The gossip started the day Toyota gave life to the “interesting cars committee”, shortly after they took a majority share in Fuji Heavy Industries (aka Subaru), with the claimed return of the legendary AE86, a Corolla Coupe from the 1980’s.
It may not necessarily be the AE86 though, how about the return of the Toyota Celica, which was pulled from the market back in 2005.
Are we talking about two projects or is the AE86 Project the eigth generation Celica? Maybe we can simply call it the FT-HS? The initial leaked details from last August could describe all of them, under 4 meters in length, 1,7 meters wide and 1,35 meters high and a target weight of 1000 kg. read more
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Seat Exeo ST Unveiled at Special Preview Event
Seat has unveiled their Exeo ST (Sport Tourer) at a special preview event ahead of next month’s Geneva Motor Show. Like the Exeo sedan, the ST is based off the previous generation Audi A4 which rides on the B7 platform.
The wagon’s exterior has a strong resemblance to A4 Avant but Seat lessened the similarities by adding the brand’s traditional front end that features a large grille and attractive headlights.
Out back, the ST’s rear hatch gets a styling facelift that features new taillights and slightly chunkier bodywork.
The interior is all Audi, which despite looking a bit dated is a good thing because the previous generation A4 was known for its high quality and use of premium materials. read more »
The wagon’s exterior has a strong resemblance to A4 Avant but Seat lessened the similarities by adding the brand’s traditional front end that features a large grille and attractive headlights.
Out back, the ST’s rear hatch gets a styling facelift that features new taillights and slightly chunkier bodywork.
The interior is all Audi, which despite looking a bit dated is a good thing because the previous generation A4 was known for its high quality and use of premium materials. read more »
Porsche Test Driver Dies Testing Pre-Production 911
51-year-old died in Germany this morning following an accident involving a Porsche 911 cabrio prototype. The victim, a Porsche engineer, was driving the car on the A5 Autobahn when he lost control and slammed into a guard rail.
The one-car accident happened at 2:45am just past the Weiterstadt exit on the motorway. Photos of the scene show the sports car wedged under the barrier, with the rail making contact near where the driver’s head and torso would have been.
A spokesman for Porsche said the engineer “was one of the most experienced test drivers.” The company representative confirmed that the car was a camouflaged cabrio covered with foil to mask parts of the vehicle’s appearance. He also noted that, although it did not rollover, the convertible does not have the same resilience as a coupe. read more
The one-car accident happened at 2:45am just past the Weiterstadt exit on the motorway. Photos of the scene show the sports car wedged under the barrier, with the rail making contact near where the driver’s head and torso would have been.
A spokesman for Porsche said the engineer “was one of the most experienced test drivers.” The company representative confirmed that the car was a camouflaged cabrio covered with foil to mask parts of the vehicle’s appearance. He also noted that, although it did not rollover, the convertible does not have the same resilience as a coupe. read more
The Car of the Future Promised for October
The car of the future is almost here. Aptera Motors has rolled out the first pre-production model of the 2e, an all-electric three-wheeled two-seater that gets the equivalent of 200 mpg and goes 100 miles on a charge.
It’s a significant milestone for the Southern California startup, which plans to put the first cars in driveways by Halloween and looks like a contender to win the $10 million Progressive Automotive X Prize.
“Everything is progressing nicely as we ramp up for full production of the 2e beginning in October,” says chief marketing officer Marques McCammon.
“We’re still on target to build an ultra-efficient, high-mileage vehicle without sacrificing comfort and safety, and once Californians get behind the wheel this fall, we expect to change the world of commuter transportation.” read more »
It’s a significant milestone for the Southern California startup, which plans to put the first cars in driveways by Halloween and looks like a contender to win the $10 million Progressive Automotive X Prize.
“Everything is progressing nicely as we ramp up for full production of the 2e beginning in October,” says chief marketing officer Marques McCammon.
“We’re still on target to build an ultra-efficient, high-mileage vehicle without sacrificing comfort and safety, and once Californians get behind the wheel this fall, we expect to change the world of commuter transportation.” read more »
Best auto technology of the year
It’s not just great car design or green technology that wins prizes in the automotive industry. The PACE Award, sponsored by Automotive News for 15 years, honors superior innovation, technological advancement and business performance among automotive suppliers.
“Historically the ones that are good change the rules of the game. Over time they become must-haves,” says Dr. Bill Sharfman, director of judging for the Automotive News PACE Awards
“One of the things about good or great innovations is that they tell a compelling story and they become familiar.”
Sharfman notes an example: JCI’s HomeLink, a wireless car-to-home communication system that won a PACE Award in 1995. “Now it’s ‘wallpaper’ but at the time no one had seen anything like it before.” read more
“Historically the ones that are good change the rules of the game. Over time they become must-haves,” says Dr. Bill Sharfman, director of judging for the Automotive News PACE Awards
“One of the things about good or great innovations is that they tell a compelling story and they become familiar.”
Sharfman notes an example: JCI’s HomeLink, a wireless car-to-home communication system that won a PACE Award in 1995. “Now it’s ‘wallpaper’ but at the time no one had seen anything like it before.” read more
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