Autoblog

There are three main obstacles to making electric cars a viable alternative to those powered by internal combustion engines: the weight, cost and range of the batteries. Internal combustion engines have range limits based on the size of their fuel tank, but it only takes a few minutes to dump 10-15 gallons of liquid fuel in the tank and be on your way. It takes hours to recharge a battery. Fast charging systems are being developed, but they will require new infrastructure for the high currents and voltages required. The cost issue also works against range. You can reduce cost with a smaller battery, but you know what happens then. A battery with more range is both heavier and more expensive. How about a smaller swappable battery? That's one of the possible alternatives that Tesla is considering for the Model S sedan. This brings a whole different set of problems with it. Even smaller batteries will weigh several hundred pounds, making them difficult to handle. There are also safety issues with handling high voltage batteries. You also need a distribution infrastructure for the batteries and automakers have to standardize on common pack formats to make the whole idea viable. It's not like popping into a drug store for a set of AAs for you camera. Tesla's bright idea just goes to show that electric cars have a long way to go before they can replace internal combustion engines completely.

[Source: Inside Line]

Lexus dropped the third-generation RX on the world today here at the LA Auto Show. As before, the RX luxury crossover comes in two forms, the standard issue RX350 and the hybrid RX450h. The 3.5L RX350 gets a power bump to 275 hp while the hybrid engine grows from 3.3L up to 3.5L and 295 total horsepower. Lexus has improved the inverter that converts between DC power from the battery to AC for the motor, making the whole hybrid drivetrain more efficient. The RX450h gets a unique grill and badging to set it slightly apart from the new RX350, while both models get plenty of new gizmos and gadgets including an upgraded navigation and telematics system. For instance, a new controller for the nav system that Toyota calls Remote Touch provides customizable haptic feedback as you use it. A larger brighter OLED display screen also offers an improved angle of vision and a heads up display is available for the first time. The design is an obvious evolution of the previous RX, but now features a more broad-shouldered look just like the Toyota Highlander with which it shares its platform. Check out the press release after the jump as well as our high-res images in the galleries below.




Photos Copyright ©2008 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.

The first real surprise at the LA Auto Show today came from Honda in the form of its FC Sport fuel cell design study. The designers at Honda's advanced design studio in Pasadena decided to take advantage of the packaging flexibility afforded by a fuel cell powertrain and mounted it mid-ship driving the rear wheels. Using the vertical flow fuel stack mounted behind the driver and an electric motor between the rear wheels, the FC Sport is a three-seater in the style of the McLaren F1 where the driver sits in the middle of the car with the two passenger seats on either side and further back. The FC Sport is strictly a styling study right now, but we wouldn't be surprised to see a fully functional version at some point. Check out Honda's official press release after the jump and our high-res image galleries below.

At the preview for the 2010 Ford Fusion, Frank Davis, Executive Director of North American Product Programs described Ford's goal as combingin best-in-class fuel economy with a much bolder appearance. The mid-size C/D segment in which the Fusion competes is the second largest in the U.S. market, accounting for 2.1 million vehicles last year including the best-selling Toyota Camry and Honda Accord, and Ford wants a bigger piece of it. The updated 2010 Fusion is technically a mid-cycle refresh, but it's much more than your typical face-lift. Three years after the Fusion and its Mercury Milan and Lincoln MKZ siblings debuted, Ford has given them a major stylistic overhaul fore and aft of the doors and inside the cabin. Its powertrains have also gone through a modernization program, which we already told you about a couple of weeks ago, so we'll skip over that here except to remind you that the 2010 Fusion can be had with a new hybrid drivetrain and a 3.5L V6 Sport model. Find out about the rest of what's new after the jump.

BMW board member Dr. Friederich Eichiner unveiled the first MINI E this afternoon at a press event in Beverly Hills, California. The company has built 500 of the battery-powered cars that will be leased to customers in Southern California and the New York City area starting in January. Each car is equipped with electric drive systems and battery packs provided by California's AC Propulsion. The 35 kWh packs are expected to provide a range of about 125-150 miles on a charge and accelerate the car to 60 mph in an very reasonable 8.5 seconds. BMW is using the MINI E as the first step of its Project I, which is focused on developing new innovations for urban mobility. A web site will be launched in the next couple of days where people will be able to officially apply for the program. For those who get selected, the MINI E lease will cost $850 /month and only last one year. Check out ABG for more information on the car and what BMW is trying to achieve with it.


[Source: AutoblogGreen]

When the 2005 Ford Mustang debuted, it thoroughly reinvigorated the pony car segment that it created four decades earlier. After 25 years of being assembled on the archaic rear-wheel-drive Fox platform, the Mustang finally had an all-new platform and styling that hearkened back to the late 1960s. Known as the S197, this Mustang appeared at a time when it was in fact the only surviving member of the muscle car class. The Camaro and Firebird had been cancelled two years earlier and Chrysler had been out of the rear-wheel-drive sport coupe market since the 1970s. The Mustang's enormous success inspired Chevrolet and Dodge to create their own retro-styled muscle cars in the form of the new Camaro and Challenger. Fortunately for Mustang fans, Ford has not been sitting idle, and even while it was creating all those special edition Mustangs over the past few years, it was also working on thoroughly revamping its core pony. For the 2010 Mustang, Ford has taken the best parts of the S197 and fixed most of what was broken. Read on to learn what's new.

What a difference 20 inches and 1,000 lbs makes. The latest occupant of the Autoblog Garage is the Mercedes Benz C63 AMG. You might recall that a few months ago we tried out one of the big dogs from the Benz lineup, the S63 AMG and came away somewhat awed by the technology but distressed by the driving experience. This time around we got the baby brother of the family and found what may well be the best driver's car in the current Daimler lineup. Ever since the C-class was born as the 190E back in the '80s, Mercedes and BMW have had a back and forth rivalry in the high performance compact sport sedan/coupe segment. As the M3 has grown and evolved over the past two decades, so to has the Stuttgart challenger.

Just like the original M3, the lineage started with the four-cylinder 16-valve 190E-2.3-16 and has grown through a succession of V6 and V8 engines. Despite the nomenclature, this latest edition is stuffed full of 6.2L of AMG V8 dripping with power and torque. Can the latest C63 finally topple the M3 from its throne? Find out after the jump.


Photos Copyright ©2008 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.

In recent weeks, the idea that one or all three of Detroit's automakers could end up filing for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the coming weeks or months has gained a lot of momentum. In theory, the advantage of chapter 11 is that it provides protection from creditors while the company is reorganized in a way that it can survive. The company is allowed to continue operating in this mode, thus avoiding a complete shutdown. A number of major airlines have done this and managed to keep operating, although some have ultimately failed anyway. There is a big difference between a plane ticket and a car. With an airline, you buy your ticket, take your flight and then (hopefully) walk away. After the flight, there is no expectation of ongoing service and support. A car is a much larger purchase and expected to operate for 10-15 years. Warranty service is demanded during that time, and spare parts need to be available on an ongoing basis. Given the long-term requirements of a car, a chapter 11 filing could be a death sentence for a manufacturer as customers look elsewhere. So the question we ask you is, "Would you buy a car from a company in bankruptcy?"

James Glickenhaus is best known in these parts as the rich guy who paid Pininfarina a lot of money to create a custom body for his Ferrari Enzo, thus creating the renowned and oft-driven Ferrari P4/5. Apparently Glickenhaus is not strictly a Ferrari fan, as he has now become the first of 100 Americans to receive the keys to a U.S.-spec Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione coupe. Glickenhaus even reportedly paid enough extra for his 8C Competizione to get the Alfa Romeo factory to finish his car in the same shade of red used on his one-of-a-kind P4/5. Shortly after Glickenhaus took the keys and went for a first drive, the same dealership handed over two more 8Cs to slightly lesser mortals.


[Source: VeloceToday via AutoFiends]

As we move inexorably toward the electrification of cars, companies that have made a business out of tweaking engines for more power will have to make some significant changes to their business model. BRABUS is a company known as the primary third-party alternative to AMG when it comes to enhanced cars from the house of Daimler, and today has announced its first foray into electricity. The German tuner is now offering a package of changes for the very few people who have or will soon own a Tesla Roadster. For the moment at least, changes to the all-electric powertrain are verboten. That means BRABUS has focused on other things like stylistic "enhancements" and a supremely odd "space sound generator" that emits the roar of a V8, race car engine or two futuristic sounds called "Beam" and "Warp".

A set of LED running lamps mounted in the front air intake look kind of like they were ripped off an Audi. Perhaps BRABUS should have developed a new headlamp cluster that integrates the LEDs like real Audis do. Meanwhile, the underbody neon lighting looks like something from 1989 Miami and the rear wing is a questionable addition, as well. It's hard to judge the matte white paint finish in the available photos, so we'll set that aside for now. The only visual change that actually works is the new 18-inch front/ 19-inch rear wheel/tire package with Pirelli P Zero Nero tires. Given the number of Tesla Roadsters that actually exist at the moment, we probably won't see very many examples of this package on the road, which debuts later this month at the Essen Motor Show in Germany.


[Source: BRABUS]