en | fr | de | it | es | pt | ru
blog.niot.net
Look out Fisker and Tesla! Lotus to jump into EV game!Lotus is looking to challenge one of clients by building an electric sports car of its own. CEO Michael Kimberly told the Financial Times that the sports car maker and engineering powerhouse will soon launch extended-range battery-powered vehicle. The high performance model could appear as a concept as soon as the Geneva Motor Show in March, and like the Chevy Volt and Fisker Karma, Lotus will use an internal combustion engine to supplement the range of a battery which will provide primary propulsion. Kimberly hasn't indicated what kind of vehicle layout would be used, but the new Evora sports car would seem a likely candidate with a battery taking the space of the small +2 rear seats. Another possibility could be a revival of the APX crossover concept from a couple of years back. California's Zap had hoped to use that platform for the basis of its own Zap-X, but nothing has been heard about that project for some time. The other unknown is what, if any impact, this might have on Lotus' relationship with Tesla Motors. Lotus helped Tesla develop its Roadster and builds the rolling chassis for it. It's possible that Tesla could end up supplying motors or other powertrain bits to Lotus to help offset some of the cost of paying Lotus for its work.
posted : 1/5/2009 @9:33:32 PM
New ings N Spec kit for Evo has a deviated septum

Japanese tuning house Ings has prepared a kit for the Lancer Evo X consisting of a front bumper and a Z-Power Wing. The bumper houses not only the odd-ified upper intake, it also wears new canards, brake ducts, and intercooler shrouds. The Ing site has little to say about the kit, but it looks to have been tuned on a race-tested car. If you're keen, you can order the bumper here in either fiberglass or hybrid aero, a combination of urethane and fiberglass.
posted : 12/30/2008 @7:15:29 PM

South Yorkshire police enlist Mitsubishi Evo X in the force

The South Yorkshire police just added a ten to their squad. No, that's not a sexist statement about some new hire, it's a reference to the new Mitsubishi Evolution X they just added to the fleet. Joining an already-intimidating Evo VIII and IX in the motorpool is a specially equipped X that should help keep the Road Crime Unit (RCU) ahead of the baddies. The Evo X should be more than adequate for tracking down drug dealers and car thieves by itself, but deployed as a pack, the trio of Evos will probably scare scofflaws into simply giving up the chase.

The new Evolution X squad car will also be fitted with an onboard Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) system, which allows officers to "check who the vehicle is registered to and if there is anything remotely suspicious about the vehicle." So it even does a bit of detective work, too. This sounds like just about the perfect pursuit and apprehend vehicle. While it's no Lamborghini LP560-4, it's no i MIEV either. Looks a bit like that Carbon Motors E7, but it's a proven platform with SUPER ARREST POTENTIAL! There's a full press release after the jump and a small gallery of high-res pics available below.

posted : 12/22/2008 @4:20:44 PM
Hammond, May, Brosnan and Craig all in line for Lotus Evora

We're apparently not the only ones in love with the Lotus formula, as celebrities are reportedly falling all over each other to get on the list for an Evora. We had a blissful visit with an Exige recently, but our main gripe was that we could only share the joy with one other person. When you've got a car that's such a delight, you want to pack the whole family in it, car seats and all. We're not sure if the 2+2 Evora will have LATCH anchors in the back seats, but that wouldn't stop us from trying to sign up for the upcoming four-place Lotus were we able to swing the payments. We'd be in good company, automotive celebrities Richard Hammond and James May are on "the list," along with TWO James Bonds. We wonder if the Evoras destined for Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig have been fitted with Q-approved submarine conversions, but even if they can't go swimming, it's clear that the Evora is the "it" car of the moment for a sizable list of celebrities, no Autoblog scribes included.
posted : 12/3/2008 @9:57:30 PM
Russian supercar named by Freudian serfs: E-Go Revolt

A new coachbuilding company in Russia called E-Go has come up with a new car built on a Mitsubishi platform. Called Revolt, by E-Go, we don't find it the least bit offensive, although we do think the rear end is a little funky. The Revolt -- in spite of the company's catchy name and word "volt" lurking around in there -- is not electric. Rather, a 3.0-liter V6 gets two turbos slapped on to run some 550 hp through a six-speed gearbox. It has an active air suspension and rides on 19-inch wheels from Japanese wheel company Work, with 325/30 rubber out back. Stopping power should be prodigious, thanks to six-piston calipers up front and four-pots in back. Most interesting, the car's electronics are being developed by engineering firm National Instruments, and you will be able to control them all via a touch screen monitor in the steering wheel. We can't wait to see what that steering wheel must look like, and whether they can make the car drive for you while you punch in new data. Word is that E-Go "has already started building cars," but as usual, we'll wait and see.
posted : 10/27/2008 @4:09:40 PM
Mitsubishi Evolution X FQ400 gets the green light

It was only a matter of time before Mitsubishi's British engineers tired of relentlessly beating the FQ300 and FQ360 versions of their homegrown Evos. So it's no surprise that after a 400-hp version of the Evo X successfully campaigned in the Britcar Championship, Mitsubishi finally gave the go-ahead to its crack team of in-house tweakers to produce a road going version for public consumption. The FQ400 is on its way. If the Mitsu team holds true to the original ADR Motorsport-developed Evo, expect a new turbocharger, exhaust manifold and fuel system, along with a reworked ECU to make use of the extra boost and petrol. Naturally, output will be related to the FQ400's name, with 400hp being delivered to all four wheels through a manual gearbox. A top speed of 170 mph and a 0-60 time of around 3.5 seconds shouldn't be too hard to achieve, and with a reworked suspension, upgraded brakes and some aerodynamic enhancements, Lambo owners should think twice before cutting the FQ400 off at their first track day at Silverstone. Pricing hasn't been released yet, but expect the Mitsubishi Evolution X FQ400 to crest the £45,000 mark when it goes on sale next year in the UK.
posted : 10/16/2008 @6:01:50 PM
Citroen GT Concept now available in GT5 Prologue

Polyphony's Gran Turismo 5 Prologue is about to get a pretty substantial upgrade. The next time you boot up your Playstation 3, an update will be available for GT5 that will add the GT by Citroen, Ferrari's new California and the Lotus Evora. Lotus fans got a sneak peek into the Evora's GT5 inclusion at the British Motor Show a few weeks back, and now everybody gets to join in on the aluminum-intensive fun. It's always a pleasure to strap yourself in a Ferrari, in real-life or virtually, and the California is the latest Italian Stallion around, so its addition was a foregone conclusion. The biggest news, though, is the new French GT, which its maker says was "a partnership between Citroën and Polyphony." In the game-realm, the new GT concept will be powered by electrons generated from a hydrogen fuel cell. Even if the technology isn't quite ready for prime time in your driveway, it can always make waves in digital form, running around various race tracks while emitting nothing but water.
posted : 10/5/2008 @6:12:11 PM
PigTones offering Yoda, Terminator and Stewie nav voices

"Left at the next exit you will turn," or so we imagine none other than Jedi Master Yoda telling us as we attempt to pilot our land speeders toward some unknown destination. You can now download Yoda as the voice of your TomTom or Garmin GPS unit courtesy of a company named PigTones and a fee of $12.97. Not a Star Wars fan? Well, you should be (at least of the original trilogy). There's always the Terminator. On second thought, who wants to be told to make a legal U-turn by the governor of California? That leaves Stewie from The Family Guy. He's the megolomaniacal infant that's hell bent on killing his mother, Lois. There are others to choose from too, some raunchier than others. Click here for the full list.
posted : 10/5/2008 @2:49:48 PM
Ready-to-race Mitsubishi Evolution X, one-make series planned

This weekend, Mitsubishi will return to the circuit with a race-prepped Evolution X competing in the 24-hour Britcar Championship and piloted by former BTCC ace James Kaye, along with two other unnamed drivers. The Evo has been given its competition work-over with the help of ADR Motorsport, the same firm that currently campaigns two works Mitsubishis in the British Rally Championship. A number of undisclosed tweaks have pumped up the 4B11T/C, delivering around 400 hp to the Evo's all-wheel-drive system. If the ADR Evo meets expectations, Mitsubishi would consider making a dedicated Evo X series. According to Paul Brigden, General Manager for Ralliart, "Mitsubishi UK has not been involved with circuit racing for many years, so this new initiative is a great opportunity for us." Racing will get underway on Saturday, and Kaye plans to compete in the full 2009 Britcar Championship, along with a handful of other endurance races throughout the year.
posted : 9/24/2008 @10:11:18 PM
Porsche raises stake in VW again, makes offer for Audi

Porsche has raised its stake yet again in Volkswagen, going from a bit above 30% ownership in the German giant to a solid 35.14%. The purchase apparently gives Porsche, or rather the company that owns Porsche – Porsche Automobil Holding SE – control over VW. It released a statement today that said, "as a result of this acquisition, Volkswagen... has become a subsidiary of Porsche Automobil Holding SE." Pursuant to German securities law, Porsche also made an offer to purchase Audi at the bare minimum stock price of 487 euros per share. Though Porsche says there are no plans to separate Audi from VW, it's unlikely VW will accept the offer anyway. All of this is but a single step on Porsche's long path to securing more than 50% ownership in VW. In the meantime, VW representatives will now have a seat on Porsche Automobil Holding's employee council and supervisory board. The power struggle between these two companies will undoubtedly continue, with Porsche Chairman Wolfgang Porsche leading the charge for his company while his cousin, Ferdinand Piech, holds court for Volkswagen and the powerful labor unions that are trying to stop this takeover.
posted : 9/24/2008 @10:05:53 PM
< back ( 1 2 3 4 5 ) next >
:: new posts
:: popular posts
copyright 2007 (C) - powered by ceastudio