GM's SUV does 10 miles with electric

Earlier, we told you that plug-in electric cars might be just around the corner. Now we have just caught wind of GM's announcement of a plug-in SUV, and it doesn't smell pretty.

A report out of the L.A. Auto Show that General Motors CEO Rick Wagoner is promising a Saturn Vue plug-in hybrid setup. That's certainly big news on the green vehicle front, since you wouldn't normally put the words SUV and plug-in together in the same sentence, but think again.

So far GM claims that the eventual vehicle will get twice the fuel efficiency of any SUV running today, and that it will be put together using a fresh take on the blueprints of the company's existing lithium ion battery hybrid system. This is planned for 2010, and i'm sure we all hoped for a much better fuel efficiency in vehicles by that time.

The value of having a plug-in is only relevent to the capacity of the battery pack. GM is saying 10 miles range on electric propulsion before the gasoline engine kicks in, to call this an electric plug-in vehicle is dissapointing. GM had it right with the EV1, now they are setting themselves back over 90% in efficiency.

You can recharge the battery by braking for traffic, of course.

Ford Mustang Giugiaro Concept with Lambo doors

Enough with the spy shots and "caught in the wild" posts. We caught a glimpse of the Ford Mustang Guigiaro concept less than two weeks ago, and now the hyped-up pony car is finally making its official introduction.

Ford has just revealed the innovative yet somewhat retro-looking Mustang Giugiaro concept, boasting Dynamic-tuned dampers, lowered springs, and yes, even guillotine doors. Powering the monstrous pony car is a supercharged 4.6L 3-valve V8 good for 500hp. There's plenty of rubber on the road, thanks to the 20-inch wheels mated with 275mm and 315mm tires in the front and rear, respectively. Naturally, they've jazzed up the interior too.

They have not announced a production version, but this is said to be a sign as to how the garden variety 2010 Mustang will look.

2007 Nissan Sentra SE-R and 2008 Altima Coupe debut at LA Auto Show

Japan's second largest automaker made a couple of monentous announcements at the Los Angeles Auto Show, revealing the super sporty 2007 Sentra SE-R and the highly anticipated 2008 Altima Coupe.

While the garden variety Nissan Sentra may be a direct competitor with the Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic sedan, the SE-R is quite the different beast altogether. Set to go on sale in March 2007, the performance-oriented sport compact sedan will be powered by an "advanced 2.5-liter DOHC 4-cylinder engine designed specifically for the SE-R." The base SE-R is good for 177hp and 172 lbs-ft of torque, whereas the tuned SE-R Spec V bumps that up to 200hp and 180 lbs-ft of torque.. The latter comes with a 6-speed manual gearbox, whereas the former is fitted with a continuously variable transmission.

Also announced was the all new Altima Coupe, the first time the otherwise family-oriented vehicle has taken on a two-door form. As a result, it has a shorter wheelbased, shorter length, and lower height than its sedan counterpart. Choose from 2.5L inline-4 or a 3.5L V6. Look for the Altima Coupe to start selling next summer.

German inspiration for the new Skyline?

Looking at the pictures of the new Nissan Skyline yesterday something caught my eye...this reminds me of another car...ok now I get it, there is a slight but slight ressemblance with the Mercedes CLS!

Similar headlights shape, similar radiator grill, similar hood ? The sides are another reminder of the CLS.

But in other hands... this is maybe the best way to make sure to have a potential good seller on the market... Anyway... I am quite found of this Skyline, I am really looking forward to test it.

Via Nihon

Audi Q7 gets PPI upgrade, but it's still lacking

OK, it's not that I don't like Audis. I love them. I want to have a fleet of them. But I can't afford that. One thing I know I don't want, however, is an Audi SUV. The very name doesn't sound right to me. An Audi is a sleek vehicle designed to go fast, and an SUV is driven by a soccer mom or a guy on a weekend mountain bike trip.

The folks at Audi aren't listening to me, of course, especially in the Audi SUV regard because they have this little number called the Q7, which has been around for awhile but has just undergone an extensive makeover courtesy of Germany's PPI. And they did a few things right; it's better looking than before, and it has some new features that make it look sleeker and less of a soccer mom commuter.

The front bumper has large air intakes, a matte carbon fiber splitter, and fog lamps; and the company says the result is a smaller lift on the front axles when you're up to speed. The new brake kit will also help to alleviate some of the holdback when you get up to a more expected speed. The back bumper has cutouts for the exhaust system. The design also serves to tuck the wheels under the frame, sort of like the new VW Beetle.

So here's the big number: 600. That's the number of horsepower that you get, and that's a rather large number for this size vehicle.

All of that aside, it doesn't look much an Audi or an SUV. Maybe that's the point?

Ford Seeing Green with SUVs

Ford to unveil two new environmentally-friendly SUVs at this year's L.A. Auto Show

At this year's L.A. Auto Show, Ford is expected to show two eco-friendly SUVs -- one of which will be soon available for the public to purchase shortly. Later this week, Ford will unveil a fuel cell-powered Explorer and a second generation Escape Hybrid.

Ford has been secretly testing its 6-passenger fuel cell Explorer for the past year in Motown and has logged over 17,000 test miles with the vehicle. The vehicle features a 50 kW hybrid battery and two 65 kW electric motors -- one on each axle. As to not impede on cargo/passenger space, hydrogen tank is mounted within the central tunnel normally reserved for the transmission, transfer case and driveshaft.

The fuel cell Explorer is said to achieve 350 miles on a single tank of hydrogen. For comparison, a V6-powered 4WD Explorer can travel 337.5 miles/450 miles (city/highway) on a single tank of gasoline and a V8-powered 4WD Explorer can go 315 miles/ 450 miles (city/highway).

Also on display will be Ford's new 2008 Escape Hybrid. The previous generation compact hybrid SUV has been quite popular due to its attractive price tag and many can be seen zipping through New York City as taxi cabs. With the help of its second generation hybrid drivetrain, the 2008 Escape Hybrid is sure to improve on the current AWD model's 33MPG/29MPG (city/highway) figures.

Tesla working on all-electric sedan

The Lotus-built Tesla Roadster has certainly made some headlines these past few months. Where else can you find an all-electric vehicle capable to doing zero to 60 in less than four seconds? Well, the crew at Tesla not only want to provide you with a fun weekend sports car, they want to sell you on a more practical all-electric sedan as well.

A budget-minded Toyota Yaris this certainly is not. Instead, the Silicon Valley-based automaker has its sights set on tackling the upscale BMW 5-series. The four door vehicle will obviously not be based on the Elise platform (as the Roadster is). They will instead by using a "lightweight steel construction."

Although it won't be quite as peppy as its two-door cousin, the sedan will still get a solid 250 horsepower and a 200 mile range. An even more powerful Roadster is also being planned.

BMW to Unveil Hydrogen 7, Decline BLUETEC Diesels at LA Auto Show

The new BMW Hydrogen 7, which DailyTech first mentioned in September, will make its world debut at the 2006 Los Angeles Auto Show. The car started production on November 13, and is being produced in a limited series will be sold to selected drivers worldwide in 2007. It is equipped with an internal combustion engine capable of running either on hydrogen or on gasoline and based on the BMW 7 Series.

The Hydrogen 7 is powered by a 260 hp twelve-cylinder engine and accelerates from 0-100 km/h (0-62.1 mph) in 9.5 seconds. Top speed is limited electronically to 143 mph, as is the case with many cars from BMW. For comparison, the petrol-only 6L V12 found in the 760Li outputs a maximum 438 hp and 444 lb-ft of torque for a 0-100 km/h time of 5.7 seconds; and the petrol 4.8L V8 pushes out 360 for both hp and torque figures, accelerating the 750i from 0-100 km/h in 6.1 seconds.

The Hydrogen 7 also features a dual-mode power unit that can switch quickly and conveniently from hydrogen to conventional premium gasoline at the touch of a button. Engine power and torque remain the same regardless of the mode of operation, so switching from one mode to another has no effect on the driving behavior and performance of the BMW Hydrogen 7.

Because there is not yet a full network of hydrogen filling stations in the United States, the BMW Hydrogen 7 features dual-mode drive technology gives a combined cruising range of over 400 miles – the hydrogen mode gives more than 125 miles, with another 300 miles in the gasoline mode. Fuel capacity is 74-litre (16.3 Imp gal) for gasoline and approximately 8 kilos (17.6 lb) of liquid hydrogen. The control system in BMW Hydrogen 7 gives priority to the use of hydrogen; and should one of the two types of fuel be fully consumed, the system will automatically switch over to the other type of fuel.

By using hydrogen produced from water and renewable energy, such as wind, sun or hydropower, in an internal combustion engine, the car's emissions in hydrogen mode are essentially nothing but vapor, allowing the water cycle to start again.

The knowledge gained in the PDP has not only made a decisive contribution to the everyday driving qualities of the BMW Hydrogen 7, but it will also significantly impact the development and production of future hydrogen vehicle concepts, with the principle of dual-mode drive and the features of other components now going through the strict test of everyday driving practice.

While BMW demonstrates a working and viable hydrogen-powered vehicle with the Hydrogen 7, the carmaker still estimates that the complete change from a fossil fuel infrastructure to a hydrogen economy will require decades. BMW views its Hydrogen 7 as a ‘pilot’ vehicle, and any data gathered from everyday driving will significantly impact the development and production of future hydrogen vehicle concepts for all carmakers, not just the one from Munich.

A production version of the BMW Hydrogen 7 will be on display for the first time for public eyes at the Los Angeles Auto Show December 1-10. Click here to view videos of the Hydrogen 7 on the road, the refueling process, engine animation and interview clips. Edmunds also has a writeup from one of the first test-drives of the new vehicle.

In other clean vehicle news, other German carmakers DaimlerChrysler, Volkswagen and Audi announced that they would reveal at the auto show details on a “BLUETEC” alliance to help popularize diesel engine technology into North America. BLUETEC is being promoted as the world's cleanest diesel technology, using filters and clever chemistry to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions.

BMW declined to join its fellow countrymen in the BLUETEC crusade, saying that it has no current plans to offer its diesels in Bluetec form in North America. BMW is still investigating diesels that would satisfy California emissions, but first wants to develop a urea-based technology to reduce nitrogen oxides before considering a sustained entry into the U.S. diesel market, Reuters reports. “We are in the process of thinking of a name that is different from BLUETEC,” a spokesman for BMW said.

Hit the streets with 2007 Koenigsegg CCX

Easily one of the hottest and most sought after supercars out there is the Koenigsegg CCX. Its uber exclusivity is almost enough to make you drool on its own, but when you get to take it for a test drive, my... you want it so much more. The lucky crew at WindingRoad had the opportunity to take this 806hp beast for a spin around the block, and of course they finished with big smiles on their faces.

To recap, you'll find a twin-supercharged 4.7L V8 powering this behemoth, providing peak power at 6900rpm. There's 678 lbs-ft of torque to enjoy at 5700rpm, with a 0-60 time of just 3.2 seconds. The price maybe a touch of deterrant -- $540,000 -- but it's a relative bargain compared to the million-dollar Bugatti Veyron.

BMW Incorporates Microcontrollers to Alter Handling

The 2007 X5 will feature FlexRay-powered AdaptiveDrive that will change handling characteristics with a press of a button

BMW Group today announced the inclusion of the FlexRay communications protocol in the newly redesigned X5 Sports Activity Vehicle, which the carmaker hopes to further advance its efforts in its active suspension technologies.

Freescale Semiconductor will be producing the 32-bit FlexRay microcontrollers to help enable 10Mbit/s bandwidth for communication between systems for such automotive applications as active and passive safety, collision avoidance, powertrain management and driver assistance.

BMW’s adoption of FlexRay technology is expected to give drivers improved access to handling and stability control capabilities. With the simple press of a button, drivers of the new BMW X5 can choose a sporting or comfortable ride on the fly. BMW has named its new feature AdaptiveDrive, which is a combination of Active Roll Stabilization and Electronic Damping Control.

FlexRay technology is not exclusive to only BMW; DaimlerChrysler, General Motors and Volkswagen also belong to the FlexRay Consortium.

"The FlexRay communications standard is continuing to gain support with key OEMs in Europe, Japan and the United States and is expected to be used by vehicle makers to enable exciting new safety-critical and performance features, as well as making on-board networking of existing electronics systems more robust," said Chris Webber, vice president of the Automotive Practice at Strategy Analytics. "Bringing this technology to the market first clearly demonstrates BMW's dedication to cutting-edge technology in providing its customer with innovative product features and an enhanced driving experience."

The new BMW X5 will be launched in North America at the end of November 2006 and will be available in other markets worldwide in spring 2007.

Police vihicles: Brabus CLS V12 S "Rocket"

If you're tearing it up on the Autobahn, recklessly endangering the other motorists around you, the last thing you want to see in your rearview mirror is this beast. The Brabus CLS Rocket has got to be one of the fastest cop cars out there, thanks to its highly tuned 730 twin-turbocharged V12 engine. You likely won't be able to outrun this monster of a car, as it will very quickly catch up to you with its 225.19mph top speed.
It may not be the fastest police car -- that title may belong to the Porsche 911 Carrera S -- but this Brabus tuned CLS certainly goes like stink. Too bad it doesn't have those ram-guard things on the front.