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- BMW testing out new hydrogen fuel cell electric powertrain
- Volkswagen might be planning lighter, cheaper and efficient Touareg 2Motion
- Video: Lexus GX460 deemed dangerous to drive by media, Toyota stops sale
- GM’s handling of Hummer to be investigated by Senator Roland Burris
- Geely GE limousine drops Rolls Royce look in Beijing
- 2010 Acura ZDX gets recalled over passenger airbag issues
- SAIC Leaf concept presents itself before Beijing debut
- Fiat’s Marchionne: PSA Peugeot Citroen are going to merge with rival soon
- Brabus Vanish revealed, 800 HP Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG Black Series
- Carlsson unveils Citroen C5 styling package
| BMW testing out new hydrogen fuel cell electric powertrain Posted: 14 Apr 2010 04:49 AM PDT  BMW has revealed that it is now testing out a new type of powertrain that uses a hydrogen fuel cell to generate electricity, store in supercapacitors and then use it to power an electric motor. The new technology is already being tested on a BMW 1 Series prototype. On that test vehicle, it is combined with a regular internal combustion engine, that powers the front wheels. While some of you may jump to the conclusion that this tech is going to appear on the future front-wheel drive BMW and Mini models, an executive within the company confirmed that the setup was forced by technical issues. It seems that the supercapacitors and the rear-mounted electric motor occupied too much space, and didn’t allow the 1 Series to retain its regular rear-wheel drive setup. As such, the APU (Auxiliary Power Unit) aka the fuel cell, generates its power, which is then stored in the capacitors, and transferred to the electric motor, that power the back wheels. The internal combustion engine is just used to power the front wheels and keep the prototype moving in between hydrogen refueling stops. According to some voices, the technology hasn’t been approved just yet, so we won’t get to see it for quite some time. For more details on how hydrogen fuel cell vehicles work, check out our special on them. Source: Autocar Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Volkswagen might be planning lighter, cheaper and efficient Touareg 2Motion Posted: 14 Apr 2010 02:26 AM PDT  The rumor mill has started spinning once more, this time with winds coming from France’s L’Automobile, who says that Volkswagen might be planning, in the future, a big change for the newest Touareg SUV generation: dropping the 4Motion all-wheel drive system in favor of a simpler, 2Motion rear-wheel drive setup. Why would it want such a thing? In order to decrease the weight of the chunky SUV, in order to decrease its asking price and to increase the fuel efficiency of the 2011 Touareg. It seems that not even the promise of a hybrid version or the very frugal diesel engines will attract people, so VW is planning ahead. Still, it’s pretty peculiar that the German carmaker will opt for a RWD setup, instead of a more common FWD arrangement, found on quite a few entry-level SUVs. We’re not so sure about the validity of this rumor, so take it with a grain of salt. Source: L’Automobile via Autoblog Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Video: Lexus GX460 deemed dangerous to drive by media, Toyota stops sale Posted: 14 Apr 2010 01:56 AM PDT  Toyota is on an unfortunate roll these days with bad press, as Consumer Reports, in its yearly car tests, has found the 2010 Lexus GX460 to be extremely dangerous to drive, and placed it in its infamous “Do Not Buy” list. It seems that the big luxury SUV has a few faults with its traction control system, or in simpler terms, is too tail-happy, causing the rear of the vehicle to slide outwards at greater speeds, as if it were drifting. Because its Toyota-badged brother, the 4Runner, had no problems with the same test, Consumer Reports indicate that either the luxury model has an issue with the traction control or because too many premium features were added, the increased weight simply overcomes the power of the system. Toyota has immediately taken action, in an effort to save its premium SUV, and has stopped the sale of all Lexus GX460 models in the USA. It will work together with Consumer Reports and try to find a solution to the tail happy SUV. If you already own a 2010 GX460, you can take it to your local dealership where a loaner car will be supplied until a solution is found. Hit the jump to see just a video from CR showing the test and what went wrong with the tail happy 2010 Lexus GX460. Source: Automotive News Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| GM’s handling of Hummer to be investigated by Senator Roland Burris Posted: 14 Apr 2010 01:24 AM PDT  After last weekend’s Save Hummer summit, it has been revealed that Illinois Senator Roland Burris will open an official investigation into how General Motors has handled its Hummer brand, especially after the sale talks with China’s Sichuan Tengzhong failed. It seems that even though GM said it is open to any other bidders, great offers from two electric vehicle research companies, Raser Technologies and Electric Motors Corporation, haven’t even received an answer. Even more so, GM has recently revealed that the wind down process is continuing as planned, and the SUV brand is going to be closed down soon. The Senator is going to ask GM the reasons such offers were turned down without even a suggestion to improve them and potentially save Hummer and its employees. He will also plead some of the suggestions the groups who attended the Save Hummer summit had revealed. Hopefully this investigation will shed some light on the fate of the brand, but don’t cross your fingers just yet. Source: HummerGuy Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Geely GE limousine drops Rolls Royce look in Beijing Posted: 14 Apr 2010 01:07 AM PDT  At last year’s Shanghai Motor Show, Chinese carmaker Geely introduced its GE luxury limousine that, considering imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, made Rolls Royce feel extremely “good”. After threatening with legal action, the Chinese carmaker, now the proud owner of Volvo, will reveal a restyled GE model at the upcoming Beijing Motor Show, taking place at the end of April. As you can see above, some serious modifications were made, from the curbed grille to the new headlamps, all in order to escape the keen eye of Rolls Royce.  The interior also saw some alterations, replacing the single rear seat with a more standard two-seat design. Expect the the GE limousine to appear under the Emgrand brand, alongside 58 (!) other vehicles at Geely’s stand at the Beijing Motor Show. Source: Autocar Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| 2010 Acura ZDX gets recalled over passenger airbag issues Posted: 14 Apr 2010 12:37 AM PDT  Acura has just revealed that the 2010 ZDX model, which saw 1,580 models sold so far, will be recalled immediately over a potential problem to the passenger airbag. According to the Japanese luxury carmaker, the dashboard on around 2% of these vehicles has been badly assembled, and might cause the passenger airbag to deploy improperly in case of a crash. It seems that it might stem from the material, which wasn’t correctly cut when the car was manufactured. Bear in mind only a few cars have been affected, but the company will notify anyone who purchased a 2010 ZDX in order to get it checked up at the local dealership. If the fault is found, the dashboard will be replaced with no extra charge. For more info, call (800) 382-2238. Source: AutoWeek Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| SAIC Leaf concept presents itself before Beijing debut Posted: 14 Apr 2010 12:17 AM PDT  The Beijing Motor Show is rapidly approaching its start, and the Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC) has already revealed its main center piece, the Leaf concept. Now before you jump to any conclusions, as you can see above, it has nothing to do with the Nissan Leaf electric vehicle, except that it shares the same power source. But where the Leaf car actually works with storing energy and using it to get around, the SAIC Leaf uses its peculiar roof, fitted with solar panels, to create electricity.  Besides the sunlight-derived power, the Leaf’s wheels have special vanes, that allow them to spin in the wind, also generating power to boost the momentum of this unusual concept. As you can imagine, the concept is just a show car, built to reflect the efforts SAIC is doing in terms of alternative fuels. Source: Autocar Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Fiat’s Marchionne: PSA Peugeot Citroen are going to merge with rival soon Posted: 14 Apr 2010 12:05 AM PDT  The CEO of Fiat, and more recently Chrysler, Sergio Marchionne, shared a bit of insight into the current state of the automotive industry, and revealed that French group PSA Peugeot Citroen is going to merge with a rival company soon enough. This will no doubt be a reaction to the recently revealed partnership between local competitors Renault Nissan with Daimler, which was announced last week. Marchionne says that even though the talks with Japanese company Mitsubishi have failed, the PSA alliance will no doubt partner soon with another group, in order to refrain from spending too much on research and development. For those who forgot, Peugeot and Citroen are working in terms of engine sharing with BMW, a deal which is proving quite advantageous for the two parties. There are currently no rumors that the partnership might extend, but meetings behind closed doors might be taking place. Also, the French company partnered some time ago with Marchionne’s Fiat, in terms of minivans. Considering the huge costs any carmaker needs to support, it seems that such mergers and partnerships are going to become quite common, until we’re left with just a few big groups. It that good of bad? Share your thoughts by leaving a comment. Source: Automotive News via Autocar Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Brabus Vanish revealed, 800 HP Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG Black Series Posted: 13 Apr 2010 11:46 PM PDT  Want a fast Mercedes-Benz roadster? Then check out the Mercedes-Benz SL. Want something powerful? Check out the Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG. Want something even more powerful? Well the Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG Black Series is one of the most powerful models from the German company, with 670 HP. That wasn’t enough for a Dubai owner, who wanted a *bit* more power out of his recently purchased roadster. As such, he flew it to traditional MB tuner Brabus, who went to work improving the car. Thanks to enlarged turbochargers, an enhanced gearbox, better brakes and a fresh exhaust system, the car is now even more powerful. How much so? The Brabus Vanish (good name, btw) now outputs 800 HP from the twin-turbo V12 engine. Enough to put to shame a lot of the cars now on the road. For those who were already checking their bank account, this has been one-off model made by Brabus, but we’re pretty sure that with the right amount of money, they’ll make you one as well. Source: TopSpeed Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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| Carlsson unveils Citroen C5 styling package Posted: 13 Apr 2010 11:32 PM PDT  German tuner Carlsson has collaborated with Mercedes-Benz for quite some time, but this doesn’t mean it won’t try something different. Now, the company has partnered with Citroen to reveal a styling kit for the C5 sedan, which can be ordered straight from French dealerships. The Carlsson Citroen C5 will be showcased at the AMI Leipzig Motor Show and boasts a restyled front spoiler, side skirts, a new rear diffuser and LED daytime running lights. A set of 19-inch wheels and dual exhaust pipes were also fitted. On the inside you’ll find Alcantara on the steering wheel, leather upholstery plus the Business Package NaviDrive 3D system. This special C5 will be available with the 165 HP and 240 HP HDi diesel units as well as the 155 HP gasoline engine, mated to either the manual or automatic transmission. The kit can be applied to both the sedan and the touring (wagon) variants. Source: ZerCustoms via Automarket Post published on Rpmgo.com Related posts:
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