It’s not common place for brands in other industries collaborating with automakers to create a line of products that have been co-branded with their partners. You could even say that Ferrari has made this a lucrative form of business, especially with laptops and mobile phones in the form of their partnership with Acer.
Another Italian supercar maker that has dived into the computer business is Lamborghini. Over the years, the Raging Bull has collaborated with computer company Asus to build a set of laptop models that not only rivals the Ferrari/Acer partnership, but also gives Lambo aficionados another way to support their favorite automotive brand without having to buy their ridiculously expensive supercars.
Recently, the Lamborghini/Asus partnership revealed the latest fruit of their collaboration: the VX7 gaming laptop. Already in its seventh generation, the VX7 was designed using the Murcielago as its inspiration. The laptop features a clamshell lid with the iconic ’Toro’ logo; it’s got leather-lined palm-rests; heck, it even has a taillight-configuration on the back of the computer.
Apart from all the Lamborghini details on the laptop, its specs also give justice to its designation as a gaming laptop. It’s got a 2.0-GHz Intel Core processor with 16GB of RAM. It also has a Blu-Ray combo drive and an enormous storage space of 1.5 terrabytes that can be stored through a dual hard-drive configuration. The VX7 is available with a choice of two colors - Orange or Carbon Fiber - at a price tag befitting of Lamborghini’s status. That’s right, if you have a remote interest in this bad boy, you’re going to have to fork over €1,995, which is about $2,800 based on current exchange rates.
Nobody ever said Lamborghini products came cheap. Even if it’s just a laptop.
Seeing as this is effectively their hometown auto show, Hyundai was out in full force at the Seoul Motor Show with a host of new offerings. One concept that the Korean automaker brought was the Blue2 Sedan Concept, a car that the Korean automaker is pegging as the next generation FCEV sedan.
The car bears the codename HND-6 and is being touted as Hyundai’s very first Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle that’s powered by hydrogen and is capable of delivering 90kW – around 120 horsepower – and estimated fuel economy figures reaching an impressive 82 miles per gallon.
Aesthetically speaking, the Blue2 Sedan Concept has an exterior whose design language is being described as ‘Intersected Flow’ with other external features complementing the contoured form of the car, including the LCD screen panels on both the front and back, side cameras in place of the standard side mirrors, a roof camera, and automatic opening doors.
Inside, the Blue2 Concept features an asymmetrical dashboard, wider seats to make room for a spacious interior cabin, and a couple of out-of-this-world features, including what the company is describing as a Transparent Organic Light Emitting Diode (TOLED) monitor that has been officially christened the Gorilla Glass. This monitor appears more accurate and vivid compared to standard LED screens. Another unique feature is the Motion Sensor Moustick, a haptic wheel and motion sensor that respond to the driver’s touch and hand movements, giving drivers a new experience.
Ever hear of an antivirus with a V12 engine? It may sound a bit confusing, but that is what you get when you mix software companies and the automotive world. Kaspersky Internet Security has announced the launch of a special Ferrari Edition antivirus to celebrate the Formula One season. This special antivirus has been developed in cooperation with Ferrari and will be available worldwide at the end of March 2011. And here we thought automakers were going to stop at mugs, apparel, and bicycles.
"It’s the first time that Ferrari has co-branded with a software company,” said Kaspersky co-founder and CEO Eugene Kaspersky. "Ferrari is co-branded everywhere, with merchandise and clothing in Ferrari stores all over the globe. This is the next step in our partnership; from my point of view Ferrari is perfect for us. It has speed and safety, and in IT security we also are all about speed and safety."
Don’t expect too much of Ferrari in the new program, though. There will only be a new Ferrari-themed user interface and an added Windows desktop gadget.
Tesla Motors has based their whole business model on batteries. They kind of have to since, after all, they sell electric cars. Tesla’s Roadster contains 6,831 lithium ion laptop-style batteries and the company’s up and coming 2012 Model S will have around 8,000 lithium ion laptop-style batteries. This is why it’s such a surprise to hear Tesla CEO Elon Musk say that he doesn’t think batteries will be part of the breakthrough that really pushes electric vehicle transportation into the mainstream.
While speaking at Cleantech Forum in San Francisco, Musk said, “If I were to make a prediction, I’d think there’s a good chance that it is not batteries but capacitors [that will facilitate the breakthrough].”
Musk might be onto something. One of the biggest drawbacks to electric vehicles is the “range anxiety” caused by the very batteries that electric vehicles need to store their energy. Batteries not only take a long time to charge up, but the state of their charge is largely dependent on ambient temperatures.
Capacitors are a lot like batteries. They’re commonly used now in consumer electronics to maintain power while the batteries are charging. Capacitors can also release quick bursts of electricity and since they can withstand more charging cycles than batteries, they should last longer. The only thing that batteries have on capacitors is that they can store more energy.
Now we’re not engineers, but if Tesla was somehow capable of combining large capacitors with a battery, so that the capacitors could both run the car and charge the battery when the battery is depleted, and supplement it with regenerative braking and solar panels, they might just be onto something BIG. In theory, that could be a real self-sustaining car. That could also be just the breakthrough that Tesla needs to remain viable into the 21st century auto industry.
Ten years ago there was very little discussion about electric or hybrid vehicles. The technology was far from perfected and no low level consumer was able to purchase it. Throughout this past decade our economy, natural resources, and priorities have shifted towards conserving the environment and our funds. This has helped the renewable and green energy proponents to make large discoveries that are moving the industry forward faster than ever.
Americans tend to be very stubborn and change can rub us the wrong way all too easily. Most of the negative sentiments about electric and hybrid vehicles are based around ignorance. Quite simply, most people could not tell you the difference between a hybrid car and a full electric vehicle. Come to think of it, most people could not tell the difference between a diesel and a petrol engine besides the fact that they would have to use the green pump at the gas station. For the hybrid automakers to start selling these vehicles in larger quantities, the public must be educated about their benefits and potential pitfalls.
Several basic types of low emissions vehicles exist and are currently being marketed by the major auto manufacturers. The biggest seller of these is Toyota with their Prius model, which is a hybrid vehicle. Making distinctions between the different cars available will be helpful to a potential buyer by allowing them to get a vehicle that best suits their respective uses and needs.
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