I’m generally not one to post up about the environment, politics and or government affairs. After watching the trailer for “Earth 2050″ however it seems painfully obvious that if we want to keep enjoying the vehicles we love, that most of us should take notice of what’s happening to our planet. Click through and check it out.
You can also view the full length video (42:39) .
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We’re all familiar with the venerable Otto cycle—intake, compression, expansion, exhaust. But that’s just not enough for veteran race engine builder and performance aftermarket mogul Bruce Cower. He added another two. The Crower Six Stroke promised to boost power and efficiency while eliminating the cooling system altogether years ago. So what happened to the concept engine?
*Image Source: gev.com
I’ve been in California less than a month and I’ve already seen more “green” cars then I’d seen in a year back in the New York metro area. The Toyota Prius for example – these suckers are EVERYWHERE. Then there are the gaggles of Tesla Roadsters, Chevrolet Volts and Nissan Leafs that roam the freeways. It’s strange, but I’ve got to admit it feels pretty good to see these cars on the road. Back in NY it was almost part of the culture NOT to be green as most New Yorkers I know simply didn’t take recycling seriously. Here in the Bay area though, it’s part of everyday life. From riding your bicycle to work, to having three different garbage cans for your waste materials, going green is definitely the thing to do around here. Now while it’s doubtful I’ll be getting rid of my 8-mpg muscle cars anytime soon, I’m actually considering buying something a bit more economical for a third car. Who knows, maybe these Californian’s are actually onto something…
Infiniti's M35h runs at Britain's Santa Pod Raceway. Image: Infiniti
Mention the phrase “hybrid car” to most enthusiasts, and their eyes glaze over before they nod off to sleep. By definition, hybrid cars contain two propulsion systems, which makes them heavy and overly complex. Worse, most are built simply to get you from point “A” to point “B” using as little fuel as possible, so typical hybrids are slow, lumbering beasts with the acceleration of moped and the handling of an economy car, Carrying a load of bricks on the hood. Read More…
If you’re counting down the days until the release of Ken Block’s Gymkhana Four, you’ve only got four more days to go. Gymkhana Four, starring Ken Block and his Hybrid Function Hoon Vehicle (HFHV), will hit You Tube on Tuesday, August 16. We hope it’s not a DC shoes sales pitch, thinly disguised as a hip-hop video, but the trailer below seems to indicate that it’s the real deal. Read More…
Image: Ford Motor Company
Want to buy a diesel-powered compact sedan or station wagon in the U.S.? You’ve got some options today, including the VW TDI models, Audi’s A3 TDI and (soon) the Chevy Cruze diesel. If you’re holding your breath waiting for Ford to release a diesel powered Fiesta, Focus or Fusion, we can offer this sage advice: don’t. Ford has no immediate plans to bring diesel into the United States, despite offering turbodiesel engines nearly everywhere else in the world. In fact, the new Ranger pickup is a good example of a global, diesel powered vehicle that we’re not getting on this side of the pond. Read More…
Image: Jane M. Sawyer
Compromise means that no one walks away from the table happy, but no one walks away really pissed off, either. Such is the case with the newly agreed upon CAFE standards for 2025: no one’s really happy with them, but no one found them overly objectionable, either. The EPA, and the Obama administration, had initially pushed for a standard of 62 mpg before agreeing to back off to 56.2 mpg. Although it’s really splitting hairs, the administration and the automakers agreed on a target of 54.5 mpg. Read More…
Man… it looks like just about everyone is jumping on the electric bandwagon. First it was cars, then motorcycles and now boats. I suppose it was inevitable that boaters would follow suit, however it seems like the cost of admission is unbelievably high. This is the EPIC 232se Electric Sport Boat, a boat that’s designed specifically for wake boarding. It’s sleek, fast and can hold a charge for up to 10 hours, however it also cost a whopping a $150,000 which is a lot of scratch for a 23-foot tow vehicle. Granted the EPIC 232se is filled to the gills with the latest and greatest in electric vehicle technology, but $150,000 just seems like and exorbitant amount of money to pay for a boat that does little more than tow you around a lake at speed.
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A few days back, the Associated Press broke a story about Chevrolet introducing a 50 mile-per-gallon, diesel-powered Cruze. In case you haven’t been following recent car sales numbers, the Cruze has been the best selling compact car in the U.S. for the past few months, and there’s good reason for that. It’s stylish, it’s comfortable and it’s priced right; in short, it’s the kind of car that Saturn should have been cranking out all along. You can get a Cruze with several engine options in America, and you can even buy it with a turbodiesel in other parts of the world (Australia, for example). Read More…
When you think of automakers who give the single-digit salute to environmentalists everywhere, who comes to mind? Clearly Hummer is the obvious choice, but they’re out of business. Who’s next on your list – Ferrari? Lamborghini? Bentley or Rolls-Royce? If you’re Greenpeace, the automaker in your crosshairs is Volkswagen, who Greenpeace accuses of overstating their environmental record and resisting attempts to make cars like the Golf more fuel efficient (um, Golf TDI, anyone?). Read More…
