Drop, charge, and lose the cordsThe new Ducati Multistrada 1200 is here with four riding modes: Sport, Touring, Urban and Enduro.
Sport mode offers a 150hp adrenalin-fueled ride. The Touring mode is meant for all-day driving, also with 150hp. The Urban and Enduro modes offer a smooth ride with less torch (100-horsepower).
This 45-second web video gives you a taste of what the bike has to offer.
For 2010, Tesla updates its electric Roadster with a Sport version, featuring faster acceleration.
(Credit: Josh Miller/CNET)
Tesla often emphasizes that it works more like a Silicon Valley technology company than a traditional car company. And the company just proved it by delivering a model update to the Tesla Roadster for 2010. Remember, the Roadster has only been in production for one year, but in that time Tesla completely redesigned the interior, while at the same time adding new materials to reduce cabin noise. Model updates from other automakers often take five years.
We spent a day with the 2010 Tesla Roadster Sport, enjoying its unique driving experience and finding these updates made the previous generation car seem like something hacked together in a garage. Where the previous car had a fussy little lever for putting it in drive, the new car uses push buttons. To check battery statistics and change the drive mode, you had to use a touch screen by your left knee. That touch screen has been moved to the center of the dashboard. And in a real step towards convenience, the Tesla Roadster now comes with a glovebox.
The rear air intakes get clear coat carbon fiber inserts.
(Credit: Josh Miller/CNET)Externally, the casual observer won't see much difference. The Tesla Roadster uses the same Lotus-sourced body clad in carbon fiber. But the carbon fiber stands out more, as clear-coat panels make up the hood, spoiler, and even the insets in the rear air intakes. The suspension is now adjustable for comfort or sport, and the all-new Sport version of the Roadster uses an upgraded powertrain that rockets it to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds, faster than the standard Roadster's 3.9 second time.
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In a road train, a lead vehicle controls slaved cars, letting the drivers work or relax.
(Credit: Ricardo Engineering)The latest research into allowing people not to drive comes from Europe, where the EU is funding a road train concept. A road train is a group of cars controlled by a lead vehicle. If you are on a long trip, your car might detect a road train going in your direction. You could then choose to join it, slaving your car to the lead vehicle. If a car wanted to leave the train, the gap between it and the other cars would be increased so it could safely exit. The lead vehicle would be operated by a professional driver, and include equipment designed to control the other cars. Along with drivers being able to work or relax while riding in a road train, each car would draft the one ahead, getting about 20 percent better fuel economy.
Existing technologies make road trains possible. Cars would use GPS to find out if a road train is near, while radar could determine the vehicles' following distance to each other. Electronic throttles and power steering units would allow the lead vehicle to control each car in the train. The EU is also looking into this concept because road trains are a less expensive means for achieving some degree of autonomous vehicle operation, rather than installing sensor infrastructures along the roads.
The concept is being developed by Ricardo Engineering, funded by the EU, with a project called Sartre (Safe Road Trains for the Environment). Test track trials will take place in Spain, the U.K., and Sweden.
Sartre may not be the most appropriate name for the project, as giving up control of your vehicle to a higher power doesn't exactly comport with existentialist philosophy.
(Source: BBC News)
Japanese auto companies are bailing out of international motorsports, trying to save money during the global auto crunch.
Last week Toyota dropped out of Formula One racing, two days after tire supplier Bridgestone did, too. Honda quit the series last December. No Japanese teams remain in F1.
At the end of 2008, Subaru maker Fuji Heavy Industries and Suzuki withdrew from the FIA World Rally Championship. And in July, Fuji International Speedway, owned by Toyota, surrendered hosting rights for the Japanese Grand Prix in 2010 and beyond.
The moves reflect the absence of auto profits. When Honda pulled out of F1 racing, it estimated the move could save nearly $1 billion.
Toyota didn't divulge its annual F1 budget, but some think it's around $300 million. That was a tidy sum for a carmaker that posted losses last year--both in its financials and on the track. Since joining Formula One in 2002, Toyota hasn't won a single race.
(Source: Automotive News)
This last week saw yet another big auto show in the form of the 2009 SEMA Show at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The show ran from November 2 to Friday November 6, and boy, was there a ton of eye candy for us car enthusiasts. However, the SEMA Show was not open to the public--only auto industry insiders were allowed inside these doors full of what SEMA refers to as "automotive specialty products." This video is a teaser of some of the many automotive delights that were on display at this year's event.
Here we go with another quality highlight video from the folks at Inside Line courtesy of Edmunds.com. This highlight reel features Camaros galore, plenty of Ford mods, and the stateside debut of the $375,000 Lexus LFA. Other notable vehicles include the Hyundai Genesis (with the midcar engine), Kia's first foray into racecars, and the Brooks & Dunn sponsored Toyota Tundra with an onboard barbecue grill--yummy.
Ford puts airbags where? Automatic parking coming to a car near you, the Army wants a hybrid Humvee, first 4G-connected car is a Prius, and we take a spin in the hottest SUV you'll ever drive.
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EPISODE 143
SHOW NOTES• CNET review of the 2010 BMW X5 M
• Ford to put airbags into seat belts
• First 4G LTE-connected concept car is a Prius
The big car audio companies chose to sit this round out. Fortunately, there was still a lot of cool tech at the 2009 SEMA Show.
(Credit: Antuan Goodwin/CNET)With the absence of the major car audio OEMs at the 2009 SEMA Show, it would be easy to assume that car tech has taken a backseat to tuning and muscle. However, the more compact electronics section allowed smaller companies with truly innovative products to shine. We found ourselves spending more time learning about cool products like the PowerSafe jumper cable, instead of rushing from booth to booth looking at amplifier after amplifier.
For example, On-Board Diagnostics (OBD-II) interfaces were a major part of the tech scene at SEMA. From add-on modules for your GPS device to standalone OBD-II devices to Wi-Fi dongles that transform your iPhone into a handheld diagnostics station, there were dozens of different devices that allowed users to listen in on what their vehicle used to only share with a mechanic. These devices allow tuners to search for more power, greenies to eke more miles out of a gallon, and regular consumers to feel more confident when they take their cars in for maintenance.
Other cool technologies that picked up awards were rearview camera interfaces, off-road iPod cradles, and a funny little device that actually makes all of those cupholders useful.
Check out our gallery of award-winning new products at the 2009 SEMA Show for more details and pics.
View the Peugeot BB1 concept photo gallery
(Credit: Benoit Solivellas/CNET)Our colleagues in Paris got to drive Peugeot's BB1 concept car, a rare opportunity as concept cars usually get rolled out for display in a few auto shows, then never see the light of day again. The BB1 is small, designed as a city car, and runs on electricity, getting a range of 75 miles.
The BB1 includes an iPod dock mounted in the center of the steering wheel, which might prove to be a problem for the airbag. With an iPhone in the dock, the BB1 becomes Internet-enabled.
Earlier this week, I posted a video featuring an SUV, the T-98 Kombat, as made by Russian manufacturer Dartz (whose $1.5M Dartz Prombron Monaco Red Diamond Edition extravagantly decked out in whale penis leather--how high-brow is that--even got lip service recently on "The Colbert Report"). Anyhoo, this particular blog (located here for your convenience) garnered the snide comment of "It looks like a Hummer...big deal." Well, funny that you should say that, sir, as today's video features the Dartz Kombat one-on-one against the Hummer H1. Let's get ready to rumble!
The Dartz T-98 has been noted as one of the fastest multiterrain armored vehicles in the world, boasting an 8.1-liter engine and made with parts courtesy of General Motors. The Hummer H1 is often considered to be the most desirable of the Humvee makes, being the first of the now famous line introduced by AM General and also valued for its (relatively) efficient gas mileage. Coincidentally, the Hummer brand is also associated with GM, which had to part with the line as part of its bankruptcy settlement. So how much do they have in common versus how much they don't have in common? Well, I'll let you be the judge, as this video puts both vehicle types to the test in various environments including highways, sand dunes, forests, and snow. Enjoy. Or not. It's no big deal, right?
TOKYO -- Denso Corp., the world's No. 2 auto parts supplier, aims for a bigger stake of the global hybrid car market by standardizing its electric-gasoline drive train technology for sale to automakers other than Toyota Motor Corp. It also may begin production of lithium ion batteries.
Denso is a leader in supplying inverters, battery and engine control units, sensors and electric compressors for hybrids. Most of those sales go to Toyota, the Japanese supplier's top customer and biggest shareholder, with a 23 percent stake in Denso.
"We would like to supply our components to all customers," said Hiromi Tokuda, executive vice president in charge of R&D. The products would share underpinnings with the components made for Toyota but be tailored to the specifications of carmakers.
Batteries, too
Denso also may start making lithium ion batteries for use in hybrid or electric vehicles. Denso has been working on lithium technology for 15 years, originally for mobile phones. It continues development for in-house testing of its other hybrid system components.
... Read more
