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Showing results for tags 'hybrid cars'.
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In the past, hybrid vehicles are normally seen as drab-looking cars and some groups also see them as slow moving. But ever since Honda released its CR-Z hybrid model, those views have changed. Although it may not offer blistering pace but its looks and styling compensate for it. Now, the Honda CR-Z is not only getting faster but also sports an exciting look. Honda has announced that they will expand their role in the Super GT racing series with the Mugen-powered CR-Z GT. Japan
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[extract] Toyota has managed to hold on to the number one position in the second annual 'Best Global Green Brands' report published by International brand consultancy, Interbrand. The report measures the difference between the public perception of a brand
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[extract] The 2013 Chevrolet Volt will benefit from a battery with larger capacity that will allow the hybrid car to go three extra miles when driven solely on battery power. Volt
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Want to know how a 1970s Toyota interior feels like? Get into a Toyota Prius C
Rigval posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
I recently found myself sitting inside a Toyota Prius C. As some of you would know, the Toyota Prius C is supposedly a shortened Toyota Prius hybrid car and it is another one of those cars that Toyota would want us to believe can save the world. Saving the world by consuming less petrol is a very good thing. It is a good thing because it allows those who just want to use cars as transport to use less of the stuff and leave the remaining for proper petrolheads to guzzle. But this article isn't about how little fuel the Toyota Prius C sips. This article is actually how ghastly the cabin of the Prius C is. It is absolutely shocking. When I first got into the Prius C I was expecting typical Toyota build and material quality. I got Toyota build quality but it must have been from a 1970s Toyota Corolla. Yes you get to see a funky blue gearknob and a decently leather (or leatherette) steering wheel but the rest of the stuff looked like it came from the old 1973 Toyota Corolla that your 75 year old grand-uncle who lives in Kluang, Johor drives. While I am aware that a hybrid car needs to show efficiency in all aspects - from its batteries, its electric motor, its petrol engine and in this case, the lightness of the materials used so that the car is efficiently light, I believe that Toyota has taken a step too far, or a step backwards when it comes to car interiors with the Prius C. It has thin and hard plastics used in way too many places. Aside from that, the overall design of the dashboard also reminds me of a 1970s Corolla instead of being cutting edge. Try driving a Honda CRZ hybrid coupe and then get into a Prius C and you'll instantly understand what I am getting at. The material used and the overall interior design cheapens the interior of the car so much that I feel that aside from the drivetrain, the Prius C is not a worthwhile purchase. If you wanted a Prius, save a bit more and buy the full sized version or any Honda hybrid out there on sale instead. At least you can save the world and feel good at the same time. But it actually is sadder if you were a Malaysian and you wanted to buy the Prius C, it does not even have that leather wrapped steering wheel. This makes the Malaysian specced Prius C feel even more nostalgic. But nostalgia in this case isn't a good thing. -
[extract] Toyota's pair of TS030 hybrid racing cars has achieved another milestone by successfully participating in Le Mans test day in order to prepare for the Le Mans 24 Hours race on the 16
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[extract] Mazda has used the Wankel rotary engine for nearly fifty years. Other than Mazda
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Consumer Reports reviews the Prius C, does not have nice things to say
PetrolHead posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
I'm not sure how many have heard of, or are aware of the group 'Consumer Reports' (CR), but for those who aren't, it is basically similar to the character played by Reese Witherspoon in the movie 'This Means War'. Essentially, they are product testers and reviewers and compare consumer products based on results from its in-house testing laboratory. The annual Consumer Reports new car issue, is the magazine's best-seller and influences millions of automobile purchases. It would be interesting to note then, the said publication has negative comments on the 2012 Toyota Prius C in their video review that even urges car shoppers to get a used regular Prius over the new baby model. "It's a much better car overall," says reviewer Mike Quincy in the review. CR claims the Prius C appears cheaper, lackluster, hard plastic, cheap materials, dead steering and slow. This is a total contrast to what the original Prius has received, even becoming the poster boy for Gaia saving enthusiasts. Interestingly in the US Toyota sold 4,782 Prius C models, during the first month alone, outpacing the other Prius variants. The YouTube link for the review is provided below while sgCarMart's take on the car can be read here. What do you guys think are the consumer product testing group too harsh or is sgCarMart too nice? Do you own a car and would like to defend/accept the comments? Shoot out your comments below. -
Next Toyota sports car to go hybrid, AWD and mid-engine?
FaezClutchless posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
Toyota Motor Corporation was once known for producing some of the best sports cars and during one moment, they fed consumers with beige, drab looking models. With the recent release of several sports-orientated models such as the Lexus LFA, Toyota 86 and Lexus IS-F (there are even plans to release a Lexus GS-F); it seems that the aspiration to produce stylish sports orientated cars has been renewed again at the Japanese firm. But Toyota -
[extract] The Nikkei reports that Honda Motor Co. plans to assemble the hybrid version of its Fit (or Jazz) subcompact in Thailand starting this summer. This is the company
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[extract] If five years ago, someone said that Porsche would be the first major auto manufacturer to use electric drive technology in each of its models, people might think the person might be joking or just crazy. Fast forward to today and that particular statement is getting real close to being true. Almost every model in Porsche
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At the 2012 Beijing Motor Show, Toyota had a total booth space of 3200 metres square where they exhibited a total of 38 production and concept vehicles including three world premieres. Toyota Motor Corporation aims to continue producing better cars; ranging from environment friendly vehicles to specially equipped ones to meet the needs of a broad range of vehicle users in China. During a press conference at the exhibition, Toyota
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[extract] Back in 2010, Ferrari revealed the HY-KERS to the public which was featured on a 599 GTB. In short, it stands for hybrid kinetic energy recovery system and its main aim is to reduce CO2 emissions significantly while improving the engine
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Nissan has just released the fifth generation Cima in the Japanese market. It is basically a re-batched Infiniti M35h with minor exterior changes, such as a large chromed grille. The car will only be available as a hybrid, using Nissan's VQ35HR engine coupled to an advanced HM34 electric motor. The combined output is 369bhp with a massive 620Nm of torque. Like its Infiniti cousin, all the power is sent to the rear wheel via a 7-speed automatic gearbox. Going by the performance of the M35h, the Cima should reach 100km/h from rest in just 5.5 seconds. The large luxury sedan achieves 20% improvement in fuel economy over 2015 standards and is SU-LEV certified. This also qualifies the vehicle for preferential tax breaks under the Japanese tax system that promotes the diffusion of environmentally friendly vehicles. Therefore, the car is fully exempted from the automobile acquisition tax and automobile weight tax. The Cima has traditionally been Nissan's rival to the Toyota Crown Majesta. To date, the Nissan Cima has sold over 278,000 units. The Cima goes on sale on 21st May at Nissan dealers nationwide in Japan for a price range of
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[extract] Infiniti is the luxury division of Japanese automaker Nissan Motor Company and since the second half of 2010; the company unveiled its new performance division, known as Infiniti Performance Line or IPL for short. It certainly looks as though Infiniti is challenging Mercedes
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[extract] When I first laid my eyes on the new Fisker Atlantic design prototype, it simply took my breath away. I personally feel, that this is the most promosing four door coupe to date among all in the same category, including the likes of Audi and Mercedes Benz. The Atlantic is presented at a special event before its world premiere at the New York Auto Show on 4 April 12. The Atlantic will be Fisker
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[extract] Toyota has recently jumped onto the platform-sharing bandwagon and announced a new framework called Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA) which will be used to develop several models in order to reduce cost and speed up development. Such a move is common in the industry nowadays. A good example is Volkswagen
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BMW and Toyota to collaborate on lithium-ion battery development
SYF77 posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
When the Japanese and Germans joined forces in World War II some 70 years ago, they created a lot of hardship for mankind. Now, they have come together again but this time, for a good cause. Toyota and BMW announced that they have reached an agreement to jointly research and develop the next generation lithium-ion batteries for hybrid and electric vehicles. Such tie-ups are not new though. In 2010, Renault-Nissan-Daimler signed a three-way alliance to boost economies of scale and share high upfront development costs in new areas such as hybrid electric engines. Details are scare at the moment but it is understood that engineers from both companies will look for ways to increase the performance and capacity of lithium-ion batteries through the use of new materials for cathodes, anodes and electrolytes. It would be interesting to see what these two brands come up with eventually in terms of electric and hybrid technologies. As part of the agreement, BMW will supply Toyota with diesel engines of 1.6L and 2.0L capacity for sale in Europe starting in 2014. This shows a change of heart for Toyota, who originally wanted to continue pushing hybrids in Europe, but has realized that the market still prefers diesel-powered vehicles. Ironically, Toyota supplied BMW with 1.6L diesel powerplants for their MINI products between 2002 and 2005. -
At the recent 2012 Geneva Motor Show, Ferrari launched its most powerful model ever, the F12 Berlinetta. The F12 heralds a new generation of V12 engines from Maranello. However, impending stricter CO2 emission standard has cast doubts over the future of these engines. But fear not, Ferrari has confirmed that the future of its V12 engine is safe, thanks to the usage of F1-derived kinetic energy recovery system (KERS) to help them in achieving the CO2 targets. KERS is a form of regenerative breaking system used in Formula 1. The KERS system converts a moving vehicle's kinetic energy when braking into either a mechanical or kinetic enerygy. This energy is stored in a reservoir like a flywheel or batteries for later use to aid acceleration. Besides being useful, it its heavy. The KERS system used in Formula 1 cars can weigh up to 25kg. Ferrari CEO, Amedeo Felisa commented:
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[extract] Most of us are aware that Porsche is developing their next supercar model which is the 918 Spyder and it will be the world
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Bertone and Pininfarina Geneva concept cars aren't that fanciful
Rigval posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
The Geneva Motor Show is usually never complete without concept cars. And I must add that any motor show without concept cars on display is quite lame. When it comes to the Geneva Motor Show it is never lame as it is one of the best places to view concept cars as most European manufacturers usually go full force over there. Furthermore, this is also a place where we get to see an Italian Carrozzeria or three showing off their latest concept cars. We have Pininfarina previewing their Cambiano concept (above) and we have Bertone showing of the Nuccio (below). Both Pininfarina and Bertone are two companies responsible for coming out with the design of classics like the Ferrari 365GTB Daytona and the Lamborghini Miura respectively as well as a plethora of supercars, family cars and unique, one of a kind cars for individual customers. But this time I have to say that both have come up with duds this time around. The Pininfarina Cambiano concept is supposedly to celebrate the 30th anniversary of its styling center and the 10th year anniversary of the engineering center. It is an engineering powerhouse in that it showcases the use of electric motors -
[extract] The Jaguar C-X75 made its debut as a plug-in hybrid two-seater back in the 2010 Paris Motor Show. The exotic concept is powered by four electric motors. The batteries driving these motors are recharged using two diesel-fed micro gas turbines instead of a conventional four-stroke engine. If you think that such a drivetrain can only be found in a concept car or science fiction book, then you are very wrong. Jaguar
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Toyota last raced in the Le Mans series in 1999 with their GT One (TS020) race car and ever since then, they have intensively involved in Formula One racing until 2010. Now, the Japanese automaker has revealed their hybrid-powered race car that will be used for the 2012 Le Mans series. Toyota TS020 GT One Back in 2008, Toyota did mention that they intend to debut a hybrid-powered racing car to be used for the Le Mans racing series. Not many details were given at that time until now, when about a week ago, Toyota showed photos of their TS030 hybrid racing car going through tests at a race track in France. Toyota Racing will build two cars for their participation in the upcoming FIA World Endurance Championship. A team of professional drivers has been confirmed and they will debut the car at the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps in May this year. The team will consist of Alex Wurz, Nicolas Lapierre and Kazuki Nakajima. Another team for the second car is still under discussion and will finalise soon. On top of this, Toyota Racing has appointed Andrea Caldarelli as a junior driver. Once after the drivers for the second team has confirmed, Toyota Racing will enter the Le Mans 24 Hours in June 2012 with both cars. Toyota is the first manufacturer to enter the endurance series with a hybrid-powered car and it stresses Toyota
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[extract] The new Civic was launched in Singapore about a week before the 2012 Lunar New Year. Having owned the 8th generation Civic 2.0 SI (A), I was interested to find out how Honda builds upon an impressive ex-model. The new Civic maintains the low-slung, aerodynamic profile of its predecessor. However, the rear lights seem to adopt a more generic design rather than the distinctive
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[extract] China has taken steps to reduce foreign investment in car manufacturing. The change ends the seven years of foreign-investor benefits including reduced tariffs on imported plant equipment The country will shift its focus on nurturing strategic new industries to make its manufacturing more sophisticated and be more competitive globally, according to a statement by the National Development and Reform Commission. However, foreign investment in more fuel-efficient vehicles will still be encouraged.
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[extract] Despite the uncertain economic outlook, Audi is intending to recruit some 1200 specialists in the coming year. In addition, the company is planning to invest a massive