Meanwhile, orders of the Tesla Model S – the company’s second model, a four-door sedan – rose 30-percent after the Model X was revealed. Production of the Model S is expected to begin this year.

Reservations for both cars require at least a $5,000 deposit, though that is fully refundable if buyers subsequently decide they want to back out of the purchase. $5,000 gets you a Model X in early 2014, but those particularly eager can put down $20,000 for a Model X Signature Edition, deliveries of which are tipped for late 2013.

Although it’s likely that not all the reservations will pan out into actual sales, the healthy interest is in stark contrast to ailing electric rival Fisker. Despite having an undeniably attractive car, Fisker has struggled to meet its timescale obligations with the US Government, and has seen its Department of Energy funding frozen as a result.

This sounds a lot like the Ford Sync system in most Ford vehicles. GMC says that the IntelliLink home screen can be configured by the driver with the icons they want. It has icons built-in for Pandora and Stitcher streaming via smartphones. The system should work pretty much like Ford Sync since it, and IntelliLink are powered by Nuance.

The voice control system also uses the Gracenote media database to provide album art and artist information. This also allows people to find content using nicknames such as “The Boss” and others. IntelliLink’s integration of Gracenote is the first to provide track data via Bluetooth streaming rather than having to have the device plugged into the USB port.

“Gracenote is typically limited to devices plugged in to the USB port,” he said. “With IntelliLink, we are the first company to run Bluetooth streaming audio through the Gracenote database to display album art for music players connected wirelessly.”

Other than the questionable looks, the car sounds very good specification wise. Both vehicles use a 4.4 L bi-turbo V8 engine outputting 560 hp and 500 lb-ft of torque. The car does promise to have decent fuel economy considering the power averaging a bit less than 10 liter/100 km. The car can do 0 to 100 km an hour in 4.2 seconds for the coupe in 4.3 seconds for the convertible.

Both cars will come with a specially calibrated seven-speed DSG transmission. BMW also fits the car with its latest DSC system and an active M differential to help put the power to the road. Check out the official pictures in the gallery below.

[via Motoward]

So here’s how it works. If you want to sign up for the plan, you’ll receive a TomTom Pro 3100 unit for free, with specialized software that determines when you might make a maneuver that is deemed risky. For example, it’ll notice when you’re going too fast or if you take turns too sharply. But that’s not all. You’ll also have to have a device installed to your car itself which tracks more detailed driving info.

There are benefits to this intrusion. Of course, you get a free GPS. And also, if you are in fact a really good driver, it will recognize that. You’ll be eligible for a discount instead of being grouped into the other people who happen to be the same age and have the same kind of car as you. It’s an interesting step, and one that the bigger insurance players are no doubt very hesitant to try. But it could be a sign of things to come.

[via DigitalTrends]

Featured: You’ve not doubt heard a lot about Windows 8 so far, and it is perhaps the most confusing Windows release yet, what with different versions for different devices and all that. So to help ease some of the questions, we’ve put together an article called SlashGear 101: Windows 8 on ARM. Be sure to check it. Also check out our review of SkinIt’s metal plate for the iPhone 4S. We’re talking about custom-etched metal plates here. Pretty cool.

Trends: So the next time you rent from Hertz, you might be interested to know that it is implementing a wireless charging system for its EVs. And after you feel good about driving an electric vehicle and taking care of the environment, you can also sleep in peace knowing that a new study suggests US box office sales are completely unaffected by Torrents. They’re still illegal, though. And finally, for you Apple fans – MacBook Pro 2012 refresh set for Air-like thinness, next-gen specs. Well that’s all for today. Have a good weekend everyone.

Presumably, that data can be used to tweak your insurance premiums if you drive at high speed, on a bumpy road, during a high-traffic time of the day. The data that is collected is then remotely transmitted to the insurance company, and the driver can access that data online. I can see parents going for this, so they can see how their kids are actually driving when they are alone.

AA spokesman Ian Crowder also notes that the data the box collects could be used to determine who is at fault in an accident, but that data would only be released by court order. The data sent to the insurance company could also result in “a stern e-mail” being sent to the driver if high-speed driving is recorded. I also suspect a premium increase notice would come along with the e-mail. What do you think about this sort of insurance? I think as long as the driver is willing, there’s nothing wrong with having a black box attached to your car.

[via BBC]

Rather than the usual knobs and buttons, Tesla offloads all the HVAC controls, entertainment systems, safety and other gadgetry in the Model X into its vast touchscreen. Multiple USB ports will allow for external devices to be hooked up, and there’ll be third-party app support as well as the promise of Tesla’s own periodic updates to keep your all-electric SUV up to date.

Of course, there’s more to like about the Model X, such as the innovative gullwing doors that have multiple joints so as to open up access to the second and third row of seats even if you’re boxed in at the parking lot. There’ll be two power versions, 60 kWh or 80 kWh, as well as a choice of RWD, AWD and “performance” AWD.

The Tesla Model X is up for pre-order now, and is expected to cost around $50,000 with US government subsidies. Deliveries will begin in late 2013 to early 2014.

Tesla Model S 17-inch touchscreen dashboard demo:

The heart of the vehicle is the Aston Martin V12 that displaces 6L it has 510 HP and 420 pound-feet of torque. I guess I’m a little jaded by 2013 Ford Shelby GT500 that has a supercharged V8 engine of 5.8L with 650 hp and 600 pound-feet of torque. Those four extra cylinders don’t do the Aston Martin much good in output department compared to the Ford V8.

Aston Martin will only build 150 of the special Zagato vehicles, and you need to be very wealthy to get your hands on one. Each vehicle will sell for £330,000 plus taxes. That makes it one of the most expensive cars Aston Martin produces as well as one of the coolest looking cars to wear the Aston Martin badge.

[via Top Gear]

The Acadia will be the first vehicle to get the center airbag technology. This tech was unveiled in September of last year and is making its way to 2013 model vehicles. In an accident, the center airbag system deploys from the right side of the driver seat. The goal of the new airbag tech is to protect the passenger and the driver from far side impacts.

A far side impact would be an impact on the passenger side with the driver was alone in the car. GM feels that the new airbag technology has a real potential for life saving. This sort of far side impact accounts for 29% of all belted front occupant fatalities in side-impact accidents. Check out the video to see how airbag works.

[via Lansing State Journal]

Google announced that it wanted to launch more than 100 new channels over the next several months that include brand new, exclusive content to YouTube. The idea is to make the site’s visitor loyalty a more known quantity. That is to say, if new episodes for an online show are uploaded to YouTube every week or every day, it would encourage users to visit the site on a regular basis as opposed to just every now and then when work is boring or you need to play that Bee Gees song that’s stuck in your head.

Creating these targeted, niche channels also opens up attractive advertising opportunities. Instead of advertisers trying to navigate the swath of random content on YouTube, creating tailored ads for an automotive-themed channel, for example, makes a lot more sense. This is also part of Google’s ambition to have a better monetization system in place for YouTube, which gets more than three billion video views every day but still remains full of untapped potential.

[via Wired]

That’s 66-percent more powerful than the regular Soul, and puts its power down through a short-throw six-speed manual transmission to HRE-K1 monoblock billet performance wheels clad in 245/40-19-inch front and 285/35-19-inch rear Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 high-performance tires. 14-inch Brembo vented and cross-drilled disc brakes – with by six-piston calipers – in front, and 13.6-inch discs – with four-piston calipers – at the rear make sure you can stop, too.

“The idea was to make the Track’ster tough looking, like a bulldog” chief designer Tom Kearns says,  throwing flared wheel arches, a huge grille, lots of lights and splashes of orange paint at the concept. The Soul normally has rear doors, but they’ve been ditched in favor of longer front doors that open to reveal suede-covered racing seats and a leather-wrapped dash. A sizable touchscreen handles navigation, entertainment and HVAC.

Rather than rear seats, Kia has used the space for an equipment tray and spare-tire well, somewhere to keep your racing kit and emergency supplies. Unfortunately Kia has no plans to produce a commercial version of the Track’ster concept, though we’re keeping our fingers crossed that the next-gen Soul will borrow more than a few details.

Ford says the 2013 GT500 convertible when equipped with the optional performance package is faster around the track than the outgoing model. When Ford hooned the 2013 GT 500 convertible around Sebring International Raceway, the 13 model is 3.5 seconds per lap faster than the 2011 and 2012 models. The 650 hp engine certainly helps that, as did the special SVT Bilstein electronic adjustable dampers that are available in the performance package. The special dampers change between normal and sport modes at the push of a button.

The convertible also gets an improved Brembo braking system with six piston calipers in front and larger front and rear rotors. The convertible can also be optioned with special track package including an external engine oil cooler, a rear differential cooler, and a transmission cooler. It should make for one of the highest performing convertibles ever produced by Ford.

The terms of the loan mandated certain milestones and timescales that Fisker needed to meet in order to claim each part of the cash, and with the shipping schedule not going according to plan there’s now a mandatory renegotiation. So far, Fisker says, it has received $193m of the total loan and is “renegotiating some terms of the DOE agreement” as well as continuing to “pursue alternative funding sources.”

It’s not the only recent bad news for Fisker Automotive. The company was forced to recall 239 Karma cars earlier this year, after battery issues spotted in December became more widespread.

Fisker had originally planned to push out Project Nina in 2012, though now says it will focus on the Karma this year and return to the second model at a later point, timescale unspecified. The company has already raised around $850m in private equity funding.

[via Engadget]

The Sonic is priced at under $20,000, which is always a nice price range when you’re targeting the 20-somethings looking to get their first real ride. And also for the budget-conscious consumers out there, it has an EPA estimate of 40 miles per gallon on the highway and 29 MPG in the city. Not bad. Also, according to Chevy, the high-strength steel frame makes the Sonic 60% stiffer than its preceding Aveo.

The car has a 138-horsepower, naturally aspirated 1.8-liter four-cylinder automatic transmission. Acceleration is designed to be smooth and steady, regardless of how hard you press your foot down. Bluetooth connectivity, a USB port, and support for SiriusXM satellite radio all come standard for all those gadget-focused drivers. The cheapest model begins at just $15,000.

[via Wired]

Google has shown off cars that drive themselves in the past using GPS and other tech that didn’t need a driver at all. Google is hardly the only company working on such technology, and this new BMW prototype is another example of a car that removes the driver from the equation, at least in part. The BMW car is not fully automated like the Google car. BMW calls its car highly automated, and the driver still has to take over the automated systems when needed. The automation only kicks in on highways if the BMW system designers have fully mapped out the highway ahead of time.

The car uses a myriad of sensors, radar, cameras, lasers, and ultrasound to allow it to determine where it is on the road and how close it is to other vehicles. The vehicle also has a database that knows the speed limit on a given road and will stick to that speed. BMW is still in the development phase with the highly automated vehicle. However, the prototype has logged 5000 km on the road already. Once the technology is proven sound, BMW may begin to roll the tech out to production vehicles. BMW’s highly automated vehicle can determine, for instance, if a slower car is in your lane and can then pass that slower vehicle safely on its own. That sounds cool and I can certainly see that in a vehicle as a much smarter system for cruise control.

[via Yahoo News]

The new Smart Grid API that OnStar is pushing will do several things for drivers of the EVs and plug-in hybrids that will make charging smarter, cheaper, and easier on the environment. The APIs will offer things like demand response, time of use rates, charging data, and aggregated services. The aggregated services solutions interesting and is intended to allow companies such as Google that operate large fleets of electric vehicles to control the charging simultaneously.

The charging data offers details that the utility companies can use to determine potential load scenarios for a given area where multiple electric vehicles might be charging at once. The time of use rates will allow the owner of the electric vehicle to see exactly how much the electricity would cost them at a specific time. The demand response feature would also allow the utility companies to manage energy use for Volt drivers allowing the driver to save money on energy costs and allowing for more efficient use of the electric grid. I don’t see a lot of companies hopping on the development bandwagon for the Smart Grid APIs at this point since only the Volt is compatible right now.

Chrysler sold 1.6m vehicles worldwide in 2010, increasing that to 2m in 2011. The difference, it seems are the cars itself: sixteen new or refreshed models over the twelve months, and a push into smaller models. Jeep sales proved particularly buoyant, with the Grand Cherokee SUV apparently leading the new models.

2012 will see more spending, as Chrysler promotes the new Dodge Dart as well as prepares its 2013 model year line-up. That should include a reworked Ram 1500 pickup, which will go on sale later in the year, a new Viper, and an all-electric version of the Fiat 500.

The Dart will be Chrysler’s play for the entry-level market, hoping to hook first time buyers onto the brand. Revealed in December 2011, the new Dodge compact is based on Alfa Romeo’s Giulietta, with a choice of  Tigershark 16-valve 2.0-liter, a 16-valve 1.4-liter MultiAir Intercooled Turbo, or a new Tigershark 16-valve 2.4-liter MultiAir four cylinder engines.

[via AP]

First off, is the Mopar 2012 300 that takes the Chrysler 300 sedan and makes it over into a performance sedan to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Mopar. Under the hood of the car, the 363hp 5.7L hemi V-8 engine has fuel saver technology that turns off four of the cylinders when not needed. The car also has a different rear differential with a 3.91 gear ratio for better acceleration that allows the car hit 60 mph in the low 5-second range. The car also has improved suspension, stickier tires, and special performance brakes. Other features include special wheels and a special interior with Mopar blue stitching. At the show, Dodge has its Dart GTS 210 tribute car on display as well.

The car wears a stage 1 appearance package that adds matte black trim pieces such as a lower chin spoiler, side sills, rear spoiler, and rear diffuser panel. The car also has a carbon fiber hood, and special 18-inch wheels. Inside, the car gets a special leather interior and special trim pieces. The car also has a stage II performance package with a special engine calibration and a better flowing intake along with the low backpressure exhaust system allowing for increased horsepower to 210hp compared to 184hp of the stock car. The Fiat 500 Stinger has special body parts to make the car look more athletic and sporty along with a special leather interior. The car also gets more power via a special Mopar intake and has special track ready brakes.

The final vehicle is the 2012 Mopar Jeep Compass dubbed the True North edition. The Jeep has matte black parts including the wheels, roof, wheel flares, lower fascia, door cladding, and grill. They grill also has body color inserts. The Jeep also gets a 16 inch set of alloy wheels with special all-terrain tires and a 2-inch body lift for sporty off-road look. Mopar also equips vehicle any Kicker audio system.

Chevy is boasting that it is the first automotive manufacturer to place these labels on vehicles in an attempt to allow the buyer to see how green the vehicles are in manufacturing, driving, and recyclability. Chevrolet is calling the stickers Ecologic and all the claims made by the stickers will be verified by an independent third-party agency called Two Tomorrows. That company is an agency that provides auditing and assurance services to companies that are pushing environmental processes and initiatives.

The new stickers will be split into three sections with one section called Before the Road, one section called On the Road, and one section titled After the Road. The first section will talk about the vehicles manufacturing and assembly processes. The second section will talk about fuel saving features such as engine technology and aerodynamics. The third section will talk about how the vehicle can be recycled after it’s no longer usable on the road.

[via Forbes]

If the team is able to hit more than the 215mph mark, they will own the land speed record for the diesel truck classification, including trucks that burn traditional diesel fuel. The first attempt by the Greenspeed team to take the record will be attempted at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. The team is using a modified 1998 Chevrolet S-10 truck.

The truck already broke the 98mph record for vegetable oil-fueled vehicles this past November by putting down a top speed of 139mph on a dry lakebed in El Mirage in the Mojave Desert at a Southern California Timing Association Race. The goal of the Greenspeed team is to prove you don’t have to give up performance to go green.

While you might readily laugh at your neighbor’s Prius, this puppy from Toyota – the TS030 – can play with the big boys. It will become the first hybrid vehicle to enter the FIA World Endurance Championship. We first saw this guy earlier this month but we had little more than a couple glitzy pictures. At the time, it was classified as a prototype. Creating a hybrid vehicle that would be accepted into the Le Mans meant developing a new kind of energy system.

Even though it’s still nascent technology, though, Toyota is ready to bring it out on the race track. It will only be a matter of months before the hybrid debuts on the professional circuit. Specifically, the TS030 will makes its premiere showing at the Six Hours of Spa-Francorchamps in May but Toyota is looking to Le Mans, which occurs the following month, as the spot where it can really make its mark.

Team president Yoshiaki Kinoshita said in a statement, “Of course we would love to win Le Mans; that is the dream for all competitors in this race. But we are realistic and we know we need to develop and to learn in order to compete with some very strong competition. Our target this year is to show the performance level of our car and particularly the THS-R powertrain.”

[via Wired]

The project will last for two years, and the home will be built with all the green tech that is available today. The home will feature smart thermostats, solar panels, and green lighting and appliances. The expected completion date for the green home is this March. There has been no indication of what the home will look like at this time.

BMW is providing the EV and Tendril is providing the green home management system. Tendril has an interface that sits between the home and the power grid and adds control and flexibility to the inflexible grid. Tendril has an app that will allow the user to monitor all aspects of the electricity use in the home and to choose how and when to charge the EV. For instance, the Tendril platform will allow the driver of an EV to set a charge based on mileage needs for the day and to charge when electricity is the cheapest.

[via NYT]

This month the Megaupload owner and several of his colleagues were arrested and what his prosecutors call a $175 million USD worldwide internet piracy operation was shut down indefinitely. Yesterday he was brought before a New Zealand court after having been taken from a grand jury in U.S. District Court in Virginia. It’s also in New Zealand that the raids are going on now, his $23 million dollar home, one of New Zealand’s most expensive, being emptied of cars, cars, and more cars.

In the collection, for those of you wondering, were such fabulous vehicles as a 2008 Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coup, a 1959 Cadillac convertible, and a lovely Von Dutch Kustom motorcycle. About a dozen high-end Mercedes AMG models were also included in the stash, each of these vehicles having its own vanity license plate. The plates included such gems as EVIL, GOOD, GOD, STONED, MAFIA, CEO, HACKER, and of course, GUILTY.

This should act as a warning, all you would-be kingpins of piracy out there, that your cars are going to get stolen by the police. There’s no way they wont be, just accept it, and check our timeline for the rest of the Megaupload story.

[via USAtoday]

OnStar is working with electricity provider PJM Interconnection and developing a technology that could give drivers the ability to choose what sort of power they want to use when they recharge. The drivers would choose their energy preference, and then the PJM company would look at the percentage of renewable power on the electrical grid and ensure that the Volt only charges using that power.

That doesn’t make a lot of sense to me. For example, if you have power running through wires in a particular city with 80% coming from something like coal and 20% coming from wind or solar; how is it possible to ensure that only the wind or solar power generated is used for a Volt? The app will encourage the user to plug in when the renewable sources are at peak apparently rather than guaranteeing the driver is getting only renewable energy from what I can tell.

[via CNET]

“The agency’s investigation has concluded that no discernible defect trend exists and that the vehicle modifications recently developed by General Motors reduce the potential for battery intrusion resulting from side impacts” NHTSA

Those guidelines will be targeted at emergency response teams and others who may come into contact with electric vehicles. With the Volt, the particular issue surrounded an apparent fire risk prompted after side-impact tests punctured the battery and coolant leaked; atypical tests – including x-rays of batteries – performed on various Volt components replicated a fire, though no real-world example has been recorded.

“NHTSA has developed interim guidance — with the assistance of the National Fire Protection Association, the Department of Energy, and others — to increase awareness and identify appropriate safety measures for these groups. The agency expects this guidance will help inform the ongoing work by NFPA, DOE, and vehicle manufacturers to educate the emergency response community, law enforcement officers, and others about electric vehicles” NHTSA

In the meantime, GM has offered non-Volt loaner vehicles to nervous owners while the testing was underway, and even to buy back unwanted cars that drivers no longer felt safe in. “We did not have one customer that wanted to sell it back or felt concerned enough to get a loaner vehicle” one Chevrolet dealer told the NYTimes, though the company has missed its 2011 sales target by over 1,000 cars.

The organo-chemical materials like dye that are used in the lighting are made by BASF, and the OLEDs are manufactured by Philips. The transparent OLEDs can be turned into a solar panel by sandwiching them with transparent solar cells. The entire surface of the OLED light can produce a soft light with no harsh shadows.

That would make for nice illumination at night in a car when bright light can affect night vision. There is no indication of when this lighting might find its way into production automobiles. I could see this sort of thing being nice in EV and hybrid applications for gathering power for batteries.

“This combination allows the driver to enjoy a unique open-space feeling while it generates electricity during the day and pleasantly suffuses the interior with the warm light of the transparent, highly efficient OLEDs at night,” said Dr. Felix Görth, head of Organic Light-Emitting Diodes and Organic Photovoltaics at BASF Future Business GmbH.

[BASF via Electronics Weekly]

GM R&D has come up with a concept that makes the windows of the car a transparent display. In the front, the windows can show the driver navigation information, so they can keep eyes on the road. That would be very cool indeed, and it reminds me of the tech in the latest Mission Impossible movie. GM worked with students at the FUTURE LAB at Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in Israel with the students coming up with app ideas for the cool windows.

The apps the students came up with include Otto, Foofu, Spindow, and Pond. Otto puts a flying character over the landscape; Foofu makes faux stem on the windows that the kids can draw in; Pond is a music-streaming app, and Spindow lets the users peek into other windows that users around the world create. Sadly, GM says that it has no immediate plans to use these awesome windows in its vehicles. I bet this tech is crazy expensive right now.

Apparently, 34 different Japanese companies signed off on the green auto design horror. Geeks from the Japanese Keio University were also involved in the project. Someone at some point had to look at this car and realize the design left something to be desired. Ugly aside, the car has some decently impressive specifications.

The goal was to get an EV that has a long driving distance, and the designers have at least been able to do that. They claim the car will go 190 miles at about 60 mph on a charge. The battery pack is a 24.5Kw unit. The car is also going to hit the streets as a production vehicle next year.

[via Dvice]

So, the humble March sees its body clad in Nismo aeroparts that – rather than just looking aggressive – actually improve efficiency, along with a modified front grille being grafted on and an aerodynamically-tweaking rear lip spoiler. Even the door mirrors have been fettled to improve airflow.

The March Nismo concept sits on chunky, lightweight wheels and has high-performance suspension, with the driver ensconced in custom seats with a new steering wheel design. Unfortunately Nissan hasn’t released interior shots, so we’ll just have to imagine them ourselves.

Like the Juke Nismo Concept and the Leaf Nismo Concept before it, this March madness won’t actually go on sale. Instead, Nissan is likely hoping that boy-racers and their ilk will be motivated to splash some cash at Nismo and recreate a little of the style and performance themselves.

That is cool, but most of us aren’t using Blackberry devices anymore. One of the most key features of the system is that it supports the HTML5 framework for nice visuals. The screen in the center console of the car has a layout that is said to look like the Blackberry Playbook. I would assume the screens and NFC tech would be customizable by automakers that adopt the new system. Since this was a RIM demo, they obviously wanted the screen to promote their products. The screens in the headrests were Playbooks.

The system supports high-quality audio for music and phone calls. With full duplex stereo and spatial recognitions with dual 48KHz channels for different voices and surround sound, style audio. The coolest part of the system is the reconfigurable instrument cluster. As a guy who likes to road race cars, that dash is very appealing to me. I love the screen with a single large tach in the center and the outline of what appears to be the Nurburgring in Germany on the left to show car position. That cluster is part of the QNX bag of tricks. Check out the video below to see the demo for yourself.

[via InformationWeek]

Two four-cylinders and a V-6 engine will be offered when the ATS arrives in North America this coming summer, with a 30mpg highway result and the option of all-wheel drive. There’s Cadillac’s first five-link independent rear suspension system, while GM’s engineers have been flirting with different combinations of materials to balance weight, performance and economy. The hood is aluminum hood while the engine mount brackets are magnesium engine; however the differential is cast iron, because that apparently boosted fuel efficiency over aluminum.

Inside, there’s Cadillac CUE, the company’s Bluetooth-enabled multimedia and navigation system, offering USB, aux-in and SD card connections, SiriusXM radio, keyless entry, a 5.7-inch capacitive touchscreen and a heads-up display. If you don’t shell out for CUE, you get a more conservative Bose system instead.

Cadillac CUE:

Safety, meanwhile, calls upon radar, cameras and ultrasonic sensors for crash-avoidance, automatic braking, lane-departure warnings, blind-zone protection and more. Eight airbags (or, optionally, ten) along with a year’s OnStar subscription round out the main specs.

There’ll be a 2.0L Turbo DI VVT, 2.5L I-4 DI VVT and 3.6L V-6 DI VVT at launch, mustering 270, 200 and 320 horsepower respectively. Pricing is yet to be confirmed.

The year range for the Escape SUVs under the recall is 2001 to 2002. On these vehicles, the brake fluid can leak from the master cylinder cap and lead to corrosion that could cause a fire. The Freestar and Monterey vans are being recalled due to issues with the torque converter. The output shaft of the torque converter could fail and cause a loss of power.

A loss of power while passing or accelerating into traffic could be disastrous. Apparently, only two minor accidents have happened over the last eight years. There were only minor injuries reported in the incidents.

[via Freep]

Porsche also notes that the car weighs less than previous generations and has a wider track and a longer wheelbase. Less weight will up performance and wider track and longer wheelbase should help handling as well. The new cars also get electromechanical power steering to improve driving dynamics. The base Boxster gets more power with a 2.7L displacement engine that has 265hp, ten more than the hp rating for the previous version. The Boxster S gains 5hp to 315.

Dispute the power and size gains of the car, the new Boxsters are more fuel-efficient than past models as well. The 2013 Boxster is claimed to be 15% more fuel efficient in the European cycle. The larger size gives more space inside the car and the interior is all new as well. The car will come with a 6-speed manual or the 7-speed Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK) gearbox. The PDK is the most fuel efficient of the two. The 0-60 time for the standard Boxster is 5.4 seconds and the Boxster S can hit the same speed in 4.7 seconds. The cars will hit the US in early summer 2012 at $49,500 base for the Boxster and $60,900 base for the Boxster S.

The car will hit dealers later this year. It has a more refined version of the split-wing grill that was introduced in 1938 on the Lincoln-Zephyr. The car has a roofline that is supposed to be a move away from the traditional sedan style. It also has a panoramic glass sunroof that spans from the windshield to the top of the backlight and is integrated into the sedans superstructure.

That is cool, but a similar glass roof on Ford Mustangs lets in an insane amount of heat in warm climates. Inside the car is room for four people. The transmission has a push button gear selector, and a LCD screen in front of the driver measures 10.1-inches and runs MyLincoln Touch. The concept also has an 8-inch center LCD touchscreen.

MB calls this the “Dynamic & Intuitive Control Experience” or DICE. The front view out of the car could have speed, points-of-interest, engine efficiency, navigation and other information superimposed, as well as flagging up safety hazards; however, location-based services could also be used to pull in other information, such as playing venue-themed music when driving past a club. Local news, or information about landmarks and places could be accessed via a simple gesture; meanwhile, drivers would be able to leave location-fixed messages and alerts for others.

“As much as a smartphone can be far more than just a tool for communication, a smart car can be more than just a means of transportation” Mercedes-Benz head Dr. Dieter Zetsche said at the tech show today. “Precisely at the interfaces between communication and mobility, vast potential for innovation lies dormant, and we intend to tap it.”

Zetsche also suggested that the in-car telemetrics could be used to create impromptu car-shares, alerting those in need of a ride that there’s a vehicle nearby, headed in the right direction, that has a spare seat. Called CarTogether, it could use Facebook as an organizational venue, and sit alongside traditional short-term rental schemes like ZipCar.

Perhaps more likely in the short term is ”Media”, “Social” and “Places” integration into the infotainment system, which Mercedes says could be used to flag up which of your Facebook friends are nearby on a 3D city outline. The company already offers internet access and Mercedes Apps in Europe as part of the COMAND Online system; that will soon be offered in the US as mbrace2.

So, you get a new Human-Machine Interface (HMI) touchscreen based on a smartphone UI, controlling air conditioning, audio, battery-charge and navigation functions and learning from the driver’s habits to adapt the interface and automated routines over time. There’s also a new Pre-Collision System (PCS) with lane departure, rear-end and pedestrian collision avoidance, pulling together data from radar and stereo cameras – along with IR floodlights at night – to recognize potential hazards.

Toyota NS4 Concept:

Wing mirrors and rear-view mirrors are replaced with cameras, beaming information to high-res screens across the dashboard, and the glass gets hydrophobic and anti-fog coatings along with UV and anti-solar treatments.

As for the Toyota Prius c, the sub-$19,000 hybrid is intended for roads somewhat sooner than the NS4, and pairs a choice of 1.5 liter or 1.8 liter four-cylinder VVT-i engines with an electric motor, CVT and 144-volt nickel-metal hydride battery pack under the rear seats. That’s apparently good for 53 mpg in the city or 46 mpg on the highway, for a combined rating of 50 mpg.

You also get nine airbags as standard, along with automatic climate control, Multi-Information Display and Bluetooth hands-free controls, and remote keyless entry. There’ll be an optional 6.1-inch touchscreen satnav unit with iPhone integration and SiriusXM satellite radio support.

I don’t really care for the design honestly. I can see this coming to market as a refresh of the dead Cavalier. The car uses a turbo 4-cylinder and eAssist tech that has start/stop tech and recaptured brake energy. The 140S is billed as an “affordable exotic” four seat sporty coupe. It has a very raked looking profile that is more attractive.

It reminds me a bit of a more muscular Volt that mated with a Mitsubishi Eclipse of the last generation. The car has the same turbo 4-cylinder under the hood as the other concept. The engine is the GM 1.4L Turbo Ecotec with 150HP. GM thinks the cars could be sold in the low $20,000 range.

CEO of Chrysler/Fiat Sergio Marchionne noted at the Detroit Auto show this week that there might be a third partner added. The third partner being eyed is PSA Peugeot Citroen, the second largest carmaker in Europe behind VW. Peugeot is ready to talk about an alliance with Chrysler and Fiat according to sources. While the third partner is being considered, Fiat and Chrysler will merge by the end of 2014.

Fiat has reached an agreement with the United Auto Workers union retiree health-care trust on its 41.5% holding in Chrysler, clearing the way for the merger. According to Marchionne where the new merged company will be based is unknown. Both Fiat and Chrysler are considering reducing their sales and shipment goals for 2012.

[via BusinessWeek]

The AppLink feature allows the driver to control some of the apps on their smartphones using their voice. The Destinations app is free to download and use for drivers with Sync vehicles that are compatible. Once the driver picks their route, they can use the Destinations app to shoot the directions over to their car or truck.

The directions go to the cloud-based Sync services account and then to the car. The latest update to Destinations allows it to work in conjunction with AppLink for the first time. This new integration lets the driver send the directions to their car and then when in the car, the driver can use their voice to get traffic updates and other details. The driver can also get listings of accidents around them and report accidents using their voice so other drivers can avoid them.

It’s all part of what Acura reckons was part of the original appeal of the NSX: “high performance through engineering efficiency.” The SH-AWD (sport hybrid all wheel drive) system runs its power through a dual-clutch transmission, while an electric motor provides “supercar acceleration” with the least possible impact on efficiency.

Acura isn’t saying quite how efficient the NSX Concept actually is, however, preferring to point to a respectable power-to-weight ratio. Unfortunately it doesn’t say either power or weight either, leaving us somewhat in the dark about performance overall.

Still, it looks amazing and we’re not the only ones who have fond memories of the original NSX, so you can bet this is a project Honda fans will be watching closely. More details in the video below.