test drive
Latest
Prototype Tesla-powered RAV4 driven, demonstrates extreme brake regen
What happens when you put the powertrain from a Tesla Roadster into an SUV? You get the Toyota RAV4 EV, an early prototype of which PluginCars got a chance to drive. It referred to a "sophisticated proof of concept," basically a drivable show car, and the performance is reasonably stout: 0 - 60MPH in nine seconds -- not bad for a 3,900lb car. Range is estimated to be 100 miles in real-world conditions, but that's liable to change between now and when the car is expected to hit dealers, sometime toward the end of 2012. We're guessing the Roadster-style pushbutton gear selector will be gone by then, too.
Delta E4 electric coupe goes out for a spin, carrying lucky humanoid (video)
When was the last time you rode in an electric vehicle almost entirely constructed of carbon fiber and good for 250 miles on a charge? We're laying odds on "never," which is why we turned a shade of violent green when we saw Fully Charged host (and part-time Series 4000 Mechanoid) Robert Llewellyn set foot in just such a car. Delta Motorsport's E4 Coupe, originally designed to win an Automotive X-Prize, is the vehicle we're referring to here, and despite the fact that only one-third of its full projected power was available to coax Mr. Llewellyn firmly into his racing seat (four-wheel drive and regenerative braking are also TBD) and set his teeth on edge, we have to give the man some major props for documenting the experience for us on film. Watch it after the break.
Amazon.com lets you play with an Android virtual machine, try apps before you buy them
When Amazon's Appstore rolled out last week, we glossed over one detail that merely seemed neat. Today, we're inclined to say that Test Drive may be the most significant part of Amazon's announcement that day. Basically, Test Drive allows US customers to take apps for a spin at Amazon.com, with all the comfort that their tried-and-true desktop web browser brings -- but rather than sit you down with a Flash-based mockup of the app, Amazon is giving you a taste of bona fide cloud computing with an Android virtual machine. In other words, what you're looking at in the screenshot above isn't just a single program, but an entire virtual Android smartphone with working mouse controls, where you can not only try out Paper Toss, but also delete it, browse through the device's photo gallery, listen to a few tunes, or even surf the web from the working Android browser -- as difficult as that may be without keyboard input. Amazon explains: Clicking the "Test drive now" button launches a copy of this app on Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2), a web service that provides on-demand compute capacity in the cloud for developers. When you click on the simulated phone using your mouse, we send those inputs over the Internet to the app running on Amazon EC2 - just like your mobile device would send a finger tap to the app. Our servers then send the video and audio output from the app back to your computer. All this happens in real time, allowing you to explore the features of the app as if it were running on your mobile device. Today, Amazon's Test Drive is basically just Gaikai for mobile phones -- its purpose is simply to sell apps, nothing more. But imagine this for a sec: what if you could access your own smartphone data, instead of the mostly blank slate that Amazon provides here? %Gallery-119809% [Thanks, Ryan]
Car2go test drive: RFID, GPS, and mobile apps make for a smarter Smart
As you read this (assuming you're reading this sometime before March 20th) zillions of music, movie, and tech mavens and moguls have descended on Austin, Texas for SXSW. We made a run through the city just before festivities kicked off, stopping by to check out the Car2Go carsharing service that launched last summer and that, as of March 19th, will expand its coverage area to include 52 square miles worth of the heart of Texas. We took one of the company's customized Smart Fortwos for a ride and also test drove the new iPad app that makes finding cars as easy as pie. Pie, as it turns out, is also quite easy to find in Austin. %Gallery-119036%
Atari starts Test Drive Unlimited 2's engines
MMO racers are an interesting breed, seemingly rarer than a '68 GT40. Whether it's due to EA's relatively under-the-radar Need For Speed World or the gone-but-not-forgotten Motor City Online, car enthusiasts with a shared passion for MMOs have endured slim pickings in recent years. Happily, Atari and Eden Games are looking to change all that with this week's release of Test Drive Unlimited 2, an ambitious new racing title for the PC, Xbox 360, and PS3 platforms. TDU2 lives up to its MMO billing (and its "beyond racing" tagline) by delivering a non-linear experience that is as much about collecting and progression as it is about driving. Also in the mix are a variety of social options such as avatar, housing, and furniture customization as well as the requisite car tuning and parts tweaking minigames. TDU2 also aims to out-MMO many current MMOs by delivering large playfields and emphasizing shared social spaces (including gambling hubs, player-run clubs, and cooperative races). TDU2 can be played sans a sub fee after you purchase the digital download or retail box, and Atari plans to offer DLC in the form of car, clothing, and furniture packs to monetize the game over time. Check out our exclusive in-game gallery below and head to the game's official website for more info. %Gallery-116007%
Chevy Volt preview: escape from DC in today's car of tomorrow
Okay, we're no Snake Plissken, but let's just say that DC has become something of an interesting town lately, with mock-left and faux-right wing pundits holding giant rallies, political candidates being accused of witchcraft, and various other signs of the apocalypse happening every day. We were glad to make it out with both eyes and we were glad to be doing so in the car of the future that's finally a part of the present: Chevrolet's $41,000 Volt. It's actually (honestly) in proper production now, being delivered to select dealers soon, one of those production models given to us to drive from our great nation's capital to the cultural capital of the world: New York City. We easily managed it on a single tank of gas, but what kind of mileage did we get? You'll just have to read on to find out. %Gallery-106832%
Nissan Leaf launches in Europe, takes us for a drive
26,000 people can't be wrong, right? That's the current tally of Leaf pre-orders that Nissan has collected from US and Japanese drivers excited by its all-electric hatchback. Yesterday, the car that's built to plug into the same wall outlet as your toaster held its official pan-European launch party -- with the UK, Ireland, Netherlands, and Portugal getting the first deliveries in early 2011 -- and we were on site to grab a few closeup pictures and some precious time in the driver's seat. American drivers should look out for a new set of keys in their mailbox this December, so there's probably no better time than now to give them a preview of what they're getting themselves into. Jump past the break for more on the Nissan Leaf.%Gallery-105887%%Gallery-105918%
Toyota Prius PHEV preview: three days in plug-in paradise
The future of modern transportation awaits us. By 2012 we expect to have multiple proper, reasonable choices for fully electric vehicles, but check your calendar and you'll see it's still 2010, leaving us still waiting for cars like the Leaf and the Volt to make their proper appearances. Toyota would like to remind you that the Prius is still here, celebrating an amazing tenth year of availability in the US and teasing us with the upcoming plug-in model, offering a taste of EV with the practicality of a hybrid. We just spent three days with one and managed a quite impressive 91mpg average -- no hypermiling required. Click on through for our detailed impressions of this five-door eco-warrior. %Gallery-105286%
Test Drive Unlimited 2 accepting beta applications
If you're one of those cautious, try-before-you-buy types, you may want to check out the recently posted beta application for Atari's online racer, Test Drive Unlimited 2. It's pretty much your basic application: Name, gender, address, computer specs, which consoles you own, how long you spend playing games each week, and detailed report on your sexual history over the past eighteen months. You'll need to register for an Atari account to fill in these parameters, thought if you've already got a Champions Online or Star Trek Online account, you should already have access to the application. Also, we were kidding about the whole "sexual history" thing. They only want to know about the past six months. Whew! [Thanks, B1gg_Randall]
Test Drive Unlimited 2 drives off the lot Sept. 21
Those awaiting the arrival of Test Drive Unlimited 2 shouldn't make any travel plans for the second week of September, because Atari's already booked you for a trip to Ibiza. The scenic racing game is due to be released on September 21, 2010 in North America, and pre-order campaigns will roll out beginning this week (May 28). As has become the norm, various retailers will feature unique bonuses in exchange for your solemn vow to purchase the game from them. Here's a quick rundown of what's being offered to pre-purchasers: Amazon pre-order bonus: Aston Martin V12 Vantage Carbon Black special edition, in-game avatar apparel and Amazon video games store credit (amount TBA) Atari.com: custom Nissan 370Z Best Buy: Aston Martin DBS Carbon Black special edition GameStop: TDU2: Casino Online bonus game (including poker, roulette and slots; playable with friends online) and two exclusive unlockable cars Walmart: Inuit finish Audi Q7 V12 TDI Quattro, in-game avatar apparel and Walmart.com gift card (amount TBA). We recently saw Test Drive Unlimited 2 in action and will have hands-on impressions of the game from E3.
Test Drive Unlimited 2 director reveals plans for beta and bikes
There's a lot of news on Eden Studios' sequel, Test Drive Unlimited 2, coming out of Spain today. VG247 attended the event and spoke to the game's director, Alain Jarniou -- he had a lot of new information to impart. First, players will no longer find themselves bound by their automobiles. In the sequel, it will be possible to run around on foot and interact with the game world "in specific places." An example given by Jarniou is the pre-race: in the first game, there was simply a lobby for players to interact in before they got down to business. In the sequel, it's an in-game place where avatars stand around and interact. He also revealed that plans are underway to offer an open Test Drive Unlimited 2 beta. "Right now, the plan is to have an open beta of TDU2. The difficulty of having a demo for a game like this is the fact it's a huge island, and a huge amount of data. It's not the best way to show the game. So yeah, for now the plan's an open beta." Finally, Jarniou promised bikes will be available in the game -- just "not for the day one version." He says that the developer rebuilt the way cars handle from scratch, as Eden Studios wasn't totally pleased with how that worked in the first game. "So we decided to start from the beginning," he said, "and we now have a new handling for the cars, and we want to, of course, [do the same] for the bikes."
Test Drive Unlimited 2 feels like Home in this new trailer
If you clicked on the video above before reading this, you're probably a little confused. Yes, it looks like you've somehow pulled up footage from PlayStation Home. If you stick with it for a bit, though, you'll see that it isn't. It really is footage from Test Drive Unlimited 2. Like we said in our preview last month, the game is essentially an MMO, incorporating player avatars and various places for folks to hang out when not racing. That's what you're seeing. Crazy, right? The video provides you with a pretty good look at this aspect of the game; thankfully, it also contains a decent amount of actual racing, specifically highlighting TDU2's day/night cycle, weather effects and off-road driving. You know -- the other stuff you'll be experiencing when not shopping for clothes, getting cosmetic surgery or chilling in a jacuzzi on-board your yacht. (Actually, the MMO stuff is pretty cool ... )
Impressions: Test Drive Unlimited 2
It's been four years -- a.k.a. a long time -- since Eden Studios introduced "massively open online racing" with the original Test Drive Unlimited. The series returns this fall in the sequel, which is still MOOR but not just MOAR of the same. Eden and publisher Atari gave me a peek at the work-in-progress racer yesterday, which was running on PC for demo purposes but at the same resolution and level of detail planned for the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions. It's already looking gorgeous -- the video above doesn't do it nearly enough justice -- but that's not what impressed me the most. So much has been expanded, tweaked and added to this sequel that I would have believed it if the developer had told me it'd been working on the game since 2006. It also seemed so finished that I couldn't believe we won't be playing it until near the end of this year. %Gallery-92051%
Engadget test drives the Chevy Volt (video)
For a car that's been as eagerly anticipated and hyped as the Chevrolet Volt, seeing it in person is not exactly an awe-inspiring experience. In fact if you don't look twice it's very easy to mistake it for Chevy's Cruze, an eco-friendly (though decidedly traditionally powered) small car. The Volt is, of course, a little more special -- a car with both electric and internal-combustion engines on-board. That's not a particularly rare thing in this age of the Prius, but Chevrolet is being very clear: the Volt is an electric car, not a hybrid, and if you read on after the break we'll tell you exactly why -- and what it's like to drive one. %Gallery-89256%
Test Drive Unlimited 2 leaves the showroom this Fall
Is no one impressed by your massive stockpile of (relatively) ancient virtual cars in Test Drive Unlimited? It's almost time for you to pick up this year's model -- Atari recently announced that this coming Fall would see the release of Test Drive Unlimited 2 on PS3, 360 and PC. This sequel will offer the persistent, open-world multiplayer racing of its predecessor, while introducing new elements such as vehicle damage, day and night cycles, and weather. The press release promises "the world's most desirable vehicles," but we all know the best part of Test Drive Unlimited was the fancy clothes you could buy for your character. We can't wait to see what exciting fashion lines TDU2 brings to the table. %Gallery-87181%
Tesla Roadster Sport gets taken for a test drive, photo shoot
Like the Tesla Roadster but think it's just not expensive enough for you? Then fear not, person we'd like to get to know, 'cause the Tesla Roadster Sport is here complete with a $19,500 premium over its less sporty counterpart. Thankfully, according to the lucky folks at Autoblog Green, you will get quite a few bonuses for that extra cash, including an improved 0-60 time of 3.7 seconds, a new suspension that can be set to one of ten different settings and, perhaps most importantly, a new set of black-finish forged wheels (paired with some Yokohama ADVAN A048 tires) that'll ensure no one mistakes it for a "low end" Tesla. Be sure to hit up the read link below for Autoblog Green's full report, not to mention plenty of pics inside and out.
Wheego Whip gets pictured, driven around at mind-blowingly slow speeds
Given just how difficult it has been for even Chevrolet to get its all-electric gears going, we kind of wondered if we'd ever hear more about the Wheego Whip after it quietly faded earlier this year. Lo and behold, the low-speed city car has made an appearance at AltCar 2009, and after receiving about 100 orders, it seems the car is all but ready to begin pleasing those who shelled out just under 20 large for the privilege of a pink slip. Our good pals over at Autoblog Green were able to zip around in the car recently and serve up some impressions of the drive, and while it didn't seem to live up to the "Cadillac of neighborhood electric vehicles" claim, it definitely got the job done... at 25 miles per hour. Hit the read link for a gallery of shots and a fresh take on what a whisper quiet, low-speed driving experience is like.
Dodge Circuit EV goes for a test drive
Value your bodily safety too much to get within shouting distance of an electric motorcycle or a two-seat Segway? Our friends at AutoblogGreen have you totally covered with a test drive in the utterly safe, normal and boring Dodge Circuit EV. It's based on the same powertrain that Chrysler is stuffing into all of its ENVI vehicles, but with the lightweight Lotus-derived frame on top, there's quite a bit of get-up-and-go to it. Unfortunately, the cabin is a bit cramped, and Chrysler still has some bugs to work out with its EV platform. Right now the regenerative braking bites right away, instead of letting the car coast, requiring constant use of the accelerator to keep moving, but Chrysler is working on it. There are still big questions on price and availability, but so it goes with most electric vehicles -- at least this one seems fairly ready to go. Note: Gallery jumps to AutoBlogGreen
Verizon axing Test Drive, making New Every Two program less awesome
Verizon Wireless certainly isn't planning a romantic weekend with its customers this Valentine's Day, as it's completely nixing its Test Drive program and slashing benefits on its New Every Two initiative. Or, it will if documents rounded up by Boy Genius Report prove accurate. Currently, prospective subscribers who'd like to test out Verizon's network for a month without worrying over usage fees can do so; after February 15th, they can kiss that option goodbye, as anyone who signs up and ports out within a month will have to pay for their wireless access and usage charges during that window. On the same day, a few changes in the NE2 program will also go into effect, and while we'll point you to the read link for all the details, here's the skinny: the discounts you once got are being lessened. Awesome.
Verizon opens up FiOS TV test-drive kiosk in new Virginia Beach store
We know -- everyone lacking FiOS just wants Verizon to push it out to more areas, but Verizon's hoping to secure more customers in the locations it's already in. For the second time in a week, we're being treated to a new Verizon store opening, and within is a test-drive kiosk where patrons can see first hand what the outfit's fiber-based programming / high-speed internet services are all about. The newest location is on Virginia Beach Boulevard in Virginia Beach, VA, and hey, even if you're completely uninterested in signing up, why not stop by just to check out the home theater setup and rest your loins in the plush chairs?
