Porsche Panamera S Hybrid – Click above for high-res image gallery
At last year’s Geneva Motor Show, stole the show with the unveiling of the . For 2011, Porsche has taken the wraps off another gas-electric hybrid in Switzerland, but in a decidedly less sexy shape.
The is just the latest alt-powered vehicle from Porsche, joining the and the aforementioned . Power is supplied by VAG’s supercharged 3.0-liter V6 putting out 333 horsepower, with another 47 ponies delivered via an electric motor. Equipped with the eight-speed automatic gearbox, Porsche claims a 0-60 mph run of six seconds flat with a top speed of 168 mph, all while returning an average of around 34 mpg.
The Hybrid will be hitting U.S. shores later this year with a price tag of $95,000, and you get can all the pertinent details in the press blast .
Earlier this year, famed design house became part of the Group, and the longtime collaborators are are presenting their first joint concepts at the this week.
The Italian design firm calls the Tex an “interpretation of tomorrow’s sporty Volkswagen,” incorporating coupe-like lines into a hatchback shape. In execution, it looks a bit like the current Euro-spec hatch to our eyes – especially up front. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but if we’re honest, we expected something a little bolder from the company that has penned some of the most gorgeous designs of all time.
The Tex Concept is powered by Volkswagen’s Twin Drive plug-inhybrid system, which we’re told has a range of 35 kilometers (about 21 miles) with just the battery driving the wheels.
Inside, the Tex uses a driver-focused cockpit, and unlike the vast majority of concept cars that we’ll be seeing in Geneva, the Giugiaro interior looks nearly production-ready. We like the implementation of the flat-bottomed steering wheel, supportive seats and funky new shift knob.
While the Tex is merely a concept right now, there’s no telling if Volkswagen will use this as a basis for a future sports car, perhaps even a or far along down the road. Hit the jump to read the full details in Volkswagen’s press release, and see the Italdesign Giugiaro Tex Concept for yourself in both of our high-res image galleries below.
Production-ready Opel Ampera – Click above to view high-res image
Opel is bringing the Ampera to Geneva, and the extended-range electric hybrid is finally arriving in production form. This ready-for-public-consumption Ampera stays remarkably true to .
The Opel Ampera wears more aggressive body panels than its more conservative cousin. The headlights flow down into the running lights, while the front and rear fascias appear downright sporty. Tucked into the rubber, the production-ready flower-pattern wheels mirror the design of the concept vehicle, yet they aren’t quite as show car exotic.
Opel notes that it has taken in over 1,000 reservations for the Ampera across Europe. The automaker put out a call to the public and around 400 “ePioneers” raised their hands to test early versions of the Ampera. When it goes on sale later this year, it will be priced at €42,900 in most European markets (that’s just shy of $60,000 USD, but it includes Europe’s costly Value Added Tax, which adds about 20 percent to the purchase price).
The Opel Ampera will take the stage under the Geneva Motor Show lights and we’ll be on hand to give you a deeper visual dive. For now, click on the above image to view a high-res version, and to read the press release.
The good people of Road & Track have gone through the trouble of rendering the next-generation for everyone’s viewing pleasure, and if their take on the vehicle is anything close to the mark, we can expect a much more streamlined appearance from the sports car in the near future. In addition to the more aerodynamic look, R&T reports that may equip the future Z with a hybrid drivetrain to both increase performance and reduce fuel consumption at the same time. A battery pack would also go a long way toward curbing the vehicle’s emissions.
If the engineers behind the 2013 Z decide to go that route, R&T says that we can likely expect to see the same running gear under the hood as currently found in the . That means a 3.5-liter V6 working in concert with an electric motor to produce a combined 360 horsepower and 450 pound-feet of torque. That line of thought is bolstered by rumor of a hybrid-drivetrain Z test mule buzzing around the U.S. at the moment, and in that configuration, the publication says that the Z should be good for close to 30 mpg. We’re guessing it won’t have any trouble getting out of its own way, either.
When an automaker wants a flagship halo model, what form does it usually take? A sportscar or a luxury sedan most of the time. But Peugeot is planning neither. For its new flagship, the French automaker is reportedly going with a crossover.
Based on the existing SW (pictured above), the new top-of-the-line Peugeot would follow a similar formula to the Allroad Quattro. That would mean taller form, with raised ride height and a proportion of fresh bodywork to differentiate it from the rest of the 508 range, which itself replaced both the 407 and 607 sedans, leaving room for the range to grow up-market.
The as-yet unnamed model would likely, according to reports, employ the company’s Hybrid4 diesel-electric through-the-road all-wheel-drive powertrain that mates a 163-horsepower 2.0-liter turbodiesel with a 37-hp electric motor.
With Bavaria’s best sportscar in it sights, did Ford achieve its goal of building a modern day legend, or is the 2012 Boss 302 simply another one of the infinite variations of the Ford Mustang?
You may have seen this glamour shot of the Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 on some other auto sites today. We know the image’s owner, which is not Lamborghini, and he’s given us permission to show Autoblog reader’s the super crisp high-res version.
this new issue affects 2.17 million more vehicles where the driver’s side floor mat can become a potential hazard.
Also of interest:
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Porsche Semper Vivus hybrid – Click above to watch the video
Think the was the first hybrid automobile ever made? Think again. ? Keep guessing. In reality, the world’s first hybrid was designed and built by none other than Ferdinand , founding father of the present-day Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Stuttgart. That’s right, the same brain that brought us such ingenious machinery as the and the glorious Auto Union racers built the world’s first fully functional hybrid automobile.
Now that the modern-day Porsche brain-trust is once again showing interest in hybrid technology, the German company has decided to bring back the 1900 Semper Vivus, which literally means always alive. Although the technology behind hybrids has come a long way – Porsche’s first hybrid used about 4,000 pounds of lead acid batteries and could barely climb any kind of grade – the basic principles are actually much the same.
To wit, just like that original Semper Vivus, Porsche’s latest hybrid, the , features an engine (in this case a supercharged V6 putting out 333 horsepower), an electric motor (which adds another 47 horses) and a battery pack. All the major bits and pieces are the same, except with massive improvements in power and efficiency.
In celebration of 111 years of hybrid automobiles, Porsche spent the past four years recreating the Semper Vivus, and it will show off the fruits of its labor at the rapidly approaching 2011 Geneva Motor Show. In an effort to whet our appetites, the automaker has released a teaser video that you can see for yourself , along with the requisite press release.
In mid-October, announced that its would be eligible for a $1,300 tax credit. The electrified midsize sedan was scheduled to hit dealerships in late 2010 and the first 60,000 buyers in line to plop down some cash for the Sonata Hybrid would’ve pocketed that credit. However, there was a hitch: the Sonata Hybrid was delayed, .
What caused the delay? Well, according to Hyundai chief executive officer John Krafcik, a last-minute modification to the vehicle’s “virtual engine sound” system, made “amazingly late in the process” was the culprit. The automaker initially developed the Sonata Hybrid with a feature that would allow drivers to disable the vehicle’s pedestrian warning system, but after the requiring hybrids and plug-in vehicles to automatically emit audible sounds at low speeds, Hyundai’s manual disable functionality had to be axed.
According to , that modification required changes to the vehicle’s wiring harnesses, user-interface software and owner’s manual, which caused the lengthy delay. Hyundai delivered the first 2011 Sonata Hybrid in January.
has announced that it’s voluntarily recalling approximately 2.17 million vehicles due to possible pedal entrapment issues. In case you’ve forgotten about from last year, this new issue affects 2.17 million more vehicles where the driver’s side floor mat can become a potential hazard. Uh oh.
In October of 2009, because of possible issues with the floor mats. In January of 2010, the automaker due to an issue with sticking accelerator pedals.
2006-2007 Lexus GS 300 and 350 all-wheel-drive models (20,000 units)
2004-2007 (372,000 units)
Toyota will be sending out notices to vehicle owners by first-class mail, and dealerships will fix the issue with no cost to the owner. As of this writing, Toyota states that it is unaware of any accidents or injuries related to this new set of recalls. The automaker’s official press release is available .
2011 Chevrolet Volt – Click above for high-res image gallery
How do you determine how environmentally friendly an automobile is? Certainly, fuel efficiency will be factored in rather highly, as will all manner of tailpipe emissions. But that’s only part of the story. Consider that there are many ways to power a vehicle; gasoline, diesel, electricity or any combinations thereof. Plus, you have to determine what actually goes into producing the vehicle and getting it into the hands of the consumer.
As you can see, assigning environmental grades to our current crop of cars and trucks is anything but an exact science, and the results will no doubt be swayed by how much emphasis is put on any given factor. And so it comes as no surprise that there are a number of differing opinions concerning the latest green machines to hit the market, and that may apply to the more than any other.
The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy publishes a list of green vehicles every year. For the last few, the has parlayed its compressed natural gas running gear into a victory on . We won’t argue with that determination, and we also don’t see any issues with the all-electric earning the silver position… but that’s where things get murkier. The comes in at number three, followed by the , and . The next five slots are filled with compact and subcompact sedans and hatchbacks.
Are you asking yourself where the Volt fits in? So was . Speaking to Forbes, spokesman Rob Peterson had this to say:
Their logic would escape the majority of consumers. If you look at the EPA ratings for the Smart fortwo at 33 city and 41 highway, it’s actually less than the Volt’s after the electric range is exhausted. We’re being penalized against the Smart because our car is a four-seater with a battery pack and therefore weighs more. And we lose against the Leaf because we have a gas engine. But you really have to look at how the car is actually used – their methodology doesn’t add up.
No matter your personal opinion, one thing is for certain: As more and more category-bending vehicles hit the market, this topic isn’t going to be resolved any time soon.
2012 Infiniti M Hybrid – Click above for high-res image gallery
is touting its 2012 M Hybrid as the “only vehicle in America to offer more than 350 horsepower and 30-plus miles per gallon.” If that sounds like an excellent combination, the Japanese automaker has just announced that the cost of entry is $53,700.
The 30-plus mpg figure is, of course, on the highway, with an EPA estimated fuel economy rating of 32 mpg. The M Hybrid is rated at 27 mpg in the city and has a combined rating of 29 – not too shabby for a car with 360-horsepower on tap, courtesy of the 3.5-liter V6 mounted under the hood. $53,700 is a lot of scratch, but there’s not a lot of luxury sedans on the market that offer that much power while retuning that type of fuel economy. for the official press release.
Volvo V60 Plug-InHybrid – Click above for high-res image gallery
After initial details and a solitary image, has followed up with more information and photos of its latest product. The V60 Plug-In Hybrid is billed as the world’s first diesel plug-in hybrid, packing a 2.4-liter five-cylinder turbodiesel coupled with a 70-hp electric motor on the rear axle.
The hybrid diesel wagon enables the driver to select from one of three modes of propulsion: Pure for electric drive, Hybrid for alternating propulsion and Power for an extra boost from both. The flexible powertrain also gives the driver the option of conserving battery power and operating purely under diesel thrust (for instance when entering the city), as well as a through-the-road all-wheel-drive option by enabling both motors when traction is limited.
As a plug-in hybrid, the Volvo wagon can be charged in 7.5 hours on a 6 amp socket, 4.5 on 10 amps or as little as 3 hours at 16 amps. And while production targets weren’t spoken of in yesterday’s announcement, Volvo has now confirmed that the V60 Plug-In Hybrid will hit dealers next year. for the press release and check out the images in the gallery below for a closer look as the car’s debut at the Geneva Motor Show approaches.
If you’re still trying to work your mind around how the new fits with the company’s ultimate driving machine mantra, Autocar may have the piece of the puzzle that you’re missing. According to reports, the German automaker is currently planning to flesh out the fledgling marque with a host of alternative fuel vehicles.
Not everything under the i banner won’t be sailing on all-electric power all the time. The news came courtesy of marketing head honcho Ian Robertson, though he chose not to delve deeper into what other types of alternative fuel we could see from the green arm of .
Autocar also stole some time with BMW R&D boss Klaus Draeger, who said the upcoming i8 won’t boast the same fuel-savvy diesel engine as the BMW Vision Efficient Dynamics concept. Instead, the production version of the vehicle will carry a small gasoline engine on board to make it more appealing in various markets (including the States, we’d imagine) all over the world.
While there aren’t any specifics on exactly which engine will find its way into the new green supercar, we’d think that the new wouldn’t be a bad guess. Also interesting are reports that BMW may extend its new i sub-brand to its motorcycle division, possibly with a range of hybrid and/or electric two- and three-wheeled scooters, motorcycles and trikes.
According to The Detroit News, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration has opened an investigation into almost 44,000 Toyota Highlander Hybrid vehicles from the 2006 model year over stalling concerns. The agency has received a total of 32 complaints, with 21 of those incidents involving engine stalling at speeds of over 40 mph. A total of 26 of the reports said that the engine then could not be started again afterward. NHTSA says that the problem represents a growing trend, and that all but one of the incidents have occurred during the last year.
Toyota, meanwhile, says that the company will do everything in its power to cooperate with the government’s investigation. As The Detroit News reports, Toyota recently recalled 1.33 million and vehicles for stalling engines. That recall also included certain models as well.
Toyota is just now beginning to recover from a rash of recalls associated with unintended acceleration. The Japanese automaker was recently vindicated by research conducted by NASA engineers who determined that there was nothing electronically wrong with the company’s throttle system.
Finding Redemption Through Repetition, Groundhog Day Style
2011 Dodge Durango – Click above for high-res image gallery
Two years ago, on a lark, my girlfriend and I clambered aboard a new Hybrid and motored from Detroit to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania to take in the kitschy phenomenon known as Groundhog Day. The idea was to do a combined road trip story and vehicle review, but didn’t even wait for us to return home before it canceled production of the gas-electric SUV. In fact, it wasn’t much more than two months after its initial announcement that .
Blame Chrysler’s then-dire financial condition, but the hybrid Durango barely made a dent on the Pentastar’s production charts, lasting one model year and moving just 224 copies. Hold your belated “Who Killed the Electric SUV?” shrieks, though. Despite a nearly 25-percent increase in claimed fuel efficiency, the Durango Hybrid wasn’t a particularly good vehicle. This wasn’t wasn’t really its fault, of course, as the already aging second-generation Durango upon which it was based wasn’t a terribly refined piece to begin with.
Fast-forward to 2011, and we’ve commandeered an example of Dodge’s all-new third-generation Durango to make our second-ever pilgrimage to see Punxy Phil. More importantly, we’re using the trip as an opportunity to see if Chrysler has finally gotten around to building a better Durango.
Audi A6 Avant spy shots – Click above for high-res image gallery
We’ve just had out first stint behind the wheel of the new-for-2012 sedan, destined to arrive on North American soil this fall. And while is moving forward on the of its stylish new four-door, the German automaker has been spotted testing the trusty wagon variant that will likely be revealed later this year ( sounds about right).
We’re eager to see how the new A6’s new styling works with the larger hind quarters, though it appears that Audi is using a more rakish rear hatch design (limiting the cargo area’s usefulness?). Expect interior and powertrain fittings to be carried over unchanged from the sedan.
Audi has always offered the here in the United States, so we don’t have much reason to doubt that this new iteration will also be sold Stateside. Granted, the wagon hasn’t exactly sold in great volumes here in the U.S., but if there wasn’t a business case for it on our shores, the automaker would have likely canned the current model by now.
Scroll through our high-res gallery below to see the A6 Avant prototype frolicking in the snow.
Imperia GP – Click above for high-res image gallery
The modern automotive era has seen more retro brands revived than we can remember. Marques like , Spyker, Abarth and are perhaps the most prominent among them – to say nothing of counteless resurrected model nameplates from the Volkswagen New Beetle to the – and each has brought its classic caché back from the dead with a modern take on the original. Imperia, however, plans on doing one better.
Active throughout the first half of the 20th century, Imperia is back with retro styling along the lines of a Morgan or Wiesmann, but with a decidedly modern twist: it’s a hybrid. Propulsion is provided by the combination of a 207-horsepowr 1.6-liter turbo four and a 134-hp electric motor. Such a small package driven only by the electric motor can hit 62 from a standstill in a solid six seconds, or just four with internal combustion kicking in.
The product of some three years of development, the first pre-production prototype was recently unveiled at its home Belgian Auto Show, and is set to hit the market shortly with a 90,000-euro price tag, or 120,000 euros for the first edition. Take a closer look in the gallery below and in the press release .
Volvo V60 Plug-inHybrid – Click above for high-res image
While hypermilers debate the various advantages and drawbacks of diesels versus hybrids, is here to ask, “Why not have both?” As , the Swedish automaker is rolling into Geneva with what it’s calling “the world’s first diesel plug-in hybrid”.
Packaged into the svelte wagon, the diesel hybrid packs two distinct drivetrains that can operate separately or in conjunction with one another. Up front is a 2.4-liter five-cylinder turbodiesel with 215 horsepower and 324 pound-feet of torque, while a 70-horsepower electric motor with a 12-kWh lithium-ion battery pack twists the Electric Rear Axle Drive (ERAD).
At the touch of a button, the V60 hybrid can operate in Pure mode as an EV with a 32-mile range on electric power alone. In Hybrid mode, it emits less than 50 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometer with a 746-mile range, and in Power mode, the powerplant acts as a boosted torque monster with a combined output at 472 lb-ft of twist for a 6.9-second sprint to 62 miles per hour. That may not seem too quick, but for a diesel wagon schlepping around that much Duracell, it’s relatively rapid.
The V60 Plug-In Hybrid is set to debut at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show, but if you want to see a brief video and delve further into the specs now, feel free to check out the full press brief .
The world can now rest easy. has officially embraced “Prii” as the plural of . The Japanese automaker made the announcement over the weekend at the 2011 Chicago Auto Show after inviting the public at large to vote for the phrase that best fit the company’s new gaggle of hybrids. The voting kicked off on January 10th at the Detroit Auto Show, and while Priuses, Prius, Prium and Prien all surfaced as possibilities, Prii took home the majority of votes with 25 percent of the more than 1.8 million ballots cast.
To mark the occasion, has updated its with the appropriate word for more than one Prius hybrid.
Toyota has made it clear that the company intends to grow the Prius family in the near future with the addition of production versions of the seven-passenger and the more compact . Now we just have to figure out what to call Prius drivers in polite society.
Blame 
