First there was the X5 and then there was the X3. For 2008 BMW is adding a third "X" vehic
First there was the X5 and then there was the X3. For 2008 BMW is adding a third "X" vehicle to its lineup. The brand-new X6 has been positioned as the sportiest of the company's crossovers. To backup this claim they've given it an exciting power train lineup and a laundry list of virtues. So, does Munich's latest offering expand the automotive horizon or is it just another crossover?
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Added: 1 day ago
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A decade ago GM's electric car, the EV1, was a flop in the marketplace. But with gas over
A decade ago GM's electric car, the EV1, was a flop in the marketplace. But with gas over four dollars a gallon it would probably attract a lot more attention today.
Back when it was launched, the EV1 was revolutionary. It had a host of innovative features like regenerative braking and light-weight construction. But none of that could stop GM from pulling the plug on the program just a few years ago.
Take a look at this GM corporate video from the Autoline archives which highlights many of the EV1's features and shows how relevant the car is today.
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Added: 1 week ago
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It took guts to launch such a radical car back in 1986, but Ford rolled the dice. Luckily
It took guts to launch such a radical car back in 1986, but Ford rolled the dice. Luckily their bet paid off and the Taurus became an instant hit. People were drawn to its sleek, aerodynamic shape and it flew off dealer lots. In fact, it didn't look like anything that had ever rolled out of Detroit.
But in 2006 Ford would discontinue the Taurus because of falling sales. Through the '90s they hadn't invested enough money in the car and buyers turned away from the once popular sedan. But the nameplate had at least one champion in Dearborn and the car was revived in 2008.
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Added: 2 weeks ago
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Recently BMW displayed a concept car it calls GINA, short for Geometry and Functions In "N
Recently BMW displayed a concept car it calls GINA, short for Geometry and Functions In "N" Adaptions. The company created this low-slung roadster to push the limits of design and explore new ways to use materials.
Looking a lot like a Z4, GINA follows BMW's current design language with swooping arcs and varying contours. But that's where the similarities end. The first thing you notice about the car is its matte finish. Amazingly though it has nothing to do with the type of paint used and everything to do with unconventional thinking.
Instead of traditional metal or plastic body panels GINA uses a waterproof fabric stretched over a framework of supports and guy wires. It's exactly the same construction technique used by World War I aircraft. And while this Fokker-inspired design may seem like an antiquated way to build a car, it has a bunch of advantages.
One of the biggest benefits of using fabric instead of conventional materials has to do with weight. Metal and even plastic body panels add a lot of mass to a car. If a vehicle used fabric instead, automakers could easily shave off several hundred pounds.
Besides being lighter, a fabric body would also be cheaper, way cheaper. It costs automakers hundreds of millions of dollars to cut stamping dies. Eliminating the need for body panels could save them a fortune on each vehicle they build. These savings can add up fast too because automakers refresh and restyle vehicles far more frequently than they used to. Changing the look of a fabric-covered car would be a piece of cake compared to one with steel panels.
But these aren't the only savings. An all-fabric body would also cost a lot less from a materials standpoint. Fabric is dirt cheap compared to steel, a fact that's especially true today as iron prices soar. A car without metal body panels could probably save several hundred dollars in materials alone.
Another advantage of fabric is that is doesn't need to be painted. Automotive paint shops cost a fortune to build and run, plus you need extensive quality control to ensure that paint defects don't make it out of the factory. Carmakers could again save hundreds of millions of dollars if they didn't have to deal with paint. Also, a fabric body can never be scratched or dinged and it'll never rust. This could save even more money from an insurance standpoint since repairs would be a lot simpler.
Not painting a car is also better for the environment. There's no risk of accidently releasing toxic chemicals like paint thinners or volatile organic compounds into the atmosphere. And not painting a car would cut down on oil consumption since many automotive paints are derived from petroleum.
Of course a fabric-covered car is not without its disadvantages. As it ages it could get moldy or harbor fungi and vandals could easily cut it to ribbons. Plastic body panels never tear and steel doesn't ripple in the wind. But fabric pays surprising dividends and is an example of brilliant, out-of-the-box thinking and very clever design.
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Added: 3 weeks ago
Views: 369
Today only about eight percent of the new cars purchased in the U.S. are bought with manua
Today only about eight percent of the new cars purchased in the U.S. are bought with manual transmissions. Compare that to Europe where around eight out of ten autos sold are stick shifts. The overwhelming preference for automatics in America means that even dedicated sports cars sold here had better offer an automatic.
And that's just what Audi did when they launched the R8, their mid-engine supercar. It comes standard with a slick, six-speed manual transmission but they also offer an optional automatic dubbed R tronic. Unfortunately the $9,000 they charge for the R tronic isn't the worst part about it.
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Added: 3 weeks ago
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Few nameplates have the same reputation as the Toyota Corolla. Reliability, efficiency and
Few nameplates have the same reputation as the Toyota Corolla. Reliability, efficiency and affordability never seem to go out of style. In fact over its 40 some years on the market it's become the bestselling car ever built. But today the Corolla faces stiff competition as more and more automakers figure out how to build great small cars. That's why for 2009 Toyota has extensively overhauled the Corolla. So, did they leapfrog the competition or have they lost their touch?
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Added: 1 month ago
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Dodge is plowing headlong into the world of domestic, rear-wheel-drive high performance wi
Dodge is plowing headlong into the world of domestic, rear-wheel-drive high performance with its all-new Challenger. Currently the Mustang is the only "pony car" on the market, but this hot new Dodge looks like it'll hammer the 'Stang on its own turf. The Challenger offers the performance to match its bad-to-the-bone styling, but how does it drive?
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Added: 1 month ago
Views: 403
Torotrak is a UK-based company that's developing a technology called a flywheel hybrid. In
Torotrak is a UK-based company that's developing a technology called a flywheel hybrid. Instead of using a big, heavy battery to store energy, the Torotrak system uses a spinning flywheel. It's simple and lightweight compared to traditional electric hybrids, and it's even going to be used in Formula One race cars. There's no word yet if any automakers are signing up, but if it starts winning races you can bet they'll be all over it.
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Added: 1 month ago
Views: 1,358
The up-coming 2020 corporate average fuel economy standards have the world's automakers ru
The up-coming 2020 corporate average fuel economy standards have the world's automakers running scared. The new rules require that they meet a fleet-wide average of 35 miles per gallon. That's for cars AND trucks. To do it Ford is working on an interesting near-term strategy for improving its numbers and increasing performance. It's called EcoBoost. It's an engine setup that uses turbo charging and direct fuel injection for more power and efficiency. Here's a quick look inside this exciting engine setup.
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Added: 1 month ago
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