Ferrari have unveiled their latest supercar, the frankly delicious 458 Italia, a slippery wedge of V8-powered insanity that will replace the F430. The combination of a freshly-fettled 4.5-liter 562 horsepower V8 and carefully engineered aerodynamics means the 458 Italia not only makes the o-60mph dash in under 3.4 seconds but does so with the lowest emissions and fuel consumption in its class.
It would be tough to argue against the fact that the Maserati Granturismo is a beautiful car, but would you want to share your living room with it? Architect Holger Schubert has designed a space that does just that, with the top floor of an LA home given over to a loft-like garage with a remote-controlled ramp.
Video demo after the cut
Ford and Sprint have joined forces to offer F-150 truck buyers, together with other models from the manufacturer’s commercial range, an in-dash computer with integrated EVDO Rev.A connectivity. The Ford Work Solutions (FWS) system consists of a double-DIN head unit with touchscreen, 4GB of flash storage, Bluetooth and a Sprint data connection, and can be used to either work on local or remote files, browse the internet, get turn-by-turn directions via Garmin software or print via a Bluetooth-enabled printer.
Video demo after the cut
Aston Martin have revealed their plans for a city-car, the Cygnet, offering environmentally-conscious motoring and 5-star Euro NCAP safety together with the brand’s premium badge. Based on the Toyota iQ, the Aston Martin Cygnet will apparently be priced at under £20,000 ($33k); it’ll also offer dramatically less performance than the company’s DBS, DB9 and Vantage models.
Take the bodywork of a Fiat 500, throw in the mechanics of a second-hand tractor, and you may end up with this: the Fiat Cinque Tank. The handiwork of Kogoro Kurata, a Japanese ironsmith, the distinctive vehicle’s one main flaw is its somewhat pedestrian top-speed of just 3kpm (less than 2mph).
Video after the cut
MDI have been working on their air-powered engine for years now, and Edmunds Inside Line were lucky enough to take the 2010 AIRPod prototype for a spin. Distinctively designed, the AIRPod throws out internal combustion in favor of running from compressed-air, a full tank of which – refilled in just two minutes with the right infrastructure – is good for 90-125 miles with a single occupant.
The thought of Swedish uber-car manufacturer Koenigsegg ever actually putting their Quant concept car into production was a laughable joke back when they revealed it in March. The solar electric vehicle was billed as a “car of the future” designed to showcase NLV Solar’s nifty photovoltaic and accumulator tech; now, according to one Koenigsegg insider, the firm intends to put the Quant into limited production.
Now this is pretty cool. The Scamander was built to go over anything and it truly lives up to its build promise. Peter Wheeler decided to make a car that could go anywhere and before he died, he saw his dream fulfilled.
It sports 35-inch tires, paddles on the rear wheels, individual braking systems, and a 2.0 litre Ford Zetec engine. He called it an “RRV” or a “rapid response vehicle” because it could change its function immediately for whatever you needed.
The body is constructed from foam plastic pods that are situated within the aluminum frame, making it aerodynamic and lightweight–perfect for those treks through the lake. It can hold four people and is really just about one of the coolest cars ever. Good on you Mr. Wheeler!
[via Coolest Gadgets]
Belkin cranked out two new TuneBases today that are updated to suit the iPhone. The TuneBase Direct and the TuneBase FM work by taking the audio from your iPhone and having it play over your car stereo seamlessly and easily.
The devices also charge up your iPhone at the same time and hold it upright by means of a flexible neck. Music-listening is capable on both devices and you can take calls just by pressing a large button on the TuneBase itself.
The TuneBase Direct is the cheaper option at $69.99 and provides a 3.5mm port that you can use to connect it to your car’s auxiliary-in jack. The TuneBase FM costs slightly more at $89.99 and uses an FM channel to transmit your audio through your car’s sound system. You can get the Belkin TuneBase Direct early this month and the TuneBase FM in the middle of July.
Steve Ballmer reported today that Microsoft SYNC is now in 1 Million Ford company vehicles, including Ford Fusions, Focuses, and even Lincoln MKS luxury sedans. The Bluetooth integration features that SYNC provides gives drivers wireless and even voice control over their phones and mp3 players. I personally enjoyed using SYNC during my test drive in California and Microsoft has a winning product here. Obviously since they’ve just achieved 1 million units.
SlashGear Japan
