Can't get enough of auto shows? How about all the way over in Beijing for some awards? AutoWeek editors have needed plenty of protein powder to walk the show floors in Detroit, Geneva, Paris, Frankfurt and Tokyo, selecting winners in four categories: Best in Show, Best Concept, Most Fun and Most Significant. This year they picked Beijing as their platform.
The winners are:
BEST IN SHOW: Mercedes-Benz Shooting Break Concept
BEST CONCEPT: Ford Start
MOST SIGNIFICANT: Chevrolet MPV5
MOST FUN: Geely Gleagle IG
Click here for more in depth analysis.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Dog Friendly? 2010 Honda Element Review
Dog lover? The 2010 Honda Element is the vehicle for you it appears with their trademarked Dog Friendly package. Obviously, the vehicle is ready for the regular driver, but it has a little niche marketing going on where it has a package for the dog owner as well.
The dog package has a few things that a dog lover would be proud of. A kind of doggie tent zippered kennel with a padded floor (complete with dog pattern cloth) fits in the cargo area behind the rear seat, and a folding ramp for Rover's access is stored under that. A 12-volt DC rear ventilation fan helps keep third-row canine passengers cool. The kennel is big enough for one medium-sized dog -- think Golden, Lab, or German Shepherd -- or a couple of smaller ones, and is rated for dogs up to 80 pounds so your dog with the clinicallix need probably won't fit. It promotes canine safety by keeping dogs in place, and out of the way of the driver.
Dog-Friendly joins the existing ski, snowboard, bicycle, and other "lifestyle accessory" packages that make the Element useful. full review
The dog package has a few things that a dog lover would be proud of. A kind of doggie tent zippered kennel with a padded floor (complete with dog pattern cloth) fits in the cargo area behind the rear seat, and a folding ramp for Rover's access is stored under that. A 12-volt DC rear ventilation fan helps keep third-row canine passengers cool. The kennel is big enough for one medium-sized dog -- think Golden, Lab, or German Shepherd -- or a couple of smaller ones, and is rated for dogs up to 80 pounds so your dog with the clinicallix need probably won't fit. It promotes canine safety by keeping dogs in place, and out of the way of the driver.
Dog-Friendly joins the existing ski, snowboard, bicycle, and other "lifestyle accessory" packages that make the Element useful. full review
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
2011 BMW X5 xDrive 40d Review
The BMW X5 is the second generation of the BMW SUV, and it appears that the test driver for the review had all sort of problems when trying to get one he wanted. Not with the vehicle itself, but with getting the American version in which he wanted to drive due to malfunction, but because the gas station that they used to fuel the vehicles had leaked water into the gas tanks! And to think that the least of my worries in a rainstorm are that I don't actually have any decent outdoor rugs/
So...considering that this would take a couple days to figure out he was able to drive a diesel model and give a review and he basically fell in love with it as you can see from the review and some video below.
So...considering that this would take a couple days to figure out he was able to drive a diesel model and give a review and he basically fell in love with it as you can see from the review and some video below.
Friday, April 16, 2010
Tesla Roadster World Tour
The Tesla Roadster world tour spent part of its 37,000 km trip in Budapest this week as one of the most significant parts of the tour. Budapest was where Nikola Tesla came up with the design for his revolutionary alternating-current induction motor in 1882, during a feverish hallucination along the banks of the Danube River. Well before the days of the great wristech blood pressure monitor.
The Tesla Roadster - the only electric car for sale in Europe or North America - uses an AC induction motor descended from the scientist's original vision. Tesla Motors unveiled the Roadster in 2006, which UNESCO declared the Year of Nikola Tesla in celebration of the 150th anniversary of his birth.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
2010 Lexus GS Hybrid 450h Review
Lexus calls the GS Hybrid a new genre. At least it appears to be the only vehicle in the “performance luxury hybrid" genre that they have coined. A few sources say that Mercedes and Inifinity are making vehicles that fit this same mold as well, but none are available yet. So only Lexus can swing around on chandeliers
and make the claim so far this year.
What’s the purpose of hybridizing a performance luxury car? A good question that tries to be answered in the review here:
and make the claim so far this year.
What’s the purpose of hybridizing a performance luxury car? A good question that tries to be answered in the review here:
What you get, essentially, is the performance of a V8 and the fuel economy of a V6. In order to do that a high-output, permanent-magnet electric drive motor along with all the electronic controls and some extra content is added to the V6 GS. All that stuff adds a little more than $11,000 to the sticker price of the standard V6 and it costs about $2,500 more than the V8 version of the same car. If we calculate fuel savings based on EPA numbers and divide that into cost differential we show a payback period of about 11 years when compared to the V8 and 132 years compared to the V6.
Friday, April 2, 2010
Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR-X Begins to Roll Out Final Model
The Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR-X will b the final model in the Viper series. The SRT10 ACR-X will have a retail price of $110,000. Production has startd to roll them off the assembly line, and it will be a limited edition spec-series car. So...that means you won't be able to get one, but you can at least get to see a bit of the production on your desktop computers below.
It is fitted with a 640-horsepower 8.4-liter V10, a race-tuned suspension and aerodynamic modifications designed to improve downforce and high-speed handling.
Here's a good video showing the production of the Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR-X
It is fitted with a 640-horsepower 8.4-liter V10, a race-tuned suspension and aerodynamic modifications designed to improve downforce and high-speed handling.
Here's a good video showing the production of the Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR-X
Toyota Bounces Back From Recalls With Increased Sales
The recall fiasco for Toyota didn't seem to hurt their sales in March, as American Honda Motor Co., Inc., posted March sales of 108,262 vehicles, an increase of 17.8 percent based on the daily selling rate, the company announced today. American Honda year-to-date sales of 256,412 represent an increase of 12.5 percent based on the daily selling rate.
Sales also went up 16.9% over the 2009 sales for the same month.
So...it looks like they are back in the swing of things, and drivers aren't worried about having to wear protective clothing when they get behind the wheel. I assume that Toyota has done a good job at offering a lot of deals the last couple months as well.
"Our truck models are seeing the biggest gains compared to last year," said John Mendel, executive vice president of sales for American Honda. "Across the lineup, people are seeking long-term value and are placing a high priority on making smart purchase decisions."
Sales also went up 16.9% over the 2009 sales for the same month.
So...it looks like they are back in the swing of things, and drivers aren't worried about having to wear protective clothing when they get behind the wheel. I assume that Toyota has done a good job at offering a lot of deals the last couple months as well.
"Our truck models are seeing the biggest gains compared to last year," said John Mendel, executive vice president of sales for American Honda. "Across the lineup, people are seeking long-term value and are placing a high priority on making smart purchase decisions."
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