Geneva Preview: Proton hybrid concept uses Lotus series hybrid system
Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, Lotus, Geneva Motor Show
As we suspected recently when we heard that Proton would be showing a hybrid concept car next week at the Geneva Motor Show, the propulsion system has been developed by Lotus. Malaysian automaker Proton owns the British engineering consultancy and sports car builder.
While we might have expected Proton to opt for a simpler mild hybrid system, they have instead gone with a Volt-like series hybrid layout. Lotus hasn’t revealed any detailed specifications for the extended-range electric vehicle except that it uses a 1.2-liter three cylinder engine. This is likely the same engine developed by Lotus for the experimental series hybrid Jaguar XJ that is currently being tested. The battery pack is mounted under the floor with the electric traction motor at the rear axle and the engine-generator at the front. More details will be forthcoming at the show.
[Source: Lotus]
Continue reading Geneva Preview: Proton hybrid concept uses Lotus series hybrid system
Geneva Preview: Proton hybrid concept uses Lotus series hybrid system originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Mon, 22 Feb 2010 18:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Are You (Evo) Experienced?
When Mitsubishiâs PR meister Moe Durand called and asked if Iâd like to attend the Jim Russell Lancer Evolution Experience, it took me about 3/10ths of a second to cut him off — âIâm there!â After all, what respectable auto nut would pass up an opportunity to flog a 291-horse rally rocket around a racetrack? Not this one.
Announced last July, the JRLEE is a one-day $995 course held in Sonoma, California, at Infineon Raceway (formerly Sears Point Raceway), a 2.52-mile 12-turn circuit full of challenging high-speed curves and stomach-wrenching elevation change. The learning tool? As the schoolâs name implies, the turbocharged all-wheel-drive Lancer Evolution X, both in GSR and dual-clutch MR trims. I had never been on Infineon before but had seen its demanding layout while watching various IRL and NASCAR races over the years. Obviously, I knew the experiences via television versus that firsthand would be quite different, so I was anxious to don my helmet and start hot lapping.
Not so fast. As with any performance driving school, the JRLEE starts with some useful classroom time. My chalk-talk guru was Paul Gerrard, Jim Russellâs director of global training and, naturally, an accomplished racer. In addition to going over the track layout, Gerrard passed along numerous nuggets of wisdom on technique and mental approach. All were worthwhile reminders, but a few were especially notable: 1) The less steering input, the better. Seems simple enough, but often times you turn the wheel more than needed, certainly when on the track. 2) One skill that separates the fast from the not-as-fast is the ability to smoothly trail-brake at the limit. 3) Another separator — and this oneâs probably most important — is not only being able to successfully think one or two turns ahead but rather three, four, and five turns in advance. In other words, the farther ahead you can plan, the better — and quicker — youâll be.
2011 Cadillac CTS Coupe ordering guide plops onto the Interwebz
Filed under: Car Buying, Coupe, Performance, Cadillac, Luxury
2011 Cadillac CTS Coupe – Click above for high-res image gallery
Thinking about taking home a new Cadillac CTS Coupe and ready to start mixin’ ‘n’ matchin’? Cadillac has put the coupe’s order guides online, which means it’s time to start playing with packages. You might be in for a little disappointment, though, when you discover that things like that the pane of glass isn’t a proper sunroof – it only tilts – kind of like the unit on Audi’s A5. Nor can you have the new Evolution Green Metallic exterior with the Ebony interior and Saffron seat inserts. But that’s probably a good thing…
Otherwise, there aren’t too many surprises, just details to know, like which package you’ll need in order to get the rearview camera on the nav screen and not on the mirror. Or you could just get the CTS-V Coupe and make sure you drive home with everything standard.
Gallery: Live: 2011 Cadillac CTS Coupe
Über Crossover: Hamann’s 670 horsepower Tycoon Evo M to debut in Geneva
Filed under: Aftermarket, Performance, Geneva Motor Show, Crossover, BMW
Hamann Tycoon Evo M – Click above for high-res image gallery
Last year Hamann introduced the BMW X6-based Tycoon, and while the widebody kit gave the crossover a mean look, it was only backed up by a mere 360 horsepower from the twin-turbo inline-six. That horsepower deficiency will soon be resolved as Hamann plans to introduce the Tycoon Evo M at the Geneva Motor Show next week. Under the hood is the X6 M’s 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 that only needs a high-flow exhaust system and a reprogrammed ECU to reach 670 horsepower and 576 pound-feet of torque. Hamann claims that the extra 115 horsepower is good for a 4.2 second sprint to 62 mph and a top speed of 186 mph.
Along with the additional power, Hamann has also developed a revised widebody kit to fit the X6 M. The fenders have been widened 60mm, and LED running lights are now featured prominently on the front fascia. Additional upgrades include lightweight 23-inch forged wheels and aluminum and carbon fiber interior accessories. We’ll have live photos from the Geneva show floor in just a few short days, but until then you can browse the high-res gallery below and read more details in the press release after the jump.
Gallery: Hamann Tycoon Evo M
Incoming search terms:
- Bmw X6 M Hamann Tycoon Evo M video
Videos: The Mercedes F800 from every angle
Filed under: Concept Cars, Hybrid, Sedan, Geneva Motor Show, Videos, Mercedes-Benz, Luxury
The Mercedes F800 Concept – Click above to view the videos after the jump
The Mercedes-Benz F800 Concept is bringing its slick silver sleekness to the Geneva Motor Show next month and M-B has animated the concept, showing off the car’s various and progressive components. Our favorite was probably the powertrain video, picturing the hybrid, fuel cell and internal combustion options. That kind of versatility might still be a ways off, but it’s good to see a mass luxury maker designing hot bodies around a variety of green internals. Follow the jump to have a look the F800 yourself.
Gallery: Mercedes-Benz F800 Style
Volkswagen Polo: Specifications
Price: Rs. 4,34,000 to Rs. 4,99,000 (ex-showroom Mumbai)
Variants: 1.2 P Trendline/Comfort/Highline, 1.6 Hiline, 1.2 D Trendline/Comfort/Highline
Dimensions
Congress: Mother of Lexus crash victims to testify at Toyota hearing
Filed under: Government/Legal, Recalls, Safety, Lexus, Toyota
This Wednesday, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform will hold a hearing on Toyota’s recent recall woes entitled “Toyota Gas Pedals: Is the Public at Risk?” The committee released a full witness list today, which includes a number of people we were expecting to testify like Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood, National Highway Traffic Safety Administrator David Strickland, President and CEO of Toyota Motor North America Yoshimi Inaba and his boss, the President and CEO of Toyota Motor Corporation, Akio Toyoda.
Along with representatives from a couple of consumer safety groups, there’s one witness on the list who took us by surprise: Mrs. Fe Lastrella, a relative of four family members who perished late last August when off-duty California Highway Patrol officer Mark Saylor lost control of a loaner Lexus ES350 when it experienced sudden unintended acceleration. Mrs. Lastrella is the mother of Saylor’s wife, Cleofe, and brother-in-law, Chris Lastrella, who were both killed in the accident. Lastrella’s 13-year-old granddaughter Mahala also died in the accident.
The fatal crash was arguably the catalyst for Toyota’s recent fall from grace, as it led to the first recall last October of 3.8 million vehicles for defective floor mats that could entrap accelerator pedals on certain models. That recall has since been expanded to 4.9 million vehicles and was followed by another recall in late January of 2.3 million Toyota vehicles with pedals that could also experience unintended acceleration in certain situations.
What effect will Mrs. Lastrella’s testimony on Wednesday have on the hearing’s outcome? The presence of a family member, a mother no less, who has been so devastatingly impacted by an accident involving a Toyota, will serve to put a human face on the question of whether or not the tragedy could have been prevented – and equally important, whether Toyota, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration – or both – are to blame.
[Source: House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform | Image: John Neff]
