Mercedes-Benz News - Friday Humor: What if… the Monster Smart!
December 20, 2007 by tsikot · Leave a Comment
[tags]mercedes benz news, mercedes benz reviews, mercedes benz, daimler chrysler[/tags] -
Filed under: Diesel, Etc., Mercedes Benz, SMART
Ah, the Monster Smart: a rolling contradiction-in-terms. This is the answer to a question nobody asked… except for Fifth Gear of course. Celebrating the unholy union of a Mercedes Unimog and a smart fourtwo, the contraption kept the 5.6 liter straight-six engine from the Unimog … oh yeah, and the smart’s engine too, which powers the lights. That might make this the world’s least efficient generator, or something like that.
[Source: German Car Scene, thanks Warren]
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DaimlerChrysler News - Zetsche: We can’t make it under 120 for 2012
December 20, 2007 by tsikot · Leave a Comment
, DaimlerChrysler, Mercedes Benz, SMART
Daimler’s CEO Dieter Zetsche said that the proposed CO2 emission limits for 2012 (120 g/km) are “unattainable”. He also stated that politicians don’t realise how difficult that limit will be to reach because the cars that will be on sale in 2012 are ” actually at the end of their development cycle and can’t be substantially changed. In order to achieve that limit, it should have been set up before, but that’s something politicians don’t want to listen to”.
Despite these words, he said that Daimler AG is actually committed to protect the environment and reduce carbon emissions, although he sees hydrogen as the sole real future option for pollution-free motoring. Remarkably, he also stated that with just one percent of the world’s hydrogen production, one million fuel-cell vehicles could be powered per year. He also announced that the company is working on Li-Ion batteries, although he believes that “buyers don’t really want electric cars” (he should read AutoblogGreen readers’ comments to change his mind).
Zetsche also spoke about Daimler’s expectations for the U.S. sales of the Smart (which could lead to profits at Smart for the first time in 10 years), a new CUV based on the C-Class and new more compact supercharged powertrains to reduce fuel consumption.
[Source: El Mundo Motor]
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Source: www.autobloggreen.com
[tags]daimlerchrysler cars, daimlerchrysler news, daimlerchrysler models[/tags]
Saab News - Kevin McCloud talks E85 and homegrown veggies with Saab
December 20, 2007 by tsikot · Leave a Comment
I’m starting to consider Saab’s series of interviews a sort of the high-class, glossy magazine of promo materials. Just look at the professionally-done photography that accompanies interview No. 2, which features Kevin McCloud. So much better than a graphics-free press release.
Anyway, everyone probably recognized the first interview subject in this series, Sir Richard Branson. But who is Kevin McCloud? He’s an architect-turned-environmentalist known more in the UK than here in the U.S., as he is on Channel 4’s ‘Grand Designs’ there. For his sit-down with Saab, he talked about ways he’s greened up his home and lifestyle, including installing a biomass boiler and growing his own vegetables. Conveniently, he drives a Saab BioPower car on E85. He also envisions the possibility of a one-fuel future many decades from now. In the meantime, all of the possibilities will duke it out to see what is the best for our long-term sustainability and availability. You can read the full interview here.
Related:
[Source: Saab]
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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD Step behind the curtain at Ford Motor. Experience the documentary first-hand.
Source: www.autobloggreen.com
[tags]saas cars, saab news, saab models[/tags]
Honda News - 2007 LA Auto Show videos: Audi Cross Cabriolet Quattro, Honda FCX Clarity, Katie Couric
December 19, 2007 by tsikot · Leave a Comment
, Honda, SMART, LA Auto Show
Here are some more videos from the 2007 LA Auto Show for you. Above is video of the new Audi Cross Cabriolet Quattro, a two-door SUV that would have easily made our recent top 10 list of two-door SUVs. Below the fold are two more videos from the LA Auto Show including a video of the Honda FCX Clarity on the road and one of Katie Couric talking about Smart Cars at the LA Auto Show. Katie says Smart already has 30,000 pre-orders for the tiny car. Stay tuned for more videos from the show as they become available.
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[Source: YouTube]
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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD Step behind the curtain at Ford Motor. Experience the documentary first-hand.
Source: www.autobloggreen.com
[tags]honda cars, honda news, honda models, honda[/tags]
Isuzu News - Isuzu sticks with GM for DuraMax diesel engine joint-venture
December 19, 2007 by tsikot · Leave a Comment
One of the technical highlights of the last generation GMT-800 full-size trucks from GM was the Duramax turbo-diesel V-8. This strong, efficient, refined engine was miles ahead of the Navistar engine in the Ford trucks and the Cummins engine that Dodge uses. The Duramax diesels are built by a General Motors-Isuzu joint-venture in Ohio called DMAX ltd. However, in the last year and a half, GM has been extricating themselves from most of their Japanese partnerships including Isuzu. Earlier this week, Isuzu announced that they were hooking up with Toyota and would work with Toyota on developing diesel engines for use in Toyota vehicles.
This caused the Japanese newspaper Nihon Keizai Shimbun to report that Isuzu was asking GM to sell their stake in the DMAX and another venture in Poland to Toyota. Today, both Isuzu and Toyota denied the report and in fact said that the issue had not even been discussed. The Japanese paper’s report did say that the plant would continue to supply engines to GM after a Toyota deal, which would be critical to GM’s truck programs. GM CEO Rick Wagoner is in Tokyo today so it remains to be seen what will happen.
[Source: Automotive News - subscription required]
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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD Step behind the curtain at Ford Motor. Experience the documentary first-hand.
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[tags]isuzu cars, isuzu news, isuzu models, isuzu[/tags]
