Tag: results

Official: Land Rover tests electric Defender with impressive results

Filed under: SUV, Technology, Work, Land Rover, UK, Electric, Off-Road

Land Rover sent its first Electric Defender to be tested at the Eden Project.

Unveiled at this year’s Geneva Auto Show, six Land Rover Electric Defenders were produced to research the electrification of all-terrain vehicles in real-world test scenarios. The first Electric Defender to receive a test assignment, a four-wheel-drive 110 Pick Up, was sent to the Eden Project in Cornwall, England, to pull the four-carriage road train that transports visitors around the environmentally friendly plant research site. The SUV has no problem pulling up to 12 tons up a six-percent incline.

The Electric Defender in its original, single-battery configuration can operate for up to 50 miles, with a little over 12 miles in reserve. Functioning at low speeds, it can pull the carriages around the site for about eight hours before it needs a recharge, Land Rover states, but the recent addition of a second lithium-ion battery should lengthen the Defender’s run time while helping to even out out the truck’s weight distribution for better stability. Amazingly, the truck is able to pull the road train with one electric motor that produces 94 horsepower and 243 pound-feet of torque.

One of the new technologies the Electric Defender is testing is a hill-descent function linked to the regenerative braking system. Up to 80 percent of the batteries’ power can be regenerated in this way. During each downhill trip made at the Eden Project, the SUV regenerates up to 30 kilowatts of power.

We don’t know where the other Electric Defenders will be sent for testing, but we’ll let you know as soon as we find out. Meanwhile, you can take a look at the full press release below.

Continue reading Land Rover tests electric Defender with impressive results

Land Rover tests electric Defender with impressive results originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 01 Aug 2013 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Watch this mobility scooter drag race a Nissan Skyline with surprising results

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Videos, Nissan, Humor

Mobility scooter races Nissan Skyline - video screencap

Okay, so we may not be talking about a classic, all-conquering Nissan Skyline GT-R here. But the sub-Godzilla-trim Nissan Skyline GTS-T is still a car, after all. And, as a car, if someone asked you to lay a bet on it versus a mobility scooter (Hoveround, Rascal, you know the type) in a drag race, you’d probably take that action.

Unless, of course, that drag race were happening on YouTube, in which case you’d put your money away and open up your laptop. On the Internet it’s best to never bet against the wild underdog.

We don’t mean to spoil the following video for you, but come on. When you saw Skyline vs. Scooter in that headline, you had a pretty good idea of what was to come, didn’t you. Needless to say, mobility scooters fitted with Suzuki GSX-600F engines are pretty quick. Strap in and scroll down.

Continue reading Watch this mobility scooter drag race a Nissan Skyline with surprising results

Watch this mobility scooter drag race a Nissan Skyline with surprising results originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 19 Jul 2013 14:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Read This: PickupTrucks.com’s latest test results in a familiar winner [w/video]

Filed under: Car Buying, Truck, Chevrolet, Ford, GMC, Nissan, Toyota, Ram

2013 PickupTrucks.com Light Duty Challenge

PickupTrucks.com has gone and thrown the latest batch of half-ton pickups into a cage match to see who would come out on top. The site put the 2014 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, GMC Sierra 1500, 2013 Ford F-150, Ram 1500, Toyota Tundra and Nissan Titan through a battery of tests. Those included 0-60 miles per hour acceleration, 60-0 mph deceleration, fuel economy, a hill climb, and payload and towing. They even threw the rigs on an autocross course to evaluate overall handling. Each truck was given points based on how it scored in each evaluation.

Who came out on top? Somewhat surprisingly, the 2013 Ford F-150 walked away with the gold, though fewer than 50 points separated first and fourth place. Head over to PickupTrucks.com to read the full evaluation and the final results. You may be shocked to see exactly where some of the segment’s newest additions placed. You can also watch a video on the test below.

Continue reading PickupTrucks.com’s latest test results in a familiar winner [w/video]

PickupTrucks.com’s latest test results in a familiar winner [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 19 Jun 2013 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: LS 460 owner recreates seminal Lexus commercial with different results

Filed under: Etc., Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Lexus

lexus ls 460 owner recreates champagne commercial

Lexus LS 460 owner attempts to recreate classic commercial – Click above to watch video after the jump

Remember that early Lexus commercial from 1989? You know the one, where an LS 400 is sitting on a dynamometer and makes a run up to 145 miles per hour, then the camera pans to the hood, where a large pyramid of crystal champagne glasses calmly sits? An Arizona Lexus owner decided to recreate that clip using his much newer LS 460.

So, does the more advanced and powerful LS fare as well the second time around? Certainly, the owner has a rather different approach, so click past the jump and see for yourself (we’ve also posted the classic ’89 ad for those that need a refresher).

[Source: YouTube via Lexus Enthusiast]

Continue reading Video: LS 460 owner recreates seminal Lexus commercial with different results

Video: LS 460 owner recreates seminal Lexus commercial with different results originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 18 Mar 2011 18:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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IIHS uses NHTSA data to show its crash test results are right on

Filed under: Safety, Chevrolet, Dodge, Hyundai

Jeep Wrangler Side Impact IIHS

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has been testing side-impact crashes since 2003. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has been collecting traffic fatality information a lot longer than that. Yet it took until 2011 for IIHS to compare its considerable crash data against NHTSA’s crash mortality data.

As a result, IIHS can now underscore the importance of its crash test scores with credible outside data. Bloomberg reports that the Institute found that drivers of vehicles with an IIHS rating of “Good” for side-impact crashes were 70 percent less likely to die in an accident. That’s the exact type of statistic that can sway shoppers’ purchasing decisions. Further bolstering IIHS’s findings is this nugget: 27 percent of all fatal accidents involved a side-impact collision. For 2011, the Hyundai Accent, two-door Jeep Wrangler and Chevy Colorado all receive “Poor” side impact ratings.

Meanwhile, NHTSA will further regulate vehicle standards beginning in 2018 to include more protection against side impacts as well as occupant ejection in the event of a rollover. Stronger side glass and side-impact airbags are among the available solutions.

[Source: Bloomberg]

IIHS uses NHTSA data to show its crash test results are right on originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 22 Jan 2011 14:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Motor Trend pits ZR1 against 911 Turbo with surprising results

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Etc., Videos, Chevrolet, Porsche

Motor Trend pits Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 against the Porsche 911 Turbo

Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 versus Porsche 911 Turbo – Click above to watch video after the jump

One is an American-bred land rocket and the other a Teutonic track terror. They are the 2011 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 and 2010 Porsche 911 Turbo, and Motor Trend has pitted them head-to-head.

Former Autoblog scribe and known flip-flop aficionado Jonny Lieberman provides the voice work and the words for the buff book’s latest supercar comparo, with Herr Lieberman calling the 911 Turbo “the fastest manual transmission car we’ve ever tested.” Acceleration is one thing, but what about sex appeal? According to Jonny, “… both cars were alternately parked in front of my house for two weeks, but I discovered pink lipstick marks only on the Corvette’s windshield. That’s right, someone kissed the ZR1.”

We have video of both cars running side-by-side for 1,320 feet and the winner is not much of a surprise. The overall winner of the comparison? Well, that’s another story, and the results may surprise you. Hop the jump to see the clip of these two going head-to-head [*Warning: Autoplay].

[Source: Motor Trend]

Continue reading Video: Motor Trend pits ZR1 against 911 Turbo with surprising results

Video: Motor Trend pits ZR1 against 911 Turbo with surprising results originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 20 Sep 2010 19:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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