Grand Turismo 5 High Res Screenshots

Here’s the latest batch of high-res Gran Turismo 5 screenshots, giving us our first glimpse of theEnzo Ferrari and the Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 in full GT5 glory.




Source:GTPlanet

Astra's new family

Hatch to spawn huge range of newcomers putting Vauxhall back on family car map.

The Astra is getting in the family way –and we’ve got the pictures to prove it! 

To celebrate the arrival of Vauxhall’s new hatch in the UK Auto Express has brought the whole range together for an exclusive peek at what lies ahead.

So, for the first time ever, we can bring you amazing images of the new Astra 4x4, the Astra coupé – likely to be badged the Calibra – the TwinTop roadster, plus an estate version, all together in a dream showroom.

The Astra is the most important model in the manufacturer’s history. It arrives at a time when car companies are enduring really tough times – and Vauxhall itself faces UK job losses following its sale to parts giant Magna.

But the new model proves there’s a bright future ahead. It makes big leaps forward in terms of styling, quality and driving – and the line-up offers something for every buyer. It takes the fight not only to Ford’s Focus, but also the VW Golf.

A fresh addition to the range is the hot-looking 4x4 model, which will go up against the Ford Kuga and VW Tiguan. Style is top of the agenda for the SUV, with a sporty look set off by a perfect dose of off-road aggression – note the neat spotlights, plus the protective skid plates. It will come with front-wheel drive or four-wheel drive, and mixes genuine on and off-road ability with a flexible cabin. The 4x4 is due to go on sale in 2012.

Another major player is the new Astra coupé, which will sit above a forthcoming three-door model. The former is set to lock horns with the VW Scirocco, and provide head-turning looks as well as strong performance.

Its sister car is the roadster, which seeks to inject more desirability into the TwinTop. Vauxhall will position it as a rival to Audi’s TT Roadster.

Finally, there’s the classy Sport Tourer estate.

But the models you see here are not the end for the Astra. The range will also expand to include a replacement for the Zafira MPV.

Director Michael Bay Confirms Transformers 3 July 1, 2011

Well its official: We have a great Transformers 3 story. The release date is now July 1st 2011. Not 2012.

Today is Day One. This morning started with an ILM meeting for five hours in San Francisco. Currently I'm flying with writer Ehren Kruger to Rhode Island to talk to Hasbro about new characters.

P.S. Megan Fox, welcome back. I promise no alien robots will harm you in any way during the production of this motion picture. Please consult your Physician when working under my direction because some side effects can occur, such as mild dizziness, intense nausea, suicidal tendencies, depression, minor chest hair growth, random internal hemorrhaging and inability to sleep. As some directors may be hazardous to your health, please consult your Doctor to determine if this is right for you.


[Source: MichaelBay.com]

Breaking: NISSAN CONFIRMS GT-R REPLACEMENT By 2013

Nissan has reconfirmed its commitment to an ongoing GT-R development programme, with a model replacement cycle in place that should see an R36 hit the streets by 2013 at the latest.PistonHeads was at Nissan’s Nurburgring Technical Centre earlier this week, when VP of global product planning Andy Palmer paid a flying visit to show his support for the GT-R programme lead by Kazutoshi Mizuno.

It was Andy’s first meeting with the Japanese GT-R ‘away team’ at the Nurburgring and, speaking informally to the assembled engineers and support staff, he spoke warmly of their achievements and reaffirmed Nissan’s commitment to the GT-R project.

“These are very hard times and, as you know, we have had to make cuts to many programmes,’ he told the team. ‘However, it is very important to Nissan that we remain able to offer a diverse range of vehicles from electric cars, to LCVs and the GT-R and we continue to fully support the work you are doing here.”

Source: PistonHeads

$2.4 Million Dollar Infiniti Essence Concept Visits Suburban Detroit Louis Vuitton Boutique

Last night, the Infiniti Essence Concept visited the Louis Vuitton store in Troy, Michigan's Somerset Collection mall. The $2.4 million concept mixed it up with trophy wives and spikey-haired "Nouveau riche" during a champagne and hors d'œuvre-laden soiree.




Source:  Jalopnik.com More »

Top 20 Vehicles For September 2009

Ford continues to dominate the sales chart in North America with it latest sales results.  Racking up 33,877 units for September, it outpaced the Toyota Camry which held the No.2 spot with 25,745 units sold.  The Chevrolet Camaro outsold the Ford Mustang for the four consecutive month, also broke into the Top twenty with 7,961 units sold.




Top 20 Vehicles for September 2009:

Ford F – Series – 33,877
Toyota Camry – 25,745
Honda Accord – 20,826
Toyota Corolla / Matrix – 20,741
Chevrolet Silverado PU – 19,401
Honda Civic – 16,093
Honda CR-V – 14,554
Dodge Ram PU – 13,452
Chevrolet Impala – 13,047
Nissan Altima – 12,149
Toyota Prius – 10,984
Ford Fusion – 10,834
Chevrolet Malibu – 10,479
Toyota RAV4 – 10,398
Volkswagen Jetta – 9,568
Ford Focus – 9,182
Ford Escape – 8,692
Lexus RX – 8,228
Pontiac G6 – 8,097
Chevrolet Camaro – 7,961

Source: Autodata Corp (via Free Press)

Nissan's Robot Concept "Cars" Avoid Accidents By Mimicking Fish

In 2008, it was the flight of the bumblebee that inspired Nissan's Biomimetic Car Robot Drive "BR23C" concept. In 2009, fish-inspired technology takes center stage in Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.'s new Nissan "EPORO*1" robot car concept, which is designed to travel in a group of like-vehicles, mimicking the behavioral patterns of a school of fish in avoiding obstacles without colliding with each other.




EPORO robot car

CEATEC JAPAN is an annual exhibition showcasing cutting-edge electronic and information technologies. Nissan is the only auto manufacturer that has been a participant in this exhibition since 2006. In addition to displaying the futuristic EPORO, Nissan Senior Vice President Minoru Shinohara will deliver a keynote speech, titled "The Future of the Automobile with Electric Vehicles and Car Robotics Evolution," and participate in a panel discussion on "EV leads to a society of 'All Electrification' and 'All Mobilization.'" Nissan will also exhibit the new Skyline Crossover's*2 current collision prevention technologies and provide test drives of an eco-drive diagnosis system utilizing an iPhone®*3 application.
EPORO Robot Car

So what do a bumblebee and a school of fish have in common? Both demonstrate extraordinary "anti-collision" abilities, navigating instinctively and intelligently through challenging terrain by detecting and avoiding obstacles - just as future Nissan safety vehicles may have the
capability to do. But where bees - and the BR23C robot car - are likely to travel alone, the schooling behavior of fish, or a group of vehicles, presents a far greater challenge in terms of collision avoidance. In developing EPORO, three rules of fish behavior were applied to its driving control. School of fish swimming

School of fish swimming

Generically, fish recognize the surroundings based on lateral-line sense and sense of sight and form schools based on three behavior rules. A laser range finder*4 is used for lateral-line sense, while UWB*5 communications technology is utilized for the sense of sight.
Fish behavior rules 

AREA 1: Collision Avoidance
Change traveling direction without colliding with other fish.

AREA 2: Traveling Side-by-Side
Travel side-by-side with other fish while keeping a certain distance between each fish (to match the speed).

AREA 3: Approaching
Gain closer proximity to other fish that are at a distance from them.

"We, in a motorized world, have a lot to learn from the behavior of a school of fish in terms of each fish's degree of freedom and safety within a school and high migration efficiency of a school itself. In EPORO, we recreated the behavior of a school of fish making full use of cutting-edge electronic technologies," said Toshiyuki Andou, Manager of Nissan's Mobility Laboratory and principal engineer of the robot car project. "By sharing the surrounding information received within the group via communication, the group of EPOROs can travel safely, changing its shape as needed."

This is the world's first development of a robot car that can travel in a group by sharing the position and information of others within a group via communication technologies.

While Nissan's ongoing research aims at creating collision-free vehicles based on its safety concept "Safety Shield*6," new technologies used in EPORO also aim to improve migration efficiency of a group of vehicles and contribute to an environmentally friendly and traffic jam-free driving environment.

[Keynote Speech]
Minoru Shinohara, Senior Vice President in charge of Research & Development, will make a presentation on "The Future of the Automobile with Electric Vehicles and Car Robotics Evolution," talking about an impact of EV on society and a safer automotive society in the future with collision-free vehicles.

Source: NissanEporo

Is Apple looking to kick Google Maps off the iPhone, Touch?

Google Maps plays a key role in the mapping features of the iPhone and the iPod Touch, but a recent acquisition by Apple hints that Steve Jobs & company might be paving the way toward a Google Map-less future.

Computerworld reports that Apple bought Placebase, a digital mapping service similar to Google Maps, in July, and that the former CEO and CTO of Placebase now work for the "Geo Team" ("whatever that is," writes Computerworld blogger Seth Weintraub) over at—you guessed it—Apple, Inc.

As Computerworld notes, Placebase has some interesting features that set it apart from Google Maps—in particular, an easy way to offer "dizzying amount" of customizable layers that can be placed over its maps, ranging from commercial info to crime statistics, demographics, ZIP code boundaries, per capital income ... you name it




Soruce:.Apple purchased Placebase in July to replace Google Maps?

Swede Creates Batmobile Replica, Cost Over $1 Million And Took 20,000 Man-Hours To Build!

A Swedish man wanted to be Batman so badly, he spent three-and-a-half years and $1 million turning a 1973 Lincoln Continental into a 700 HP fully-functional Tim Burton Batmobile. Why'd he start with a '73 Lincoln in Sweden?


Via: Jalopnik & Bilfeber

Zipcar iPhone app lets you honk and unlock

Looking to find the last place you parked your car? There’s app for that. Don’t want to walk to your car and want it to drive right up to you? There will probably be an app for that someday too. But for now, if you’re looking to honk your horn and lock and unlock your car – Zipcar has a new app that will let you do just that.

The most useful thing the Zipcar iPhone app does is, helps you find Zipcar locations near you. You can then pick your choice of wheels and reserve them before you get to the Zipcar location. Besides helping you find out where you parked your Zipcar rental, the app lets you honk the horn and lock/unlock your vehicle. While that may prove useless and downright geeky – we would use our iPhone to lock and unlock every single day. Heck, we would even honk the horn with our iPhone before we got in. However, we probably wouldn’t go digging in our pockets for an iPhone when someone cuts us off.

Check out the Zipcar iPhone app here

$1.45M Bugatti Galibier 16C Headed To Production

Check out the latest official shots of what Bugatti hopes will be the world’s fastest four-door.

The super-luxurious Galibier 16C saloon gets the same 8.0-litre 16-cylinder engine as seen in the Veyron coupé… and a colossal price tag to match! 

With the design and engineering emphasis on ultimate luxury, the £900,000 model features an opulent leather and wood interior, providing room for four.Detailing is kept to a minimum inside, with only two central dials forming the instrument binnacle. 

There is, however, a dashboard timepiece by Swiss watch maker Parmigiani which can be taken out and worn, plus a small TV screen atop the transmission tunnel. 

And although the Galibier is a far more luxurious proposition than its coupé brother, it will still pack a punch. Boasting a detuned 800bhp version of the Veyron’s engine, plus a lightweight body made of aluminium and carbon fibre, its top speed should be a highly impressive 220mph. 

The 16C is also set to get an eight-speed torque converter automatic transmission instead of the Veyron’s twin-clutch DSG unit.

Although the car is only a concept, Bugatti clearly has high hopes for its showstopper. A launch date of 2013 is being rumoured, and it would fill the void left when production of the Veyron finally ends.




Source: Auto Express

Stop Action: An Explosive Motorcycle Ride Frozen In Time

 The dramatic experience of an explosive motorcycle ride is coming to the 26x3 gallery in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Stop/Action will suspend 12 exotic motorcycles (11 Aprilia RSV 1000Rs and 1 Aprilia RSV4) in a three-dimensional ribbon running throughout the space, reminiscent of stills taken from a high speed film reel.

Stop/Action will be open to the public 2-7pm every day from October 2-11. 26x3 is located at 26 Broadway, Brooklyn, New York.

"The experience of riding a fast motorcycle to the limits of its and your ability defines the soul of a biker. We hope to convey that in a visual, three-dimensional way, allowing the audience to interact with and examine its meaning, motivation and ramification," says Sam Strauss-Malcolm who, along with Tyler Poniatowski, is one of two artists behind the installation. 

About The Piaggio Group

Established in 1884 by Rinaldo Piaggio and based in Pontedera (Pisa), Italy, the Piaggio Group is one of the world's top manufacturers of two-wheel motor vehicles.  With more than 7,000 employees, an annual production of more than 650,000 vehicles in 2008, five R&D centers, seven production facilities in Europe and Asia, and operations in more than 50 countries, the Piaggio Group has a consolidated leadership in the European two-wheeler market.  The company produces scooters, motorcycles and mopeds in the 50cc to 1,200 cc displacement range, marketed under the Piaggio, Vespa, Gilera, Derbi, Aprilia, Scarabeo and Moto Guzzi brands.  The Group also manufactures three- and four-wheel light transportation vehicles for the Ape, Porter and Quargo ranges. For more information about Piaggio USA, visit: www.piaggiousa.com.

Jaguar’s next generation Sports Car: The XE

Jaguar’s next generation of sports cars is on the verge of ditching its E-type-inspired oval grille because the design isn’t sufficiently adaptable.

The company’s designers are struggling to stretch the shape to fit the nose of the two new models: the XK and new XE.

“The problem is that the proportions are all wrong when the shape is stretched. They’re not sure if it has got much more life left,” said an insider.

The solution also hasn’t been decided yet, although it could be argued that a shape like that of the new XJ/XF grille makes sense for a small car company like Jaguar, which could boost its brand clarity by focusing on a single, memorable grille design.

Getting the BMW Z4-sized front-engined, rear-drive XE to market is taking longer than some insiders had hoped. Although the two-seater is being planned in aluminium as a platform derivative of the next-generation XK coupé and convertible, the exact direction of each model is the subject of a fierce debate internally.

One faction reckons the next XK needs to get bigger and more luxurious to make room for the smaller car. That envisages the XK growing up to a size close to Maserati’s GranTurismo and featuring a pair of proper rear seats.

But another wants the XK to keep to its current theme and dimensions, which historically has been the foundation of its sales. The challenge is engineering the two cars on the same platform so they share costly elements like the front bulkhead and engine bay, but are also positioned sufficiently apart from each other to appeal to different customers at different price points.

CGI Designer Creates Audi R7 Concept Study

Audi has a rash of great designs as it stands, and I'm sure the future continues to hold promise. This designer, Gabriel Rhabi's R7 design study really makes you sit up and take notice. From the looks of the R7, it seemed he took the DNA of the TT and moved it successfully into a large sedan profile. To view additional work, click on the link below.

Merci for the photos Gabriel! - You can see more of Rhabi's work here

Lumma Design Panamera CLR 700GT

If there's one tuning firm you that you can trust with your eyes closed that it will create a wild proposal out of any kind of vehicle it gets its hands on, that has to be Lumma Design. And sure enough, the German company doesn't disappoint its fans with its new, Porsche Panamera-based CLR 700GT sports saloon.

These first photos - or computer enhanced pictures, we're not entirely sure, show that Lumma Design has gifted the Panamera sports sedan with an ultra-aggressive wide body kit that includes a modified hood with air outlets, restyled bumpers, a rear diffuser that incorporates quad tail pipes and a large rear wing.

The chunky fender extensions that house the 22-inch alloy wheels finished in black with silver rims along with the new side skirts round off the cosmetic upgrades. Furthermore, the sport sedan's ride height has been lowered by a significant 35mm.

Via: Autoblog.nl , Source: Lumma Design

Ford Shelby GT500 Gets Twin-Turbo 5.0L V8 Road Runner In 2012

Under going hot weather testing, the "Coyote" powered F-150 trucks have been seen running about. The 5.0 L V8 is no slouch with 400-hp estimated with equal lb-ft. torque, this is to replace the 5.4L V8 available at this printing. The "Road Runner" version is said to be twin-turbo charged, more fuel effectient version of the 5.0L V8 Coyote is expected to be optional in the 2012 GT500. It will deliver a thumping 500hp! The current 2010 Ford Shelby GT500 powered by Fors's 5.4L V8 makes 540-hp

Ford To Help Promote Microsoft Windows 7 Using SYNC

Microsoft Corp. said Ford Motor Co., Continental Airlines Inc., Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. and Intel Corp. will help introduce its Windows 7 operating system by upgrading to the new program.

Executives of the four companies appeared today with Microsoft Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer at an event in San Francisco to talk about their use of the software. Starwood put the program on computers in Sheraton hotel lobbies. Intel, which skipped the previous Windows upgrade, has 500 people trying it out.

Microsoft needs to generate interest among corporate customers for Windows 7, which goes on sale Oct. 22, after Windows Vista was adopted by relatively few during its almost three years on the market. Twenty-four percent of companies surveyed by Goldman Sachs Group Inc. said they will upgrade to Windows 7 in the first 12 to 18 months, and 67 percent plan to switch eventually, a higher rate than Vista achieved.

Vista was deployed by about 10 percent of customers in the first 12 to 18 months, Goldman said. In total, only 20 percent to 25 percent switched to Vista, according to Goldman.

Less to Spend

Ballmer has said businesses may need years to recover from the world economic decline. That means companies will have less money to spend on information technology.

“We’re going to have to compete for a share of that IT budget,” Ballmer said today. He said companies can save $90 to $160 a year per personal computer in labor costs.

Ford is planning to “aggressively move” to Windows 7, Microsoft said, as the automaker tries to offer better computer technology for a younger and more mobile workforce.

Starwood has put Windows 7 on Hewlett-Packard Co.’s touch- screen computers inSheraton hotels in seven cities, including New York and Seattle, said Hoyt Harper, a Starwood senior vice president who’s overseeing a project to refresh the Sheraton brand.

A key part of that project has been outfitting lobbies with computing areas where hotel guests can check e-mail, order food and drinks, and take digital photos to send electronic postcards. Some hotels will install Windows 7 on new touch- screen machines, while others will put the new operating system on existing computers in the lobby.

The software and touch-screen computers will let guests browse Microsoft’s Bing Maps program or play games. Starwood also plans to start installing Windows 7 on its corporate PCs.

Microsoft fell 8 cents to $25.75 at 4 p.m. New York time on the Nasdaq Stock Market. The shares have gained 32 percent this year.

Auto Observer

Navy's Future Command Center A Trek's Dream

The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacific (SPAWAR) is the Navy's new command center designed to create an "unfair advantage" over enemy forces. And I'll be damned if they didn't set it up to look like the USS Enterprise.

Spaceship-like setups include a 135-inch viewscreen, huge multi-touchscreen desks and fancy equipment and screens being scattered all over the damned place. Essentially, it looks like the future.

All this stuff is designed to tackle things like network-enabled warfare and management and systems designs, somewhat boring stuff compared to laser guns and the like, but probably way more important in future conflicts. In any case, I look forward to the time when they put all this stuff on a spaceship.

[CNET via Fast Company]

2010 Chevrolet Equinox Takes On The Competition

"Remember: This 2010 Chevrolet Equinox LT2's competitors are the Honda CR-V and Nissan Rogue," he tells us.

We kept repeating the words of the Chevrolet spokesman like a mantra while we were driving this compact crossover. We had a couple of good reasons.

First, the compact 2010 Equinox looks and feels as if it actually belongs in the same segment as larger, better-equipped SUVs. Second, this 2010 Chevrolet Equinox LT2's frugal 2.4-liter inline-4 engine was adequate for driving slowly on city streets or cruising at a steady speed on the highway, but it kept trying to get our attention in an annoying way despite its nifty noise-canceling loop built in to the vehicle's audio system.

We also kept saying the mantra to ourselves because the 2010 Chevy Equinox is better than the Honda CR-V and Nissan Rogue in so many ways.

2010 Chevrolet Equinox LT2 Full Test and Video on Inside Line

Penske Pulls Out Of Deal With GM To Purchase Saturn

The decision has come down swift and hard, but without a buyer,Saturn will go the way of Pontiacand Oldsmobile before it, according to GeneralMotors CEO Fritz Henderson. The news comes as Penske Automotive Group (PAG) has broken off talks to buy Saturn.

"This is very disappointing news and comes after months of hard work by hundreds of dedicated employees and Saturn retailers who tried to make the new Saturn a reality," said Henderson. "PAG’s announcement explained that their decision was not based on interactions with GM or Saturn retailers; rather it was because of the inability to source new products beyond what it had asked GM to build on contract."

That means Saturn is now going to begin the wind-down process of its brand and dealer network: the beginning of the end for the Saturn brand.

GM says Saturn vehicles will still be sold throughSaturn dealerships through the winding down process, and Saturn vehicles will still be serviced by other GM dealerships even after the brand is gone.

Both GM and Penske had hoped to move the Saturn brand forward through parts sourced intitally from GM, and later through a third-party contract with another manufacturer. That contract was rejected by the unnamed manufacturer's board of directors, however, leaving Penske without a parts supply for the period after the GM supply was due to end.

Posted in: Saturn, News

GM says that 50,000 people intend to buy a Chevy Volt

General Motors anticipates that there are 50,000 waiting customers for the 2011 Chevrolet Volt, judging by the number of people who registered at the website, indicating a “strong intention” to purchase one.

While Vice Chairman of Marketing Bob Lutz is holding these registrants to their intention, it remains highly likely that quite a few will be turned off by the estimated $40,000 price tag. When that happens, demand will far outstrip the initial supply. Lutz says that GM will be producing 10,000 Volts next year but by 2011, will increase production up to 50,000 units or so. This summer, GM had launched its “230″ campaign. “230” comes from the Volt’s preliminary EPA rating (230 mpg). If you’re one of those who can’t wait to drive a Volt, Lutz said that it’s possible GM would leverage early production cars in a system similar to the Chevrolet Equinox Fuel Cell’s “Project Driveway.” The system loans cars to consumers before the Volt reaches dealers.

Jaguar working on all-new five-door "coupe"

We're not exactly sure when this trend will end, but it now looks like Jaguar is preparing to join the five-door coupe club. Inside Line is reporting that a compact hatch, similar to Audi's new A5 Sportback, is in the works. An evolution of the R-D6 concept first shown back way in 2003, it is being called the RD7, and will feature rear suicide doors and an E-Type aping side-hinged rear hatch. Now that's one heritage element that would definitely look cool, but might not be too practical – we'll have to reserve judgment until we see the final product.

As Jaguar's X-Type is finally being phased out overseas, the logic is that the Gaydon firm needs an entry-level model to compete in the compact premium segment. Apparently Jag is considering both a three-door and a five-door version of this X-Type replacement, which would most likely be built on a slimmed down XF platform. Power is rumored to come from a 2.7-liter diesel V6.

Whatever the final form of the RD7, we'll have to wait a while to see it in showrooms. Next up for Jaguar is the spiritual successor to the XK-E, which is expected some time in 2011, the 50th anniversary of the original E-Type. Cash coming in from the popular XF and the recently revealed full-size.

[Source: Inside Line]