Honda CR-Z Concept Unveiled

I’ve been waiting for this one for a while now. There’s been a severe market shortage of small, fuel-efficient, genuinely fun-t0-drive two-seat coupes, pretty much since Honda dropped the CR-X and replaced it with the useless del Sol. It’s of no surprise, then, that it would be Honda to pick up the mantle of the tiny two-seat pocket rocket with a modern interpretation of the beloved CR-X.

And you can’t say the time isn’t right for such a car. These days, everyone’s concerned with efficiency, but that doesn’t mean people don’t still care about fun. This strategy is the whole reason that Honda sold every CR-X they could import in the ’80’s, even with the ridiculous Honda dealer price gouging that was routine back when there was an import quota on foreign-assembled automobiles. This could be just the ticket for Honda, who’s been uncharacteristically weak in the US lately.

As for the car itself, well, it’s not that interesting mechanically. What it really is, is a two-door version of the dedicated-hybrid Insight econo-car. But remember, the original CRX was just a slightly shorter Civic, and it was still revolutionary. The CR-Z gets power from the combination of a 1.5L clean-burning gas four cylinder as well as Honda’s IMA (Integrated Motor Assist) system. In addition to the Insight’s dreadful rubber-band CVT, the CR-Z will be offered with a short-throw six speed manual transmission, for people that actually enjoy driving.

So it won’t exactly be overwhelmed with horsepower, but with a lighter curb weight than the Insight as well as a lower center of gravity, it should be an entertaining car to fling around the bends. Furthermore, expect fuel mileage and emissions numbers to be pretty stellar, just to add icing to the cake.

The styling is hard to criticize – I’d go so far as to say it’s sort of attractive. Then again, I see a lot of CR-X in the design, and I (clearly) have a soft spot in my heart for the CRX. Still, the proportions are excellent, and it looks compact yet solid and full of energy. The greenhouse is 100% modern CRX to me, but the front end is something else – huge gaping front grilles aren’t something I expect from Honda. But you know how it works – if Audi’s doing, everyone’s doing it!

About the only questionable thing I see, at least stylistically, are those bangle-esque taillights. I think perhaps the intersection of curves and hard lines just looks odd in pictures, but the back is lacking the harmony and cleanliness of the original. Still, at least it’s got that vertical glass pane in the back for reversing! If it worked in 1985, it’ll work today…

The interior looks like a mixture of Acura RSX and Honda Insight, but for a compact economy two-seater, it looks extremely nice. I especially like the large, high-definition LCD screen in the center dash, as well as the “pods” orbiting the main gauge cluster. You can see what I’m talking about better from a straight-on angle.

Although this isn’t the “full production” version of the CR-Z, expect it to appear nearly the same as this “pre-production concept.” Perhaps the huge blingey wheels will hit the garbage bin (where they belong), but otherwise what you see is what you’ll get. There should be more pictures and details on the CR-Z forthcoming next week at the Tokyo Auto Show, so stay tuned!

All Aluminum Audi A5 Prototype is 220-Pounds Lighter

Aluminum is a great material. Light, easy to work, strong if you can design with it right and relatively plentiful (if you’ve got access to lots of electricity to refine it). Audi recently gave a textbook demonstration about just what aluminum can offer by making an A5 prototype that makes extensive use of the alloy.

The A5 in question has allowed Audi to shave nearly 220-pounds from its handsome Coupe. The engineers from Audi swapped out the normal steel bits for advanced aluminum as well as carbon fiber here and there in the interest of fuel economy, emissions reduction and handling agility.

Audi did this as a way to go against the tide of rising car weights. Airbags, door beams and the like have all contributed to cars getting fatter and fatter. Audi took an existing steel-bodied A5 and clearly demonstrated the benefits of the aluminum Audi Space Frame (ASF) concept. The use of ASF reduces the weight of a car body by at least 40% compared with conventional steel construction. That means dropping the overall weight from 3,130 pounds down to 2,888 pounds.

Dropping the weight meant that Audi could do away with the standard V6 and use a four cylinder engine, and still have the same performance. Not only is the performance the same, but naturally, there are gains in economy and emissions and also to other ancillaries such as the brakes and transmission, which can also be reduced in size and weight. The handling is also markedly improved.

So why hasn’t aluminum seen widespread use in the auto industry? There’s a few reasons. First, in comparison to steel, aluminum is a little harder (and therefore expensive) to refine. Aluminum is also more costly to mine in some respects and the tooling needed to work it is also more expensive than the tooling used for steel forming.

There is also the mitigating factor that since gas prices and environmental concerns have only recently come onto the radar of car manufacturers, there has not been the motivation to really make cars all that light. They’ve been used to working with, buying and sourcing steel for the bodies of their cars, so why not go with what you know.

Well, times change, and Audi has pointed out what Colin Chapman and any sportscar guy will be able to tell you: “To go fast, add lightness”.

2010 BMW Z4 Picture

2010 BMW Z4 Night Blue

2010 BMW Z4 Wallpaper

2010 BMW Z4 Wallpapers

2010 BMW Z4 Picture

Lamborghini RatÛn Sport Concept Car by Niels Steinhoff

Lamborghini RatÛn Sport Concept Car by Niels Steinhoff

The Lamborghini RatÛn designed by Niels Steinhoff is an aggressively styled concept for a flagship supercar designed to compete against the Bugatti Veyron.

In cooperation with the Munich University of Applied Sciences, Lamborghini sponsored the 'Raw Material' project tasking students from the German institution to create a series of design concepts for a future supercar.

Lamborghini RatÛn Sport Concept Car by Niels Steinhoff

Like the Reventon, Steinhoff's project is inspired by modern stealth fighters such as the F22 Raptor. This gives the design a more dynamic feeling and takes the aircraft-inspired design, which began with the Lamborghini Reventon, to the next level.

The car is formed out of one central, jet-like body and added wings, which form the fenders. Fitting the extreme over-the-edge style of the car are some humoristic features like the machine-gun inspired headlights and the wheels, which have the form of an atomic warning symbol.

The Lamborghini RatÛn was displayed at the Munich University's annual college degree show.

Toyota Camry Reviews - 2009

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Toyota Camry Best Picture

The 2009 Camry has been rated as a top 10 Sedan. The 2009 Toyota Camry 4 door is a 5-passenger sedan that is offered in 10 models starting with the Camry-Grade MT and extending to the XLE V6 AT. The 2009 Toyota Camry Camry-Grade MT has a routine 2.5 liter, I4, 158hp engine while the XLE V6 AT has a 3.5 liter, V6, 268hp engine. A 5-speed manual or 6-speed automatic transmission is routine. The 2009 Toyota Camry averages 19mpg city and 28mpg on the highway. A 36,000/36 month is the basic warranty for the 2009 Toyota Camry.

The Toyota Camry XLE V6 AT comes with these standard features - power accessories, vehicle anti-theft, anti-lockout, CD changer, MP3 player, Bluetooth® access, automatic headlights, fog lights, daytime running lights, air filter, automatic climate control, rear HVAC ducts, cruise control, steering wheel mounted controls, trip computer with miles until empty, temperature gauge, compass, keyless entry, remote trunk, remote fuel door, universal garage door opener, trunk anti-trap, front dual reclining seats, leather seating, driver power lumbar seat, tilt steering column, lockable/illuminated glove box, sunroof, sunshade, intermittent wipers, rear defroster, illuminated vanity mirrors and power/heated exterior mirrors. *All features may not be standard on other 2009 Toyota Camry models.

These are some of the optional upgrades for the 2009 Toyota Camry 4dr: VIP security system, stability control, navigation system, Smart Key Card, remote ignition, heated seats and a variety of other upgrades.

The 2009 Toyota Camry 4 dr has a starting price of $19,145.

Toyota Camry Image

2009 Toyota Camry Hybrid

2009 Hummer H2 SUV

The 2009 Hummer H2 SUV is a carryover from 2008. The Hummer H2 SUV is a 4-door, 7-passenger ultimate luxury SUV that is available in 3 trims - the Hummer H2 SUV Base, Adventure and Luxury. The Hummer H2 SUV trims have a customary 6.2-liter, V8, 393hp flexible fuel engine and a 6-speed automatic transmission. A 50,000 mile/48 month basic warranty comes with the 2009 Hummer H2 SUV.

Hummer H2 Black Chrome Limited Edition 2009 - Front Angle View

The 2009 Hummer H2 SUV comes with the following features: - full power accessories, power sunroof, universal garage door opener, remote ignition, keyless entry, multi-function remote, automatic headlights, daytime running lights, anti-theft tracking, safety airbags, child safety door locks, radio anti-theft, front/rear power outlets, pre-wiring, tilt steering column, heated steering wheel, tow hitch receiver, second row folding/heated seat, driver/passenger power/memory/heated/lumbar seats, leather interior, traction/stability control, 4WD, AWD, ABS brakes, exterior rails, leather steering wheel, hands free telephone, second row sound controls, radio display system, trip computer, tire pressure monitor, steering wheel mounted controls, outside temperature gauge, compass, cruise control, interval wipers, tinted/privacy glass, rear defroster, dual automatic climate controls, illuminated vanity mirrors and power/heated/memory mirrors. The 2009 Hummer H2 SUV Luxury has an electronic parking aid, third row removable seat, navigation aid, DVD player and a CD changer.

Optional features for the 2009 Hummer H2 SUV include: a tool kit with flashlight, rearview camera, 20" chrome alloy wheels, air springs and GPS.

The luxury 2009 Hummer H2 SUV has a starting price of $63,090.

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2010 Buick LaCrosse

Bulky, but swoopy.

Here we have Buick’s 2010 LaCrosse large FWD sedan. Aimed squarely at the heart of the market, the new LaCrosse offers premium features, upscale styling and a bevy of contemporary engine and comfort technologies to entice buyers into their local Buick-Pontiac-GMC dealerships.

This design is a huge leap forward for the LaCrosse; the predecessor, while vaguely contemporary, bore a strong resemblance to the 1996 Ford Taurus. Next to that design, the new form is a revelation. In the broader marketplace, it fits well, and conveys a thoroughly contemporary visage. The chunky bumper and rocker volumes, combined with the 19-inch wheels seen here, plant the big sedan firmly in the massive and heavy camp.

GM design VP Ed Welburn claims that the LaCrosse “is instantly recognizable as a Buick, with its signature ’sweep spear’ bodyside styling, portholes inside the character line on the hood, and waterfall grille.” The grille and portholes do, in fact, say ‘Buick’. And the sweep spear feature line does harken to Buick designs from the 50s and 60s. But the stance, proportion, and execution are much more in line with premium sedans from Lexus and Lincoln than anything buyers might associate with recent Buicks

FWD, long wheelbase, chunky bumpers, shallow greenhouse.

In profile, the FWD stance of the LaCrosse is apparent. Like all new designs, the bumper/grille/headlamp cluster and leading edge of the hood all combine to form the leading surface of the car. Artful sculpting minimizes the length of the front overhang from many angles. Then we find the most distinctive element of the design: the Buick sweep spear, starting at the headlamp cluster, gently rising over the front axle then gradually falling until just ahead of the rear wheel arch, where it kicks up over the rear wheels before and meeting the wraparound taillamp cluster.

This is a beautifully sculpted feature line, and one that Buick can “own” the way BMW once owned the Hoffmeister kink. It is a smart move by GM, as the reverse wedge wars seem like they will never end, and Buick certainly is not the place for such gimmickry.

The shallow greenhouse is very typical for recent GM sedans. The CTS and Malibu both share this trait. The short DLO helps visually extend the profile, imparting a lower look to the car overall. But, much like the Lincoln MKS, the artful detailing cannot completely hide the actual proportions of the architecture: big and tall. The long wheelbase and long rear door also convey the idea that this car is meant for comfort and probably would make a great vehicle for long trips.

Buick, evolved.

Viewed directly from the rear, the tail of the car is the least distinctive angle. Thick swabs of chrome accent the taillight housings and of course the massive chrome bar above the license plate detente ensures all who follow know that this car is very luxurious.

In this rear 3/4 view, the sweep spear is evident, as are the long, low, gently arching roof, the near-fastback rake of the c-pillar, and the well-placed wheels. The design feels complete, fresh, and uncompromised. And, while it is not avant-garde, it is just as modern as recent efforts from Acura, Audi, and Jaguar. The car looks rather large, but the stigma of appearing to be an old man’s car is totally gone with this new design.

GM has done well to retain some essence of Buick-ness while at the same time leaping into uncharted waters for the brand. Unlike the MKS, which has almost no emotional tie to Lincoln, the LaCrosse is at once a totally new design without abandoning it’s heritage. If potential buyers can get past the fear (and stigma) of purchasing a new GM vehicle, there may be life left in the Buick brand after all.

Jaguar supercar in the works?

It’s set to be one of the fastest cars ever built, proof that the future of the British motor industry has never been brighter

Jaguar is getting ready to reinvent its stunning XJ220, … likely to make a dramatic appearance at a major international motor show in the next 18 months. [...] The revolutionary sports car is being developed by the firm’s best engineers as a rival to the Audi R8. It’s based on an all-new aluminium chassis, which has been developed using the same know-how behind both the XJ and XK models.

2012 Jaguar XE?

Whether the story is really true or just a fabrication, we cannot overlook the raw beauty captured in this rendering. While it does lean on a few cliches, and we’re unlikely to ever see headlights quite that slim in a production car, the rest of the design is viable and is a fresh, Jaguar-oriented take on the familiar supercar formula.

The classic Jaguar grille is used to great effect, and the undergrille sculpturing of the fascia is very well done. The strongest feature, though, is the side surfacing - the quarter window’s trailing edge scoop that flows forward to meet the widening fender swell creates momentum and character. The rendering is clearly influenced by Audi’s R8, and in a drawing critical details like proportion and tire size can be left to fantasy. But as a conceptual starting point, this here take on a Jaguar mid-engined sports car is a clear winner.

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