Archive for the ‘Worldwide News’ Category
Monday, August 30th, 2010
2011 HumanCar Imagine PS PHEV
Now when people hear muscle car, they think of an aggressive looking vehicle, fitted with a more than adequate engine. They expect to hear the roar of a booming V8 and chunky tires, but this is certainly not the case with the concept we are talking about today. Instead, the muscle in this car, relates to the people that power it!
The new vehicle in question is the HumanCar Imagine PS. On first glance, it comes across as extremely bizarre, a theme which will stay with the person interested as they find out more.
It seems a lot of manufacturers are looking to do something different these days, which has certainly been achieved here. HumanCar has certainly pulled out all the stops when developing the Imagine PS, although the uptake if it was ever released is not likely to be huge.
So where did the idea begin? Charles Greenwood, an engineer based in the US was the person who had the original idea for the vehicle. His idea worked on the basis of both the driver and passengers working together to power the vehicle. They would use a range of push and pull levers to get up to speed. Now I’m not sure about others, but this certainly does not appeal to me and takes being eco-friendly to another level!
Although the details of the HumanCar Imagine PS have not been confirmed as of yet, there are many rumours. One of the most recent rumours has suggested that passengers and the driver can push the car along thanks to wholes in the floor – much like what we used to see in the Fred Flintstone cartoons!
The unique design of the HumanCar Imagine PS means that it only takes one person to power it. That being said, we can go as far as to assume this is not the ideal candidate for long journeys, or maybe even for journeys that have many hills included. The likelihood is that the people powering the vehicle are likely to get extremely tired – very quickly, but then who said saving the planet, and $$$, was ever going to be easy!
So let’s hear something positive about the HumanCar Imagine PS! Luckily for the people on board, there is a small electric motor that can be used when they finally run out of steam!
Posted in Concept Cars, Custom Cars, Worldwide News | No Comments »
Saturday, August 14th, 2010
The great thing about Ford is that they constantly look to the future and are always developing their range to keep up with the times. This is likely to be evident when we visit The Paris Motor Show. Whilst this is the big launch for a lot of manufacturers, Ford has suggested that their big launch will be at the Swiss Expo instead.
Ford has already confirmed that they will be debuting one of their most popular developments at the Paris Show though; the Ford Focus. This new model will be in full European Spec and can be seen by consumers in full production trim. Better still; consumers will be able to feast their eyes on the all new ST model.
It seems that Ford has managed to plan big appearances at all the major shows, including the likes of Geneva. Next years Geneva Show will be a big reckoning day for the car manufacturing giant, as they release their newly designed and slightly modified Fiesta model, possibly their most popular vehicle in their whole range.
According to Ford, the changes that will be made will be kept to a bare minimum; which we feel is ideal, bearing in mind its current popularity. The design will be slightly modified to incorporate some newly styled bumpers along side the likes of LED lights will run in the day time. A quick look at the S-MAX and the Mondeo will see that the inspiration for the new design has been taken from there.
A quick lift of the bonnet will give anyone a shock. Ford will be incorporating their new direct injection system which will be helped along by the aid of a turbo charged EcoBoost engine.
Back on the Fiesta side of things, it will incorporate a fairly standard 90bhp 1.0 engine. This being said, they are considering the inclusion of a 1.6 liter performance engine, much like the current Zetec S, although this has not yet been confirmed.
Ford has had a long hard think about its Fusion range and has decided that it is time for a change. The Fusion will now be labeled as the B-MAX and will be a combination of the current Fiesta, alongside an MPV. Of course, the aim here is to attract customers will the functionality and practicality side of things.
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Saturday, July 17th, 2010
More details have been coming from Ford about the 2011 Ford Edge. Along with a revised interior and exterior, the powertrain is also getting a rework, to include the same 3.7-litre V6 engine from the 2011 Mustang V6 that boasts 305bhp (compared to 265bhp in the current model), along with a six speed auto with paddle shift (nice for all your F1 fans).
Obviously the higher weight and increased drag factors of the Edge compare to the Mustang will mean somewhat lower fuel economy than the Mustang gets, we don’t know what exactly yet, but our guess would be approx 25mpg.
Along with the uprated engine, the new 2011 Ford Edge will also get a beefed up suspension to cope with the increased performance, and pretty decent 22″ alloys for everything to sit on.
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Friday, July 16th, 2010
Honda continues to lead the way in green automotive technology with the soon to be released CR-Z. Its shape and style are clear homages to the massively successful (and quick) CRX of the 1980’s, but this time around its a lot more friendly to the environment.
We think it looks great, has a really nice wedge profile and looks like it will go quick even before you step inside. Like the CRX, this model has a tiny (almost unuasable) rear seat, and behind that under the boot floor lies a lithium-ion battery pack that powers a 14bhp electric motor thats placed between the petrol 1.4 liter, 114bhp engine and its six speed gearbox.
At their maximum the engine and motor combine to produce 124bhp, not massive by any means, but it should be enough to get you around the city streets with some urgency, and for that you only put 117g/km CO2 which isnt bad at all for a sporty hatch.
Honda enthusiasts should love it, and it can only be a matter of time before they get to work increasing the outputs of both the engine and the motor… 200bhp anyone?
Images: Honda
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Monday, July 12th, 2010
Bugatti Veyron Super Sport hits 268mph… or rather 267.856mph to be exact!
Bugatti couldn’t have had a better way to bring the Super Sport into the open then by reclaiming the record for the worlds fastest production car!
With Pierre-Henri Raphanel at the wheel, the Super Sport took back the record with a run of 265.905mph, and 269.806mph, averaging 267.856mph and easily taking back the record from Americas SSC Ultimate Aero TT at 256.14mph.
The car uses a still-in-development 8 liter quad turbo V16, producing a massive 1183hp and 1106lb ft of torque, just about enough to get you up even the most challenging of inclines!
Apparently SSC is working on something to regain the record again, but for now at least Bugatti can sit back and relax safe in the knowledge the record will probably be theirs for sometime to come.
Posted in Muscle Cars, Worldwide News | No Comments »
Sunday, January 4th, 2009
Some Chinese guys did it again, they managed to copy an European model, Fiat Multipla. They even paraphrased its name, resulting Zotye Multiplan.
We might tend to think that Zotye is Fiat’s official partner in China, but they are actually only a “client”, which does not prevent them to make models in the “copy-paste” manner. A very convincing model is Zotye Multiplan, being replicated in the smallest details.
There is available only one motorization, a 1.6 liter engine. We aren’t really sure who manufactured it, but I think there wouldn’t be a surprise if they are actually using a Fiat engine.
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