Peugeot HR1 concept – Click above for high-res image gallery
has found a new home for its technology that independently powers the front and rear wheels with two types of powertrains. It’s called through-the-road hybrid technology and it makes its latest appearance in the just-unveiled HR1 concept. According to Peugeot, The HR1 is part small city car, part SUV-ish beast and and part coupé – and it’s an aggressive little thing. To match the crowded city where it’s intended to be used, the HR1 uses scissor doors that open vertically – and the it’s is taller than you might expect, with the driver up high in a “dominant driving position.”
All this steroid-like aggression doesn’t extend to the powertrains, though, since the HR1 concept boasts numbers that are quite kind to the environment: 81 miles per gallon (64 mpg U.S.) and CO2 emissions of just 80 grams per kilometer. The frugality comes from a new, three-cylinder 1.2-liter THP 110 gas engine that is used to power the front wheels. In the back, the HYbrid4’s through-the-road hybrid powertrain uses a 37-bhp electric motor.
What is it about auto show halls that brings out this sort of magic? Yes, we know Peugeot , but that car “only” gets 61.9 miles per gallon (U.S.) and spews a comparatively monstrous 99 grams of CO2 per kilometer. Full specs and a flowery press release after the jump, and we’ve got lots of high-res pictures in the gallery below.
2012 Ford Focus ST – Click above for high-res image gallery
This is the 247-horsepower, turbocharged 2012 ST hatchback. It’s coming to the United States. Watch your back, .
We’ve long lusted after the hot hatch sold in Europe, and while the ST is a slightly tamer version of the pocket-rocket RS, it still has plenty of kit to do battle with hot hatches the world over. The beating heart of the Focus ST is a turbocharged 2.0-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder engine that produces 247 horsepower and 266 pound-feet of torque, mated exclusively to a six-speed manual transmission. Ford’s new torque-vectoring power control system is on hand, which should keep the front wheels in line, as front-wheel-drive turbo cars are always prone to understeer and torque steer.
The 2012 Focus ST debuts in its new Tangerine Scream color, and we’re quite fond of the way it looks on the bulgier, more aggressive Focus. The wheel wells are fully filled out with attractive 19-inch alloys in the Blue Oval’s signature Y-spoke ST pattern. Additionally, the trapezoidal grille has been raised on the front fascia, making way for additional lower air intakes, and while Ford isn’t keen on offering the base with the LED eyebrow in America, we sincerely hope that it is left intact on the U.S.-spec Focus ST. Out back, the Focus’ rear bumper has been completely reworked to incorporate a diffuser setup with a center-mounted sport exhaust.
Inside, the Focus ST uses all the same goodies found on the top-end Focus Titanium, but adds a set of Recaro seats (for both front and rear passengers) as well as some yellow-gold contrast stitching on many of the interior surfaces. The Focus ST gets a bespoke steering wheel, and we must applaud Ford for creating a hot hatch interior that looks both sporting and high-end at the same time.
Watch for the Focus ST to launch sometime in 2012. We haven’t heard any rumblings about pricing, but if Ford can keep things near the $25,000 mark (fingers crossed!), we’ll be in business. Oh, and consider our hot hatch comparison test planned. for Ford’s press blast and scroll through the gallery below for a raft of high-res images.
Gallery:
[Source: Ford]
ST details released ahead of world premiere in Paris
Lamborghini’s Paris Motor Show teasers – Click above for high-res image gallery
Just yesterday, the news broke that ’s -bound unveiling could be the -inspired, jet-fighter-like . Of course, we won’t know for sure until the Paris show kicks off later this week, and Lamborghini has released one more (hopefully final) teaser of its show-bound concept. You know, just for kicks.
As we reported earlier, the Sesto Elemento concept is constructed almost entirely from carbon fiber, and this sixth teaser image is all the proof we need to back up that claim. The latest Lambo will be seriously lightweight, and if a V10 is, in fact, lurking under the Sesto’s sheetmetal, expect mind-warping acceleration to be on tap.
The full details about Lambo’s Paris-bound concept are just a stone’s throw away, so stay tuned. In the meantime, scroll through the gallery below for high-res versions of all the Lamborghini teasers.
There’s an interesting realization that occurs when you drive an electric car. After all, EVs act just like normal vehicles powered by an internal combustion engine, they’re just a bit quieter and you can’t drive for great distances at a time. But as you travel along in an EV, you pass by gas station after gas station and it finally sets in – your car has rendered the fuel pump obsolete. Gas stations to EV owners are nothing more than places to buy cheap coffee and cigarettes.
As we work to further saturate our automotive landscape with efficient, eco-friendly misers, a few automakers think they’ve found the answer for how to best disguise the EV setup in a car that won’t stick out like a sore thumb. The and take on the shapes of a sedan and a hatchback with very minor touches to let other drivers know that something special lies under the hood. and its forthcoming i-MiEV, however, blows that all out of the water. Driving this car on the road is like parking a on a used car lot – it gets a lot of attention.
The i-MiEV, which is based on the kei car (we still aren’t very fond of the name), has been sold in Japan since mid-2009 and Europe is slated to get the bubbly EV later this year. As for North America, it’s expected that we’ll get the i-MiEV in the Fall of 2011, though it will be slightly updated from the Japanese-spec model you see here. We recently had the opportunity to spend a week with a JDM-spec i-MiEV to see what daily life with the EV is like. Is Mitsubishi’s pint-sized electric car ready for the United States?
Camaro5 is an internet forum that focuses on one specific offering from , namely the fifth-generation . Their hearts (and ours) are a-flutter with images they just got hold of. Sitting under the hood of a not-very-well camouflaged 2012 Camaro Z28 lies the LSA engine in all its supercharged glory. We know it will , now we know which one.
For those not familiar with it, the LSA was originally shoehorned under the hood of the . It’s currently rated at 556 horsepower and 551 pound-feet of torque in that application. We have no clue what it will produce under the hood of the Z28, but it will most certainly be a hearty jump over the 425 hp produced in the .
Head over to the to see more detail and gander at some high-res photos. A twirl o’ the bow-tie to Jason!
Bentley merchandise collection – Click above for high-res image gallery
We’re certainly looking forward to laying our eyes on when its veil is lifted in Paris. But these days when an automaker is a brand as much as it is a producer of motor vehicles, the new car isn’t the only thing will have on display at the Port de Versailles this year.
Along with its rolling wares, the British automaker will be displaying its full range of branded merchandise. And while it may not have big torquey engines, the collection is one of the most exquisite out there and has grown into a business in its own right.
Among those partnerships on which Bentley has embarked with merchandising partners are timepieces by Breitling, writing instruments by Tibaldi, sunglasses by Estede, , and, for the first time – wait for it – scarves by Heritage Cashmere. We know you’re stoked, and you can read more about the collection in the press release and have a closer look in the extensive high-resolution image gallery below.
How can a gearhead tread a little lighter and still get their kicks? We matched the 2011 Honda CR-Z against the 2010 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Street Cup Edition to find out.
Listen along as we cover the newly expanded powertrain selections for the Ford F-150, a potential diesel-powered car from GM, America’s apparent love of hatchbacks, the just-out-of-reach Mahindra Pik-Up, the definitely unattainable Bugatti Galibier and the rush to pre-order the Nissan Leaf.
“Sorry, fellas, Americans just don’t buy hatchbacks.” Typically, that chestnut is trotted out whenever an automaker is compelled to explain why a particularly desirable new hatchback won’t be sold in U.S. showrooms. Thing is, this commonly accepted bit of wisdom isn’t as true as we’ve been led to believe.
2011 Chevrolet Volt – Click above for high-res image gallery
. . . . What do these people have in common, besides being featured at one time or another on ? They are all members of the new Customer Advisory Board that announced today (disclosure: AutoblogGreen columnist is also on the panel).
So, what will the 15 people who make up the board actually do? Basically, they’re getting a Volt before you do and will tell GM what’s working and what isn’t. More specifically, they will be the first people who get to, “experience the Volt every day under real-world conditions during a three-month vehicle and charging evaluation program starting in late October.”
The 15 (see all the names after the jump, and note the number of electric vehicle enthusiasts included) volunteered for the position and Chevy picked people who knew the most about electric vehicles and also happen to live in one of the initial markets where the Volt will be available. Besides getting a three-month test vehicle, board members will get a free 240-volt charging station, “for the duration of the vehicle evaluation program.” Sexton is excited about the group, and said in a statement that:
It’s great to see Chevrolet tap into both experienced and new electric vehicle enthusiasts for real-world feedback. This is a great opportunity to not only provide meaningful input to the Volt team, but also to raise awareness using a real, available electric vehicle instead of a PowerPoint slide.
2007 Toyota Tundra Limited – Click above for high-res image gallery
Any pickup truck driver will tell you that the overall ride of their vehicle improves with a little bit of weight in the bed, but some trucks are naturally worse than others when it comes to unladen comfort. In fact, this exact issue is why made the decision to switch to coil springs in lieu of the more common leafs in the rear of the latest fullsize trucks.
But there’s one fullsize truck on the market that has gotten more complaints than any other, and it’s the 2007 through 2010 Toyota Tundra. For whatever reason, owners of these particular trucks tend to complain of a choppy ride much more often than owners of competitor’s trucks, and, despite a host of aftermarket solutions to the problem, for years these complaints went unacknowledged by .
Not any more. According to the boys at Tundra Headquarters, the Japanese automaker has finally announced a TSB that is intended to greatly reduce the so-called bed-bounce issue that has plagued the truck since ‘07. The TSB applies only to Double Cab Tundras and involves replacing the rear body mount bushings with new, upgraded units. It’s also important to note that this is a TSB, not a recall.
We’ve gone ahead and pasted the TSB after the break, and you’ll also find a video produced by a company that sells the ballast, which is intended to greatly reduce the bed-bounce problem. Judging from the graphic results in the video, we’d say the Willybar does its job rather admirably. Hopefully, Toyota’s TSB will prove just as effective. Thanks for the tip, Joel!
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Steven Ewing joins podcast regulars Dan and Chris for Episode #197 of the Autoblog Podcast. Items we cover are the newly expanded powertrain selections for the Ford F-150, a potential diesel-powered car from General Motors, the apparently heating-up American love affair with hatchbacks, the just-out-of-reach Mahindra Pik-Up, the definitely unattainable Bugatti Galibier and the rush to pre-order the Nissan Leaf. At one hour, twenty-two minutes, it’s not quite as epic as last week’s extravaganza, and we wrap up by responding to some of your feedback. Thanks for listening!
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The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has just released new findings related to texting-while-driving laws and their effectiveness – the results of which are quite surprising. The Highway Loss Data Institute, an affiliate of the IIHS, compiled claim data for four states; California, Louisiana, Minnesota and Washington. Each state has enacted a ban on texting while driving, and this study examines data for the months before and after the laws went into effect. Earlier this year, the and how those laws had zero effect on crash rates. Its new research refines that study to show that texting bans have produced a more alarming result. In three of the four states examined, crashes increased by three to four percent after the laws were enabled.
Adrian Lund, President of the IIHS and the HLDI, believes the laws do not take into account the overall problem of driving while distracted but merely focus on one aspect of it. Lund states people texted before the laws came into effect and they’re likely doing so after. Drivers may now be texting in ways so as not to get caught doing do, such as lowering their phones and thus drawing their eyes down away from the road. Lund also states that he knows texting while driving is dangerous and there is a crash risk associated with it, but the bans are clearly not reducing that risk.
Not everyone agrees with the IIHS study, however. that states, “It is not realistic to expect that simply enacting a law to ban texting while driving will have a large, immediate impact on crash totals in a state in the first months.” The release goes on to add that in addition to laws, public outreach, high-visibility enforcement, substantial penalties and, most importantly, adequate time are needed before a positive effect can be seen. In other words, holds your horses, IIHS. Likewise, The Detroit News D.C. Bureau Chief David Strickland reported live via Twitter from a Senate Commerce meeting today that National Highway Traffic Safety Administration chief David Strickland said he has questions about the IIHS study and that NHTSA still wants to get at the worst kinds of distracted driving, not just texting, adding that a bee or insect in the car has been shown to be the most dangerous kind.
So are drivers in these states merely making texting while driving more dangerous by lowering their phones out of view? The IIHS research indicates this might be the case, or the uptick in accidents might just be a correlation and not causal. Either way, automakers are developing more complex systems to take these tasks out of the equation eventually. The Ford Sync system and the upcoming UVO unit from will answer and read your texts for you. OnStar is also working on a way to . These ideas sound silly but they may help reduce our need to grab that phone so we can keep our eyes on the road.
Is this the concept car that has been teasing us in such an achingly slow manner leading up to this week’s Paris Motor Show? All signs point to yes, but it’s still too early to know for sure. In any case, the Sesto Elemento – if it is indeed the next Lambo to be hung on the walls of teenage boys from Constantinople to Timbuktu – will push forward with the set in motion by the from the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show… for better or for worse.
As expected, the Sesto Elemento (which translated to English means Sixth Element – we’d expect some sort of Bullish name if it hits production) is crafted almost exclusively from carbon fiber. That means it’s light… as in just 2,200 pounds (999 kilograms) light. That’s , and it means an estimated 0 to 62 (100 kilometers per hour) run of just 2.5 seconds and a top speed of 217.5 miles per hour (350 kph).
With a weight that low, we wouldn’t expect any kind of , but you never know. It’s not really possible to get a good feel for the appearance of the Sesto Elemento based on this grainy photo, but we’re certainly intrigued. Stay tuned for a full high-res photo gallery of Lambo’s latest concept after our coverage begins in earnest this Thursday. Thanks to all who sent this in!
While Pagani continues to roll out special editions of the outgoing Zonda, we’ve been seeing just as many spy shots of its replacement undergoing development testing coming in. This latest batch, however, just might be the best look we’ve had at the new C9 yet.
Expected to launch sometime next year, the highly anticipated new Pagani supercar is expected to feature a 6.0-liter V12 custom built for the niche Italian automaker by ‘ AMG performance division, packing some 700 horsepower. This batch of spy shots was snapped while the test prototype – camouflaged with duct tape but wearing its own gull-winged sheetmetal – was undergoing high-altitude testing somewhere in Southern Europe. Have a closer look in the high-resolution image gallery below.
2011 Citroën C4 Picasso and Grand C4 Picasso – click above for high-res image gallery
The 2010 Paris Motor Show is a croissant’s throw away and automakers all over the globe are showing off their latest and greatest products. Now, Citroën is jumping into the fray by releasing information and images of its redesigned 2011 C4 Picasso and Grand C4 Picasso before the cars make their official debut later this week.
The Grand C4 Picasso was originally launched in 2006 with the smaller C4 Picasso following in early 2007. Both people-movers feature upgrades inside and out. The sleekly styled C4 dives into the LED club by adding the showy daytime running light treatment to its VTR+ and Exclusive models. Also available on the Exclusive model is a Black Top option which covers the roof and A-pillars in a glossy Onyx black finish. Inside, the pair of Picassos receive a long list of standard equipment upgrades including Bluetooth connectivity and a USB port.
The real news lies under the hood – the Grand and standard C4 Picasso will be fitted with Citroën’s new e-HDi micro-hybrid technology. The fuel economy rating climbs way up to nearly 60 miles per gallon (in the EU cycle) for both models when fitted with this powertrain.
Both cars will make their debut at the 2010 Paris Motor Show and we’ll be on hand to give you an up close look when they roll out. For now, satiate your French automotive needs by reading the full press release .
The federal government is keeping up its effort to stimulate the economy, while the economy is keeping up its resistance to those efforts. The latest effort to prod spending comes in a bill that, among other things, increases the federal guarantee for small dealer floorplan loans from the Small Business Administration from $2 million to $5 million. Part of the bill would also reinstate fee waivers that ran out in May, meaning loan applicants could save more than $50,000 in fess alone on a $2 million loan.
Federal floorplan assistance has been around for a year, but banks haven’t been receptive and some believe that raising the limit won’t change that. It is customers who are needed to provide the real relief, and in the words of a former Federal Reserve vice chairman, “If the economy grows at one and a half percent, we’re spitting in the wind because there’s no demand.”
The bill passed the House and Senate along party lines and President Obama signed it into law yesterday afternoon. This is expected to be the last jobs bill to leave Congress before the midterm elections in November.
[Source: , sub. req. Image: AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite]
Lamborghini’s Paris Motor Show teasers – Click above for high-res image gallery
With just days to go until its full unveiling at the Paris Motor Show this week, has released the fifth teaser shot of its mysterious and hotly anticipated new show car. This latest image follows the one released , and if we had to guess, we’d say we were looking through a roll hoop behind the cockpit at the steering wheel inside. But if you’ve got a better guess, do share in the comments section below.
What else can we tell you about the car of which we know so little about? Well we just answered our own question. But we’ll have more in just a couple of days, and Lamborghini will undoubtedly keep us guessing until then, so hold on to your hats.
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Here are some topics combed out of the hairball that is the last week’s news. If that doesn’t advance your timing, hit us up with your own questions or comments below. Even if you don’t have your own question, you can vote on which questions deserve our attention the most. Discussion topics for Autoblog Podcast #197, which we’ll record tonight. Finally, subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast if you haven’t already to hear your question answered.
Discussion Topics for Autoblog Podcast Episode #197
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2008 Bugatti Veyron at Barrett-Jackson Las Vegas – Click above to
It’s not very often you see a going up for auction…especially at Barrett-Jackson. Perhaps better known for their muscle cars and classics, the occasional late-model sportscar will sometimes pop up, but we can’t ever remember a Veyron crossing the block. Well, on Saturday night, a on the clock did indeed cross the block at B-J…but things didn’t go quite as planned.
The one-time fastest production car on the planet (it’s been trumped by Bugatti’s own ) might have sold for over $1.8 million new, but was struggling to break the 1 mil mark in Vegas. Heck, it barely got to $700,000. Now, that’s still a lot of money for a car, but it should have brought much more – we’ve never heard of a non-wrecked example going for anywhere near that little. In the end, the Bug went to a guy seated near the stage who outbid a couple of phone bidders – but that’s when it got weird.
Saying that he hadn’t actually bid and then that he was only trying to help, the would-be buyer rescinded his bid… and was promptly escorted from the premises. Barrett-Jackson didn’t want to lose any credibility – so CEO Craig Jackson stepped up and bought the car himself. Just as he was announcing what had happened, he got a phone call from one of the other phone bidders who was saying he’d take the car off Craig’s hands. Quite the little soap opera, but good theater nonetheless. to see the video and take a look at the gallery below as well. Hat tip to Larry!
To say we were impressed by Ford’s latest pickup engines would be an understatement. As of today, Ford officially offers the very best range of powertrain packages in the half-ton pickup truck marketplace.
Exagon Motors’ 340-horsepower, extended-range Furtive e-GT is said to hit 60 in 3.5 seconds with a 248.5-mile electric-only range. The French manufacturer wants to begin production as soon as 2012.
Volvo’s new Pedestrian Detection with Full Auto Brake is under scrutiny after a series of demonstrations for journalists in Australia went awry when an inflatable test dummy was mowed down after the system failed to detect its presence in time to stop.
Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit trailer – Click above to watch video
Halo Reach has already grabbed gobs of attention and Gran Turismo 5 is waiting to lure any remaining bloodshot eyeballs and fatigued thumbs away, but they’re not the only new video games on the block. Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit will have a playable demo available on October 26, and it hits store shelves November 16.
While you’re waiting and deciding whether you want to play the part of a cop or speeder (and deciding whether to play the game on your Playstation 3, xBox 360 or PC), you can check out the latest trailer for it , wherein a in black and white is called on to apprehend a scofflaw in a Porsche 918 Spyder. Hat tip to Yaroukh!
