Subaru Hybrid Tourer Concept #Geneva
By · CommentsThe Subaru Hybrid Tourer Concept presents a breakthrough model created through the innovative evolution of “Grand Touring”.
Subaru has condensed its DNA, developed over many years, around Subaru’s core technology of Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive (AWD) and Horizontally-Opposed engine, into the integration of a luxurious and high-quality cabin atmosphere and a sculpted form that cuts through the air.
In addition to further evolutions in Subaru’s traditional handling agility, riding comfort and superior safety performance recognized around the world, the model proposes a future grand touring car that excels in environmental friendliness featuring Subaru’s unique hybrid system
To further enhance the appeal of the Symmetrical AWD system, this unique hybrid two-motor system features a power/drive motor in the front and a drive motor in the rear.
At startup and extremely low speeds when fuel efficiency is low, such as when driving the car into a garage, the rear motor is primarily used to allow driving without utilizing the power of the engine.
During normal driving, the engine is primarily used. Pleasant and reliable driving is offered through a combination of the direct fuel-injection turbo gasoline engine with the Symmetrical AWD.
During acceleration, the rear motor assists the driving power of the engine to achieve the advanced driving performance that is a feature of the hybrid system.
Further, when accelerating uphill, the front motor, which is normally used as a power generator, assists to drive the front axel for improved performance.
The implementation of a non-idling function that stops the engine when the car comes to a halt reduces unnecessary fuel consumption.
The use of a high-performance lithium battery is based on experience and know-how achieved with the Subaru Plug-in STELLA electric vehicle, launched in 2009. This includes the use of a precise energy management system and regenerative brake controls, for improvements in excellent fuel efficiency.
2011 Jaguar XKR
By · CommentsJaguar showsoff the latest dramatic evolution of its supercharged Jaguar XKR coupe at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show. The stunning new Jaguar XKR Special Edition delivers a significantly raised maximum speed – 174mph (280km/h) – and stunning exterior styling changes that create the fire and brimstone supercharged Jaguar.
The Jaguar XKR Special Edition combines a number of new features and option packs that are introduced to the XK range at 2011 Model Year. Jaguar customers have the option to personalise their vehicle by building on the existing Jaguar XKR package to deliver a car that offers even greater performance without sacrificing the refinement and luxury for which every Jaguar is renowned.
Introduced in 2009, the Jaguar XKR boasts a state-of-the-art 5.0-litre supercharged AJ-V8 Gen III R engine that delivers 510PS (510bhp SAE), 625Nm of torque and propels the coupe to 60mph in just 4.6 seconds. Now, in Special Edition guise, the Jaguar XKR’s top speed climbs significantly from an electronically limited 155mph (250km/h) to 174mph (280km/h) thanks to the addition of the Speed Pack. Allied to that remarkable engine is an advanced six-speed automatic transmission with steering-wheel mounted paddles, lightweight aluminium body structure and a range of computer-controlled systems including Active Differential Control and Adaptive Dynamics that ensure the supercharged car accelerates even faster, handles even more precisely and sets new standards of ride and comfort.
Bertone Alfa Concept #Geneva
By · CommentsAfter a two year absence from the international scene, Bertone returns to the Geneva Motor Show, unveiling a concept car that makes its world premiere here: the Pandion, an aggressive yet beautiful coupé designed as a tribute to Alfa Romeos’ one hundred year anniversary.
The Pandion: an extreme and controversial sports car in typical Bertone fashion. The size of the concept car (4620 mm in length, 1971 mm wide, 1230 mm high, 2850 mm wheelbase) offers a compact sports car external dimensions with a large sports car interior feeling, all powered by a 4.7 litre, 450 CV 8-cylinder Alfa Romeo engine.
The Pandion is the first car produced by Mike Robinson in his new role as Design and Brand Director at Bertone. A pure ‘dream car’, the Pandion takes its rightful place as a member of Bertone’s historic Alfa Romeo family: cars that have always been style icons, influencing the history of the automobile and Italian craftsmanship in their excellent design quality, proving themselves to be undisputed benchmarks for the entire world of car design.
The name comes from the animal world, as Pandion Haliaetus is the scientific name for an Osprey: a sea hawk that nests and lives in coastal areas. The designers, led by Mike Robinson, have drawn inspiration from the wings of this predator to invent the spectacular door opening mechanisms, and from the hawks’ facial markings to project the traditional Alfa family feeling into the next era of design.
In almost a century of Bertone tradition, it is not the first time that natural wonders have inspired the names of concept cars. Just think of the Corvair Testudo (1963) and, by no coincidence, the Alfa Romeo Canguro (1964), Carabo (1968) and Delfino (1983).
Geneva 2010– Cadillac unveiled the 2011 CTS Coupe at the Geneva Motor Show, the latest and most dramatic of the brand’s series of new designs to reach production.
Slated to arrive in North American Cadillac showrooms in the spring of 2010, the CTS Coupe is a new luxury sports coupe designed to become the centerpiece of the brand’s revised lineup. It will be launched in Europe in fall 2010.
“CTS Coupe is the new focal point of Cadillac, expressing both our design and technical capabilities,” said Bryan Nesbitt, Cadillac general manager. “It is intended to appeal to a new generation of car enthusiasts.”
The Coupe joins the CTS Sport Sedan, the 564 horsepower (415 kW) CTS-V and new CTS Sport Wagon as the foundation of Cadillac’s lineup. A high-performance V-Series edition of the Coupe will also be released in 2010. The CTS Coupe’s design carries over virtually unchanged from the concept car that was introduced at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in 2008.
The Coupe is a classic 2+2 layout bolstered with advanced technology, such as a rear-view camera system and a performance-oriented suspension system coupled to rear-wheel or all-wheel drive.
