Thursday, July 10, 2008

Meridian Ferrari F80 All-In-One Digital Sound System

Meridian Audio has joined forces with Ferrari to create the F80 all-in-one digital transportable sound system that’s been designed to appeal both to the eye and to the ear –that sounds quite catchy, doesn’t it… The F80 that bears both the Meridian marque and Ferrari insignia, incorporates a CD/DVD player, AM/FM and DAB radio, and is compatible with any type of MP3 player including the iPod. -Continued

The audio system is available in five Ferrari colors – Rosso Corsa (red), Giallo Modena (yellow), Argento Nurburgring (silver), Nero (black) and Bianco Avus (off-white). It is sold through Meridian and Ferrari retailers and has a recommended retail price of 1,900 or $2,950.

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

BMW to Test Electric Powered MINIs

Over the next year and a half, BMW will test a series of electric-powered MINI models in real life conditions, the company announced today. The MINIs will be built in the company’s Oxford plant in the U.K. without engines and transmissions and then shipped to BMW’s headquarters in Munich, Germany where they will be fitted with an electric powertrain. The Bavarian automaker said that it will build and test several hundred of electric MINIs in order to evaluate the viability of a mass production version. Pic: Carscoop

Lotus Eco Elise Concept with Hemp Body Panels!

Lotus will unveil an environmentally-friendly version of its sporty roadster called Eco Elise at the British Motor Show that opens its doors on July 22. Unlike most eco-friendly propositions of our time, the Eco Elise study doesn’t revolve solely around tailpipe CO2 emissions. Instead, the Brits tried a holistic approach to ecology by using sustainable materials, cleaner manufacturing processes, renewable energy generation and of course, by reducing the car’s weight.

The renewable materials that have been incorporated into the Eco Elis project include hemp (industrial cannabis) that’s used on the car’s composite body panels, spoiler and seats, eco wool for the upholstery and sisal for the carpet. Cleaner manufacturing processes have been achieved by utilizing the latest water based paint technology. As for renewable energy generation, the Eco Elise’s hemp hard top incorporates a set of solar panels that provide power for the car’s electrical systems. -Continued

"Performance through light weight" is synonymous with Lotus, so a reduction in mass was a priority for the company’s engineers. The weight reduction philosophy has even extended to the audio system with a lightweight stereo and speaker system from Alpine that saves an impressive 1.5 kg (3.3 lbs). The Eco Elise also uses special lightweight wheels that reduce the unsprung mass and contribute a weight saving of approximately 15.8 kg (34.8 lbs) over the already light Elise wheels.

Overall, the weight saving programme for the Eco Elise has resulted in a total saving of around 32 kg (70.5 lbs) over the feather light Elise S, which consequently reduces the fuel required to drive the car.






2009 Acura TL Spotted in Ohio

An eagle-eyed reader over at our Jalopnik friends snapped this picture of a heavily camouflaged 2009 Acura TL prototype roaming the roads of Ohio. The new shot gives us yet another glimpse of the 2009 TL’s strangely formed buttocks. From what we know, the new TL is expected to make its debut at either this November's Los Angeles Auto Show or the Detroit Show in January 2009.

Via: Jalopnik

Design Your Own Volvo C30 Contest

Volvo has announced the winner of its “Design your own C30” contest in Sweden which attracted nearly 6,000 participants. The winner is 23-year-old Marie Karlsson, engineer from Vetlanda who will receive a Volvo C30 1.8F in the "dream pattern" Weeds. The contest was created to promote the launch of Volvo’s personalized adhesive films for the C30. The adhesive films that come in a variety of designs are offered exclusively in Sweden and Finland. However, Volvo stated that many markets have shown interest including Japan, Canada, Malaysia, Thailand, Romania, England, Denmark, France and Switzerland. -Continued









Audi Announces Best First Half-Year Results in Company's History

The German luxury automaker managed to sell more than 516,000 cars to customers worldwide between January and June (2007: 508,842), thus not only representing a gain of 1.4 percent compared with the first six months of 2007, but according to Audi, it’s the company’s best first half-year in history in terms of deliveries. Audi expects that the second half of the year will be even better as it will release the revised A3 and A6 models along with the all-new Q5 compact SUV.

“In 2008 we will achieve record sales of more than one million cars for the first time in our history,” said Audi Chairman Rupert Stadler. “The first half of the year was marked by major model changes for us, yet we’re already two percent above target.” -Continued

“We will launch the updated Audi A3 in July. For the A4 important new engine versions in the mid-performance range are on their way and in September sales start on the US market,” said Peter Schwarzenbauer, Member of the Board of Management for Marketing and Sales of AUDI AG. Later in the year, Audi will also introduce the new Audi Q5, along with the Audi A6 product improvement. “We will reap the rewards of this product initiative in the fourth quarter,” added Schwarzenbauer.

Chevy Creates World’s First Billboard Made from Pennies, By-passers Strip it Clean

Chevrolet created havoc with its 20-foot billboard advert made entirely from one-pence coins in London’s New Oxford Street. The unique billboard that consisted of 20,000 pennies was created to advertise the 769,500-pence starting price of the new Aveo. Understandably, it didn’t take long for hundreds of opportunistic by passers to strip it clean. To be exact, the penny-billboard only lasted for a mere 30 minutes… -Continued

Chevrolet's Les Turton commented:“There have been some great car adverts before, but none that has stopped traffic and actually put money back into the motorist’s pocket so this is certainly a first. We’re glad we’ve topped up lots of people’s wallets, purses and, in some cases, rucksacks, but it would have been nice for the billboard to last a little longer than 30 minutes.”




Renault-Nissan Form Electric Car Alliance with Portuguese Government

The Government of Portugal and the Renault Nissan Alliance have announced a partnership to promote zero-emission electric cars across the country. Under the agreement that was signed off today, the government will help the Renault Nissan Group study how to create the right conditions to make electric vehicles an attractive offer for Portuguese consumers as well as increasing public awareness. There will also be a joint study for the infrastructure and related organizations required to create a nationwide network of charging stations for electric vehicles.

The Renault Nissan Group is planning to launch its first mass market electric vehicles (EV) in 2011 and Portugal will be one of the lead global markets for the introduction of EVs from the Alliance. -Continued

Portugal has become a leading country in renewable energy. This agreement with Renault-Nissan will place Portugal also on the front line in terms of sustainable mobility with zero-emission vehicles. Promoting electric cars in Portugal will reduce our dependence on imported oil and will contribute to a cleaner environment,” said Portugal’s Prime Minister José Sócrates.

“With the rising cost of oil and continuing concerns about C02 emissions, we believe the ultimate solution to sustainable mobility will be the mass availability of zero-emission vehicles,” said Renault-Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn. “Portugal is a recognized global leader in the development of renewable energy, and we applaud the government’s actions to make electric cars an economic reality for their citizens.”

BMW and Fiat Planning Small Car Alliance, Alfa Romeos could be sold through MINI in the U.S.

BMW Group and Fiat Group have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore the possibility of co-operation in the areas of architectures and components for their MINI and Alfa Romeo vehicles. As part of the deal, BMW will support Fiat in launching the Alfa Romeo brand in the North American market, or to put it simple, MINI U.S. dealers would have the chance to also sell Alfa Romeos. If all goes well, the final deal is expected to be signed off by the end of the year. -Continued

"We are currently examining with the Fiat Group possibilities for the joint use of components and systems in MINI and Alfa Romeo vehicles in order to achieve economies of scale and thus cost reductions within the framework of our Strategy Number ONE", said Friedrich Eichiner, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG responsible for Corporate and Brand Development.

Sergio Marchionne, CEO of Fiat Group said: "The proposed co-operation with BMW is a significant cornerstone of our strategy of alliances. We are delighted to work with such an esteemed and respected partner in the automotive industry with the clear objective of improving the competitive position of both parties," Sergio Marchionne, CEO of Fiat Group and FGA, said in Turin.

Mitsubishi Galant Fortis Ralliart 240Hp

What most of us know as the new Lancer Ralliart will be sold in Japan under the name Galant Fortis Ralliart. Essentially a toned down version of the Lancer EVO X, the Galant Fortis Ralliart is equipped with a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine delivering 240Hp and 343 Nm (35.0 kgm) of maximum torque.

The engine is matted to the EVO X’s dual clutch semi-automated SST transmission with different ratios for 5th and 6th gears to give improved fuel economy in high-speed cruising on longer trips. Finally, the Ralliart features a full-time 4WD driveline with Mitsubishi's Active Center Differential (ACD). The Galant Fortis Ralliart goes on sale at affiliated dealerships throughout Japan today with a price tag of 2,982,000 Yen ($27,700). -Image gallery after the jump











Batmobile & Toyota F1 Race Car Wallpapers

Last week Panasonic Toyota Racing brought the Batmobile and Bat-Pod vehicles for a demonstration run alongside the Toyota TF108 F1 car at the Silverstone race track. The Batmobile that will be featured in the new Batman movie “The Dark Knight” is around 3m at its widest point, 4.5m long and 1.5m high, weighing in at 2.5 tons. It is equipped with a 340hp 5.7-litre V8 gasoline engine and it has six wheels - two in the front, outfitted with sprint car race tires, and four monster truck tires at the back. Check out the video here or follow the jump for 20 high-res images. -Continued