The fabulously wealthy face all sorts of dilemmas that the rest of us never have to bother with. If you can afford a Lexus LFA, for example, what color do you opt for? Red is clearly for the Ferrari in your stable. Black belongs on your hearse, and… copper? Well, that’s best left for your LX570. What you want is something that makes a statement. A color that kicks puppies and steals candy from kids on Halloween. Green. You want the kind of green that will make Lamborghini Gallardo owners look tasteful by comparison.

That’s exactly what the buyer of LFA number 250 went with. We aren’t entirely sure what the color is called, but our retinas won’t be the same for a week. The hue is almost a more violent version of the Emerald Green found on early ’70s Porsche 911 models. The paint might not look quite as at home as it does on vintage Porsche sheetmetal, but we still love it (something tells tells us there will be plenty of you who fall on the other side of the fence). What do you think? Have your say in Comments.

Screaming green Lexus LFA likely to split opinions originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 02 Feb 2012 11:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You’ve heard us gush about the Ford Mustang Boss 302 before, calling this 444-horsepower coupe “The pony car’s best ambassador.” Sadly, we have yet to drive the updated 2013 model, which includes, among other things, a reworked front fascia, improved front-end cooling, a more assertive front splitter and new paint and graphics options.

Among those new color choices is Gotta Have It Green, which reminds us somewhat of Porsche Emerald Green popularized on 911 models in the 1970s, albeit a bit flatter. Photographed here being jockeyed into place at Ford’s Detroit Auto Show stand this morning, this is actually the second look we’re giving you at Gotta Have It, though these photos are markedly clearer (and more numerous) than the ones we showed you back in November. We like the new reflective ‘hockey stick’ side graphic that replaces the boomerang U-shaped treatment of the 2012 model, but if we’re being honest, we’re on the fence about the pastel-like paint finish.

If you don’t (like) Gotta Have It, there’s also a new Impact Blue paint choice, along with School Bus Yellow and last year’s Black, Ingot Silver, Race Red and Performance White. Unfortunately, we didn’t spy either of the other new colors on Ford’s Cobo Hall show stand while we were there for a preview this morning, but they could still make the scene before press days get underway next week.

Speaking of high-performance Mustang models, Autoblog has learned that rumors of the 2013 Shelby GT500 Convertible debuting in Motown are 100-percent false (as if to reinforce that fact, we spotted a 2012 model on a display stand). The most-powerful ‘Stang droptop will debut this auto show season, though Ford wouldn’t officially say at which show (we’re thinking Chicago Auto Show).

So, now that you have a better look at Gotta Have It Green, does it live up to its name? Take our second-chance poll below and let us know what you think in Comments.

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Gotta Have It Green 2013 Ford Mustang Boss 302 snapped getting comfy in Detroit [w/poll] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 06 Jan 2012 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gotta have a new Ford Mustang? Gotta have the Boss 302 package? Gotta have it green? If that’s the case, we’ve got good news. Ford’s latest performance pony gets two new colors for the 2013 model year, and while we saw the rather self-explanatory School Bus Yellow at the 2011 LA Auto Show, Gotta Have It Green has yet to make an official appearance.

There’s no doubt that these two new colors are going to be polarizing, having been inspired by the muscle car heydays of the 1970s, which makes us wonder what you think about Gotta Have It Green? Make your voice heard in our informal poll below.

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Do you gotta have the Mustang in new Gotta Have It Green? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 29 Nov 2011 09:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The government of France uses a “bonus-malus” system to encourage its citizens to go green with their next car purchase. The more fuel efficient a vehicle you buy, the bigger incentive you get. The more gas guzzling a vehicle you buy, the bigger penalty you pay. Unfortunately for France, too many people are buying fuel efficient vehicles and taking advantage of the government incentives, which means income from the gas guzzling penalty hasn’t been high enough to make the program budget neutral.

To correct this, France has announced that it will be lowering the amount of green incentives offered and increasing the gas guzzler penalty to bring the program back in balance. The change was announced at France’s Equip Auto Show where Eric Besson, France’s minister of industry, told showgoers:

The adjustments we have decided on will ensure a balanced budget. We will continue to support the greening of the fleet in France and the spread of electric and hybrid vehicle

Here’s a rundown of the new rules for France’s “bonus-malus” system. Buyers of vehicles emitting less than 50 grams per kilometer of CO2 will get a €5,000 ($6,940 U.S. at today’s exchange rate) bonus. Vehicles emitting 50 to 60 g/km of CO2 qualify for €3,500 ($4,860 U.S.). Vehicles in the 60 to 90 g/km of CO2 range get €400 ($555 U.S.) and those emitting 90 to 105 g/km of CO2 get €100 ($139 U.S.).

On the malus side of things, the new penalty is €200 ($278 U.S.) for vehicles emitting from 141 to 150 g/km of CO2. The penalty rises from there until it maxes out at €3,500 ($4,860 U.S.) for vehicles that emit more than 231 g/km of CO2. But for any gas-gulping vehicles exceeding 190 g/km of CO2), the penalty must be paid annually, not only at the time of purchase.

France increasing gas-guzzler penalty while reducing green incentives originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 03 Nov 2011 09:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We knew Audi was up to something when it invited us to drive the super-hot Quattro concept late last year. The coupe, currently based on the RS5 architecture, pays homage to the original Ur-Quattro from 1980, and by inviting the media to drive the delicate concept, Audi wanted to show us how serious it is about someday offering a production version.

Now, Inside Line reports that a decision about whether or not the Quattro will get the green light should come in September, before the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show. Stephan Reil, head of Quattro GmbH, admits that the final decision about whether or not Audi will build the Quattro concept has indeed been delayed, but that he is “optimistic” about the concept getting the green light.

Reil told Inside Line that, if produced, the Quattro would be a low-volume product with a production run of around 500 to 1,000 cars. Part of the Quattro’s goodness is its focus on lightness, and with a target weight of only 3,086 pounds, plenty of exotic (and expensive) materials will need to be used in the car’s construction.

Furthermore, the RS5 powertrain will need to be revised quite extensively, with Reil citing that the Quattro will need to be more powerful, and that the engine will have to be mounted longitudinally rather than transversely. Even so, Reil said that if given the green light, we could see a production Quattro in about two to three years. Here’s hoping.

Audi Quattro could get green light by September originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 05 Jul 2011 10:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Self-proclaimed green tech geek, Martin Provost, is on a quest to buckle himself into the driver’s seat of a Tesla Roadster.

Not just any Roadster will do. You see, Provost wants his own electrified Tesla and he’s dead set on doing it one swap at a time. Following the success of famous Internet swapper Kyle MacDonald – a Canadian blogger who bartered his way from a single red paperclip to a house in a series of online trades over the course of a year – Provost is embarking on his own Swapsity campaign in hopes of trading up from a $30 camera to a $100,000-plus Roadster. Speaking of the Roadster, Provost claims:

It’s 100 percent electric, so any gadget geek out there, if you ask them, what’s your dream sports car, they’ll probably say the Tesla Roadster.

Provost started with a $30 camera and now he’s trying to trade a Super VIP Tour for 46 people at Beau’s All Natural Brewing Company, a package valued at around $1,200. Scratch that. Provost has now moved on to his seventh item, a 12-month enterprise online store package from Shopify!, a package valued at $3,000. Though that’s not quite the $100,000+ needed for a Roadster, going from $30 to $3,000 is already impressive, so here’s to you Mr. Provost. We wish you the best of luck on your challenge. Hit the jump to catch a video of Provost describing his quest.

[Source: Tesla Tradeup pitched via Twitter]

Continue reading “Green tech geek” trying to trading up to a Tesla Roadster [w/video]

“Green tech geek” trying to trading up to a Tesla Roadster [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Sun, 19 Jun 2011 16:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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As part of the “Le Mans vers le Futur” (Le Mans Towards the Future) vehicle demonstration, the Green GT 300 kW racer and a number of other avant-garde cars were displayed during the 2011 edition of 24 Hours of Le Mans and did some laps around the famed French course. Next year, Green GT will circle the course for real with a new experimental prototype, the hydrogen-powered LMPH2.

The Swiss outfit has been invited by the ACO (Automobile Club de l’Ouest) to race as an experimental car in the 2012 Le Mans and will opt for hydrogen to store the needed energy in lieu of batteries only. The first version is expected to be completed this Fall and will have 100 kW (134 horse power) on tap while the final 300 kW (402 hp) machine should be completed in time for the event.

Le Mans-experienced driver Christian Pescatori will take the wheel for the development program. You can check out his skills after the break in a video featuring him tackling the track during the Le Mans vers le Futur in the current 300 kW battery-powered Green GT and read the official press release. As a bonus, we’ve thrown in footage of the same car and driver combo taking on the circuit that hosted the Grand Prix de Pau Electrique.

[Source: Green GT]

Continue reading Green GT to race hydrogen-powered LMPH₂ to Le Mans 2012

Green GT to race hydrogen-powered LMPH₂ to Le Mans 2012 originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Thu, 16 Jun 2011 19:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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According to a recent study, companies hawking green wares may need to change their marketing strategies. OgilvyEarth, a consulting group specializing in sustainability, just released the results of their research called “Mainstream Green: Moving sustainability from niche to normal.” It turns out that 82 percent of Americans intend to be greener in their lifestyles, but only 16 percent actually follow through, resulting in something that OgilvyEarth calls the “Green Gap.”

Interestingly, one of the reasons for the gap is that a large majority of the people surveyed, 82 percent to be exact, feel that actions and products that promote sustainability are very feminine. Hence, you’re more likely to see women carrying reusable water bottles, shopping bags, and perhaps even driving environmentally friendlier vehicles. Possibly to blame are the advertisers. There’s the Prius ‘Harmony’ commercial which features children dressed as elements of nature swaying in the breeze as a Prius drives by and the Nissan Leaf commercial where a polar bear hugs a Leaf driver – it may pull at the heartstrings, but not exactly what traditionally appeals to men.

Graceann Bennett, Director of Strategic Planning at Ogilvy & Mather, said:

The study brings increased clarity to how we’ve been going about marketing green all wrong. We’ve been trying to spur a mass movement with niche marketing. It’s time we all agree that “normal” is neither a dirty word nor a boring strategy. Normal is mainstream; normal is popular; and above all, normal is the key to sustainability.

[Source: OgilvyEarth | Image: AP Photo/Lionel Cironneau]

Are green cars considered feminine? Advertisers may be to blame originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Tue, 26 Apr 2011 14:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tata Motors has reportedly approved the Tata Pixel, a microcar concept it showed off at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show, for production. The minute Pixel is advertised as the most efficiently-packaged four-seater in the world. It comes in at just under 10 feet long, and is nearly a foot shy of the Tata Nano’s overall length.

Assuming the report from Autocar is accurate, the Pixel will take the place of the previously-proposed Nano Europa once the doors have been converted to traditionally-opening units and the gauges have been engineered.

The Pixel will be powered by the Nano’s 60-horsepower, 1.2-liter diesel, which will be mounted under the back seats, turning a five-speed gearbox. No word yet on when Tata plans to have the car on sale, but it seems to be pushing through quickly.

Photos copyright (C)2011 Drew Phillips / AOL

[Source: Autocar]

Report: Tata Pixel given European green light originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 16 Mar 2011 07:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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As many people around the world take time today to celebrate with family and friends, we thought we’d offer our loyal AutoblogGreen readers a little something different: a puzzle game to try and identify some of the quirkiest concepts of the past few years. Some are pretty easy. Some we didn’t even remember until we went digging in the archives for funky stuff to trick you with. Good luck to all.

There are two ways to play. The serious connoisseur of green car fever dreams – because, let’s be honest, most of these cars we’ll never see on the road – can head on past the jump to see little cropped images of the concept cars and try to guess what they are from there. Click on the images to see enlarged gallery images. The other way is to go directly into the gallery to see the full-size pictures of the cars, but not the names. To find the answers, click on the numbers at the bottom of the cropped images. Once you’ve tried your hand at all ten, come on back and tell us how many you got right. Happy Holidays, and we’ll be back soon with more green car news.

Continue reading Happy Holidays from AutoblogGreen; enjoy this Green Car Concept Puzzle

Happy Holidays from AutoblogGreen; enjoy this Green Car Concept Puzzle originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Sat, 25 Dec 2010 08:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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