Vauxhall Insignia has unveiled the first ever drive-on grille and light shine service for cars.
A quirky twist on the famous New York shoeshine chair, the ‘Insignia Shine Service’ has been built to highlight the importance of maintaining clean front and rear lights on cars, especially as the clocks go back this weekend and winter is drawing in. (more…)
Category: Car Makes
Car Makes
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Vauxhall Insignia – The Buffed And The Beautiful!
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Ford adds new sporty Zetec S to Focus range
Ford is to introduce the sporty Zetec S badge to its acclaimed Focus line-up for the first time.This new addition to the UK’s best selling car range is now available in Ford dealerships and is based on the existing Zetec model but with the addition of a full sports styling kit, of front and rear spoilers with lower sill extensions, 17in alloy wheels, aluminium-style foot pedals and hand brake cover, and an exclusive “S” badge on the front fender. (more…)
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Noble & Green go for 1,000mph world land speed record!
Twelve years since Andy Green OBE and Thrust SSC scythed through the sound barrier on their way to the current World Land Speed Record of 763.053 mph, Green and former record-holder, Richard Noble OBE, are preparing to write the latest chapter in the history of World Land Speed Record attempts, with a 1,000mph bid. (more…) -
Rides Magazine Transforms Hyundai Genesis Sedan Into Technology Center on Wheels for SEMA Show 2008
Hyundai Motor America and RIDES magazine are teaming up to develop a customized Hyundai Genesis for the 2008 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show. The RIDES Genesis will be the ultimate in technology, style and refinement, containing the latest in technology both inside and out. (more…) -
New Caddy Sportline models add excitement to the range
Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has released prices and specifications for the exciting new Caddy Sportline and Caddy Maxi Sportline models announced last month, which along with the existing Transporter Sportline panel vans and five-seater kombi, expand Volkswagen’s stylish Sportline range to five models. (more…) -
Nissan to Pilot Intelligent Transport System Model
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. announced today it will initiate a large-scale community-based test of its Intelligent Transport System (ITS), integrating cellular communications with vehicle telematics to help prevent pedestrian-related accidents. The pilot project will be conducted in Atsugi, Kanagawa Prefecture for a two-month period from November 1 to December 27. (more…) -
Opel and GM Develop Vehicles with a Sixth Sense
In its second international forum, the CAR 2 CAR Communication Consortium (C2C-CC) is demonstrating for the first time worldwide vehicle-to-X communication independent of manufacturer or vehicle-type. Opel is hosting the event at the GM Dudenhofen Test Center in Germany. (more…) -
Chevrolet Takes All-New Traverse Crossover To The World Series
For the third consecutive year, Chevrolet teams up with Major League Baseball’s World Series to hit another vehicle out of the ballpark – the all-new Chevrolet Traverse crossover. (more…) -
BRABUS 22-Inch Wheels and Sport Fenders for Mercedes S-Class and CL-Class
Size does matter after all: With the new 22-inch BRABUS Monoblock light-alloy wheels BRABUS opens the door to a new dimension for the latest Mercedes S-Class sedan and the CL-Class coupe. (more…) -
Ford Model T contest: european entry wins worldwide competition
A century after the Model T put the world on wheels, Ford Motor Company has announced the winners of a global competition that challenged five universities to create a similarly revolutionary vehicle concept. (more…) -
Toyota iQ: six degrees of innovation – No1
In spite of its small dimensions, iQ is the fruit of some very big ideas in how to design and engineer small cars. Success in creating a vehicle that is less than three metres long, yet has space for four seats on board was made possible thanks to a series of six interlinked technical and packaging innovations, pioneering work that rewrites the rulebook on car design.
In a series of six simple cut-paste-and-print guides, Toyota will explain how.
INNOVATION No1: The front-mounted differential
The position of the gearbox differential dictates the position of a car’s driven wheels and is traditionally a limiting factor on how space under the bonnet can be used. Toyota’s brainwave was the simple but highly effective idea of moving the differential in front of the engine, a concept that opens up new and radical opportunities for iQ’s small-but-spacious design.
This clever piece of engineering brings three key advantages:
1. The space under the bonnet can be made more compact.
2. The front wheels can be positioned at the far corners of the car, with almost no front overhang.
3. The length of the cabin can be extended, without increasing the car’s overall size. iQ’s interior gains an additional 120mm compared to the Toyota Yaris.
Installing the differential so far forward reduces the distance from the front edge of the bumper to the accelerator pedal, allowing more space in the passenger compartment.
By moving the large, 15-inch alloy wheels further out to the corners of the car and minimising the front overhang, iQ gains a distinctive “super stance”. This firmly planted look broadcasts the car’s great stability and a fun-to-drive character, qualities far in advance of the traditionally modest dynamic performance of small city cars.
Innovation No2: The Centre Take-Off Steering Gear.
Innovation No3: the Flat Under-floor Fuel Tank
Innovation No4: the Space-saving Air Conditioning Unit
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Lotus Wins Award for Engine Research that Delivers 15% CO2 Reduction
Lotus Engineering, the world renowned automotive consultancy division of Lotus, is celebrating its latest accolade after triumphing at ‘The Engineer Technology + Innovation Awards 2008’ with another environmentally focused project. (more…)