Top speed is an electrically-restrained 180mph, with the CC100 slamming through a six-speed hydraulically-actuated auto sequential manual gearbox. That’s controlled using paddle-shifters on the wheel in the driver’s pod; accommodation in the Speedster Concept is for two, with each getting a separately-braced area in the carbon-fiber cabin.

Although rain and wind might be an issue – there’s no roof, and no windshield – the CC100′s interior is otherwise relatively luxurious for a racing-oriented concept. As well as carbon-fiber there’s Bridge of Weir leather, glass buttons, and the same glass starter-button as on Aston Martin’s production road cars. The slimline doors – more like safety bars – hinge up and out to allow you to squeeze into the hide-covered racing seats.

Aston Martin CC100:

In all, it’s nearly 4.5m long and more than 2m wide, though interestingly shares a lot of the underlying chassis technology with the car company’s more mainstream range. Under the lightweight carbon-fiber is Aston Martin’s Vertical Horizontal Platform, a multi-purpose structure which is specially fettled for each car, whether it be the four-door Rapide or tourers like the DB9.

The CC100 made its public debut this weekend, at the ADAC Zurich 24 Hours of Nürburgring race, alongside the same Aston Martin DBR1 that completed the 1959 race. At the wheel of the classic was the same driver who guided it round those 1,000km (621 miles) 54 years ago, racing driver Sir Stirling Moss.

Unfortunately, there are no plans – public, at least – to create a production version of the CC100 Speedster Concept. However, given sufficient demand it’s possible that Aston Martin could relent on that front, and start a small-scale production run in a similar manner to its bespoke One-77 supercar.

The automated highway system was undertaken by a group formed in 1994 called the National Automated Highway System Consortium, which was composed of nine primary organizations including General Motors and the California Department of Transportation. The consortium was required by Congress to demonstrate the feasibility of driverless vehicles by 1997, something it did down to the wire in an on-vehicle demonstration showing a driver behind the wheel of a self-driving car, arms sticking out the window and sunroof. You can see it for yourself in the video below.

The technology involved was quite primitive by today’s standards, with – as the Smithsonian pointed out – such seemingly requisite technologies like consumer GPS not even existing at the time the project was undertaken. And yet, with toggle switch boxes and thick laptops offering less power than the smartphone in your pocket, a system was devised that could take a car through a series of obstacles that it successfully avoided, such as traffic barrels placed in a lane.

As with today, the idea of driverless cars and automated highways drew quite a bit of criticism at the time, with, for example, Marcia Lowe of the Worldwatch Institute saying in 1993, “Smart cars and highways have quietly emerged as the latest and most-expensive proposal to solve the nation’s traffic problems. Government spending on the little known Intelligent Vehicle and Highway Systems program is expected to exceed $40 billion over the next 20 years … despite evidence that smart cars and highways may well exacerbate the very problems they are supposed to solve.”

Why did the progress stall (again, pun intended)? According to the Smithsonian, it was due to the very legislation that provided funding to develop such technologies. The lack of direction was one issue, as well as no solid definition having ever been provided over what the Congressional legislation meant by “automated highways.” As such, while the consortium had an idea and the motivation to take it as far as it did, it lacked a solid singular goal to pursue and dissolved as funding ran out.

Still, one must admire the future mindset of those who undertook the project, and wonder where we would be today had efforts to develop such vehicles continued rather than falling back into the “idea box” – we could very well have had driverless cars in place today, or be much farther along in the process than is reality. If nothing else, this shows that automated cars are more than a novelty idea, and that it is only a matter of time before we’re all kicking back while the car does the work for us.

SOURCE: Smithsonian

Recently Tesla CEO Elon Musk took to Twitter dropping some teasing details about a future electric vehicle that he and Tesla are dreaming up. Musk said, “It has always been my dream to produce a low cost, compelling electric car. We are 3 to 4 years away. Wish it could be sooner.” That would put timeframe for Tesla’s next electric vehicle at approximately 2016 to 2017.

Musk then answered another question when people were curious what sort of pricing Tesla was considering for its future electric vehicle. Musk tweeted in response to that question, “$30k in 2013 $.” He also said that the new vehicle would have a 200+ mile range with some “really cool tech that we can’t talk about yet.”

I’d wager that really cool tech will be the hot-swappable battery packs that Tesla recently mentioned in an SEC filing or fast battery changing stations. Musk also tweeted that the vehicle would be about the size of the Audi A4 or BMW 3-series compared to the Model S being sized like the Audi A7 or BMW M5.

Musk even said that he thinks when we consider the savings the vehicle will give you in gasoline, that you can actually cross-shop a $30,000 Tesla EV with $25,000 gasoline-powered vehicles. Tesla could be right to assuming this future technology Musk isn’t ready to talk about has something to do with making it quick and easy to recharge or swap battery packs at a low cost.

SOURCE: Forbes

Tesla sells its popular electric vehicle via its own website, as well as its expanding series of retail stores. Such is the nature of Tesla Motors, and it is working well for them, doing all the work – right down to delivering the vehicle – on its own. Consumers don’t seem to mind. That hasn’t stopped North Carolina from going after the company – and others offering direct vehicle sales – via a legislative proposal.

Under the bill, which is being pushed heavily by the North Carolina Automobile Dealers Association, no car maker would be allowed to directly sell its own vehicles within the state, thus eschewing traditional conventions of dealerships. Late yesterday, the NC Senate’s Commerce Committee approved the proposal – unanimously – to block such actions. Despite its unanimous approval, the resulting bill will be reduced in some ways, such as removing wording that designates any service providing a computer that is used to order a Tesla Model S as a dealership.

Not surprisingly, Tesla Motors isn’t happy about the approved proposal, nor the thought of being forced to offer its vehicles through state dealerships. The direct sales method of offering the buying public its vehicles is part of Tesla’s image – it gives the vehicle purchase that little something extra, a feel of being super special or getting something that transcends the normal.

In fact, Tesla Motor’s VP of Corporate and Business Development Diarmuid O’Connell compared being forced to sell through dealerships as being like selling a fine wine in a mall’s food court. “They’re trying to insulate the dealer franchise model from any competition. It’s a protectionist move to lock down the market so we have to go through the middleman – the dealer – to sell our cars.”

SOURCE: News Observer

Porsche offers a variety of driving modes, which can be toggled between using a switch on the steering wheel. They range from purely electric, which has a range of approximately 18 miles and a 7s 0-62mph time (plus a top speed of 93mph), through to hybrid mode, and then with the V8 kicking in. The hybrid motor running the rear axel can be used on its own, or just the V8, or both together for all-wheel drive.

Keeping the electric motors running is a 7kWh liquid-cooled li-ion battery made up of 312 cells and charging in under 7hrs from a 110V (10A) socket or trimming that to under 2hrs from a 240V (30A) socket. Install Porsche’s industrial-strength Speed Charging Station, and your 918 Spyder will be rejuiced in 25 minutes.

Porsche is particularly keen to stress how usable every day the 918 Spyder can be, and so in regular Hybrid mode it switches between gas and electric motors to maximize fuel economy. Sport Hybrid sees the eco-halo drop somewhat, with both engine and electrics working continuously, but still with an eye on economic driving. Then there’s Race Hybrid, which relies primarily on the gas engine and kicks the electric motors in for short boosts, with the Porsche topping up the batteries from spare power from the V8 when it’s not being used to full capacity.

Finally, there’s Hot Lap mode, which works only in Race Hybrid mode and gushes all the available battery power out to drive the electric motors to their limits. It’s only good for a couple of laps, however.

Inside, there’s one cluster of controls for the core driving data, which are wrapped around the wheel, while the multitouch-touchscreen infotainment stack is in the middle and used to manage the climate control, comms, Burmester sound system, and lighting. Alcantara clads the seats, and other areas of the interior, and there’s less sound insulation and more exposed carbon-fiber. One option is having more of the exterior left unpainted, exposing the carbon sections.

Perhaps the biggest question remaining is how economical it actually is; unfortunately, final fuel consumption figures aren’t available yet. What we do know is that speed and efficiency don’t come cheap: the standard car will be around $845,000 in the US when deliveries begin in Q1 2014. Then, of course, it’ll have to face off challengers like Honda’s 2015 NSX.

The new packages include the Dart SXT and Limited model Special Edition packages and a new Ralley Appearance Group. The SXT Special Edition package features a black grille, dark tinted projector headlamps, LED racetrack tail lamps, and an integrated dual exhaust. The package also features front passenger seat and seat storage and add only $595 to the price of the vehicle.

Dodge also offers the Ralley Appearance Group that brings a dark front fascia, Ralley badge, and 17-inch hyper black aluminum wheels for an additional $395. The available Limited Special Edition package brings a power sunroof, heated front seats, heated steering wheel, dual zone automatic temperature control, SiriusXM Satellite Radio, LED racetrack tail lamps, premium Napa leather seats, and Garmin navigation for $1810.

That Limited Special Edition package adds significant features of luxury for the price. The Dart is a very important vehicle for Dodge. The company says that the vehicle attracts the youngest demographic in the compact car segment with 60% of buyers new to the Chrysler group. Dodge also says that the vehicle is important for building its brand awareness and is coming off of five consecutive month over month sales records.

The 2013 Dart has a base price of $18,590 plus an $895 destination charge. The SXT Special Edition uses a 2.0-liter 160 hp Tigershark four-cylinder engine. The Limited starts at $19,995 and features the 8.4-inch touchscreen on the dash along with the seven-inch full-color TFT LED reconfigurable instrument cluster.

SOURCE: Dodge

Initially, four variants of the new car will be offered: the S400 HYBRID, S500, S350 BlueTEC and S300 BlueTEC HYBRID. Power ranges from 204HP to 455HP, depending on engine, with the S500 managing the 0-62mph dash in 4.8s. The S300 BlueTEC HYBRID is the most eco-friendly, with a 115g/km CO2 output and up to 53mpg (US); Mercedes will soon release an S500 Plug-In Hybrid model, too. All have adaptive damping air-suspension as standard, but the V8 S500 can be fitted with Road Surface Scan and Magic Body Control, which cooks up new suspension settings on-the-fly after tracking the condition of the upcoming road surface using stereo cameras on the front of the car.

That’s not the only geekery Mercedes has indulged in. Lashings of aluminum mean the body is stiffer than the outgoing model, and the PRE-SAFE feature now automatically brakes when it spots pedestrians in the way, avoid whiplash by using the brakes when the stationary car is hit from the rear, and even use the seat belts to pull front-seat occupants out of the way of an impact. In the back, there are inflatable belt straps and motorized tightening systems to make sure passengers are getting the full benefit.

The new S-Class can’t quite do away with the driver altogether, but it’s getting close. Distronic Plus can take control of the steering and accelerator/brake, navigating lanes and following other vehicles, while active lane-keeping assistance makes sure the car stays where it should be. The brake-assist system now tracks crossing traffic and pedestrians, augmenting braking force as required, while Night View Assist Plus shows thermal views of the dark streets ahead, highlighting anything in the road. Sensors all round the car are networked together, so that they can react more intelligently.

Mercedes S-Class safety and driving features:

Inside, meanwhile, there’s new wood, metal, and pearl-effect paint finishes, and the option of “First Class Rear” seating in the back which adds folding tables, phones, and other office-on-the-go kit. There’s more space both in the front and the rear, and a whole lot more tech: two 8:3 aspect, 12.3-inch LCD TFT screens on the dashboard for dynamic instruments and infotainment, with a touch-sensitive phone keypad, user-assignable keys for commonly-tweaked features, and the option to have text messages and emails read out. The new S-Class can also be controlled via voice, with the updated system recognizing full addresses in one go, rather than needing ZIP code, city, and street details spoken individually.

Various seat options are available to choose from, and they can massage you – with 14 separately-controlled air cushions, with optional warming – and actively cool you. In the long-wheelbase version, which Mercedes says it developed first since the car is expected to be a particularly big hit with chauffeured passengers in the Asia market – there’s the option of the largest backrest-reclining seats in the industry, no less.

Mercedes S-Class interior:

As for entertainment, the standard kit has ten speakers and uses woofers embedded in the firewall to resonate through the chassis; that reduces door bulk and improves sound. Options include a Burmester Surround Sound system, and an even more expensive Burmester 3D Surround Sound version with up to 24 speakers in total. If you’re using the navigation system, you can show a Google Maps route on front and rear displays, complete with live traffic overlays.

Mobile TV and DVD are offered, as well as AM, FM, and DAB radio, and there’s the ability to make mixed-media playlists of music and video. Bluetooth audio is supported, and there are two USB inputs, Gracenote track data identification, the ability to view photos stored on USB or SD card, and WiFi hotspot functionality. In fact, the whole new COMAND Online system Mercedes has used is now powered by an Intel Atom chip, and the driver and front passenger can see different views – such as navigation and TV – on the same central display, using a split-view system.

Mercedes S-Class video overview:

Unsurprisingly, none of this comes cheap. The new 2014 S-Class will be priced from €79,789.50 ($102,600) in Europe for the S350 BlueTEC short-wheelbase diesel, while the S500 long-wheelbase will close out the top of the initial range at €107,635 ($138,500); US pricing is yet to be confirmed, and of course there’ll be an encyclopedia-length options list to gush more money onto.

One of the biggest races where electric vehicles play a significant role is the annual Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. The 2013 version of the race will be held on June 30, 2013 and Mitsubishi has announced that it will be fielding a pair of all electric four-wheel drive prototype racecars at the event. The racecars are called the MiEV Evolution II.

These electric racecars are quite strange looking. Whereas some racecars are incredibly beautiful, I don’t think you can call Mitsubishi’s electric racecars beautiful. Vehicles designed specifically for hill climb racing are often very odd looking with gigantic wings and lots of canards to provide more downforce. The Mitsubishi racecars are open cockpit designs with large rear wings and squared off tail sections.

The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is held each year in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The race takes drivers up the 14,110 foot summit of Pikes Peak with racers covering an elevation of almost 4720 feet. This event is one of the longest running races in all of motorsports in the United States with the first run held in 1916.

The 2013 race will be the 91st running of the hill climb. Behind the wheel of Mitsubishi’s all electric racecars will be Hiroshi Masuoka and Greg Tracy. The Mitsubishi electric racecar has four electric motors with two in the front and two in the rear providing a maximum output of 400 kW. The battery pack has a maximum capacity of 50kWh. The vehicle’s make extensive use of lightweight technologies including a tube frame chassis and carbon fiber.

SOURCE: Mitsubishi

The US production base is a coup for Honda USA, with the last NSX – production of which ceased in 2005 – made in Japan. The new site is Honda’s former North American Logistics facility, while the powertrain will be assembled nearby, at the company’s engine plant in Anna.

“This new plant will be as unique as the vehicle we will build here,” Clement D’Souza, Honda of America’s associate chief engineer, said of the renovation plans. “In creating the plan for this plant, we looked closely at each process and determined the perfect blend of associate craftsmanship and technology to adopt a new approach to manufacturing.”

Unlike the gas-only engine of the original NSX, the 2015 model will combine a traditional, mid-mounted 3.5L V6 with a new Sport Hybrid SH-AWD system. The latter, a progression of the Sport Handling SH-AWD system first launched in 2004, will include three electric motors in total: one 30 kW motor hooked up to the V6, and one 20kW motor for each rear wheel.

The two motors at the rear will be able to operate independently, sending torque to the outside wheel in a turn for improved grip; the motor on the inside wheel will switch into regeneration mode, with the power being fed back into the NSX’s lithium-ion batteries, while the drag produced will also help with grip. As for the third motor, that can be separately operated to run the front wheels, or linked up to the V6 to act as a generator and recharge the batteries as well as simultaneously drive the rear wheels.

Inside, meanwhile, will be a cocooning hub of leather and metal, if the NSX Concept is anything to go by. “We have a very clear understanding of the high customer expectations luxury buyers around the world have for a supercar,” Honda R&D Americas chief engineer Ted Klaus, who will lead the 2015 NSX project, says, “and our challenge is to exceed them.”

Mass production will kick off in 2015, though Honda is yet to confirm pricing, power, performance, or specific availability of the new NSX. However, it will be offered both in North American and globally.

Earlier today, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon announced that they have joined the “It Can Wait” campaign, which was created by AT&T in 2012 and is slated to begin circulating advertisements on May 20. The carriers aren’t the only ones working towards eradicating texting while driving, however, with in excess of 200 organizations and companies also slated to come on board.

The goal of the campaign is to bring awareness to the dangers of texting while driving, with it primarily targeting teenage drivers. For this reason, the project is set to run radio, TV, online, and in-store advertisements throughout the summer when teenagers are more likely to engage in the activity. The campaign will run through Labor Day.

As part of the campaign, teenagers and other commuters are being encouraged to make an anti-texting-while-driving pledge, doing so on the official It Can Wait website or via its Facebook account. The campaign is also ramping up on Twitter under the hashtag #itcanwait. Videos are already circulating for the campaign, with everyone being encouraged to share stories for the public on texting while driving.

In addition to the advertisements, It Can Wait’s website also features a texting-while-driving simulation game that demonstrates the difficulties and dangerous in sending a text message while operating a vehicle. While the co-branded aspect of the campaign will end on Labor Day, the project itself will continue beyond it.

SOURCE: PC World

According to local television news station 13WMAZ, the filming began today at a local car wash, with multiple streets being closed in the area over the next few weeks. Details on the film are a bit scarce at this point still, but as filming continues, we could hear more about it in the future. However, we already know that Michael Keaton will star in the film, who is known for his roles as Bruce Wayne/Batman in the 1989 film, as well as Batman Returns in 1992. The movie will also star Breaking Bad’s Aaron Paul, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter’s Dominic Cooper, and recording artist Kid Cudi.

As for the plot of the new film, IMDb states that Need for Speed will focus on a street racer who was just released from prison as he “joins a cross country race with revenge in mind.” At the same time, an “ex-partner” places a bounty on him at the start of the race. It sounds like a fairly typical plot to a street racing, and we can expect the usual things to happen in the film, such as explosion, cars crashing, and classic manly fist fights to even it all out. The film looks to take on the Fast and the Furious series, which will see its sixth installment release later this month.

The folks behind The Fast and the Furious series have been milking the movies for everything they’ve got, so we’re not expecting much out of this upcoming release. With a release date pegged for March 14 of next year, we have a long way to go before we’ll get to see it, but hopefully it’ll give the street racing movie genre a much-needed reboot, which is something that has been wanted for several years now.

VIA: Polygon

SOURCE: 13WMAZ

To celebrate the 50th birthday of the exotic carmaker, Lamborghini unveiled a one-of-a-kind concept vehicle called the Egoista powered by a 600 hp V10 engine.. That name translates to selfish. Why called the car selfish? The reason for the name is because only one person can drive in the car. Having something as cool as the Egoista, only making one of them, and then only allowing one person to enjoy it at the time is selfish indeed.

The car reminds me of something that would turn into a robot in the Transformers or Robotech universe. Lamborghini says that the car is designed to resemble the look of the Apache attack helicopter. I can see some of that resemblance in the angles and planes of the vehicle body.

The single person cockpit certainly looks like something straight out of the helicopter. The concept vehicle was designed Walter De Silva. One look at the car and it doesn’t appear to be something that could ever be driven on the roads legally in most countries. All the protuberances on the front of the vehicle look as if they were intended to be used in a rehash of Death Race 2000.

The cockpit is so tight that the vehicle uses a removable steering wheel along the lines of a racing car. The vehicle even has a choreographed routine that is required to get into the car and strap in. Anyone rich enough to afford a one-of-a-kind Lamborghini will be sad to hear that Lamborghini has no intentions of actually building this car or selling the one that they did construct.

SOURCE: Yahoo

Design

If the old Mazda6 was a generic sedan sketched out by a child’s hand, the new model is a riot of detailing. Up front, the grille has grown once more, pushing forward and deepening to give the car an aggressive, searching snout that’s picked out with slips of chrome. The almond lights of the second-gen car have become tauter, more like snake’s eyes, with daytime running lights running in crisp LED sweeps under the halogens.

That Kodo wing, as Mazda calls it, bracketing the underside of the grille and leading into the lights, begins the haunch-line of the car, which starts with muscular wheel arches at the front and then slides into a twin-creased side line that ends at the slightly tapered rear. As the first of those creases dips into the rear door, the shoulder line rises to notch away the side glass, the rear windows of which are smoked as standard on all but the entry-level cars.

Finally, there’s another chrome whisker across the trunk, with the rear light clusters deeply set into the bodywork, and an integral lip-spoiler in the lid. It looks particularly good from the front or rear three-quarters, where Mazda’s sweeping movement lines along the sides have a touch of the Infiniti or Jaguar about them. Although the effect is most impressive on the four-door, Mazda’s 5-door load-carrier, the Mazda6 Tourer manages to look distinctive too, pulling the rear side glass out to end in a crease of chrome trim, while the falling roof line and angled back glass make for a car that’s still sporty in appearance, albeit sacrificing a little internal space in the process.

Mazda fits 17-inch alloy wheels as standard, though the Sport model – as we had on test – gets 19-inch versions with twisted spokes. Similarly there are front fogs standard across the range, part of an ambitious package of no-cost perks that belie the sticker price. The daytime running lights are standard, as are the halogens and heated door mirrors; our Sport model threw in bi-Xenon headlights and power mirrors, among other things.

Engines and Performance

Four engines are on offer in the UK, split between petrol and diesel, with a choice of 6-speed manual or auto transmissions. The entry-level Mazda6 SE has a choice of 2.0l 145ps petrol or 2.2l 150ps diesel, both manual; if you want the auto box options on those you need to step up to the SE-L. At the top is the Mazda6 Sport, with a choice of four combinations: either the 2.0l 165ps manual, the 2.2l 150ps diesel manual, the 2.2l 175ps diesel manual, or the 2.2l 175ps diesel automatic.

The US, however, only gets a single engine option: a 2.5l 184HP petrol offered with either the 6-speed manual or automatic gearboxes. The manual is rated for 25mpg (US) in the city or 37mpg (US) on the highway; the auto transmission bumps both of those by a point. Only the Sport sedan is offered of the four-doors, though there’s also the Touring and the Grand Touring (the latter adding in some extras as standard); since we tested a UK car, we haven’t tried the US-specific engine.

As you might expect, the 2.0l 165ps petrol manual in the Sport version is the most instantly aggressive. Mazda quotes a 9.1s 0-62mph time and a top speed of 134mph, and though the car is among the largest in its class – 4.87m long and 1.84m wide for the four-door – there’s more high-tensile steel and other lightweight materials used inside to keep the heft down.

Mazda calls all this fettling SKYACTIV, launching it in the CX-5 SUV, and indeed the Mazda6 builds on the same MacPherson struts and multilink rear suspension, putting its power down through the front wheels. It’s not an MX-5, certainly, but neither does it wallow or slump around corners, and even in the Tourer model it’s possible to forget there are three seats and a decent scale load area behind you as you tackle corners with alacrity.

It’s the diesel engines that suit the car most, however, the 2.2l 175ps manual we spent most time with pitching its mid-range torque right into the sweet spot for overtaking at speed in fifth gear, as well as dawdling through city traffic in fourth. While diesels may traditionally lack some of the upfront verve of their gas counterparts, in actual fact the 2.2l in the Mazda6 shaves the 0-62mph dash down to just 7.9s. Even the under-tuned 150ps version does it 0.1s faster than the slightly more powerful petrol plant. In practice, of course, this is a sizable car intended for more sensible use, but it’s hard not to be impressed by the degree of enthusiasm the big Mazda can muster.

One thing you won’t find on the options sheet is a hybrid powerplant. Mazda tells us it still isn’t convinced that big batteries and electric motors are the way forward for eco-friendly cars, looking instead to engine refinement with a few tech sprinkles to keep things competitive. So, the big diesel is rated for up to 62mpg (Euro) combined – we saw a consistent 44mpg (Euro) in mixed driving from the manual version, topping out in the mid-50s on extended trips – with 119 g/km of CO2 emissions. The top-spec petrol version is more thirsty, with a quoted 47.9mpg (Euro) combined consumption and 135 g/km CO2. Opt for the smallest diesel, though, and you can trim CO2 output to an impressively meager 108 g/km.

Even though Mazda has bypassed big batteries, that’s not to say there aren’t some small ones inside the Mazda6. i-ELOOP addresses an issue most drivers probably don’t even realize is there: the cost on engine power required to drive all a car’s electronics. The audio system, HVAC, power steering and such are usually run off an alternator clamped to the engine, sapping anything up to 10-percent of its output; with i-ELOOP, the same regenerative braking principles hybrids use to convert shedding speed to battery power is turned, in the Mazda6, into a temporary source for the car’s electronics.

It’s actually a big capacitor, not a battery, but in practice it’s basically transparent to the driver (unless you cycle through to the relevant graphic in the instrument binnacle). As you decelerate, the i-ELOOP system is charged up; it can then run the electrics for around a minute, good for what Mazda claims is around a 10-percent boost in fuel economy overall. It works in hand with Mazda’s i-stop automatic engine shut-down, which temporarily cuts off the engine while you’re paused in traffic, but keeps the music playing and the climate control blowing without draining your regular battery.

Interior

Mazda’s track record in making sports car interiors puts the driver in the right place in the Mazda6, particularly in the leather-clad environs of the Sport model (SE and SE-L make do with cloth seats as standard), though it’s not the most imaginative dashboard we’ve sat behind. The sat-nav touchscreen sits on top of the HVAC controls, the stack broken up with a swathe line – thankfully not fake wood – studded with vents, and all the controls feel sturdy and resilient, but there’s not much in the way of excitement or superlative-design to be found.

The murky, underwhelming clock and HVAC display of the CX-5 has been spruced up some for the Mazda6, and we can’t argue with the tactile knobs and buttons. Similarly, the wheel is nicely sized (and leather-wrapped across the range) with Mazda sensibly deciding not to follow rivals and scattershot it with buttons and shortcuts. Instead, you get cruise control on the right and A/V on the left, along with a voice-command button we’ll cover in the next section.

There are plenty of storage nooks, including a deep center armrest up front and sizable door pockets, while in the back there’s room for three adults. Despite the sweeping roofline there’s plenty of headroom, too, the seats being slung low enough to accommodate those six feet tall in comfort. The stylishly rising waistline – along with the tinted windows of the Sport variant – can make things a little difficult to see out of for younger passengers, however. Still, the contoured seats do a good job of holding people in place, even if the driver is getting a little carried away with the SKYACTIV handling, and though firm with the Sports suspension, the ride front and back is not uncomfortable even on longer road-trips.

Those trips can be accompanied by a reasonable amount of luggage, too, thanks to a capacious rear. Seats up – they split 60/40, and can only be dropped down from inside the trunk for security reasons – there are 483l to play with, versus 506l in the Tourer (which expands to 1,632l when both the Tourer’s seats are down). The opening itself is wide and relatively low, though can conveniently be opened from the key.

Technology

Mazda is keen to position itself as a tech-first company, and so the Mazda6 comes with most of the options boxes ticked, particularly if you specify the SE-L or Sport variants. Across the range you get cruise control; electric windows all round; a 5.8-inch color touchscreen atop a radio/single-slot CD player; Bluetooth for hands-free and streaming; both an aux-in and USB input for audio, hidden in the central armrest; and air-conditioning.

Our Sport tester, however, cranks that up even further, with dual-zone climate control and keyless entry; parking sensors front and rear, along with a reversing camera; rain-sensing wipers and an auto-dimming rear mirror; power adjustment and three-stage heating for the front seats (with two memory positions for the driver’s side); and a Bose surround sound audio system with a total of eleven speakers and dynamic noise compensation using a microphone hidden in the cabin.

That’s a fair amount of gadgetry, and there are a few different ways to control it, some it has to be said better than others. As well as the touchscreen sat on top of the dashboard – which has a few knobs and buttons around it, for jumping into navigation, audio, and phone, and controlling volume and tuning, there’s a multifunction dial next to the parking brake which along with rotating can be pushed in four directions and pressed in to select. That’s surrounded by another cluster of shortcut buttons – again, for audio, phone, navigation, and setup, as well as two back-keys – in the hope that you’ll not reach out and tap at the touchscreen when driving.

Mazda6 Technology Review:

For the basics, like adjusting volume or whipping through radio channels, the dial works well, but things get a little more complex if you try to do everything with it. What would normally require you to simply stab at the screen to change or select can demand some adroit maneuvering with the dial, to make sure you’re first highlighting the right section and only then scrolling through it.

It’s worth taking the time to get familiar with it, though, as there’s plenty you can do with the Mazda’s standard-fit entertainment system. The radio supports the usual presets and digital tuning, but we spent most time using Bluetooth to stream from our smartphone: both local tracks and streaming services like Spotify worked perfectly, and we were able to control playback using the Mazda6′s steering wheel mounted controls along with see artist, track, and album information on the display, together with phone battery status.

USB and aux-in playback works much in the same way, and there’s a thoughtful notch cut out for you to snake a cable out of the center armrest so you can use the device while still having somewhere to rest your elbow. Up to seven Bluetooth device pairings can be stored, with multipoint for having more than one active simultaneously, and the Mazda6 automatically resumes Spotify playback when you bring your phone back into the car, and pauses/resumes either side of a call.

The Bose speaker system holds up to scrutiny too, filling the car with loud, clear audio that sounds fantastic. Bose includes its optional center-point audio processing, which adjusts the various speaker settings to remove some of the directionality of the music and make it sound harmonious no matter where you’re speaking (rather than, say, louder from whichever speaker you’re closest to). It’s better suited to some musical types than others, we have to say; classical and pop benefited, with a more even quality to the audio, but rap and R’n'B lost some of their punchiness. Luckily it’s easy to switch on and off in the settings.

In the phone page, you can optionally download your phonebook to the car’s internal storage, for easier dialing of contacts, and set a number of speed dial favorites. However, the Mazda6 can also suck out your phone’s text messages, reading them out to you so that you needn’t take your hands of the wheel or your eyes off the road. We had no problems being heard on calls, even competing with 70mph road noise.

Unfortunately, the same speech clarity can’t be said for the voice control system. For the basics, hitting the button on the steering wheel and asking for a phone number works as you’d expect, but when you factor in the optional TomTom-powered navigation system, it becomes more frustrating. In theory, drivers should be able to say an address and have a list of search results shown on-screen, from which they can select by calling out the list number of the right option. In practice, most of the time we struggled to get the system to recognize the address we intended and, coupled with the lengthy pauses before search results were returned, we generally resorted to manually searching using the on-screen keyboard.

It’s a shame, because the TomTom system itself works well. If you’re familiar with one of the company’s standalone PNDs then the interface in the Mazda6 should present few surprises, with comprehensive mapping data, live traffic updates, automatic re-routing based on hold-ups further along your journey, and a huge database of points-of-interest. A range of voices and on-screen icons are available for guidance, with instructions cutting into music playback as the track temporarily fades in volume.

Pricing

In the UK, the Mazda6 kicks off at £19,595 for the SE saloon with the 2.0l petrol engine, or £21,795 for the 2.2l diesel. The cheapest Tourer is the £22,545 SE 2.2l diesel. The 2.2l diesel Sport saloon we spent most time with begins at £25,495; you’ll pay a £1,200 premium for the auto gearbox.

As for the US version, the Sport sedan begins at $20,880 (pre-destination charges and other fees), while the Touring is from $24,495. The Grand Touring – which makes the Bose audio system, TomTom navigation, keyless entry, and other features usually part of the Touring “Technology Package” standard – begins at $29,495.

That makes the Mazda6 a little more expensive out of the gate than, say, a Ford Mondeo, but it also comes with a higher degree of standard specifications.

Wrap-Up

The old Mazda6 was, not to put too fine a point on it, forgettable. Seats and an engine in a box on some wheels. That the new Mazda6 surges off the forecourt with such eye-catching styling and on-road polish makes it a huge advance, and it’s one that in most areas punches above its price.

Curvaceous, swooping design makes the car distinctive and handsome, a welcome diversion from the Germanic crispness that seems to have proliferated among Volkswagen, GM, Ford and others. Only the somewhat frustrating usability of the in-cabin tech and the slightly less-than-gaping luggage opening (unless you opt for the Tourer) mar the experience. Meanwhile the driving experience is enough to make you forget you’re in a not-insubstantial four-door; we’d opt for the diesel engine and manual gearbox, if given the choice, which pairs decent economy with solid performance to match the capable chassis.

The 2013 Nissan Leaf has many standard safety features, such as the side air bags, curtain side airbags, child safety door locks, a traction control system, and more that were part of the features earning it another Top Safety Pick title. The vehicle received “Good” ratings down the board, according to the itemized list, which you can check out here.

The 2013 Leaf was put through a moderate overlap front test crash, a side impact crash test, and a roof strength crash test, with the only one not performed being the small overlap front test. For the three different testing categories, the Leaf was rated as “Good.” While such a rating is good for any car, it is worthwhile to point out that the Leaf is an electric vehicle, which are criticized by some as being less safe.

Said Nissan’s Director of Electric Vehicle Sales Erik Gottfried: “Driver and passenger safety are top priorities for Nissan and the ‘Top Safety Pick’ designation by IIHS reflects the design and innovation that have gone into this car to make it a practical, no-compromise electric vehicle. The new, U.S.-assembled 2013 Nissan LEAF provides customers with a remarkable level of value, comfort and security at prices competitive with gas-powered cars in a fun-to-drive package.”

[via Green Car Reports]

Consumer Reports ranks vehicles on a scale of 100. Considering the 100 would imply a car is perfect, and nothing is ever perfect, a score of 99 is as perfect as you can get with a Consumer Reports review. A score of 99/100 is exactly what the Model S made. Last vehicle to receive such a high rating in the publication’s testing was the Lexus LS 460L tested in 2007.

The Model S is the first electric vehicle to ever earn a score of 99. Consumer Reports says that the complete tests and ratings for the vehicle will be available online today and in the July issue of its print publication. One of the most interesting things about the Consumer Reports review is that it tests battery life and a real world situation.

The publication found that the Tesla vehicle was able to deliver close to 200 miles per charge. According to CR, the range during its testing varied from 180 miles on cold winter days to about 225 miles on warmer days. Despite scoring 99/100 on its review, Consumer Reports still doesn’t list the Model S as Recommended by Consumer Reports. The publication says it doesn’t have enough reliability data to recommend the vehicle at this time.

[via Consumer Reports]

The first quarter of this year saw Tesla producing their 10,000th Model S vehicle body – and they’d better get a move on if their suggestions of rates of orders are correct. Tesla Motors noted this week that they’ve reached an order rate greater than 20,000 per year worldwide, and not just in the United States. Tesla notes that though the Model S has only been delivered to North American customers at the moment, they’ve seen “significant potential” in both Europe and Asia.

The company has suggested that they’ll be building right around 5,000 Model S vehicles in the second quarter of 2013, some of them headed for Europe for delivery in the third quarter of the year. The company has also raised their target for sales on this electric vehicle to 21,000 unit deliveries by the end of the year, worldwide.

“I think we’ll see at least 10,000 units of demand per year in Europe, and at least 5,000 in Asia.” – Deepak Ahuja, Chief Financial Officer

“Do not take these numbers as final in any way, but if I’m asked to speculate I could say 15,000 units for North America, 5,000 for Europe, and 1,000 for Asia [by the end of the year].” – Elon Musk

In the announcement mass this week regarding their first quarter of 2013, Tesla also noted that they’d exceeded their targets for deliveries, made a significant expansion in gross margin, and generated a profit of $15 million. That is, again, the first time the company has made a quarterly profit in the entirety of the company’s 10-year history. Producing approximately 400 Model S cars per week certainly must have had shareholders either nervous or pumped up – that’s a lot of metal with potential to hit the road.

[via Tesla Motors Live Conference]

The company sold 4,900 vehicles during the three month period, raking in $562 million in revenue, which is up a whopping 83% from last quarter’s $306 million. After it was all said and done, Tesla profited $11 million, which is barely pocket change, but it marks the first time in the company’s ten-year history that they’ve finished in the black.

Throughout the first quarter, Tesla claims that they built “400 or more” Model S vehicles per week on average, and they beat their original guidance of 4,500 cars for the quarter, shipping almost 5,000 Model S cars during the past three months. The company also reduced the amount of time it takes to building a Model S, lowering that time by around 40%, which allowed them to build more units.

Currently, Tesla says that they’re receiving orders for new cars at a rate of around 20,000 per year globally. However, Tesla doesn’t sell cars outside of North America, but the company hinted that there is an interest in selling Model S cars to regions in Europe and Asia. The company made a lot of announcements this quarter, including a new financing plan and a new warranty program that aims for guaranteed customer satisfaction.

Of course, Ferrari’s new LaFerrari has a hybrid component, so the company is at least meeting halfway, but an all-electric vehicle will most likely never be built inside of Ferrari’s factories. It’s certainly possible, however, that when a new boss takes over Ferrari, we could see a change in that belief, but for the time being, no electric cars are in the works for the company.

Montezemolo also discussed Ferrari’s production plans for the rest of the year, and it seems they’re going to keep numbers down for the most part. The chairman says that Ferrari will keep its production run below 7,000 cars this year in order to maintain exclusivity, which Montezemolo compared to desiring and waiting for “a beautiful woman.”

While Ferrari plans to make less cars this year, Montezemolo says that the company’s revenues and profits would match last year’s. Under 7,000 cars in one year is quite exclusive, and not one of those cars will sport an electric motor. We suppose most people still love hearing the throaty sound of a V12 gasoline engine.

[via Yahoo]

Both Android and iOS devices working with Amazon Cloud Player are ready for action with Ford SYNC AppLink-equipped vehicles. The iOS version has been outlined this week with dashboard controls as well as voice recognition abilities. Users will also be hearing their tunes with high-quality 256kbps audio straight from their vehicle’s speaker system.

With Amazon’s system, users will have the ability to play music wirelessly from their iOS device or through their Cloud Player. With Cloud Player, music is accessed through Amazon’s online archive, this allowing the user’s vehicle and iOS device to free up local storage space for alternate media.

This push is affecting the 2013 Ford Fiesta, Mustang, Focus, C-MAX Hybrid, E-Series, F-150, Expedition, Fusion, and Super Duty models, and will quite likely be appearing on future vehicles with Ford SYNC AppLink embedded as well. This connectivity should be appearing on and with your vehicle and iOS device starting today. Android users should, by all means, have had this connectivity working nicely since February – if you’re still waiting, make a move!

Once the circuit board overheats, it can cause the cars’ 12-volt battery to drain and one of several indicator lights to turn on on the instrument panel, which means that owners will be aware of the issue when it happens. However, if drivers ignore the warning lights (which we all do sometimes, right?), the engine could eventually stall and start a fire in the trunk.

Thankfully, though, the issue doesn’t affect the rechargable lithium-ion battery that’s a part of the cars’ electric hybrid system. If you’re curious to know whether your specific car is or will be affected, General Motors says that most of the incidents reported have happened within the first 1,000 miles of driving with the cars. No accidents or injuries were reported.

We actually took a look at Buick’s latest LaCrosse and Regal hybrid models during the New York Auto Show back in March. These new models aren’t a part of the recall, as they’re the 2014 models. The new cars come with the company’s next-generation IntelliLink infotainment system, which we got our hands on as well.

[via LA Times]

The hybrid will also be joined by a new V8 diesel, returning an SDV8 to the Range Rover Sport line-up. Meanwhile, a four-cylinder version is also teased, with 420kg of shed curb weight meaning that performance is still as perky as drivers would expect.

It’s the hybrid that is arguably the most interesting, however, building on Range Rover’s experimentation with the Range_e concept revealed back in early 2011. That car paired a 69kW electric motor and 14.2kWh lithium-ion battery with a 245PS 3.0-liter TDV6 diesel powerplant, and could be driven for 20 miles on battery power alone.

When the diesel lump kicked in, meanwhile, the Range_e was good for 89g/km CO2 with a fuel efficiency rating of 85mpg (Euro), while the battery could be topped up using a regular 240V outlet.

For the production RR/RRS Hybrid, the car company is aiming for 169g/km of CO2 with a diesel V6 engine. The batteries and the rest of the power system will be hidden under the floor, meaning internal space and luggage capacity will be unchanged, and is expected to feed power through a motor/generator that’s positioned in-between the regular engine and the 8-speed transmission.

However, the US won’t be getting either of those models, since Range Rover’s North American line-up is light on diesels. Instead, there are expected to be unspecified gas-electric hybrids taking similar approaches, though Range Rover is yet to confirm when they can be expected to go on sale.

[via Motor Authority]

According to the announcement, the Design Vision GTI was made by Volkswagen’s Head of Design Klaus Bischoff and his team, which gave the vehicle a boost inside and out, tossing 20-inch wheels and an autonomous body into the mix. Power is substantially increased from the standard Performance model’s 230 horsepower to 503 horsepower/6500rpm, giving a 186mph top speed.

Such power enables the Design Vision GTI to hit 62mph in a reported 3.9-seconds, a speed that demands carbon-ceramic brake discs behind wheels specially designed with vents to let the brake gas dissipate. There’s a DSG dual-clutch transmission and 3.0-liter V6 TSI direct-injection engine, a step up from the standard 2.0-liter four cylinder offering.

Inside, drivers find a design meant to make driving a simple task, allowing hands to stay on the wheel as often as possible. There are paddle shifters, center console controls, and three drive modes: Track, Sport, and Street. In addition, there is also an electric kill switch and a button that triggers a fire extinguisher. Finally, in the center console the designers tossed in a real-time updated display with a map of the racing track with other racers’ positions.

[via Volkswagen]

What the audience will find in this push for the film is an advertisement for an Audi vehicle stocked with infotainment system, light-up bits and pieces, and a presentation that makes Leonard Nimoy’s ride look like a bit of a joke. Of course that’s the point, as the new age – with Quinto, aka Spock from the newest series of Star Trek movies – makes way as the old – Leonard Nimoy, stays cool.

You’ll find Nimoy making reference after reference not just to Star Trek in more form than one, but to his own professional (read: odd) past as well. For an extended period of his vehicle trip in this video he sings a new rendition of the classic “The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins”, a song which he sang for a variety show in 1967 by he name of Malibu U. Because we live in an age where all things digital can be preserved, you’ll be treated to this epic masterpiece as well, right this minute.

Please mind the 60′s pixie women, if you can. Zachary Quinto meanwhile stays par for the course, ready to appear as Spock for the film Star Trek Into Darkness later this month – on the 17th of May, mind you. It’s also rumored that Quinto will be returning to the most terrifying television show of all for another season soon: American Horror Story. Can’t be too silly for that one.

The recall affects BMW’s 3-series and M3 vehicles from 2002 to 2003, and according to data from the NHTSA, there are about 1.3 million of these vehicles in the US, with just over 42,000 of them being recalled, which means that only a small percentage of these cars are affected by the malfunctioning airbag.

The faulty airbags, made by Takata, were produced from April 2000 to September 2002 at one of the company’s plants in Washington state, according to the NHTSA. The propellant components in the airbag’s inflator may have been produced with an insufficient “compaction force,” leading to malfunctioning when the airbag is activated,

However, the recall most likely won’t affect all the cars involved. BMW spokesman Dave Buchko said that all five car manufacturers involved in the massive Takata recall, there was only about a small handful of improper deployments (around a dozen total) of airbags that have been reported among over 3.4 million vehicles affected.

[via Reuters]

However, Musk is wanting self-driving technology that’s more like the autopilot system in airplanes, mentioning that the word “self-driving” implies that the car is “going to do something you don’t want it to do.” Instead, Musk says that autopilot would be perfect, and says that cars “should have it.”

While Bloomberg reports that Musk is currently in talks with Google, it seems as if he wants to implement his own system for self-driving cars, rather than just use Google’s technology. Musk says that “Google’s current approach is that the sensor system is too expensive.” Instead, he claims that “an optical system” would be better, which is an array of cameras that can tell what’s going on just by looking at the surroundings.

Toyota demonstrated a similar system to what Musk describes back in January, and the auto maker is also an investor of Tesla, so we could see the two companies work together possibly on a new self-driving technology. However, it’ll be a long while before self-driving and autopilot cars hit the mainstream. Until then, save up your money.

UPDATE: Elon Musk said over Twitter that making autopilot Tesla cars is “important,” but it’s not yet a “top priority” for the company. Musk says that production of autopilot cars is still a “few years” away.

UPDATE 2: Musk further comments via Twitter that the report from Bloomberg is “off-the-cuff” and that there is “no big announcement here.”

[via Bloomberg]

The dampers, bushings, and stabilizer bars are all upgraded, while Tesla switches the tires to Michelin Pilot Sport PS2. They’re 20mm wider than the regular 21-inch wheels, as well as being staggered for an extra turn of acceleration.

“Performance Plus takes one of the world’s best sedans into supercar handling territory, while also improving ride quality and range” Tesla crows on its site, billing the Plus package as a no-lose option beyond the hit your wallet takes. “After hundreds of iterations affecting every detail of the suspension, our vehicle dynamics team was able to achieve the rare outcome of simultaneously improving performance, comfort and efficiency.”

According to a message sent to preorder customers, the Plus pack has bigger front and rear stabilizer bars for more predictable handling, and increased lateral stiffness in the rear suspension with springs and dampers that work more efficiently.

Turning your four-door electric car into an eco-friendly beast comes at a cost, however. First off you need to opt for the Performance Model S, which is $87,400 to begin with, and you also need to have specified the 21-inch high-performance tires, at a further $3,500. Then the Plus pack is $6,500 on top.

[via Edmunds]

According to the report, Tesla Motors receives up to $35,000 in credits for every Model S electric vehicle it sells, a substantial number on top of the car’s sticker price. The credits have been a financial staple of the auto maker, and likewise gives it a boost that is unique to Tesla Motors – no other car manufacturer gets so much in credits. As Chrysler’s CEO pointed out last month, for example, its taking a $10k hit on every Fiat it sells in California.

California has been heavily pursuing zero-emissions vehicles, with that reality reinforced last month via the publication of a roadmap by the California Fuel Cell Partnership, in which it detailed the state’s plans for rolling out hydrogen stations and the number of fuel-cell vehicles it expects to see in the coming years based on current and estimated growth rates.

Despite accusations that California is playing favorites, the state’s Air Resource Board is quoted as saying: “We are in the air pollution business, not the car business. There is some jealousy of Tesla going on here.” As far as Tesla Motors goes, the maker saw Model S sales tally in at 2,650 last year, and expects the number of sales to jump drastically this year to 20,000 units. Such a number will bring in substantial environmental credits, which will then sell for an even more substantial amount to other car makers.

[via LA Times]

Of course, this isn’t the first time Terrafugia has waved around a flying car, having first done so way back in late 2006 with the Transition, a work-in-progress that was said to function as both a car and a personal air vehicle. Not surprisingly, the Transition isn’t zipping around our skies, but that hasn’t stopped the company from unveiling its latest ambitions, the TF-X.

The TF-X is said to be a VTOL (Vertical Takeoff and Landing) vehicle with four-seats and a plug-in hybrid system under the hood. According to the announcement, Terrafugia has already discussed the vehicle with the FAA, which it says is agreeable to the technology. It also goes on to say that the Transition is “nearing” production, with the TF-X concept eventually going a step farther.

Said Terrafugia’s CEO Car Dietrich: “This is the right time for us to begin thinking about the future of the company beyond Transition® development. We are passionate about continuing to lead the creation of a flying car industry and are dedicating resources to lay the foundations for our vision of personal transportation.”

[via Terra Fugia]

Chevrolet has now announced a new version of its Silverado pickup that will compete directly against Ford’s luxury offering. The new truck is called the Silverado High Country. The High Country will use will also hold to set itself apart from other Silverado trucks. It gets a unique grille and side moldings.

The truck will also get chrome door handles, chrome euros, and exclusive chrome wheels in 20-inch diameter. Inside the truck the interior gets settled-brown leather. The interior in the several auto looks very much like the interior inside of Ford’s King Ranch. USA Today reports that luxury pickups are among the most profitable models sold by Ford and other automakers.

The Ford King Ranch F1 50 starts at $43,805. Presumably, the new Chevrolet luxury truck will start at around the same range but the exact prices unclear. But we do know is the truck we use the standard 5.3-liter V8 engine. Interestingly, despite being called the High Country and the truck being shown in the mountains, the trucks official debut happen in Texas.

[via USA Today]

Erich Merkle, the U.S. sales analyst for Ford, stated that the company is doing everything it can to grow its sales in the “largest hybrid markets in the country.” Ford’s hybrid market share reached 18% in April, but it still has a long ways to go to reach Toyota’s 58% hybrid market share. However, things are looking bright for Ford, with the company’s Fusion hybrid deliveries increasing by up to 5 times this past April.

While the sales of its hybrids are rising, demand for Toyota’s hybrids is decreasing. Sales of Toyota Camry’s hybrid decreased 26%, and the sales of the Toyota Prius have dropped 21% in April and 12% this entire year. Toyota stated earlier last month that the sales of its hybrids may fall short of its targeted 250,000 sales goal this year. While that’s bad news for Toyota, it’s great news for Ford.

Ford still has a long ways to go before catching up to Toyota’s hybrid sales, but with the demand of its hybrids going up and the demand for Toyota’s hybrids going down, it feels optimistic. The 3,989 sales of the Ford Fusion surpassed the 3,257 Toyota Camry hybrids that sold this year, although the Toyota Prius surpassed both cars’ sales combined with its 19,889 vehicles sold. It may be a long while before Ford can match up to Toyota, if it ever can, but even if it doesn’t, things are looking better for its hybrid sector. For more news related to Ford, be sure to check out our Cars Hub.

[via Bloomberg]

The Jetta GLI, Beetle turbo, and 2013 Beetle are all going to be updated with a Gen 3 EA888 engine, which is a 4-cylinder 2-liter turbocharged engine that offers drivers 210 horsepower, a small boost over the current 200-horsepower offering. With the new engine, these vehicles will also see a (very) slight increase in their mileage ratings, to the tune of between 1 and 2 MPG. Not a huge increase, but like all things it’ll add up in the long-haul.

Although the cars will get better mileage than the current models, the updated MPG won’t be advertised on the 2013 models, instead being rolled out to the 2014 models after the government okay’s the figures. Looking at the current models, the Jetta GLI is rated at 24MPG in the city, and the Beetle turbo is rated at 22MPG in the city. So for the updated models, we’ll be seeing something like 24MPG and 26MPG, respectively.

Volkswagen says it will be rolling out R-Line bumpers on the Beetles, with coupe model offering a 6-speed transmission and a starting price of $30,135. The Jetta GLI will be seeing the addition of LED tail lights on all of its models. Consumers can also expect to see new rear bumpers, 19-inch aluminum-alloy wheels, and more. No mention of the dates when the new vehicles will hit dealerships.

[via USA Today]

New loans will be extended by 11, going from 63 months to 72 months, in order to give buyers the ability to get lower monthly payments. The company faced recent criticism that their financing plan was a bit vague, and some of the math didn’t quite add up. For instance, the company said that the out-of-pocket cost of a Model S would be in the $500 range per month, but monthly payments would actually be around $1,200.

Furthermore, Tesla is now also guaranteeing a resale value of 50% after three years, which is up from 43% previously. Beforehand, the company agreed to match the resale value of the Mercedes S Class, but they’re now including any and all premium non-limited edition sedans, which sounds like a pretty sweet deal from the looks of it.

Musk admits that their initial financing plan “wasn’t quite right,” and he’s giving credit to the critics who called out the company on the confusing financing plans. Musk says that these people “were right,” and the company is “upping the ante by providing the best resale value guarantee in the automotive industry.”

The rear axle steering feature is quite unique and rather odd to think about. Essentially, the steering angle of the rear wheels can be adjusted by up to 2.8 degrees, and this changes depending on how fast you’re going. The rear axle consists of “electro-mechanical actuators” that change the degree of the rear wheels, so when you turn the 911 Turbo going under 30 mph, the rear wheels are ever so slightly turned in the opposite direction, which shortens the wheelbase, giving the car better cornering abilities.

At speeds above 50 mph, the steering system steers the rear wheels parallel to the front wheels, which extends the wheelbase and gives the car better stability at high speeds. It’s an interesting concept, and one that allows the car to go under 7:30 at the Nurburgring, according to Porsche. As for the engine, the 911 Turbo sports 520 horsepower, while the Turbo S has 560 horsepower.

Unfortunately, though, the new car won’t come with a manual transmission option, but Porsche claims that the 911 Turbo S can reach 60 mph from a standing position in just 2.9 seconds, which is mighty quick for a production car. As for price, The 911 Turbo will cost $148,300, while the 911 Turbo S begins at $181,100.

A cluster of renders expected to closely resemble the final coupe have been dug up as part of a design patent Jaguar filed ahead of the car’s expected 2014 release, Germany car site Auto Motor & Sport reports. Things don’t deviate too far from the C-X16, thankfully, with a tapering rear window that notches in crisply with the distinctive light clusters.

It’ll be a handsome beast in profile, too, if the patent CGI is anything to go by. One of the concerns had been how the relatively flat trunk lid of the convertible F-Type might work with the extra metal of a coupe, but Jaguar’s design team has handled that well.

By starting out with a drop-top and only bringing a coupe on later, Jaguar claimed it was making sure both would have the sort of on-the-road dynamics that drivers expect from a two-seater. Curb weight for the coupe isn’t known, but given the car company opted for a fabric hood rather than a folding metal roof – arguing that it helped keep the center of gravity low – there may not be the common difference between the two versions.

As well as the photos, the car site also claims to have heard that Jaguar will be offering a different engine option alongside the supercharged 3.0-liter V6 and supercharged 5.0-liter V8 already announced. A 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder, the new engine is borrowed from the Range Rover Evoque – albeit with some fettling involved in the process – and should help bring the cost of entry to F-Type ownership down to less than the $69,000 starting point that preorders opened at.

[via Jalopnik]

General Motors also revealed official photos of the pace car bearing the “Indianapolis 500″ logo on the doors of the Corvette, as well as “Official Pace Car” towards the bottom of the car on the sides. The Corvette will have strobes in both the headlights and taillights, as well as flashing lights pointing out the back window of the car.

General Motors says that no engine modifications were needed to the pace car in order to keep up pace duties throughout the race, which isn’t a surprise considering that the car has a top speed of 190 mph thanks to its 450 horsepower motor under the hood. This year’s race marks the 24th time that Chevrolet has had the honors to pace the Indy 500, which is more than any other auto maker.

1948 was the first year that Chevrolet paced the Indy 500 with a Fleetmaster sedan. Then in 1978, the Corvette saw its first time leading the Indy Car pack around the 2.5-mile track. At that time, the Corvette was in its third-generation (also called the Stingray back then as well), and the car was most known for its elongated front end and the short, stubby rear end with the fierce raised-up fenders in the front.

Images via General Motors

Issues often cited by shoppers when looking for a new vehicle that specifically apply to EV’s include things like range anxiety and having to remember to plug your vehicle in every time you come home or get to the office. With the huge ecosystem of wireless charging products available for smartphones and other gadgets, it makes a lot of sense that people don’t want to have to fiddle with plugging in their car when they get home. Mitsubishi is currently working on a new charging system for electric vehicles that will allow for wireless remote charging.

Mitsubishi is working with Kyoto University and a group of Japanese organizations to develop a remote charging solution for electric cars. The group consists of 22 companies and 13 different universities with the goal of making a long distance electric vehicle charging a reality within the next five years. The technology will reportedly use microwave transmissions, but that’s really the only detail known about the tech this time.

The same technology is also being considered to keep gadgets such as smartphones and tablets powered up and working indefinitely. It’s even being considered for powering things like military drones indefinitely. The goal of the group of developers with this technology appears to be wireless remote charging with the potential to keep an electric vehicle powered as it cruises down the roads allowing an indefinite driving range. I can see a big challenge with determining how exactly the charge drivers for power in a system like this. Considering the Mitsubishi is working with so many other universities and organizations on this technology, it will likely find its way to vehicles other than Mitsubishi’s own i-MiEV electric car.

[via Dvice]

The approval, however, didn’t stop livery cab drivers and others from continuing to go after the program, and today they saw at least a temporary victory, with Appellate Division Associate Justice Helen E. Freedman tossing out an emergency injunction against the e-hailing program and calling for a fast review by a panel of judges in appeals court.

The livery cab drivers’ attorney Randy Mastro said in an email to Bloomberg: “This faux ‘pilot program’ is so fundamentally flawed and illegal in so many respects that it had to be stopped. And now it once again has been.” Such a change comes at a bad time for the e-hailing service Hailo, which had temporarily been denounced for working outside of the rules of the program, but that just received its approval by the TLC today.

The current expectation is that the panel of judges will hear the case some time this month, although that hasn’t been officially confirmed. All of this follows the lift on the first ban that took place last week by NY Supreme Court Justice Carole Huff, who addressed and dismissed many of the claims against the program, including ones about facilitating discrimination and making things harder on the elderly.

[via Bloomberg]

Of course, we’re left with very little details, which means we can only speculate on what Musk and company will be unveiling tomorrow. However, in a reply on Twitter, Musk elaborated slightly on what the announcement would cover, and he says that tomorrow’s announcement will be “about getting a prior announcement right.”

This means that it involves either Tesla’s new financing option or their new warranty system. However, based on these two options, tomorrow’s announcement will most likely have something to do with the company’s new financing scheme, which seemed a little off in the first place. This new financing option would allow customers to own a new Model S for just $500 per month.

We’re guessing that Musk will clarify any confusion with this new financing plan. We’re not exactly sure if he’ll change the financing option altogether, or if he’ll simply explain himself better and say, “yup, you can own a Tesla for just $500 per month.” Considering how expensive Tesla cars are, though, we’re guessing it would take years and years to pay off the car with only $500 payments.

Additions like the Infotainment system in this year’s Corvette add a significant amount of weight – at 31.5 pounds on its own, this system weighs more than any other single totally new element in the vehicle. According to GM Authority, a list of items from bigger breaks to new structural safety requirements add their own bulk to the system. New seats come in at 17.2 pounds, a larger fuel tank adds 3 pounds, reinforced differential and half shafts at 18.5 pounds, and together a 35.2 pound addition is included in Active Fuel Management (AFM), variable valve timing, and direct injection.

The total estimated weight of the Corvette C7 coup without the Z51 package was confirmed this week by Chevrolet to be 3,298 pounds (1,496 kg), that is 90 pounds (41 kg) heavier than the standard 2013 Corvette C6 coupe’s curb weight. Weight additions in the Z51 performance package are not yet confirmed, but have been estimated at between 150 and 200 pounds on top of it all.

According to Chevrolet, the weight is not going to bring you down. On the contrary, they’ve made it clear that this model will be more capable and handle better than any model in the past, and they’ve made every effort to emphasize the luxury points throughout the vehicle since it was first revealed.

The good thing about using hydrogen is that when it’s burned it produces no pollutants. The downside to hydrogen is that it’s a volatile fuel requiring specialized storage and there is no hydrogen refueling infrastructure in place in much of the nation. One of the biggest drawbacks to early fuel-cell powered vehicles will be the price.

Toyota had previously said that prototype fuel-cell vehicles cost about $1 million each to produce when they were developed about a year ago. The cost to produce the fuel cell vehicles coming in 2015 is predicted to be around $50,000. That would mean buyers can expect to see sticker prices of under $100,000.

Currently Toyota is planning to sell its new fuel-cell vehicle starting in 2015 in states covered by the California Air Resources Board mandate. The production vehicle is expected to be sized similarly to the Prius and Toyota’s FCV-R concept car unveiled at the 2013 Tokyo auto show. Toyota executives predict that even with the company only selling its fuel-cell vehicle in California and New York it should be able to sell 11,000 units nationwide, which is how many units the company sold of its Prius when it launched in 2000.

[via Autonews]