Sigma Motorworks creates electric sportscar based on Ford Mustang

That would be true, assuming the GTE ever makes it into production, which is an awfully big assumption. Automakers like Tesla Motors have shown just how difficult it is to enter the established auto market, even with vehicles as highly desirable as the Roadster and the new Model S -- not mention fistfuls of cash. Of course, we wish them nothing but the best of luck. They're going to need it.


Major components like the front and rear differentials are sourced from Ford, and the GTE's entire cockpit was yanked from an older Mustang. Twin DC electric motors offer up about 100 horsepower each and provide all-wheel drive. A lithium ion battery puts out 144 volts and is said to provide up to 100 miles of range. With a claimed top speed of around 145 mph, Steve Kase, head of development at Sigma Motorworks, says the GTE will be one of the fastest electric cars in the world.


We've caught wind of yet another hopeful American automaker with plans to launch a new electric sportscar in 2010. According to Matias Gorfinkiel, head of operations at Sigma Motorworks, "[The Sigma GTE] is a test bed for a commercial high performance sports model we will bring to the market by early 2010, when we expect to sell 500 cars."
via:autoblog




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Kia Unveil Dramatic Wind-Assisted Aero-Soul

In a dramatic move aimed at delivering environmental benefits without expensive ­technology Kia has revealed its new Aero-Soul concept that reduces fuel consumpt­ion and exhaust emissions with a simple and low-cost system called Air Propulsio­n and Retardation Installation Line.

Although unveiled on the company’s stylish and fun cross-over Soul the pat­ented system can be easily extended to all the company’s vehicles and will­ even be available as a bolt-on accessory for vehicles already in use.

The system relies on small sensors built into the front and rear bumpers which m­onitor external wind speed and deploy panels when the wind is sufficient to prov­ide additional directional impetus according to the car’s behaviour.

So at cruising speeds if the wind behind the car is strong – such as in wi­nter gales – the panels will harness wind power to provide forward motion.­ If the car is slowing or under braking the panels will deploy to provide additi­onal retardation effort. Additionally a small electrically powered baffle can be­ lowered just behind the exhaust pipe under harsh braking to provide the kind of­ “reverse-thrust” normally associated with aircraft during landing &­ndash; this element will only be available as a factory-fitted device.


This system does not just work when the car is running at speed. When braking or decelerating the panels also pop out like drag chutes to help slow the car down. Also part of the system is a reverse thruster that drops down from behind the exhaust pipe to reduce the strain on the brakes.

From her Mabuk, Korea, office, Kia green-technology engineer Avril Babo said, "The big problem with most emission reduction systems is that they are expensive. We wanted to come up with an answer that didn't cost the earth and could be retrospectively applied to cars already on the road."

Testing in Nong Dam shows that fuel efficiency can be increased by 25%, with emissions reduced by as much as 40%. When using the system while on a severe downhill slope, fuel use and CO2 emissions drops to almost nothing. The system is even beneficial if you live in a calmer environment. Just using the system to help braking can reduce fuel use by 10%, decrease emissions by 15%, and extend brake-pad life by nearly 50%.

The Kia Aero-Soul concept, with the Air Propulsion and Retardation Installation Line, or A.P.R.I.L., will be available shortly. Pricing will be revealed closer to the release date.
Source: Kia via: community.mocca




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Black is back for California drivers

The California Air Resources Board said Friday that it has no plans “at this time” to regulate car paint as part of a plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions — and never intended to outlaw black cars in the first place.

“We are by no means interested in banning or restricting car colors,” CARB spokesman Stanley Young said.

Reports that regulators were planning to banish black cars from the Golden State in an effort to reduce air pollution created a global uproar, perhaps best expressed in this headline from Rush Limbaugh’s website: " Tyrants Want to Ban Black Cars."

The purported black car ban was said to be part of the “cool cars” initiative being cooked up by the air board, which is looking for ways to follow the legislature’s mandate to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in California. Greenhouse gases are a cause of global warming, and automotive tailpipe emissions are a major source.

One solution: lower the temperature inside parked cars, thereby reducing the amount of air conditioning — and engine power and gasoline — needed to keep the occupants cool and comfortable.
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Project Sipster: Sipster Indeed

On Feb. 20, TopGear.com declared war on oil, poverty and slow cars, all at the same time. We naively proposed that we could build the car that no car company could manage to build themselves. Specifically, we proposed to marry timeless Italian style with thoroughly adequate performance (0-60 in 7 seconds), shocking fuel economy (70 mpg) and humble frugality (you can duplicate it for $7,000). And we decided to build it in 55 days. In retrospect, both symmetry and our own sanity would have been better served if we gave ourselves 77 days to pull this off, but no matter.
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Wind-powered car breaks record

A British engineer from Hampshire has broken the world land speed record for a wind-powered vehicle.

Richard Jenkins reached 126.1mph (202.9km/h) in his Greenbird car on the dry plains of Ivanpah Lake in Nevada.

Mr Jenkins told the BBC that it had taken him 10 years of "hard work" to break the record and that, on the day, "things couldn't have been better".

American Bob Schumacher set the previous record of 116 mph in 1999, driving his Iron Duck vehicle.
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Driven: Ronn Motor Company Scorpion, the world's first 'green' supercar

Driving prototypes is practically useless. It's next to impossible to get a feel for what the production version is capable of and you rarely get a chance to explore the limits. Our time with the Ronn Motor Company Scorpion didn't change that fact, but it did give us a glimpse into the upstart's future and how its program is progressing since the concept's introduction at last year's SEMA show.

Tooling around Sacramento in the V6-powered, hydrogen-injected roadster, the unmuffled exhaust made us almost as uncomfortable as the lack of seat-belts. But to the company's credit, the Scorpion is a rarity in the show-car world – a concept that actually drives. So when the call came from Texas to get some wheel-time in the Scorpion, we jumped at the chance. Hell, Arnold Schwarzenegger personally invited the Ronn Motors crew to the Capitol to get a closer look. Who are we to deny court with the Governator?
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Mitsubishi to Unveil Plug-In Hybrid Crossover in Tokyo

Mitsubishi Motors will launch a plug-in hybrid crossover at this year's Tokyo auto show in a vehicle that is slightly smaller than an Outlander and which is said to rival Nissan's Qashqai.

The hybrid development is part of Mitsubishi's plan to move its focus from large-engined SUVs to smaller, more efficient powerplants, Gayu Uesugi, head of product development, told headlineauto.
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More on TAC Motors' Stark raving awesome Brazilian bomber in Video

It's not the love child of a Smart Fortwo and a Jeep Wrangler -- it's the TAC Motors Stark 4X4. While we're not entirely sold on the looks of its four-piece composite shell, this off-roader is now aequipped to handle whatever terrain you might happen to encounter.

Previously available with an ethanol-burning Volkswagen engine, power now comes from a 2.3-liter turbodiesel making 220 lb-ft of torque. It's mated to a five-speed synchronized transmission that sends power through a Borg Warner transfer case back to a stout Dana 44 rear axle. A set of skidplates looks to keep it all protected.
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Hybrids take priority over performance for Toyota in the U.S.

It wasn't that long ago that Toyota stood for more than just reliable, appliance-like transport. With roots that include the delectable 2000GT, the Celica all-trac and three generations of both the Supra and MR2, Toyota had – until recently – carved out a nice niche for itself populated by enthusiasts looking for something outside the performance mainstream.


What that means for the Subaru/Toyota FR coupe's future in the U.S. remains to be seen, but it's doubtful that we'll be seeing a Supra successor in the near term. Ideally – or maybe more appropriately, idealistically – we could hope for something the melds both performance and green technology, like a production version of the FT-HS coupe concept that debuted in Detroit two years ago. But judging by the tone of the industry, and Carter in particular, we doubt that Toyota is ready to make that kind of segment-defying leap just yet. Maybe it'll take a hit from Honda to change Toyota's tune.


But in the past six years, the Priusification of ToMoCo has created an automaker whose soul focus has shifted from creating compelling products to the automotive equivalent of Maytag or KitchenAid. According to Toyota Division General Manager Bob Carter, don't expect that concentration to change.


Carter told Automotive News that Toyota will put more of its efforts towards hybrid vehicles in the U.S., saying that Stateside consumers are more interested in "high-quality, fuel-efficient, low-impact-environment products." Carter went on to say that, "Personally, I would love to have a sporty car, but it is pretty clear what the market is looking for right now."
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Melbourne 2009: Toyota HC-CV (Hybrid Camry Concept Vehicle)

To drum up excitement for production of the Toyota Camry Hybrid in Australia for the first time, the Aussie division of the global auto giant is planning to unveil a new concept version of the fuel-efficient sedan at the upcoming Melbourne Motor Show.

Before you get all excited about Toyota building a brand new show stopper, be aware that the concept is essentially the local version of the regular Camry Hybrid that’s been on sale back in the States since 2006.


Toyota describes the HC-CV as a “strong pointer” to the petrol-electric Camry that will enter production at the company’s Altona plant in Victoria from early next year. The company aslo confirmed that it will get some unique exterior paint options and a sportier look than the regular Camry range.


Called the Hybrid Camry Concept Vehicle (HC-CV), the show car was conceived and produced in-house by Toyota Style Australia. What this means is that it will basically be a Camry Hybrid with some unique bumpers and alloy wheels and possibly a dressed up interior.


Joining the HC-CV will be the all-new 2010 Toyota Prius as well as the 1/X (pronounced one-Xth) plug-in hybrid concept car from 2007’s Tokyo Motor Show. When the 1/X was originally launched, most people overlooked the vehicle as a highly fantasized concept that would never resemble anything coming out of a Toyota factory but its design concepts are very real and provide a vision for hybrid motoring in the future.


Back in the U.S. the Camry Hybrid is fitted with a 2.4L petrol engine mated to a continuously variable transmission as part of Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive system. The most recent EPA fuel-economy ratings for the car are 33mpg (7L/100km) in the city and 34mpg (6.9L/100km) on the highway. Expect the Aussie version to be fitted with a similar set-up.
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New vehicle wrap technology reduces drag and increases efficiency by up to 25%.

SkinzWraps is a vehicle wrap company based in Dallas, Texas. It’s primary business is graphical, vinyl wraps for cars, buses, and pretty much anything that can be wrapped. We’ve known the company’s CEO and founder, Peter Salaverry, for many years. A die-hard entrepreneur, Pete is always pushing the envelope, and when he first pitched us on the idea of FastSkinz, it made theoretical sense.

But it also seemed a bit too…obvious. And simple. But we forgot that the best ideas are often the simplest and most obvious ones. They just require the right type of entrepreneur to execute on them. So Pete went ahead and developed the product. Evidently, it works.
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