Magna Touchskin technology takes a swipe at switchgear in cars [w/video]
May 18, 2012 by admin
Filed under Design and Style
Filed under: Technology, Design/Style
The Touchskin interface has beeen on display since last October; now it’s at a stage where Magna is shopping it to automakers. Although Magna is the marquee name, the various components that comprise Touchskin are produced by nine companies: Plastic Electronics, Engel Mould Technologies, Schöfer, Magna Exteriors and Interiors, Hueck, Niebling, Votteler, [...]
China chastizes Beijing Motor Show over scantily clad models
May 18, 2012 by admin
Filed under Design and Style
Filed under: China, Etc., Government/Legal, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Beijing Motor Show, Design/Style
Our post on China’s “Tiger mom” phenomenon was illustrated with that above picture; it’s the Jeep Wrangler Dragon Design Concept at the 2012 Beijing Motor Show, accompanied by a booth professional. The model – her, not the Jeep – made a fair few friends in [...]
Brabus turns its attention to custom jets
May 17, 2012 by admin
Filed under Design and Style
Filed under: Aftermarket, Etc., Design/Style, Luxury
If you’re looking to give your Mercedes-Benz an added dose of performance, look no further than Brabus. The aftermarket tuning house specializes in customizing Daimler’s finest, and doesn’t stop at upgrading the engine and running gear, either. With packages like the iBusiness suite, Brabus will turn your S-Class, for example, [...]
Gazoo Racing drums up twincharged 320-horsepower Toyota GT86
May 17, 2012 by admin
Filed under Concept Cars
Filed under: Concept Cars, Coupe, Performance, Europe, Toyota
As if turbos weren’t enough.
Gazoo Racing (full name: Gazoo Racing Masters of Nürburgring) has unveiled a concept racing version of the famed Toyota GT86 that features both a turbocharger and a supercharger to offer up 320 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque.
The car, officially called the Sport FR [...]
Retrofitted BMW M3 electric will compete in Pikes Peak race
May 17, 2012 by admin
Filed under Green Auto
Filed under: EV/Plug-in, BMW, USA
Last year, a BMW i8 plug-in hybrid was featured in the Tom Cruise-starring Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol. This year, another BMW electric-drive vehicle is looking to make a star performance, and without the editing or tricky camera angles.
A 1995 BMW M3 has been retrofitted with a 420-horsepower electric motor and will [...]
Pininfarina turns first net profit since 2004
May 17, 2012 by admin
Filed under Design and Style
Filed under: Etc., Europe, Earnings/Financials, Design/Style
Automotive News reports Pininfarina projects it will turn a profit for 2012, thanks in part to debt restructuring. The Italian design studio hasn’t seen a profit in eight years, but signed a deal in April to restructure $182.6 million in debt. The move effectively stretched the studio’s repayment deadline from [...]
Crushed Ferrari makes for world’s most tragic coffee table
May 16, 2012 by admin
Filed under Design and Style
Filed under: Etc., Ferrari, Design/Style
This post isn’t for the weak of stomach or faint of heart. The sad truth of being an automotive enthusiast is that we’re all hoarders on some level. We yearn to collect various bits of paraphernalia plucked from our favorite race teams and derelict junkyard hulks. Now Charly Molinelli Design has [...]
Salon columnist asks, “Is it ethical to drive stick?” [w/poll]
May 16, 2012 by admin
Filed under Green Auto
Filed under: Etc., MPG
Just don’t answer. The question is neither relevant, nor is it even the crux of the column. Get past the clicky smelling headline, and what you have here is a combination of two news stories, one new and one old, both of which you’ve likely already come across.
We’re going to play nice [...]
Engine packaging to blame for Fisker Karma garage fire? [UPDATE]
Filed under: Recalls, Safety, Technology
While the investigation of the Fisker Karma that toasted a Texas garage is not over, pundits have begun to weigh in. Automotive News has found a particularly credible one in Jon Bereisa, CEO of Auto Lectrification and the chief engineer of the General Motors EV1 and systems architect for the Chevrolet [...]
Why your next car may not come with a CD player
May 16, 2012 by admin
Filed under Design and Style
Filed under: Technology, Ford, Design/Style
Michael Arbaugh, chief designer of Ford interiors, describes center console space as “oceanfront property” – already fully populated, with more tenants trying to move in every year. Speaking to the Automotive Press Association in Detroit, Arbaugh said one tenant he’d like to evict is the CD player because it’s dead weight [...]
