New BMW M3 Concept in Geneva is Sleeker than Ever Before? Yes!

The BMW M3 has always been a highly sought after car, evoking feelings of class while throwing you back in your seat with a surge of exhilaration. The Bavarian car maker took the stage at the Geneva Motor Show and revealed the next incarnation of the M3 coupe, and yes, it's as gorgeous as ever.

The fenders bulge out, showing you its strength. The wheels are huge, but understandably so considering the giant brakes they need to house. The gaping air inlets and carbon fiber roof add in those final touches that let you know this beast means business. It's hot, it's fast... but it's still a concept.

As such, BMW hasn't officially announced what engine they'll plunk under the hood of this rear-wheel-drive behemoth, but the M3 on display was sporting a 420hp+ V8 mated with a six-speed manual transmission. A new twin-clutch gearbox may also be available.

Via MobileMag

Biofuels power "clean energy" boom

The amount of money spent on so-called clean energy--already growing at a torrid pace--is poised to quadruple in the next decade, according to a report published Tuesday by research firm Clean Edge.

The spending boom is being fueled by a confluence of factors, including broader recognition of global warming, an influx in venture capital and growing interest in energy among corporations and politicians.

Clean Edge said in the overall market for fossil fuel alternatives, biofuels represent the largest portion at $20.5 billion in spending in 2006. Wind and solar power saw $17.9 billion and $15.6 billion, respectively, while $1.4 billion in funding went into fuel cell technology last year.

Those four energy technologies grew in aggregate by 39 percent in 2006, year over year, to $55.4 billion. Clean Edge forecasts that rapid growth rate will continue for the next decade, making clean technology a $226 billion market globally.

Led by the projected use of ethanol for transportation, biofuels are projected to grow to over $80 billion in 2016. Solar power will grow more rapidly than wind, as solar manufacturers scale up their operations, Clean Edge said. The solar market, representing both products and services, will expand to nearly $70 billion, and wind will be a $60 billion market in 2016, the research group forecast.

Amid the boom, Clean Edge detailed a number of factors that potentially could slow adoption of these different energy technologies.

The rising costs of manufacturing solar photovoltaic systems and building biofuel refineries could slow anticipated price drops relative to other fuel sources, said Ron Pernick, one of the report's authors.

Due to the high cost of materials, the cost to install a megawatt of wind and solar power has gone up since 2004, and profit margins for ethanol in the U.S. "all but collapsed" in 2006.

Also, it's unclear whether the high investment rates from venture capitalists will continue, said Rodrigo Prudencio, a partner at venture firm Nth Power, which participated in the report.

Venture capital in energy technology more than doubled last year to $2.4 billion, which is 9.4 percent of all venture dollars invested in the U.S. By comparison, energy represented only 0.8 percent of total venture investments in 1999.

Prudencio noted that investments in biofuels, in particular, is something of a departure for venture capitalists because much of the equity is spent on construction of physical plants, rather than intellectual property. He added, though, that these "low tech" biofuels investments are relatively low risk.

In a conference call on Tuesday, analyst Joel Makower singled out five trends that will shape clean energy during the coming years.

Those he noted were anticipated government regulations designed to put a price on carbon emissions; biorefineries that improve the overall energy output by using animal wastes or plant byproducts during production; improved battery technology for vehicles; retail giant Wal-Mart's energy efficiency and renewable energy programs; and utilities like PG&E and Duke Energy starting to embrace carbon limits and clean energy.

Opel GTC Coupe Concept now is TurboCharged!

General Motors has a lot of brands under its belt, several of which never see the light of day here in Canada. One such badge is Opel, though we found the GT Roadster around these parts slightly retooled as the Pontiac Solstice and the Saturn Sky. The Opel Gran Turismo Coupe (GTC) concept is quite a different beast, however, exuding a certain sense of luxury to go with its 300 horsepower V6 engine. It's also got a turbo and all-wheel-drive to boot.

The Opel GTC is based on the next-generation Vectra platform. The Vectra is a four-door sedan, while the GTC is a two-door coupe, not unlike the Opel Calibra (1989 to 1997) that was based on the Vectra of that era. More details surrounding the Opel GTC should be revealed in Geneva this week. It's probably going to be Euro-only for now, but I can totally see this transforming into the next Pontiac G6 or something.

Via http://www.leftlanenews.com

Alert Car Seat Warns You When You Are Sleepy

Sleeping on the wheel have caused many accidents in the past and the only way to probably contain such kind of scenes is to have a system wherein the car driver could be warned that he is sleeping and be jolted awake. Researchers from the University of Tokyo, Oita University, the Shimane Institute of Health Science and Delta Tooling have been laboring towards this cause. They have built a prototype of a smart car seat capable of detecting when its driver is on the verge of falling asleep. This prototype was unveiled at a symposium held at the University of Tokyo on February 5. After studying the physiological signs of 100 sleepy subjects and monitoring the changes in their pulse and respiration that occur 10 minutes before falling asleep, the researchers have been able to develop this seat.

Basically they have developed a sensor to detect these changes and integrated the sensor onto the seat. The sensors work though layers of clothing too. And with the results interpreted the seat’s sensor is able to judge whether the driver is on the verge of sleeping or not. So far the seat is only able to detect whether the occupant is sleepy or not, no alarms have been incorporated, but I guess that will be the next step. The researchers hope to make the smart seat commercially available in 5 years.

Source: http://www.pinktentacle.com/

Bugatti Veyron -- one of the first accident

This is horrible some sucker crashed the Bugatti Veyron, though it is not as bad as the infamous Ferrari Enzo which split into two. However the Veyron is still heavily damaged from the front and needs extensive repairs.



In case you did not know the Bugatti Veyron is the world's most expensive car at $1,192,057 and also the fastest with a 1001 horsepower engine which propels the car from 0 to 60 mph in just 2.4 seconds. It has a proven top speed of 400 km/h or 253 mph.

Front Runner hydrofoil watercraft plays in the kiddie pool

At the recently conlcuded Grand Rapids (MI) Boat Show designer Joey Ruiter unveiled his new concept boat the Front Runner, a hydrofoil with twin forward-mounted 215hp jet-drive motors. the unique design allows the boat to run in extremely shallow water, and the jet drives also enhance the shallow water ability of the vessel. Additionally, it is all aluminum with no glue, a nod to sustainable manufacturing.

More info available at www.jruiter.com