green cars are good for the environment, saving gas, reducing CO2 emissions and use recycling materials
Hot off winning the Green Car of the Year award, Audi is getting serious about the diesel burning boosted version of the A3 TDI compact hatch with their latest Superbowl commercial. The Green Police are out to crack down on every kind of consumer waste from shoppers using single use plastic bags at the supermarket to police drinking out of Styrofoam cups.
Some might say that the Green Police are going a little too far with their efforts to clean up the environment, however the commercial does make for some very funny situations that will hopefully leave new car shoppers here in the U.S. thinking a little differently about alternative fuels in their premium vehicles. Enjoy!
Press release after the jump.
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We have just uncovered even more evidence that there is a market for 21st century green super cars that look like classic 1960s Le Mans champions. It wasn’t too long ago that the Capstone Turbine Corporation unveiled the CMT-380 at the LA Auto Show. The Capstone was basically a hybrid powered Factory Five Ford GT-40 replica that charged the batteries with a compact micro turbine giving the CMT a range of 500 miles, a zero emissions mode and could run from 0 to 60 MPH in just 3.9 seconds. Today we have just come across the Custom Corner Germany GT ecoVision, a bioethanol burning mid engine super car wearing a very appropriate carbon fiber front lip, rear diffuser and wing.
Although the CCG Custom GT ecoVision doesn’t offer a ZEV mode, it does run on a combination of LPG and E85 bioethanol. Powered by a 6.0 Liter V8 sourced from a Corvette, the LS series engine currently produces a total of 450 HP, and CCG is promising that a 570 HP version is on the way. Weighing in at only 2,300 pounds, the ecoVision will rip from 0 to 60 MPH in only 3.2 seconds, and while the CMT we talked about earlier could only do 150 MPH, the CCG’s top speed is 193 MPH, using nothing but alternative fuels. By combining a proven aerodynamic design with a lightweight fiberglass body CCG allows the GT ecoVision to make the most with what its got, and as a bit of a tongue and cheek environmentally friendly maneuver the super car’s standard color scheme is green; however customers can choose from any color they desire.
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The German sports car manufacturer Porsche has teamed up with the Schaeffler Group to create a concept Cayenne that focuses on "Friction Reduction in the Powertrain" to not only free up a few extra ponies, but also let the premium SUV roll a little easier and more efficiently. However the best part is that the once over given to the Cayenne CO2ncept-10% by Schaeffler reduces both emissions and fuel consumption by 10%, all without the aid of a heavy gas/electric hybrid module. This just goes to show that there is still a lot more that we can get out of the internal combustion engine by thinking outside the box as opposed to putting more into it.
Porsche and the Schaeffler Group have taken a V8 powered Cayenne and increased the sport utility’s efficiency by a tenth thanks to revised camshaft timing, a low friction valve train, free spinning bearings and by replacing hydraulic components with more traditional mechanical units. According to Dr. Robert Plank, Manager of Corporate Engineering for the Schaeffler Group "This project is a good example of the successful cooperation between automobile manufacturers and suppliers…This is not the end of the line though. CO2ncept-10% is the sum of its components, and these components are only a few from the Schaeffler Group’s portfolio that allow similar levels of energy efficiency optimization to be reached for vehicles from other segments."
Press release after the jump.
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Even if the diesel burning Audi A3 just arrived in U.S. last month, the alternatively fueled hatchback already has a huge following around the world. And it hasn’t taken long for the other A3 to find success being named the 2010 Green Car of the Year by the Green Car Journal and the GreenCar.com website at the 2009 LA Auto Show. The 2.0 Liter TDI four cylinder engine delivers a maximum output of 140 HP and because it is a diesel, significantly more torque, 236 lb-ft to be exact. Yet despite the excessive amount of thrust, the green A3 is able to get an EPA estimated 42 MPG on the highway.
According to the President of Audi of America, Johan de Nysschen, "We consider the Green Car of the Year® title one of the most important industry accolades. It is of paramount importance for us to develop vehicles that achieve the very touchstones this award stands for fuel efficiency and environmental impact. Rather than novelty features, we consider these attributes imperative to the future of automobile design. We are honored with this recognition for the Audi A3 TDI." With a shift towards premium compacts and fuel efficient car shopping, Audi look like they are on the right track towards selling these green A3s like hot cakes.
Press release after the jump.
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In another nod at green racing, the German automaker Volkswagen has just launched the Scirocco Bio-CNG-powered race series for 2010. With CO2 emissions reduced by 80%, the new Scirocco Cup will become the most eco-friendly one-make championship in the world, making it even more environmentally friendly than their previous Jetta TDI Cup. The Scirocco Cup car is based on the standard TSI unit that is fitted in the road going Scirocco, the Bio-CNG-racing version of the 2.0 Liter four pot develops a maximum output of 215 HP and 203 lb-ft of torque from the alternative fuel burning internal combustion engine.
In order to run a compressed natural gas setup, the Sciroccos are fitted with a 22 liter fuel tank mounted directly behind the driver and is protected by the race car’s roll cage. The so-called Bio-CNG that the Volkswagen Scirocco Cup cars will burn is produced from renewable resources such as grass or a special type of corn as well as from refined biological waste. In order to house the alternative fuel, the tanks themselves are made from a composite material and a series of stainless steel pipes and special valves are added which are required for CNG operation. The Scirocco Cup racing cars will use tried and tested components from Volkswagen production models with CNG engines ensuring that the competition cars are not only reliable, but that the innovations learned on the racetrack will be directly applicable to their street cars.
Press release after the jump.
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This Aston Martin Volare is the next evolution of English sports car craftsmanship because not only does it combine a sleek new shape with the Aston Martin’s modern design, but underneath there four electric motors that are being fed go juice by a high power fuel cell stack located between the front seats centrally locating the weight as close to the ground as possible for enhanced performance while outside it looks like someone pushed down on the base of the wind shied of a Vantage, sharpening up the profile before transplanting a set of bold wings from a One-77 onto this innovative Aston Martin design.
If it were chocolate it would be good enough to eat, and it possibly could be because this isn’t the latest concept from Gaydon this a scale model from future automotive design master James Trim, we are referring to the days ahead because Mr. Trim is only a 23 year old recent graduate of Coventry University in England with a degree in Automotive Design and a quick look at his portfolio will quickly tell you that this kid is going places.
It’s an interesting idea that James is showing, creating design concepts specifically tailored for certain manufacturers. As every ten year old boy who ever got bored with a pen in his hand will tell you that it is hard to come up with a good looking design that is truly unique, most often the more memorable cars are shaped out of packaging and aerodynamic necessity something that only develops as the parts come together. But James Trim has a good shot at replacing Chris Bangle with his BMW Z1 roadster design study or even at Audi with his cute little A0 super compact city car, the only thing he would have to do is learn to speak German.
A word from the designer after the jump.
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We have just received a brand new third generation Toyota Prius into the Top Speed test fleet. Wile we are usually about high horsepower rides that are in contention to set land speed records even we must bow out and admit that these little Hybrid commuter cars are only going to become more common as time goes on. Now this is not quite the prototype we saw back in May, our 2010 Prius didn’t come with the very trick sunroof mounted solar panel and we didn’t even get leather. But that’s OK, because we do have the same 1.8 Liter Hybrid Synergy Drive engine that was in the previous Prius we saw. In an effort to improve fuel economy Toyota has decided to increase the engine’s displacement giving it more torque across the rev band meaning that it won’t have to work as hard getting the Prius moving to the tune of 50 MPG.
It seems that everything about the Prius was made so that the car could cut through the air with the least amount of resistance. The bulges on the sides of the front bumper push air away from the turbulent rotating wheels at speed, which are covered with some pretty interesting plastic covers that were almost certainly included as a fuel-saving afterthought. The design team even incorporated finlets at the rear of the flat paneled under tray that are more functional that the majority of the diffusers bolted to the bottom of a rear bumper. Toyota engineers go to countless measures to squeeze every last ounce of efficiency from their flagship hybrid. A number that was being thrown around when we first spoke to a Toyota representative was one million, because that is how much the Japanese automaker spends every hour of every working day conducting drag reduction research which has led to the Prius’ .25 Cd.
Continued after the jump.
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When Jay Leno officially hung up his gloves as a late-night talk show host, the prevailing thought was it was only a matter of time before he ends up in front of the cameras again.
Apparently, the return was sooner than most of us thought. Leno is scheduled to debut a one-hour prime-time show, which is predictably called, ‘The Jay Leno Show’, and being a true pistonhead, Leno is pitching to include an auto-racing event as one of his key segments.
While the format for this segment seems familiar – Leno actually copied it from Top Gear’s ‘Reasonably-Priced Car Challenge’ from which, ironically, he was one of the guest drivers – the ex-late night host is adding his own personal twist into this segment.
He’s calling it the “Green Car Challenge”, which will have celebrities racing around a specially-designed track inside the NBC compound in a – you guessed it – environmentally-friendly car.
Continued after the jump.
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The German variant of General Motors, Opel, has already released a green version of their popular four door Insignia model wearing the ecoFLEX badge, but that was it. Well now there is good news for fans of environmentally friendly wagons and estates, because Opel has just announced that their ecoFLEX Insignia will soon be available as a Sports Tourer.
The green five door is powered by a 2.0 Liter CDTI engine with the Clean Tech System producing 160 HP and an impressive 280 lb-ft of torque. The fuel efficient diesel burning drive train is complimented by a six speed manual transmission, complete with a higher final drive to allow highway cruising at lower engine speeds. The result is a Sports Tourer that can go from 0 to 60 MPH in 9.9 seconds and hit a top speed of 133.5 MPH, if those numbers don’t seem too impressive, than consider the vehicle’s fuel mileage of 44 MPG.
If only drivers here in the U.S. could learn to appreciate different things like sports wagons and diesel burning power plants. If we hadn’t attached such a lasting stigma to either of those two items then maybe we could enjoy a spirited ride in an ecoFLEX Insignia Sports Tourer, try getting that kind of performance and economy from a gasoline powered vehicle.
Press release after the jump.
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Top Speed had the pleasure of trying out a greener option for that other necessary item in any weekend racers garage, a work truck. Sure its nice to have a classic Ferrari or a an all out race car in your garage, but what good are they if you cannot get them to an appropriate environment. That is where our GMC Sierra 2WD Hybrid Crew Cab comes into play, this pick up can haul up to 6,100 pounds of trailer and seat six individuals inside the cab. Aside from the nice touches like the 18 inch chrome rims and larger than life front grill, the Sierra Hybrid has the benefit of being an alternatively fueled vehicle.
The full sized trucks 2-Mode Hybrid/Electric power train is tuned to get as much as 21 MPH when driving around town, impressive for any vehicle that weighs over 5,000 pounds. Don’t let the size discourage you, the Sierra Hybrid is easy to drive and the power adjustable front seat allows the driver to find the perfect vantage point.
The truck uses a combination of an electric module and a 6.0 Liter Chevrolet small block to make 332 HP, but you most likely won’t have to use much of those ponies, we found ourselves driving the Sierra around on electric only power most of the time, negating the need for any of the eight pistons. It was nice to know that they were there when we needed them like when passing on the highway or pulling a heavy load. One thing was for certain, the GMC Sierra Hybrid is working hard to give trucks a good name again.
Continued after the jump.
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