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