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Gazoo Racing fields race-prepped Lexus CT hybrid at Nürburgring

Filed under: Motorsports, Hybrid, Europe, Hatchback, Lexus, Racing

Lexus Gazoo Racing CT

Lexus Gazoo Racing CT – Click above for high-res image

When nearly 200 cars line up this weekend at the Nürburgring for the Adenauer ADAC Rudstrecken-Trophy, countless Porsches and BMWs will be among them. And a hybrid. Wait, what?

That’s right. This year Gazoo Racing – the ToMoCo-backed outfit that has campaigned the Lexus LFA at the same track – is fielding a competition-spec Lexus CT 200h.

Well, we shouldn’t call it a CT 200h, since while it’s almost identical to the roadgoing CT hybrid, the 200 nameplate would be a bit of a misnomer. Because while the electric component of the Lexus Hybrid Drive system was kept in place for this racing machine, the 1.8-liter four was replaced by a 2.4. Perhaps it’s a test platform for the upcoming more powerful CT?

Otherwise, beyond the required safety modifications, it’s pretty much bone stock, right down shutting the engine off at idle and under braking. Follow the jump for the full press release.

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Gazoo Racing fields race-prepped Lexus CT hybrid at Nürburgring originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 15 May 2011 10:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Airplane/train hybrid could replace high-speed trains [w/video]

Filed under: Etc., Japan, Technology

Japanese flying train concept

Hovering Aero Train – Click above to watch video after the jump

A Japanese research team led by Yusuke Sugahara at Tohoku University has built a robotic prototype of a free-flying, ground-effects vehicle that floats within inches of the road. Called Aero Train, this ground-effects vehicle will be used to test an autonomous three-axis stabilization system.

Packing electric motors, the Aero Train hovers inches above the tarmac, eliminating any rolling resistance and allowing it to hit a top speed of 124 miles per hour. A U-shaped concrete channel controls air flow and provides the Aero Train’s robotic controls with a makeshift road to follow. On-board computers control pitch, roll and yaw of the prototype.

In the future – get this – the developers envision the Aero Train traveling within a tunnel capped with solar panels that send juice directly to the vehicle’s batteries. Hit the jump to catch video of the prototype Aero Train floating down the road.

Continue reading Airplane/train hybrid could replace high-speed trains [w/video]

Airplane/train hybrid could replace high-speed trains [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 13 May 2011 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2011 Kia Optima Hybrid priced from $26,500*

Filed under: Hybrid, Sedan, Kia

2011 Kia Optima Hybrid

2011 Kia Optima Hybrid – Click above for high-res image gallery

We’re capturing our first driving impressions of the 2011 Kia Optima Hybrid this week, but we’ve already learned that the midsize fuel-sipper will be priced at $26,500 when it goes on sale in the coming months, excluding $750 for destination and handling.

Curiously, the $26,500 price tag represents an increase of $705 versus the Optima’s platform mate, the 2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid. Kia tells us that the price increase is because the Optima comes with more standard equipment than the Sonata, including things like a rear backup camera, rear spoiler, auto-down front windows for the driver and passenger, a cooling glovebox, compass, and Uvo, Kia’s brand new infotainment system.

Like its Sonata kin, the Optima Hybrid uses the automaker’s 2.4-liter direct-injected four-cylinder engine, mated to an electric motor and paired with a six-speed automatic transmission. This combination expected to return fuel economy ratings of 35/40 miles per gallon city/highway, same as the Sonata Hybrid.

2011 Kia Optima Hybrid priced from $26,500* originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 10 May 2011 17:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Porsche unwraps 911 GT3 RS 4.0 and Panamera Hybrid configurators

Porsche has updated its site with configurators for the 2011 Panamera S Hybrid and the 2011 911 GT3 RS 4.0. That means you don’t have to leave the comfort of your chalet to make your next rear-engined track star or EV-assisted four-door autobahn shuttle.

Key options for the 911 GT3 RS 4.0 include Porsche’s carbon ceramic brakes, a front axle lifting system so you don’t scrape the splitter on speed bumps, lightweight headlamps and a lithium-ion battery that saves a few pounds over the standard unit. You can also delete the air conditioner and stereo in the interest of speed.

The Panamera gets the usual panorama of luxury appointments and go bits, too. Carbon ceramic brakes are an option as well, and, just like the 911, they cost north of $8,000. While the capillary-popping force the special clampers offer can be useful, we suspect most Panamera buyers would prefer to direct their Benjamins elsewhere.

The Panamera can be dolled up in any number of ways, with an interior option list that would embarrass Ikea. Ours would have to have the $1,000 Bose sound system, though we could live without the $5,000 Porsche Exclusive 25 Year package, which adds custom floor mats, body-color trim accents and embroidered logos to the Panamera’s living quarters.

You can play with both configurators now on Porsche’s website.

Porsche unwraps 911 GT3 RS 4.0 and Panamera Hybrid configurators originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 08 May 2011 09:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Honda working on hybrid Goldwing?

Filed under: Hybrid, Etc., Technology, Motorcycle

2012 Honda Goldwing

It looks as if Honda may be toying with the notion of bringing hybrid technology to the motorcycle world. According to Motorbiker, the Japanese manufacturer filed a patent for a hybrid bike complete with a detailed drawing of the machine. The interesting part is that the line sketch fits pretty well with the profile of the company’s Goldwing; a bike that’s built for sucking up mile after mile of comfortable interstate cruising. As Motorbike points out, most hybrids are happiest off of the highway, which makes the big cruiser an odd platform choice for a battery pack.

We would have thought that the company’s CBR250R would have been a more fitting bike to bestow the glory of electric motivation upon, but that’s just us. The small commuter is built to spend time in stop and go traffic and field quick runs about town, which would be perfect for the fuel-economy optimizing attributes of a hybrid. Of course, all of those battery packs have to fit somewhere and a Goldwing has plenty of space on board. Head over to Motorbiker to check out the patent drawing and the full patent for yourself.

[Source: Motorbiker]

Report: Honda working on hybrid Goldwing? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New York 2011: Honda Civic Hybrid scores 44 mpg across the board

Filed under: New York Auto Show, Hybrid, Sedan, Honda

2012 Honda Civic Hybrid

2012 Honda Civic Hybrid – Click above for high-res image gallery

It’s not 50 miles per gallon (rest, easy Prius), but the mpg numbers for the 2012 Honda Civic Hybrid impress us nonetheless: 44/44/44. That’s city/highway/combined, and it’s a nice jump – especially in the city – from the 40/43/41 numbers sported by the 2011 model.

The New York Auto Show this week has been full of “40 mpg” claims from many automakers, but these have mostly described just one of the three ratings categories (usually highway). To have Honda announce you get an estimated 44 miles to the gallon no matter how you drive deserves a bit of praise. (Golf clap.)

The reason for the fuel economy boost lies, in part, with the upgraded battery pack used in the Honda Integrated Motor Assist system. Instead of the nickel-metal hydride batteries used in previous Civic Hybrids, the ’12 version cruises along with 20-kW worth of li-ion cells. Compared to the NiMH pack, the lithium-ion battery is 5 kW more powerful and also a bit lighter. The gas engine has also been upgraded from 1.3 liters to a 1.5-liter i-VTEC four-cylinder, and the full system offers 110 combined horsepower at 5,500 rpm. There are also some design tweaks on the exterior – nothing too fancy – that you can check out in our gallery below and read all about after the jump.

Gallery: 2012 Honda Civic Hybrid: New York 2011

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New York 2011: Honda Civic Hybrid scores 44 mpg across the board originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 21 Apr 2011 17:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New York 2011: Facebook Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid is easy to Like

Filed under: New York Auto Show, Coupe, Hybrid, Marketing/Advertising, Porsche

Facebook Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid – Click above for high-res image gallery

To commemorate its social media milestone of surpassing one million fans on Facebook (its fan page is currently at 1,502,860 members), Porsche has created this special edition of the 911 GT3 R Hybrid complete with the signatures of over 27,000 Porsche fans. The car makes its North American debut this week at the New York Auto Show before it goes on display inside the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart.

Porsche’s hybrid racer packs 480 horsepower from its 4.0-liter flat-six engine and is matched with two 80-hp electric motors. The German automaker recently tested the hybrid system’s capability during the 2010 24 Hours of Nürburgring, and Porsche firmly believes that hybrid performance cars like this foreshadow the future of racing.

Gallery: Facebook Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid: New York 2011

New York 2011: Facebook Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid is easy to Like originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 21 Apr 2011 16:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Bugatti Galibier to be available with hybrid power

Filed under: Concept Cars, Hybrid, Sedan, Performance, Bugatti, Design/Style, Luxury

Bugatti 16C Galibier

Bugatti Galibier 16C concept – Click above for high-res image gallery

Bugatti models have never lacked ambition, from the company’s original incarnation under founder Ettore Bugatti to its present-day operations under the Volkswagen Group. That unbridled moxie looks poised to gather pace with the brand’s forthcoming Galibier super sedan.

Not only will the Galibier be very exclusive and very costly, British magazine CAR is reporting that the W16 engine from the Veyron will be ported over with its dual-clutch gearbox, albeit with a twist – it will also be available with optional hybrid power. The dual-power system is being developed because an increasing number of metropolitan city centers are taking steps to curb or ban internal combustion cars firing up in downtown areas, and Bugatti owners aren’t exactly the type to take mass transit.

In an interview with the marque’s new president and CEO, Wolfgang Durheimer, CAR confirms the project is still in its early stages, with the final dimensions of the car and its chassis construction not yet settled upon. The design is expected to be finalized this fall, and the leading architectures in contention are a carbon monocoque like the Veyron or possibly an aluminum spaceframe.

While the Veyron’s production run has been earmarked at 300 units, the Galibier is to increase that tenfold to 3,000 units, but the price will still be steep – CAR estimates the privilege of ownership will cost upwards of £1 million ($1.62M dollars).

Gallery: Bugatti 16C Galibier concept

[Source: CAR]

Report: Bugatti Galibier to be available with hybrid power originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 18 Apr 2011 18:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BMW Brilliance Automotive previews 5 Series plug-in hybrid prototype

Filed under: Hybrid, Sedan, China, BMW, Shanghai Motor Show, Luxury

2013 BMW 5 Series Plug-In Hybrid

2013 BMW 5 Series plug-in hybrid – Click above for high-res version

In the lead-in to the Shanghai Motor Show, BMW has teased an upcoming plug-in hybrid 5 Series that will be exclusive to the Chinese market. The prototype of this greener version of BMW’s midsize sedan is based on the China-only long-wheelbase 5 Series platform.

The car is part of a joint venture between BMW and Chinese automaker Brilliance. The car is the tip of an eco-friendly iceberg BMW has aimed squarely at China, a country with an increasing appetite for premium-segment cars and a serious need for green-focused, energy-efficient vehicles.

Despite its size, BMW says the plug-in 5 Series will manage nearly 250 miles on a single charge and tank of gas, with up to 47 miles of those on electric power only, provided you don’t creep past 37 miles per hour. Those numbers certainly aren’t what you’d call impressive, but they’re a step in the right direction and they’d likely be a major help in the thick traffic snarls that China’s major cities are famous for. As for the U.S. market, a full plug-in 5 Series is unlikely, but BMW is understood to be planning to bring a traditional mild hybrid version of the car to our shores. For now, check out the prototype in our gallery below and via the press release after the jump.

Gallery: 2013 BMW 5 Series Plug-In Hybrid

2013 BMW 5 Series Plug-In Hybrid

[Source: BMW]

Continue reading BMW Brilliance Automotive previews 5 Series plug-in hybrid prototype

BMW Brilliance Automotive previews 5 Series plug-in hybrid prototype originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 07 Apr 2011 18:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Kia Optima Hybrid delayed due to Hyundai Sonata Hybrid pushback

Filed under: Hybrid, Sedan, Plants/Manufacturing, Technology, Hyundai, Kia

2011 Kia Optima Hybrid

2011 Kia Optima Hybrid – Click here for high-res image gallery

The Hyundai Sonata Hybrid was supposed to go on sale in December, but at the eleventh hour, the company decided on a last-minute engineering change to enhance safety. When the automaker learned that President Obama planned to sign a bill that would ban a switch that can disable a noisemaker designed to warn blind pedestrians, the Korean automaker decided it was best to remove the switch. The move delayed mass availability of the Sonata Hybrid from December to late April.

But what about its twin, the Kia Optima Hybrid? Ward’s Automotive reports that the mid-size hybrid has been delayed until late in the second quarter, or about five months after its scheduled January launch.

Will the substantial delay of the Optima and Sonata Hybrids hurt sales and satisfaction? We’re sure there are probably some impatient buyers out there who don’t understand why they have to wait, but in the long run, we’re likely looking at a mere bump in the road.

Gallery: 2011 Kia Optima Hybrid

2011 Kia Optima Hybrid

[Source: Ward’s Automotive – sub. req.]

Report: Kia Optima Hybrid delayed due to Hyundai Sonata Hybrid pushback originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 31 Mar 2011 11:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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