Category: Auto Industry

Rumormill: Nissan considering Leaf-based EV sportscar

Filed under: Performance, Infiniti, Nissan, Rumormill, Electric

Nissan is reportedly considering building a sports car based on the electric drive hardware from its new Leaf EV. From a business perspective, it would likely make sense for Nissan to follow the same path set forth by Toyota/Lexus with premium hybrid models, and indeed, the Leaf is already pegged to get a pricier sibling at Infiniti. A premium battery electric vehicle could be sold a significantly higher price point, helping to subsidize the cost of more mainstream models like the Leaf.

The big question is what platform to use. Mercedes-Benz and Audi are both developing electric versions of their respective supercars. Nissan could do a battery powered version of the 370Z, which has both its positives and negatives. The Z is relatively lightweight for a modern car, although its small size could make packaging the battery problematic. A more likely scenario might be a version of the 2009 Infiniti Essence concept which was originally shown as a hybrid. The larger car would allow for more battery and range.

A third possibility that might actually be the best option is a new car based on the Leaf platform but with the motor moved to the rear axle. The compact size of the electric motor could make packaging easier than with an internal combustion vehicle, and much of the rest of the hardware could stay the same.

[Source: Inside Line]

Rumormill: Nissan considering Leaf-based EV sportscar originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 19 Jul 2010 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Followup: Toyota ‘strongly objects’ to NHTSA allegations it planted story in WSJ

Filed under: Etc., Recalls, Safety, Toyota

Toyota has officially spoken out against allegations that it planted a story in The Wall Street Journal that attributed the majority of the company’s unintended acceleration woes to driver error rather than entrapped floor mats or faulty software. The Japanese company’s American arm emailed a statement to Just-Auto saying that no one within Toyota has any access to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration’s research, and that no one in the government agency had reported any findings to the automaker.

As you may recall, The Wall Street Journal article cited “people familiar with” the NHTSA’s research on the Toyota unintended acceleration problem. It wasn’t long before fingers began pointing back at Toyota for supposedly planting the story with the WSJ. Just-Auto originally cited a spokesperson with the NHTSA who said that the information that the publication used came from Toyota.

In its defense, Toyota has said that any reports that claim that the company planted a news story are absolutely false. In its independent research, Toyota has found a number of causes of unintended acceleration, one of which happens to be “pedal misapplication.” For those of us that don’t speak corporate, that would be driver error. Whether that means that someone at the The Wall Street Journal managed to get their sources crossed or whether the NHTSA is simply trying to cover its bases after leaking otherwise confidential information remains to be seen.

[Source: Just-Auto | Image: Paul Ellis/AFP/Getty]

Followup: Toyota ‘strongly objects’ to NHTSA allegations it planted story in WSJ originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 19 Jul 2010 13:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Remember, Honda?

Filed under: Classics, Coupe, Performance, Videos, Honda, Design/Style

Honda/Acura NSX remembrance film – click above to watch the video

Up until the last few years, Honda was known for being one of the most engineering driven companies in the world. Soichiro Honda instilled a remarkable spirit of innovation in his staff, driving the company to spawn amazing ideas like the CVCC engines of the mid-1970s, the oval-piston NR750 race bike and the fuel cell powered FCX Clarity. As of late, though, the Japanese automaker has been looking a bit ‘behind the curve’ with models like the Insight, Accord Crosstour and CR-Z lacking the cleverness, spark, and class-leading competence that made past Honda models so iconic.

Thus, it might be a good time to take a look back at what made Honda so great. One of the all-time highlights of the company’s road car portfolio remains the Honda/Acura NSX. Although both Nissan and Toyota toyed with the idea of building mid-engine exotics, only Honda actually put one into production. The influence of the NSX on its market segment extended far beyond its commercial success. The NSX was the first “exotic” to demonstrate that you could combine everyday driveability and reliability with supercar performance. Before the NSX, Ferraris, Lamborghinis and the like forced drivers to make all sorts of compromises in order to have their performance at one’s disposal. It’s fair to say that the supercars of today are far better all-around drivers today thanks to the lessons taught by the NSX. Unfortunately, Honda shelved plans for a successor model, so in many respects, one could argue that the spirit of the everyday supercar remains alive in the Audi R8.

Perhaps Honda’s product planners and beancounters alike would do well to take a stroll down memory lane and revisit what once the company great. We can’t think of a better way than to check out the dramatic video tribute to the NSX after the jump. Thanks to everyone for the tips.

Gallery: Acura NSX

[Source: Format67 via YouTube]

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Video: Remember, Honda? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 19 Jul 2010 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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First Drive: 2011 Subaru Impreza WRX STI – Return of the wing

Filed under: Budget, Sedan, Performance, Hatchback, Subaru, First Drive

2011 Subaru Impreza WRX STI – Click above for high-res image gallery

By most accounts, something went awry while Subaru was baking the last generation Impreza WRX STI. Maybe someone slipped in an extra cup of civility or forgot to add enough dashes of hardcore, but what was once little more than a thinly-disguised rally stage escapee had come out of the oven a little weaker than its predecessor. Subaru itself diplomatically admits that the priorities for the last generation STI were somewhat different from the 2011 model. The company stripped the line down to just the five-door hatchback in 2008, stressing functionality over style, and the whole recipe simply felt less focused than what we had come to expect from Japan’s all-wheel drive hero.

But that was then, and this is now. The company assures us that for 2011, we can expect a return to the fundamentals that helped establish the STI as a force to be reckoned with. Though the drivetrain remains unchanged, a slew of suspension adjustments and a lower stance have given the STI the ability to hoover up tarmac and gravel stages indiscriminately once again. It isn’t a completely new generation – more like a much needed do-over – but the changes are enough to make the 2011 model instantly recognizable from behind the wheel.

If that’s not enough to convince you, allow us to direct your attention to the rear of the resurrected four-door body style, dominated once again by the kind of spoiler that could double as a civil engineering exercise. Yeah, baby. The STI is back, and on more than just a wing and a prayer.

Gallery: 2011 Subaru Impreza WRX STI: First Drive

Photos by Zach Bowman / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.

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First Drive: 2011 Subaru Impreza WRX STI – Return of the wing originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 19 Jul 2010 12:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AutoblogGreen for 07.19.10

Tesla and Toyota to develop RAV4 EV, hope to launch in 2012
Well, this is interesting.
 AVL introduces its own Wankel rotary EV range-extender
Will Wankels finally find a home in electric cars.
DDWFTTW = a wind car that can go faster than the wind (also = internet fights)
It’s not perpetual motion, so don’t say it is.		 Other news:

  • How electric vehicle chargers will be like fire hydrants
  • President Obama checks out Volt and Focus Electric at LG Chem plant site
  • Stop-start technology to reach 10M vehicles by 2015

AutoblogGreen for 07.19.10 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 19 Jul 2010 05:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2011 Volvo S60 hands-on demonstration w/video

Filed under: Etc., Technology, Volvo

Volvo S60 T5

2011 Volvo S60 T5 in action – click above for high-res image gallery

An impact with an automobile will crack a human’s bones like lobster claws at a clambake; an outcome Volvo aims to fight with technology. Pedestrian Detection with Full Auto Brake, a system that uses radar and cameras to stop the car and avert mauling pedestrians, makes its debut on the 2011 Volvo S60. While a visit to the recent Wellesley, Massachusetts stop of the Naughty Volvo Tour at Lee Imported Cars didn’t net us any wheel time, we got our first chance to get hands-on with the new S60 outside of a convention hall.

Make the jump for the full story.

Gallery: 2011 Volvo S60 demonstration

Photos by Dan Roth / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.

Continue reading 2011 Volvo S60 hands-on demonstration w/video

2011 Volvo S60 hands-on demonstration w/video originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 18 Jul 2010 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bricklin: The Musical

Filed under: Classics, Coupe, Etc., Safety, Technology, Celebrities, Humor, Specialty

Bricklin SV-1

Bricklin SV-1 – Click above for high-res image gallery

As anyone with a passing interest in automotive history can tell you, the car world is rife with the kind of drama that could keep TMZ humming for weeks. While most of those tales live in the dark annals of Wikipedia, a few of them manage to work their way into the public consciousness. Such is the case with the dark and seedy story of the Bricklin SV-1.

A playhouse in the gullwinged sports car’s hometown of Fredericton, New Brunswick has decided to not only bring the story to life on stage, but to do so through song. That’s right, kids: this sucker is a musical. According to The New York Times, “The Bricklin” goes for a cabaret/show car/disco vibe.

If you’re wincing already, you’re not alone. The principal characters include Malcolm Bricklin, of course, as well as Richard Hatfield, the gent who managed to secure most of the money for the SV-1 venture. There’s also a love story involving a couple that goes to find work in Bricklin’s New Brunswick production facility. Perhaps the biggest star of the show, however, is the orange SV-1 that also finds its way onstage.

“The Bricklin: An Automotive Fantasy” runs from July 27 to August 15 at The Playhouse in Fredericton, New Brunswick.

Gallery: 2007 Bricklin international owner’s gathering

[Source: The New York Times]

Bricklin: The Musical originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 18 Jul 2010 18:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Next generation Hyundai Elantra caught practicing its parking?

Filed under: Budget, Sedan, Videos, Hyundai

Next generation Hyundai Elantra parking – Click above to watch video after the jump

The next Hyundai Elantra was revealed a few months ago at South Korea’s Busan Motor Show. It’s been revealed again, this time outdoors, in a parking lot where it appears to be practicing parallel parking maneuvers. Hyundai’s small four-door has grown in size, which helps it wear those stretched ‘fluidic’ design cues rather nicely. Once a portrait of anonymity, the Elantra’s now as good-looking as its big brother, the Sonata.

When the restyled Hyundai Elantra arrives next year, we expect it to be motivated by a 1.6-liter gasoline direct-injection engine with 138 horsepower. And we have a feeling those new looks are going to make people take a good, long look at the Elantra in liew of say, a Civic or Corolla.

As for parking jobs like this? We have a feeling they’ll be a lot easier than these drivers are making it look. If they had to find street parking in, say, New York, they’d run out of gas before they successfully stashed the car. Follow the jump to see the video, which does nothing to make parking seem any less mundane than it is. Hat tip to Avery

Gallery: 2011 Hyundai Elantra / Avante

[Source: YouTube]

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Video: Next generation Hyundai Elantra caught practicing its parking? originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 18 Jul 2010 17:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2011 Mercedes-Benz CL-Class tries to overcome inattentive drivers

Filed under: Safety, Technology, Mercedes-Benz, Luxury

2011 Mercedes-Benz CL-Class

2011 Mercedes-Benz CL-Class active steering correction – Click above for high-res image gallery

The refreshed 2011 Mercedes-Benz CL-Class coupe is a prime example of how engineers are starting to take some of the disparate hardware technology that has been introduced over the last decade and integrate it to provide new functionality. The CL employs the various optical camera and radar sensors used for features like adaptive cruise control to help prevent accidents by first warning the driver and then intervening if the driver doesn’t respond.

We’ve had various lane departure and blind spot warning systems for several years now and like those, the Mercedes system starts by alerting the driver. At first, the blind spot system illuminates a yellow lamp in the relevant mirror, which changes to red and adds an audible warning if the driver doesn’t react. If the driver keeps moving into the path of another vehicle, a motor sends a rumble through the steering wheel and the brakes on the car’s opposite side are applied to pull it back in line.

Inifiniti has had similar lane-keep functionality for several years, but the CL is first car we’re aware of that integrates it with a blind-spot warning system.

Gallery: 2011 Mercedes-Benz CL steering correction

[Source: Mercedes-Benz]

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2011 Mercedes-Benz CL-Class tries to overcome inattentive drivers originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 18 Jul 2010 15:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Chrysler delays planned expansion of Toledo plant

Filed under: SUV, Plants/Manufacturing, Crossover, Chrysler, Jeep, Fiat

Jeep

It’s no secret that Chrysler’s future plans are in a constant state of flux right now. After all, the automaker just went through a ridiculously fast bankruptcy where bits and pieces were shed before stewardship was handed over to Italy’s Fiat. It’s only natural that Chrysler’s new management would need some time to get itself organized.

According to The Toledo Blade, Chrysler decisionmakers are still up in the air as to how the Toledo North Assembly Plant figures into the company’s future roadmap. Previously, Chrysler said the Ohio facility would build three new SUVs based on Fiat’s C-Evo platform to replace the Jeep Liberty and Dodge Nitro.

Apparently, however, Chrysler has three plants that could build the new ‘utes – Toledo, Belvedere, Illinois and Sterling Heights, Michigan. The reality is that the Pentastar really only needs two of them to handle the project. Alternately, all three could build the vehicles using fewer shifts. At this point, it’s anyone’s guess which, if any, of these facilities will be left out in the cold, and what the resulting employee impact will be.

[Source: The Toledo Blade]

Report: Chrysler delays planned expansion of Toledo plant originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 18 Jul 2010 14:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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