Odds and ends

  • Hybrid cars may not be as eco-friendly as they seem

    Real-world tests have shown hybrid cars fall well short of their claimed emissions and fuel efficiency figures, raising the question of whether the technology has so far been anything more than a very effective marketing gimmick. Some diesel-powered cars also received bad marks in the review, showing much higher emissions and poorer fuel economy, just like the hybrids. Honda's Civic Hybrid, Lexus's GS450h and Skoda's Fabia Greenline were the three models to get the 'gimmick' label by the testing publication, Auto Express. The Honda Civic Hybrid, for example, scored a real-world output of...

  • Opel reveals new logo to accompany brand refresh
    Opel reveals new logo to accompany brand refresh

    Just like its corporate cousin Vauxhall did earlier this year, Opel is set to unveil a new logo in time for the addition of the Insignia to its ranks. The all-new sedan is the first of a series of new cars that will replace the aging line-up with a fresh design language and a new commitment to...

  • Kelley Blue Book names best road trip cars
    Kelley Blue Book names best road trip cars

    Despite the rising cost of fuel, road trips are one of the defining elements of summer, and as the Northern Hemisphere heads into the hottest months, Kelley Blue Book has named its top 10 road trip vehicles. Although many are solid choices, one stands out from the crowd, and not just because it's a...

  • Smart signals to solve traffic snarls
    Smart signals to solve traffic snarls

    We're all aware of how technology has been employed to make driving and cars safer and yet faster, and even how lasers might be used to display ads at traffic lights, but so far not much has been done to solve the single biggest problem of driving in a heavily populated area: traffic. The Aldis...

  • Ferrari 599 GTB goes up in flames on delivery drive
    Ferrari 599 GTB goes up in flames on delivery drive

    It was just another day in Martin Bullen's rather fortunate work life - driving a Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano, and getting paid to do it. Of course, he was driving it to the repair shop, but still, there are worse ways to make a living. And then, while stopped at a traffic light the car made a noise...

  • Volkswagen may build motorbikes with KTM
    Volkswagen may build motorbikes with KTM

    Volkswagen chairman Ferdinand Piech revealed last month his desire to expand the carmaker’s operations into the motorbike industry, telling German media that he regretted not acquiring the Ducati label during the 1980s when it was near bankruptcy. Piech’s dream could soon come true as...

  • Fuel prices too high for some U.S. pumps to register

    While the United States has some of the lowest fuel prices in the industrialized world, the rapid advance toward $4 per gallon is outstripping the ability of some older hardware to keep up. As many as 17,000 mechanical dial-based fuel pumps are still in use in America, and none can register a price higher than $3.99 per gallon. The problem is almost exclusively confined to rural areas where older stations have simply kept using their original equipment. The stations' small sales volume and low profit margins mean upgrading or replacing the pumps with newer models that can handle the higher...

  • Japanese helping bring down the price of carbon fiber
    Japanese helping bring down the price of carbon fiber

    Lightweight body panels, engine under covers and other parts can be made from carbon fiber composites to save weight, which saves fuel by decreasing the mass to be accelerated by the engine. The implications for the future of fuel consumption and regulations are obvious. The only major problem...

  • As fuel prices rise, hybrids pay off sooner
    As fuel prices rise, hybrids pay off sooner

    The price penalty for the added complexity of a hybrid drivetrain has always been a bit of a concern for those looking to not just save fuel, but to save money. In some calculations from a decade ago, popular hybrids would have taken as much as eight or ten years to repay in fuel savings the cost...

  • Ferrari launches site for new GT, 10 days until preview
    Ferrari launches site for new GT, 10 days until preview

    Despite its position at the apex of consumer and motorsport automotive technology, Ferrari has largely shied away from doing serious business via the technological medium of the new millenium: the internet. That's all changing, as Ferrari has launched a preview website for a new Grand Tourer model...

  • Brew your own fuel at home for $1 per gallon
    Brew your own fuel at home for $1 per gallon

    If you're tired of paying through the nose at the bowser, a new U.S. company may have the answer for you when it comes to reducing fuel costs. E-Fuel Corp unveiled its latest creation, dubbed the MicroFueler, that allows consumers to produce their own ethanol and pump it into their car from home...

  • Chinese use fake license plates to avoid speeding tickets
    Chinese use fake license plates to avoid speeding tickets

    Using tactics that would make any TV crime boss proud, Chinese drivers are using electrically-operated license plate devices that either cover up the legitimate plate or swap out the plate for a fake one. The driver can activate the device whenever a speed camera is near from the comfort of the...

  • Lamborghini to open first retail store in Las Vegas

    Supercar brands such as Ferrari and Lamborghini constantly have to deal with the conflict between boosting profits (usually by selling more cars) and retaining exclusivity. In the past, the carmakers have done this be building less cars than their customers demanded. In recent times, they have increased revenues by expanding their core operations. We’ve seen Ferrari open a chain of new retail stores over the past six years, including the latest in London, and now it appears Lamborghini is set to do the same. Ferrari already has 20 stores in locations such as Beijing, Las Vegas, and...

  • Cadillac prepping hybrid motorbike for L.A. Auto Show
    Cadillac prepping hybrid motorbike for L.A. Auto Show

    The Los Angeles Auto Show is still half a year away but already we have details of what is likely to be one of the event’s standout attractions. In a recent interview, Cadillac boss Jim Taylor revealed plans to showcase a new motorbike concept fitted with a hybrid drivetrain containing an...

  • California man generates electricity from passing trucks
    California man generates electricity from passing trucks

    A man in California has devised an innovative method of generating ‘green’ power from passing trucks that drive up and down busy highways the world over. Inventor Terry Kenney came up with the idea of using the kinetic energy of a truck barreling down a highway to compress a tank of...

  • ABS - saving lives for 30 years
    ABS - saving lives for 30 years

    Antilock braking systems (ABS) have been around for almost a century - first appearing in the 1920s for the aviation industry after being pioneered by French automobile and aircraft company Voisin - but the technology has only been used in cars for the last 30 years. The Mercedes-Benz S-Class was...

  • Electric Bentley Continental DC wins Greenpower race
    Electric Bentley Continental DC wins Greenpower race

    Bentley has shown off its green credentials with a win in the Greenpower Corporate Challenge that took place at a race circuit in Goodwood over the weekend. Bentley’s entry in the challenge was the Continental DC (Direct Current), a small single-seater vehicle built out of carbon fiber and...

  • Faulty pumps overcharge consumers as fuel prices soar
    Faulty pumps overcharge consumers as fuel prices soar

    As fuel prices continue to skyrocket to record highs, more and more consumers are increasingly becoming wary of just how much they are paying at the pump. But new reports in the U.S. claim faulty fuel pumps can be partly blamed for the rising cost of fuel and consumers are being overcharged without...

  • VW accused of spying on Porsche with babyphone

    Police in Germany are investigating a possible industrial espionage case involving Volkswagen spying on Porsche CEO Wendelin Wiedeking. According to German media, VW personal used a baby-phone hidden behind a sofa located in a hotel room Wiedeking was staying in during a trip for a VW supervisory board meeting. Germany’s Der Spiegel was first to break the news and has reported that Porsche’s union boss, Uwe Hueck, also had his phone tapped and was talking to police. Local Police authorities have since confirmed they are investigating the case after a formal complaint was made by...

  • Are laser traffic lights the way of the future?
    Are laser traffic lights the way of the future?

    Weather conditions and poor lighting can often combine to make crosswalks and intersections difficult to spot, especially at night, but Hanyoung Lee may have the answer with his Virtual Wall concept. Using lasers to create a wall of light that illuminates crossing areas, the system is certainly...

  • UK councils considering school-run charge
    UK councils considering school-run charge

    Just when you thought there couldn’t be any other deterrents to vehicle ownership in the UK, what with all the congestion charges, speed cameras, parking tickets and registration taxes, local authorities are now considering implementing a scheme to charge parents that drive their children to...

  • Street racers in Malaysia face the cane
    Street racers in Malaysia face the cane

    Get busted for reckless driving or street racing in most countries and the worst punishment you’re likely to endure is to foot an expensive fine, possibly do a driver-safety course or lose your license or car for several months. In some areas, such as Manchester in the UK or California...

  • Aston Martin DBS goes cliff diving en route to Bond set
    Aston Martin DBS goes cliff diving en route to Bond set

    James Bond has had his share of underwater cars, and recently Rinspeed's sQuba brought one of those movie creations to life. Excellent on-screen as a means of escape or access to a villain's lair, it turns out a car is somewhat less effective in real life when used as an impromptu life raft...

  • Geoff Polites, CEO of Jaguar & Land Rover, passes away
    Geoff Polites, CEO of Jaguar & Land Rover, passes away

    The CEO of Jaguar and Land Rover, Geoff Polites, has passed away at the age of 60 after battling serious illness for the past two years. Polites is credited with leading the team that returned the Jaguar and Land Rover brands back to profitability and his passing comes as both carmakers are...

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