People have been cramming PC’s of all kinds into cars ever since LCD screens became ubiquitous, and even a little before that. HiPE‘s new Drive-N series of car PCs is designed to ease the usual DIY-grind by sporting a laundry list of features and interface possibilities. The units, ranging in price from $799 for a barebones Via C7 in an amp-style chassis up to $2199 for a tricked-out double-DIN touchscreen monster, all run Windows Vista MCE with the One Voice command system, and can be outfitted with GPS, WiFi, Bluetooth, XM, and even a rearview camera. The machines can also interface with your car’s ODB II unit to let you monitor vehicle diagnostics, as well as clear out some of those annoying error messages you usually have to let the dealer handle. All these features are nice, but nothing can excuse HiPE’s lame-o tagline: “Why drive when you can be Drive-N?” Yeah, and why hire a marketing firm when you can just ask your 12-year-old niece?

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from engadget

Mazda has just unveiled its 2008 Mazda2 hatchback. It will make its official debut at the Geneva Motor Show and arrive stateside in 2008. More pictures after the jump.

There will two 1.3L motors developing 75 and 84hp respectively, followed by a more powerful 1.5L version with 104hp. All three engines can be optioned with either a conventional five-speed manual or five-speed auto transmission

[via Motor Authority]
from techeblog
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After teasing us with concept drawings back in early December 2006, Honda unveiled it’s Honda Accord Coupe Concept at the Detroit Motor Show 2006. The Honda Accord Coupe Concept carries Honda’s new trapezoidal grille on it’s nose. This new grille style first appeared on the new Honda Stream, and then a variation of it appeared on the new 3rd generation Honda CR-V. Concept drawings of the upcoming Honda Jazz/Honda Fit also show this new grille, and with the Honda Accord Coupe Concept, it makes it’s first appearance on a sedan.

I’m not sure about you, but to me the new Honda Accord Coupe Concept reeks of Audi design language in it’s styling, which isn’t a bad thing at all as I think Audis look really really good. The concept does not have an overly busy design that concepts usually have, indicating that the production version of the 8th generation Honda Accord Coupe might look very much like this, with toned down light cluster designs perhaps.

For this concept, Honda employed a 3.0 liter V6 with Variable Cylinder Management (VCM) technology which shuts off 3 cylinders during low load operations. It also has an ACE body structure – Advanced Compatibility Engineering(TM), a front-end structure that helps absorb and disperse crash energy over a large area in frontal impact.

Enjoy more photos and a video after the jump.

From paultan
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Dang, I’ve just purchased Honda Jazz two weeks ago… and this thing come out.

auto.sohu carries scans from a Japanese magazine with concept art on how the next Honda Fit (Honda Jazz on our local shores) will look like. The Honda Fit has already been facelifted once since it’s introduction The new Fit seems to have taken on a more muscular stance, like a smaller Honda Edix. It also shares the Edix’s upward sloping side mirror profile. The magazine says the new Honda Fit will debut in mid-2007. More pictures after the jump.

 From paultan
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Just in case you forgot, Tesla isn’t the only electric car game in town, and while the noted manufacturer is said to be working on its own crossover utility vehicle, this here Lotus ZAP-X electric version of the APX crossover is all thanks to Lotus and the Zap! guys. Lotus is, of course, bringing those hip-cool stylings and aluminum frame, but Zap! has replaced the V6 gas engine with in-hub electric motors, which can provide a combined 644hp, and vault the vehicle to 155 mph. Zap! is claiming an impressive range of 350 miles, with a 10 minute charge — though we’re guessing you aren’t going to pull that kind of juice out of your regular ol’ wall jack. If that’s not enough for you, an auxiliary power unit with even more batteries is planned, and since the motors are in the wheels, there’s plenty of room in the hood for such add-ons. Says Zap! of the ZAP-X: “The innovative placement of the power train leaves the space previously occupied by the conventional engine and drive train for additional battery capacity and amenities, making it a very consumer-oriented electric car concept. These design features will give the ZAP-X crossover the structural strength, and potentially storage and range that no electric vehicle has yet achieved publicly.” Not too shabby at all. Unfortunately there’s no word on when you’ll be able to get one of these into your driveway, or how much it’ll cost you, but the vehicle is definitely planned for a US release, so it’s only a matter of waiting.

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From engadget

Toyota unveils its stunning FT-HS Hybrid Sports Concept, which some claim to be the Supra’s next-generation successor. This “2-door sports coupe will put out 400hp using the same incredible engine as the Lexus GS450h.” Lots of pictures after the jump.

..with its light weight, the FT-HS should be able to hit the 60mph mark in just 4 seconds, undercutting the GS450h by over a second. The FT-HS has a perfect 50/50 weight distribution and is similar in size to the Lexus SC430 convertible. Toyota claims that such a car could hit the market for between $30-40K, but we’re highly skeptical of that figure

[via MotorAuthority]
from techeblog
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From techeblog:
According to Guinness World Records, the Bede BD-5 is the “world’s smallest jet”. This single-seat aircraft made its big screen debut in the James Bond flick “Octopussy”.

It is a pusher aircraft design, with the engine installed in a compartment in the middle of the fuselage, and a propeller in the rear. Over 5,000 kits were shipped, but few were actually completed