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Detroit 2009: Dodge Circuit EV [w/VIDEO]

Автор: RaymondLilly | среда, 30 сентября 2009 г.

Filed under: Concept Cars, Detroit Auto Show, Coupes, Hybrids/Alternative, Chrysler, LLC., Dodge

Click above for high-res gallery of the Dodge Circuit EV

The circuit is one of those things that makes us go "Hmmm." It is not particularly attractive, not particularly innovative, and not particularly noteworthy except that it's an electric car with "Dodge" written on it. The 200kW (268 hp) motor get the "Tangoreen" 2-door to 60 in less than five seconds, and the quarter-mile is a 13-second affair.

Still, as the continuation of what might be considered last summer's cynical exercise we have nothing against the Dodge Circuit -- but unless they price it a great deal lower than a Tesla or make it a great deal cooler than Lotus' (possibly) coming range-extended ~~Evora~~ Europa, then we aren't sure what to do with the Circuit for now. You can read the press release after the jump and check out the high-res gallery of photos below... But for our money, the Chrysler 200C Concept is what the future of the Pentastar is all about.

Gallery: Detroit 2009: Dodge Circuit EV

Gallery: Dodge Circuit EV

Continue reading Detroit 2009: Dodge Circuit EV [w/VIDEO]

Detroit 2009: Dodge Circuit EV [w/VIDEO] originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 11 Jan 2009 14:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ABG First Drive: 2010 Honda Insight, 63.4 mpg!

Автор: RaymondLilly |

Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Hybrids/Alternative, Green, Hatchbacks, Honda

Click above for high-res image gallery of the 2010 Honda Insight

2009 is shaping up to be a big year for hybrids as Ford launches the Fusion and Milan hybrids, Toyota brings us the third generation Prius and the new Lexus HS250h and Honda revives the Insight brand. The original Insight was the first hybrid to make it to the US market but it was never very commercially successful. Honda only managed to sell about 18,000 Insights worldwide over 6 years. The new Insight is a whole different story.

This time around, Honda has created a five seat hatchback that it says will be the most affordable hybrid in the world. Honda is targeting world wide sales of 200,000 Insights a year with half of those going to North America. AutoblogGreen spent a day driving the new Insight in and around Carefree AZ just before the holidays. Unlike the Prius which is efficient but has never been particularly appealing to drive, the Insight makes good use of its Fit based chassis for fun steering and handling and still manages to get outstanding fuel efficiency. ABG managed to achieve an average 63.4 mpg on an efficiency drive and 44 mpg on a mountain road pleasure drive. Read all about the new Insight at AutoblogGreen.

Gallery: ABG First Drive: 2010 Honda Insight

Gallery: 2010 Honda Insight

Live Photos Copyright (C)2009 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.
[Source: AutoblogGreen]

ABG First Drive: 2010 Honda Insight, 63.4 mpg! originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 11 Jan 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Leakage: Euro-spec 2009 Honda Insight

Автор: RaymondLilly | вторник, 29 сентября 2009 г.

Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Hybrids/Alternative, Euro, Green, Honda

Click above for a gallery of the Euro-spec 2009 Honda Insight

We're still six days away from the official unveiling of the 2009 Honda Insight at the Detroit Auto Show, but the crew at Carscoop just couldn't wait to release images of the European-spec hybrid ahead of its debut.

The Euro model shown here won't differ too much from the U.S. version, but the stylistic differences between the production version and its conceptual predecessor are obvious at first glance. As we've seen before, the front fascia carries over largely unchanged, although the technorific LED headlamps, deeply recessed fog lamps/air intakes and gaudy brightwork are all left on the designer's desk. The side mirrors have grown in proportion to the door handles, and the C-pillar is noticeably thicker than the concept that bowed in Paris. The rear has also been smoothed over, with the Prius-esque (or is that CRX-inspired?) hatch losing a bit of glass, along with the contoured cut-out for the license plate, which is now mounted lower on the bumper, with a prominent "H" badge floating on a body-colored panel.

Although the interior hasn't been revealed in full, we get a brief glimpse of the central-mounted tach, "eco" gauges and second tier speedo, which benefits from a backlight that transitions from green to blue when the driver mashes the accelerator and unleashes the full fury of the small-displacement engine through the CVT gearbox.

Sales will begin in the U.S. and abroad this spring, with a starting price rumored to hover around $20,000.

Gallery: 2009 Honda Insight (Euro)

[Source: Carscoop]

Leakage: Euro-spec 2009 Honda Insight originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 05 Jan 2009 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Detroit Preview: Maserati Quattroporte Sport GT S

Автор: RaymondLilly | понедельник, 7 сентября 2009 г.

Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Sedans/Saloons, Maserati

Click above for high-res image gallery of the Maserati Quattroporte Sport GT S

When one thinks of the Indianapolis 500, Maserati is not a name that pops immediately to mind. However, cars wearing the famous trident logo won the 500 twice in 1939 and 1940 when legendary Wibur Shaw drove an 8C TF to victory at the "Brickyard" both years. Thankfully, even with all the bad news about automakers pulling out of the Detroit Auto Show this year, Maserati is using the occasion to celebrate the 70th anniversary of that first Indy victory with yet another variant of the Quattroporte.

The new Sport GT S has a recalibrated 4.7L V8 from the S now putting out 433 hp along with revised shift points for its transmission. This ultimate Quattroporte also gets a revised song thanks to a new exhaust system. The spring rates are stiffer and the dampers are now single rate rather than variable as on other QPs. Inside the GT S also gets the obligatory Alcantara trim to supplement the usual acres of leather. As you can see above and in our gallery of high-res images below, it still looks like a million bucks, though we poo poo the fact its missing any visual cues that would link it directly to the Indy 500, like a giant, downforce-inducing rear wing or Pace Car graphics on the doors. But maybe that's just us.

Gallery: 2009 Maserati Quattroporte Sport GT S