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Filed under: LA Auto Show , Hybrids/Alternative , Sedans/Saloons , Green , Volkswagen Click above for a high-res gallery of the 2009 Green Car of the Year There are a few standouts in the emerging green sector of the U.S. auto market that are hitting the market in 2009. BMW's first clean diesel in the United States, the 335d, is one such vehicle that has torque-loving enthusiasts salivating, and General Motors' upcoming Saturn Vue is the first application of the 2-Mode hybrid system in a front-wheel drive vehicle. No green car discussion is complete without a mention of the smart fortwo, which sports the best mileage of any non-hybrid car available. Of course, the new Fusion Hybrid and Milan Hybrid from Ford are shaping up to be real contenders in the green mid-size sedan sweepstakes and they may take a chunk out of Camry hybrid sales when it finally debuts. Still, there is one '09 car that seems to offer the best of all worlds, with a relatively low starting price, excellent...
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Filed under: LA Auto Show , Hybrids/Alternative , Sedans/Saloons , Ford Click above for high-res image gallery of the 2010 Ford Fusion Ford pulled the silk sheets off the 2010 Ford Fusion and Fusion Hybrid this afternoon. Sporting new front and rear fascias, an updated interior, and four engine choices, the mid-size Fusion is a direct shot across the bow of the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord. In fact, in nearly every engine combination, Ford boasts that their Fusion offers faster acceleration and better fuel economy than its Japanese rivals (plus, the automaker is quick to point out, the 2010 Fusion is available in both FWD and AWD configurations). Ford is offering the Fusion with three fuel-efficient gasoline engines: Duratec 2.5-liter I4, Duratec 3.0-liter V6, and the 3.5-liter V6 Duratec bumped to 240 hp for 2010. The hybrid model features a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine mated to an electronically-controlled continuously variable transmission (e-CVT). According to Ford, the combo offers...
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Filed under: LA Auto Show , Hybrids/Alternative , Sedans/Saloons , BMW Click above for a high-res gallery of the new 7 Series BMW is launching its latest 7 Series flagship in the United States here at the LA Auto Show and has decided to whet our appetites a bit before the official unveiling by releasing an early press release about its latest offerings. As expected, the new 7 is equipped with a direct-injected twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 as its sole engine option here in the States. That's not really a bad thing, though, as the force-fed mill pumps out 400 horses and an impressive 450 lb-ft of torque. We've driven the X6 with this powerplant in the past, and are confident it'll have no problem whatsoever getting the big sedan moving at a very brisk clip. Also new for 2009 is BMW's first ever use of a multi-link double wishbone front suspension, which breaks from the German automaker's usual habit of front struts. As you'd expect, there is a long-wheelbase model of the...
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Filed under: LA Auto Show , Hybrids/Alternative , Sedans/Saloons , Mercury Click above for high-res gallery of the 2010 Mercury Milan We'll spare you from going over the laundry list of changes for the new 2010 Mercury Milan since you've already read about them in the post above on the 2010 Ford Fusion. Both cars share a lot in common, so instead we'll tell you what's different between them. The 2010 Milan gets its own redesign that includes new front and rear fascias, which we see as big improvements over the current model that further separates, at least visually, the Mercury from its Blue Oval brother. The Milan also only gets two gas engine options compared to the Fusion's three. Buyers can order up the new 2.5L four-cylinder that produces 175 hp or the upgraded 3.0L V6 that makes 240 horsepower. Unfortunately, Ford's 3.5L V6 producing 265 horsepower is reserved exclusively for the Fusion Sport. There's also the new Milan Hybrid, which again is identical...
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Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative , Sedans/Saloons , Sports/GTs , Green , Plants/Manufacturing Back in July we told you that Fisker had tabbed Valmet Automotive to build its upcoming Karma . Now we get word that all of the contracts have been finalized and production looks certain. Valmet will be doing all of the engineering and manufacturing for the Karma, that sexy new four-door plug-in hybrid sports sedan designed by ex-Aston Martin designer, Henrik Fisker. Production should start about a year from now, in late 2009. The first cars should show up Stateside, with European deliveries following soon after, in early 2010. The companies are planning an annual production of about 15,000 cars worldwide. The $80k sedan uses lithium ion batteries, and owners should expect about 50 miles of driving before the gas engine ever kicks in. Range should rival the Chevy Volt at 350 miles per charge. Unlike the Volt, however, the Karma will have a top speed of 125 mph, and a 0-60 time of about 5.8 seconds...
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Filed under: Motorsports , Hybrids/Alternative , Sedans/Saloons , Green , Ford Click above to enlarge the 2010 Ford Fusion hybrid pace car For the first time ever, a NASCAR Sprint Cup event will be paced by a hybrid, Ford's fresh-faced 2010 Fusion Hybrid to be exact. The race is scheduled to take place this Sunday at the Homestead-Miami Speedway. The box-stock Fusion hybrid will be able to travel on electricity alone for up to 47 miles per hour, which isn't quite fast enough to kick off the race, so this one will be burning some gas. One thing that the hybrid can do that the Sprint Cup cars only wish they could is travel up to 700 miles per tank of fuel. Anyway, the leafy-camouflaged hybrid will lead the race cars to the green flag (waved by none other than Mark Fields) to kick things off, after which a 2010 Ford Fusion Sport will pick up the mantle as pace car for the rest of the event. Both the 2010 Fusion hybrid and Fusion Sport will see their formal debut at the LA Auto Show...
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Filed under: Aftermarket , SEMA , Tuners , Coupes , Hybrids/Alternative , Sedans/Saloons , Wagons/Estates , Crossovers/CUVs , Ford , Celebrities Click above for massive gallery of Fords from SEMA What recession? Perhaps anticipating the euphoria that will follow the end to the seemingly decades-long Presidential race today, Ford decided to throw a huge tuner party at SEMA this year, and they invited ALL of their friends. The Ford booth always houses a bunch of tuned blue ovals, but they generally tend to be grouped around a central vehicle. Last year it was the Mustang. And the year before. And probably the year before that, too. But this year they gave the ol' spit shine to virtually every model in the lineup. Ford even threw in a Lincoln or two for good measure (above). In the gallery below you'll see the Lincoln MKS and MKX , as well as Ford Focus Coupe , Escape , Escape Hybrid , Transit Connect , and Edge . Tuners include 3dCarbon , Custom Creations , RKSport , Stout Performance...
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Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative , Sedans/Saloons , Green , Ford Over on AutoblogGreen, our man Sam has published a thorough breakdown of all the new powertrains announced for the 2010 Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan. There's a new 2.5L four-cylinder with more power, a revised 3.0L V6 and Ford is making its 3.5L V6 available in these mid-size sedans for the first time, as well. But the most impressive may be the latest revision of Ford's hybrid powertrain that will debut in the Fusion Hybrid and Milan Hybrid next year. Based on the same system in the Ford Escape Hybrid and Mercury Mariner Hybrid, the latest version is smaller, lighter, more powerful and less expensive to produce. While it still employs nickel-metal hydride batteries, the number of cells has been reduced but the power output remains the same. The battery pack is now 30 percent smaller in volume than the Escape Hybrid's pack and weighs 23 percent less, and this one doesn't need its own AC system to stay cool...
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Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative , Sedans/Saloons , Green , Hatchbacks , Rendered Speculation Road and Track has taken an early speculative look at what Tesla's Model S sedan may look like. Of course, it's impossible to know for sure how close this rendering may be to the real thing, but it's always fun to guess, right? We can see some clear inspiration taken from the company's first effort, the Tesla Roadster , along with a hint of Nissan GT-R in its flanks. We know for sure that the rear of the car will feature a deeply sloping hatchback, like the Porsche Panamera , and R&T's artists seem to have that feature down, as well. We've actually gotten an early peek at the Model S from the rear via Tesla's new design chief Franz von Holzhausen , formerly of Mazda fame, which shows a nice carbon fiber rear diffuser and an aerodynamically sound cut-off hind end. Unfortunately, the Model S has been delayed by roughly six months due to the tough economic climate and...
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Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative , Sedans/Saloons , Green , Rolls-Royce Click above for high-res gallery of RR Phantom in the Autoblog garage Short of the biggest SUVs, Rolls-Royce stands out in the mind of the eco-conscious public as a symbol of earth-munching decadence. But that may change if Tom Purves has anything to say about it. And he does, being the company's new CEO. Bringing in a fresh perspective to the ultimate luxury brand after taking the helm just a few months ago, Purves recently drove sister-company MINI's new electric vehicle , and a lightbulb aptly lit over his head with the idea to create an electric Phantom. Not a hybrid, but a full megawatt-powered limousine. The way Purves sees it, we're not far away from cities banning polluting vehicles altogether. And as many Rolls-Royce owners live in major metropolitan centers, an electric Rolls makes perfect sense. With a little help from parent company BMW, Purves figures they could engineer the e-Rolls in-house...
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Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative , Sedans/Saloons , Cadillac , GM , Rumormill According to MotorTrend , General Motors is considering fitting its 4.5-liter Duramax V8 Turbodiesel inside the Cadillac CTS sedan as a stepping-stone between the standard V6-equipped CTS and the barn-burning CTS-V. The report contends that the Duramax V8 would be an easy fit inside the confines of the CTS' engine bay with the addition of the CTS-V's bulging hood. The dual-overhead cam, four-valve diesel V8 puts out 310 hp and a tire decimating 520 lb.-ft. of torque and GM already has a transmission that can handle the grunt. The oilburner currently meets the tougher 2010 emissions standards which would allow it to be sold in all 50 states, and with a reported 20-25% increased fuel economy over the V8 model, the diesel CTS could provide some competition to similar offerings from Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz. According to MT , the amount of modifications would be minimal and the addition of the CTS diesel...
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Filed under: Coupes , Hybrids/Alternative , Sedans/Saloons , Green , Supercars , Mercedes-Benz , AMG Click above for more high-res shots of the SL65 AMG Black Series Saying that "only a fool would ignore" the emissions of a new vehicle and the current global economy, AMG head-man Volker Mornhinweg realizes that it can't keep building gas-guzzling supercars with reckless abandon. Not that the company will lose its performance edge, mind you. In fact, hybrids and diesels could offer a meaningful performance boost if tuned properly. How so? Torque. Diesel engines are known for their massive axle-shreading twist, and electric motors, an essential part of any hybrid powertrain, make maximum power right off idle, allowing for an internal combustion engine that's tuned for stratospheric revs. In a recent interview with CAR , the notion of fitting a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter oil-burning V6 inside the C class was kicked around. Mornhinweg suggests such a vehicle is a distinct...
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Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative , Sedans/Saloons , Sports/GTs , Porsche , Rumormill Click above for high-res gallery of the Porsche Panamera Gran Turismo Regardless of what you think of Porsche's upcoming Panamera (we're currently on the fence ), it is going to be an extremely important launch for the company. Despite the fact that purists panned the Cayenne, it has sold like hotcakes and has made an extremely tidy profit for the German automaker, now in the midst of a major takeover of Volkswagen, the most valuable automaker in the world. Obviously, Porsche is hoping for similar successes from its very expensive four door. As we've heard countless times, a hybrid option is currently in the works and a diesel engine is also on the drawing board. We're not entirely sure how the crazy German engineers will do it, but a targa-style top is also being developed. No matter, we'll have all the details soon enough as Porsche brings its production Panamera to the 2009 Geneva...
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Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative , Sedans/Saloons , Green , Paris Motor Show , Audi Click above for high-res gallery of the Audi A4 TDI Concept e Audi's parent company Volkswagen already produces some of the cleanest-burning, most fuel-miserly diesel engines in the world. The Jetta TDI was recently released in the U.S. and has been making waves for its hybrid-like efficiency. So it's natural that Audi would want to show off its green credentials with a new diesel sedan of its own, and it has done so with the A4 TDI concept e, introduced at the Paris Motor Show . Based on the brand-new A4 platform, the new concept gets a 2.0L four-cylinder common-rail direct-inject turbodiesel derived from the unit powering the Jetta TDI. That mill sees tweaks to its valvetrain and cooling systems, lowering its power output a bit to 120-horsepower and 214 lb-ft of torque, but increasing its fuel efficiency a great deal. Added to the powertrain is a start/stop system that keeps the engine from idling...
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Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative , Sedans/Saloons , Green , Mercedes-Benz Click above for high-res gallery of the S-Class BlueEFFICIENCY Mercedes-Benz really wants you to know how green its new line of diesel vehicles can be. To that end, the German automaker calls them Blue and capitalizes EFFICIENCY. Subtle, no? In an effort to earn the badge, MB has tweaked its largest and most luxurious model with a 3.0-liter diesel engine, a seven-speed automatic tranny that decouples itself at stops, a power steering pump that only operates when necessary and low rolling resistance tires. Those are pretty simple changes, no complex electric motors here. Fuel mileage, though, is rather good for such a large vehicle, coming in at nearly 31 U.S. miles per gallon. In contrast, the marque's upcoming S400 BlueHYBRID only manages about 29 miles per gallon. If this sounds to you like it makes a resounding case for diesel vehicles, you're right. It does. Unfortunately, MB only mentions German pricing...
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