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Sunday, August 30, 2009
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
2010 Toyota SAI Hybrid Sedan a redesign of the Lexus HS250 hybrid
Toyota Motor Corp will be releasing a new petrol electric hybrid in Japan while the Prius will compete with Hyundai Motor Co in Korea. Toyota hopes to sell 36,000 of its new Sai hybrid sedan, Toyota’s goal being one million hybrid cars a year globally after 2010.
The Sai is Toyota’s second hybrid-only car, this car is a redesign of the Lexus HS250 hybrid. The Sai is based on a concept derived from the Japanese word sai-which means "talent" when written as "" and "coloration" when written as ""-as a hybrid-only sedan "combining advanced talent and multi-color sophistication".
The Sai is based on the Lexus HS250h hybrid, a vehicle designed for people who want a more premium hybrid experience than they would get in the Toyota Prius. The Sai would seem to fit somewhere in between. It offers the same powerplant as the HS, but not quite as many luxury features. It's basically an HS with different nose, tail and interior detailing.
The Toyota Sai Hybrid features a gasoline-electric hybrid system with a 2.4-liter engine for outstanding fuel efficiency and use of Ecological Plastic for approximately 60% of the interior surface area. The Sai features the Toyota Hybrid System (THS) II combining a 2.4-liter Atkinson cycle combustion engine with an electric motor and a reduction gear. The Toyota Sai Hybrid uses a 2.4-liter petrol engine generating just under 150 horsepower, and up to 187 Nm of torque. It is mated to a strong electric motor, powered by a nickel-metal hydride battery, which produces an additional 140 hp and up to 270 Nm of torque. The Toyota Sai Hybrid powertrain is designed to utilize the two generators efficiently, giving the driver up to 185 hp at any given time.
An exhaust heat recovery system uses exhaust gas to heat the engine, thus shortening engine-warming time and contributing to greatly improved fuel efficiency, especially when outside temperatures are low.
LED headlights conserve electric power and consequently reduce power-generation requirements on the engine.
In addition to Standard Driving Mode, which balances fuel efficiency and power, drivers can also select Eco-Drive Mode, which prioritizes fuel efficiency by moderating driving force relative to accelerator operation and putting the air conditioner into a low energy-consumption mode, and Electric Vehicle (EV) Drive Mode, which uses the electric motor only, resulting in extremely quite cruising and zero emissions.
A Hybrid System Indicator that shows real-time driving status and an Eco Driving Indicator that lights up to signify fuel-efficient vehicle operation provide visual support to the driver.
The ESPO1 system, which encourages and rewards environmentally considerate driving, enables drivers to gain extra enjoyment.
G-BOOK mX, TMC's advanced telematics service, assesses environmentally considerate driving and awards points to driver; mastery of eco-driving can be determined according to rate of points gained each month
Programs that allow drivers to make donations to charities using points received, that rank fuel efficiency of nationwide Sai ESPO users, and other fun incentives to encourage drivers to drive in environmentally considerate ways, are available
Toyota is also sending its brand to South Korea where the Hyundai Kia partnership dominate. The Prius and Camry hybrids will be first and joining them will be the petrol version of the Camry and the RAV4.
Toyota Executive Vice President Yukitoshi Funo told a news conference, “The introduction of the Toyota brand into South Korea is aimed to meet the diversifying needs of consumers in this growing market,”
“We intend to make every effort to contribute to South Korean society and earn a loyal following.”
December the seventh is the release date for the Toyota Sai retailing at 3.38 million yen ($40,250), the Lexus HS250 is priced at 3.96 million yen ($47,159).
The Sai is expected to have a consumption rate of 4.34 liters per 100 km. At this stage Toyota has no plans to export the Sai, preferring to concentrate on the home market.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Friday, August 21, 2009
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Nissan R-TX Concept
One of the concept studies that caught our attention at the 2009 Degree Show at the National Waterfront Museum in Swansea, UK, was the Nissan R-TX that was penned by design student, Matt Jones. While the sports car's styling is heavily influenced by the Nissan GT-R, what makes this concept proposal pretty interesting is its modular construction.
Rolls Royce 200EX concept
Rolls will be showing this 200EX concept car at Geneva but it’s pretty much a production car.
It’s a Rolls for the masses – or the masses that have around £170k to spend. Still, it’s cheaper than the Phantom. Shorter and smaller, too.
The four-door 200EX uses many components from the new BMW 7-Series including its front and rear crash structures and unlike the Phantom it will be made of steel instead of aluminium.
Power comes from a V12 engine. The most interesting feature is the rear hinged doors, as used on the Phantom.
Welcome Edition of the BMW M3
The M3's suspension has been lowered by 10mm to make it handle even better and inside there's bespoke trim, the design of which depends upon the colour you choose for the outside - for example, if you buy the car in Dakar yellow you get yellow stitching on the seats and armrests.
The M3 Coupe Edition costs £53,435 and is available to order now.
BMW is launching a couple of special Minis
BMW is launching a couple of special Minis called the Mayfair (again) and Camden.
Not surprisingly, the Mayfair is the posher of the two and like the Camden (above) it comes in Cooper, Cooper S and Cooper D forms. Prices start at £18,165.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Dream machine: Ferrari California
For petrol heads the world over, 2009 promises to bring a whole host of spine-tingling super cars to a road near you. Top of the list is the Ferrari California.
September 2008 saw the launch of the much anticipated, Ferrari California. The rumour mill, of course, had started churning a couple of years ago as to what guise the 2008 car would take. To begin with it seemed Ferrari was planning a new base model sports car, ala the Dino of the 60’s and 70’s. Instead they opted for an entirely new route – a fusion of the best parts of its super cars and its grand tourers. At a price of £143,000, it is clearly not the base model. This price also brings it into a rather crowded market with competitors ranging from the Bentley Continental GTCs to the high end Mercs.
But we all know what fierce competitors the Italians can be. Despite it being designed for wider audience than most Ferraris, deep down it still prances with the same ferocity as its siblings. The 454 bhp V8 proves that.
Monday, August 17, 2009
2011 Bentley Mulsanne: Bentley's Next Flagship Revealed
The poor, aging Bentley Arnage. Just a paltry 6.8-liter V8, making just 500 horsepower. Out-of-date Birdseye Maple interior trim. The two picnic tables are still a nice touch, but otherwise, it all looks rather dated now, doesn’t it? It’s a bargain at just under $250,000 – at least next to similar sedans from Maybach and Rolls Royce. But you would be embarrassed to roll up in one, now, wouldn’t you?
Apparently, the folks at Bentley would. They plan to replace their flagship with an entirely new sedan for 2011. The Bentley Mulsanne made its world debut this weekend at the 59th Annual Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, and the Automotive press is…well…as impressed as they usually are when a new quarter-million-dollar ultra-luxury sedan first appears.
Motor Trend says the Mulsanne’s “elegant exterior design looks deceptively simple. A strong, sharply creased bone line defines the car’s profile, emphasizing the prominent hips over the rear wheels. The Mulsanne’s bodysides are clean and simple below that line; above it, however, are complexly rendered surfaces that give the car an emotional presence Rolls-Royce’s new Ghost sedan doesn’t have.” The huge car “looks like it’s been milled from a solid billet of metal,” they add, “as there are no visible body seams.”
Autoblog is particularly impressed with the headlights. Designers drew inspiration from Bentleys of the 1930s, placing a large set of round lights on either side of the grille, with a somewhat smaller set just outboard and below. “The central headlight element is ringed by daytime-running-light LEDs – when you see the car coming at you, it'll be unmistakable,” Autoblog says.
Bentley hasn’t let the press inside the car yet, but the automotive press has a sense of the cabin from a quick look through the window. Autoblog reports, “Gone are the mid-century ergonomics and design of the Arnage, replaced by a cabin that showcases chrome-accented dials and modern switchgear -- like a joystick controller for the screen – among a forest of wood.”
Little is known about the car’s powertrain. Jalopnik notes, “It's been rumored it could feature a VW TDI engine. If it doesn't get the TDI we expect it has yet another version of the family W12,” possibly a re-tuned version of the powerplant found on the top-of-the-line Audi A8. It puts out 450 horsepower in the Audi, but Bentley engineers might be able to squeeze more power from the mill.
2010 Bentley Mulsanne
Saturday, August 15, 2009
2010 Mazda3
The automaker from Hiroshima dropped a bomb on the automotive market when they came up with the new Mazda3, styled heavily with Nagare inspired lines and bulges this was truly an economy car that you would aspire to own. The exterior of the Mazda3 is interesting to say the least, made up of a multitude of complex curves and detailed lines evidence that the Japanese design team put a good amount of their own blood, sweat and tears into the economy car car’s design. Starting at just under $16,000 for a sedan and closer to $20,000 for the hatchback, the Mazda3 packs a whole lot of car into an affordable package. If you upgrade the sadden to the touring model, not only do you get wave mesh grills, Bi-Xenon headlamps and sporty front and rear bumpers complete with a lip spoiler, but you also get the wonderful 2.5 Liter four cylinder that makes 167 HP and 168 lb-ft of torque to go along with your beautifully sculpted people mover.
2010 Bentley Arnage
Autocar cites Audi’s chief of engineering, Michael Dick, as a source for the spaceframe information. Dick has recently said that Audi’s spaceframe would be the basis for all new Bentleys, saving about 330 lbs. in weight. Bentley has also disclosed that it will display a concept model which emphasizes “green” thinking at the 2008 Geneva Motor Show. It is also expected that there may be major modifications made to the Bentley factory, both to accommodate the next Arnage and to accommodate production of other future Bentley models which will be based on the same spaceframe.
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