Carbon Motors releases real shots of purpose-built E7 police car
Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Government/Legal, Green, Videos, Police/Emergency
Click above for more shots of the Carbon Motors E7
We haven't heard a peep from Carbon Motors in a very long time, but that doesn't mean the company hasn't been hard at work on its purpose-built E7 police car concept. To prove that it's moving forward, the automaker-to-be has just released two shots of a real E7. What's more, the company will show the car to prospective clients - police officers - at the upcoming 115th Annual International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) Conference and Exposition. Unlike curent cop cars driven by these officers, usually police-spec Crown Vic Interceptors, the E7 was specifically designed just to do police duty. Instead of a 4.6-liter Ford V8 engine underhood, the E7 will feature a clean-diesel engine capable of running on biodiesel. With a cockpit derived from jet-fighter technology that includes built-in radar, radiation and biological threat detectors among other techno goodies, the E7 sounds suitably high-tech for real-life crime fighters of the modern era. To further highlight this point, check out the video, along with the press release, after the break.
[Source: Carbon Motors via Jalopnik]
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Permalink�|�Email this�|�CommentsPorsche considering diesel and targa top for Panamera?
Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Sedans/Saloons, Sports/GTs, Porsche, Rumormill
Click above for high-res gallery of the Porsche Panamera Gran Turismo
Regardless of what you think of Porsche's upcoming Panamera (we're currently on the fence), it is going to be an extremely important launch for the company. Despite the fact that purists panned the Cayenne, it has sold like hotcakes and has made an extremely tidy profit for the German automaker, now in the midst of a major takeover of Volkswagen, the most valuable automaker in the world. Obviously, Porsche is hoping for similar successes from its very expensive four door. As we've heard countless times, a hybrid option is currently in the works and a diesel engine is also on the drawing board. We're not entirely sure how the crazy German engineers will do it, but a targa-style top is also being developed. No matter, we'll have all the details soon enough as Porsche brings its production Panamera to the 2009 Geneva Motor Show in March.
[Source: Automotive News - sub. req'd]Read�|�Permalink�|�Email this�|�Comments
Mazda MX-5 will get lighter, maybe alternative powertrain
Filed under: Convertibles, Coupes, Mazda
Click above for high-res gallery of the Mazda MX-5
The Mazda MX-5 is one of the world's best handling cars under $25,000, and as much as we Americans want more power and size to turn the Japanese roadster into a proper pony car, that's probably not going to happen. Increased fuel economy and CO2 reductions will force the MX-5 into the same situation as larger vehicles. It has to get more efficient and lighter to stay competitive. MX-5 program manager Takao Kijima told Drive that Mazda is looking at alternative powertrains for its little roadster, but the Zoom Zoom specialists are also looking to drop 10% of the car's weight.
One way to improve efficiency is with diesel technology. Diesels can be 30% more efficient than petrol powerplants, but beefier diesel parts means that total displacement must be smaller than the current engine's 2.0 liters. Another idea is a hybrid, which, like the diesel, would provide instant torque that would also add weight to a vehicle that's just about to go on a diet. Kijima also stated that any MX-5 would absolutely have to have 50/50 weight distribution, meaning that a hybrid with its heavy batteries would by tricky, but not impossible. For our money, we'll take a 10% lighter Miata with a smaller turbocharged, direct-inject gas engine with ethanol injections.
[Source: Drive]Read�|�Permalink�|�Email this�|�Comments
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