2010 Honda Cars Civic Hybrid 1.3-liter 4-cylinder Engine with IMA

Looks like a Civic, drives like a Civic, but achieves better gas mileage than a regular Civic. In a nutshell, that's the Civic hybrid, one of the best cars for highway commuters according to Forbes Magazine. Honda's second generation hybrid Civic offers improved city fuel economy, and an incredibly better body design with softer, sleeker design cues. And within 2 - 3 years, the Civic hybrid will make another upgrade, when it switches from NiMH battery technology to lithium-ion technology, which could provide Civic hybrid-like performance, but at a cheaper cost. And, despite some complaints over mileage, particularly in city traffic, most Civic hybrid owners are very happy with the gas mileage of their hybrid Civics.

2010 Honda Cars Civic Hybrid

The 2010 Honda Civic Hybrid does just what it's designed to do: carry you and yours all over town with superb fuel efficiency. The four-door 2010 Civic Hybrid uses a blend of gasoline and electric power to achieve a real-world 45 mpg, but hardly anyone will know you're driving a hybrid. It's the hybrid for people who don't need to show off their green credentials. At a base price of $23,800, the Civic Hybrid competes with the Volkswagen Jetta TDI clean diesel sedan, the Honda Civic GX natural-gas vehicle, and the all-new 2010 Toyota Prius hybrid hatchback.

It takes a trained eye to tell the 2010 Honda Civic Hybrid apart from other Civics. Along with the other Civic four-door sedans, it got a new grille and lights last year; otherwise, it's unchanged for 2010. The Hybrid's minor exterior tweaks include different wheels, clear turn-signal lenses, turn indicators built into the side-view mirror housings, and a small trunk-lid spoiler. Inside, it sports blue lighting and a wonderfully rich blue cloth interior and blue vinyl dash cap.

The 2010 Honda Civic Hybrid with advanced Integrated Motor Assist IMA® hybrid technology achieves an EPA-estimated city/highway fuel economy of 40/45 miles per gallon and includes Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) and an available leather-trimmed interior with heated front seats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, and heated side mirrors. 

The Civic Hybrid is certified by the California Air Resource Board (CARB) as an Advanced-Technology Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle (AT-PZEV). A continuously variable transmission (CVT) is standard equipment.

The Civic Hybrid can deactivate all four of its cylinders and operate using only the electric motor in certain low-speed cruising situations. Power for the Civic Hybrid is provided by a 1.3-liter i-VTEC 4-cylinder engine and a 15 kilowatt electric motor, producing a combined 110-horsepower @ 6000 rpm and combined 123 lb-ft. of torque @ 1000-2500 rpm.

Speaking of technology, the second generation hybrid Civic also increased its horsepower, which when combined with a continuous variable transmission, provides a smooth, yet powerful ride. Ultimately, the Civic hybrid significantly reduces fuel consumption without losing any performance.

The 2010 Honda Civic lineup has its bases covered with technologically advanced Civic Sedan and Coupe models, a Civic Hybrid, a high-performance Civic Si and a dedicated natural gas-powered Civic GX. All Civics were recently enhanced inside and out for the 2009 model year with new exterior styling, colors and increased availability of tech-friendly features. For 2010, the entire range of Civics remains largely unchanged.

The Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation System, available on Civic EX, EX-L, Si and Hybrid models, has a 6.5-inch motorized display that opens and closes for access to the internal single-disc CD player, and a digital audio-card reader that can play MP3 and Windows Media® Audio (WMA) files from CompactFlash® cards (via a PC card adapter).

The navigation system features more than 7 million points of interest and the voice activation can control the navigation menus and the audio system, along with entering city and street names. 

The system includes Bluetooth® HandsFreeLink®, a wireless telephone interface that works with compatible Bluetooth-enabled mobile telephones for hands-free operation via steering wheel-mounted controls.

2010 Ferrari Sports Cars 458 Italia Tuning by Oakley Design

PRESS RELEASE Following international acclaim for their finely honed Porsche GT2, GT3 and Panamera conversions, Oakley Design is now proud to announce their tuning programme for the Ferrari 458 Italia. Production will be limited to just 5 cars, each bearing a unique build number plaque. Outside of this Limited Edition model, individual parts will also be made available for clients who do not require the complete package. With Jon Oakley’s motorsport background central to the company’s philosophy, any change, whether aerodynamic or mechanical, is only done for sound technical reasons.

2010 Ferrari Sports Cars 458 Italia

2010 Ferrari Sports Cars 458 Italia Tuning by Oakley Design production will be limited to just 5 cars, each bearing a unique build number plaque. Outside of this Limited Edition mode, individual parts will also be made available for clients who do not require the complete package. 

With Jon Oakley motorsport background central to the company philosophy, any change whether aerodynamics or mechanical is only done for sound technical reasons.

Known for its customization programme for the Porsche 997 GT2, Oakley Design revealed today its tuning kit for the latest Ferrari 458 Italia. Because the car is quite perfect the tuning company decided to install a carbon-fiber front spoiler which adds 45kg of downforce over the front axle at 150mph (240km/h) but also a racecar style centrally positioned radiator vent designed to channel air out over the bonnet instead of under the car. And this is not all, as the tuning company installed new air exit ducts beside the headlamps.

Finally, a new rear spoiler with Gurney flap adds 25 kg of downforce over the rear axle at 150mph. This works together with the underbody diffuser to reduce the Italia overall drag by smoothing out the separating airflow. The only exterior alterations made for cosmetic reasons are the signature Oakley Design carbon fibre roof panel, mirror covers and engine cover insert below the rear window glass. These are matched in the engine bay by carbon-fibre panels covering the inner wings and rear bulkhead.

In order to optimize the sound of the engine, the car features a complete titanium exhaust system with triple outlet pipes and no bypass valve shaves a huge 30kg from the Italia’s aft section.

The design is completed by the 20-inch Oakley Design lightweight composite wheels which save a significant 8.0kg of unsprung weight per corner. For those who don’t know the standard 458 Italia comes with 570bhp and 540 Nm of torque but with some ECU tweaking the car delivers now 627bhp and 567 Nm of torque. With these numbers, the car ca sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in just 3.0 seconds (standard version can sprin in 3.4 seconds) and has a top speed of over 330 km/h. We have bad news though: the production of this customization programme will be limited to just 5 cars, each bearing a unique build number plaque.

2010 Chrysler Delta Concept Cars at the Detroit Auto Show ready for production

As you know, Fiat-Chrysler alliance will produce a series of models developed by a manufacturer that will be marketed with the logo of other brands belonging to the consortium. To illustrate some of the changes that took place in the Fiat-Chrysler alliance, the Americans from Chrysler unveiled a Lancia Delta with a Chrysler logo. The compact Delta was present at the Detroit Auto Show with a changed front grille, along with Chrysler logo located inside and outside.

2010 Chrysler Delta Concept Cars at the Detroit Auto Show

As a strange by product of the Chrysler/Fiat tie-in, a Lancia Delta wearing Chrysler badges appeared at the Detroit Auto Show’s Chrysler exhibit. There was no press release about the car. What’s more, Chrysler spokesmen seemed as surprised as we were. Let’s assume this was merely an exercise to see how the public would react.

Lancia debuted the new Delta, and this Chrysler concept cars apparently exists to demonstrate to the public that Chrysler now has foreign fingers in its pie. Powertrain? No details available, although twin exhaust tips in the rear suggest it has an engine. In Europe, the Delta is available with a choice of five powerplants; gasoline units are 1.4- and 1.8-liter turbo fours and there are also 1.6-, 1.9-, and 2.0-liter diesel inline-fours. Brembo brakes do this car’s stopping, and it wears 225/45-17 Goodyear Excellence rubber.

The only difference between this and the Delta sold in Russia, Turkey and the U.K. is the grille and Chrysler's name on the back end. Surprisingly, the exterior design fits well within the current state of Chrysler products and easily outshines most of what's on dealer lots right now. The interior looks a little disjointed for American tastes, however.

While there are a number of engines for the Delta overseas, it would likely get one of the new four- or six-cylinder engines Chrysler unveiled last week.

Although Chrysler Delta will not be sold too soon on the market in the United States of America, it exemplifies the changes that take place in the ranges of the two manufacturers in the alliance. We can expect the Dodge models to receive the logo of Alfa Romeo when Dodge will be sold in the US, and Dodge models receive similar treatment in Europe.

2010 Chrysler Delta Concept Cars apparently exist to demonstrate to the public that Chrysler now has foreign fingers in its pie. Although twin exhaust tips in the rear suggest it has an engine. In Europe, the Delta is available with a choice of five powerplants. Chrysler could learn from the Delta’s sumptuous interior. Tan leather seats are trimmed with fat black piping and the black leather covered dash is stitched with contrasting tan thread to match the seats.

Chrysler could learn from the Delta’s sumptuous interior. Tan leather seats are trimmed with fat black piping, and the black leather-covered dash is stitched with contrasting tan thread to match the seats. A panoramic full-length glass roof, navigation system, and automatic climate control attest to the luxurious trappings available on the car in Europe. 

Although the interior looks like a lovely place to pass the miles, we think the car just looks awkward, with more of a goofy French style than the sensuous shapes we expect from Italians.

2010 MotoCzysz E1pc – The most advanced electric motorcycle ever made

You might surely have come across many electric bikes so far but the one pictured above outshines them as greatest does to least. Hailed as 2010 MotoCzysz E1pc, the bike is not merely another technically impressive electric motorcycle, but the most...

You might surely have come across many electric bikes so far but the one pictured above outshines them as greatest does to least. Hailed as 2010 MotoCzysz E1pc, the bike is not merely another technically impressive electric motorcycle, but the most advanced two-wheeler ever made. Integrated by Michael Czysz while using MotoGP-level thinking, MotoCzysz E1pc features the most electric drive technology yet seen with engineering solutions.

The bike is to take part in the Isle of Man’s TT Zero electric motorcycle race – the toughest one in the world and has already clocked a 94.6 MPH lap, tantalizingly close to the 100 MPH goal. The electric bike features ten 19.5 pound lithium polymer battery packs, incredibly diminutive tail section and the huge swingarm. That means the bike packs 10 times the battery capacity of a Toyota Prius and 2.5 times the torque of a Ducati 1198.

The other features this most advanced electric bike include ten lithium polymer batteries without wires for easy swaps, an oil-cooled electric motor especially developed from the ground up to win races and a top speed 140 MPH so far. E1pc Superbike has a 100hp electric motor with a torque density of 250+ lb ft. The MotoCzysz motor can deliver a continuous 75kW (100hp) and is 93% efficient under continuous heavy load (140C).

Via: Popsci

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Original source : http://www.automotto.org/entry/2010-motoczysz-e1pc...

Terrestrial Shrub Rover is a harmless shrub on the wheels

Ingenuity knows no bounds and here is an instance that shows humans have a never die urge to explore. See this object and you will surely take it for a moving shrub but it’s a solar electric powered car, mind you. As per its looks, the vehicle is...

Ingenuity knows no bounds and here is an instance that shows humans have a never die urge to explore. See this object and you will surely take it for a moving shrub but it’s a solar electric powered car, mind you. As per its looks, the vehicle is named as the Terrestrial Shrub Rover and is disguised as a well-manicured shrub. Designed and built by Jason Shull, the Shrub Rover is powered by plug-in solar electricity and is underpinned by a compact go-kart frame with a fiberglass dome and glued on faux foliage. And to give the driver view of the outside road, the amazing vehicle features three outward facing LCD cameras (or about 300 of these mini-cams) to assist and give the occupant a lot more fun than a normal car. Hit the jump to checkout more images and a video to see Shrub Rover in action.

Via: Justinshull / Jalopnik

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Original source : http://www.automotto.org/entry/terrestrial-shrub-r...

Mercedes-Benz Arrow concept, a recreational supercar for 2050

Mercedes is already one of the most technologically advanced auto brands and provides its customers with all that luxury and equipments that they want or can really think about. However, designer Felipe Palermo envisions a Mercedes Benz concept that..

Mercedes is already one of the most technologically advanced auto brands and provides its customers with all that luxury and equipments that they want or can really think about. However, designer Felipe Palermo envisions a Mercedes Benz concept that fits well in 2050. Inspired by old Silver Arrows, Slr Mclaren, and the 1954 Gull-wing, Mercedes-Benz Arrow concept is based on the idea that people at that time won’t use cars but rail systems. Therefore, the concept is especially designed as recreational vehicle for fun on the weekends. The concept has been designed with the aim to draw comparison with other leisure vehicles such as motorcycles, jet skis, and personalized aircraft. The layout for Mercedes-Benz Arrow concept is done by TANDEM, the vehicle works with MAGLEV system that helps the vehicle to take on the sharp curves. The vehicle will have tires that will never wear out because they can simply be re-injected with rubber.

Via: Yankodesign

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Original source : http://www.automotto.org/entry/mercedes-benz-arrow...