In March of last year, we heard that Toyota had a mind to create its very own in-car operating system to “boost efficiency and speed up development.” Now, it’s bruited that BMW is asking any automaker who will listen to join hands in order to jointly develop an open source in-vehicle platform. The company has stated that it plans on having an open source system in a vehicle that sells 200,000 or more units within the next five to seven years, and while employees from rivals were on hand when the proclamation was made, no one was rushing to call dibs on first. Still, it sounds as if BMW will be forging ahead with or without any assistance, though bigwig Gunter Reichart did assert that BMW was “inviting other OEMs to join it [and] to exchange with it.” In an apparent attempt at providing comic relief, Jim Buczkowski (Ford’s director of global electrical and electronics systems engineering) stated that through its partnership with Microsoft, it already had 280,000 vehicles on the road with an open system. Hmm, clearly our definitions of “open” are somewhat incongruent.

[Via Motor Authority, thanks Laminaatplaat]
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We knew good and well it was on the way, but now we’re bubbling over with excitement. The forthcoming Model S — an all-electric, five passenger sports sedan that will ride on a platform developed entirely by Tesla — has apparently been revealed. Of course, there’s still a real possibility that the image you’re drooling on above isn’t a finalized look, but Road & Track has a pretty good record to fall back on. We’re also hearing that the 2010-bound whip will get around 240 miles per charge while still doing the zero to sixty in under six ticks, and the $60,000 base price just makes it all the more appealing. For those with a thing for rear bumpers, check out Autoblog’s link below for a sneak peek of the fanny.

Read – Road & Track writeup
Read – Sneak peek of the rear
from engadget

We thought we had a handle on what the next-gen Prius was going to look like when we spotted those renders back in July, and Toyota’s just confirmed that some press shots that leaked out last week are the real deal, not just photos of a super-high-tech sneaker. The company isn’t providing any more information until the official debut at January’s North American International Auto Show in Detroit, but we’re hoping we’ll get some more details about those plug-in fleet tests, as well as those solar plans. Check a few more shots at links below.

[Thanks, Miko34]

Read – 2010 Prius photos on Prius Chat
Read – Toyota corporate blog
from engadget

A clever name, a clever design and a solid premise — now, if only we didn’t see a set of front and rear pegs along with Dave Mirra grinding down a stairwell each time we looked at it, we could actually take this thing seriously. Unfortunately for our childish hopes, Ultra Motors’ A2B electric bike actually won’t be used in the next X-Games, but it may just get you to and from your downtown apartment. This comparatively small electric bike features a full suspension setup, an oversized seat and a battery arrangement that provides 20 miles of travel without a touch of the pedal. Also of note, riders can reach speeds of up to 20mph (or 50mph if traveling downhill, so we hear), and an optional secondary battery can double the aforesaid distance capability. Look for this one to hit authorized dealers next month for a presumably lofty amount of scratch.

[Via OhGizmo]
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Update: And we’ve got a price of $2,599. $2,675 with pegs, a splash guard and a few random stickers.

It’s only taken about a million years, but someone has finally decided that improvements are possible in automobile braking lights. Students from Virginia Tech have developed a new system that can show not just whether you’re stopping, but if you’re slowing down, when you’re about to stop, and how quickly you’re pressing the pedal. The concept uses an array of horizontally arranged LED lights — when you begin to slow, lights in the center glow orange, after a certain threshold side lights turn to red, and if you’re slamming on the brake, they’ll all flash red. The team, led by mechanical engineering Professor Mehdi Ahmadian, has plans for the system beyond the lab, though they speculate that it will be easier to add them as additional indicators on commercial vehicles at first. If this pans out, someday soon we may all be tailgating a totally psychedelic light show.

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Mio has quietly introduced a snazzy new navigator on its site, dubbed the C728. This unit boasts an expansive seven-inch 800 x 480 resolution touchscreen, 400MHz Samsung 2443 processor, SiRFstar III GPS chipset, AV input, internal speaker, SD / MMC expansion slots, a headphone jack, USB connectivity, 2GB of memory, 64MB of RAM and a rechargeable Li-ion good for nearly 2.5-hours on a full charge. Furthermore, you’ll find Windows CE.net 5.0 runnin’ the show, and there’s even a multimedia player / image viewer built in. Sadly, mum’s the word in regard to pricing and availability.

[Via NaviGadget]
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CAR Online managed to get one of the first test drives of Ferrari’s new F430 Scuderia, and put together a video compilation for your viewing enjoyment. Click here for more pics.

The new car can count on an extremely low weight-to-power ratio of just 2.45 kg per hp thanks to a low dry weight of just 1250 kg – 100 kg less than the F430 – and to the naturally-aspirated 4308cc V8′s 510 hp at 8500 rpm

[via Autoblog - Seriouswheels]

     
from techeblog

InsideLineVideo managed to snag spy footage of the 2009 Nissan GT-R out at Nurburgring. According to a photographer, the GT-R recorded a 7 min. 38 second hot lap — the 911 Turbo clocked in at 7 min. 40 seconds.  Click here for more pictures

With barely a month to go before its official debut, the 2009 Nissan GT-R returned to the Nurburgring. This time there was a very specific goal in mind, and according to our spy shooters, Nissan may have already reached it

     

from techeblog

Mitsubishi has officially announced the 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X. Available in RS ($26,134) or GSR ($30,473+) trims, it comes equipped with a “lightweight 2.0-liter DOHC MIVEC turbocharged engine” that produces 295hp and 300 lb-ft torque. Click here for more pictures.

We’re also especially excited about the new Twin-Clutch SST 6-speed automated manual (think DSG from Audi), though those that prefer a proper snick can still order a 5-speed manual, which is the only option on the RS

[via Autoblog]

       

from techeblog

Pioneer’s been known to unveil new navigators fairly frequently, but the firm is starting October off right by introducing no fewer than nine new units for you to choose from. Starting at the top, the AVIC-HRZ009G / AVIC-HRV002G both sport seven-inch displays, DVD playback, support for MP3 / AAC / DivX formats, a terrestrial digital TV tuner, built-in hard drive and a wireless remote, with the only real difference being the in-dash design of the former and the on-dash (mountable) design of the latter. As your budget tightens, Pioneer ratchets the specs down on seven other similar siblings, giving users a Â¥126,000 ($1,094) to Â¥262,500 ($2,278) window of alternatives. Hit the read link for all the juicy details on each.

[Via AkihabaraNews]
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engadget

Hot on the heels of Matra’s MS1 comes yet another human / electric-powered hybrid bike, but Marcus Levison-Hays’ Electrobike Pi definitely rocks a more unorthodox design. This blindingly red transporter “combines the lightweight portability of a bicycle with speed and self-propulsion more akin to a motorcycle,” as it includes a 36-volt pack of NiMH batteries that provides “about one horsepower” to the 58-pound device. The unit can be fully charged “from any standard household outlet in 2.5 to 3 hours and can run for 25 to 30 miles,” and according to a report from the LA Times, the 20mph maximum stock speed can be increased to around 46mph “with a little after-market hot rodding.” Granted, the base price on this thing is said to be around $7,500, so it looks like the most of us will have to stick with the trusty Huffy ten-speed for the time being.

[Via AutoblogGreen]
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from engadget

Sure, we’ve seen all flavors of electric motorcycles over the years, but Matra’s iteration takes a slightly different approach. The MS1 looks more like a bicycle and less like a Harley, and it provides commuters with a backup source of energy that should never fail so long as you’re properly fed, hydrated and rested. That source, of course, would be your legs / feet, which can pedal this bad boy away long after the electric motor runs out of steam. Reportedly, the bike has a range of around 62 miles without any pedal assistance, captures usable energy when you apply the brakes, and sports a speed limiter that kills the juice just before you exceed 28mph. No word on when this thing will hit shops, but it’ll supposedly run you around €3,500 ($4,951) whenever it does. Click out a couple more shots after the break.

from engadget
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It’s not the first such unit we’ve seen, but car stereos with SD card slots instead of CD players are still rare enough to get our attention, which is exactly what Blaupunkt has managed to do with its new Melbourne SD27 system. If that’s a bit too limiting for you, you can also make use of Blaupunkt’s optional iPod and USB/Bluetooth adapters, which will let you grab music off any suitably equipped MP3 player or cellphone. You’ll also, of course, get an AM/FM radio with 25 preset station options, and a plain old 3.5-millimeter auxiliary input to plug in the audio device of your choice. If that’s not too much change for you to handle, you should be able to pick up a Melbourne SD27 now for a suggest retail price of $160.

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from engadget