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Porsche is working on a plug-in hybrid version of the 911
Porsche has been flirting with EVs for a bit now and it looks like the the famed 911 coupe might be going partially electric. CEO Oliver Bloom recently told Automotive News that a plug-in hybrid version of the car will go on sale near 2023, roughly four years after the redesigned gas version hits the market. The publication reports that the decision to hybridize the coupe isn't final, but that Bloom is pushing for it regardless. "It will be very important for the 911 to have a plug-in hybrid," he said.
Honda hopes developers can help keep the LA Olympics moving
If you've ever been to Los Angeles, you've been in traffic. It's such an integral part of the LA experience that the running joke is that the city is nothing more than a giant parking lot. But the sprawling metropolis is trying to do better. It's expanding its subway system with a new line and seven stations by 2023 while the light rail expansion will connect the Crenshaw district with LAX. Still, the freeways and surface streets are crowded with four-wheeled chunks of metal and glass. That's where 16 teams of developers, the city of LA and Honda come in.
Project Redspace imagines an office-car for megacity traffic
New York is huge. 8.5 million people live in the Big Apple according to 2016 census data. It seems impressive until you realize that there are 15 megacities in China that blow New York away with populations over 10 million. All those humans in one area means that traffic can be a challenge. One company think it has a commuter solution. A very boxy commuter solution.
Toyota's FT-AC concept is an Instagram-ready offroader
If you've ever thought, "I'd really like to be able to record all my drives both on-road and off," the Toyota FT-AC (Future Toyota Adventure Concept)crossover is the vehicle for you. With detachable infrared cameras on the side mirrors that record your jaunts, it's the Instagram-ready car of your active-lifestyle dreams.
Porsche’s powerful hybrid is a sports car disguised as a station wagon
The Porsche Panamera is rather divisive. People either love or hate the way it looks. Regardless of your thoughts on its design, it's hard to ignore the sports car that doubles as a station wagon. That's especially true thanks to the new $188,400 Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid Sport Turismo introduced at the LA Auto Show. Yeah, the name is a mouthful.
BMW debuts its i8 Roadster for top-down green driving
The i series vehicles has been BMW's electrified brand on the road since 2014. The i3 is the pure-electric urban bubble vehicle while the supercar-styled i8 is the hybrid of the pair. But beyond sharing similar design cues and a TRON-inspired paint job, the two vehicles couldn't be further from each other. At the 2017 LA Auto Show, the automaker placed even more space between the cars with the new 2019 convertible and coupe i8s.
Chevrolet unveils futuristic 'Gran Turismo 6' concept car
Nissan isn't the only automaker with a real-life version of a vehicle from Gran Turismo 6. At the LA International Auto Show, Chevrolet rolled out its own: the Chaparral 2X Vision Gran Turismo (VGT). The concept car was developed as part of the Vision Gran Turismo project that includes offerings from Subaru, Toyota, Aston Martin and more. As the name suggests, Chevy's take got a hand from Chaparral Racing and includes futuristic options like driver-adjustable aerodynamics and a laser-based propulsion system. The battery-powered 671-kW laser helps churn out 900 horsepower in thrust, which helps the car top out at 240 MPH while going from 0-60 MPH in 1.5 seconds -- inside the confines of GT6, of course. "In many ways, the Chaparral 2X VGT is like racing wing suit, with a protective fuselage for 'flying' very low to the ground," says design team lead Frank Saucedo. You'll be able to pilot the vehicle via an in-game download on PlayStation 3 consoles this holiday season.
Mini Cooper hardtop gets parking assistance and collision warning systems
It feels like the last time we thought about the Mini Cooper, it was pulling bank jobs with Mark Wahlberg. Since then, the diminutive coupe has apparently outgrown its rebellious phase and is now thinking about more mature notions, like safety. At next month's LA Auto Show, the 2014 hardtop will debut a new collision warning system that employs cameras -- instead of the feature's typical sonar tech -- for accident sensing, a video-based adaptive cruise control system and even auto-dimming headlamps. Nothing exactly new for automobiles, but definitely shiny features for the Mini line. For full details on these as well as the new assisted parking system, HUD and more, make sure to hit the PR after the break. Now if you'll excuse us, we're going to shut down the real Napster.
Mitsubishi's i-MiEV Evolution electric racer eyes-on
Many automakers are testing the waters by introducing all-electric vehicles to consumers at this year's LA Auto Show, but Mitsubishi's i-MiEV Evolution aims to stomp with the big dogs in the world of competitive racing. Taking second place at this year's Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, this juiced up carbon-fiber speedster pushes around 322HP from its three 80KW electric motors and packs a 35KWh lithium-ion battery. While it seems the Evo should be chasing after the Mach 5 and it looks like it came from Pops Racer's garage, many of its components come from its predecessor, with the exception of its all-wheel drive configuration. Speed past the break to get a closer look at this battery-powered brute in all of its manga inspired glory.
Fiat's 500e EV debuts at the LA Auto Show, we go eyes-on
We've had ample opportunity to ogle the electrical version of Fiat's venerable 500 when the Italian firm fortold its US arrival years ago. This week at the LA Auto Show, the car finally made its official debut, so naturally, we had to swing by and check it out. While we've got plenty of eye-candy of the diminutive EV in our gallery below, allow us to first regale you with the car's specs. Under the hood lies a 111HP motor powered by a 24 kWh battery that generates 147 pound-feet of torque -- not exactly the stump-pulling grunt of its new Yankee competition, but still plenty of power for such a small car. Range tops out around 80 miles in general use, while city drivers can expect an extra 20 miles per charge. Speaking of, the car gets all the juice it needs through a 240-volt outlet in just under four hours. Can't wait to get one? Well, Fiat's not telling how much the 500e will cost, but we do know it'll be available in California starting Q2 of 2013, and it'll come to the rest of North America by the middle of the year.
Chevy Spark EV guts revealed, we go eyes-on
Details of Chevy's first all-electric car, the Spark EV, hit the web yesterday, and today the diminutive car got its official unveiling at the LA Auto Show. Since we're here in SoCal, we figured we'd bring you some shots of GM's latest electrical offering, and Chevrolet was kind enough to cut apart a Spark for us to see its innards. Head on down to our gallery below, where you'll find the 130hp electron-powered motor, 20kWH battery pack, and MyLink-equipped infotainment system displayed in all their glory. Mark Hearn contributed to this post.
Apple devices seen everywhere at the LA Auto Show
Tech blog Cosby Sweaters noticed something interesting at the recent LA Auto Show: Apple was there in force. Not officially -- there is no iCar being sold just yet. But iPads and iMacs were used for a surprising amount of the kiosk displays by manufacturers. Lexus even had a 15-iPod touch display (as seen above) set up to demonstrate features and functions of its new cars. When it comes to functionality, security, and usability, Apple's devices are actually relatively cheap to set up, create as a kiosk and then use at a show. This is probably far from the last time we'll see iPod touches and iPads used in this way at conventions.
Mitsubishi i is the new name of the i MiEV for American market, coming next fall for $30,000
Mitsubishi promised it'd bring the i MiEV over to the US before 2012 and now it's rehashed that pledge with a slightly more detailed roadmap and an indicative price point to boot. Maurice Durand, the company's communications manager for North America, is quoted as saying the newly renamed i will cost "around $30,000" when it launches, which is expected to happen in fall 2011. Sales expectations are a very modest 20,000 units by 2015, but apparently the idea is for Mitsu to just get its foot in the US electric vehicle market before introducing more powerful and versatile people carriers. The i is pitched as primarily a commuter's vehicle, though it has been enlarged slightly to accommodate US safety regulations and "larger frame people." Be honest, Maurice, you mean larger waistline, not frame.
Chevy Volt shows up at fast food joint, practices lines for LA Auto Show
You might've seen the Volt make a guest appearance on the futuristic Surrogates movie already, but now Chevy's taking the opposite approach by looking toward the past to promote its PHEV. Bob's Big Boy fast food restaurant in California got treated to a surprise visit by a production model of that most bodacious Chevrolet, and as you can see above, it doesn't look horribly out of place seated in among its elders, a 1969 Camaro and an Impala SS. Joining in the weekly classic car meetup hosted by the restaurant, this appearance was a prelude to the production Volt being shown off at the LA Auto Show, which kicks off this coming Friday. So if you wanna see it, you can either attend the event or wait for the car to roll up at your nearest Wendy's.
Honda's FC Sport fuel-cell hybrid debuts in a puff of conceptual smoke
If the Tesla Roadster has proven anything other than the disruptive effects of a hyper-inflated ego, it's that well designed eco-vehicles will sell... at any price. Yet the general design theme amongst hybrid builders appears to be your grandfather's loafer. Honda too, just look at the FCX Clarity. So we're pretty stoked to see Honda roll out its FC Sport concept three-seater (driver front-and-center) at the LA Auto Show using the same V-Flow fuel cell stack and electric drivetrain found in the FCX Clarity. Only thing is, it's a non-functional concept with little hope of hitting the market anytime soon if history serves. Good news for GM but bad news for consumers. As a wise man of consumer electronics once said: "You know how you see a show car, and it's really cool, and then four years later you see the production car, and it sucks? And you go, What happened? They had it! They had it in the palm of their hands! They grabbed defeat from the jaws of victory! What happened was, the designers came up with this really great idea. Then they take it to the engineers, and the engineers go, 'Nah, we can't do that. That's impossible.' And so it gets a lot worse. Then they take it to the manufacturing people, and they go, 'We can't build that!' And it gets a lot worse." Or to paraphrase: It's like asking for a Big Mac and getting a fish sandwich.Read -- Parable of the Concept Car Read -- FC Sport
