Latest On The Pininfarina Sintesi Concept

It seems quite clear that one of the focal points of the upcoming Pininfarina Sintesi concept car has to do with a society where vehicles talk to each other to potentially eliminate traffic and accidents. This information is insinuated in the latest edition of the Sintesi Magazine, released on the Pininfarina concept's website.

This new issue, also subtitled "Transparent Mobility", places the Sintesi as a vehicle that "communicates and interacts continually with other elements." In doing so, the apparently adjustable auto-pilot tells the vehicle to speed up and slow down, pending road conditions and vehicle movement. In one illustrated scenario, the Sintesi is approaching an intersection at the same time as several other cars. But with no stoplights, it takes the Sintesi's artificial intelligence to determine the speed and trajectory to navigate through the crossroads as efficiently as possible.

Should the Sintesi have a viable system, called ClanCast, traffic lights and road signs would become obsolete. Signals would be sent to the driver and displayed in the car on the completely decentralized data network.

Automobile Auto-Pilot is not a new idea, and frequently pops up in science fiction (I, Robot, anyone?). It will be very interesting to see a fresh perspective on this idea. The Pininfarina Sintesi will debut at the Geneva Motor Show.

Source: Pininfarina

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Final Pininfarina Sintesi Teaser

As promised, Pininfarina have been trickling information through regarding its new Sintesi concept car as the weeks go by in the lead up to next week's Geneva Motor Show 2008.

Pininfarina have long had a history of producing some of the most beautiful production cars and also some of the most outlandish concept cars. Sintesi means synthesis in Italian. Pininfarina describes the Sintesi as a "synthesis of beauty, sportiness and functionality,". The Sintesi is the latest concept car from Pininfarina since the oddly named Birdcage 75th which was presented some 3 years ago also in Geneva.

Previously the chairman, Andrea Pininfarina, gave an indication of what Pininfarina want to get out of this concept; “Three years ago we unveiled Birdcage 75th, our last prototype. Together with our new concept Sintesi we would like to anticipate new car design trends. In Sintesi, we put all our goodwill in looking at the future, first and foremost in resorting to the excellence of our design.”



Powered by an advanced fuel cell powerplant, the Sintesi is said to have around 700hp at its disposal and can seat four people in comfort. This design is sure to be a crowd puller at this years Geneva show.

Source: Pininfarina

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Aston Martin V8 Vantage RS in Mako Blue

Aston Martin’s V12 Vantage RS Concept has a new colour. Mako Blue is it, and it was chosen out of numerous names suggested by interested public members. When the car was unveiled by Aston Martin CEO Dr Ulrich Bez last December, he called on the public to send names they thought would suit the colour of the concept.

One such quick-thinking world citizen was Mat Wilson whose name was the one picked। Wilson said: “The name came to me instantly, when I first saw the car. There is a distinct parallel between the shark and the car – both being the fastest of their kind.” Mako is the Maori word for Blue Lightning, which Aston Martin reckon is perfectly suited to their 600 bhp/ 447kW 6.0-litre V12. Indeed the car is said to be the fastest Aston Martin to ever come out with that badge on its sleeve.


Press Release

The newly housed Aston Martin Design team has selected a name for the colour of the company’s V12 Vantage RS concept car, after inviting suggestions from the public at the opening of the company’s new Design Studio last year.


The V12 Vantage RS was unveiled in December by Chief Executive Officer, Dr Ulrich Bez, who, during his speech, invited suggestions to name the colour of the concept. The Aston Martin design team was inundated with suggestions, and after careful consideration has selected ‘Mako Blue’ as the name of the concept colour.
Design Director, Marek Reichman said: “The name is taken from the Mako shark, which is the fastest and most agile shark known to man. We thought the name not only reflected the colour, but also that the nature of the shark was synonymous with the character of the car.
“The Maori translation for ‘Mako’ is ‘Blue Lightning’ which obviously is descriptive of both colour and car - a very befitting name.”
Mat Watson, who penned the winning name added: “The name came to me instantly, when I first saw the car. There is a distinct parallel between the shark and the car – both being the fastest of their kind.”
The environmentally sustainable Design Studio is the marque’s first purpose-built and fully-owned design facility. The Vantage RS concept features a 600bhp 6.0 V12 engine and has been subjected to a weight-loss programme. The result is the fastest ever road-going Aston Martin.

Aston Martin is currently evaluating feedback from customers to the Vantage RS concept, with a view to a possible low-volume production run should sufficient demand exist.

Source: Aston Martin

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2009 Honda Pilot Prototype

Honda's next-generation Pilot SUV is scheduled to debut in spring of 2008, and the manufacturer unveiled a barely-disguised version at the NAIAIS in Detroit. Boxier, burlier styling is the most noticeable external change. The Pilot is slightly larger, making room for three full rows of seats. Honda says the third-row seat is large enough for full-size adults..

Fuel efficiency is also boosted thanks to the first adaptation of Honda's two-mode Variable Cylinder Management system. The Pilot's V6 operates on six cylinders when power is needed or when towing a trailer, and can shut down two or three cylinders to save fuel when cruising. The Pilot's unibody structure has been strengthened to improve towing capacity. Honda plans to introduce the production version later this spring.

Press Release

Next-Generation Honda Pilot Balances Ideal Combination of SUV Strengths and On-road Refinement

01/13/2008 -DETROIT - A prototype of the next-generation Honda Pilot is being unveiled at the 2008 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit, American Honda Motor Co., Inc., announced today.
The prototype conveys design features of the more boldly-styled 2009 Pilot, set to debut in spring 2008, which emphasizes authentic SUV styling, clever and more accommodating interior packaging and advanced technologies for safety, fuel efficiency and convenience.
"The Pilot's pioneering formula improves for 2009 by enhancing its combination of refinement and efficiency with even more traditional SUV strengths," said John Mendel, executive vice president of American Honda. "A powerful exterior design communicates strength and allows for more space inside."
Functional eight-passenger seating, a hallmark of the Pilot, becomes even easier to access in the third row as key dimensions for legroom, cargo and occupant space increase in all seating positions. A redesigned platform allows even more refined handling and ride comfort to exist seamlessly with all-weather and medium-duty off-road capabilities.
To further enhance safety, the Pilot will feature the Honda-exclusive Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE®) body structure and the most extensive use of high-strength steel in any Honda product to date.
The ACE body structure enhances frontal collision compatibility with vehicles of different sizes and bumper heights. A pedestrian injury mitigation design in the front of the vehicle is designed to help absorb energy in the event of a collision.
A crossover SUV platform underpins the Pilot to provide the best of the car and truck worlds by integrating the refined traits and packaging advantages of a unit body car design with the utility and capability of an SUV design. A V-6 engine introduces the latest generation of Honda fuel-saving Variable Cylinder Management™ (VCM®) technology that operates in 6-cylinder mode for power and 4- and 3-cylinder modes for efficiency, an improvement compared to the existing Pilot's available VCM system that works exclusively in 6- and 3-cylinder modes.
Three rows of seats provide a high degree of adaptability for people and large cargo loads. The first row provides a commanding view of the road from two captains' chairs. A wide center stack and center console form the styling anchor for the interior with a design that emphasizes spaciousness and power, while allowing for convenient access to navigation, entertainment and climate-control systems.
The 60/40 split second row, now more spacious, slides further forward for increased ease of access to the third row. The 60/40 split third row, now supplies enough knee room for an above-average-sized adult male to fit comfortably, making the Pilot's third row among the most practical in the industry. Each side of the second and third row independently folds down for cargo. A flat floor is created when the second and third rows are folded down.
The Pilot originally debuted as a 2003 model in July of 2002. Design and development of the 2003 Pilot and the 2009 Pilot were carried out at Honda R&D Americas in Raymond, Ohio, and Torrance, California. The Pilot is assembled* at Honda Manufacturing of Alabama in Lincoln.
Among its numerous accolades, the Honda Pilot has earned Car and Driver Magazine's prestigious "5Best Truck" award on six consecutive occasions (2002-2007). The current-generation 2008 Pilot is also among an elite group of vehicles to receive both a "Top Safety Pick 2008" from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and a 5-star crash safety rating for frontal and side collisions from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)**.
* Honda products are produced using domestic and globally-sourced parts.
** Government star ratings are part of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA's) New Car Assessment Program (www.safercar.gov. Model tested with standard side-impact airbags.)
Additional consumer information is available at 2009-prototype-Pilot.honda.com.

Source: Honda

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Mitsubishi Sportback Concept

World debut of this sleek 5-door sports car concept।

As Mitsubishi motor show stands so often are, this year's Frankfurt offering is an eclectic mix of city car, off-road vehicle, Paris-Dakar racer and World Rally Championship contender (plus, of course, the next generation Evo IX which is the WRC car's road-going cousin).

It's an increasingly strong range, but Mitsubishi, in the wake of their difficult DaimlerChrysler connections, have bigger ambitions yet. This especially extends to Europe, because no less than 80 percent of Mitsubishi sales are now outside of Japan.

So there's a raft of new models to come and the Concept Sportback unveiled in Frankfurt will be one of them, apparently with very few significant changes. According to Mitsubishi, the Concept Sportback gives "clear indications of the company's vision for its next generation C segment cars," and will be one of the first cars to be built on their new global platform.

If it reaches production looking like the concept car, we should be very grateful। The five-door sports hatch with a coupe-like roofline is one of this year's more attractive, understated renderings. In fact it looks almost as though you could drive it out of the doors now, and a lot of people would probably like to.


The Sportback is clearly aimed at the heart of the European market and its looks could really make it stand out। Mitsubishi says it's practical as well as emotional with deceptively roomy rear packaging. True to the marque's sporting heritage, it will have performance to match the looks. For now they're talking front- or four-wheel drive and a range of four-cylinder engines (plus diesel engines for Europe, of course) with options of 200 horsepower and more. If it goes as well as the concept looks, the production model should be another Mitsubishi hit.

Mitsubishi Concept-Ra Unveiled at Detroit

Athletic pure coupe

Green is still the word in the automotive world, and Mitsubishi is bringing its own view on the topic to the 2008 North American International Auto Show. The sporty coupe combines cutting edge drivetrain technologies with the latest clean diesel design. The Mitsubishi Concept-RA packs one of the latest gadgets from Japan - already featured on the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, namely the Super-All Wheel Control system which consists of Active Center Differential, Active Yaw Control, Sport ABS and Active Stability Control component systems.

But what the Lancer Evo does not do is partner the S-AWC with a 2.2 liter 4-cylinder DOHC 16-valve diesel engine. We knew that Mitsubishi was working on a new diesel for Europe, but also the US is warming up to diesel after the German diesel invasion. This diesel produces 201 hp with 310 ft-lbs of torque and meets US emissions standards.

In an attempt to further improve performance, fuel economy and safety, the Concept-RA is built around an aluminium space frame while the hood, fenders and outer panels are molded from impact.resistant and recyclable plastic resin.

Press Release
Concept-RA

The MITSUBISHI Concept-RA continues a long tradition of sporty coupe concepts dating back to the 1972 debut of the Galant GTO R73-X show car, which showcased high revving, high output (200 hp) DOHC engine technology. Combining cutting edge drivetrain technologies with the latest clean diesel engine design, MITSUBISHI Concept-RA demonstrates that a thrilling performance machine and a sense of environmental responsibility need not be mutually exclusive concepts. The Concept-RA features a "next generation" Super-All Wheel Control (S-AWC) system that is comprised of Active Center Differential, Active Yaw Control, Sport ABS and Active Stability Control component systems, as equipped on the very capable Lancer Evolution. For Concept-RA, this vehicle-dynamics-enhancing, all-wheel-drive system is upgraded to include Active Steering and Active Damping Control elements to further improve driver control, as well as vehicle handling and stability. S-AWC integrally manages all of these systems to realize advanced levels of control over drive torque and braking, thereby improving traction, cornering and vehicle stability. This complex system of electronic traction and driveline control help create intuitive, on-demand vehicle behavior that faithfully reflects driver intent under all driving conditions, from everyday use to emergency avoidance situations.

MITSUBISHI Concept-RA is powered by a new high output, low-emissions 2.2-liter 4-cylinder DOHC 16-valve turbo diesel engine. This engine features a MIVEC(1) valvetrain that offers continuously variable valve timing control as well as low and high speed camshaft profiles. The new diesel is equipped with piezoelectric injector common-rail direct fuel injection that allows a lower compression ratio and a VD (Variable Diffuser)/VG (Variable Geometry) turbocharger. The 2.2 liter clean diesel unit delivers a maximum output of 201 hp (150 kW) and maximum torque of 310 ft. lbs (42.8 kg-m). In an effort to comply with U.S. emissions standards (Tier 2 Bin 5 emission regulations), the diesel relies on a new catalytic converter system that utilizes diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC), NOx trap catalyst (NTC) and diesel particulate filter (DPF) technologies. When mated to a Twin Clutch-SST gearbox, the torque-rich diesel engine will help deliver sporty driving manners with a high degree of fuel efficiency.

MITSUBISHI Concept-RA makes extensive use of lightweight materials in its construction to help reduce vehicle mass for improved performance, fuel economy and safety. The athletic coupe features a new body structure that utilizes an aluminum space frame made from extruded aluminum sections and die-cast aluminum components, as well as the hood, fenders and other outer panels molded from impact-resistant and easily recyclable plastic resin.

Source: Mitsubishi

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Chocolate Ferrari F1 Car Must be Eaten

Ferrari has sweetened their Formula One programme by unveiling this chocolate-made life-sized model of the F2008 racing car. Comprised of 2,000kg (4,405 lbs) of chocolate, the “project” began when confectioners melted chocolate a year ago and started making a small version based on a small-scale model of the F2008.

“The project started one year ago, just for fun,” said Luigi Liberti, president of the Scuderia Ferrari Club Napoli, “but then the Club Pasticceri Italiani started to get really enthusiastic and eventually it became a life-sized model.
They started melting the chocolate in 2007, at first copying a small-scale model of the Ferrari F2008, then getting the full scale model done using chocolate imported especially from Belgium.”

Everything on it is edible, everything including the red coating. The car had been on display in Sorrento, hear Naples as a display piece at a Ferrari owners’ party. But today it is being smashed up with hammers so guests can eat it p. For just £12,000/ €15,900 you can have the exact same thing, a year from now!

Mindset E-Motion - a Swiss hybrid

Swiss company Mindset plans a hybrid sports car to begin production by 2009, aiming to assemble 10,000 units per annum at a price of €50,000/ USD 74,075 each। The company’s idea, the Mindset E-Motion, is a 4.2 metre long car, expressing a wheelbase of some 2.76 metres. Run by a 70kW/ 94 bhp electric motor fed by a lithium ion battery, it promises pollution-free driving. Torque is rated at 220Nm, top speed is also limited to 140km/h. Not sure why this particular limit given the scope of the engine’s capability though. An acceleration time of under 7 seconds from 0 – 100km/h is anticipated.


Behind this Swiss project is a man by the name of Murat Günak who used to ply his trade as chief designer at Volkswagen। Suspicious as it already sounds that the Swiss are trying out for another car (memories of smart Mk I are still fresh), it makes sense they would build a hybrid.


Swiss Mindset AG wants starting from 2009 environmentally conscious customers with a hybrid car in the compact class format to lure। The line of the project is incumbent on the former Volkswagen chief designer Murat Günak. Based on an aluminium spaceframe with a body made from plastic compounds, the E-Motion has an unladen weight of 800kg/ 1,763 lbs. Going tubular on this project, Mindset chose to mould the shape into a form of coupe with a long bonnet, wing doors and a high ride. It defies the definition of an uncool hybrid.

Fioravanti Celebrates its 20th Anniversary With the Hidra

Last year, Fioravanti has presented the Thalia Concept at last year’s edition of the Geneva Motor Show। It was basically a five-door coupe that aimed to propose a new way to store alternative sources of energy. For 2008, the year in which Fioravanti completes 20 years of activities, Geneva will witness the appearance of the Hidra Concept, basically a five-door coupe that aims to propose a new way to store alternative sources of energy. We know that “déjà vu” is a French expression, but it will suit the Italian design studio just fine. Apart from the different tops, Thalia and Hidra look exactly the same. Maybe this is because the official press release is not in Fioravanti’s site so far (anyone willing to get more information could solve the problem with Thalia’ pictures and information).

Since we have mentioned info (technical specs, engines etc.), we are sorry to say there is none besides what VirtualCar.it and cars-space have brought us: the car will present revolutionary solutions for glass surfaces and will be an MPC (Multi Purpose Coupe)। More information on the vehicle will only be released at the Geneva Motor Show.

Chevrolet Camaro: Right Hand Drive Plans

Chevrolet’s hero car, the Camaro, is headed to right-hand-driven markets like Japan, Australia, UK and South Africa. This is according to General Motors, makers of the car. Unfortunately for fans of the other hero car from the same garage, the Corvette, will not be getting their right of way, so to speak, as Corvette is only limited to LHD manufacturing processes.

WCF has on a number of occasions, spotted this special retro-remake testing at several spots around the world. In fact, we’ve even had the chance to pilot one at a track outside of Miami soon after it was unveiled at Detroit for the first time. Although never allowed to exceed 50km/h /31mph at the track - no thanks to one 6ft6 hunk of a military-type whose job it was to sit right next to the drivers and just stare – it felt exciting driving a future icon so early in its life. Anyway, it was jolly good for about a minute and a half.






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Honda present Accord Tourer Concept

Further to last month's announcement, Honda have now debuted their Accord Tourer Concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Put forward to crowds as being a 'strong indication' as to the next Accord's design direction, the new concept car is a sleeker and smarter load-lugger than its outgoing generation while maintaining versatility and practicality as key design elements. But expect the next-gen Accord to deviate little from this concept-come-preview-model, with production versions premiering in mid-2008.









Press Release

Honda presented to the world the exciting Accord Tourer Concept and the new generation of Honda diesel engines, i-DTEC at the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show.

The premiere of the Accord Tourer Concept provides a strong indication of the design direction of the all-new generation Accord Tourer set to debut in mid-2008. The wider, lower look signals a sportier, more emotional styling approach, and while the design of the current Accord Tourer maximises its load-carrying capability, the new model goes for smarter, sleeker proportions while retaining a strong degree of versatility and practicality. The Concept’s greater width makes for a more spacious cabin and also allows an increased track for enhanced handling characteristics.

The all-new Accord range will boast one of the first all-Euro 5-compliant engine line-ups which will consist of two i-VTEC petrol engines of 2.0 and 2.4-litre capacities and a newly developed 2.2-litre i-DTEC next-generation diesel engine. Compared to the current Accord engine line-up, power output will be boosted and emissions and fuel economy significantly improved.

The latest engines will be complemented by innovative new chassis technology that will deliver exceptional handling, greater linear stability and a more involving driving experience without compromising ride comfort.

The all-new Accord will debut in Sedan and Tourer forms at the 2008 Geneva Motor Show.

The all-new i-DTEC is the 2nd diesel engine Honda has developed. By further improving the current award winning i-CTDi’s superb performance, fuel economy and emission efficiencies, i-DTEC has achieved various stringent emission standards in the U.S., Japan and Europe (Honda test data).

The first phase of the programme – compliance with the Euro 5 legislation expected in 2009 – has already reached fruition, and an example of the new engine, which makes its first appearance in next year’s Accord range, is being shown on the stand.

Honda continues to work on the second phase of development of its latest diesel engine and has already achieved compliance with the stringent US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Tier II/Bin 5 emissions requirements. This is of particular significance to the European market in that the Tier II standards are even more demanding than the Euro 6 requirements which remain at the proposal stage. An example of this engine is also on display at the stand.



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