|
Browse by Tags
All Tags » Convertibles » Hybrids/Alternative ( RSS)
-
|
Filed under: Convertibles , Coupes , Hybrids/Alternative , Sedans/Saloons , SUVs , Green , Rumormill Click above for high-res gallery of the Fisker Karma Fisker Automotive is going to have its work cut out for it when it comes to meeting its self-imposed deadline of bring the Karma sedan to market by the fourth-quarter of 2009 . To complicate matters even further, the automaker is now rumored to be working on three more plug-in hybrids. That would represent a truly serious undertaking for such a small automaker. To ease matters slightly, all four models would use the same basic underpinnings -- including the most important piece of all, the lithium ion battery and its assorted bits. Fisker has recruited Quantum Technologies, a company which has seen success building vehicles for the military, for help in creating the drivetrain for its electric vehicles. Reportedly on the drawing board are a coupe, a convertible and an SUV, all of which should go a long way towards meeting Fisker's...
|
-
|
Filed under: Convertibles , Hybrids/Alternative , Sedans/Saloons , Lexus Click either image for a high-res gallery. Another year, another limited edition Lexus. But this year's Pebble Beach Edition SC430 (the sixth consecutive variant) is joined by the first-ever LS 600h L Pebble Beach Edition. We know, the excitement is palpable. Only 50 LS 600h Ls will be made available in Callaway Golf Experience, Travel Package or Epicurean Encounter trim levels, swathed in Truffle Mica exterior paint and featuring two-tone Alabaster and black leather trim interior, with Dark Grey Bird's-eye maple wood trim. Both models receive all the prerequisite badging to stand apart from the rest of the Lexi in the golf-course parking lot, and are equipped with a host of standard equipment that you can read all about in the press release after the jump. One of the 300 2009 SC 430s can be yours this September, while the Pebble Beach Edition LS 600h L will hit dealers the following month. Gallery: 2009 Pebble...
|
-
|
Filed under: Convertibles , Hybrids/Alternative , Sports/GTs , Green Much has been made of the issues that Tesla Motors encountered with its original two-speed transmission. The fledgling EV automaker was unable to find a supplier that could engineer a two-speed gearbox capable of allowing the Tesla Roadster to hit 0-60 in four seconds and meet specified targets for its range. The two-speed box was eventually dropped in favor of what has been called "powertrain 1.5", which uses a single-speed gearbox and other improvements to the electric motor and inverter to achieve Tesla's seemingly incongruous goals of performance and efficiency. JB Straubel, Chief Technical Officer Tesla Motors, recently posted an update on the progress of powertrain 1.5 on the company's blog, and be warned, if you're not up to date on how highly complex electric motors and transmissions work (like us), you'll probably get lost. The basic nuts and bolts of it amount to a Tesla Roadster that...
|
-
|
Filed under: Detroit Auto Show , Convertibles , Coupes , Hybrids/Alternative , Sedans/Saloons , Sports/GTs , Green , Crossovers/CUVs , Lexus , Australia Click above for a high-res gallery of the Lexus LF-A Roadster concept. Lexus Australia's chief executive, John Roca, gave up a number of product details to The Australian in an interview this past weekend, including the addition of an "F" variant of the GS sedan and possibly a full-size LS limo. Both models are aimed to attack luxury stalwarts Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz by offering a number of high-performance variants and also developing a new model that would slot in below the IS sedan to take on the BMW 1-series and the Audi A3. That model is still a few years away, but it will be an integral part of Lexus' commitment to reach one million global sales in the next two to three years. The other element includes offering hybrid versions of every vehicle it sells, plus the introduction of a hybrid-only model that will...
|
-
|
Filed under: Convertibles , Coupes , Hybrids/Alternative , Geneva Motor Show , Euro , Audi Click the image above for a high-res gallery of the Audi TT 2.0 TDI quattro. Audi has been on a diesel-fueled kick in the last couple of months, first with the unveiling of the R8 V12 TDI concept in Detroit and then followed earlier today by the R8 V12 TDI Le Mans . Both pieces of oil-burning exotica stoke the flames in our diesel-desiring hearts (through compression ignition), but they remain - for the time being - unobtainium. However, Audi maintains that diesel power and driving prowess aren't mutually exclusive, so to prove the point, Audi unveiled the TT 2.0 TDI Quattro. The iconic coupe and roadster are both equipped with a 2.0-liter turbo diesel producing 170 hp and 258 lb.-ft. of torque, with power transmitted through a six-speed manual gearbox and through Audi's legendary Quattro all-wheel-drive system. Puttering along on the U.S. combined cycle in the coupe will net you 44.3 mpg...
|
-
|
Filed under: Concept Cars , Convertibles , Hybrids/Alternative , Geneva Motor Show , Etc. click above for more high-res images of the Rinspeed sQuba Back in 1977, James Bond took a Lotus Esprit for a swim in The Spy Who Loved Me . It's only fitting that Swiss design company Rinspeed, known for its crazy concepts that often involve playing in the water, has based its newest creation on the Lotus Elise. Called the sQuba, this submersible convertible was first previewed back in December , but the firm has released tons of high-res photos, video and new information on its water toy. The sQuba is an all-electric vehicle with three motors, one to drive the car on land and two to power a pair of screw drives for underwater movement. These are aided by two Seabob jet drives that "breathe" through rotating louvers mounted on the car's fenders and appear to give the car its maneuverability underwater. Some might think a submersible convertible sounds like a submarine with a screen...
|
-
|
Filed under: Concept Cars , Convertibles , Coupes , Hybrids/Alternative , Green Of all the auto shows and random events we attend throughout the year, it never dawned on us to book a ticket to San Francisco to scope out the J.D. Power Roundtable meeting. Too bad considering that Henrik Fisker showed off a "top secret" photo of the bespoke automaker's next project. According to Automotive News , Fisker flashed a picture of the concept on stage and said that it would use the same lithium-ion plug-in hybrid drivetrain as the Karma sedan. Fisker went on to say that the four-seater convertible would go on sale around the same time as the Karma sedan, sometime in late 2009. A spokesman said that it's expected to be unveiled sometime this fall. Unfortunately, Fisker wouldn't provide us with an image of the 2+2 cabrio, but if you happen to have a subscription to Automotive News , you can see a shot of the two-door convertible with plenty of styling cues pulled from the Karma...
|
-
|
Filed under: Convertibles , Coupes , Hybrids/Alternative , Green Last Friday, Tesla chairman Elon Musk took delivery of the first production Roadster , which carries the name P1 (Production vehicle 1). The black coupe was flown in from Hethel, England, where all Teslas are being built alongside the Roadster's cousin, the Lotus Elise. When the Roadster arrived at the start-up's R&D facility in San Carlos, California, it was pushed into the garage and had its Thailand-produced battery pack installed. After the battery was fitted and charged, Musk led a pack of four other Roadsters on a quick drive and AutoblogGreen was able to procure a video of the run. For those of you who wanted to hear how the Tesla Roadster sounds while accelerating, we've embedded the video after the jump. [Source: Earth2Tech.com, Image: Stephanie Lawrence] Gallery: First Drive: Tesla Roadster Continue reading Elon Musk takes delivery of first production Tesla Roadster Read | Permalink | Email this ...
|
-
|
Filed under: Motorsports , Convertibles , Hybrids/Alternative , Green click above for more high-res shots of the Tesla Roadster One thing that's been called into question is whether or not the Tesla Roadster will make a viable track day vehicle, but until now, there was one major hurdle for Tesla's engineers to overcome: cooling. The motor currently equipped in the Roadster is air-cooled, which wouldn't hold up to the rigors of track duty. But Tesla is working on a liquid-cooled version that wouldn't cause the power electronics module (PEM) to default into limp-home mode and subsequently cut power if heat became an issue. The possibility of a track-ready version is now officially in the cards. By utilizing the new liquid-cooled motor and removing about half of the batteries found in the standard Roadster, Tesla is considering releasing a variant called the Roadster 120, with the number referring to the projected range. Nixing around 500 pounds from the curb weight is going...
|
-
|
Filed under: Convertibles , Hybrids/Alternative , Sports/GTs , Green Click to view in high resolution Earlier today we reported that Tesla Motors appears to have discovered a solution for the transmission troubles that have delayed production of the Roadster so far. The California-based all-electric automaker has now confirmed to Inside Line that it will begin production of its first batch of roadsters on March 17, though they'll be fitted with temporary two-speed transmissions and retrofitted later with what the company calls DriveTrain 1.5. Production of the EV Roadster, however, will take a while to gear up: initially the company will build just one vehicle per week, getting into the full swing of 40 cars per week by the end of the year. Observers also recently noticed a banner reading "Coming Spring 2008" that was hanging in front of Tesla's dealership in Los Angeles has disappeared. With Tesla Motors being so much in the spotlight, some speculated that the Roadsters...
|
-
|
Filed under: Concept Cars , Convertibles , Hybrids/Alternative , Green , Chevrolet , GM General Motors, which has been blasted for having too many fuel-thirsty trucks and SUVs in the past, has recognized that the Chevy Volt has some serious momentum, and the Detroit automaker is redoubling its efforts to make the series hybrid a reality on time. Bob Lutz told us that the Volt would begin production by the end of decade, and despite Rick Wagoner preparing us for a missed deadline , Maximum Bob is reiterating his original 2010 deadline. Lutz points out that 400 advanced fuel scientists, 200 dedicated engineers and 40 designers are pumping heart and soul into the project, and we get the feeling failure is not an option. With skyrocketing fuel prices continuing to gradually increase and real consumer demand for a high mileage production vehicle growing, we're looking forward to Bob being right. [Source: GM Fast Lane Blog] Gallery: Chevy Volt Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
|
-
|
Filed under: Concept Cars , Convertibles , Hybrids/Alternative , Geneva Motor Show , Euro , Green The Loremo sedan (LOw REsistance MObile) isn't even here yet -- it's slated for 2009 -- and already the convertible has been announced. The coupe made its debut last year at the Geneva Motor Show, and the claims were grand: 20-HP in the 2-cylinder turbodiesel LS version, 0-60 in 9 seconds, a top speed of 122-MPH, a weight of 990 pounds, a Cd of .20, and 150-computer-simulated-MPG. Of course the Loremo -- coupe or convertible -- isn't for everyone. The point of the car is to offer style (take that any way you wish), a modicum of luxury, and fuel-sipping economy at a prices between $13,000 and $18,000. The convertible would probably have a slightly higher Cd and therefore slightly worse gas mileage, but if you just get 100-MPG, that'd be all right, no? The convertible version would also probably be easier to get into than sliding over the fenders of the tilt-forward-canopy coupe...
|
-
|
Filed under: Convertibles , Hybrids/Alternative , Green If you plunked down six figures and expected to be motoring around in your emissions-free Tesla Roadster by now, chances are there might be a few ants in your pants. The all-EV Tesla Roadster has hit a few speed bumps on its road to production, and in order to address these concerns, the fledgling automaker held a town hall meeting in San Carlos yesterday that was available to anyone who made a deposit for a car via conference call. The skinny is that Tesla is having a difficult time developing a transmission strong enough to "survive the process of shifting gears while the motor remains at full torque", according to our own Sam Abuelsamid who has been following the Roadster's development from Day 1 and has actually rode shotgun in it . Two suppliers are currently working simultaneously to find a solution. Meanwhile, the company has gone ahead and built the first production model at the Lotus factory in Hethel, England...
|
-
|
Filed under: Detroit Auto Show , Convertibles , Coupes , Hybrids/Alternative , Sedans/Saloons , Sports/GTs , SUVs , Geneva Motor Show , Paris Motor Show , Crossovers/CUVs , Hatchbacks , Supercars , Audi The Audi Club of North America puts out a publication aptly titled the Quattro Quarterly that gives Audi owners the inside skinny on everything from future products to how to swap bigger brakes into their B5 S4. One of our intrepid readers, Kevin, sent us a few scans of the QQ's latest issue, where it outlines Audi's product plans for the next five years. While some of it has already been confirmed, other interesting factoids, including the future of the R8, RS-TT and the development of an R4, have long been rumored on these very pages. Follow the jump for the full breakdown on what Audi has in store, but be aware that we're handing out grains of salt below the fold. Continue reading Quattro Quarterly lays out Audi's five-year plan for world domination Read | Permalink |...
|
-
|
Filed under: Convertibles , Coupes , Hybrids/Alternative , Sedans/Saloons , SUVs , Trucks/Pickups , Wagons/Estates , Crossovers/CUVs , Supercars , Ford , Misc. Auto Shows Click the Cherry Bronco for a high-res gallery of Fords from the Dream Cruise Royal...
|
More Posts Next page »
|
|
|