Posts Tagged ‘2009’

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The Beautiful and the Strange

Wednesday, January 28th, 2009

By Marc Lachapelle

 

Automotive history is rich with fabulously striking and original designs, but there have also seen some strange creations along the way. Separate exhibits at this year’s Montreal International Auto Show displayed a lot of the former but there was also an unusual and nonetheless interesting sample of the latter.

 

Straight to Seventh Heaven

Visitors at the MIAS went right up to Seventh Heaven, where a few dozen of the most gorgeous, fast, luxurious and exclusive cars were again gathered this year. In this grand hall they were first met with a collection of convertibles from the Fifties, all glorious fins, chrome and bright colours as if lined up for a cool evening at the drive-in theatre or the town’s curb-service restaurant. The guest list read as follows: 1954 and 1957 Mercury Monarch Lucerne, 1953 Cadillac 62 Series, 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air, 1957 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz, 1954 and 1957 Corvette, 1956 Mercury Montclair , 1958 Ford Fairlane 600 Skyliner and 1957 Pontiac Star Chief.

Porsche 911 GT3

Porsche 911 GT3 (photo: Marc Lachapelle)

In the same space were some of Europe’s finest exotics and sports cars; six Lamborghinis, five Lotus models, a Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren roadster making its curtain call, a Porsche exhibit in which starred a track-bound GT3 Cup car, four Aston Martins, a trio of Bentleys, two Maseratis and a brace of Ferraris, from the $318,000 F430 Spider to the $418,000 F599 Fiorano GTB. 

 

Icons and oddities

Further along, visitors came to a very different collection of vehicles under the theme ‘Innovation, Evolution’. They were first met by a 1971 version of the Citroën DS 21, one of the most technically brilliant and forward-thinking cars ever designed, paired with a gorgeous 1953 Studebaker Regal Commander styled by the legendary Raymond Loewy, often referred to as the ‘father of industrial design’. 

1979 Ford Pinto

1979 Ford Pinto (photo: Marc Lachapelle)

A few paces further were three cars from defunct American Motors that are famous in their own quirky way: a 1973 AMC Gremlin, a 1973 Javelin and a 1976 AMC Pacer that had baby-boomer dads recalling its nickname – the Aquarium – to befuddled kids. Teens found the Pacer quite cool. Right next to these were two cars with a rich popular history of their own. While the stainless steel-bodied 1981 DeLorean DMC-12 recalls at once the industrial fiasco of its brief production and the subsequent fame it acquired as a time-travel machine in the Back to the Future films, the 1979 Ford Pinto is mostly infamous for a fuel tank too prone to explode in case of a rear impact.

 

Swiss imagination and wizardry

Aligned in their own section of the same hall were three of the perfectly unique creations of automotive wizard Frank Rinderknecht, the soul and brains behind Rinspeed. This small tuning firm based in Switzerland has amazed and fascinated visitors and journalists at the Geneva Auto Show with a new creation annually for the past 15 years. As a special guest of the 2009 MIAS, Mr. Rinderknecht brought three of his designs: the eXasis, with its transparent plastic body; the Senso, a car that reacts to its driver’s moods and emotions and the Splash in which he set a Guinness World Record for hydrofoil cars by crossing the English Channel in 2006. The Splash is powered by a turbocharged, 750 cc twin-cylinder engine that develops 140-horsepower on natural gas, enough for a top speed of 80 km/h on water and 200 km/h on dry land.

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Posted in Gallery, Montreal 2009 | 3 Comments »

GM to build lithium-ion battery plant in the U.S.

Tuesday, January 27th, 2009

By Mike Goetz


GM will establish a lithium-ion battery pack manufacturing facility in Michigan, making it the first such plant operated by a major automaker in the U.S. It will build lithium-ion cells that are grouped into modules, along with other key battery components.

Chevrolet Volt

Chevrolet Volt (photo: Isaac Adams-Hands)

The plan is to break ground in early 2009, with output starting in 2010. The battery packs will initially go into the Chevrolet Volt. GM has partnered with Korea’s LG Chem, and has been using the Korean company’s battery backs for virtually all of Volts’ testing procedures so far.

 

Compact Power, a subsidiary of LG Chem in Troy, Michigan, will continue to build battery packs for Volt prototype vehicles until GM’s battery facility is operational. In addition, GM and LG Chem have entered into an engineering contract, to expedite the development of the Volt’s lithium-ion battery technology.

 

GM will also open a new automotive battery lab – the largest of its kind – in the U.S., to further R&D efforts in battery technology. Finally, a partnership with the University of Michigan has been established to develop a specialized curriculum for battery engineers.

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Going green

Tuesday, January 27th, 2009

By Richard Russell

 

DETROIT, MI – Green was the unofficial theme at this year’s North American International Auto Show. Now that there are more than 20 hybrids on the market with plenty more unveiled here, pure electric power has become the hot button to come.

Cadillac Converj

Cadillac Converj (photo: Isaac Adams-Hands)

Like a lightning bolt from the black cloud currently hanging over the industry, hybrid-electric, plug-in electric and improbable electric vehicles appeared on stands or in news releases throughout the show. Whether by design or coincidence, virtually every major manufacturer touted efforts underway to put electric vehicles on the road starting next year. 

 

BYD
You might not have heard of this company yet, but you will. BYD (Build Your Dreams) is a Chinese upstart that said here it plans to have a range of pure electric and plug-in hybrid  vehicles on the North American market within two years.

 

They will include the F3DM claimed to be the world’s first mass-produced plug-in hybrid sedan and the battery-powered e6, a mid-sized, five-passenger crossover with a claimed range of more than 400 km on a single charge.

BYD

BYD (photo: Isaac Adams-Hands)

BYD is the world’s largest producer of rechargeable batteries supplying those used in cell phones by Nokia, Motorola, Samsung and others. It is now China’s largest independent produce of automobiles and plans to combine its battery and production expertise to expand around the globe.

 

Chrysler LLC
Chrysler showed four different electric concept vehicles at the show including a sports car, SUV, minivan and four-door sedan. Chrysler says it will put one of them, the two-seat Dodge Circuit into production next year.

 

Based on a Lotus chassis the Circuit is said to be capable of a to speed of 200 km/hr and accelerating from rest to 100 km/hr in less than five seconds. To these eyes the best-looking electric vehicle, hands down, is the rear-drive Chrysler 200C EV.

Dodge Circuit

Dodge Circuit (photo: Isaac Adams-Hands)

This elegant blend of style and technology is a source of great pride for Ralph Gilles, Vice-President of design for Chrysler. He told me it was his favourite among the various Chrysler concepts on display here “so beautiful you would never know it is an electric car “ he said. Chrysler is calling its electric technology ENVI.

 

Ford Motor Company
Ford says it will have an all-electric four-door sedan on the market in 2011 that will be capable of going more than 150 km before requiring recharging.

 

It will be part of a multi-prong electric effort that begins with a new battery electric commercial van in 2010, the aforementioned small car in 2011 developed in conjunction with Canada’s Magna International, and next-generation hybrid vehicles, including a plug-ion version in 2012.

 

“Next-generation hybrids, plug-in hybrids and pure battery powered vehicles are the logical next steps in our pursuit of greater fuel economy and sustainability,” said Derrick Kuzak, Ford’s group vice president of Global Product Development. 

 

General Motors
The Chevy Volt has a target painted on it’s back. The topic of immense publicity and scheduled for production late in 2010, the Volt will go more than 65 km on a charge with a tiny auxiliary internal combustion engine to recharge the batteries while the car is on the move.

Chevrolet Volt

Chevrolet Volt (photo: Isaac Adams-Hands)

A further development of this “Voltec” powertrain is promised for other similar projects including the Cadillac Converj concept unveiled here. The unit envisioned for the Converj would be comprised of a 16-kWh T-shaped battery with 220 lithium-ion cells, an electric drive unit and a small four-cylinder engine-generator to recharge the batteries as needed.

 

With 273-lb. ft. of torque from idle, acceleration would be very strong and GM says top speed would be in the order of 160 km/hr. Like the Volt the actual propulsion would be from the electric motor at all times. GM says recharging from the grid will take about three hours at 220-volts and eight from a regular 120-volt outlet. 

 

Toyota
Toyota  says it will launch an small urban electric vehicle -the FT-EV, by 2012. It will share a platform with the company’s tiny iQ four-seat A-Class car currently available in Japan.

Toyota FT-EV

Toyota FT-EV (photo: Isaac Adams-Hands)

The FT-EV will have a range of up to 80 kilometres. It will be joined by 10 new gasoline-electric hybrids in the next three years. Toyota has entered into a partnership with Panasonic to develop and produce the lithium-ion batteries.

 

With fuel prices currently at very low levels, interest in vehicles that use very little of the commodity may be low as well. But there are few people who believe fuel prices will stay this low. By the time these vehicles hit the road they may have a very receptive audience.  

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Tech from Detroit

Tuesday, January 27th, 2009

By Richard Russell


 
DETROIT, MI – Suppliers play a critical role in the development of new technologies used in the auto industry, commonly taking the lead role and in many cases pitching the new idea to the auto company. Today’s passenger vehicles are so complex it would be rare for any single entity to cover the development costs and employ the scientists and engineers that have to be dedicated to a particular project. While it is common for many of these to be used by a single manufacturer originally, in return for helping fund the development, the contracts allow them to be used by competitors after a certain period of time. Let’s take a look at some of these new developments, the companies behind them and the effect they will have on the vehicles we will be driving in the near future.
 


JOHNSON CONTROLS
Johnson Controls is one of the major players in the automotive supplier world. With more than 140,000 employees it has provided components for more than 200 million vehicles, 12 million homes and more than one million commercial buildings. It introduced a couple of new innovations at this year’s show including its very own concept vehicle, the re3.


The re3 is a showcase for innovative engineering and packaging centered around the fact that consumers today want smaller vehicles, without sacrificing features and functions. Innovations displayed on the re3 include: class-leading storage capacity in the instrument panel, a seat-wing armrest and controller on the driver’s seat, enabling some of the controls to be moved from the center stack to the seat; a conversational seating arrangement , Slim Seating and rear, stadium-style folding seats and Eco-friendly, renewable materials with “natural look” finishes

Johnson Controls re3

Johnson Controls re3

 Johnson Controls announced it has been awarded patents for an innovative new wireless connectivity technology that uses Bluetooth protocol for wireless connection of cell phones to the vehicle’s audio system allowing hands-free calling. The company is already the global leader in hands-free automobile system, providing them to manufacturers in North America, Asia, Europe and Australia.

 

BYD Auto Company
BYD (Build Your Dreams) is one of the amazing success stories coming out of China. From a staff of 20, ten years ago, it has grown to 140,000 at present as the world’s second largest producer of rechargeable batteries and a supplier of IT components to Nokia, Motorola, Samsung and others.


The next stage of its growth plan is to parlay that expertise into electric cars. BYD recently bought one of China’s largest auto makers and showed several new models here, among them the F3DM sedan, which it says is the first production plug-in hybrid vehicle with the company’s advanced Fe lithium-iron battery and its new Dual Mode (DM) plug-in hybrid system.

 

BOSCH
The Bosch name is well known in automobile circles. The German company supplies engine control units, fuel injectors, various electrical components, oxygen sensors solenoids to the industry. 

BOSCH

BOSCH

Founded in 1886, it has 271,000 employees in 50 countries, 25,000 of them in 70 locations throughout the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Bosch invests heavily in research applying for more than 3,000 patents each year. One of its latest developments can be found in the new Ford F150 pickup – a brake control system that helps detect and prevent skidding rollovers and trailer sway. It is standard equipment on all F150 models.

 

FEDERAL MOGUL
 Using recycled waste packaging and other by-products normally discarded in a vehicle manufacturing plant, Federal Mogul has developed an environmentally-friendly new sound-deadening product called QuietShield on the new 2010 Buick LaCrosse (Allure in Canada) .

 

QuietShield(R) is used as acoustical padding in the headliner to reduce noise in the passenger compartment. Federal-Mogul was founded in Detroit in 1899. Employing nearly 45,000 people in 35 countries it is a leading global supplier of powertrain and safety technologies.

 

VALEO
This French-based company with 16 R&D centers, 121 production plants and 54,000 employees in 27 countries helped develop the lighting system displayed on the Volvo S60 concept car that made its world-wide introduction here. The system could be considered a peak at the where automotive lighting is going, especially head and signal lights.

Valeo headlights (Volvo S60 Concept)

Valeo headlights (Volvo S60 Concept)

Using only LED (Light Emitting Diodes) the system developed by Volvo and Valeo has a low beam module positioned in the upper part of the headlight to produce a wide, consistent beam that adapts automatically to driving conditions (e.g. city, winding country road, etc.).

 

The high beam unit has been designed for optimal range in relation to vehicle speed and proximity to other vehicles and since the performance and color of LED lights is close to that of daylight, they offer better perception and more comfortable viewing.

 

LEDs are loved by designers because their small size and ability to be grouped provide greater freedom of design. They also boast very long life and draw less power than conventional lights. The turn signals, daytime running lights and side marker lights on the S60 Concept are also comprised of LEDs.

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Hydro-Québec and TM4 at the leading-edge

Monday, January 26th, 2009

By Marc Lachapelle

 

The latest sports cars and exotics are always a great attraction at any auto show, but the biggest news at this year’s Montreal International Auto Show might very well be about a tiny Indian electric car that is powered by components and technology developed by Hydro-Québec and one of its subsidiaries, a few dozen kilometres from downtown Montreal. 

 

State-owned Hydro-Québec, the world’s largest producer of hydroelectric power, has a long history of research on electricity and its virtually infinite uses. Teams within its research institute have been working on automotive applications for almost two decades and some of this research and development work has been spun off to smaller and potentially more agile subsidiaries. 

Hydro-Québec CEO Christian Vandal and Québec Energy Minister Claude Béchard

Hydro-Québec CEO Thierry Vandal and Québec Energy Minister Claude Béchard

 

TM4 Electrodynamic Systems is among these and it had important news during press day. TM4 announced that the company had been chosen by Miljø Innovasjon, a subsidiary of giant Indian carmaker Tata Motors – also the owner of Jaguar and Land Rover – to provide electric motors and systems for an electric car ‘demonstration’ and testing program to be conducted in Norway over the next two years. 

 

Electric car to brave Scandinavian winters

For this program, Miljø will build a hundred all-electric versions of the Tata Indica Vista minicar using components developed by TM4 over the past decade and trademarked as the MФTIVE series. Among these components are a permanent-magnet, 37-kilowatt electric motor with “the best power-to-weight ratio in its class and industry-leading efficiency”, according to its maker, and a Lithium Ion SuperPolymer battery at the forefront of development for this critical element of electric propulsion. 

PHET battery

PHET battery

The Miljø Indica EV, a prototype of which was on display in Montreal, is claimed to accelerate from 0 to 60 km/h in 9 seconds and reach a top speed of 110 km/h. It should have a range of up to 200 kilometres and can be fully recharged in 8 hours through a 16-amp, 220-volt outlet. And of course, it can reclaim kinetic energy through regenerative braking and coasting, like any good hybrid. The Indica can carry four adults and their luggage and it has airbags and ABS brakes. 

 

Norway’s climate is much like Canada’s. TM4 pins great hopes on its successful completion and notes that its 37 kW electric motor can be used not only on pure electric vehicles but also on classic or extended-range hybrids with a conventional internal combustion support engine.

 

Is the long-awaited miracle battery finally here?

Right next to the Indica EV in the TM4 booth within the ‘Green’ section of the MIAS, scientist André Besner, head of the materials science department at Hydro-Québec’s research institute, was proudly extolling the exceptional virtues of a small green box with a clear cover. It contained a battery made up of a series of small, individual electrical cells and developed by Hydro-Québec’s ‘battery team’ under the direction of Karim Zaghib. The Lithium-iron phosphate battery (C-LiFePO4), Besner explained, is safe, durable, powerful and both environmentally-friendly and relatively cheap to produce since it mostly uses iron, a chemical element that is extremely abundant but also much less toxic and costly than other chemicals such as nickel and cobalt used in other lithium-ion batteries. 

 

According to Besner, you can literally drive a nail through a C-LiFePO4 battery – a standard industry safety test – and temperatures will go up to about 130 degrees and the battery will keep working as if nothing happened: “the same ‘nail-test’ with some lithium-ion batteries with cobalt, for instance, will trigger a short circuit and an intense temperature gain of up to 400 degrees in only 1/10th of a second and then reach the point of combustion.” Hydro-Québec also holds 90 per cent of the world intellectual rights to safe, non-flammable ‘dissolved salt’ ion liquids for batteries, another area where huge developments should be expected in the near future.

Hydro-Québec chief of materials research André Besner

Hydro-Québec chief of materials research André Besner

 

The Lithium-Phosphate Iron battery (LiFePO4) was invented in 1995 at the University of Texas by John Goodenough, a Ph.D. in physics, and subsequently developed by Hydro-Québec at its research institute in Varennes, Québec, from 1997 to 2001. This work led to a substantial improvement of the battery’s conductivity – the weak point of the original design – through the addition of carbon molecule to the iron phosphate particles, turning it into the C-LiFePO4 battery displayed in Montreal. The PHET ‘environfriendly’ C-LiFePO4 battery is currently made by Pihsiang Energy Technology, a Taiwanese company that holds exclusive mass production rights from Phostech inc. the Québec-based licensee of the world patent for the Carbon-coated Lithium Iron Phosphate battery jointly held by Doctor John Goodenough, the University of Texas and Hydro-Québec. Doctor Besner also mentioned that the next generation of the Tesla electric sports car would use a C-LiFePO4 battery pack made by Pihsiang.

 

Interestingly and ironically, the electric concept car and hybrid production cars shown by Chinese carmaker BYD (Build Your Dreams) at the recent North American International Auto Show in Detroit also use iron phosphate batteries which BYD laconically calls its ‘Fe’ batteries. According to Hydro-Québec’s André Besner, the battery technology used in these vehicles by BYD – reportedly also the world’s biggest lithium-ion battery manufacturer – is effectively identical to the C-LiFePO4 battery for which it jointly holds world patents: “No patents were originally filed in China (for this technology) so they are legal as long as they operate within China, but when they decide to sell outside the country they will have a problem.”

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Fisker Karma Sunset

Monday, January 26th, 2009

By Nauman Farooq

 

Fisker Automotive might be the new kids on the block, but that hasn’t stopped them from taking the limelight from more established manufacturers.

 

Last year, Fisker showed the concept version of its stunning Karma sedan at the North American International Auto Show. In 2009, the company brought a fully production spec, functional version of that car.

 

However, they didn’t stop there; they took this year’s show opportunity to bring another World premiere: the launch of the Fisker Karma Sunset.

Fisker Karma Sunset

Fisker Karma Sunset

This is a two-door, hardtop convertible version of the Karma sedan. It shares the same drivetrain for now; that means two electric motors driving the rear wheels. These motors get their power from advanced lithium ion batteries, which on a full eight-hour charge will give you 80 km of fully electric mode driving.

 

Once the batteries are depleted of power, a 2.0-liter, turbocharged gas engine (sourced from GM) will kick in to take you the rest of the way home. So this electric car has no distance limitations.

 

It is fast, too; this car in sport mode develops 403 hp, enough to propel it to 100 km/h from zero in 5.8 seconds, while top-speed is electronically limited to 200 km/h.

 

While the Karma sedan goes on sale later this year at a price of $87,900 (US), the Karma Sunset won’t see production until late 2011.

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BMW launches new Z4 roadster in Detroit

Monday, January 26th, 2009

By Nauman Farooq

 

It might not be the perfect car for Detroit, Mi., especially in January, but still BMW held the world premiere of its second generation Z4 roadster at the 2009 North American International Auto Show.

 

This new roadster, which will go on sale in Canada in June of this year, finally has a folding hard-top roof, so it can compete more squarely against its main rival, the Mercedes-Benz SLK-series. The folding roof on the Z4 takes just 20 seconds to open or close.

 

The new Z4 also will be available from the start with three engine options, all straight-six engines. The Z4 sDrive23i produces 204hp, the sDrive30i produces 255hp, while the current range topping model, the sDrive35i produces 300hp thanks to its twin-turbo mechanics. Canada might only get the latter of the two engine options.

BMW Z4

BMW Z4 (photo: Isaac Adams-Hands)

Choice of transmissions include the standard six-speed manual, or the new seven-speed, double-clutch, Sport Automatic.

 

No prices were announced at the show, but talking to a few people at BMW, they suggest it won’t be much more than the current car.

 

Unlike the previous model, the 2010 BMW Z4 will not be built at the Spartanburg, South Carolina plant, instead it will be built in Germany.

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The state of the Motor City’s Motor Show in difficult times.

Monday, January 26th, 2009

By Nauman Farooq

 

Detroit, Mi. was once the most prosperous city in America. Back in the 1960’s it was home to the Motown record label, and of course it was home to the three largest car companies in the world.

 

Times sure have moved on, all the major record labels are now based in California, and while General Motors, Ford and Chrysler still call Detroit their home, these companies are no longer known as “The Big Three.”

GM Employee

GM employee (photo: Isaac Adams-Hands)

Last year was especially tough for these companies, as sales of their trucks and SUV’s, which were once the lifeline for these companies, suffered tremendously, thanks to crude oil prices going as high as $147 a barrel (currently its back down to a more reasonable $40 a barrel).

 

The price of gas and the overall meltdown of the U.S. financial system lead to thousands of people losing their jobs and homes. Some are saying that this is the worst recession America has ever faced, even worse than the great depression of the 1930’s.

 

This had hit the American auto manufacturers hard and as a result they have cut down production on several models and closed down most of their plants for a month, if not more. If it wasn’t for the last minute government bail-out fund, these companies would have had to file for bankruptcy and thus would not have been at the 2009 North American International Auto Show (N.A.I.A.S.) held every January at the Cobo Hall in Detroit.

GM employee overlooks presentation

GM employee watches a live presentation (photo: Isaac Adams-Hands)

Thankfully the bailout was approved and they all made it to the show, but the question on everyone’s lips was, with several car companies bailing out of this year auto show, and the troubling times with domestic manufacturers,  what will be the state of the motor show in the motor city?

 

To my surprise, I am glad to say, it is still an amazing auto show. The companies that didn’t show up (those are, Ferrari, Rolls Royce, Suzuki, Nissan, Infiniti, Land Rover and Porsche), they are fools for not taking advantage by being at such a great show.

 

The companies that are here, they did put their best foot forward. The displays looked amazing, the cars really are the stars of this show, and the models (of the two-legged variety) were prettier than ever before.

 

Also thanks to the efforts of some dedicated Michigan dealers, some makes made a return to the N.A.I.A.S. even if it was in a smaller capacity. These include Aston Martin, Lotus and Bugatti.

Media at NAIAS

Media at NAIAS (photo: Isaac Adams-Hands)

The Italian design house Bertoni is here too, showing its spaceship-esque B.A.T. 11 concept car (for those wondering, B.A.T. stands for Berlineta Aerodynamica Techinca).

 

So for all those who come to the auto show to look at dream cars, this years show certainly won’t disappoint.

 

Thanks to the efforts of new car companies like Fisker and Revenge designs, you will also see some cars before anyone else on the planet.

 

Over the last few years, some Chinese car firms have been showing their stuff at the N.A.I.A.S. and this year is no exception. You might have to wait a few years before you can buy a BYD or a Brilliance in North America, but you eventually will, and you know something, their products are getting better and better each year.

 

So if you have been toiling with the idea of going to this years N.A.I.A.S., I hope this would be enough to convince you to go, trust me, you’ll have a great time. You can send me thank you letters for recommending the show later.

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Mercedes-Benz E-Class

Monday, January 26th, 2009

By Marc Lachapelle

 

A new family of E-Class sedans and wagons is coming to Canada next fall. The cars were given a special introduction on the evening before the first press day but were not displayed on the show floor. The perfectly-recognizable front fascia now has pairs of pointy parallelograms for headlights instead of twin ovals.

 

A slightly creased line that flows almost the length of the car, front to rear, is said to evoke the famous 1953 Ponton Mercedes. It does give character to the car’s profile. The trapezoidal rear lamps look a bit derivative, on the other hand.

 

The new E-Class boasts the world’s best drag coefficient (Cd) at only 0.25, for a gain of 0.25 litres per 100 kilometres at 130 km/h. Only on the autobahn, of course. The car’s interior has also been entirely revamped with a flowing instrument panel design and it features new seats. The body shell has 30 per cent greater rigidity and the E-Class gets a new suspension to take full advantage of it, with an optional air suspension that works in synch with electronically-controlled dampers. The gasoline engines range in output from a 268-hp, 3.5-litre V6 to the 507-hp, 6.2-litre V8 in the E 63 AMG sedan.

Mercedes-Benz E-Class

Mercedes-Benz E-Class

The E 350 Bluetec sedan gets a turbocharged diesel V6 that delivers 210 hp and a massive 400 lb-ft of torque. With AdBlue injection, it already exceeds 2014 European standards. New 4Matic models get a fourth-generation all-wheel drive system that is more compact, lighter by 20 per cent and much more energy-efficient. As usual, the E-Class has a plethora of the latest safety systems such as headlights that automatically dim to avoid blinding other drivers and brighten up on dark roads.

 

A standard drowsiness detection system monitors more than 70 different parameters. Systems such as Night View Assist and the radar-based emergency braking system, new to the E-Class, come from the S-Class in updated form. Other safety systems include eight standard airbags, blind-spot detection, lane departure and retention, the familiar Pre-Safe system and a new ‘active hood’ that raises by 50 millimetres during a collision to increase the deformation range and further protect pedestrians.

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BlueSport concept returns VW to populist roadster roots

Friday, January 23rd, 2009

By Michael Goetz

 

One of the few genuine surprises at Detroit was the world premier of the Volkswagen Concept BlueSport, a mid-engine, minimalist roadster. BlueSport was created to forward several propositions; that a fun-to-drive car can be made in a sustainable format; that a compact roadster is equally suited to thrive in both urban and “winding road” settings; that VW’s design language will return to simple and emotional shapes.

 

There can be no denying that this car would be fun to drive. Its 2.0-litre TDI diesel produces 258 lb-ft of torque from 1,750 rpm. It’s light and short, with a 45:55 front/rear weight distribution. It’s fitted with a six-speed dual clutch transmission. VW says the car can accelerate from 0-100 km in 6.6 seconds, and has a top speed of 226 km/h. 

VW BlueSport concept

VW BlueSport concept (photo: Isaac Adams-Hands)

The sustainability aspect is covered off by this fact: average fuel consumption is rated at 4.3 L/100. Some of this is achieved by the auto-stop feature, which shuts the engine down in traffic, and regenerative braking, which means the engine can spend less time and effort producing electricity. 

 

The face of BlueSport is an interpretation of a new VW design language, which was introduced for the first time on the Sirocco and the new Golf.

 

Immediately after its unveiling in Detroit, we spotted the car’s principle exterior and interior designers, Christian Felske and Peter Witt, in the crowd.

VW BlueSport concept

VW BlueSport concept (photo: Isaac Adams-Hands)

 

A quick Q&A ensued, excerpts of which follow….

What is the essence of VW’s new design language?

Felske: “During the last 10 years, we risked losing a clean automotive design language, so we’re coming back to that. A clean, simple design is better able to summon feelings and emotions. We don’t want to fall back into what we did in the 1990s.”

 

Was it difficult to achieve a clean design with this concept?

Felske: “A clean design is always difficult, you run the risk of being too banal. In this case the package was very good. It was very easy to make a very clean design over this package. The most difficult aspect was the foldable (manually operated) soft-top, because, when folded, it needs to sit on top of the engine. We needed it be thin, but a modern soft-top needs sound dampening and insulation. We worked together with Kharman, they ultimately completed the design – it’s a working unit.”

 

Roadsters are often created to celebrate something retro. How retro did you want to go with BlueSport?

Felske: For sure we didn’t want to make a retro design. Of course, when one thinks of mid-engine roadsters and VW, one thinks of the Porsche 914. We didn’t want to repeat any feature of that car. We wanted to make a modern car.

 

Where was the car designed?

Felske: The team at our studio in Berlin designed it, with lots of involvement with our main studio in Wolfsburg. 

 

Did you show the car to focus groups?  

Felske: “No we didn’t. We were quite sure we were on the right track. People like our earlier mid-engine concept, Eco Racer. We are quite confident we can do a production car based on this concept, and that’s where were put our focus … demonstrating that we could make this car at an affordable price.

 

How close is VW to confirming a production version?

Felske: “I don’t want to say anything, just that we made it look possible.”

 

Explain the design philosophy for the interior?

Interior Designer Peter Witt: “We wanted to take it back to a simple shape, because today, dash and instrument panel design is out of control. I like the simple stuff. Emotional and simple. We came up with the very compact centerpiece. This helps its sporty nature too; helps reduce things to the basic relationship — man and machine. Of course the interior must match the exterior, and not be too expensive to produce, as this would be an inexpensive car. The overall focus is simple, compact, and sporty.

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