Nissan unveils Juke-R, only two units to be produced

Posted on 27/10/2011 by bert

INissan Juke-Rn a media event earlier this week in Spain, Nissan pulled the covers to reveal the Juke-R which was originally set to make a public debut at the upcoming auto show in Tokyo this December.

Only two versions of the Juke-R will be produced. One of the versions will be a left hand drive, and the other a right hand drive. The vehicle was developed by Japanese car manufacturer Nissan and built by motorsport firm RML collaborating with Nissan Technology Center – Europe. The first round of testing will happen next month.

We might be able to see this speedster on the Nurburgring soon.

If you havent heard of the the Juke-R, basically it is a combination of the Nissan Juke and the Nissan GT-R. It promises to be the fastest crossover today. The car is still street legal but will never hit the production line. Too bad we will only see two units of the Juke-R.

The vehicle explores the territory of being a sports derivative which will provide a magnificent driving experience whether you are on the normal road or on the track. It features the technologies and innovation of the two most exciting vehicles in Nissan’s rane.

The Juke-R will have the GT-R’s V6 twin-turbo 3.8L engine that is capable of producing 520 horsepower. The power of this engine will be transferred to the 20 inch fRays orged wheels by the 6-speed gearbox.

The interior will highlight new gauges, new looks for the dials, and a 7-inch LCD. The center console of the Juke R takes inspiration from a gas tank of a motorcycle. It also sports race-seats, a roll cage, and 5-point harnesses.

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Porsche Releases New Tequipment range for 911

Posted on 01/06/2010 by bert

According to Porsche, the new range of Tequipment accessories for the 911 line is now available. This includes 19” Fuchs replica wheels representativePorsche 911 of the popular Porsche wheels in the 60s, 70s and 80s. These can be easily mounted on 911 versions, even the latest Turbo and Turbo S variants.

Customers in the United Kingdom can purchase these wheels for £5,569. For cars with featured tire pressure monitoring systems, the price tag is slightly higher at £5,866. This new conversion kit is also available for cars which have dual-clutch PDA gear boxes installed. Porsche currently tenders metal paddles, although these are only available for the 911 Turbo for now.

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Deliveries for First Aston Martin Rapide Cars Announced

Posted on 11/05/2010 by bert

According to reports, the first batch of the Aston Martin Rapide is slated for delivery sometime next week. This is good news for people who have been anticipating the model since its unveiling at the motor show in Frankfurt.

aston martin rapideFor those who may not know yet, the model is Aston’s first four-door coupe since the Lagonda. The production of the Lagonda was stopped in 1989, and for a long while, the company has been producing a long trend of two-door coupes. The model boasts of highly attractive styling details with bi-xenon headlights and clear LED tail lights. The headlights will also be trimmed with LED side lights and stylish direction indicators.

For the interior, Aston gave the Rapide leather upholstery with iridium silver accents and walnut trimmings. It will also have a center console at the rear, individual seating for four people, automatic climate control, and an electroluminescent instrument display. The hatchback design of the car allows it a 750-liter capacity for the cargo or 301 liters when the rear seats are up.

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Stratsbourg and EDF launch team up with Toyota for a 3-year plug-in Hybrid Demonstration Project

Posted on 18/04/2010 by bert

What has three big companies teaming up this year? Toyota, the leading car manufacturer in Japan, team up the French energy provider EDF and the Urban Community of Stratsbourg for a large-scale, three-year demonstration project on Plug-in Hybrid vehicles. A hundred of Toyota’s Prius plug-in vehicles will be used for the project, as well as a dedicated charging infrastructure.

prius plug-in hybridThis will serve public and private partners of Strasbourg and its region. The project is supported by the Research Fund of the French Environment and Energy Management Agency called ADEME.

The new Prius plug-in hybrid is equipped with a li-ion battery pack with an electric range of up to 20 kilometers. The vehicle can speed up to 62mph or 100 km/h on a full charge. Its CO2 emission, based on the European homologation combined cycle reads a mere 59g/km.

This project is actually only a part of Toyota’s global project involving 600 Prius hybrid vehicles. These Prius units will be deployed to Australia, Canada, Japan, and the US. The company’s objective is to further delve into the study of the technology and monitor the performance of its PHVs.

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Ferrari planning to idle a factory and cut jobs

Posted on 16/03/2010 by bert

ferrari factoryItalian carmaker Ferrari is planning to halt production in one of its plants for a week and terminate about 10% of the workforce partly because of the slumping sales of Maserati.

According to a report filed with Bloomberg, Ferrari has discussed the situation with the local worker’s union that it may sever around 270 jobs. The company will also have to lay off around 600 workers by mid-May to adjust to the drop in orders for engines from their sibling brand Maserati.

A spokesman of Ferrari confirmed that they plan to maintain the production of about 6,000 vehicles for 2010. Last year, they were able to sell about 6,300 units.

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Audi R8 Spyder gets V8 version to be more affordable

Posted on 28/01/2010 by bert

Audi has at the moment three versions of the cool R8 supercar. You can choose from the original R8 that sports a V-8 engine with a 4.2L displacement, and a later released V-10 5.2L model whch can either be a coupe or a Spyder convertible.

Audi R8 SpyderTheirs is a scoop that Audi is working to produce two other variants. Soon to be on the Audi garage is an RS version which might be introduce before the end of the run of the R8 and a more pocket friendly R8 Spyder that will depend on a V-8 engine.

The R8 Spyder is only available with a V-10 engine that gives you a peak output of 525 horsepower and is currently the most expensive car on the lineup of Audi as it goes to your local dealers before the end of this year.

Naturally, a smaller engine from the original R8 will make the Spyder less expensive. A move from the V-10 to a V-8 engine can chop off around $30,000 from its tag price. The output of the engine will still be around 420 hp and will be paired with an automatic R tronic transmission or a six-speed manual.

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FedEx Goes for Green Business, Converts 92 trucks into hybrids

Posted on 22/07/2009 by bert

FedEx continues to deliver for the environment as more than 50% of its delivery fleet becomes hybrid-electric units. The company converted into hybrid system about 92 trucks making their greener fleet to 264 vehicles.

fedex hybrid truckThe FedEx trucks which mostly are models from 2000 or 2001 were transformed into hybrids in Charlotte, North Carolina in a span of six months. These delivery units which have accumulated about 300K to 500K miles use the hybrid systems designed by Eaton Corporation and the Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation.

The conversion of the vehicle did not only help the environment but also saved FedEx a lot of money since the trucks got their service lives extended. The move avoids creation of scrap and waste from old vehicles but promotes a reuse program.

A lot of work was involved in transforming the FedEx trucks into hybrid systems. The engine, transmission, drive shaft, and fuel tank of the vehicles had to be replaced.  The converted vehicles use a 6.7L  Cummins ISB that outputs 200hp and runs on diesel. This was configured to work in combination with the electric engine from Eaton which is dependent on Lithium ion batteries.

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Hummer deal on shaky grounds as China opposes entry of gas guzzlers

Posted on 02/07/2009 by bert

The car industry thought that the deal of General Motors for the Hummer brand with the Chinese firmTengzhong was good as closed. Recent announcements over a Chinese radio station make the deal appear to have a very bleak future. With Beijing’s plan to go greener, it seems there is no place for the Hummer range of vehicles.

The Associated Press reveals that the deal may just not push through since the Chinese government will not approve of the Tengzhong’s move to buy Hummer from GM. The NDRC or the National Development and Reform Commission calls the shot with regard to these matters. The government agency is also not confident that the Chinese firm has the expertise to handle the global market of Hummer.

How the negotiations which almost got the signatures it needed went through is not clear. Tengzhong spokesperson reveals that the company has not sealed a deal with GM yet so the former has not submitted any documents or proposal to the government of China. According to The Hummer Blog, things might become a little difficult in the next few weeks…

Followers of the squarish SUV brand may be happy that it will not be going under a Chinese company. The sad news for them is that there is no much interest by other companies to buy Hummer. The Tengzhong company promised in an earlier press release that they will still produce the Hummer brand in mainland U.S.

If the Hummer brand will be killed, it will be an unfortunate affair for the 3000 men and women in the U.S. headquarters that help plan and produce the SUV.

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Tesla Flagship Store in Europe opens in London

Posted on 27/06/2009 by bert

Tesla receive a $465 loan from the government of the United States to help in the production of the luxury EV sedan, the Model S. The company is also setting its eyes on expanding its market overseas and recently opened its first store in London.

Tesla Roadster RedThe European flagship showroom is at the center of Knightsbridge District which is proximate to the Heathrow Airport. The London office will spearhead the Tesla projects in Europe. Tesla service centers are also located in Zurich, Munich, and Monaco. All of the dealerships can give interested consumers a test drive of the Tesla range.

The Tesla Roadsters draw crowds in Europe especially with the savings that can come with it. Aside from the performance of the car, consumers will be able to pocket a good amount from emissions taxes and congestion charging.  Getting a Tesla may translate to about $3200 of savings compared to getting an SUV or a fancy sports car.

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