Archive for December, 2010
Video: Pagani C9 Supercar Teaser
Posted on 30. Dec, 2010 by admin.
A brand new supercar is in the works and you can bet that this one is going to sizzle as it has some very big shoes to follow, being the successor to the now legendary Pagani Zonda. Expected to make its world debut at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show, the same event where close rival Lamborghini will be showing off its new Aventador LP700-4, the new…
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HRT F1 Engineer Says KERS ‘Inefficient,’ Nothing But Marketing Ploy
Posted on 29. Dec, 2010 by admin.
The use of hybrid drive systems, or Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems (KERS) as they’re known in Formula 1, has a relatively short history in racing. In F1, the history is about to become present once again, with KERS back on the grid for 2011. But it may not be all it’s cracked up to be, if HRT chief engineer Tony Cuquerella is any indication…
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What Your Next Pickup Truck and Flat Screen TV Could Have in Common
Posted on 29. Dec, 2010 by admin.
Today’s trucks use all kinds of 21st-century technology to make towing and hauling easier, safer and more efficient than ever — trailer-sway control, clean and powerful diesel engines and hands-free phone and advanced navigation systems to name a few.
But the exterior lighting we use to see what’s happening when it’s dark still relies on the same technology your grandfather’s truck used. That’s about to change.
GMC’s Sierra All Terrain HD Concept recently made waves with enthusiasts and the media because of its proposed off-road capabilities. While it’s uncertain if the truck, or something similar, will make it to production, one of its features almost certainly will: LED lighting.
Inside the Sierra All Terrain HD’s cargo box were three remarkable light strips running across the front and side walls. Instead of using incandescent bulbs, these lamps used edge-lit light emitting diodes.
LEDs are a relatively new innovation for vehicles. They were first used in brake lights about a decade ago and have expanded their use to daytime running lights and headlight replacements as new technology has increased their brightness and reduced cost.
The reasons behind the move to LED lights are durability, improved efficiency and lower power consumption compared with conventional light bulbs.
The Sierra All Terrain HD did something new with LEDs that we haven’t seen in other vehicles, and it supersedes previous truck lightning solutions. Instead of using one or two high-mounted conventional cargo lamps — like most full-size pickups have bookending their cab-mounted center brake light, or corner lights near the tailgate, like in the Honda Ridgeline — the Sierra All Terrain HD used a few LED bulbs as so-called “light engines” and combined that with highly reflective mirror-like tubes to direct the light around the cargo box. The result was a preview of how to illuminate every corner of a bed even if the cargo box is carrying items that would normally block light from a single source.
The Sierra All Terrain HD's headlights use edge-lit LEDs too. Note the GMC logo etched in center of the stack.
Edge-lit LED technology is used in the latest televisions, where it also reduces energy consumption and reduces case thickness by eliminating extra LEDs that would be needed if the screen were backlit.
A pickup truck can benefit from the same technology.
Edge-lit LEDs can be easily molded and recessed to fit almost anywhere in the cargo box while needing only a single diode to provide light. Cargo moving around might scratch the reflective surface, but it won’t damage the LED source or block the light emanating from another point in an LED tube.
LEDs last longer and can me much more efficient than conventional bulbs. A three-watt LED is equivalent in output to about a 45-watt incandescent bulb, meaning if you’re loading a truck and don’t want to worry about running down the battery, LEDs can stay illuminated with minimal drain on the truck’s electrical system when the engine isn’t running.
But we see uses for LEDs outside of the cargo box. The Sierra All Terrain HD also used edge-lit LEDs for its headlights. We could also see them blended into the exterior sides of the cargo box to provide plenty of light in a dark field at night without requiring the engine to idle, saving fuel too.
When it comes to this technology, the Sierra All Terrain HD is just a hint of what’s to come and what we expect to see in the next generation of full-size pickup trucks.
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Review: 2011 Toyota Avalon
Posted on 29. Dec, 2010 by admin.
Panthers get a lot of love here at TTAC, but my automotive soft spot is actually for big, softly sprung front-drive sedans. When I bought a brand-new Chrysler LHS back in 2000, I probably single-handedly dropped the average age of the LHS buyer by double digits. I can’t say exactly what the attraction was, but [...]
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2011 Jeep Compass Priced at $19,295
Posted on 29. Dec, 2010 by admin.
The 2011 Jeep Compass goes on sale next month with a starting price of $19,295 (excluding a $700 destination fee), according to Chrysler.
That’s a significant bump from the $15,365 MSRP for the 2010 Compass, but we sort of expected this because the 2011 model features a lot more standard equipment, which includes air conditioning, power windows and locks, heated power side mirrors, keyless entry, fog lamps, cruise control and tinted glass. None of that came standard on the base 2010 Compass.
The Compass is available in three trims this year: base, Latitude and Limited. The Limited trim starts at $24,295 and comes with features such as automatic climate control and leather seats.
The front end of the 2011 Compass has been completely redesigned to look more upscale, like the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee. There are standard LED taillamps, new wheel designs and a “Trail Rated” drivetrain, like what’s in the 2011 Jeep Patriot. For more model changeover info, check out our First Look.
Base and Latitude trims come standard with a 158-horsepower, 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine rated at 23/29 mpg city/highway with a five-speed manual transmission. On the Limited, there’s a 172-hp, 2.4-liter four-cylinder that also gets 23/29 mpg.
All models come with antilock brakes, electronic stability control and tire pressure warning. Side curtain airbags are standard, but side front thorax airbags remain a $250 standalone option.
For detailed specifications, continue reading after the jump.
2011 Jeep Compass pricing (2010 pricing)
Compass Base: $19,295 ($15,365)
Features
- Five-speed manual transmission
- Heated power side mirrors
- Fog lamps
- Roof rails
- Rear-window wiper/washer
- Air conditioning
- LED gauge cluster
- 17-inch aluminum wheels
- Cruise control
- 60/40-split rear bench
- Power windows and locks, keyless entry
- Removable, rechargeable LED flashlight
Compass Latitude: $21,595 ($21,850)
- Continuously variable automatic transmission
- Heated front seats
- Leather-wrapped steering wheel
- Fold-flat front seat
- 115-volt auxiliary outlet
Compass Limited: $24,295 ($23,385)
- 172-hp, 2.4-liter four-cylinder
- Automatic climate control
- In-dash vehicle display
- Auto-dimming rearview mirror
- Leather upholstery
- Six-way power driver’s seat
- Six-disc CD charger
- 18-inch aluminum wheels
Destination: $700 ($630)
Optional Equipment
- Continuously variable automatic transmission (base only): $1,100 (same)
- Four-wheel drive: $1,700 ($1,500)
- Security Group Package: Side thorax airbags, USB port, remote start, Bluetooth connectivity, security alarm, auto-dimming rearview mirror: $1,195 ($985)
- Sun and Sound Package: nine-speaker stereo, powered sunroof: $1,295 (same)
- Media Center Package: 30-gigabyte hard drive, touch-screen display: $640 (base, Latitude), $290 (Limited)
- Navigation System: $685 ($1,200)
- Trail Rated Package: 140-Amp alternator, four-wheel drive off-road mode, brake lock differential, engine oil cooler, fuel tank skid plate shield, full-size spare tire, hill descent control, hill start assist, tow hooks, trailer tow wiring harness: $500 (needs four-wheel drive option)
2011|Jeep|Compass
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2012 Porsche 911 Powertrain, Performance Specs Revealed?
Posted on 29. Dec, 2010 by admin.
Porsche’s 911 is, at this point, a living legend. Carrying an exterior look that still captures the essence of the original while being a completely different beast under the skin, the 911 is perhaps the original retro-futuristic sports car. The next generation promises to build that legacy. We’ve seen the next-gen 991 2012 Porsche 911 in spy…
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Donkervoort D8 GTO Teased
Posted on 29. Dec, 2010 by admin.
The long stretch of December holidays is often a slow time in the automotive world as manufacturers take extended breaks and the auto show season lulls post-Los Angeles and pre-Detroit. In Europe, however, they like to keep things moving despite the slowdown–or at least the Dutch at Donkervoort do. Case in point: the D8 GTO. The hotter, more…
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MotorAuthority’s Top Stories Of 2010: Cherokee SRT8, Golf R, And Spy Shots
Posted on 29. Dec, 2010 by admin.
It’s been another great year for MotorAuthority, and we have you to thank for it. Over the course of 2010 we’ve brought you more than 2,600 breaking headlines, reviews, videos, and photo galleries. Of those, these were your favorites. We’ll be bringing you a few more top lists for 2010 as the year winds down, including your favorite videos and…
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Will Gas Cost $5 a Gallon by 2012?
Posted on 29. Dec, 2010 by admin.
That’s what the former president of Shell Oil, John Hofmeister, believes, and plenty of other analysts predict gas prices will climb in the coming decade as well.
During a TV interview, Hofmeister acknowledged that his prediction was the worst-case scenario over the next two years. Other analysts, including Tom Kloza of Oil Price Information Service, see gasoline reaching $5 a gallon in the new decade, but not by 2012.
Gas prices again rose above $3, at $3.05, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. It happened over the Christmas holiday, which has never seen the $3-per-gallon mark as a national average, Kloza said.
The last time a gallon of regular unleaded gas cost this much was in October 2008, according to CNN Money. Overall, gas prices have increased 89% since December 2008, when gas cost just $1.616 per gallon.
The predictions take into account a growing global economy tightening the world’s oil supply. Holfmesiter cites China’s and India’s growth and President Barack Obama’s crackdown on offshore drilling as the primary reasons for the short-term gas hike.
There’s little that Americans can do to affect the price of oil, according to CBS News. According to the EIA, while it will take developed countries like the United States, Japan and Europe until after 2020 to reach 2007 levels of oil consumption, the developing economies of the world will bring us back to pre-2007 levels of oil consumption by the end of this year.
Ex-Shell President Sees $5 gas in 2012 (CNN Money)
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Video: Glickenhaus Ferrari P4/5 Competizione In The Nude
Posted on 29. Dec, 2010 by admin.
Here’s your chance to lift the skirt on the racing version of one of the most unique Ferraris of the last decade: the James Glickenhaus Ferrari P4/5. Carbon fiber fetishists, brace yourselves. The video, which is essentially a walk-around of the stripped car as it’s being built back up into race-ready guise, doesn’t contain any enlightening…
