Tag: [w/video]

KTM Duke 125cc not fit for U.S. consumption [w/video]

Filed under: Europe, Videos, Motorcycle

KTM Duke 125cc

KTM Duke 125 – Click above to enlarge

KTM has somewhat unequal helpings of good and bad news for riders salivating over the thought of the company’s new 125cc creation. The marketing gurus have finally settled on a name for the contraption, and despite some fears that the Austrian bike-maker would slather the out-played “Avatar” name all over the new commuter, “Duke” – which has been used a number of times already by the Austrian company – was chosen as a fitting moniker. We couldn’t be happier. Of course, that elation was short lived when we heard that the company has absolutely zero intention of selling the flingable little bike on our shores.

Heartbreak.

We understand the reasoning behind the move. It’s not like 125cc street bikes sell like hotcakes over here. With a dearth of dense city centers and miles upon miles of open highway between most domiciles and their respective work places, American buyers tend to clamor for a little more displacement. That’s fine, KTM. Build us a Duke 250cc and we’ll call all things square. In the meantime, our cousins across the pond can look forward to hooning the rubber off of the newest Austrian starting in March of 2011. Our envy knows no bounds. Hit the jump for yet another video of the bike’s development.

[Source: Asphalt & Rubber]

Continue reading KTM Duke 125cc not fit for U.S. consumption [w/video]

KTM Duke 125cc not fit for U.S. consumption [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 10 Sep 2010 15:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Survey: Allstate lists America’s safest driving cities [w/video]

Filed under: Etc., Safety, Videos

Allstate has officially ranked the country’s 200 largest cities by the likelihood of their drivers to get into an accident. The annual report singles out localities with the best drivers, and this year, Fort Collins, Colorado took the cake as the city with the safest residents. Last year, the town was stuck at number two behind Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Unfortunately for drivers who live in the former capitol of safe driving, that town saw its rank fall by 17 places to number 18 in just one year.

On average, Allstate says that drivers in Fort Collins will get into an accident of some variety or other every 14.5 years, and that they’re around 31.2 percent less likely than the national average to wrinkle their sheetmetal.

And which localities are the worst of them all? It should be no surprise that the drivers who circle the Beltway in Maryland, Washington, D.C. and Virginia are among the worst of the lot. Our nation’s capitol held onto its spot in dead last, with drivers expected to get into a claimable accident every 5.1 years. Baltimore, Maryland is just one notch up the list with that city’s drivers likely to experience one accident every 5.6 years. Hit the jump for a look at the top ten cities, and check the gallery to stick an eyeball on the complete results.

Gallery: Allstate 2010 Safe Driver Report

[Source: Allstate | Image: Garry Sun/bauergriffinonline.com]

Continue reading Survey: Allstate lists America’s safest driving cities [w/video]

Survey: Allstate lists America’s safest driving cities [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ferrari to release Virtual Academy online driving simulator [w/video]

Filed under: Motorsports, Videos, Ferrari, Toys/Games

Ferrari Driving Academy Trailer – Click above to watch the video after the jump

There are a handful of F1 driving simulators out in the market today, ranging from Codemaster’s F1 2010 to the $191,000 Cruden Hexatech simulator. Ferrari has decided to try their hand at their own version called Ferrari Virtual Academy 2010.

The simulation racing game will benefit from much of Ferrari’s own expertise in Formula One. The team’s engineers were consulted to provide realistic driving dynamics and each of the tracks were digitally recreated with Laser Scan and Motion Capture. Ferrari’s current competitor, the F10, is the vehicle of choice, and Fiorano, Mugello and the Nürburgring are the current tracks available. There’s no word as to whether historic cars or additional tracks will be offered.

The game will be available for download on September 9 with a price tag of 15 Euros (around $19 USD), although to tantalize potential users, Ferrari has said that there will be “exclusive Scuderia gadgets and further surprises” for the drivers. We don’t know what that means, but we can’t imagine a Ferrari gadget that we wouldn’t like. Need to see more? You can watch the game’s official trailer after the jump.

[Source: Ferrari]

Continue reading Ferrari to release Virtual Academy online driving simulator [w/video]

Ferrari to release Virtual Academy online driving simulator [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Heico Sportiv adds aggression to new Volvo S60 [w/video]

Filed under: Aftermarket, Sedan, Videos, Volvo, Luxury

Heico Sportiv reworks the 2011 Volvo S60 – Click above for high-res image gallery

We got a glimpse of it not long ago in renderings, now Heico Sportiv has taken its retuned 2011 Volvo S60 to the track and brought us some souvenirs of the day. Changes are restrained yet aggressive outside, with added front lip components and a rear diffuser that wraps around four tailpipes, in addition to a set of attractive gunmetal Volution wheels.

Under the hood is where the real oomph resides, with power outputs hitting the 297 horsepower and 258 pound-feet in the 2.0T, and 330 hp and 339 lb-ft. in the T6. In the T6 model, that will get you from naught to 62 miles per hour in 5.8 seconds. Follow the jump for all the details and to see it in motion, and have a look at the gallery of high-res photos below.

Gallery: Heico Sportiv 2011 Volvo S60

[Source: Heico Sportiv]

Continue reading Heico Sportiv adds aggression to new Volvo S60 [w/video]

Heico Sportiv adds aggression to new Volvo S60 [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 27 Aug 2010 19:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hyundai RB concept for Moscow revealed [w/video]

Filed under: Concept Cars, Budget, Sedan, Hyundai, Russia, Design/Style

Hyundai RB Concept – Click above for high-res image gallery

Hyundai has dropped its new RB concept on the crowd at this year’s Moscow Motor Show, and according to our Spanish-speaking sister site, the car you see above is likely to evolve into a genuine Russian-market production model with one of two engines.

On the base side of things, buyers can opt for a 1.4-liter four-cylinder with around 109 horsepower, while those looking for a bit more grunt will be able to snap up a 1.6-liter four-cylinder with around 124 ponies. Both engines should be available with either a five-speed manual transmission or a six-speed automatic.

The mechanicals aren’t the kind of hardware we typically get excited about, but we do like the compact sedan’s lines. The design borrows plenty of cues from the similarly sultry Sonata, and the look wears well on a smaller craft. So far, it looks like the RB will stick to its Russian borders, but that doesn’t mean we won’t see a similarly handsome mug on our shores. From what we can gather, the next-generation Accent will be very similar to what you see above. Small things like fascias and tail lights may change, but the overall car is the successor to the Hyundai compact throne. Hit the jump for a look at a video of the concept as well as the full press release.

Gallery: Hyundai RB Concept

[Source: Autoblog Spanish]

Continue reading Hyundai RB concept for Moscow revealed [w/video]

Hyundai RB concept for Moscow revealed [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 26 Aug 2010 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ferrari reportedly investigating 458 Italia fire risk [w/video]

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Safety, Ferrari

Ferrari 458 Italia – Click above for high-res image gallery

That Ferrari 458 Italia… it’s so hot right now. Nobody but the sickest of pyromaniacs wants to see Ferrari’s exquisite new 458 Italia go down in flames (if that’s you, you’ll want to click on past the break…). Sadly, though, the case of Ferraris on flambé is spreading like.. ahem, wildfire. So problematic is the issue that the Italian automaker itself is now investigating the cause of the conflagrations.

According to various reports, there have been at least three separate instances where Ferrari 458 Italias have burst into flames without being involved in an accident. At this time, Ferrari is assuming that these three cases are unrelated, and it’s not willing at this time to rule out driver error.

Interestingly enough, though, at least one of these flame-broiled Ferraris caught ablaze in transport to London in a Heathrow warehouse, meaning it was not being driven at the time of the fire. Here’s hoping that Ferrari’s investigation doesn’t turn up any major design flaws. In the meantime, perhaps 458 owners should keep an extinguisher handy… just in case.

Gallery: Ferrari 458 Italia

[Source: Daily Mail]

Continue reading Ferrari reportedly investigating 458 Italia fire risk [w/video]

Ferrari reportedly investigating 458 Italia fire risk [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 25 Aug 2010 14:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This Means Something: Japanese Prius to get external speaker option [w/video]

Filed under: Hybrid, Japan, Safety, Toyota

Toyota Approaching Vehicle Audible System – Click above to watch the video after the break

After years and years of doing everything in their power to make cars as quiet as possible, it seems somewhat backwards that we’re now talking about adding external speakers to hybrids in order to make them… louder. But that’s the current reality, and Toyota, the undisputed worldwide leader in hybrid vehicles, is leading the way in Japan with its Prius hatchback.

For about $150, Toyota will equip the Japanese Prius with a Approaching Vehicle Audible System. According to the automaker, the technology is “designed to meet new Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism guidelines for hybrid and other near-silent vehicles.” Expect the system to extend to other hybrids from Toyota and probably to countries outside Japan in time.

Anyone interested in making their third-gen Prius sound like a prop from Close Encounters of the Third Kind are encouraged to watch the Japanese-market video after the break. We’re not going to cast a vote quite yet as to whether or not these systems are a good or bad idea, but we will say this: If we heard that noise coming at us from behind, you can bet we’d be rushing to get out of the way…

[Source: Toyota via Prius Chat]

Continue reading This Means Something: Japanese Prius to get external speaker option [w/video]

This Means Something: Japanese Prius to get external speaker option [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 24 Aug 2010 18:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Peel looking to reintroduce world’s smallest car [w/video]

Filed under: Coupe, Etc., UK, Specialty, Electric

Peel P-50 and Trident pose with a Rolls-Royce – Click above for high-res image gallery

Sure, there’s an increased emphasis on small cars here in America and all around the rest of the world, with brands like Smart and Mini vying for customers that think it’s a big deal to go small. But none of these current machines can hold a candle to the 1962 Peel P-50, which to this day holds the record as the smallest car ever produced.

Just how small are we talking? Here are some stats: Wheelbases measures 50 inches, total length measures 52.8 inches, width measures 39 inches and height comes in at 47.2 inches. Perhaps most impressive of all, though, is the weight: just 130 pounds ready to drive.

Naturally, not a lot of power was needed to get this microcar moving, so a DKW single cylinder engine displacing 49cc was mated to a three-speed manual transmission without reverse, unless you count the handy grab bar at the very rear. One door was available on the left side of the car, which led to a lone seat and room for a grocery bag. Want one? Yeah, we do too, but there were only 50 made on the Isle of Man in the UK, so they aren’t particularly easy to come by.

Fortunately, then, Peel Engineering has recently reopened its doors and is planning a small production run of 50 new cars, divided up between the aforementioned P-50 (above, blue) and the bubble-roofed Trident (red). From what we can discern, the reborn Peels will each go for a heady £12,499 and will use an electric powertrain in lieu of a scooter engine. No other specifications have been released that we are aware of.

We also don’t know if any of the 50 pint-size Peels will make it Stateside, though with three wheels, it would seem the machines would be classified as motorcycles and would therefore eschew any need for crash testing requirements… which would seem rather important, don’tcha think? Click past the break for a couple of videos of the Peel P-50, including one from Top Gear where the six-foot five-inch Jeremy Clarkson takes one for a drive to through the office.

Gallery: Peel P-50 and Trident

[Source: Peel Engineering via The Scooter Scoop]

Continue reading Peel looking to reintroduce world’s smallest car [w/video]

Peel looking to reintroduce world’s smallest car [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 24 Aug 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Irony Police: State Farm releases texting app to curb distracted driving [w/video]

Filed under: Safety, Technology, Videos

State Farm On The Move Android App

State Farm On The Move Android App – Click above to view the video after the jump

Android geeks have been using a combination of GPS and the Tasker app to let contacts know when they can’t (or won’t) accept text messages or calls (driving, in a movie, etc.). It’s some slick software, but the barrier of entry is a little high for the average smartphone user. So to make things more accessible – and reduce a few claims in the process – auto insurer State Farm has released its own Android application that automatically responds to text messages while on the move.

The combination app/widget provides canned responses or allows users to write a custom message that’s sent anytime they enable the app. Just activate the app and when a text comes in, the program automatically responds so you can keep yours eyes on the road and your hands off the phone.

The app is a free download from Android Market, but for the time being, it’s only available on Google-powered smartphones, with the possibility of iPhone, Blackberry and Windows Mobile versions on the horizon. Hit the jump for the full details and a video of the app in action.

[Source: State Farm]

Continue reading Irony Police: State Farm releases texting app to curb distracted driving [w/video]

Irony Police: State Farm releases texting app to curb distracted driving [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 20 Aug 2010 16:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Going to Pot: Motive to unveil cannabis-composite Kestrel [w/video]

Filed under: Etc., Technology, Videos

Motive Industries talks about its cannabis-bodied car – Click above to watch a video after the jump

Motive Industries has announced that they will unveil Canada’s first bio-composite bodied electric car this September at the EV 2010 VÉ Conference and Trade Show in Vancouver. Dubbed the Kestrel, the four-passenger compact forgoes some of the traditional fibers used in composites for a renewable green car (*ahem*) technology – hemp.

The bio material is derived from hemp mats produced by Alberta Innovates Technology Futures (AITF) who gets their stash from Vegreville, Alberta (industrial hemp, i.e., Cannabis sativa L, is legally grown in Canada under license from Health Canada and must contain less than 0.3 per cent THC). As well as having the impact resistance of fiberglass composites, the hemp version has the added bonuses of being lighter and cheaper – two important qualities for battery-powered vehicles.

Engineered for a program called Project Eve that aims to aid Canadian firms produce electric vehicles and components, the Darren McKeage-designed cannabis car will undergo prototyping and testing later this month. Hit the jump for Calgary News broadcast discussing the new composite, including footage with company president Nathan Armstrong.

[Sources: Motive Industries, Calgary News]

Continue reading Going to Pot: Motive to unveil cannabis-composite Kestrel [w/video]

Going to Pot: Motive to unveil cannabis-composite Kestrel [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 20 Aug 2010 14:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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