If Toyota has its way, paint jobs
could become a thing of the past, because it’s unveiled a car that can
change its whole look in an instant.
The
Fun-Vii, which stands for ‘vehicle interactive internet’, is a concept
car with a bodyshell made of touch-screen panels that not only allow the
driver to change the pattern on display but also connect the car to the
dealership’s website for a check-up.
It even greets its driver with a message that flashes up on the door.
CEO Dieter Zetsche announced the company will be discontinuing its
ultra-luxurious Maybach brand. Zetsche was quoted as saying, "We held
extensive discussions internally about which way would promise the
greatest success in the luxury segment, and we came to the conclusion
that the sales chances for the Mercedes brand were better than that of
Maybach." This termination has been rumored for years, so it is not a
surprise to us. In the long run, we think it is the right move as the
company can focus more of its research-and-development dollars into the
S-Class. A cooperative effort with Aston Martin had recently failed, so
we think Daimler was out of options in a very competitive vehicle
segment. We are leaving our fair value estimate in place and continue to
believe that the European debt crisis is keeping Daimler stock well
below our estimate of its intrinsic value.
We confirmed the Maybach demise with Daimler, which also told us the
brand will be discontinued at some point in 2013, when the next
generation S-Class is reported to be coming out. Daimler told us it
"will launch additional derivatives of the S-Class," where the company
expects stronger growth potential and higher returns. According to Automotive News, only
44 Maybachs have been sold in the U.S. this year through October, and
prices range between about $375,000 to nearly $1.4 million. Daimler
resumed Maybach production in 2002 after it was outbid in its attempt to
purchase Rolls-Royce and Bentley.
The Mercedes-Benz S-Class is a series of luxury sedans produced
by Mercedes-Benz, a division of Daimler AG. The classification was
officially introduced in 1972 with the W116 S-Class, which succeeded
previous Mercedes-Benz models dating to the mid-1950s. As the flagship
of the Mercedes-Benz lineup, the S-Class has debuted many of the
company's latest innovations, including drivetrain technologies,
interior features, and safety systems (such as the first seatbelt
pretensioners). The S-Class has ranked as the world's best-selling
luxury flagship sedan,and its latest generation, the W221 S-Class,
premiered in 2006 as an all-new design. As in previous iterations, the
W221 S-Class is sold in standard- and long-wheelbase versions; V6, V8,
V12, diesel and hybrid powertrains are offered. All models built in
Mexico or sold in the United States are only available in long
wheelbase.
Dreamt up by one Jeremy Westerlund while studying at the Art Center school of design, the Rolls-Royce Apparition is a rolling trompe-l'œil that at once both reaches back into the automaker's history and extends into the future.
The design is based around the old motor carriages that had a chauffeur sitting up front, exposed to the elements, with the passengers coddled inside. Like most contemporary Rolls models, the front is utterly dominated by the prominent grille and hood ornament. It features unique touches like real mahogany inserts in the wheels, and the imposing overall shape is long and low: the designer took his cues from sailing yachts, and even though the model is built to 1:4 scale, it's still nearly six feet long. If such an extreme example of fantasy ever became reality, it would measure 279 inches overall – that's over 23 feet, or about four feet longer than the Phantom.
It also features mahogany-encrusted wheels, traditional Rolls-Royce front grille and a low and long presence which would measure over seven metres in length if developed. Jeremy Westerlund recently summed up the concept, saying that it’s:
“An ultra luxurious chauffeur driven limousine evoking the glamor and sophistication of chauffeur driven cars in the past that has since been lost.
“This vehicle is about being seen, but at the same time being invisible or an “Apparition” in the sense that you’re safely tucked away in its palatial and private interior.”
The model seen here is just a 1:4 scale version, and as mentioned, it is unlikely it will ever be turned into anything that could be bought from your local Rolls-Royce dealer.
The Trans Am design cues are everywhere, but nowhere more evident than in the nose and hood. The Camaro front fascia was reshaped with urethane for the distinctive '77- and '78-style beak, and an egg-crate grille insert replaced the Camaro's vertical bar grille. The Shaker scoop is fully functional and made out of two '78 Shakers. And, of course, one can't miss the defining detail, the one that smacks you over the head and insists, "It's a Trans Am, dammit!"-the big screaming chicken on the hood.
Moving aft, we find the appropriate fender ducts, and at the tail end lies the general Camaro shape but with taillights sourced from another GM car, a big lip spoiler, and a few other subtle changes. Combine that with the black and gold paint scheme and the gold snowflake-ish wheels and the look is undeniably Trans Am. The interior was also given the touch with a custom dash treatment, stitching, and sill plates. And it all works seamlessly, as though Pontiac never left us and this is its latest offering to the muscle-hungry masses.
This car was developed by loyal Pontiac fans, but not just to commemorate the past. The plan is to build more of them. Otto Body did the build and all the fabrication off of Kevin Morgan's design, and Trans Am Depot will sell the conversions. All this is very new, so there are a lot of details still to iron out, but complete conversions will be done at Trans Am Depot in Florida and Otto Body in Nebraska. They're considering selling the individual parts, but according to Tod, "The numbered, Kevin Morgan Signature Edition cars will all go through one of the two shops."
Electricity really is the ideal form of propulsion for the automobile because it is clean and quiet. They knew this at the turn of the century, but the problem was batteries and range — that was the main concern back then and it is the main concern people have now.
Most of the major automakers, from Audi to Volvo, are working on electric cars, and we’ll see the first of them on the road at the end of this year. So electric cars are nothing new. We used two electric Ford Focuses to race around the track on my TV show. I’ve also got my own electric car. It’s quite advanced, it goes 100 miles on a charge and it’s fully electric.
And it was built in 1909.
Let’s step back in time a little bit to take a ride in my 1909 Baker Electric. You’ll see just how much has changed and how much has stayed the same. I think you’ll be surprised at some of the similarities.
Nowadays, when most people think of electric cars, they think of glorified golfcarts used by seniors to nip down to the store (or they think of the Tesla Roadster and its six-figure pricetag). The Ford Focus EV is something else entirely. It’s a real car that’s fun to drive. The only difference between it and the gasoline-burning Ford Focus is the electric drivetrain.
Get in the Focus and and press the Start button and the first thing you notice is how quiet the car is. It’s eerily quiet — so quiet, in fact, that all you hear is the tires screeching when you push the car hard. The Focus EV is a bit heavy in the back because you’re carrying 300 pounds of batteries. But people who have driven one really are amazed by how nice it is. You forget after a while that there’s no gasoline.
I contend that the Focus EV is faster than a similar gasoline-burning car because of the low-end torque. Electric cars are quite snappy off the line. The only place an electric car really loses out to a gasoline car is in top speed. But the EV has the added benefit of being cleaner and quieter.
And here’s a look under the hood of the Focus.
The dashboard in the Focus conveys a bit more information.
The Obama administration will loan Fisker Automotive more than half a billion dollars to bring the super-luxe Karma plug-in hybrid to market and develop an “affordable” plug-in that could be on the road as early as 2012.
The California startup said most of the $528.7 million low-interest loan will help finance project Nina, a four-door, five-passenger mid-size plug-in hybrid that will build on the technology underpinning the gas-electric Karma. Whereas the Karma (pictured above) will start at $87,900 when it goes on sale next year, the Nina is expected to cost $39,900 after the $7,500 federal tax credit for EVs and plug-in hybrids.The Karma, like the Chevrolet Volt, uses electricity to drive the wheels and a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine (pictured at right) to keep the electric motors turning once the 22 kilowatt-hour lithium-manganese Enerdel battery runs down. Propulsion comes from a pair of electric motors that deliver a total of 403 horsepower — and 959 pound-feet of torque — to the rear wheels. Fisker Automotive claims the car has a range of 50 miles. Fisker isn’t saying much about the Nina, but told us the car will fall between the BMW 3-Series and 5-Series in terms of size and it will feature “very radical” styling. It also will used a stamped steel frame and body panels (the Karma is aluminum) to save money. Fisker is the fourth automaker to receive a loan under the $25 billion Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing Program. The loans are meant to help automakers offset the cost of retooling factories to build eco-friendlier cars that are at least 25 percent more fuel-efficient than 2005 models. Tesla Motors received $465 million in June to help develop the Model S, a mid-sized sedan the company claims will cost $49,000 after the $7,500 tax credit. Ford and Nissan also have received loans.
Fisker and the Department of Energy said the loan will create or preserve as many as 5,000 jobs. “This investment will create thousands of new American jobs and is another critical step in making sure we are positioned to compete for the clean energy jobs of the future,” Energy Secretary Steven Chu said in a statement announcing the Fisker loan. “Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles could revolutionize personal transportation and cut our dependence on foreign oil, not to mention give us cleaner air and less carbon pollution.” The agency said more loans will be announced in the months to come.
The 2011 Cadillac CTS-V Coupe has made its camouflaged debut with huge wheels, bulging bodywork and a far more aggressive attitude to go along with all the "V" details one might expect. Mr. Siler better get his box of superlatives out, because the new CTS-V coupe is shaping up to be one sexy beast. This well-developed mule is sporting all kinds of upgraded goodies, most noticeable are the bulging hood and wider fenders holding some fat low profile tires, the mesh grille each V-entry gets, taped-over badging on the doors and apparently around back there's a set of center exit exhaust tips poking out. We expect no less than the rip-roaring 6.2 liter supercharged, 556 HP V8 from the CTS-V sedan, and apparently function has won out over form, with the brake rotors going to a solid design rather than the flashy but lower performance cross-drilled rotors. I can't wait to see this thing in action.
As with the V sedan, the Coupe will carry the same Magnetic Ride Control suspension to help it set blistering lap records at your favorite track. Stopping power is provided by Brembo in the form of six piston calipers in the front with a four piston setup in the rear and rolling hardware comes in the form of 19-inch wheels wrapped with Michelin Pilot Sport 2 summer tires.
When the CTS-V Coupe rolls off the Lansing Grand River Plant next year expect to snatch one up from your local Cadillac dealer for somewhere around $60,000. That is, if you can get one for MSRP. M3, RS4 and C63 drivers beware.
Daily rentals include 100 miles / day. Weekly rentals include 700 miles / week. Additional Mileage is billed at $2.49 / mile. A mileage surcharge applies for rentals that exceed double the included mileage.
Daily rentals include 100 miles / day. Weekly rentals include 700 miles / week. Additional Mileage is billed at $2.49 / mile. A mileage surcharge applies for rentals that exceed double the included mileage.
It also features mahogany-encrusted wheels, traditional Rolls-Royce front grille and a low and long presence which would measure over seven metres in length if developed. Jeremy Westerlund recently summed up the concept, saying that it’s:
The Trans Am design cues are everywhere, but nowhere more evident than in the nose and hood. The Camaro front fascia was reshaped with urethane for the distinctive '77- and '78-style beak, and an egg-crate grille insert replaced the Camaro's vertical bar grille. The Shaker scoop is fully functional and made out of two '78 Shakers. And, of course, one can't miss the defining detail, the one that smacks you over the head and insists, "It's a Trans Am, dammit!"-the big screaming chicken on the hood.
This car was developed by loyal Pontiac fans, but not just to commemorate the past. The plan is to build more of them. Otto Body did the build and all the fabrication off of Kevin Morgan's design, and Trans Am Depot will sell the conversions. All this is very new, so there are a lot of details still to iron out, but complete conversions will be done at Trans Am Depot in Florida and Otto Body in Nebraska. They're considering selling the individual parts, but according to Tod, "The numbered, Kevin Morgan Signature Edition cars will all go through one of the two shops."
Fisker is the fourth automaker to receive a loan under the $25 billion Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing Program. The loans are meant to help automakers offset the cost of retooling factories to build eco-friendlier cars that are at least 25 percent more fuel-efficient than 2005 models. Tesla Motors received $465 million in June to help develop the Model S, a mid-sized sedan the company claims will cost $49,000 after the $7,500 tax credit. Ford and Nissan also have received loans.
“This investment will create thousands of new American jobs and is another critical step in making sure we are positioned to compete for the clean energy jobs of the future,” Energy Secretary Steven Chu said in a statement announcing the Fisker loan. “Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles could revolutionize personal transportation and cut our dependence on foreign oil, not to mention give us cleaner air and less carbon pollution.”
The agency said more loans will be announced in the months to come.
