The Audi Quattro Concept wowed the crowds at the 2010 Paris motor show. The favorable reaction of both the public and the press to the one-off concept that was created to celebrate the original Quattro’s 30th anniversary has sparked many rumors that Audi is seriously considering making a production version.According to a report from Inside Line, the future of the 21st-century Quattro will be decided soon –more specifically in September, on the eve of the Frankfurt motor show premiere. Quattro GmbH boss Stephan Reil, speaking during the launch of the Audi Q3 SUV, confirmed that the final decision has been delayed. However, he is "optimistic" about its chances, and added that the production version, if given the green light, would be a small-volume (500-1,000 units per year) supercar with lightweight materials prominent in its construction. The Quattro’s engine could very well come from the RS5 which, with 450 hp and a 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) time of 4.6 seconds, is no slouch. But, as Reil said, “we need more power than the RS5, and it would have to be mounted longitudinally”. The head of Quattro GmbH commented that the exotic car’s development would take at least 2-3 years, and be similar to that of Audi’s current supercar, the R8.
After its world premiere in Japan last December as the Vitz, Toyota is gradually introducing the new generation of the Yaris in other markets around the world. Now, with the European version out of the way, it’s time for the Yaris to make its first appearance in Melbourne at this week’s 2011 Australian International Motor Show (AIMS). Revealed in show car form, the Yaris is fitted with a TRD-like sports kit comprising of a honeycomb grille, a restyled front bumper with larger openings and a chrome trim around the lower grille, side skirts, chunky alloy wheels and a new rear bumper with a diffuser plus a roof spoiler. In Australia, the new Yaris is scheduled to arrive in local showrooms during the final quarter of 2011.
The trusted HMMWV (High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle), or as the troops (and everyone else) understandably calls it, Humvee, is getting a little long in the tooth, having entered service for the first time in 1984. So it’s reasonable that DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) started looking for a suitable, and more up-to-date replacement with the Experimental Crowd-derived Combat Support Vehicle project –or, in civilian-speak, “the first crowd-sourced, military relevant vehicle design”. And the winner of this competition was Local Motors’ XC2V FLYPMode (boy, do those military guys love their acronyms…) which was developed in just 14 weeks. According to DARPA, which plans to invest $1 billion over the next five years in innovative defense systems, this is just a “proof of principle” project –which means that it has still some way to go before it becomes operational. Moreover, during an event at the National Robotics Engineering Center, US President Barack Obama brought the XC2V as an example of showing that the collaboration of the military and the industry can enhance the competitiveness of US manufacturing.
By taking a kitbashed GM-sourced LS1 V8 engine and slotting it into an AWD Porsche 996, LS1tech forum member “1dirtyZ” has set out to create something truly unique. Sure, it’s unconventional and perhaps a little sacrilegious...but just look at the Porsche donor car. It’s a wreck, the victim of a catastrophic engine fire. It has a ruined interior and a body that’s been damaged both by fire and rust. It would have spent the rest its days rotting away in a car wreckers yard if 1dirtyZ had not rescued it. And even though this confabulation of All-American grunt and German precision engineering is not yet finished (it doesn’t have a rear bumper, for one), it certainly runs and can even be driven around a dirt race track. You can check out our gallery of in-progress images below and a handful of videos showing the V8-powered Porsche 911 running. All it needs now is a name. Wheels dubbed the R35 Nissan GT-R Godzilla so should we maybe call this science-project-gone-wrong “Cloverfield”? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below.
When he's not driving a Renault Formula 1 car or a locally-made Chrysler Sebring, Russian prime minister Vladimir Putin test drives hybrid cars – or at least that's what he did on April 1 (no, really), when he got behind the wheel of the country’s first hybrid vehicle, the Yo-Mobile.Built by Yo-Auto, a joint-venture between truck maker Yarovit Motors and Onexim Group, the company of Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov who also owns the New Jersey Nets, the car has an unusual hybrid setup. It uses a rotary vane engine (see video below) that works on petrol and natural gas and is linked to a pair of electric motors. Instead of a classic battery-pack, the Yo-Mobile uses a super-capacitor, which is an energy-storing device seen by Russian engineers as an alternative to lithium-ion batteries. The capacitor stores the energy produced by the engine and sends it to the electric motors that drive the car. The main advantage of the capacitor is that it doesn't require re-charging from a power network. The Russian hybrid returns an average fuel consumption of 3.5 liters/100 km (67.2 mpg) and has a combined driving range of 1,100 km (683.5 miles). It accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h (62mph) in 7-8 seconds and can reach a top speed of 130 km/h (80.8 mph). Set to be built in three different body styles (hatchbach, cross-coupe and a van) from the second half of 2012, the Russian hybrid will retail for $12,000 - $15,000 (€8,500 - €10,500). The most expensive model will have four-wheel drive, satellite navigation system, cruise-control and climate control. Before getting behind the wheel of the hybrid cross-coupe to drive it to president Medvedev's residence, Putin said to Prokhorov: "I hope your Yo-Mobile will not fall apart on the way." Luckily for the Russian billionaire, it didn't. Scroll down to see Putin's ride
