Showing posts with label car. Show all posts
Showing posts with label car. Show all posts

Volvo as crash-free Car in 2020

This video not only lays out Volvo's strategy, but mirrors the work other automakers are doing that will eventually result in autonomous cars.

Apple will control your Car's Key Features through Touch Screen

Granted Tuesday by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, a patent dubbed "Programmable tactile touch screen displays and man-machine interfaces for improved vehicle instrumentation and telematics" (patent number 8,482,535) describes a tactile-feel touch screen that would let you adjust several of the key features and functions in your car.

The patent discusses such options as controlling the temperature, the

Audi R8 V10 Plus 2013

For this coupe-only R8 Plus, that means the 5.2-litre V10 is cranked up to 542bhp, the ceramic brakes,
bucket seats and carbonfibre parts (like the front spoiler, rear diffuser and sideblades) trim away 50kg, and Plus-specific suspension means revised spring and damper rates. It’s £12k more than a standard 518bhp R8 V10, on which the seats and brakes alone are options worth £9500. Plus (sorry) it’s only 10bhp down on the outgoing limited-edition 552bhp R8 GT, but £20k cheaper. It’s almost a bargain.

The BMW 9-SERIES CONCEPT CAR

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 The BMW 9-series, isn't more than a concept mocked up by design firm Radion Design. Disappointing, I know, but by all accounts drool worthy.

Clearly the car, and design team, drew inspiration from the Fiskar and BMW’s 6-series. The rear end might be the best looking part of the vehicle, though to be honest, there doesn’t seem to be a bad angle. BMW’s iconic kidney grills have been seriously toned down, making them questionably small, but there really isn’t anything wrong with trying something new, right?

If you’re wondering what would lay under the hood, my best guess, based on the design and when the car could come out, would be a 100% electric motor powered by hydrogen. But alas, it’s purely a concept, so what does it matter.

The 2013 Hyundai Elantra Coupe SE

What you should know: 
The Coupe is powered by the same 1.8-liter, four-cylinder engine that powers the sedan. Output is rated at 130 horsepower and 145 pound-feet of torque, thanks to more stringent emissions tuning.
The 2013 Elantra Coupe has two fewer doors than the Elantra Sedan, but don't think that you're getting a smaller, nimbler car out of this chop job.
The Elantra sedan already has a very rakish, coupelike design. While the visual differences between the Coupe and the standard Elantra Sedan are obvious when the vehicles are parked, you'd actually be hard-pressed to tell these cars apart if they passed you on the street.
More road noise coming up from the larger 17-inch wheels and modest 215-width, all-season tires; and slightly more responsive turn-in.

What it offers: 
The 2013 Hyundai Elantra Coupe SE is a good value, but its sporty pretenses work to its detriment. Check out the more laid-back sedan, instead.

The advantage: 
The 2013 Elantra Coupe SE is an attractive, fully loaded economy car at an entry-level price. Bluetooth, USB, and iPod connectivity are all standard. Active Eco mode helps to maximize miles per gallon.
The unfavorable: 
The "sport-tuned" suspension exhibited unnerving behavior over uneven surfaces. Fuel economy comes nowhere near EPA estimates.
The price:
$20,745.00


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The 2013 Hyundai Elantra Coupe SE

What you should know: 
Elantra sedan already has a very rakish, coupe-like design. While the visual differences between the Coupe and the standard Elantra sedan are obvious when the vehicles are parked, you'd actually be hard pressed to tell these cars apart if they passed you on the street. So you're not really getting a sportier looking car out of the two-door deal. No, what you really get when decide to go Coupe is a rear seat that's harder to get into and front seat belts that are harder to reach every time you hop behind the wheel. And maybe it's just me, but I couldn't find a seating position in the coupe where my knees didn't bash into the steering column over every bump.
The Coupe is powered by the same 1.8-liter, four-cylinder engine that powers the sedan. Output is rated at 130 horsepower and 145 pound-feet of torque, thanks to more stringent emissions tuning.
The Elantra Coupe is available with a six-speed manual transmission at both of its trim levels.

What it offers: 
The 2013 Hyundai Elantra Coupe SE is a good value, but its sporty pretenses work to its detriment. Check out the more laid-back sedan, instead.
The advantage: 
The 2013 Elantra Coupe SE is an attractive, fully-loaded economy car at an entry-level price. Bluetooth, USB, and iPod connectivity are all standard. Active Eco mode helps to maximize mpg.

The unfavorable: 
The "sport-tuned" suspension exhibited unnerving behavior over uneven surfaces. Fuel economy comes nowhere near EPA estimates.

The price:
$20,745.00
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The 2012 Tesla Model S

What you should know: 
Tesla Motors turns our idea of an automobile on its head with the first real fruit of its labors, the 2012 Model S. The electric drivetrain takes center stage, of course, and the cabin tech takes its cues directly from the consumer electronics industry.
Performance trim, could hold 85 kilowatt-hours of electricity, the maximum offered by Tesla and good for 300 miles of range at 55 mph, according to Tesla. (The EPA rates the Model S' range at 265 miles.) Tesla also offers 40- and 60-kilowatt-hour versions, costing less but with less range.
The electric motor takes up very little space compared with an internal combustion engine, and nestles neatly between the rear wheels. This architecture frees up room within the car, such that there's a flat floor in the center both in front and back. A console rising up between the front seats merely serves as an armrest, storage, and a mounting spot for two USB ports. Likewise, drive components do not intrude into the hatchback area, and the hood covers extra cargo space.
Tesla keeps control surfaces in the cabin to a minimum, putting everything from navigation to climate controls on the massive, 17-inch center touch screen. Though other car companies have gotten backlash for hiding climate controls on touch screens, I believe Tesla can get away with it, partly due to good design -- the temperature controls, for example, are always visible -- and partly due to the fact that the Model S' early adopters will no doubt be tech-friendly.
No analog gauges mar the techie nature of the car, and few would be actually needed. An LCD acts as the instrument cluster, showing a central virtual gauge in modern graphical glory courtesy of an Nvidia processor. That virtual gauge indicates power usage and regeneration, while a digital speed readout occupies its center. The two other essential bits of information shown in this gauge are the remaining range and battery charge level.

What it offers: 
The 2012 Tesla Model S sets a new standard for cars of the 21st century by integrating cabin tech equal to anything from the consumer electronics industry and incorporating a long-range, powerful, and efficient electric drivetrain.
The advantage: 
The 2012 Tesla Model S delivers extraordinary range for an electric car, along with excellent power efficiency and tremendous acceleration. A 3G data connection powers Google Maps for navigation and Internet radio. The 17-inch touch screen reacts promptly to input.
The unfavorable: 
The navigation system lacks a favorite destinations list and the maps only show in one orientation (north up). The only driver assistance feature is a backup camera.

The price:
$57,400.00


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The 2013 Ford Fusion

What you should know: 
The engine uses direct injection and a turbocharger to achieve 240 horsepower and 270 pound-feet of torque, excellent numbers for a 2-liter four-cylinder. At the same time, EPA fuel economy comes in at 22 mpg city and 31 mpg highway, the all-wheel-drive option bringing it down a little over the front-wheel-drive version.
Lesser-trim Fusions come with Ford's 1.6-liter EcoBoost engine and a port-injected 2.5-liter four-cylinder. As an example of the 2-liter EcoBoost engine's efficiency, the 2.5-liter only produces 175 horsepower while getting similar fuel economy. Ford also offers a hybrid version of the Fusion, which achieves 47 mpg in both city and highway testing.
The Platinum-trim car only comes with a six-speed automatic transmission, supplementing its P, R, N, and D with an S, or sport, mode. Paddles on the steering wheel allow manual gear selection.
The electric power-steering system made it very easy to turn the wheel at low speeds, but firmed up the turning resistance as the speedometer needle climbed.
The power steering enables a lane-keeping feature that stands out as one of the more unusual technologies in the Fusion. The system was off by default, requiring me to push a button on the turn signal stalk to activate it. A forward-looking camera identifies lane lines while an icon in the instrument cluster shows virtual lane lines. These lines are lit up in green when the car can see the lines on the road.

What it offers: 
Among midsize sedans, none is as technology-rich as the 2013 Ford Fusion, which mixes efficiency, driver assistance, and infotainment features in one attractive package.
The advantage: 
The 2013 Ford Fusion is available with automatic parallel parking, lane-keeping assist, blind-spot monitoring, and adaptive cruise control. Its 2-liter EcoBoost engine delivers 240 horsepower and decent fuel economy. Over 10 apps are integrated with the infotainment system, and the voice command system is the best in the industry.

The unfavorable:
The touch screen needs to be more responsive, and the navigation system's maps load slowly.
The price:
$30,200.00




The 2013 Jaguar XJ AWD

What about the new Jaguar XJ AWD..
  • The AWD is rear-biased and operates as full rear-wheel drive in good weather, but when the road conditions turn slick, the system can split engine power 50:50 between front and rear axles using a center transfer case.
  • On separate tracks normally used for motorcycle and rally car racing, Jaguar let us test out the XJ AWD and XF AWD for accelerating, braking and cornering on snow- and ice-covered asphalt and dirt tracks. Both of these circuits demonstrated the two different attitudes these cars can exhibit. With Winter mode on, the system does a great job of nannying the driver making sure the car keeps its footing and remains on the road, but staying true to Jag's motorsports heritage, the system can also be set to Dynamic to improve the performance of the car in bad weather giving the driver fewer safety nets to rely on. The complex also had courses set up for snowy slaloms and an icy, drift-friendly skidpad.
  • Rather than being a part of an expensive option package, each AWD version of the XJ and XF will be an individual model. This means that getting the added benefit of all-wheel traction doesn't require buyers to opt for other unrelated packages (such as a cold-weather or technology package, for example) that some automakers force on buyers. On the XJ, AWD is offered on both regular and long-wheelbase XJL models.
  • Neither the XJ nor the XF architectures were originally designed to accept all-wheel-drive, so Jaguar made extensive changes to parts of the car most people will never see, including the suspension, front floorboard and even some of the engine components. For example, to keep the engine low in the engine bay for optimal balance, the front driveshaft is actually built into the oil pan. All of the changes and added AWD parts increase the XJ's curb by less than 300 pounds.
  • As the new base engine in the XJ, Instinctive AWD can only be had on cars equipped with the new 3.0-liter supercharged V6 engine. While this engine lacks the throaty exhaust note of the 5.0-liter V8, at virtually no point can its performance be faulted especially when factoring in the car's curb weight of just over two tons.
  • The XJ AWD comes standard with Continental all-season tires, but Jaguar equipped our test cars with Pirelli M+S winter tires. While this certainly helped the cars handle better in the snow, Jaguar representatives noted this was done so to abide by Quebec law – and besides, these tires are available as an option.

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The 2013 Nissan 370Z

What you should know: 
The Z's 3.7-liter V-6 is essentially untouched, outputting the same 332 horsepower and 270 pound-feet of torque. That power still flows through a six-speed manual transmission before heading to the rear axle. (A seven-speed automatic gearbox is available.) The Z still sports the same classic sports car proportions. Even the 18 city and 26 mpg EPA-estimated fuel economy is unchanged over the last four years.
For your money, you get a set of "Euro-tuned" sport shocks that firm up the Z's ride and reduce roll when cornering, Nissan sport brakes with red-painted calipers that shave off the MPHs at a staggering rate, and 19-inch Rays forged aluminum-alloy wheels with staggered and sticky tires. A viscous limited-slip differential helps with getting power to the road and a front chin deflector and rear spoiler augment the aerodynamics at speed. The Sport Package also adds the SynchroRev Match function to the manual gearbox -- a feature that you'll either love and praise or hate and curse depending on your driving style and mood at the moment.

What it offers: 
The 2013 Nissan 370Z makes many comfort compromises in the name of performance. If that's what you're after, skip the pricey Touring trim level and grab a base model with the Sport package.
The advantage: 
The 2013 Nissan 370Z is a fantastic performer with great power and handling. The Sport Package further sharpens that edge, enhancing the Z's handling.
The unfavorable: 
The Z's ride can be brutally rough over road imperfections. Cabin tech options that should be standard are bundled into expensive packages and trim-level upgrades.

The price:
$33,120.00

The 2012 Volkswagen Golf R

What you should know: 
The Golf R comes with a direct-injection, turbocharged 2-liter engine producing 256 horsepower and 243 pound-feet of torque. Kudos to VW for getting that kind of power out of a production four-cylinder, then putting it in a car weighing just 3,325 pounds.

The Golf R looks good. Minimal contour lines and decoration give the exterior sheet metal a liquid smoothness. The clean design gets a subtle aggressive note with dual exhausts sticking out from the center of the rear bumper. The hatchback gives it good cargo space, while long side doors make rear-seat access easier. It is speedy and practical, all in one.

What it offers: 
The 2012 Volkswagen Golf R is a blast to drive on curvy roads, but can also handle the everyday routine, offering solid, if not cutting-edge, cabin tech features.

The advantage: 
The Volkswagen 2012 Golf R's 2-liter engine gives massive power while all-wheel drive gives it an edge in cornering. In everyday driving the Golf R shows fine manners. A touch screen comes standard for stereo and phone control.

The unfavorable: 
The available navigation system lacks real-time traffic data.

The price:
$33,990.00


The 2013 Subaru XV Crosstrek

The XV is about as quirky a vehicle as we can expect in this day and age from Subaru, an automaker that once let its freak flag fly unfettered.

Having been shown already at Japanese and European auto salons within the last year, the XV was not new to most eyes at the Javits Center, but this was the first showing of the version bound for North America.

“As market tastes for crossovers evolved around the world, we saw a gap,” Tom Doll, executive vice president of Subaru of America, said at the car’s introduction. “The XV is clearly our most design-oriented crossover to date.” Mr. Doll identified “young urban buyers” as the XV’s target customers. But with nearly nine inches of ground clearance, equal to that of the larger Outback, the XV could wear a canoe on its roof without effecting the faux-ruggedness of a Brooklyn woodsman.

Though Mr. Doll expected sales of 320,000 Subaru vehicles in the United States this year, up from 266,000 in 2011, he did not discuss what the XV’s contribution to that goal might be.

The same 148-horsepower boxer 2-liter 4-cylinder engine found on the Impreza on which the XV is based. Also sourced from the Impreza are the XV’s 5-speed manual or continuously variable automatic transmissions. Subaru estimates combined fuel economy of 33 miles a gallon.

Showrooms will take delivery this fall of the all-wheel-drive crossover, but pricing was not announced. For comparison’s sake, the Impreza Sport sells in the low $20,000 range.

The Brats, XTs, SVXs and Bajas of yore are not even a glint in the XV’s crossbar grille. Aside from the added ground clearance and matte-black cladding running over wheel wells and side skirts, little would distinguish the XV from an Impreza Sport. For quirky all-wheel-drive kicks, young urban buyers might also consider the Nissan Juke, though they’d probably rather be seen driving a vintage Toyota Land Cruiser.



The advantage: 
The 2013 Subaru XV Crosstrek comes standard with all-wheel drive. It features a practical mini-SUV design and excellent fuel economy. Voice command includes the ability to request music by name.

The unfavorable: 
The XV Crosstrek's acceleration is on the slow side. The navigation head unit's interface can be confusing.

The offer:
 Although lacking cutting-edge cabin tech, the 2013 Subaru XV Crosstrek covers the basics very well, and offers excellent practicality and easy drivability. Price $ 21,995.00
2013 Subaru XV Crosstrek.



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