Motor Authority - blog Tag: light

The Mazda MX-5 has become one of the best selling convertibles of all time thanks to its simple, unchanging formula of low weight and fun dynamics - a formula that has served it well for the two decades that it has been in production now. Today's leaked images of the Superlight concept reveal that formula in all its not-headed-for-production glory.

To celebrate the car's 20th anniversary Mazda is building a special speedster-style concept dubbed the MX-5 Superlight. The concept, which is set to be revealed at next week’s Frankfurt Motor Show, reveals a minimalist's MX-5, shaved of its windshield, frame and cloth top and armed only with...

The Mazda MX-5 has become one of the best selling convertibles of all time thanks to its simple, unchanging formula of low weight and fun dynamics - a formula that has served it well for the two decades that it has been in production now. Today's leaked images of the Superlight concept reveal that formula in all its not-headed-for-production glory. To celebrate the car's 20th anniversary Mazda is building a special speedster-style concept dubbed the MX-5 Superlight. The concept, which is set to be revealed at next week’s Frankfurt Motor Show, reveals a minimalist's MX-5, shaved of its windshield, frame and cloth top and armed only with streamlined roll bars to protect the occupants, bridging the gap between production car and formula car. As the name suggests, a number of weight-saving measures have been undertaken throughout the entire car, which checks in at a barely-there 2,190 pounds. Additionally, interior images reveal a racing seat and race-inspired interior elements further hinting at the performance potential of the car. Power for the Superlight comes from a  1.8-liter gasoline engine rated at 125 horsepower and 123 pound-feet of torque - not much in the grand scheme, but about the same as you'll find on the Lotus Elise S, though that car weighs about 200 pounds less than the Mazda. A five-speed manual transmission sends power to the rear wheels, while a Bilstein suspension handles the bumps. Acceleration to 62 mph takes a somewhat lethargic 8.9 seconds, though it's the speed through the curves where the Superlight is intended to shine. The Superlight's 50 mm wider track will no doubt help it hang on, reducing body roll and improving transitions. Shutting the show down falls to a new set of four-piston calipers. The MX-5 Superlight was designed by Mazda's in-house team in Germany, and other unique cosmetic and structural changes include the lack of A-pillars, as well as the smooth front and rear decks presumably used to help control airflow around the car. Disappointingly, however, the chances of a production variant ever reaching dealerships is extremely slim at best, and the MX-5 Superlight will most likely remain a commemorative flight-of-fancy for the 20th birthday of the MX-5. [Autoblog.nl] 2009 Mazda MX-5 Superlight concept car Read More

If you want to go fast around a track, chances are you already know about the KTM X-Bow - but you may not know about the four new variants introduced today in Geneva. Even as the model range expands, however, KTM is drawing back production to meet the receding market.

The familiar KTM X-Bow is now the X-Bow Street - the everyday road-legal track-day car, and the least expensive of the bunch at €49,980 ($62,750). Its 240hp (177kW) engine and low 1,741lb (790kg) curb weight combine to make it the most efficient of the range as well.

Next up is the Clubsport, which adds a finer-tuned chassis and €10,000 to the price, though the... If you want to go fast around a track, chances are you already know about the KTM X-Bow - but you may not know about the four new variants introduced today in Geneva. Even as the model range expands, however, KTM is drawing back production to meet the receding market. The familiar KTM X-Bow is now the X-Bow Street - the everyday road-legal track-day car, and the least expensive of the bunch at €49,980 ($62,750). Its 240hp (177kW) engine and low 1,741lb (790kg) curb weight combine to make it the most efficient of the range as well. Next up is the Clubsport, which adds a finer-tuned chassis and €10,000 to the price, though the powertrain remains the same. It's still street legal, but it adds many race-car features, such as individually adjustable pedals, fire extinguisher and dry battery, double adjustable dampers and a mechanical limited-slip differential. All of the upgrades do add some weight, however, with the Clubsport tipping the scales at 1,774lb (805kg). Shaving weight is left to the Superlight model, which replaces the body panels with lighter-weight carbon fiber for real gains through added lightness. The features of the Superlight echo those of the Clubsport, but with significantly less weight: 1,730lb (785kg) at the curb. Lightness is one of the most expensive things in motorsports, however, and the price reflects that: the Superlight starts at €79,980 ($100,400). For a true race-car experience, you have to go for the GT4 edition, previously known as the 'Race', which as the name suggest is homologated to FIA GT4 standards. Extensive use of carbon fiber for aerodynamic and body elements offsets some of the weight added for homologation, but the car is still the heaviest of the group at 1,818lb (825kg). The GT4's price tag is a cool €82,900 ($104,000). Finally, there's the ROC, named for the Race of Champions - a special stadium-race held among the top finishers in motorsport around the world, from NASCAR to WRC to Formula 1 and more to sort out who's the best of the best. Features of the ROC are somewhere between the Street and Clubsport packages, with the LSD and adjustable pedals making for a fun and comfortable driving experience. Full ROC livery is also part of the package. Only 30 units of the ROC will be built, and its price reflects its limited status, at €69,980 ($87,900). Which brings us back around to KTM's decision to pull down production numbers. About 400 of the standard X-Bow have been sold so far, and KTM had envisioned output of about 1,000 per year. It has reduced its target to just 600 now, however, due to the fallen market. Nevertheless, the widened X-Bow range means there'll be something for everyone that wants to buy one, provided they can find one to buy.KTM X-Bow range Read More

German firm EDAG - short for Engineering & Design, AG - has unveiled its latest concept for a futuristic car at the Geneva Motor Show today. The car's key elements center around materials and construction, though its official name - 'Light Car - Open Source' - indicates an ideology that underlies it as well.

The 'Light Car' name derives from its fundamental design as a car that communicates with other drivers via a system of OLED (organic LED) lights. Some of the car's key body panels are made of the OLED display material, including the front and rear lights, allowing the owner to customize these lights at will, changing their shape or... German firm EDAG - short for Engineering & Design, AG - has unveiled its latest concept for a futuristic car at the Geneva Motor Show today. The car's key elements center around materials and construction, though its official name - 'Light Car - Open Source' - indicates an ideology that underlies it as well. The 'Light Car' name derives from its fundamental design as a car that communicates with other drivers via a system of OLED (organic LED) lights. Some of the car's key body panels are made of the OLED display material, including the front and rear lights, allowing the owner to customize these lights at will, changing their shape or design much like changing the theme on a computer desktop, in addition to displaying warnings and other data to other drivers. Inside a similar custom theme emerges with reconfigurable displays for key data and instrumentation. "We have transferred today's multimedia and lighting technology standards to the car, and in future want to offer the customer scope for free configuration, as the entire surface of the vehicle functions like the monitor of a multimedia installation, and can be used intelligently and individually," said Johannes Barckmann, Head of the EDAG Design Studio. The other star of the EDAG Light Car's materials list is a new basalt fiber composite, here applied for the first time in the automotive realm. Billed as a lightweight, strong and 100% recyclable building material, the basalt fiber promises to help make the Light Car light enough yet strong enough to achieve its task as an all-electric commuter car. EDAG envisions the Light Car with an all-electric drivetrain good for up to 93mi (150km) per charge. Because many of the materials and technologies included in the Light Car concept are still in their very earliest stages, EDAG sees the project as one that is inherently open source - meaning a collaborative, contributive, community project. It hopes to approach and be approached by other car companies interested in making the Light Car work, and bringing its features to life.EDAG Light Car Concept Read More