Concept Showdown

The 2007 Detroit auto show must be interesting considering all the new concepts that were promised. Not all concepts are introduced to the public. Some auto makers are not fully revealing what they will display at the auto show. Mazda will come out with the new Ryuga. It is not the same as the Naqare; however, it does share some characteristics like a similar front end. Volvo had tried to get out of the same old and boring design for years and by introducing the XC60, they might get their wish. The XC60 is based on the Land Rover LR2 and will be placed below the XC90 in the brand lineup. Chrysler and Jeep has provided some pictures and a video that you can see here. They never told us what the new concepts would be called. Some assume that the concepts are the Chrysler Nassau and the Jeep Trailhawk. Acura has made a concepts as well ;however, we know nothing about it except what it looks like. Acura is famous for making they concepts come to life and it wont be a surprise of this one is made too. After reveling the new 2008 Mitsubishi Lance Evolution, they said they will introduce a Concept X that will be the basis for the next Evo. We plan to hear all about in during the Mitsubishi press conference on Jan.8

Compact SUV Battle

The makers of Kicking Tires Arched three of the most popular and new compact SUV’s. The 2007 Honda CR-V EX-L FWD versed the 2007 Mitsubishi Outlander LS 4WD and the 2007 Toyota RAV4 Sport V-6 AWD. The results where suprising. Some exceeded in performance and other in price and quality. 

See the full faceoff here. 

Technology Will Prevent Drunken Driving?

U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, an automaker trade group and other met today to plan the prevention of drunken driving. They want to find the best way to prevent drunken driving that is not just convicted offenders.

Such devices might include breathalyzer-type devices that will not allow the car to start if the driver blows a dangerous blood alcohol level. They consider inserting devices which measure the skin and even eye movement in every vehicle.

The Lexus LS460 Self Parks!

When Lexus introduced the Lexus LS460 Self Park System, they focused on this feature rather then the obvious eight-speed transmission and 380-hp V-8 engine. A new car model rarely gets that kind of media attention. While some see it as  a step closer to full car automation, others see it as an insult to drivers.

Here is how the AGPS or Advanced Parking Guidance System works.  Pull up alongside a space but making sure to pass the rear car before aligning next to the front car. Put the car in reverse and a rear view camera will display a rear view on the in-dash display. When you press the parallel parking icon a green square will appear over the parking space. You can adjust the square position on the screen and then press ok when it is centered. This will indicate the spot you will park in.   

Once you press the ok button, you can let go of the wheel. All you need to do is place your foot over the brakes to prevent hitting an object behind you. The can might steer but it does not drive.  If you are on an incline of 4.5 degrees or greater then there is chance that the AGPS won’t work. If something goes wrong and you drive for more then 2 miles, then you can grab the wheel or press on the accelerator to beat the system.

This wont be cheap though. If you think about it, a good GPS costs around $500-$1,000. Wouldn’t you think that a far advanced technology would cost more? Lexus says that it will be a stand-alone addition priced “under $1,000″, which doest make sense since they have their cheapest GPS priced at about $5000.  

Aston Martin V8 Vantage Roadster

The vantage won’t take the original Volante design as expected. It will appear in few weeks at the 2006 Los Angeles Auto Show. Based on the coupe, it will keep its performance. It has a  380-­hp engine and reaches 60 mph in 4.9 seconds. It reaches a top speed of 175 mph. Its transmisson can be the six-speed Graziano manualor or the optional sportshift automated manual. The first shipment is scheduled for mid-2007. With prices not yet announced; however, we could guess it will be an $10,000 – $20,000 increase on the coupe’s $107,400 sticker.

The roadster will be two-seated with a soft-cover convertible top. It has a Bonded aluminum structure with Aluminum alloy, steel, composite, and magnesium alloy body. The Aston Martin’s engine will be a 32 valve, 4.3 litre V8. With a front mid-mounted engine it will be Rear-wheel drive.

Suspension
Front: Independent double aluminum wishbones incorporating anti-dive geometry, coil over aluminum monotube dampers and anti-roll bar.
Rear: Independent double aluminum wishbones incorporating longitudinal control arms, coil over aluminum monotube dampers and anti-roll bar.

The brakes will be Radial-mounted four-piston monobloc callipers providing the following features: Dynamic Stability Control (DSC), Traction control, Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD), Emergency Brake Assist (EBA), and a Positive Torque Control.

“The Vantage Roadster adds to the unbeatable thrill of open air motoring and by combining engineering excellence, technological innovation and physical perfection, will ensure every journey is one to remember.”

The World’s Fastest Road Car(The one car to have)

Bugatti Veyron 16.4, the worlds fastest, most expensive, luxury road car ever produced and planning to stay that way, starts at $1.25 million. The car is named after Pierre Veyron, the 25 hour Le Mans race using the Bugatti 57C in 1939. This car is not impressive or good, it is perfect in every aspect.

The Bugatti has seven-speed DSG twin-clutch transmission, a direct-injection 8.0 liters W-16 engine with 64 valves and 4 turbos. It reaches 60 mph in 2.5 seconds a top speed of 250 mph. It is constructed with aluminum and magnesium components which explains the light weight. The power is evenly distributed and it will be very stable going at a high speed.

Once it reached 140 mph it lowers to 3.1in. in the front and 3.7 in. in the rear and the spoiler also extends. At 230 mph, the car lowers to 2.6 inches in front and 2.8 inches in the rear.

QUICK SHEET

Base Price: $1,250,000

Technical Specifications

Vehicle type: mid-engine, all-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 2-door coupeEngine: 8.0-liter quad-turbocharged W16 Horsepower: 1,001 bhp @ 6000 rpm Torque: 922 lb-ft @ 2200 rpm Transmission: 7-speed clutchless manual Curb weight: 4,300 lbs Wheelbase: 106.3 in Length/Width/Height: 175.8/78.7/47.5 in Turning circle: N/A Brakes: four-wheel disc with ABS, electronic brake assist and high-speed wind deflector air brake

Suspension: adjustable independent front and rear Traction: all-wheel drive, traction control, stability control, multi-vector automatic wind deflector Safety: N/A0-60 mph: 2.5 seconds Top Speed: 253 mph (governed) EPA City: 7 mpg EPA Hi

Jaguar Tops J.D. Power Satisfaction

I looked into the J.D power satisfaction and this year Jaguar takes the first spot in the J.D. Power and Associates 2006 Sales Satisfaction Index for the third year in a row. The study is an analysis of the  new-vehicle purchase. The cars are rated based on these five factors: dealership facility, salesperson, paperwork, finance process, delivery process and vehicle price. They are ranked on a 1000-point scale.   

   

This year Top10: Jaguar (912), Cadillac (891), Lincoln (889), Porsche (889), Lexus (887), Saturn (887), Buick (884), Volvo (883), Mercury (881) and Mercedes-Benz (876). The vehicle that took last place was Mitsubishi .

 

BMW expands test facility!

BMW continues to develop “The Ultimate Driving Machine” with the finish of the 3-year upswing at its test facility at Nurburgring Nordschliefe racecircuit near Nurburg, Germany. The new workshop covers 12,440 square feet and contains 11 work bays long with a new vehicle wash, detail center,and wheel-alignment facility. There is a new leisure place for drivers and 30 computer workstation for engineers to send test results to Munich. Not only will it be used for production-vehicle evaluation, but it will be the base for the BMW Motor sport Team. The course is amazingly long. It spans 13 miles in length and includes 73 corners and a vertical elevation of 305 m.

About this blog…

Are you a fan of cars and automotive technology? If you are, then this blog is for you. You will find the car news including car companies, concepts, new cars, reviews and stats, facts and anything that I can find related to cars. I will keep you updated with the latest news I can find. If you wish to find the latest event in the automotive world, then check this blog out.