Tag: [w/video]

Bloodhound Gang: Full-scale model of supersonic car unveiled in UK [w/video]

Filed under: Motorsports, Performance, UK, Specialty, Racing

Bloodhound SSC show car – Click above for high-res image gallery

It looks like the Bloodhound project has reemerged from the ether of the internet, this time with a full-scale model of the team’s actual world land speed-record hopeful. If you dust off the way-back synapses, you might recollect that the Bloodhound Education Program is a ploy to get school-aged kids into the sciences by showing them exactly what Algebra can do. You know, like launch a hunk of metal to 1,000 miles per hour on land. As a show of progress, the team has unveiled a 42-foot-long life-size replica of the machine that it hopes to use to obliterate the standing world land-speed record of a little over 763 mph.

So far, construction of the rear section of the machine is slated to begin in the second quarter of next year, and the team claims that it’s in talks with another organization to begin building the front half right now. That means we could be hearing reports of shakedown runs by the end of 2011 or the beginning of 2012. From there, it’s a short hop to the Hakskeen Pan in South Africa for the real trial. Get excited, people. Hit the jump for a video of the car as well as the full press release. Thanks for the tips, Carlos and Mark!

Gallery: Bloodhound Supersonic Car

[Source: Bloodhound Project]

Continue reading Bloodhound Gang: Full-scale model of supersonic car unveiled in UK [w/video]

Bloodhound Gang: Full-scale model of supersonic car unveiled in UK [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 19 Jul 2010 19:24:00 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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Renntech and Domani Motors team up for meaner Benz SL65 AMG Black Series [w/video]

Filed under: Aftermarket, Coupe, Performance, Mercedes-Benz, Specialty, Luxury

Renntech SL65 AMG Black Series – Click above for high-res image gallery

Allow us to provide you with your daily dose of lunacy. Not too long ago, the head honchos over at Domani Motors happened to find themselves with a Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG Black Series in their showroom. Unsatisfied with the car’s already otherworldly performance, they called up the twisted minds at Renntech to have them install the tuner’s Perfomance Package 1. Think of it as PCP for Silver Arrows. The work included remapping the car’s ECU, installing an easy-breathing exhaust and a few other tricks. The result? A mind-bending 805 streetable horsepower and 1,000 pound-feet of torque.

The team had to install a unique, 100 percent locking rear differential just to handle the dizzying power from the engine. Likewise, the gearbox had to be upgraded as well. Even so, we’re guessing this particular SL65 AMG Black Series would have no problem turning its tires aerosol should the driver demand it. So far, neither Renntech nor Domani Motors have released any times on the car, but we’re guessing the numbers are nothing to scoff at. Hit the jump for a video of the car on the dyno, as well as the press release.

Gallery: Renntech SL65 AMG Black Series

[Source: Renntech]

Continue reading Renntech and Domani Motors team up for meaner Benz SL65 AMG Black Series [w/video]

Renntech and Domani Motors team up for meaner Benz SL65 AMG Black Series [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 16 Jul 2010 14:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford improves voice recognition for SYNC, adds Send-to-Car for Google Maps [w/video]

Filed under: Technology, Videos, Ford

Ford SYNC 2011 demonstration – click above to watch the video

Those that have been paying attention to Autoblog for any length of time will know that the staff here have long been enamored with the voice recognition (VR) technology that is a part of Ford’s SYNC system. SYNC VR generally does a better job of recognizing commands than any other such system and has a flatter menu structure than most.

For its 2011 iteration, Ford and its technology partner Nuance have significantly upgraded the system which now recognizes more than 10,000 commands without having to traverse a single menu. One of the frustrations of dealing with other VR systems has been figuring out the specific commands required to enter a destination or make a call. Nuance has implemented an array of aliases that let users say the same thing in different ways such as “play track” or “play song.”

Starting this week, owners of SYNC-equipped cars can now send directions from Google Maps on their computer directly to their car – even if they don’t have a navigation system. The send-to-car system has been available for several weeks on General Motors OnStar-equipped vehicles and Ford brings the number of automakers that support this technology to 20 worldwide including Audi and BMW. Check out the technology in the video and press release available after the jump.

[Sources: Ford, Google]

Continue reading Ford improves voice recognition for SYNC, adds Send-to-Car for Google Maps [w/video]

Ford improves voice recognition for SYNC, adds Send-to-Car for Google Maps [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 16 Jul 2010 13:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Brammo announces Empulse, a 100+ mph naked electric streetfighter with 100-mile range [w/video]

Filed under: Motorcycle, Electric

Brammo Empulse – Click above to watch video after the jump

Watch yourself, a whole lot of people sitting on the electric motorcycle fence are about to get knocked off. Brammo has just revealed the Empulse – a brand new naked street fighting machine with the ability to carry you to speeds of over 100 miles per hour. Not only is it fast, it also goes the distance, coming in a trio of range-differentiated models. The 6.0 is said to be able to cover 60 miles on average, the 8.0 for 80 and the 10.0 for, you guessed it, 100 rapturous miles. To paraphrase a popular meme, electric motorcycles just got real.

After top speed and range, the next question usually asked about electric tech is the price and this is another area where the bike surprises. The Empulse 6.0 starts at $9,995. If that seems a bit high, consider that’s $2,000 less than the price we were originally quoted for the Enertia when we first took that Brammo commuter for a spin a couple years back. Add, or rather, subtract from that the different Federal and State incentives that have come into play and you could see the $13,995 cost for the 10.0 model drop to as low as $7,000.

There are still a lot of unreleased details about this road warrior. While we know the motor is liquid-cooled, we can’t yet give you numbers for the horsepower, torque or any of the battery pack specifics. We do expect we’ll have them for you long before the mid-2011 delivery date and perhaps as soon as July 24th. That’s when CEO Craig Bramscher will officially unveil the company’s latest creation at the 2010 Red Bull Grand Prix at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca where the North American edition of the FIM e-Power series is taking place.

Of course, it would be somewhat lame to show up at an electric motorcycle race and not compete and Brammo is promising not to disappoint. They have entered the 15-team fray with an Empulse RR race bike in a quest for both gold and glory.

If you’re as impatient as us, you don’t have to wait until then to see the Empulse in action though. Simply hit the jump for video of the new machine rolling along a sweet piece of highway and while you’re there, check out all the details in the official press release. Game on.

Gallery: Brammo Empulse

[Source: Brammo]

Continue reading Brammo announces Empulse, a 100+ mph naked electric streetfighter with 100-mile range [w/video]

Brammo announces Empulse, a 100+ mph naked electric streetfighter with 100-mile range [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 15 Jul 2010 09:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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