Monday, October 12, 2009

GM Says Chevy Volt Will Get 230 mpg in City Driving

Extended-Range Electric Vehicle Should Go On Sale Late Next Year

General Motors Corp. said Tuesday its Chevrolet Volt rechargeable electric car should get 230 miles per gallon (98 kilometers per liter) of gasoline in city driving, more than four times the current champion, the Toyota Prius.

The Volt is powered by an electric motor and a battery pack with a 40-mile (65-kilometer) range. After that, a small internal combustion engine kicks in to generate electricity for a total range of 300 miles (480 kilometers). The battery pack can be recharged from a standard home outlet.

GM came up with the 230-mile (370-kilometer) figure in early tests using draft guidelines from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for calculating the mileage of extended range electric vehicles, said Tony Posawatz, GM's vehicle line director for the Volt.

If the figure is confirmed by the EPA, which does the tests for the mileage posted onnew car door stickers, the Volt would be the first car to exceed triple-digit gas mileage, Posawatz said.

GM has produced about 30 Volts so far and is making 10 a week, CEO Fritz Henderson said during a presentation of the vehicle at the company's technical center in the Detroit suburb of Warren.

Henderson said charging the volt will cost about 40 cents a day.

"The EPA labels can and will be a game changer for us," he said.

Most automakers are working similar plug-in designs, but GM could be the leader with the Volt, which is due in showrooms late in 2010.

Toyota's Prius, the most efficient car now sold in the U.S., gets 48 miles per gallon (20 kilometers per liter) of gas. It is a gas-electric hybrid that runs on a small internal combustion engine assisted by a battery-powered electric motor to save gasoline.

The first-generation Volt is expected to cost near $40,000, making it cost-prohibitive to many people even if gasoline returns to $4 per gallon. The price is expected to drop with future generations of the Volt, but GM has said government tax credits and the savings on fuel could make it cost-effective, especially at 230 miles per gallon (98 kilometers per liter).

"We get a little cautious about trying to forecast what fuel prices will do," Posawatz said. "We achieved this number and if fuel prices go up, it certainly does get more attractive even in the near-term generation," he said.

Figures for the Volt's highway and combined city/highway mileage have not yet been calculated, Posawatz said. The combined mileage will be in the triple digits as well, he said, but both combined and highway will be worse than city because the engine runs more on longer highway trips.

The EPA guidelines, developed with input from automakers, figure that cars like the Volt will travel more on straight electricity in the city than on the highway. If a person drives the Volt less than 40 miles (65 kilometers), in theory they could go without using gasoline.

The mileage figure could vary as the guidelines are refined and the Volt gets further along in the manufacturing process, Posawatz said.

GM is nearly halfway through building about 80 Volts that will look and behave like the production model, and testing is running on schedule, Posawatz said.

Two critical areas, battery life and the electronic switching between battery and engine power, are still being refined, but the car is on schedule to reach showrooms late in 2010, he said.

GM is simulating tests to make sure the new lithium-ion batteries last 10 years, Posawatz said.

"We're further along, but we're still quite a ways from home," he said. "We're developing quite a knowledge base on all this stuff. Our confidence is growing."

The other area of new technology, switching between battery and engine power, is proceeding well, he said, with engineers just fine-tuning the operations.

"We're very pleased with the transition from when it's driving EV (electric vehicle) to when the engine and generator kick in," he said,

GM also is finishing work on the power cord, which will be durable enough that it can survive being run over by the car. The Volt, he said, will have software on board so it can be programmed to begin and end charging during off-peak electrical use hours.

Chrysler LLC, Ford Motor Co. and Daimler AG are all developing plug-ins and electric cars, and Toyota Motor Corp. is working on a plug-in version of its gas-electric hybrid system. Nissan Motor Co. announced last month that it would begin selling an electric vehicle in Japan and the U.S. next year.

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Top Crossovers for 2009

Crossover vehicles (CUVs) are today's answer to consumer demand for truly versatile vehicles. Besides having more passenger and cargo room than your typical four-door sedan, CUVs are usually more fuel efficient and more fun to drive than clunky SUVs. For 2009, automakers are continuing to refine the CUV, making these vehicles a good overall value. Are you ready to trade in your compact car, old sedan or giant SUV? Check out these 2009 model CUVs for some transportation inspiration.



Suzuki SX4

Suzuki's 2009 SX4 Crossover is one of the year's best buys. At around $16,000, the 2009 Suzuki SX4 comes standard with a super cool flip-top Garmin navigation system. This five-seat CUV has a fun-to-drive 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine. Plus, the 2009 Suzuki SX4 Crossover is an all-wheel-drive vehicle, making it great for driving in all kinds of weather. The Suzuki SX4 also has rather good cargo space with its large hatchback and fold-flat second row seats.


See 2009 Suzuki SX4 Photos

Toyota Venza

Toyota considers its 2009 Toyota Venza a passenger car. In actuality, Toyota's five-seat Venza is blend of hatchback wagon and CUV with tons of high-tech features for about $26,000. The Venza is offered in four - and six-cylinder engines, which have been described as powerful and agile. Inside, the Venza is spacious with 70 cubic feet of cargo capacity and is built with upgraded materials and trims. Toyota's Venza also comes with tons of luxury-minded features.

See 2009 Toyota Venza Photos

Infiniti FX35

The 2009 Infiniti FX35 is one of the most luxurious CUVs on the market today. With a base price of $42,150, the five-door, five-passenger 2009 Infiniti FX35 comes with a long list of standard features, an uber stylish interior and a sexy, curvaceous exterior. As for performance, the 2009 Infiniti FX35 has a powerful 3.5-liter V6, seven-speed automatic transmission engine, which also features futuristic engineering like intelligent brake assist and lane departure prevention.
See 2009 Infiniti FX35 Photos


Nissan Murano

Nissan's Murano was one of the first CUVs to offer style, a sporty attitude and excellent performance. For 2009, the second-generation Murano continues to combine Nissan's premium 3.5-liter V6 engine with tons of technology, lots of luxury appointments, versatile cargo room and rather masculine, yet thoroughly pleasing interior. Outside, the 2009 Nissan Murano gets a mini makeover with a wider front grille, stronger body lines and a more distinctive back end.

See 2009 Nissan Murano Photos

Subaru Forester


Subaru is an oft overlooked car maker, but CUV lovers should be sure to check out the award-winning 2009 Subaru Forester. Starting around $20,000, the Forester is an excellent all-weather vehicle with its handles-like-a-car 2.5-liter, four-cylinder engine and standard all-wheel-drive. No longer geeky-looking inside or out, the 2009 Subaru Forester is now a sophisticated, sporty ride for commuters, soccer moms and especially for those who need reliable, versatile vehicles for colder climates.

2010 Kia Soul

Not available until late 2009, the 2010 Kia Soul may be worth the wait. Built to compete against Toyota's Scion and Honda's Element, the five-seat Kia Soul is a funky urban utility vehicle. Kia calls the Soul's interior cabin a "personal lounge on wheels" with its roomy cabin, 14 storage zones and highly customizable colors, fabrics and audio systems. As for performance, the Kia Soul has two options: a 1.5-liter and a 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine.

See 2010 Kia Soul Photos

Mazda CX-9

Mazda's 2009 CX-9 compares to the best luxury CUVs on the market, with its room for seven, sporty engine, sexy design, luxury features and versatile cargo space. Available in either front-wheel or all-wheel-drive, the Mazda CX-9 offers superior driving performance with its 3.7-liter V6 engine. The interior's wrap-around cockpit design is superbly elegant as well as highly functional. The Mazda CX-9 also boasts a superb audio system and optional DVD entertainment system.

See 2009 Mazda CX-9 Photos

Ford Flex

You may think the 2009 Ford Flex is an SUV with its large size and seating for seven adults, but you'd be wrong. This award-winning CUV is super stylish both inside and out, has tons of room and has rather unique features from the Vista sunroof to a built-in refrigerator to Ford's high-tech SYNC connectivity system. The Flex's powerful 3.5 liter V6 engine is also exceptional with excellent acceleration, handling, braking and suspension.
See 2009 Ford Flex Photos

Honda CR-V

Honda's CR-V is one of the best-selling CUVs ever. Why? The 2009 Honda CR-V has it all: a stylish exterior, spacious interior, excellent safety, a low price, great reliability and a sporty drive. The 2009 CR-V comes in three trim levels from the basic LX to the EX to the EX-L, which has premium features like GPS navigation and a rear view camera. Plus, the CR-V's zippy 2.4-liter, four-cylinder engine is definitely a fun-to-drive ride.


See 2009 Honda CR-V Photos

Scion xB

For 2009, Toyota has redesigned its Scion xB as a super sexy urban utility vehicle. With a low price and a long list of standard features, the 2009 Scion xB is a best buy for a five-seat CUV as the xB has decent fuel economy, a roomy interior, zippy 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine, tons of cargo space, excellent safety ratings and lots of cool optional features, especially when it comes to the xB's rocking sound systems.

See 2009 Scion xB Photos

Sunday, August 2, 2009

OLD is GOLD old Mercedes Benz car for your wallpaper with high resolution

Mercedes Benz 300 SC Coupe


It has a four-speed gearbox and four-wheel independent suspension with coils springs and tubular shock absorbers. Since new, it has been treated to a professional restoration and finished in a dark-blue exterior. The gray leather interior and wood work have also been treated to a restoration that has brought them to concours condition.
The car came equipped from the factory with an authentic Becker Mexico radio, built-in luggage, and an optional folding rear seat.
It is one of only 98 examples produced.
It was offered for sale at the 2006 Gooding & Company Auction held in Pebble Beach, CA where it was estimated to sell for $225,000-$275,000. The car was offered with a reserve, which did not seem to matter, as bidding settled at $275,000.

HISTORY
Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. It is currently a division of the parent company, Daimler AG (formerly DaimlerChrysler AG), after previously being owned by Daimler-Benz. Mercedes-Benz has its origins in Karl Benz's creation of the first gasoline-powered automobile in January 1886,[1] and by Gottlieb Daimler and engineer Wilhelm Maybach's conversion of a carriage by the addition of a petrol engine the same year. The Mercedes automobile was
first marketed in 1901 by Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft.
The first Mercedes-Benz brand name vehicles were produced in 1926, following the merger of Karl Benz's and Gottlieb Daimler's companies into the Daimler-Benz company.[1] Mercedes-Benz has introduced many technological and safety innovations that have become common in other
Mercedes-Benz is currently active in three forms of motorsport, Formula Three, DTM and Formula One. In Formula One, the company part owns Team McLaren and has supplied the team with engines engineered by Ilmor[6] since 1995.
This partnership has brought success, including Drivers Championships for Mika Häkkinen in 1998 and 1999 and for Lewis Hamilton in 2008, as well as a Constructors Championship in 1998.
The collaboration with McLaren has been extended into the production of roadgoing cars such as the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren.




Saturday, August 1, 2009

Best Lamborghini car wallpapers with high resolution


We were beginning to wonder if our exclusive on the Lamborghini Reventon Roadster back in March was going to fall apart. We’d heard that Lamborghini were struggling to find enough punters to stick a deposit on the 9 cars originally planned, and that was accounting for the delay. But it looks like Lamborghini has given up on that plan, and are instead going to unofficially reveal the Reventon Roadster today to a bunch of likely clients.

There now seems to be a bit of confusion over exactly which powerplant the Reventon Roadster will use. Lamborghini’s original plan was to make a Roadster version of the Lamborghini LP670-4SV, but they’ve been having problems with all that power in a Roadster. So it now seems possible that they will effectively Reventon-ise the Lamborghini LP650-4 Roadster, which is already rolling down the production line at Lamborghini. That will still give the Reventon Roadster more power than its Coupe sibling, but not quite the LP670’s power.

Word is that Lamborghini will make as many Reventon Roadsters as demand dictates – up to a maximum of twenty. List price is expected to be €1.1 Million. but with only six or seven deposits taken so far it seems a bit unlikely they will manage to shift 20 Roadsters – as they did Coupes. Especially when the LP670 SV is only £275k and the LP650-4 Roadster £300k. Still, the LP650-4 is a bit of an ugly duckling in its grey and orange livery, so maybe someone will be prepared to pay three times as much to have a Reventon Roadster in a better colour scheme.

American Favorite Porsche Carrera gt best car wallpaper with high resolution


Porsche did keep part of the project alive by using the 5.5 L V10 from the prototype in a concept car shown at the 2000 Geneva Motor Show, mainly in an attempt to draw attention to their display. Surprising interest in the vehicle and an influx of revenue provided from the Cayenne helped Porsche decide to produce the car, and development started on a road-legal version that would be produced in small numbers at Porsche's new manufacturing facility in Leipzig. Porsche started a production run of Carrera GTs in 2004, shipping the units with an MSRP of $440,000 USD and a dealer invoice price of approximately $414,800 USD. In addition, the delivery charge could be as much as $5,000 USD. The first Carrera GT went on sale in the US on January 31, 2004.

Originally a production run of 1,500 cars was planned. But Porsche announced in August, 2005 that it would not continue production of the Carrera GT through 2006, citing discontinuation was due to changing airbag regulations in the US. As of May 6, 2006[update], 1,270 GT's had been manufactured, with 604 being sold in the United States.[4]

Thursday, July 30, 2009

New best porche car wallpapers




Tuesday, July 28, 2009

best car wallpapers with high resolution






Sunday, July 19, 2009

New Toyota Carmy car for you





Wednesday, July 15, 2009

best racing car ever for your wallpaper










Tuesday, July 14, 2009

best and latest car for you







best audi car walllpaper for you