Archive for the ‘Automotive’ Category

Audi has always been synonymous with clean evolutionary designed cars and this example doesn’t stray from the proverbial Audi design path. The Audi Quattro was a road and rally car produced by the German auto manufacturing company which is part of the Volkswagen Group. While it had just a brief history, it laid the ground work for Audi’s infamous all wheel drive technology that’s still utilised in most Audi’s today. The Quattro was first manufactured in 1980 and production continued up to 1991 sporting a potent turbo charged engine. According to Wikipedia: The Audi Quattro was the first rally car to take advantage of the then-recently changed rules which allowed the use of four-wheel drive in competition racing. It won competition after competition for the next two years. To commemorate the success of the original vehicle, all subsequent Audis with their trademark quattro four-wheel-drive system were badged "quattro" with a lower case "q" and in a distinct Read More

One of the major flaws with electrical or hybrid cars is that one cannot hear the car approaching you, since we’re so used to the sound of oncoming traffic. This can lead to severe pedestrian accidents. The idea of silent cars can be pleasing to some, especially if you live near congested freeways or near the inner city causing huge noise pollution – even though petrol heads will likely differ. I think this is one of the most beneficial concepts of electrical or hybrid cars to me – except for the obvious green effect on the overall ecology – is that it's so quiet. I must confess that this was always a thought that went through my mind. With the advent of cars that doesn't make a [huge] noise, how will we ever hear or be aware of oncoming traffic without being in harm's way? Well, Audi has addressed this problem by creating a "sonic noise" to notify pedestrians of an oncoming vehicle called e-sound. The first car that will feature this new sound technology will Read More

Apparently the BMW i8 is not even in production yet and already BMW AG is preparing the next generation. It's not clear exactly when the BMW i8 will be released, but fortunately there are leaked photos now available originally posted on autoforum.cz. The BMW i8 is not a new concept model as it has been introduced about a year ago. However since it was a concept model at that time,  more accurate information are now available. According to worldcarsfans.com: Differences spotted from the i8 concept which debuted in Frankfurt last year include solid panel doors with repositioned mirrors, black windshield pillars, rear roof area, rear seats deleted and obviously no roof. The vehicle appears to be the same everywhere else. The i8 Spyder concept will most likely keep its powertrain the same as well. The plug-in hybrid features a turbocharged 1.5-liter three-cylinder petrol engine which works with an electric motor to give a combined output of 353 PS (260 kW / 349 hp) and Read More

Back in 2011 Ford introduced a new concept car at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor show called the EVOS. The body design is actually rather futuristic and slightly odd-looking perhaps, which consists of four gull wing type doors comprising of a four seat layout. It also incorporates an individual driver seat in red with a unique ahead of its time driver interface. At the back you’ll find two rear touch screen displays for passenger entertainment. The rear seats are also adjustable sport seats like at the front. According to designboom: The concept's technology experience embraces a new generation of driver interaction and awareness, in which the seamless connectivity between the vehicle and the driver's 'personal cloud' of information is the heart of the vision for its capabilities. With information from the cloud, the vehicle is able to provide the same connected lifestyle the driver experiences at home or the office. The car knows the driver, automatically adapting its Read More