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Report: Porsche denies KERS-equipped 911 reports

Filed under: Concept Cars, Coupe, Hybrid, Performance, Europe, Porsche, Rumormill

2013 Porsche 911

2013 Porsche 911 – Click above for high-res image gallery

Sources within Porsche told us that KERS would be available throughout the entire next-gen 911 range, but now, a Porsche executive calls it “nonsense.” While the automaker is developing ways to make electric range extenders work in some Porsche models, a hybrid 911 reportedly isn’t in the cards – for now.

When and if there’s a 911 hybrid, it will be a long way down the line and will likely employ a plug-in system rather than a KERS-style regenerative braking setup. The reason the 911 won’t get a hybrid drive anytime soon is pretty simple: Porsche has no interest in homogenizing its driving experience across the entire lineup.

Since electrics deliver all their power from zero rpm, they offer an extremely predictable power curve, and Porsche would rather each of its cars vary from its stablemates in power delivery and behavior. For now, it seems hybrid technology will be limited to the likes of the Panamera and Cayenne.

Porsche denies KERS-equipped 911 reports originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 30 May 2011 16:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CES 2011: GM shows off OnStar equipped with 4G, Skype, video monitoring and more [w/video]

Filed under: CES, Technology, Buick, Cadillac, GM

OnStar with Verizon 4G LTE

Click above to view the video after the jump

Verizon just rolled out its 4G LTE wireless broadband network, and with General Motors using Big Red for its OnStar system for over 15 years, GM is asking itself: What can we do with all this bandwidth?

The answer is ‘plenty’… but nothing immediately.

Instead, GM and Verizon equipped a Buick LaCrosse with a 4G LTE modem and a host of cameras, sensors and controls and is trotting it out at CES to demonstrate how the broadband tech could be implemented.

Among the possible applications is a vehicle monitoring system that utilizes a handful of lipstick cameras to transmit video to the driver to see what’s going on both inside and outside the vehicle while they’re away. On the same front, the system can be paired with Verizon’s 4Home service, which connects with home security cameras, lights and thermostats and transmits information back to the driver.

Other features include voice search, a traffic view that streams live traffic-cam images, Skype with video chat and a impact detection system that would identify if your car was hit in a parking lot, and would then turn on all the exterior cameras and capture an image of the offending vehicle as it drove away.

Hit the jump for a video of the various systems in action along with the press blast, and look for our initial impressions from CES later this week.

Continue reading CES 2011: GM shows off OnStar equipped with 4G, Skype, video monitoring and more [w/video]

CES 2011: GM shows off OnStar equipped with 4G, Skype, video monitoring and more [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 05 Jan 2011 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2012 Ford Focus equipped with brake-based torque vectoring

Filed under: Sedan, Wagon, Hatchback, Ford

2012 Ford Focus

2012 Ford Focus – Click above for high-res image gallery

The 2012 Ford Focus is set to hit dealers early next year, and in addition to a cadre of standard and optional features, Ford is equipping every new Focus with its new breed of “torque vectoring control.”

For the uninitiated, torque vectoring systems actively split power between the two driven wheels to maximize traction and increase performance. Some higher-end systems manipulate the output to each wheel through a set of electronically controlled gears, while others apply a subtle amount of braking to the inside wheel, causing more power to be sent to the outside wheel, thus helping rotate the vehicle through a turn. Ford is using the latter on the 2012 Focus, the first implementation of its kind on a Blue Oval model in North America.

Thanks to the continued implementation of standard traction control systems, these torque vectoring setups are becoming more common and have finally reached the compact segment. While the benefits generally outweigh the negatives, we’ve found other brake-based systems have a tendency to overheat the pads, rotors and fluid when flogged long and hard enough (ahem, GTI). We’ll be able to test it out for ourselves soon, so look for a full driving report in just over a month. In the meantime, get the full details in the press release after the jump.

Gallery: 2012 Ford Focus

2012 Ford Focus hatchback

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2012 Ford Focus equipped with brake-based torque vectoring originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 28 Dec 2010 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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