Tuesday, April 27, 2010

BBC and the History Channel team up to create a U.S. Version of Top Gear

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When NBC decided not to pursue the idea of an American spinoff of TopGear, rumors emerged that other networks were interested in picking up the idea...


Read more at Automotive.com: BBC Top Gear and the History Channel

2010 Beijing Auto Show debuts the BMW Gran Coupe Concept

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The BMW Group took us by surprise today with the world premiere of the Concept Gran Coupe.


The Bavarian automaker calls it a four-door coupe which is fancy marketing talk for a saloon with sportier body proportions...

Read more at CarScoop.com

2010 Beijing Auto Show reveals many ambitious Local Chinese Brands

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Beijing -- China's biggest domestic auto brand signaled its ambition today to become a global player by signing Argentine football star Lionel Messi as an international ambassador to promote its brands.


Chery Automobile Co. made the announcement at the Beijing auto show, where it plans to show 29 vehicles including four alternative fuel models...


Read more inside The Detroit News

2010 Beijing Auto Show envisions BMW's Megacity Zero Emission Urban Commuter Car

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So BMW is dead serious about their electric urban commuter and in fact they are going to launch it in two years...


Press Release:

With the launch of its Megacity Vehicle in 2013, the BMW Group will be bringing its first series-production electric-drive model to market. “With this innovative vehicle, designed from the ground up, we will be creating new benchmarks for electric mobility from 2013 on. Our Megacity Vehicle will be significantly lighter than conventional cars and, in terms of sustainability, will set a new standard across the entire value-added chain,” said Norbert Reithofer, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG, on Thursday ahead of the Auto China 2010 show in Beijing.

The Megacity Vehicle will be a zero-emission urban car for the world’s metropolitan regions. It is currently being developed as part of project i and will be available from 2013 under a sub-brand of BMW. When it comes to the choice of materials, the company is broaching entirely new territory. This is because weight plays a pivotal role in the range achievable by electrically driven vehicles. The ultra-light yet high-strength composite CFRP (carbon fibre-reinforced plastic), for example, plays a significant part in the materials mix.

“This vehicle will radically alter the motor industry as we know it. The BMW Group is currently the only company that will be launching a volume-production vehicle on the market that features carbon fibre-reinforced material,” explained Reithofer. “We were among the first manufacturers to pick up on the trend towards electric mobility and to act accordingly. More and more people around the globe are very keen on electric driving. Research shows, moreover, that more than half of the population around the world already live in conurbations,” Reithofer added.

The BMW Group has been gleaning insights into the day-to-day use of electric vehicles since mid-2009, when it launched a global field test involving more than 600 MINI E models. During the test phase some 50 MINI E cars are also being delivered to customers in China in 2010.

“I am convinced that our Chinese clients will show the same enthusiasm for the vehicle as MINI E drivers in Germany, the USA and Britain,” emphasised Reithofer. 2011 will see the handover to Chinese customers of a further fleet based on the BMW Concept ActiveE. The renowned China Automotive Technology and Research Center (CATARC) and the state-owned energy supply company State Grid are involved as partners in the preparation, implementation and assessment of the practical use of these vehicles. The project has the backing of both the Chinese and the German governments.

The results will filter into the development of electrically powered vehicles for the Chinese market. “In the future we will also be offering a New Energy Vehicle in China. This will be developed and produced locally together with our joint venture partner Brilliance,” stated Reithofer.

BMW gathered its first experiences with electric-drive vehicles some 40 years ago courtesy of a modified BMW 1602 that led the long-distance walking and marathon running events in the 1972 Summer Olympics. In subsequent decades this alternative drive technology was further pursued using many mobile test beds, including the revolutionary BMW E1.


SOURCE: BMW

Watch the video on YouTube

Read more at MotorWard.com

2010 Beijing Auto Show - Lamborghini Murcielago LP670-4 SV China Edition

2010 Lamborghini Murcielago

Price Range
$354,000.00 - $450,000.00
Fuel Economy
8 city / 13 highway
Base Engine
640-horsepower V12
Value Rating
N/A
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For 2010 Beijing Motor Show Lamborghini is unveiling a special editoin of the Murcielago LP670 SV exclusively for the Chinese market and limited to only ten units.


The LP670-4 China Edition is no different than normal models in term of technicalities, but it comes with a bespoke black and orange stripe and can be had with a special grey color...

Read more at MotorWard.com

2011 Mercedes Benz ML63 AMG tests its new Twin-Turbocharged V8 Engine - Spied

2010 Mercedes-Benz M-Class

Price Range
$45,700.00 - $91,050.00
Fuel Economy
11 city / 15 highway
Base Engine
503-horsepower V8
Value Rating

Poor
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Even though the standard 2012 Mercedes-Benz M-Class is still undergoing development, the company's AMG division has began testing the high-performance version of the series.


Expected to arrive shortly after the standard M-Class model, which itself, will go on sale in late 2011, the ML 63 AMG will feature the brand's newly developed 5.5-liter twin-turbocharged V8 in place of the outgoing car's naturally aspirated 6.2-liter unit...

Read more at CarScoop.com

2010 Beijing Auto Show reveals the 2011 Chevrolet Volt MPV5 EV Crossover Concept

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At 2010 Auto China motorshow in Beijing, General Motors revealed a crossover version of their yet to be launched Chevrolet Volt...


Press Release:

GM Unveils Chevrolet Volt MPV5 Electric Concept at Auto China 2010

Crossover with Extended Range Capability Builds on Volt’s Foundation


Beijing – Chevrolet has made a major commitment to providing world-class, fuel-efficient vehicles to its customers around the world. In recent months, through GM’s Shanghai GM joint venture, Chevrolet has introduced the fuel-efficient Cruze and New Sail in China. It will introduce the Volt electric vehicle with extended range capability in 2011.

In preparation for the Volt’s arrival, Chevrolet is leveraging Auto China 2010, which starts today in Beijing, to introduce the Volt MPV5 electric concept. The five-passenger multi-purpose crossover concept demonstrates the potential of the Voltec propulsion system by utilizing the same foundation as the Volt, for gas- and tailpipe emissions-free electric driving.

Maximizing Efficiency and Style


The styling of the Volt MPV5 concept borrows design and aerodynamic cues from the Chevrolet Volt. The front fascia is among the most aerodynamic of any crossover thanks to its closed grille and aero-optimized lower air dam, both of which help improve fuel efficiency. A full-underbody belly pan, along with rocker claddings, creased tail lamps and specially designed blades on the rear quarter, also help the Volt MPV5 concept cut through the wind with ease. The intense focus on improved aerodynamics enables greater all-electric range.

The exterior of the Volt MPV5 concept isn’t solely about efficiency. Its Sonic Blue Metallic paint provides a contemporary appeal, while the dual skylight panels and 19-inch Volt-inspired wheels build the Volt MPV5 concept’s sporty credentials.

The Volt MPV5 concept’s dimensions provide added passenger comfort. While the 2,760-mm wheelbase of the Volt MPV5 concept is a mere 15 mm longer than the wheelbase of the Chevrolet Volt, its body is 181 mm longer (4,585 mm), 73 mm wider (1,871 mm) and 182 mm taller (1,612 mm) than the Volt.

Inside, the Volt MPV5 concept adopts the Volt’s center stack and gauge cluster along with its striking two-tone leather seats. Thanks to the Volt MPV5 concept’s size, passenger comfort doesn’t take a backseat. Typical for Chevrolet crossovers, the Volt MPV5 concept’s seating position allows for maximum comfort and flexibility, including improved entry and egress.

When it comes to cargo, the Volt MPV5 concept carries on the crossover tradition thanks to its flip-and-fold second row seating, which provides up to 1,764.1 liters of cargo space with the seats folded and 863.7 liters of space behind the second row.

Voltec Power Boosts Green Credentials

The Volt MPV5 concept utilizes the same Voltec propulsion system found in the Chevrolet Volt, including the added capability of an engine generator to extend the driving range and eliminate “range anxiety.” A 16-kWh T-shaped lithium-ion battery pack powers the electric drive unit.

The flexibility of the Voltec system enables the Volt MPV5 concept to meet full vehicle speed and acceleration requirements while driving the vehicle and its five occupants up to 51.5 km on pure electric propulsion. This is double what the average urban commuter in China travels each day. When the battery is depleted, a 1.4-liter engine generator sustains the battery charge and provides up to 482 km of electric propulsion.

“The Volt MPV5 concept demonstrates the flexibility of the Voltec propulsion system, which can produce enough electric power to propel a range of vehicles. from a compact sedan like the Volt to a crossover like the Volt MPV5 concept,” said Doug Parks, Global Vehicle Line Executive and Global Vehicle Chief Engineer for Electric Vehicles at GM.

“Rapidly growing demand for personal transportation across China is creating new environmental and energy security challenges,” said Kevin Wale, President and Managing Director of the GM China Group. “GM is committed to finding and adopting solutions, which include the electrification of the automobile. The world premiere of the Volt MPV5 concept in Beijing demonstrates GM’s desire to make China a global focus of its advanced technology strategy.”

GM continues to advance electrification in China through research and development. It has launched the China Automotive Energy Research Center (CAERC) in Beijing. The venture with SAIC and Tsinghua University is developing a comprehensive automotive energy strategy for China. The GM China Science Lab, which opened last November, is carrying out advanced automotive-related research, including battery development. In March, GM introduced the EN-V (Electric Networked-Vehicle) concepts in Shanghai. A centerpiece of the SAIC-GM Pavilion at World Expo 2010 Shanghai, EN-V embodies GM’s vision for personal urban mobility in 2030. In addition, GM is supporting its Shanghai GM joint venture’s “Drive to Green” strategy, which is focused on developing green products, supporting green manufacturing and undertaking a green responsibility.



SOURCE: General Motors

Read more at MotorWard.com

2010 Campagna T-Rex 3-Wheeled Electric Vehicle aka E-Rex

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The E. Rex is the three-wheeled, electric equivalent of … well, we’re not quite sure. Something absurdly fast, ridiculously fun and more than a little impractical.


But then that describes just about any vehicle capable of zero to 60 in less than 5 seconds...

Read more at Wired.com

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