Basic helmet design has come a long way since… wait, no it hasn’t. Sure, Snell ratings change every few years as our understanding of head trauma increases, but the basic skull bucket remains pretty much the same as it has for decades.
Voztec is looking to add a bit of innovation into the industry, and it’s rear access system looks quite interesting. By way of a rear access door, the rider/driver puts their head into the lid and the door clamps shut behind them. In case of an emergency, the helmet can be lifted away from the person’s face without having to move the injured person and risk further injury.
Voztec is working on rear access helmets for motorsports, horseback riding, snow spots, firefighters and the military. It’s even penned a concept design for an NFL version of the rear access helmet.
This helmet is the fifth prototype that Voztec has developed, and it’s now currently undergoing testing by a third party. Also, Voztec is looking for investors to help bring its rear access helmet to market, and we hope someone ponies up the dough because we’d love to get a closer look at this unique concept. Check it out for yourself in the gallery and demonstration video .
The lineup is in desperate need of a design intervention, and Automotive News reports that help is on the way. product development boss Derrick Kuzak reportedly told dealers that Lincoln will receive seven new or refreshed models by 2014, including a little love for the long-ignored .
The Navigator will reportedly receive the twin-turbo 3.5-liter EcoBoost engine option for the 2012 model year, giving large luxury SUV buyers a more fuel efficient option. The Navigator could also receive some design tweaks, but we’re not expecting anything close to a full redesign.
The Lincoln sedan lineup will also get some attention, with the and receiving substantial updates for the 2013 model year. The MKZ will reportedly be completely remade, with all-new sheetmetal that should look very little like its counterpart. The MKS will also distance itself from its more pedestrian platform-sharing , with a sleeker design and more premium materials.
Lincoln may also diversify their crossover offerings, including a new compact ‘ute based off the platform that should arrive during the 2013 model year. The , which was just re-penned for 2011, is also scheduled to receive an all-new platform based off Ford’s global mid-size architecture for 2014. The could receive a minor refresh for 2013, but then again Ford could wind up ditching the big crossover altogether or relegate sales of the model to livery and fleet customers.
A key component to future Lincoln redesigns will be minimizing any connection between the luxury make and any Ford siblings. Changes could include far more differentiated sheetmetal, different wheelbases and unique powertrains.
Whenever cottage industry supercars come up, Lee Noble’s name at least gets a mention. Noble is the man behind the unbelievable Noble M12 and M400; part supercars, part kit cars that Noble designed, built and marketed from a garage in England.
Now, Noble has teamed up with Polish firm Arrinera to bring its supercar to life. Featuring acres of carbon fiber and a ZR1-sourced mill, the car is should hit 60 in just 3.2 seconds, and can reportedly do the 0-124-0 sprint in 14.3 seconds. That’s fast by anyone’s measure.
No word on what kind of pricing you can expect yet, but the car should be available as a 2013 model. Though Lee Noble only owns five percent of the company, his expertise in getting boutique rockets to market certainly can’t hurt Arrinera’s chances.
Get ready for some head scratching, movie fans. decided to mark the brand’s 100th anniversary with a custom called the Cruzer. The four-door was worked up as a tribute to the Bluesmobile from The Blues Brothers and was unveiled at a special party at the Ace Café just outside of London. The company even hired a pair of blues artists called the Cruze Brothers to be on hand to entertain the crowd. The whole shindig sounds like plenty of good fun… except we don’t know what the Cruze or Chevrolet has to do with the comedy classic.
The original Bluesmobile was crafted from a retired Monaco police cruiser, complete with all of the upgraded hardware necessary to leap drawbridges and outwit scores of frustrated law enforcement, while the Bluesbrothers 2000 remake featured a Ford LTD. Unless General Motors is planning to farm the Cruze into police service, we fail to see the connection.
Chevrolet, meanwhile, says that the move was simply designed to celebrate an icon of American culture alongside the brand’s birthday. Any excuse for a party… to check out the press blast.
Car and Driver is reporting that the Mini Paceman has been given the go-ahead for production. The news comes courtesy of company chief Kay Segler, who said that the high-riding three-door is headed to the States.
The Paceman is based off of the tall CUV, which means that buyers will probably be able to snap up the vehicle in all-wheel drive if they feel so inclined. Even so, it will be a while before the Paceman makes it to dealers. Car and Driver says it will likely land in 2013 as a 2014 model.
What can we expect in terms of styling? If are any indication, the wee beastie will stick as close as possible to the Paceman Concept, though the name may change before the production car lands. We think the long roof line and upright nose on the Paceman is plenty becoming, though we have to wonder how many consumers are looking at the Countryman and thinking, “Just like that, but can you make it less functional?”
General Motors has quietly rolled out a mild refresh for the . Buyers who lay down the cash for the new pickup will enjoy a slightly reworked nose complete with a chrome mesh grille with a chrome surround on LS and LT trims, and two-wheel drive trucks will feature an aerodynamic front bumper without tow hooks. LTZ trim level pickups will boast a body-color surround, and 20-inch wheels are now available, as well. For 2012, every Silverado with the exception of the Hybrid will come standard with trailer sway control and hill-start assist for a little more functionality and safety.
GM is also throwing in a new optional hard-drive based navigation radio with updated graphics. We’ll be interested to see how that new tech stacks up against the somewhat dated system in the 2011 model, though the new optional WiFi system will go a long way with those who use their truck as a mobile office. Unfortunately, it looks like the Silverado will continue on with its long-in-the-tooth interior for at least another year, though GM is offering a White Diamond equipment package on LT and LTZ trim trucks to class up the exterior.
The package includes tri-coat exterior paint, a smattering of chrome all over the exterior as well as Z60 high-performance suspension bits on LTZ trims. Those big 20-inch rollers are also part of the party. for the full press release.
Silverado gets slight redesign, WiFi and White Diamond Edition
Peugeot has released a few images of its HX1 Concept car ahead of the vehicle’s debut at this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show. The low-slung MPV can seat up to six adults while retaining a remarkably low drag coefficient of just 0.28. That’s thanks to a few clever design tricks like wheel blades that open up to form a flat surface, as well as some clever side skirt and spoiler work.
As you might expect, that’s not the only show-circuit wizardry that the HX1 has to offer. Occupants enter and exit via five rear-hinged half-scissor doors. Additionally, a center row of seating can be created by a set of pull-out buckets integrated into the front seats.
Not surprisingly, the HX1 gets its power from a plug-in hybrid drivetrain. A 204-horsepower 2.4-liter turbo-diesel engine provides power to the front wheels while an electric motor takes care of spinning the rear tires. All told, the vehicle produces 299 horsepower while returning 88.2 miles per gallon. for the press release.
has decided to spice up its entry-level , and this, the 2012 Special Edition, is the end result. No, there isn’t any more power on tap, but some styling tweaks do give the TSX a sportier look. A more aggressive front spoiler and rear fascia lend an air of extra sportiness, and compliment the updated side sill. New 17-inch alloy wheels now feature a polished finish with a dark gray background.
Inside, Acura has pumped up the interior with black suede inserts on the seats that’s contrasted by red stitching. More of the red color makes its way to the steering wheel and shift knob, as well as the lighting of the gauges, footwell and cabin. That footwell area also see the addition of aluminum pedal covers.
The automaker says that the TSX Special Edition was designed to “evoke the fun-to-drive four-cylinder Acuras of the past,” so the 2.4-liter inline-four is the only engine available. Both a five-speed automatic and six-speed manual transmission are available.
The 2012 Acura TSX Special Edition will make its debut at the Orange County Auto Show on September 22nd. That’s approximately the same time it will arrive on dealer showrooms.
The has made it’s virtual world debut by way of spec sheets, pricing information and still photography, and now, there’s video. has pulled back the wraps on its latest two-door icon, and this video will most likely be the first of many showing off the iconic coupe. There’s not much to say about this first official video, however, as it’s light on any details other than ones designed to attack your senses.
Visual and aural delights are waiting just .
The clip will have to do until we can get up close and personal with the car when it hits the stage at the . Until then, check out the video and the image gallery.
Convertibles have historically been shuffled into two categories: folding soft tops and retractable hard tops. Now it looks is looking to blur the line between the two with the roof of the next-generation . The crew from GermanCarForum.com managed to lay its hands on a patent drawing that clearly shows a roof design that uses metal panels at the front and rear with two sections of canvas between the two. What are the advantages of the design? It’s difficult to tell from the drawing alone, but we’d imagine that a leading metal edge may help reduce cabin noise when in place, though the patent itself cites aesthetic reasons behind the move.
At this point, it’s unclear whether or not we’ll see the new roof on the 2012 911. All of the convertible test vehicles we’ve seen so far have proudly rocked a traditional canvas roof, though that doesn’t mean that the engineers at Porsche haven’t pulled some trickery to disguise the lid’s sheetmetal components. With the vehicle slated for at the Frankfurt Motor Show, it won’t be long before we’ll know all there is to know about the 911 Cabriolet. Head over to for a closer look.
We’re all anxiously waiting to see what has up its sleeves for the updated , and it looks like we may have a better idea of what’s coming down the line. Gencoupe.com forum member shcboyzone managed to lay hands on a few grainy photos of what’s appears to be the 2013 Genesis Coupe. Is this the real deal? Hard telling. If it is, the sports car will rock styling that’s very similar to what we’ve seen from the and . With a more upright fascia, hexagonal grille and sculpted lights, the similarities are unmistakable.
It looks like the vehicle will also feature unique hood louvers, though it’s unclear from the photos whether or not the pieces are actually functional. Around back, Hyundai has graced the coupe with a set of LED tail lamps as well. While this design seems to dovetail fairly closely with the heavily camouflaged mules we’ve seen in testing, we won’t know for sure whether or not this is the real deal until we get closer to the vehicle’s unveil at the next Detroit Auto Show. Head over to the for a closer look at the car.
Jay Leno always gets to take his turn behind the wheels of lots of big, fast, beautiful things that make the enthusiast get all choked up with high-horsepower emotion and exhaust gasses. But he can also check out things that are just weird and beautiful without actually driving – and in these two cases, those things are American.
There are two videos after the jump from last week’s Pebble Beach festivities in Monterey, California – one of the 1960 Plymouth XNR Concept designed by Karim Eddie but named for powerhouse designer Virgil Exner. Long, red and asymmetrical and powered by a Valiant engine, there’s only one, which is only right.
The other vid is of Edsel Ford’s . Certainly one of the most compelling cars of the entire weekend, Jay takes his time with Edsel Ford’s grandson and Pebble concours judge Ken Gross to dive into the speedster’s creation and restoration. to check them out.
We have something of a hard time applying the term “hot rod” to the Caresto T6 R. The unusual -based retro one-off has simply transcended the art. Whereas most builders start with chassis manufactured by one of the illustrious Big Three, the T6 R is a clean-sheet design with a mid-engine turbocharged I6 swiped from the that puts power to the rear wheels via a five-speed Geartronic transmission. With a handcrafted aluminum body and a removable polycarbonate roof, the machine is better executed than most auto show concepts. We aren’t alone in that assessment, either. Conceived by Leif Tufvesson, a former Volvo and Koeniggsegg development man, Hot Rod Magazine famously called this one of the “most spectacularly-crafted hot rods to ever grace the pages of this or any other magazine.”
Big praise.
Now the Caresto T6 R is up for sale via the miracle of eBay Motors. The Swedish machine has racked up bids of over $23,000 as of the time of writing with just over three days left on the clock, though the reserve has yet to be met (and is probably far higher). If you’re skittish about purchasing a vehicle based in Sweden, the seller assures would-be buyers that he’ll be happy to help arrange shipping. You can check out the auction by cruising over to , and learn more about the Caresto and how it came to be by watching the Fifth Gear Europe video .
Even in the vehicle-hungry Chinese automobile market, there are winners and losers. has seen its passenger vehicle sales fall to just under 91,000 units for the first seven months of 2011. That’s a two-percent drop versus 2010, and the company is making several moves to reverse that trend. Forty-five billion Yuan will be poured into research and development over the next four years, and the sales figure are also likely to get a shot in the arm from the July showroom debut of the , the first SUV for SAIC.
On the heels of the new W5 SUV, and joining other SAIC models like the Roewe sedans and several MG models will be a new midsize sedan that’s based on the . Codenamed BP31, the new Roewe sedan will be yet another model to employ the widely-used General Motors Epsilon architecture. General Motors already works with SAIC building , and vehicles, as well as vans. It’s not going to stop with this sedan, either; there will be a total of nine new or redesigned vehicles rolling out between now and 2015.
While you might find some buyers who’ve stretched their finances from the or they were going to buy to afford a , something tells us most Bentley drivers have got cash to burn. Burn on stuff like dinners at , plush leather , custom and solid gold sunglasses.
Wait, what was that? That’s right, solid gold sunglasses – just the thing every Bentley driver should have, especially when riding in the new . Fortunately, Bentley offers just such an item, in conjunction with its (rather unfortunately named) merchandising partner Estede.
The sunglasses won’t keep you from contracting herpes or some other VD, but they will set you back at least $11,000 for the 18-karat white or rose gold frames, or upwards of $45k for the platinum ones. They’re all hand-made in Germany with Zeiss polarized lenses, and feature Bentley-designed details and individual numbers.
Only 100 examples of each will be made in various precious metals, and have apparently been selling out in markets like China, Hong Kong and Russia. Details in the press release .
recently revealed the ahead of its reveal, and the Internet is already buzzing with probable varieties of the stylish subcompact. designer Seljakboy (A.K.A. Ivan Martinović) turned in his own interpretation of a hotted-up version, the Up! GTI.
First impressions? We like what we’re looking at, and we hope Volkswagen takes a peek as well. The wheels, black and red trim and center-mounted exhaust outlets in the back all give the standard Up! a visual punch that would look perfect on a sporty version. Check it out for yourself in the gallery.
It’s not the Call of DutyJeep, but Glenn Neff and his were captured in Maryland ready for battle. Police found the outfitted with a homemade turret and awful lot of fireworks. Neff’s apparent plan? To launch a fireworks barrage upon the National Mall to bring attention to issues he has with the banking industry.
Makes perfect sense to us, too.
Thankfully, the 27-year-old would-be pyrotechnics wizard was spotted by police in the Cabin John Regional Park located in Bethesda, Maryland. Officers spotted Neff’s red Jeep in an isolated area of the park after it was closed. The SUV was loaded with fireworks, the aforementioned turret and a handful of PVC tubes with which to launch the colorful artillery.
Glenn Neff has been taken into custody and charged with three felonies related to the fireworks and his plan to assault the National Mall. Not surprisingly, Neff was also charged with possession of drugs, and all of the charges against him add up to a bond set at $2 million.
Internally, we’re currently investigating the garage of our own John Neff (no relation) to make sure his sparklers and roman candles aren’t being used for nefarious plots designed to bring attention to his own gripes with the banking industry.
We’ll get back to you on that front, but for now, to watch local news coverage what went down in Bethesda.
Now that we’ve seen the updated and , not to mention the already-on-fire and , it’s time for the rest of the mid-size sedan players to freshen up their offerings. looks to follow suit later this year with the all-new , which our spy photographers recently caught testing with a very revealing camouflage treatment.
Up front, the new headlights and grille take a swoopier shape, as do the foglights below. (Squint, and you may see a bit of in that front end – just sayin’.) Out back, the taillights get a similar dose of rakishness, probably akin to what we’ve been seeing on Nissan’s latest designs – the , and .
Reports have indicated that Nissan will offer a new 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine in the Altima, and if so, it’s unclear whether or not the older, 2.5-liter naturally aspirated four will stick around. Expect the 3.5-liter V6 to still be the range-topping powerplant, with six-speed transmissions (manual and CVT) to be offered throughout the range.
If you had to pick which model in the lineup packed in the most new features, which would you choose? The ? The ? You might want to try the new B-Class on for size, because according to Daimler, its newest model encompasses the most new developments ever launched on a single vehicle.
For starters, the premium compact minivan/hatchback debuts a new front-drive platform for Mercedes, which will also go on to underpin a new A-Class and a whole raft of derivatives as well. It also features a new family of four-cylinder engines (both direct-injection gasoline versions and common-rail diesels) and new six speed manual and seven-speed dual-clutch transmissions with integrated stop/start and regenerative braking systems. The new B-Class also includes a staggering array of available safety systems, including Adaptive Headlamp Assist, Blind Spot Assist, Lane Keeping Assist, Attention Assist, Speed Limit Assist and Active Parking Assist, Brake and Hill Hold functions, Linguatronic and Distronic Plus.
The new B also offers more space for both passenger and cargo over the model it replaces, while returning improved aerodynamics which, together with the new powertrain family, delivers better fuel economy and emissions figures. The one-box design takes its cues from recent Benz concept cars and looks significantly more sculpted and dynamic than the outgoing model, which was rather conservative in its styling in the first place and has since grown long in the tooth.
Mercedes will officially pull the veil of the new B-Class at the next month before European buyers can begin taking delivery in November. The question is whether this second-generation model will make it to American showrooms, where its predecessor did not. Canadian buyers have had the outgoing model at their disposal, but whether this heralds the arrival of front-drive Mercedes in the U.S. market () is a matter we’ll be monitoring closely. In the meantime, you can dive into the full details in the extensive press release after the jump and the high-res images in our mega gallery for more.
B-Class revealed ahead of Frankfurt… but is it coming here?
Being a video game designer sounds like fun. And when the video game you’re designing involves recreating famous racetracks from around the world, you’re definitely having more fun than the average cubicle-dweller.
The developers at Turn 10 Studios have to do exactly that for the upcoming Forza 4 video game. It’s an interesting process, and Turn 10 has released a video showing us how it’s done. It highlights the nearly three-mile-long Hockenheim circuit in Germany, which features 13 turns and plays host to both the German Grand Prix and DTM events.
We won’t spoil the track-creation magic for you. Instead, and let Turn 10 demonstrate how it happens.
