Fisker has just sent us a few more shots of the production-ready Karma plug-in so that we can get a better look at the car's newly revised face. The front intake has been mildly revised in order to let the GM-sourced 260-horsepower Ecotec engine breath a bit more fresh air. It's a subtle change, but we like the results and think that it makes a big difference to the overall look of the car. We also get a good look at those unique exhaust ports that emit the turbocharged mill's spent gases just aft of the front wheels.
Lastly, we have an interesting view beneath the slinky bodywork, which shows off the aluminum space frame chassis that holds the car together. We presume that the pronounced center tunnel will house the lithium-ion battery pack. The chassis also shows the new flush B-pillars that were absent on the concept and are necessary to meet future safety requirements. Fisker plans to show the Karma, including its never-before-seen interior, at the Detroit Auto Show in January. We'll be there to deliver the goods in person.
Ford's rear view camera system is unique in that it displays video at bumper level in the rear view mirror as opposed to the navigation system. We found Ford's system to work well when we tested it, and customers appreciate the fact that they can purchase the system without also buying an expensive navigation system. Ford is looking to sell a lot more rear view camera systems, too, as the Blue Oval is doubling its availability in models for 2009. The rear view camera will find its way onto 75% of Ford models by the end of next year, including most trucks, SUVs and crossovers. The system will also be available on the new Ford Mustang, which Ford says is the only rear camera on a sports car. The rear camera system works really well on trucks and SUVs, where the size of the vehicle often makes it impossible to see what's going on at bumper level. Ford is already seeing twice the take rate of the $695 option in the 2009 F-150 vs. the 2008 model.
It's no news that business has been tough for Italy's most vaunted design studios and coachbuilders. But that hasn't stopped Bertone from hiring Jason Castriota as its new design director. Castriota has spent the past several years at arch-rival Pininfarina, where he worked on such projects as the Maserati Birdcage concept and GranTurismo, Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano, custom P4/5 and the Rolls-Royce Hyperion one-off, before leaving with the aim of starting his own studio. But as the Italian-American stylist says himself, Bertone "made me an offer I couldn't refuse".
Castriota, 34, will head a young design team at the resurgent Bertone, starting immediately. He'll have his work cut out for him bringing the stoic design house back to its feet following its brush with bankruptcy, and we'll be looking forward to seeing what he has in store for us.
General Motors CEO Rick Wagoner will be taking advantage of the media circus surrounding his drive from Detroit to Washington D.C. tomorrow. As it seems every press outlet will be covering the roadtrip adventures of the three Detroit leaders as they travel via wheeled transportation to the capitol to beg for billions (remember, no corporate jets this time), Wagoner has wisely dumped the ho-hum hybrid Chevrolet Malibu in favor of a Chevy Volt mule in a Chevy Cruze body during at least the last few highly-visible miles of his journey. Wagoner will still trek part of the route to Washington in the hybrid Malibu, but just not all the way. To take full advantage of the public display, GM will also bring a show version of the highly-anticipated 2011 Chevy Volt to the capitol and put it on display when Wagoner arrives at the Russell Senate Building around 9:30 AM. If you are in the neighborhood (Delaware Ave. and C Street), Wagoner will be briefly talking to the public before he opens his heart to Congress. Thanks, TKTK.
This particular blogger happened to be searching for any news on Forza Motorsport 3 (coming sometime in 2009!) when I came across this incredible video. It appears the art of drifting has entered the digital realm, and a group of digital racers named 'Project Blackjack" have put together an extensive video showcasing their talents. This is their seventh film entitled "The Rising Storm", compiled completely from Forza 2 footage, many times with with "camera cars" placed at certain location to capture the action. You can see tandem drifting on tracks like Laguna Seca, Road Atlanta and even the Nurburgring. As you can imagine, figuring out how to correctly film the drifting, getting two to five cars to make a good run together, and then finally compiling the footage took quite a while.
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Remember the good old days when at least BMW nomenclature was straightforward? The first digit designated the series and the second and third the displacement of the engine. Maybe an extra letter would be tacked on, but that was it. Then they started with M this, Z that and X for the SUVs with xDrive all-wheel drive. So now we've got things like the X6 xDrive 35i. Now they're dropping another one on us: rear-wheel-drive models, which used to be the entire BMW line-up, will now bear the "sDrive" nameplate in addition to whatever else they stick on there.
We already knew this was coming for the upcoming X1, which will be offered in both xDrive (AWD) and sDrive (RWD) variants. (The current X3, X5 and X6 crossovers are all strictly all-wheel-drive models.) BMW has even reportedly registered the trademarks for sDrive18, sDrive20, sDrive30 and sDrive35, as if someone else would try and use the confusing nomenclature. Wait a second... sDrive35? As in the twin-turbo straight six in the 335i? That's bigger than the engine offered in the larger X3, so what is BMW up to?
Reports indicate that the sDrive nameplate could begin appearing on other BMW models driven through the rear axle, including the replacement for the Z4 roadster that was just caught nekkid today. If you look closely on the front fender, you can see a badge that looks an awful lot like "sDrive". We wouldn't expect to see the moniker on the standard series models (1, 3, 5, 6 and 7 Series), since those get the suffix "iX", but we're not sure we can even count on that anymore.
Don't want to wait for the Chevrolet Volt? Don't feel like spending tens of thousands of dollars on a new green car? Combine your thrift, environmental consciousness and affinity for wrench turning by building your own electric car. Canadians Darin Cosgrove and Ivan Limburg have electrified a Geo Metro for less than $1,000 and you can too! Starting with a Metro helps set expectations, as the converted car is not fast and suitable only for low speed in-town tripping, but the original was no paragon of performance anyway. AutoblogGreen covered some of the ForkenSwift's construction, but we thought it'd be a good thing to revisit. The winter months are upon us, and building an EV in the garage is a nice way to stay out of the snow.
After stripping out the gas engine and its associated plumbing, the duo sold the engine and fuel tank; we're amazed that there's a market for Metro engines. A $500 used forklift provided the DC motors and control systems, and the carcass provided good scrap value once the vital organs were harvested, helping offset costs. A used bank of batteries were donated by another EV owner, though new batteries would boost performance and range. But hey, nothing's as cheap as free. Finding a Metro for cheap might be a neat trick now that prices have been inflated, but any old light thing will work. For a total tally of $672, who can complain with the results?
