Overall, the car weighs about 2,600 pounds, giving it a power-to-weight ratio nearly double that of the . Those specs pretty much say that it isn’t so much a question of whether the SSC Ultimate Aero II car will set a record, only when it’ll finally happen.
2012 Ford Grand C-Max: Disappearing middle seat – Click above to watch video
We recently spent some time with the and came away with mixed feelings about it. It’s an excellent compact minivan, but that’s a low-volume segment and we’re unsure of how well the Grand C-Max will sell here. One particular feature we do know people will be impressed by is the disappearing middle seat found in the second row.
engineers designed the Grand C-Max so that the second-row middle seat folds out of sight into a compartment under the adjacent seat cushion. Doing so opens up a clear passageway to the third row seating. Also, both rear seating rows fold flat to accommodate sizable cargo loads. To see it all in action, check out the video .
Design inspiration for the Nissan Juke – Click above to watch video
The has what some might call ‘controversial’ styling. It’s downright polarizing. So, where did pull its inspiration from in order to craft these lines? Alfonso Albaisa is the Vice President of Nissan Design Europe and he’s here to explain exactly why the looks like it does.
Albaisa states that the essence of the Juke “captures the pure life of a 30-something year-old guy.” The vehicle is aimed at a younger demographic of new car buyer and Nissan’s goal was to turn lifestyle elements into design features. The interior is supposed to be reminiscent of a person wearing a wetsuit while the front end is intended to invoke visions of a rally car.
Automotive designers are always entertaining to listen to, and Alfonso Albaisa is no exception. His descriptive language wended its way into our brains giving us a greater appreciation for Nissan’s little sporty crossover. Don’t believe us? Listen to the man in the clip .
Audi Quattro Concept – Click above for high-res image gallery
stunned us at this month’s when it unveiled the – an homage to the original Ur-Quattro that pioneered the automaker’s now-signature all-wheel-drive system. It shares its underpinnings with those found on the hot coupe, packs 408 horsepower and weighs less than 3,000 pounds. Talk about impressive.
We certainly wouldn’t be opposed to a production version, and according to Autocar, that dream may become a reality. Audi has reportedly been advancing plans for a limited production run of the Quattro, assembled on a dedicated line at parent company ’s newly acquired design firm, . Stefan Reil, head of development at Audi’s Quattro Gmbh division, told Autocar that the automaker is “rethinking standard processes to make it possible,” and that Audi “know[s] how to engineer it already.”
If the Quattro concept gets the green light, power would likely come from a tuned version of the turbocharged 2.5-liter inline-five found in the , producing somewhere around 350 horsepower. It’s not the 408 that Audi originally quoted, but if the sub-3,000-pound weight is kept in order, it should still make for one heck of an interesting performer.
Hurry up and build it, Audi. We’ll have our ready for the comparison test.
If you’ve been wondering who’ll be piloting the new in the World Rally Championship, wonder no longer. Driving duties will be handed to Kris Meeke.
Haven’t heard of him? The British rally driver has had an interesting career so far on his climb up to the pinnacle of off-road sideways motorsport. A mechanical engineer by training, Meeke started out in the rally world working as a Computer Aided Designer for M-Sport, the firm that handles the championship-winning World Rally Team. Not satisfied sitting behind a monitor while others got the glory, Meeke won a star-search with Peugeot and was taken under the wing of the late Colin McRae, who coached and guided him through his ascent up the classes.
Last year Meeke started out in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge, taking the title for Peugeot UK in his first year. After a number of early retirements, Meeke currently sits fourth in this year’s IRC standings, but will finish out the season with Peugeot before departing for the Prodrive-Mini team in the top-flight World Rally Championship as Peugeot UK begins searching for his replacement.
2011 Infiniti M – Click above for high-res image gallery
The , and the were tested in the latest issue of Consumer Reports, and the results were fairly predictable. All three vehicles received ratings of “Excellent,” though each vehicle’s road to the top came from a different direction.
The newly redesigned M37 remains CR’s top-rated midsize luxury sedan for its combination of performance, luxury and comfort. CR chief David Champion credits the M for combining “agile handling, a taut yet comfortable ride, and a beautifully-finished interior.” Solid praise, indeed. The BMW 535i’s top rating comes on the heels of a test that revealed the new sedan as quick, luxurious and fuel efficient. Interestingly, CR believes that the new 5 Series has lost some of its trademark agility for 2011.
While the M37 is the top-rated midsize luxury sedan the V8-powered Hyundai Genesis could be the big winner of this test. South Korea’s best nailed the test with the most power of the three vehicles tested and the lowest price tag of the group. We’re not talking a couple thousand bucks, either. The Genesis was $10,000 cheaper than the M and $15,000 less than the BMW. The dark-horse luxury sedan was called spacious and smooth, though the ‘built for comfort’ chassis was called out for being “not that sporty.” Both the M37 and Genesis have been granted the coveted CR “Recommended” label, while the 5 Series doesn’t have enough reliability data available to qualify just yet. Check out the official press release after the jump.
Maserati Quattroporte S – Click above for high-res image gallery
We’ve about for some time now and Inside Line managed to wrangle up some new details on the upcoming . The car is expected to arrive sometime next fall and will take aim at the likes of the , and . While the received its lines from Pininfarina, the smaller Maserati will be penned at Centro Stile Fiat – Fiat’s in-house design studio.
Currently, the automaker is deciding where the sporty luxury sedan will be built. The Modena factory is running at full-tilt so the next choice seems to be Bertone’s Turin plant.
Rejoice, two-wheel fans: Aprilia has decided to grace the land of the free with the delectable . According to the moto-obsessed crew over at Hell For Leather, the bike is coming our way next year and we can expect to see it in showrooms as soon as this Spring.
The bike gets underway courtesy of a water-cooled, 1200 cc, 130-horsepower twin-cylinder engine that, according to Aprilia, is a completely new design. With four-valves per cylinder, dual overhead cams and three throttle maps for varying riding conditions, the powerplant sounds like an engineer’s wish list.
The whole party comes to a stop courtesy of twin 320 mm floating discs clamped by Brembo four-piston calipers. Throw in the traditional up-right riding position of the supermoto set and you’ve got a recipe for ridiculously powerful riding perfection. So far, there’s no word on how much the Dorsoduro 1200 will set you back, but we’re guessing that it won’t be long before Aprilia drops the MSRP. Spring is right around the corner, after all.
Sure, the sticker price for the 240V Voltec home charging unit designed to quickly and efficiently recharge the is a wallet-friendly $490, but this is a case where reading the fine print is important. That’s because the cost to install this charger in your garage is slightly more. estimates that installation of the Voltec unit will cost you around $1,475, so we’re talking about a near $2,000 premium to have your Volt suck down electrons faster than it would if just plugged into a wall.
The Volt can charge just fine from a standard outlet and comes with a 120V-to-J1772 charger. Using that method will take around ten hours to reach a full charge from empty, while using 240V charger Voltec charger will cut that down to around four hours. For people who have short commutes or plan to leave the Volt plugged in every night, a 240V system might be overkill since the Volt has a gasoline-powered generator on board to extend its range should the electrons dry up.
The Voltec system’s $2,000 overall cost, however, is in line with the Aerovironment 240V charge station for the all-electric . Nissan says that charger installed, though Leaf fans began complaining that Nissan was forcing owners to use just one installer and the automaker has since pointed out that .
Of course, there are (i.e. luck out and live in place with local incentives or be one of the first Volt buyers), but most people looking to add a Volt to their garage will need to cough up an extra $2,000 to receive quick-charging functionality. For an in-depth look at Chevrolet’s Volt chargers, click .
[Source: General Motors]
Volt home charger priced at $490 or nearly $2K with installation
Jaguar C-X75 Concept – Click above for high-res image gallery
Remember the at the Paris Motor Show? Of course you do. The company repeatedly said it was “a pure concept” that wouldn’t ever learn what the word “production” meant. Well, along with Galileo, is reportedly joining the list of those who took it all back – well, almost – by admitting it’s studying the production feasibility of what would become the X-75.
The stats again: Two 96-horsepower micro gas turbines powering batteries which in turn feed a quartet of 195-hp electric motors at the wheels for a shuddering 780 hp and 1,187 pound-feet, a 3.4-second run to 62 miles per hour, a top speed of 205 mph, an electric range of 68 miles and a range-extended blast of 560 miles. Autocar says that although Jag is studying only making 1,000 or 2,000 per year and could charge a fortune for every one of them, it’s those turbines that could decide – or more likely, terminate – the car’s fate.
See, Jag doesn’t want to stick a plain old combustion engine in it. Otherwise it would have to be redesigned because the turbines’ small footprint don’t allow room for what would need to be a very powerful V8 or a large V12. Even though the company says developing the turbines for production would cost less than doing so for an ICE, it will take up to eight years to get them ready – for even a low-volume item. Of course, we can’t imagine Jaguar is going to stand up at the 2016 Paris Auto Show and declare “The six-year-old concept car you loved in 2010 will be here in two more years! Get ready!” As far as we’re concerned, we’re happy to imagine gas turbines coming in some kind of Jaguar at some kind of date, whenever it is.
Volarri Valeta prototype – Click above for image gallery
Everybody and their cousin wants to start their own supercar company. Aside from the major ones that made it, like Enzo , Ferdinand , Ferruccio and even their modern successor Horacio Pagani, the industry is littered with attempts – some more successful than others – to do the same. One such venture was called Volarri. The American outfit was another stab at the stratosphere that didn’t make it. But just as science stands on the shoulders of giants, if you want to try your hand at the same, you can pick up where Volarri left off.
This eBay Motors auction isn’t just for the car. It includes the prototype, the blueprints, the patents and other properties you’d need to keep the project going. Hundreds of thousands have already been sunken into the ill-fated project before the owner called it quits, but bidding now stands at a reserve-unmet $20k. Have a closer look at the , the details on the aborted or the (unfortunately low-res) image gallery below.
Leica M9 Titanium by Walter de’Silva – Click above for image gallery
Walter de’Silva has worked his magic on countless Alfa Romeos, Seats, and now, as head of design for the entire Group, is responsible for styling even more brands and their products than just about anyone in the industry. But he can now add one more to his resume: a Leica camera.
The iconic German optics company brought de’Silva in to give its compact M9 camera a bit of a make-over. Rising to the task, de’Silva refitted the camera in titanium, gave its screen a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal, trimmed it in Nappa leather, a diamond-texture surface and even reworked Leica’s famous logo, centering it above the lens like a hood ornament. A gun-holster-like shoulder harness completes the package as de’Silva follows in the footsteps of fellow car designer Giorgetto Giugiaro, who designed for Canon and whose ItalDesign studio de’Silva’s employers .
Only 500 examples of the limited-edition, de’Silva-designed Leica M9 Titanium will be produced, fetching a suitably car-like $31,300 apiece. Zoom in on the images in the gallery below for a closer look.
is teaming up with Original Wraps Inc. to by jumping on the custom vinyl bandwagon. The is the first Nissan to receive the vinyl wrap treatment and you can customize your own designs at .
As the Cube customization hits the web it will quickly be followed by the before Nissan moves on to the , with more products being added to the line over time. The graphics are installed by a professional, but can be removed at anytime and leave no residue. Manufacturing, warranties and shipping of the vinyl units are all handled by Original Wraps and each piece is designed to last up to three years. Hit the jump for the full details.
The big news for the 2012 is indeed the highly anticipated , but that doesn’t mean the base cars are moving forward without a few small tweaks. Our friends at landed a set of spy shots that depict the muscle car sporting a new and improved set of taillamps and mirrors.
Out back, the revised lamps use a full-LED design that mimic the shape of sunglasses. And if we’re honest, we much prefer the standard bulb-lit units found on the current car, though we’re sure that the LED setup will be a hit amongst the gee-whiz crowd. As for the side mirrors, they’ve grown quite substantially and now include turn indicators. At first glance they look a bit awkward, though this should help remedy one of the largest complaints we have about the Camaro: outward visibility.
We’re still scratching our heads to decide if we’ll put our stamp of approval on these design tweaks, though we’ll have to wait until the finished product shows up before making any final judgments, as these could just be early prototype parts. Expect to see the slightly restyled Camaro debut sometime next year as a 2012 model. Hat tip to Luke!
The Audi Spectacle – Click above for high-res image gallery
is always up for some . For a new campaign called “The Audi Spectacle” it might be going way up. A campaign presented by the Access ad agency has Audi reinventing the concept of the billboard, with its famous four rings taking over some of the worlds most iconic landmarks.
The Brooklyn Bridge in New York, Sydney Harbour Bridge in Australia, Tower Bridge in London and the Rialto Bridge in Venice have been presented as potential candidates for the advertising treatment. The life-size installations could be beautiful, but would attaching advertising to global treasures be going too far to spread a brand’s message?
If you think that’s the case, don’t get too worked up just yet. The campaign is just a concept at this point, and the potential backlash could kill the idea before it… ummm… gets off the ground.
Smart/Nissan collaboration sketch – Click above for high-res image gallery
has announced that it, the purveyor of pint-sized conveyances, has partnered up with to build a new vehicle slated to go on sale here in the States. Details are remarkably scarce at the moment, but Smart has been kind enough to roll out a couple of sketches to give us an idea of what’s coming down the pike. From the press release, we’re told that the new creation will be a five-door, B-segment competitor powered by a gasoline engine, and that it will go on sale late 2011.
Given the short lead time, we’re that the car will likely be based on the Nissan Micra, especially since Nissan’s current B-segment car, the , is one of the largest offerings in that class. The sketches don’t exactly reveal too much, other than the fact that the vehicle will retain the Smart penchant for unique design.
As of right now, the two companies have merely signed a Memorandum of Understanding. That means that the final decision still has to go through numerous approvals before getting the go ahead. Still, it’s good to see Smart making moves to get out of the rut the company has been in for the past year or so. to read the official press release.
Sure, the sticker price for the 240V Voltec home charging unit designed to quickly and efficiently recharge the is a wallet-friendly $490, but this is a case where reading the fine print is important. That’s because the cost to install this charger in your garage is slightly more. estimates that installation of the Voltec unit will cost you around $1,475, so we’re talking about a near $2,000 premium to have your Volt suck down electrons faster than it would if just plugged into a wall.
