Toyota targets the plug-in Prius hybrid

A senior Toyota executive declined to reveal when the Pirus plug-in would be launched oe whether it could beat rival General Motors Corp to market with a technology seen as capable of slashing fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

Bob Carter, who heads the Toyota brand in the United States, declared that it was more important for Toyota to understand consumer expectations and hone the battery-centered technology behind plug-in cars than to race to bring them to showrooms.

“Before we bring it to market, our customers always expect a level of quality and reliability, value and cost,” Carter said. “It’s critical that we understand the expectations of the consumers.”

Toyota, which dominates the current market for hybrids, has not discussed its timetable for plug-in vehicles. Statistics show that Toyota reached 80 percent of all hybrids sold in the United States this year, led by the Prius. They’ve also declared that they would deliver one modified Prius each to the University of California, Berkeley and the University of California, Irvine for a three-year study meant to speed up development of plug-in versions of the hybrid.

“We will be looking at lifestyles — how people are using the vehicles,” said Susan Shaheen, research director of the Transportation Sustainability Research Center at UC Berkeley. “Where they drive, how they recharge the vehicles, when they recharge the vehicles. And we will ask them a great deal about their perceptions.”

We’ll have to wait for “significant announcements” at next week’s Los Angeles Auto Show and Detroit’s auto show in January regarding advances to vehicles that feature alternatives to traditional combustion engines, as somebody from Toyota said.
Toyota is working now to develop the third-generation of the Prius hybrid, expected to go on sale in the United States in the 2010 or 2011 model years.

Ferrari FXX Evolution 2008

Ferrari FXX has a development program based on Clients Test Drivers for improving handling and performance. This group also includes Michael Schumacher who will test this project car. I know you are a little excited about this car guys, but unfortunately its purpose is not to be street legal. Very dissapointing indeed.

Ferarri FXX’s 6262cc V12 sports an engine that can now punch out a massive 860 bhp at 9500 rpm. Another innovative feature is the traction control that offers 9 different profiles and switching them won’t be hard (it’s like switching a gear).

Well, it seems that this extraordinary car has a brand new special front suspension geometry and large Composite Ceramic Material for the Brembo breaks. Also, the car has a different aerodynamic shape that increases the downforce over the rear axle.

Vantage N400 Special Edition-almost perfect…

Do you remember the V8 Vantage N400 special edition? Well, Aston Martin decided to show us the drop-top version. Thank you Aston Martin!
I thought that car perfection had been reached with the DB9 and the Vantage but it seems that it’s always room for improvement…Unfortunately this beyond-perfect car is only available in Great Britain. The N400 isn’t all that diferent from the standard model. But the britsh struk wright where they needed to : the power plant.
20 more HP(from 380 to 400) and 10 more Nm make all the difference.

The sports package makes this car one of the best handling in the world. And that handling matches the mindblowing looks. The exterior is bulked up by a new body kit and the interior(spotless as always) is cowered in black lether.

All in all a superb car that makes you feel like Superman when you’re cruseing on the highway. Some may get scared by the huge prices though. I took a moment to think if I should post the prices but then I remembered: Nothing’s perfect, so there they are:

Vantage N400 Coupe Manual – £94,000
Vantage N400 Coupe Sportshift – £97,000
Vantage N400 Roadster Manual – £102,000
Vantage N400 Roadster Sportshift – £105,000

Subaru to double the battery range on its electric car concept

Subaru recently released a vastly improved second cut at a plug-in battery-electric commuter car. It seems that the 65-kilowatt, 5-seater G4e’s new high energy-density lithium-ion batteries gives it a 200km range from a charge and with the help of a quick-charger it can reach up to 80% in just 15 minutes.

With 40 units of Subaru’s older EV R1e battery-electric vehicle already out and being evaluated by TEPCO’s regional sales team and local government officials, the constructor also announced the launch of an updated 5-door model with more than twice the range thanks to advances in lithium-ion battery technology.

The G4E which apparently stands for “Good 4 Earth” has a 65kw maintenance-free electric motor. The aerodynamically-efficient exterior helps to get the most from the battery pack, which is located under the floor of the vehicle to keep a low, stable center of gravity.

As for the range and charging times are currently bugbears of plug-in battery-electric vehicles and Subaru has taken a strong step forward in this ares by using a new high-capacity vanadium battery material which will load two to three times more lithium ions onto the positive battery terminal.

A normal full charge takes around 8 hours to reach full capacity, which will deliver around 200km of normal driving. Subaru has also developed a quick-charger that would allow the battery to be brought up to 80% charge in around 15 minutes. The company envisages that such quick-chargers could be easily located in carparks outside supermarkets and other public facilities. As you can see , energy per mile is a lot cheaper than a gasoline.

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2008 Mercedes-Benz P8

Mercedes-Benz wants to fight Ferrari and Lamborghini with a mid-engined supercar to take on the 360 Modena and recently launched Gallardo. Will they manage to achieve their goal or not? Well, Mercedes-Benz and McLaren are seeking to deliver a smaller, lighter, more focused mid-engined model to slot between the $370,000 SL 55 AMG and the $1 million SLR in performance and price.

“Yes, we are looking at a mid-engined road car,” Mercedes boss Jurgen Hubbert told US publication AutoWeek. “But there is no decision on production.”

Called the P8, the new Benz supercar is officially a concept, which means styling, engineering, logistic, production and cost proposals for the two-seater are under way. The P8’s two-seater body will be made from a mixture of carbon fibre, thermoplastics and aluminium to keep weight down. And its slinky shape is tipped to largely be driven by the wind tunnel, with aerodynamic efficiency high on the agenda to ensure adequate downforce, as well as the need to feed air to vital components.

As for the engines of this model , is belived to be a new 6.3-litre naturally aspirated V8 which might be used in future AMG models, expected to deliver about 400kW. The top speed of the P8 is believed to be more than 320kmh and the price price of P8’s is expected to be somewhere around of $450,000, more than Gallardo and Ferrari 360.

Planned to be built alongside the gulling-doored SLR, at McLaren Technology Center in England from late 2007, the P8 model is still awaiting approval from Mercedes and McLaren board members.

What do you think about this car ? Will it be better than Ferrari 360 and Lamborghini Gallardo ?