The Dynamo concept is said to produce 70 hp, and it features a battery that can be recharged to 80 percent in 30 minutes. The range of the concept car is stated to be 50 miles, and it is based on the Chinese-market Roewe E50 electric car. The 50-mile range places it a bit below the Leaf's 75-mile range, but it's still within everyday commuting range for most. With a length of just under 12 feet, the 2,376-pound concept is just a bit shorter than the Leaf and almost 1,000 pounds lighter, making it about the size of the Volkswagen e-up!
Ford unveiled a concept version of a new Everest SUV at the China motor show in Beijing last week, alongside the 2015 Ford Mustang and 2015 Ford Escort meant for the Chinese market. The seven-seater, designed by Ford's Australian studio, is rumored to be based on the Ford Ranger pickup, which is available in Australia, as well as a number of other markets. Ford is staying mum on whether this truck will see production, though the concept shown in Beijing appeared largely production-ready, down to the smallest details like an antenna. The company has no plans to introduce this SUV in the U.S. market, though the Everest would potentially be built in China for the Chinese market by Ford's joint venture partner, JMC.
Uber car guy Jay Leno took delivery of his McLaren P1 supercar. It's the first example to hit American soil in private hands. He brought it to his garage, called company CEO Mike Flewitt, and the two went about discussing McLaren's history, cars and racing victories. Leno is sporting a blue shirt and khakis, a welcome departure from a full denim suit. Leno's put more than 800 miles on the car in a few days. Flewitt comes back with a few guys he knows who have more than 3,000 miles. Flewitt says he likes the fact that owners are driving these things, and not keeping them as a work of art. At about 8 minutes, they go out for a drive.
Well that took long enough. Nanotechnology is here, and Nissan is reportedly using it in the paint on its little Versa Note hatchback. We would have started on something a little more exciting, like the hard-to-care-for matte finish on the GT-R's rear spoiler, but that's just us. The super-hydrophobic and oleophobic paint repels water and oil, which led Nissan to call the test vehicle “the world's first self-cleaning car.” We wouldn't go that far, but in the above video, the mud and water do run right off.
One of the oldest throwbacks at Mercedes-Benz – the giant, militaristic G-class SUV – will get lighter and greener in 2017. But its blunt, in-your-face attitude shouldn’t change much, Automotive News says. Long a Dallas favorite, the 35-year-old G-class looks like it just rolled off the battlefield, gets 12 miles per gallon in town and costs $115,000. Insiders at Mercedes-Benz told Automotive News that the cultish G-class – a German Hummer essentially – will retain its current overall size and two-box shape after the remake in 2017. However, they said, the high-profile G-wagon will essentially be transformed into a new vehicle with a more contemporary suspension, better interior and extensive use of aluminum and high-strength steel to reduce its three-ton weight.
If preservation-class cars appeal to the true connoisseur, barn finds appeal to the adventurer, the romantic, the dreamer. While a barn isn't, strictly speaking, necessary for a barn find (any type of nonideal, long-term storage will do), the detritus of the passage of time must be obvious. Thick dust (preferably as thick as the layer of ash deposited by the last eruption of Mount Pinatubo) is de rigueur. We've even heard stories of people running vacuum cleaners in reverse to create or enhance this effect.
Test drive this 2009 Mercedes Benz GL-Class SUV loaded with features:2009 Mercedes Benz GL-Class BlueTEC 7
“Just build it,” we said, after seeing the deliciously plausible Maserati Alfieri concept at the Geneva motor show. Maserati chose not to respond to our request/demand immediately, instead teasing us further. “I think this car can be manufactured while preserving a fairly high percentage of similarity to what we're seeing here,” a designer said in an Alfieri video feature. Well, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles has laid down a five-year road map for its brands -- or at least those sold in North America -- and Maserati's way forward includes a production version Alfieri coupe and an Alfieri cabriolet. The former comes screaming our way in 2016; the later, in 2017. For what it's worth, the long-awaited Levante SUV is supposed to be ready by next year, and Maserati will pull the covers off a new GranTurismo in 2018. The classically proportioned 2+2 Alfieri concept was built on today's Maserati GranTurismo platform, and it consequently packed a 4.7-liter V8 under its long grand tourer hood.
