Following on from its wow factor appeal at the Frankfurt motor show last September,
the next model e-tron from Audi is aptly called the Detroit show Audi
e-tron, and has been unveiled here in ... err, Detroit. Now you’d think
it would logically be the same uncompromising purist all-electric
sports car from Frankfurt but everything is much more compact with a
much shorter wheelbase and gross weight has been cut to 1,350 kg. Two
electric motors with a combined output of 150 kW (204 hp) and 2,650 Nm
(1954.54 lb-ft) accelerate the coupe with ASF-design aluminum body from 0
to 100 km/h in just 5.9 seconds. Most importantly, the Detroit Audi
e-tron has “torque vectoring which enables it to distribute its high
torque between the wheels entirely as required for unprecedented levels
of active precision and traction. Audi claims the e-tron drives like a
go-kart – agile, good on bends and neutral right up to its very high
handling limits. Read More
Next-gen video technology lets you look around - inside a movie
By Loz Blain
January 11, 2010
Now that 3D is finally taking off again at the
movie theatre - thanks in large part to James Cameron's evangelism in
the leadup to his groundbreaking Avatar film,
it's clear that immersive video technologies are big business again.
And if the latest 3D stuff doesn't put you in the picture enough, how's
this: Immersive Media has adapted the same 360-degree cameras used by
Google's Street View cars to shoot video. That means you can actually
look around as you watch the video... Which can feel absolutely bizarre,
as in the case of the BASE jumping video after the jump. Extraordinary.
Read More
BMW Concept ActiveE all electric vehicle unveiled at NAIAS
By Darren Quick
January 11, 2010
As we forecast back in December,
BMW delivered the electric car everyone knew was coming today at the
NAIAS. The BMW ActiveE Concept is an all-electric vehicle powered by
liquid-cooled Li-ion batteries and is based on a 1 Series Coupe. It has
rear wheel drive and is expected to boast a range of roughly 160
kilometers (100 miles) on a single charge, while BMW's ConnectedDrive
allows control of the heating and AC system using a mobile phone, which
can also be used to access battery information or locate charging
stations. Read More
Look for a boost in smartphone performance and
capabilities as the Intel Moorestown platform starts to appear in
devices this year. Intel says that the new mobile Internet device (MID)
platform will be launching during the first half of 2010, and should
begin appearing in consumer devices on the market as early as the third
quarter. The specs look promising and Intel was showing off a bevy of
prototypes and reference designs at CES 2010, including units from Aava
Mobile, EB, Inventec, Open Peak, and Winstron. LG also had a
Moorestown-based smartphone on hand at the show. Read More
It’s not often that a new and substantial niche
is pioneered in the transport industry, but somehow, this one hadn’t
been filled before now. Polaris today introduced the first Robby Gordon
edition, the all-new RANGER RZR 4, a sport side-by-side capable of
carrying four passengers. The RZR 4 has an 800cc Twin EFI engine behind
the back seat for the lowest center of gravity, and at 569 kg, it’s
lighter than many two-seaters. Read More
As part of its theme of "electrification" Toyota
revealed at the 2010 North American International Auto Show it is
planning a Prius family of vehicles. One model that is being considered
for adoption into this family is the FT-CH (concept hybrid) vehicle. The
FT-CH would have a lower price point than the Prius and is 6" shorter
than the current Prius on the outside, but only 1" shorter in the
interior cabin. It is also half an inch thinner and is lighter than the
current Prius, which also helps make it more fuel efficient. Read More
The 2009 Tokyo Motor Show last October saw some
bizarre non-debuts as there had been an accord between the Japanese
manufacturers that all would cut back their expenditure on the show in
deference to the retrenchments resultant from the GFC. We mentioned this
with our coverage of the Yamaha stand's Super Tenere “Art installation”
at Tokyo. Here was a somehow fully formed motorcycle that was not
really on show. Well the mystique has been maintained, because no images
have been released yet, but we now know a lot more about the bike's
fine details – the 1200cc parallel twin will have a 270 degree crank
(for a v-twin feel), and will use Yamaha's YCC-T ride-by-wire throttle,
have switchable engine-mapping, traction control, three-position
anti-lock braking, a Unified Braking System that links the front and
rear brakes, … Read More
Combining an urban-industrial design aesthetic
with flexible functionality, the GMC Granite ‘urban utility vehicle’
concept was introduced at the 2010 North American International Auto
Show in Detroit today. “We think of the Granite as the automotive
equivalent of an urban loft apartment,” said GMC's Cross-Brand Design
Director Dave Lyon. “The exterior has an unmistakable industrial look,
but the interior is warm and personalized.” Though the Granite is the
smallest GMC ever, it has been designed to feel bigger with a large
cargo space and its flipping/folding seats and four doors, hinged on
each side to open like a set of French doors. There’s no pillar between
the front and rear doors, making the Granite easier to enter, exit and
load, even with bulky items. . Power comes from a 1.4L turbocharged
engine matched with a six-speed transmission. Read More
Volkswagen unveils Compact Coupe Concept in Detroit
January 11, 2010
Volkswagen kicked-off what it promises will be a
big year in Detroit this morning with the world premiere of the Compact
Coupe. Described as a car that appeals to the "head and heart in equal
measure", the four-seat, front wheel drive hybrid concept combines
miserly fuel economy of 45 mpg (combined) and CO2 emissions of 98 g/km
with performance figures of 0-60 mph in 8.6 seconds and a quoted top
speed of 141 mph (227 kmh). Read More
Once you throw out the internal combustion engine
and all the bulky bits that go with it, the definition of a motorcycle
can suddenly become a lot wider. Take the Comoto from Hirsch Design -
it's even smaller than the Zero S
bike, and begins to blur the boundaries between motorcycle and
mountainbike. Using an electric motor mounted in the rear wheel hub to
eliminate the need for a chain drive, the Comoto can do more than 40mph
(65kph) and do just over 30 miles (~50km) on a charge under normal
riding conditions. Best of all, it weighs just 118 pounds (53kg), making
it one of the lightest motorcycles we've seen. Read More
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