Prof. Ferdinand Porsche Created the First Hybrid Car - Semper Vivus - Web Exclusive

Prof. Ferdinand Porsche Created the First Hybrid Car - Semper Vivus - Web Exclusive

He developed the world’s first hybrid car, advanced electric car, and all-wheel drive car a century ago, and now Porsche brings a recreation of his Semper Vivus to New York.

The name Porsche has been associated with pioneering automotive engineering innovations since the beginning of the last century. In 1900 Prof. Ferdinand Porsche unveiled his Lohner Porsche, an electric car with wheel-hub motors driving the front wheels. Soon after, this car featured all-wheel drive and four-wheel brakes, another world first. A highlight of his early years as an automotive designer was the Lohner-Porsche Semper Vivus that went down in history 111 years ago as the first functional hybrid car.

Photo Gallery: Prof. Ferdinand Porsche Created the First Hybrid Car - Semper Vivus - European Car Magazine

Photo Gallery: Prof. Ferdinand Porsche Created the First Hybrid Car - Semper Vivus - European Car Magazine

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Source: http://www.europeancarweb.com/news/epcp_1104_prof_ferdinand_porsche_first_hybrid_car_semper_vivus/index.html

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BMW ActiveE leasing priced at $499 a month, $2,250 down payment

Filed under: Car Buying, Coupe, BMW, Electric

BMW Active E - Click above for high-res image gallery

BMW has released official pricing for its latest foray into the world of electric vehicles, and compared to the rest of your EV options, the Active E is a screaming deal.

Lease pricing for the 1 Series-based Active E is set at $499 a month for 24 months, with a downpayment of $2,250 due at signing. BMW isn't citing exact output figures yet (we're hearing something around 190 hp), but it's quoting a 0-60 time of under nine seconds and a range of 100 miles with its specially developed, liquid-cooled lithium ion battery pack. Reservations will begin this summer and you can get in on the action at BMWActivateTheFuture.com. Full details in the press blast after the jump.

Gallery: BMW ActiveE: Geneva 2011

Continue reading BMW ActiveE leasing priced at $499 a month, $2,250 down payment

BMW ActiveE leasing priced at $499 a month, $2,250 down payment originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 18 Apr 2011 13:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2011/04/18/bmw-activee-leasing/

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2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Wrangler Unlimited diesels

Filed under: SUV, Jeep, First Drive, Diesel

Jeep's Best And Brightest Lose Their Spark Plugs, Add Whoop-Ass

2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee 3.0 CRD - Click above for high-res image gallery

We're all suitably bowled over by the chest-hair enhancing Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8, with its compression-ratio gulping 6.4-liter Hemi V8 booming out 465 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque. Love it all, but we have trouble seeing anyone on Earth actually realizing its promised 13 percent improvement in fuel efficiency, much less its pie-in-sky 450-mile range. Give us a break, Jeep. Tell us anything, but don't tell us to embrace this new raging V8 as the ecologists' super SUV. It has Track mode, for the love of Pete. Say hello to $5+ fun every 10 or so miles when the SRT8 is driven as Jeep's engineers have clearly intended. Then we dare you to tow anything and afford it. We're by no means damning the utterly awesome SRT8, just saying...

If you read enthusiast outlets, a diesel Jeep has been one of the leading wish-list items, well... forever.

One other recent improvement for Jeep in time for its 70th anniversary - beyond this latest Grand Cherokee lineup that continues to shine - is the nearly 100-percent better (and now nearly competitive) Compass. Then, in the near future, the Patriot and Compass will likely - and rightly - merge into one model, there will be a new entry-level "B SUV" and we suspect the Liberty will return to its proper name, Cherokee. Top all of this off with the promised rebirth of the legendary Grand Wagoneer three-row down the road, and it's all looking right on track.

So, where's the common-rail direct-injected turbo diesel?

The Europeans have just been shown their next-generation Jeep turbo diesels and we had a chance to sample these latest and greatest oil-burners at the Fiat Auto proving grounds in Balocco, Italy. We grabbed the ones we like the most: the Grand Cherokee 4x4 Laredo with 3.0-liter CRD V6 and gnarly-yet-comfortable Wrangler Unlimited Sahara with 2.8-liter four-cylinder CRD and wondrous six-speed manual. Word has it that the Grand Cherokee CRD is set to hit the States by late 2013. The Wrangler in Trail-Rated Rubicon guise with a 3.0 CRD V6 and six-speed manual is many off-roaders' dream chariot, but there is currently no talk of this happy-hour cocktail coming our way or even ever exiting from Jeep's Toledo, Ohio plant. That'd be a pity.

Continue reading First Drive: Jeep Grand Cherokee and Wrangler Unlimited diesels...

Gallery: 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee 3.0 CRD: First Drive

Gallery: 2011 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited 2.8 CRD: First Drive

Photos copyright (C)2011 Matt Davis / AOL

Continue reading 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Wrangler Unlimited diesels

2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Wrangler Unlimited diesels originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 27 Apr 2011 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2011/04/27/jeep-grand-cherokee-wrangler-unlimited-diesel-first-drive/

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NEW RECORD for Porsche set by Evolution MotorSports - Web Exclusive

NEW RECORD for Porsche set by Evolution MotorSports - Web Exclusive

Fully weighted street legal 997.1 Twin Turbo hits 234.6MPH at Texas Mile.

Goliad, TX - Evolution MotorSports (EVOMS), based in Tempe, AZ has set a NEW RECORD for a fully street weighted and street legal Porsche 997.1 Twin Turbo at 234.6MPH. MAYHEM, as it is known, is a 2007 Porsche 997.1 twin turbo with the company’s EVT1500 Performance System. The EVT1500 was piloted by EVOMS European partner from Greece, Mike Paridis.

Photo Gallery: NEW RECORD for Porsche set by Evolution MotorSports - European Car Magazine

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Source: http://www.europeancarweb.com/news/epcp_1104_evolution_motorsports_new_record_porsche/index.html

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Mullin Automotive Museum steps closer to bringing classic Bugatti coupe to life

Filed under: Concept Cars, Classics, Bugatti, Design/Style

1939 Bugatti Type 64 Coupe - Click above for high-res image gallery

Peter Mullin is nuts for classic French cars. His Mullin Automotive Museum is a beautiful shrine to a very specific period of automotive history. One particular vehicle in his collection is Jean Bugatti's unfinished 1939 Type 64 Coupe. Jean was Ettore's oldest son, and he died while test driving the Le Mans-winning Type 57 C. His Type 64 Coupe chassis never got the body that Bugatti hoped to have built for it... but Mr. Mullin is going to change that.

Using Jean Bugatti's sketches as a guide, Mullin has partnered with Stewart Reed Design to develop a vision of what the car should look like. Now, that pair is joined by Mike Kleeves of Automobile Metal Shaping Company, which means that team officially have someone on their team capable of bringing this bit of conceptual art into the physical world.

For more on the Type 64, check out the up-close look at the car we experienced during a field trip to the Mullin Museum in 2010.

Gallery: 1939 Bugatti Type 64

Gallery: Mullin Museum: Bugatti Type 64 Coupe Chassis

Photos copyright (C)2011 by Drew Phillips/AOL

[Source: Mullin Automotive Museum]

Continue reading Mullin Automotive Museum steps closer to bringing classic Bugatti coupe to life

Mullin Automotive Museum steps closer to bringing classic Bugatti coupe to life originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 27 Apr 2011 19:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2011/04/27/mullin-automotive-museum-steps-closer-to-bringing-classic-bugatt/

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Review: 2011 Honda Pilot 4WD Touring

Filed under: Crossover, Honda, Reviews

Honda's Big Ute Gets A Little Stale

2011 Honda Pilot 4WD Touring - Click above for high-res image gallery

The family Crossover Utility Vehicle segment is, to put it mildly, crowded. Every major automaker has at least one option from which to choose. Ford has four choices, while Toyota makes due with three options. Some models feature two rows of seating, while others boast room for up to eight. Then there are the more off-road capable options to contrast with the docile soft-roaders.

Though most automakers have gone crossover crazy, Honda has made due with a simple two-CUV lineup. The perennially top-selling CR-V takes care of those who desire a smaller footprint, smaller price tag and higher fuel economy, while the larger Pilot takes on the three-row crowd. The Pilot has been mostly successful during its nine-year production run, with high marks for safety (the 2011 model has an overall score of four stars from the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration) and reliability (Consumer Reports gave it the organization's coveted Recommended rating). Dancing on the fringes of the CUV segment and selling in low numbers, Honda also offers the nearly gone Element and Accord Crosstour, but it's still the boxier CR-V and Pilot doing the heavy lifting for the brand. Honda made enough changes to the Pilot to keep it competitive with stiff competition like the Toyota Highlander and Chevrolet Traverse? We spent a week with a well-appointed 4X4 Touring model to find out.

Continue reading Review: 2011 Honda Pilot 4WD Touring...

Gallery: 2011 Honda Pilot 4WD Touring: Review

Photos copyright (C)2011 Chris Shunk / AOL

Continue reading Review: 2011 Honda Pilot 4WD Touring

Review: 2011 Honda Pilot 4WD Touring originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 05 Apr 2011 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2011/04/05/2011-honda-pilot-4wd-touring-review-road-test/

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First Look: 2009 Scion tC Release Series 5.0

First Look: 2009 Scion tC Release Series 5.0

The pre-customized 2009 Scion tC Release Series 5.0 sports coupe packs factory installed accessories and limited availability.

Scion's "United by Individuality" ad campaign along with all the custom accessories available for the 2009 tC can be a bit daunting to a buyer. Scion customers may even feel intimidated by the peer pressure to "pimp their ride." Scion has sought to remedy the problem with the latest iteration of the tC, the release series 5.0.

Photo Gallery: 2009 Scion tC Release Series 5.0 - 2009 Chicago Auto Show Coverage, New Car Reviews, Concept Cars - Automobile Magazine

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Source: http://www.automobilemag.com/new_and_future_cars/2009/0209_2009_scion_tc_release_series_5/index.html

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