Mercedes-Benz S-Class EV

Increasingly stricter environmental dictates are making the rich man’s camel pass though the eyes of smaller and smaller needles to get to regulatory heaven. The Mercedes-Benz S-Class is going to have to shrink somewhere in order to make it into the future, and it seems the company plan for that is to make an electric version, possibly even with lithium-sulfur batteries powering plug-in fuel-cell technology from the F-125! concept showed off at this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show.

The technologies aren’t concept-only, or as out-there as using thorium for power, but scaling up to passenger car sizes and standards might be a decade or more out. The return: an S-Class with an emissions-free range of 621-miles.

That might sound like overkill, but as of now only one S-Class undercuts the European average for vehicular CO2 emissions. With the noose tightening in 2015 and even tighter strictures in 2020 and 2025, Mercedes will need to position itself for 2025 and beyond.

Venturi was last seen in America a couple of months ago, blasting across the white crystals at the Bonneville Salt Flats in the guise of the Buckeye Bullet. At the Paris Motor Show, the Monegasque company revealed a different kind of terrain-blasting machine called the America EV Dune Buggy – a jacked-up, 300-horsepower, rear-wheel-drive electric sports car as open and free as the great land it’s named after.

The interior would be admirably minimal if things hadn’t got cluttered up around the console screen, but the center tunnel buttons are a chunky, metallic pleasure to behold. The single display in front of the driver will hopefully present information clearly enough to keep your eyes on the road and your hair in the wind. And we aren’t sure what kind of stereo is involved, but based on the speakers it looks pretty serious.

This is the CitroГ«n Lacoste concept, which the automaker describes as “an emblem for a state-of-mind” – that particular mental state probably including sun, sand, bikinis and Speedos. The open buggy-like four-seater with floating headrests is the opposite of “always more,” powered by a three-cylinder engine that will make its pace as relaxed as its occupants.

Fashion and four-wheelers combine all around, with the golf-ball wheels outside and bench seats with a polo-shirt-like weave inside. The dash that’s as wide as the car goes in another direction entirely, with readouts in giant pixels popping up and running along its length akin to a Times Square news ticker. And although we probably won’t see it on the roads beaches soon, there is a chance we could see it or something like it: FrГ©dГ©ric Banzet, managing director of CitroГ«n, has said he’d like to bring it to production. Ok then.

The Wall Street Journal reports that Toyota management told dealers in Las Vegas there will be a production version of the FT-86 badged as a Scion model. The move would help bolster the struggling brand, which has been a bit product-starved of late. There are also rumors of a new price point – as high as $25,000 – and the possibility that the Subaru version will only be available in Europe.

While the report claims the FT-86 will be badged as a Scion, there is no definitive word there won’t be a Toyota variant as well. We’re sure to learn more this auto show season, as reports show that the production FT-86 could arrive at the New York Auto Show in 2011.

When is aВ power 2,700 pound projectile? When little Muffy is riding shotgun, big old fuzzy head stuck out the window, tongue lolling in the breeze and all of a sudden master crashes the darn thing into some unforseen obstacle. In the interest of keeping pets safe, Bark Buckle UP, a pet travel safety organization, has some recommendations. Among endorsement of the Doggie Seat Belt and exhortations to take steps toward pet safety in the car, are some vehicular mentions. While pet safety is a laudable goal, this announcement leaves us feeling a little dirty, like it’s mostly a thinly-veiled ploy to sell stuff.

In any case, Bark Buckle UP gave its Top Dog awards away at the New York Auto Show, and the Ford Edge has trotted away with the Pet Safe Vehicle of Choice Top Dog award. “The Ford Edge is perfect for those traveling with pets,” says Ford Edge marketing manager Brett Burin upon the Edge’s crowning. Bark Buckle UP agrees, citing the vehicle’s combination of space, ease of ingress and egress for Fifi and Fido, rear ventilation and adaptability to pet gear as reasons for the win. Ford vehicles took four of the award’s ‘choice’ slots for 2010, with the Transit Connect, Flex, and Lincoln MKT also making the list. The other alternative is to avoid either having a dog altogether (they’re smelly, and they lick their butts) or don’t chauffeur your pooch around if you have opened your home to canis domesticus. If you’re a dog lover, though, you might want to check out the official press release after the jump.

Frankfurt Motor Show, Coupe, Performance, Geneva Motor Show, Europe, Luxury

В The new Hispano Suiza (there’s no model name) is essentially a rebodied aluminum, magnesium and carbon fiber Audi R8 V10 5.2 FSI, only they’ve pluggedВ  two electric-superchargers into the intake manifold. As a result, power is up through the roof, improving upon the R8 V10′s 525 hp by 225 ponies for a total of 750 horsepower. As you may have guessed, performance is also way up, with 60 mph happening in 3.3 seconds (up from 4.5 in the R8) and a top speed of 211 miles per hour (196 mph in the Audi), propelling the new 3,505-lb Hispano Suiza squarely into hypercar territory.

The reborn Hispano Suiza company plans to build between 20 and 25 of their new cars per year. Our take? Good luck. Frankly, that’s a ludicrous amount of money for a vehicle that just doesn’t do much for us. For that lofty price tag, you’d think they could at least give the poor car a name.

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The very first car designed and built in Saudi Arabia is officially a reality. King Abdullah unveiled the production Gazal 1 at a special ceremony yesterday and congratulated everyone who participated in the vehicle’s development on a job well done. As you may recall, the Gazal 1 was a special project created by the students at King Saud University. Though built off the bones of a Mercedes-Benz G-Class, the KSU kids penned the exterior and reworked the interior to accommodate Saudi Arabia’s notoriously brutal climate and demanding terrain.

When we saw the original Gazal 1 design study at this year’s Geneva Motor Show, we thought the vehicle looked pretty good, especially considering how little experience the SUV’s designers had in bringing a full-scale vehicle to life. From what we can tell, it looks like the production version has stuck fairly close to the big green model we saw back in March. That means the Toyota FJ Cruiser-style roof has made its way into reality along with the very International grille.

It works for us, especially considering the go-anywhere Mercedes-Benz components bolted underneath. No one’s said what’s under the hood of the Gazal 1, but we’re guessing the same 382-horsepower 5.5-liter V8 from the standard G550 is a good bet.

[Source: Arab News]

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The French may not be known for their efficiency as much as, say, ze Germans, but according to the latest reports from across the Pond, Peugeot is reportedly looking at merging two weak product lines into one new sedan. The models in question are the 407 and 607, two saloons that may intrigue from this side of the Atlantic but haven’t exactly been runaway successes with those who can pick them up at their local dealership. As a result, parent company PSA’s new president Philippe Varin has reportedly confirmed that both models will be integrated into one new successor to be called the 508.

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the RC Hymotion4 concept is a four-door GT using the same powertrain principles as the Hypnos and Prologue, however, with a different engine and layout. Already seen in the 308 RCZ concept, it uses the 1.6 litre THP engine making 160 kW (218 bhp) which is fitted at the rear of the vehicle and a 70 kW (95hp) electric motor under the hood. The result is 230 kW/313 bhp with CO2 emissions of 109 g/km in the combined cycle and 4.5 litres/100 km. Torque is 178 Nm at the front and 280 Nm at the rear. Sprint from 0 to 100 km/h happens in 4.4 seconds, 80 to 120 km/h in just 3.0 seconds.

The last time Peugeot used the 50X model designation was with the 505 of 1979. Although weВ think the new 508 will be like, we’re expecting it to be unveiled in concept form at the 2010 Paris Auto Salon before its production introduction at Geneva in 2011.

Despite its cute-ute looks, Dacia is claiming that the Duster is the real, all-terrain deal. The stats seem to back that up: eight inches of ground clearance combined with 30 degree approach and 35 degree departure angles reminds us of ye olde Jeep Cherokee (hey, the old AMC-developed Cherokee had a lot of French in it). While missing the Cherokee’s low gears, the Duster gets a three-stage transmission featuring an auto torque-split mode, lock and two wheel-drive. The tranny tech is actually sourced from Nissan and owed by Renault and it figures to work really well. in fact, there is some speculation that the Duster is based off Nissan’s Qashqai. Also helpful is that the Duster weighs just 2,816 pounds in 4×4 guise – 2,596 pounds asВ  4×2.В 

What communicated earlier, compactВ crossover Dacia Duster, which road bright spot forms 20 centimetres, on european market will be offered with two diesel engines by volume 1,5 litres and power 85 and 105 h.p.s, as well as with 110-strong gasoline motor by volume 1,6 litres. Car will be available in modification both with front, and with full drive.
В First of all, whomever it is that still owns to rights to the Plymouth would have nothing but dollar signs in their eyes if a Duster showed up. Then, of course, there’s the undeniable fact that car makers have a sick aversion to giving us cheap, simple, rugged utilitarian diesel trucks. However, you’re more than free to purchase an X5 xDrive35d from BMW, and soon you’ll be able to buy a reworked Infiniti QX56 that halfway resembles a FX. We’ll be getting a glimpse of the Duster up close and in the flesh come Geneva, but that’ll be fleeting.

Aston Martin is proud to announce the return of Lagonda, one of the oldest and most iconic names in luxury car manufacturing.

The revival of Lagonda fulfils a long-term vision and will bring performance luxury into new markets around the world for Aston Martin Lagonda. Ultimately, Lagonda will be a strong presence in global territories, vastly increasing brand reach of the company and extending to new customers.Lagonda is committed to innovative new propulsion technologies, new materials and elegant forms, creating a functional luxury for the near future. Critically, the brand will allow the exploration of alternative powertrain solutions including flexfuel, hybrid systems. Lagonda willВ design and technology with Aston Martin’s established high performance expertise.

The LAGONDA CONCEPT is an avant-garde luxury vehicle; with powerful four-wheel drive, a four-seater car that will satisfy the most discerning and demanding owner. The concept demonstrates a commitment to innovative new propulsion technologies, new materials and elegant forms.

The LAGONDA CONCEPT is a four-seat international tourer, an avant-garde luxury car that draws inspiration from the brand’s illustrious past as well as the visual language of speedboat design, the spacious individualist environment of the upper class cabin and the bespoke feel of contemporary modern furniture. Inside, the four generous seats are divided into a two zones.. The result is a relaxed, rich environment that envelops you in warm, tactile materials.

The large 22″ wheels and cut-away bodywork offer exceptional ground clearance, while the concept’s V12 engine delivers power through all four wheels.