Volkswagen Golf aka "Rabbit VI" spied by photographers

Spies have caught the next-generation Volkswagen Golf/Rabbit in testing. Both the two- and four-door versions were photographed.

Although sales of the new 2007 model Rabbit just recently started here in the United States, European sales of the Golf have apparently been lagging, and manufacturing time is nearly twice as long as other cars in its class.

Recent reports suggest orders from management are to simplify and shorten the assembly process, and produce the next “generation” on the current but updated platform – with, of course, considerable cost-cutting savings. And, in the process, giving it a more exciting and slightly more aggressive look.

Sources close to Volkswagen believe the next generation Golf will reach European dealerships in late 2008, or 2009 – but American’s will have to wait a bit longer to purchase what will commonly be known nearly everywhere as the Golf VI.

2008 Toyota Prius gets cheaper or even more expensive?

Toyota just released pricing for most of its 2008 lineup, and along with a brief summary of model changes was information about a new, lower-cost Prius. That's right, a cheaper Prius. We had talked about the fact that consumer clamor for hybrids was waning, but we never expected to see the Prius price reduced. Reading the fine print shows what's really happening is that Toyota has introduced a new "standard" model with slightly less content to get to a lower price point. The base MSRP for the new Standard Prius starts at $20,950, while the Limited goes up about $150 to $23,220.

The recent JD Power finding that hybrid popularity is giving way to more interest in diesel powertrains seemed to have some merit as Toyota had said it would be trimming the entry price of its 2008 Camry Hybrid by about $1,000, as well. Although the Camry isn't included in this release, the cheaper Prius seems to bear out that fact. The cheaper '08 Standard Prius should be in dealerships in August. New pricing for the other '08 Toyota models was also announced, and not surprisingly, all went up, even if just a bit.

Stuttgart: Porsche Cayenne Hybrid prototype unveiled

Appropriate Fuel Consumption is not only an issue that matters to some one who is buying a car…..in fact it’s a global crisis. Porsche has looked in to this crisis and come up with a Cayenne SUV hybrid prototype that is specifically designed to decrease fuel consumption.

Just recently in Stuttgart the company demonstrated its vision to the media through this hybrid car. The Cayenne Hybrid will feature a full-hybrid design where the hybrid module (clutch and electric motor) is positioned between the combustion engine and the transmission rather than having the hybrid drive train branching output along various lines and in various directions via a planetary gear set. This in-line configuration is a better fit for Porsche as it will provide improved acceleration and engine flexibility compared to a conventional Cayenne. Coordinating the car's three main components - the combustion engine, the electric motor and the battery - is the Hybrid Manager, the heart of the Cayenne Hybrid.

The power steering and vacuum pump for the brakes, as well as the air conditioning, which operate on electric power…..all contribute to its enhanced mileage factor. Porsche intends to introduce similar hybrid technology in a version of its Panamera four-door Gran Turismo that is scheduled to debut sometime in 2009.

Porsche Cayenne Hybrid to Cut Fuel Consumption by a Third

Porsche's SUV will get a hybrid powertrain to improve fuel economy, reduce emissions
When most people think about the high-performance Porsche Cayenne SUV, fuel economy isn't exactly the first thing to come to mind. The Cayenne S with its 4.8 liter normally-aspirated 385HP V8 engine achieves city/highway numbers of 13MPG/19MPG according to 2008 EPA estimates. Stepping up to the 500HP Cayenne Turbo drops fuel economy to 12MPG/19MPG.

Cayenne buyers who wimp out and go for the 290HP 3.6 liter V6 are greeted with EPA numbers of 14MPG/20MPG. Regardless of which engine you choose, the Cayenne does not impress when it comes to fuel economy -- and it was never really intended to do so until now.
The European Commission is clamping down on CO2 emissions and fuel economy requirements for new vehicles and companies like Porsche will be obliged to comply.
One way that Porsche is looking to avoid potential fines for producing vehicles that fail to comply with standard is by purchasing Volkswagen AG which has an entire stable of fuel-efficient vehicles. Although Porsche recently withdrew its offer to take over Volkswagen, the option still remains. The second way is by developing a hybrid-electric system for its gas-guzzling Cayenne.
The hybrid system which will debut next year in the Cayenne's platform-mate, the VW Touareg, and the following year will appear in the Cayenne. A 50HP electric motor will be used in conjunction with the existing 280HP 3.6 liter V6 on both vehicles.
According to Reuters, the Cayenne hybrid will consume 8.9 liter of gasoline for every 100 kilometers as opposed to 12.9 liters on the European cycle.
The hybrid system will also help to reduce C02 emissions. The Cayenne currently spews 320 to 378 grams of CO2 per kilometer. That number will have to be reduced to 130 grams per kilometer by 2012 according to new rules set to go into effect courtesy of the European Commission.
Reuters also notes that the upcoming Porsche Panamera four-door sedan will also receive a hybrid powertrain option. The 911, Boxster and Cayman, however, will survive the hybrid craze unfazed.

The first look at 2010 Toyota Prius Hybrid

Remember earlier this month when we heard that 50% of people buy a Prius to "make a statement"? There are other hybrids out there, but it is the Toyota Prius that is immediately recognizable as one. As such, Toyota could be taking it several steps further with this outlandish approach to the next-generation Prius.

Created by some Transportation Design students at the Instituto Europo di Design in Torino, Italy, this Prius concept vehicle mockup has been drawn up to scream "hybrid!" louder than the current iteration. There's no saying whether the guys at ToMoCo are paying attention to the scribblings of students on the other side of the Earth, but I wouldn't be all that surprised if they took on a similar mentality with next Prius.
After all, the Toyota Prius outsells its rivals by far and a lot of it has to do with the look.

MIT researchers: spark-free efficient engines are coming!

Cambridge (MA) – MIT researchers have developed a fuel-efficient car engine that doesn’t use a spark to ignite fuel. The homogeneous charge compression ignition engine (HCCI) combines elements from standard spark ignition and diesel engines. Researchers say the engines cut pollution and improve fuel economy by several miles per gallon.

The research team showed off their findings to the Japan Society of Automotive Engineers on July 23rd. Fuel in the HCCI engine is pre-mixed with air before being injected into a cylinder. A piston then compresses the mixture and causes combustion. Regular gasoline engines use a spark plug to ignite the fuel-air mixture while diesel engines inject fuel into an already compressed and hot chamber.
By premixing the fuel and then injecting into the chamber, researchers say combustion occurs evenly which reduces pollution. However, researchers admit that HCCI engines are a bit more finicky when it comes to temperatures and fuel composition. Large variations in either can drastically cut power by making the combustion occur during the wrong stroke cycle.

Professor Wai K. Cheng of MIT’s Department of Mechanical Engineering has partially fixed that problem by creating a hybrid engine that runs in standard spark ignition mode most of the time and then switches to HCCI mode when temperatures and fuel are just right. Cheng and his team believe the engine operates in HCCI mode 40 percent of the time.
An HCCI engine improves fuel efficiency by a few miles per gallon and if most cars used them, the researchers say nationwide oil consumption could be reduced by a million barrels a day.