citroen

New WRC generation at the Paris Motor Show

The World Rally Car competition has made cars such as the Subaru STI and Mitsubishi Evo famous, but the race, and the competitors have changed substantially over the years. Some of the newest competitors, set for a 2011 season with revised rules, were on display at the Paris Motor Show.

Through 2010, the Ford Focus and Citroen C4 had been dominating this series of races over gravel and snow-covered roads, but the 2011 rules have made those cars ineligible, with engine displacement reduced to 1.6-liters. These changed rules are intended to make the series more affordable for teams.

As … Read more

Nine new concept cars from Paris

Paris is noted as a fashion center, so we weren't surprised to find a number of very stylish concept cars at the 2010 Paris Motor Show.

As one example, French carmaker Citroen teamed up with Lacoste to design a very fun-looking car built for fun in the sun. Meanwhile Renault offered the very sexy DeZir concept in luscious red with pronounced curves.

But other regions of the world were not left out. Jaguar offers up the incredibly sleek C-X75 and Nissan came out with a funky utility car.

And BMW fans finally got treated to a taste of what … Read more

Citroen mulls building electric racecar (concept car Friday)

First unveiled at the 2010 Geneva auto show, the Citroen Survolt is a techno-organic beauty with its tasteful use of color, sharp creases, and flowing curves. Beneath those curves, the concept packs dual electric motors that convert flowing electrons into a combined 300 horsepower and enough twisting force (738 pound-feet, to be exact) to motivate the Survolt silently to 62 mph in less than 5 seconds and onward to a reported top speed of 162 mph.

The concept's twin 31 kW lithium ion batteries should enable it to cover 124 miles between two-hour charging cycles with a vehicle specific … Read more

Group promotes savings with open-source software

For about a year, a group of heavyweight automotive and technology companies has been working on a way to hasten development of in-vehicle entertainment systems. Their solution: share basic software development using the open-source Linux operating system.

Among the nearly 50 members of the group, called the Genivi Alliance, are automakers General Motors, BMW AG, Nissan Motor, and, as of February 17, Renault SA. Suppliers include Visteon, Delphi Automotive, and Continental AG.

The Genivi (pronounced jah-NEE-vee) Alliance is focusing on developing "middleware"--the layer of software that allows various kinds of information and entertainment applications to work together … Read more

Concept cars show new design, technology

GENEVA--The financial woes of the last few years caused automakers to scale back on outlandish concepts, using their design resources for more immediate and practical work. But the 2010 Geneva auto show sees the return of at least a few interesting concepts.

Some are so heavily design-oriented that they don't resemble anything in the automaker's current stable, and probably never will. Features like touch screens running along the entire dashboard and cameras for side-view mirrors may only show up when we get flying cars.

Others do presage technologies slated for production cars. Most of these concepts are specified … Read more

Tiny concept cars at the Frankfurt auto show

Small is clearly in, as these concepts show. And since concept cars are a bellwether for upcoming automotive trends, expect downsizing to be commonplace among new cars. Most of these concepts are lightweight city cars, easily maneuverable and economical. Mini's entrants add a sporty flavor, while Citroen and Hyundai go for the futuristic. Mazda showed off a stripped-down version of its MX-5, more weekend racer than everyday driver.

Mitsubishi has 900 advance orders for EV

TOKYO -- In one month, Mitsubishi Motors Corp. has taken 900 advance customer deposits for its i-MiEV electric vehicle.

The four-passenger car will go on sale next April in Japan. Mitsubishi began taking orders July 31.

Mitsubishi says it wants to sell about 6,000 i-MiEVs worldwide, including 5,000 in Japan, during the first year of sales. That comes to about 400 a month in Japan.

On Sept. 4, the car got an additional boost when France's PSA/Peugeot-Citroen SA announced plans to rebadge the Mitsubishi-made car in Europe starting in fall 2010 and sell 25,000 vehicles … Read more

You've played the game, now drive the car

Traffic in the streets of London came to a stop as the Citroen GT concept car rolled through town. The car was designed by Polyphony Digital, a subsidiary of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc., for the latest Gran Turismo video game.

iPhone vs. Netbook rally car challenge

CNET UK's Rory Reid jumps into a European rallycross car and pits the iPhone against an Asus Eee PC in an extreme typing test. You may be surprised by the results.