TLC’s ‘Family Armor’ Goes Inside Texas Armoring Corporation
We aren't entirely sure how an unassuming Mormon family from San Antonio, Texas found themselves in the armored car business, and we're even less sure how Texas Armoring Corporation scored a reality series wherein they convert "everyday cars into bulletproofed, bomb-resistant, gadget-filled fortresses, equipped with cutting-edge getaway gizmos and futuristic protective devices that rival 007". (The rest of TLC's show description is equally hyperbolic and awesome.) But one thing's for certain: we'll be watching the pilot episode when it launches Thursday night. [Discovery]
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
2009 Tokyo Motor Show Coverage
The 2009 Tokyo Motor Show opens to the press this week--and if you think the Detroit auto show plays to the home crowd, consider the lineup of world debuts for Tokyo this year.
They're all from Japan's car companies. Not a single mass-market brand outside the home market is staging an important introduction in Tokyo this year. In part, it's due to the worldwide financial mess--but maybe more troubling to the show's organizers, it's a status update on the Tokyo show's declining influence and on Japan's shrinking home market. Toyota's most important new 2010 model--the Prius--was in fact launched earlier this year in Detroit.
Still, the Tokyo Motor Show's an open invitation for the world's automakers to study each other's latest moves. Particularly for green-car enthusiasts, the Tokyo show's always a fertile ground for hybrid and electric-car concepts. And from the looks of it, the usual dose of truly strange machinery will show up at the Makuhari Messe as well--witness the Nissan Land Glider below.
High Gear Media is tuning in to the Tokyo Show all week long, with reports on the new cars and new concepts unveiled for the press. What's the news from the floor before the show even starts? Here's a preview of what we'll show you later this week:
NEW CARS
Ready for a global introduction at last, the CR-Z takes the original 2007 concept from Honda and adapts it for production as the company's next hybrid vehicle. No details have been released but from the images it appears the interior and minor details such as the lights and bumpers resemble production items more closely than the pieces on the original 2007 CR-Z concept car. As for the actual production version due next year, it's currently being designed and engineered in Europe, its expected key market, and is rumored to feature a 140-horsepower peak power rating from its hybrid drivetrain.
Designed specifically for a lithium-ion battery-powered chassis, the LEAF is a mid-size hatchback that comfortably seats five adults and has a range of more than 100 miles to satisfy real-world consumer requirements. Key characteristics include a zero-emission powertrain and platform, an "affordable" price tag and a connected mobility intelligent transportation (IT) system. Power will come from laminated compact lithium-ion batteries, which generate an output of over 120 hp, while the electric motor itself delivers 107 hp of output and 206 lb-ft of torque. And with the ability to regain up to 80 percent of its full charge in just 30 minutes, it can get back on the road again in a hurry. A full charge takes about 8 hours, a typical overnight duration.
The plans for this first factory-built plug-in Prius are very modest. Only about 500 vehicles will be built, so Toyota can gather real-world data on how drivers actually use plug-in hybrids. The first users will be selected commercial fleets; 150 will go to Europe, and the same number to the U.S. market, with first deliveries starting by the end of this year. Toyota hasn't committed to a date when retail customers will be able to get their hands on a factory plug-in Prius, although 2012 would fit the rough timeline it has discussed in the past.
Lexus LF-A
It's been making the auto show circuit for a long time, but the Lexus LF-A supercar may finally see its debut in Tokyo. We're hearing word of a 4.8-liter V-10 engine and aerodynamics that have been tweaked to pass the 500-horsepower and 200-mph barrier. The engine now puts out 550 horsepower, while the top speed has reached a lofty 218 mph--in the same territory as supercars like the Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 and the 2009 Nissan GT-R. A version of the engine may also power the upcoming 2012 Lotus Esprit. Stay tuned this week for full photos, information and video as soon as the usual embargo walls break.
Toyota FT-86 and Subaru sports coupe
There are two love children coming, borne of the bed-sharing between Toyota and Subaru. The Toyota FT-86 is the first: spawned from a Subaru Impreza chassis, minus its all-wheel-drive system, and a Toyota body, the FT-86 is a 2+2 coupe with handsome proportions and clear styling links to Toyota's FT-HS concept coupe from the 2007 Tokyo show. For power, Toyota's chosen a 2.0-liter flat four-cylinder from Subaru, too. The naturally aspirated version of Subaru's turbo four puts its estimated 200 hp to the rear wheels, via a six-speed manual transmission. Toyota says they chose the naturally aspirated version of this 2.0-liter boxer engine to keep weight and costs down---while maintaining a low and balanced center of gravity. Rumor suggests the FT-86 will go on sale as a 2011 model in Japan, with U.S. plans uncertain. A base price of $25,000 has been suggested, putting the coupe squarely in the niche left behind by the long-gone Toyota MR2, Celica and the older versions of the Supra. A Subaru version will be introduced, but it's not a lock for the 2009 Tokyo show.
CONCEPTS
Combining a symmetrical all-wheel drive system and horizontally opposed boxer engine in a wagon body with gullwing doors, the new 2009 Hybrid Tourer Concept gives us an indication as to what future Subarus may look like. In addition to the chiseled wagon body, the concept also adopts a flat rear floor to maximize passenger space, special windscreen shielding to reduce driver eyestrain and new, breathable leather trim for improved comfort and texture. Power comes from a 2.0-liter horizontally opposed gasoline four-cylinder engine with direct injection and turbocharging technologies. This is matched to a CVT and twin electric motors, one at each axle. The rear motor is used to drive the Tourer at low speeds and aid the gasoline engine during acceleration. The front electric motor is used primarily to charge the vehicle's lithium-ion batteries and also kicks during high load situations, such as accelerating uphill.
Hybrids are becoming increasingly common in compact and mid-size sedans, and even in some SUVs, but so far, hybrid minivans haven't caught on. Honda may be hoping to change that with a new concept called the Skydeck. Though it's still just a design study according to Honda, it does show that the company's IMA hybrid system is easily adapted to a wide variety of vehicles. It could also point the way to the future in other hybrid design elements. For example, rather than raising the height of the vehicle or impinging directly on cabin space, Honda houses the hybrid's batteries and other components inside the center tunnel. Honda says this allows for more space in the cabin and a lower center of gravity.
Weirdness will strike the Nissan stand in the form of the Land Glider EV, a four-wheeled, narrow city car that leans into the turns like a barrel racer to offer what Nissan calls "a new, exciting sense of driving and powerful, crisp ride." It's certainly an intriguing design, and looks like it would be a hoot to drive. The body itself is also interesting, shaped to maximize parking space in cramped urban areas while still offering enough space for daily duties.
MORE TO COME:
Mazda Sky-G engine
Mitsubishi PX-MiEV crossover EV
Toyota electric vehicle
NEWS
Stay tuned with High Gear Media's coverage of the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show:
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This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
Used Car Prices Hit Record High
According to the Manheim Used Vehicle Value Index, used car prices hit an all-time high in September, based on sales values and trade-in values for vehicles across the U.S. The rise is due in part to Cash for Clunkers, which shrank used car inventories. However, Manheim also attributes the spike to car rental companies, which have held onto vehicles instead of sending them to the used lots. There is some good news though: analysts suggest that used car prices have likely peaked. So if you're looking to trade in, you might want to get while the getting is good. [KickingTires]
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
Faces To Match The Voices Of Mercedes’ LINGUATRONIC System
GPS and other in-car control systems have matured to the point that we've really begun to care about their sound. The clunky, robot voices from early generation models don't amaze us anymore; drivers want to hear someone friendly leading us through traffic jams and construction zones. To put a face on those people, Daimler has shared photos of the actors behind its LINGUATRONIC voice-operated control system. Most are women, and all look like they'd be more human than the HAL 9000, although lunks like us still prefer having Homer Simpson tell us where to get off. [WorldCarFans]
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
Acura TSX Wagon Considered; Benz C-Class Wagon Off The Table
Generational biases are nearly impossible to overcome when it comes to cars and image, and what types of cars are hot or not. At least until recently, much of the Baby Boomer generation, which has held most of the new-car buying power, has been decidedly anti-wagon.
My generation, the young side of Gen X plus Gen Y, has liked wagons all along; I can't remember a time when my peers considered them uncool. Whether or not it goes back to the knee-jerk resistance to the Plymouth Voyager minivans and Ford Explorer SUVs that our parents' generation gravitated toward, we really love our sport wagons.
If you're looking for a wagon—especially a sporty wagon—choices have been slim for a long time. The past decade has been full of false starts for the wagon market, as marketers seemed to misunderstand the appeal or pitch products to an older, more affluent audience that wasn't interested (the Lexus IS SportCross was a favorite).
My generation is getting older and fussier and just starting to move toward (and be able to afford) the luxury segment—albeit more cautiously than the older generation. A vehicle like the SportCross would likely have much more success now; and sources inside Toyota have confirmed to TheCarConnection.com that Lexus is reconsidering a wagon body style for its next-generation IS, now under development.
Now Cadillac is about to roll out a CTS Wagon, and according to Car and Driver, Acura is seriously considering bringing a wagon version of its TSX to the U.S.; the model is already sold overseas as the Honda Accord Touring. These models would join two TheCarConnection.com favorites—the 2009 Audi A4 Avant, 2009 BMW 3-Series Sport Wagon. In a more affordable segment of the market, the 2009 Hyundai Elantra Touring is also helping to fill the void.
Any of these are well worth considering; in nearly every case, wagons are more fuel-efficient alternatives to SUVs, with just as much interior space and a better driving experience.
Mercedes-Benz recently announced that it will bring out a wagon version of the E-Class, next summer, but a company spokesperson just confirmed for TheCarConnection.com that it has no plans to bring the C-Class over as a wagon. Mercedes-Benz brought the C-Class wagon to the U.S. from 2002 through 2005, but it was a slow-seller and the latest version never made it.
The past decade has seen several ill-conceived, stodgy wagons that neither appeal to a certain type of Boomers nor to my generation, while at the same time perpetuating a "wagons don't sell" mentality within the ranks. Take the Malibu Maxx, an almost-there design that was saddled with way too much chrome on the outside, given bleak interior trim, and only offered with the V-6 and automatic. A little green appeal or a little sport can go a long way in stoking a wagon's appeal; Ford is missing out tremendously by not offering a Fusion Wagon—especially a Fusion Hybrid Wagon.
There's no denying that a few years from now there will be sport wagons to choose from; tighter fuel-efficiency requirements almost necessitate it. We want sporty and efficient, but we're not willing to sacrifice much practicality.
TheCarConnection.com will keep you posted on new wagon possibilities as they're announced; with some luck they'll pick up steam without sputtering themselves out yet again.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG: First Photo, Going Electric Too?
Who says the new age of electric vehicles won't be any fun? According to AutoWeek, the 2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG gullwing supercar will get in on the green action with a plug-in version due in 2015.
The new electric SLS eDrive, AutoWeek says, will carry the same body and high-flying doors as the 571-horsepower gasoline-powered version due at the 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show this September.
It will retain rear-wheel drive, but with some suspension revisions and motors in the front wheels, the SLS EV would effectively operate with four-wheel drive. Power would reach an equivalent of 526 hp, with 649 pound-feet of torque. A 0-60 mph time of 4.0 seconds and a top speed of 120 mph would compare to the gas version's 3.8 seconds and 196 mph.
Batteries for the new version would come from Evonik, the company partnering with Daimler for batteries across its lineup, not Tesla--in which Daimler recently invested an undisclosed amount for a 10-percent stake.
We'll have more from the 2009 Frankfurt auto show--until then, see dozens of high-resolutions photos of the 2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG and visit our colleagues at MotorAuthority for more, too.
UPDATE: Jalopnik says this cover image of an upcoming German-language car magazine shows the first photo of the 2011 SLS AMG.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
Porsche Planning To Sell Volkswagen Shares To Qatar
The bewildering Porsche/Volkswagen saga continues to evolve, and, we're sorry to say, it's become slightly more confusing today.
To recap: Porsche owns a majority stake in VW, but only a slim one--just under 51%. Porsche also possesses options that allow it to buy additional stock in Volkswagen, and the company was prepared to exercise those options in October of last year. Unfortunately, that's when the bottom fell out of the global economy, and Porsche found its own car brand struggling while Volkswagen zipped along fairly well, thanks. Humbled, Porsche spoke briefly about a merger with VW, but that didn't pan out too well, so now the company has dusted itself off and renewed its intention to take over the world's third largest automaker by any means necessary.
Earlier this week: On Monday, we mentioned that Daimler is looking to purchase a chunk of Porsche. Although no details about the arrangement were made public, we know that Daimler received a hefty, 2 billion (around $2.8 billion) settlement from a recent stock trade with investors from Abu Dhabi. That money could help Porsche hobble through this rough patch and potentially go toward Porsche's conversion of those aforementioned stock options in VW.
Today: Now comes news that Porsche is planning to sell a sizable portion of those VW options to the nation of Qatar. (Qatar had been more interested in Porsche at first, but given Volkswagen's current profitability...well, let's just say the Gulf state has a wandering eye.) If the deal goes through, it would give Qatar around 20% of VW's voting shares, which would put Qatar on roughly equal footing with Volkwagen's second biggest stakeholder, the state of Lower Saxony.
How this will all play out is anyone's guess--especially since so many of the details are shrouded in secrecy. (Much like the earlier announcement of the Daimler/Porsche affair, representatives from Porsche and VW have both declined to comment on the Qatar deal.) If the Porsche's sale of options to Qatar goes through, it would become mathematically impossible for Porsche to overtake VW via its initial plan to buy up 75% of its stock. However, with Qatar voting on its side, Porsche could finally force that merger with Volkswagen it's been hoping to pull off since the spring. Volkswagen can't be too happy about these developments, but at this point, we're not sure the company has many options. Stay tuned...
[AutoNews, sub req'd]
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
Apple iPhone 3.0: Real TomTom GPS Navigation, Zipcar, And More
Today the techno-geek world has their eyes glued to screens at Moscone West--where Apple is unveiling a host of new iPhone, MacBook and Snow Leopard details.
What does that have to do with cars? Plenty, because the latest iPhone software will let you integrate your phone ever more tightly into your life and into your driving.
Favorite site ArsTechnica is liveblogging from the Apple event, and from their coverage, a handful of really useful car applications have been announced. They include:
- Zipcar: A new Zipcar app will direct you to the Zipcar service point nearby. You'll also be able to reserve and confirm a car, and even make the car beep its horn by tapping a button on the phone.
- TomTom: Finally, turn-by-turn navigation comes to the iPhone. TomTom's software will arrive this summer, and will turn iPhones into GPS devices. There will be spoken directions, and a new set of accessories that will suction-mount the phone to the windshield for better viewing. TomTom will still allow you to talk in speakerphone mode, use Bluetooth, play music and charge the phone while it runs.
- Gameloft: ArsTechnica says this "awesome new product" called Asphalt 5 will hit the new iPhone software, giving users a "3D racing experience"
- Google Maps: A new feature will let you embed Google Maps right into your application, for a variety of uses
- Find My Phone: A lost phone hiding under the car seat won't be a problem anymore; this new app will show you on a map where it's located--and if your car's been stolen along with your phone, it acts like a low-fi LoJack.
- Tethering and stereo Bluetooth: You are a hotspot--you'll be able to use your iPhone to connect your laptop to the Internet from any location with a cell signal. You'll also be able to stream iPhone stereo audio to cars with stereo Bluetooth, cars like the 2009 Toyota Venza.
- Voice dialing: the iPhone assumes many of the features of Ford's SYNC system, with voice-activated song selection and dialing
- Digital compass: for the directionally challenged
We're still waiting on word for a new iPhone itself; stay tuned.
UPDATE: New phone just announced with advanced 3G, better camera, video, and MMS built into a phone of the same shape. It's due on June 19th, with a street price of $199 for 16GB versions and $299 for 32GB versions in black or white cases.
[ArsTechnica via CoverItLive]
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
A Hybrid Lamborghini In The Works?
Lamborghini is preparing for a green-car future by cutting emissions from its factories. But will it also add hybrid power to its supercars?
Back in 2007, at the launch of the Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera, Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann emphatically told TheCarConnection.com there would be "no turbo, no diesel, no hybrid." Winkelmann's position may be changing now, as even luxury and exotic car makers are tapping into the green zeitgeist.
Lamborghini now says it has a new environmental strategy that will cut emissions of its vehicles by 35 percent. To get there, the brand will build cars that weight less, and will increase the efficiency of the vehicles through engineering. That will lead to all sorts of improvements, from reducing friction in transmissions, installing stop-start systems, and adapting engines to run on biofuels like ethanol.
It may also lead Lamborghini down the hybrid gas-electric path. Competitors like Ferrari are working on exotic hybrid solutions; Lamborghini, as a part of the Volkswagen group, has access to a growing hybrid parts bin that's being put in place on vehicles from the 2010 Porsche Panamera to the growing range of Audi hybrids. For the first time, in a press release, Lamborghini now has said hybrid drivetrains are a part of its future--though it says nothing regarding the vehicles that may go hybrid--though a production Panamera fighter like the 2008 Lamborghini Estoque concept would be a likely candidate.
Aside from improving the green profile of its cars, Lamborghini's also cutting emissions and pollution from its factories. The company says it will spend upwards of $40 million to put solar panels on its Sant'Agata assembly plant, to cut the plant's carbon output by 30 percent.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
2011 Fiat 500 Headed to Chrysler Showrooms
The likes of the Dodge Ram pickup and Jeep Grand Cherokee will be getting a new subcompact companion on showrooms floors.
Fiat, the new guiding force at Chrysler, says it will start selling its 500 hatchback in Chrysler showrooms in about 18 months.
Automotive News reports that the 500 will be the sole model to arrive in the American car company's showrooms, wearing a Fiat badge. A future range of Chryslers and Dodges and Jeeps will share platforms with Fiats, but will carry their own sheetmetal and their own names.
Fiat's executives see the 500 as a boutique car that can do for Chrysler what MINI did for BMW, or Scion for Toyota. The halo product will be the first small car to arrive in America under the Fiat investment in Chrysler, which could see up to six European-developed vehicles coming to Chrysler showrooms in the next three years as Chrysler and Fiat join forces to engineer new products for the bankrupt American automaker.
Some powertrains for those vehicles will be shared with European Fiats, but Chrysler's own powertrain engineers will likely develop four- and six-cylinder engines for use in the new vehicles.
For more info on those future products, see our predictions for the 2012 Chrysler, 2012 Jeep and 2012 Dodge lineups.
[Automotive News, sub. req'd.]
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
