Ford has announced plans for a new Silicon Valley R&D center to come up with a better alternative to the Segway or other "personal mobility experience" concepts, as well as integrating mobile tech better with its SYNC in-car infotainment system. The San Francisco lab, set to open later this year, will look at "a holistic approach to personal transportation" as well as how the car can be transformed into a sensor, sharing information such as when windshield wipers are turned on to track hyper-local weather and other trends. Meanwhile, Ford has also begun distributing its open-source collaboration with Bug Labs, announced last year.
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‘SlashCars’ Stories
Ford working on a better Segway
Honda plans major Civic upgrade for 2013
If you're in the market for a new Honda Civic, you might want to wait for next year's model as the company is planning a major upgrade for the Civic sedan in 2013. the announcement follows after a year of weak sales on the current model, which also racked up poor reviews, ranking near the bottom of its category in Consumer Reports.
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Bentley Continental GT and GTC V8 revealed
Some grunt for your morning: Bentley V8 style. The iconic car company has announced a pair of new Continental V8 models that will debut at the North American International Auto Show in January next year, and since we're talking Bentley nothing is being done by halves. The new Continental GT and GTC V8 models each pack a 4.0 litre, twin-turbocharged engine with 500bhp and 660Nm (487 lb ft) of torque, for sub-5s 0-60mph acceleration and a top speed of in excess of 180mph.
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Ford recalls 129k cars over wheel snap fears
Ford has been forced to recall almost 129,000 vehicles, after discovering that the wheels on certain 2010-2011 Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan cars could fall off. The issue, Ford told [pdf link] the Nation Highway Traffic Safety Administration, was spotted when lug-nut tightening was found to cause fracturing; if the drivers ignored the subsequent vibration warning signs, the wheels themselves could potentially detach from car.
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smart for-us electric pick-up packs smartphone mirrors
Compact car manufacturer smart has revealed its latest concept, the smart for-us, an Earth-friendly electric pick-up that's just 3.5m long. Set to debut at the Detroit Motor Show, the for-us is powered by a 55 kW magneto-electric motor fueled by a 17.6 kWh li-ion battery, good for up to 120kph (75mph) though smart is yet to confirm range. There's no shortage of other tech, either, including replacing the rear-view mirror with a smartphone and a video camera.
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Dodge Dart channels Alfa Romeo spirit for 2012
Alfa Romeo won't be making its return to the US market until 2013, Fiat announced back in September, but those hoping for a dash of Italian heritage will at least have the new Dodge Dart to tide them over. Freshly announced, and set to make its official debut at the North American International Auto Show in early January, the 2013 Dart may have a US badge but underneath it's based on Alfa Romeo's Giulietta.
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Nissan LEAF 2.0 to feature wireless charging
Nissan won't be introducing a new version of its LEAF electric vehicle until sometime in the fall of 2014, but there are already reports suggesting many major improvements to be expected. Among these improvements is a more affordable price and a longer range. But, perhaps more interesting is that the vehicle will also support wireless charging.
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GM Volt to miss sales targets amid fire furore
GM's fire problems with the battery-powered Volt may have been only the latest of the car company's headaches around its earth-friendly vehicle. General Motors is apparently set to miss its conservative first year sales targets by 20-percent, the WSJ reports, with around 8,000 of the 10,000 expected to be sold set to leave the forecourt before 2011 is through. The reason for the shortfall is simple, dealers say: the Volt is just too expensive.
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Honda, Toyota and BMW reveal green car plans
Green transportation is high on the agenda for Honda, Toyota and BMW, with all three companies announcing earth-friendly engine plans at the Toyko Motor Show this week. Toyota and BMW revealed an engine-sharing deal that will see BMW-made 1.6 liter and 2.0 liter diesel engines slotted into Toyota cars on sale in Europe from 2014, as well as joint research into future motor technologies. Meanwhile, Honda previewed its new "Earth Dreams Technology" range of engines, kicking off with a 1.6 liter diesel that it claims is the first step to it becoming top dog in fuel economy within three years time.
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Honda shows off EV-STER concept electric car at 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
Honda has unveiled its futuristic-looking electric concept roadster called the EV-STER just a few days ahead of the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show set to take place from December 3 through December 11. We've seen some very Tron-inspired renderings of the vehicle earlier this month, but now we get photos of the real thing along with a few more details on the specs.
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Toyota Fun-Vii “smartphone on wheels” concept revealed
Toyota has taken the wraps off its latest car concept, the Fun-Vii, a display-clad urban vehicle described as a "smartphone on four wheels." Revealed just ahead of the Tokyo Auto Show in a few days time, the Toyota Fun-Vii measures just over 4m long and 1.75m wide, and features dynamically customizable body panels that, like the interior of the car, can be updated to show your favorite photo, a text message or other content.
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Maybach axed as 2013 Mercedes S-class takes the wheel
Mercedes will axe its luxury Maybach line in 2013, insiders in the company have revealed, with a new S-class expected to sate the needs of wealthy road users. "It is better to cut our losses with Maybach" a supposedly high-level Mercedes-Benz source told Autoweek, "than to continue into an uncertain future with a brand that has failed to live up to original sales expectations."
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