Should left turns be illegal?

If you sit down and think about it, the notion of making a left turn across oncoming traffic at a stoplight is pretty absurd. All that stands between you and certain oblivion is the hope that other drivers headed your direction are obeying the speed limit and paying enough attention to notice when the light turns red.

Traffic engineers have known for years that hanging a left increases the likelihood of an accident and wastes fuel. The minds at UPS have even gone so far as to design their delivery routes with fewer left turns, and transportation departments all over the country have adopted so-called “superstreets” that force drivers to make a right and then a U-turn in order to go left or straight.

Sound absurd? Think again. According to Smithsonian Magazine, researchers at North Carolina State University have found that the superstreet design is more efficient and safer than allowing drivers to turn across traffic. After examining data from 13 superstreet intersections and comparing them to their traditional counterparts, researchers found that, on average, the superstreets delivered a 20-percent decrease in travel time and caused 46 percent fewer reported traffic collisions. More importantly, the superstreet design caused 63-percent fewer accidents that resulted in personal injury.

There’s some food for thought the next time you’re hanging a left.

New Audi Cars Concept

The company is headquartered in Ingolstadt, Germany and has been a wholly-owned (99.55%) subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group (Volkswagen AG) since 1964. Volkswagen Group relaunched the Audi brand with the 1965 introduction of the Audi 60 range. Shortly thereafter the name was acquired as part of Volkswagen's purchase of the Auto Union assets from former owner, Daimler-Benz.

The company name is based on the surname of the founder August Horch, the name itself an English cognate with the English word "hark", meaning listen — which when translated into Latin, becomes Audi.

Audi Cars
Audi Cars
Audi Cars
Audi Cars
Audi Cars

1970s Mercedes C111 show car Damaged During Attempted Theft

A rare 1970s-era Mercedes-Benz C111 was the target for some thieves as the car waited on a transport trailer for a Channel crossing on its way to the Mercedes-Benz World Brooklands. They tried to nick it off a lorry bringing it to England. Of course, they didn't make it as the car the car is a mock-up and has no engine.

According to reports from across The Pond, the truck transporting the vintage concept car from Germany to the UK was hijacked by criminals looking to make off with the C111. The attempt was thwarted, but though now repaired, significant damage was reportedly incurred to one of the showcar's gullwing doors and to the front fender.

The C111 was a concept car by Mercedes-Benz which came in various alternative power train iterations, for which it was intended, throughout the 60s and 70s. Besides being fitted with turbocharged petrol/gasoline engines, Mercedes tried diesel and rotary engine power plants on it too. A C112 version also followed, fitted with a 6.0 liter V12. No version ever made it to production.

via: WCF

Volkswagen Golf Blue-E-Motion Concept

Volkswagen has unveiled the Golf blue-e-motion concept car in a ceremonial presentation today for the German Chancellor Dr. Angela Merkel.

The Golf blue-e-motion concept car is powered by an electric motor integrated in the engine compartment in front that delivers a total of 113 HP. The car has an autonomy of 150 kilometers and can hit a top speed of 86 mph, while the sprint from 0 to 60 mph is made in 11.8 seconds. The concept car will be undergoing tests in all conceivable weather conditions next year with the use of 500 test cars.

That electric engine is able to develop a maximum power of 85 kW, that means 115 horsepower, but the maximum torques is bigger, of 270 Nm which is obtained almost instantaneously. The engine is powered by a package of litiu-ion batteries placed centrally under the back seat and in the trunk, like this it’s capacity goes from 350 liters to 237 liters. Power comes from a lithium-ion battery with a capacity of 26.5 kilowatt-hours.


Press Release

Initial Facts: Golf blue-e-motion - Presentation at Foundation Event
for a "National Platform for Electric Mobility"

• Volkswagen Presents Golf blue-e-motion Concept to German Chancellor

• Golf powered by zero-emissions electric motor to launch in 2013

• Golf blue-e-motion with 150 km range will also satisfy driving needs
  of commuters

Wolfsburg / Berlin, 03 May 2010 - Today, German Chancellor Dr. Angela
Merkel will have a close look at a concept of the future Golf blue-e-motion
in Berlin. Volkswagen is forging new links to the era of electric mobility
with this pure electric drive version of the most successful European car
ever produced. In 2013, after the debut of the Up blue-e-motion (a new city
specialist), the Golf blue-e-motion and the technically closely-related
Jetta blue-e-motion will launch on the market. In the same timeframe, the
Lavida blue-e-motion will also launch in China. The stated objective:
Volkswagen wants to use bestsellers such as the Golf to take electric
vehicles out of their niche model status and to become the market leader for
a new type of sustainable mobility by 2018. This strategy coincides with
planning by the German federal government, which would like to see about one
million electric vehicles on the streets by 2020.

Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn, Chairman of the Board of Management of
Volkswagen AG: "Future electric cars give us enormous opportunities for
reshaping mobility to be even more sustainable. When it comes to the
environment, however, we must ensure that the energy used to operate these
electric cars is produced from renewable sources. Since automotive
manufacturers do not have any influence on the types of power plants that
are built, the federal government must ensure that eco-friendly energy
sources are utilised. Only then will we experience a genuine transition to a
new era."

In parallel with the electric vehicle offensive, Volkswagen is
accelerating the introduction of new hybrid models as well. The new Touareg
Hybrid is already on the market; in 2012 a hybrid version of the Jetta will
debut, then in 2013 the Golf Hybrid and Passat Hybrid will launch. Just as
methodically, Volkswagen will continue its development work on advanced and
extremely efficient petrol, diesel and natural gas engines (TDI, TSI,
EcoFuel), because it is an indisputable fact that a wide variety of drive
technologies will coexist far into the future. "This makes it all the more
important for the German federal government to proactively support the
introduction of new technologies. With regard to electric mobility, the
current temporary exemption of E-cars from taxes is inadequate," says Prof.
Dr. Winterkorn. The Volkswagen chief continues: "Starting in 2013 - the
launch year for many new electric vehicles - the purchase of cars with
zero-emissions drive systems should be promoted with a sustainability
incentive. France, for example, has already pledged a cash incentive of
several thousand Euros to buyers. We need to send such a signal in Germany
as well. Moreover, and this is no less important, the German federal
government must very quickly make provisions for broad coverage with a
network of recharging stations across the republic, so that the
infrastructure is available at the same time the electric car offensive is
launched. Each new recharging station will also reinforce the public's trust
in the everyday utility of electric vehicles. Both of these components -
state-funded incentives and infrastructure - are crucial and cannot endure
any delay."

Golf blue-e-motion concept car - highly anticipated

The Golf blue-e-motion concept being presented to German Chancellor
Angela Merkel will be powered by an electric motor integrated in the engine
compartment in front, and its power of 85 kW / 115 PS drives the car
silently. Like all electric motors, the motor used in the Golf also outputs
a very high maximum torque (270 Newton-meter) right from a stop. The result:
more fun in zero-emissions driving. The electricity for driving the electric
motor is stored in a lithium-ion battery with a capacity of 26.5
kilowatt-hours.

A driving range of up to 150 kilometres can be realised in the Golf
blue-e-motion; the specific range depends on driving style and factors such
as use of the air conditioning and heating system. This range meets the
needs of most German commuters: According to the German Federal Statistical
Office, 6 of every 10 people in the workforce commute by car - on average
45.8 percent drive less than 10 kilometres (one-way commute), another 28.1
percent between 10 and 25 kilometres and 16.2 percent over 25 kilometres.
The Golf blue-e-motion can also handle the driving ranges typically covered
by many service providers. In short-distance driving, the zero-emissions
Golf offers a sustainable solution to private users as well.

More noticeably than on today's modern petrol or diesel engines, the
maximum range of an electric car is severely reduced when its maximum power
is demanded frequently. However, the Golf blue-e-motion - with its top speed
of 140 km/h - provides ample power reserves so that less energy is consumed
while driving, and it can even coast or "sail". "Sailing" occurs whenever
the driver - adopting an anticipatory style of driving - releases the gas
pedal, or more apropos: the electric pedal. As in the drive system of the
Touareg Hybrid, which is being produced today, the motor is then is
disengaged from the drivetrain so that the car can coast with the least
possible drag. The Golf blue-e-motion even recovers kinetically generated
energy by battery regeneration in this mode of driving.

Adapted to the vehicle's architecture, the concept car's battery unit is
located in the bootspace (useful remaining cargo capacity: 237 litres),
under the rear bench seat and in the centre tunnel (between the front
seats). A separate air cooling system ensures a constant thermal environment
in the battery compartment.

As mentioned, all key primary and secondary drive components were
integrated in the engine compartment at the front of the vehicle. In coming
up with this design, developers applied experience they gained in numerous
design studies. As in the E-Up concept car, an integral form of electric
drive is used in the Golf blue-e-motion. Representing the core of the
integral drive are the electric motor together with a transmission and
differential. Energy management is handled by a high-voltage
pulse-controlled inverter, which - along with the 12 Volt electrical
system's DC/DC converter and charging module - is integrated in the compact
integral drive. The entire unit is relatively light and compact. The
five-door and five-seat Golf blue-e-motion, for example, weighs just 205
kilograms more than a comparable Golf BlueMotion TDI with DSG - despite the
fact that electric car batteries are known to be heavy and weigh 1,545
kilograms on the concept car.

Next year, Volkswagen will be testing the drivetrain and energy storage
modules of the future Golf blue-e-motion with a fleet of 500 test cars -
under all conceivable conditions. Essentially, the countdown to production
launch of the future Golf blue-e-motion has already begun. The future is
almost here, especially in Germany, because this is where one million
electric vehicles will be on the roads starting in 2020 - this goal was
resolved by the German federal government on August 2009 and is established
in the "National Development Plan for Electric Mobility." A long road lies
ahead of us until 2020, especially since battery costs certainly need to be
drastically reduced. However, another certainty is that a large number of
the one million electric vehicles of the year 2020 will wear the VW badge.

Golf blue-e-motion Concept Car – Technical Data
Dimensions
Length	4,199 mm
Width	1,786 mm
Height	1,480 mm
Wheelbase	2,575 mm
Drive System
Drive type	Electric motor
Power (max. / continuous)	85 kW / 50 kW
Max. torque	270 Nm
Transmission / Tyres
Transmission	EQ 210 (1-gear transmission)
Final drive type	Front-wheel drive
Tyre size	205/55 R16
Driving Performance
0-100 km/h	11.8 s
Top speed	140 km/h
CO2 emissions with electricity generated from renewable sources	Negligible

2010 Suzuki Concept Kizashi Turbo

Suzuki has premiered the 2010 Kizashi Turbo Concept on the 30th of April.

The concept was born out of the designs of Suzuki tuner Road Race Motorsports working with a pre-production Kizashi GTS. Road Race Motorsports added its own 16G turbocharger, high-flow intercooler, an extreme spray injector, a blow-off valve and a velocity air intake. All that takes the Kizashi up to a competitive 290 bhp (216 kW).

The power will be set to 216kW in a 2.4-litre 4-cylinder engine. The base power for the GTS is only 138kW, therefore the Road Race upgrade is quite hefty in the power department.

Other goodies include the custom fuel management, Road Race’s Sleeper blow-off valve, Velocity air intake and Extreme spray injector as wel as a custom crafted turbo manifold and a 38 mm wastegate supplied by Tial. With all these installed, the car carries now an impressive 290 hp, more than enough we’d say to deliver impressive performances via 19-inch Dunlop tires. Also, for better stability, a new set of Road Race sport springs were installed as well as a rear-mounted spoiler delivered by Delta Tech Engineering
Source: Suzuki





Press Release

SUZUKI'S CONCEPT TURBO KIZASHI ‘BLOWS' DOORS OFF MIDSIZE COMPETITION

Blower heightens the excitement with lowered, tuned Kizashi

BREA, Calif. (April 30, 2010) - After an impressive performance preview of Suzuki's 2010 Kizashi at last fall's Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show in Las Vegas, the heightened fun (on closed course, with professional driver) continues with the debut of Kizashi's concept turbocharged variant. As seen - beginning this month - with racer Tommy Kendall and his Speed Channel program "Test Drive," this newest Kizashi concept morphs the intended definition of Kizashi from the Japanese - "something great is coming" - into "what might be coming next?"

In production form, the all-new Kizashi delivers a premium package and experience without the premium price tag, providing a unique blend of dynamic performance attributes and features more appropriate to the near-luxury sport sedan segment. The performance experts at Road Race Motorsports build on those performance attributes and near-luxury features with a host of mods designed to heighten the excitement factor while lowering the Kizashi's lap times on any closed-course venue.

Road Race Motorsports, one of the chief suppliers of go-fast goods for Suzuki automotive enthusiasts, began the Suzuki turbo project with a pre-production Kizashi GTS. Boost is supplied to the stock heads and block by a 16G turbocharger, while temp is kept in check with Road Race Motorsports' own high flow intercooler. Other adds on the hardware menu include custom fuel management, Road Race's Sleeper blow-off valve, Velocity air intake and Extreme spray injector. The equal length turbo manifold is custom crafted, while the 38mm wastegate is supplied by Tial.

The enhanced power bumps the Kizashi's already impressive engine to 290 hp and is connected to the track pavement via 19-inch Dunlops. Those are kept connected to the course by Road Race's own sport springs, working in combination with Kizashi's ultra-rigid unibody and all-independent suspension. High-speed stability is enhanced with the addition of a rear-mounted spoiler supplied by Delta Tech Engineering. The end result on the track - with either Road Race founder Rob Tallini, Tommy Kendall or the Suzuki enthusiast behind the wheel - is the need for speed suddenly and fully satisfied.

Air dates for the newest edition of Speed Channel's "Test Drive" begin on April 30, 2010. For a complete schedule, visit the Speed Channel website.

Official: Citroen DS High Rider Concept Interior

The French carmaker has released new images and details of the Citroen DS High Rider interior. Citroen released today the first images of the interior of DS High Rider concept presented in Geneva in March and expected to anticipate the future design guidelines of DS4 and also of the C4.

The interior door panels are trimmed with a graduated grey to gold shading that’s supposed to match the golden tone of the DS High Rider Concept car’s golden exterior paintwork. You can also spot a colour screen in the centre console and the ‘Hybrid’ badge just below the gear stick.

The concept’s interior offers a clear contrast, as its dark-shaded roof lining meets the vehicle’s large panoramic windscreen. The luxurious details are complemented by a set of bespoke badging: the dashboard features embossed DS initials, while the seats use chrome DS inserts.

On the instrument panel, seats and door panels the automaker uses full-grain leather, chrome detailing around the dials, steering wheel, air vents, gear knob and center console, plus various golden and grey accents.





Press Release

STEP INSIDE CITROËN'S DS HIGH RIDER

Citroën has revealed the interior of the DS High Rider concept - which was originally showcased at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show. In line with the car's distinctive exterior styling, DS High Rider's cockpit exudes strength, dynamism and refinement, with the utmost care and precision applied to even the smallest details. The ergonomic design of the controls, the quality of the carefully selected materials and the prestigious atmosphere on board convey status, elegance and the promise of luxurious comfort.

With a clear contrast between DS High Rider's large panoramic windscreen and its dark-shaded roof lining, the cabin is an exclusive environment with an emphasis on sporting luxury - also evidenced by the extensive application of leather and chrome detailing.

The instrument panel, seats and door panels are all finished in a quality, full-grain leather with clearly defined over-stitching and a ‘bracelet' design on the seats. The DS initials are also subtly embossed into the leatherwork of the dashboard.

Completing the dynamic ambience of the interior, chrome detailing is used around the dials, steering wheel, air vents, gear stick and the arch that connects the instrument panel to the console. Chrome ‘DS' inserts also feature, positioned just below the headrests on each of the front seats.

Mirroring the golden tone of the DS High Rider's bodywork, the interior door panels are trimmed with a graduated grey to gold shading that required the careful application of specific varnishes to achieve the gilded, metallic look.

DS High Rider's technology can be glimpsed in the controls mounted on the sculpted steering wheel, the colour screen in the centre console and the ‘Hybrid' badge just below the gear stick - which asserts the model's ecologically sensitive drivetrain.

Beijing _ 2010 BMW Concept Gran Coupe

BMW unveiled the Concept Gran Coupe today at the Beijing Auto Show, China. the all-new 2010 BMW Concept Gran Coupe has been revealed, finally confirming BMW’s intention to enter the burgeoning four-door coupe market.

The four-door includes a variety of distinct features like the vaulted hood with forward-facing lines, a longer wheelbase, coupe-style roofline and short front overhang. BMW describes the intent of the concept: “the BMW Concept Gran Coupé carries the essence of brand values and the genes of BMW design into the future.”

At 1.4-meters high, the car is 10-cm shorter in height than the 5er and 7er sedan. Current rumors suggest that the car is already approved for production and will be marketed as the BMW 6-Series Gran Coupe to rival the Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class, a car which BMW does not directly compete against at this time.

According to BMW sources, the car is headed for production in 2012 and will be built on the same platform that underpins the 5-Series, 7-Series and the 5-Series Gran Turismo. The production model will be offered with the same mix of 6- and 8-cylinder gasoline and diesel engines as those models.





Press Release

Elegance and dynamic performance at the first BMW Design Night in Beijing.

Munich. With an exclusive Design Night on the evening of the first press day at Auto China in Beijing (April 23rd to May 2nd 2010), BMW provides an in-depth insight into its design philosophy and development strategy. The program of the BMW Design Night is modular in structure and presents extensive background information on the premium automobile manufacturer's innovative design culture. In addition to highlighting the long versions of the BMW 5 Series developed specially for the Chinese market, the main focus is on an elegant 4-door vehicle with striking dynamic proportions: the BMW Concept Gran Coupé.

The concept study on display symbolises the outstanding design expertise of BMW. The BMW Concept Gran Coupé concentrates the fundamental values of the brand. Its body design authentically captures a sense of superior dynamic performance and high-quality elegance. The shaping style, which follows a coherent pattern down to the last detail, convincingly visualises BMW's philosophy as an automobile manufacturer. As with the Concept CS 2007, BMW once again sets new benchmarks in the design of 4-door coupes with a distinctive sporty character.

Based on a powerful tradition in this segment, the BMW Concept Gran Coupé carries the essence of brand values and the genes of BMW design into the future. The concept shows the classic features of all BMW coupes: the long wheelbase, the vaulted bonnet with forward-pointing lines, the set-back greenhouse, the flat silhouette, the coupe-style roof line and the short front overhang reflect the dynamic potential of the vehicle. The surface structures and the fact that the design quality is geared towards perfection illustrate the aspiration of the brand BMW to build 4-door high-performance coupes with the sportiest proportions and the most elegant design.

In the BMW Concept Gran Coupé, BMW presents the vision of a 4-door vehicle which combines the exclusivity of a Gran Turismo with the fascination of a high-performance sports car. The design of the concept study underscores the expertise of the brand BMW in the development of vehicles with a distinctive sporty character which offer space for more than two occupants. This reflects the particular quality of the BMW Group design philosophy, which consists in precisely and authentically translating the specific values of product substance into an aesthetically convincing shaping style. The design process is set through with a passion for aesthetic appeal and dynamic performance, precision and perfection. This is how the uncompromising premium aspiration of a BMW Group product, the unmistakable style of the brand BMW and the precisely defined character of each model are given concrete form.

The body design of the BMW Concept Gran Coupé expresses sporty flair in its ultimate form. The 4-door vehicle clearly signals the very highest level of dynamic performance with its extremely elegant, flat and coupe-like proportions. Stretching the entire length of the vehicle and therefore measuring almost 5 metres, flowing lines dominate the design, giving rise to outstanding aerodynamic levels, just as the low centre of gravity reflects an agile driving response.

The front section is defined by the BMW kidney grille characteristic of the brand - an icon of body design which is not just central but also a dominating element of front design. The kidney grille of the BMW Concept Gran Coupé has a flat appearance, with an asymmetrical side view which emphasises the close attention to detail. The central section with the kidney grille is formally separated from other BMW icons such as the headlights and air inlets. The clarity of the LED front lights highlights the vehicle's precision and premium aspirations. The air inlet runs back an extremely long way into the side section, making the front section appear particularly wide. All elements of the front section appear to merge to form a single, elegantly curved movement.

The sporty, flat silhouette provides an impressive body height of just under 1.40 metres. This makes the BMW Concept Gran Coupé up to 100 millimetres flatter than the BMW 5 Series or the BMW 7 Series Sedan. The roof line tapers off gently into the rear, thereby elongating the vehicle's proportions. The forward-tilted shark nose visually extends the bonnet and creates characteristic BMW proportions with its forward-pointing dynamism. This stretched character is also highlighted by the side lines, where there is a deliberate avoidance of the typical sill line. The flat proportions make the window graphics appear extremely narrow and dynamic at the same time. Another BMW design icon, the Hofmeister kink, is especially strikingly formed - additionally emphasising the exclusive character of the vehicle. The frameless doors give the BMW Concept Gran Coupé a modern character since the glass surfaces appear to merge seamlessly without being interrupted by columns.

At the rear, only design elements such as the lights and tailpipe trim appear to be visible at first sight. The entire rear section appears slimmer and lighter at the centre, though still exuding power and dynamic performance since the volume is reinforced towards the sides. The L-shaped light banks feature a slight, almost subtle curve and the entire design of the lines and surfaces highlights the vehicle's elegant overall appearance. The third brake light, positioned in the rear window, is also fitted with LED technology. It takes up the kink in the roof and illuminates the entire width of the rear window. The powerfully flared wheel arches above the rear axle highlight the particularly sporty character of the BMW Concept Gran Coupé.

Another highly sporty and also elegant feature is the rim concept in which the individual spokes extend deep into the centre of the rim towards the hub, giving the rim a striking three-dimensional quality. The spokes themselves are not solid but relief-milled, giving them a visual lightness.

The sculptural shaping style characteristic of the entire body design of the BMW Concept Gran Coupé permits a unique interaction between concave and convex surfaces. It also enables the light to be selectively reflected and channelled. Thus the exterior mirrors integrated in the window shaft appear very light, blending harmoniously into the side view since their shape assimilates the entire line styling. The BMW Concept Gran Coupé is a further development of the classic design of a notchback sedan in which the individual body sections merge harmoniously into a flat, elongated and at the same time dynamic overall image. The effect of this 4-door vehicle derives not just from specific highlights but from its overall appearance, which authentically reflects its character. The car's dynamic potential is embodied in its proportions and lines, signalling power but also elegance and forward thrust.