Lexus LFA Pricing

Lexus is pleased to announce the launch of the LFA, Lexus’ first ever supercar that delivers world-class design, performance, and cutting edge technology.

A Race Car that is Street Legal A radical departure from standard Lexus development, a band of engineers approached the LFA from a non-traditional angle, pushing their technological, material, and engineering boundaries every step of the way. The result, a tour de force powered by a 4.8L V10 engine that generates 552 hp and a remarkable 9,000rpm redline. Reaching 60 mph in 3.6 seconds with a top speed over 200 mph = Super High Performance! This race-inspired power plant is mated to a uniquely developed six-speed Automated Sequential Gearbox (ASG) with paddle shifters for ultimate driver control.

Weight-saving measures were implemented in every area in the development process. The LFA features advanced Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic (CFRP) construction for its chassis and much of its bodywork to deliver a light, extremely strong, and impact-resistant structure. It also has carbon ceramic brake discs, and a host of other technological marvels.
Production and Pricing Start of production will begin December 2010. Consumers will be able to choose from three configurations at the Base MSRP price of $375,000.

GM Reimagines Head-Up Display Technology

– GM’s next-generation head-up technology will make driving safer.
– Research conducted in conjunction with leading universities.

Warren, Mich. — Imagine a fog-shrouded morning when you cannot see the end of your driveway let alone the road you’re about to drive. Wouldn’t it be great if the sides of the road could magically appear on your windshield?

It’s not magic, and it’s not far away either.

General Motors R&D and several universities are working on a system that would use data gathered from an array of vehicle sensors and cameras and project images generated by compact ultra violet lasers directly onto the entire surface of the windshield,

“We’re looking to create enhanced vision systems,” says Thomas Seder, group lab manager-GM R&D. His team is working with Carnegie Mellon University and The University of Southern California, as well as other institutions, to create a full windshield head-up system leveraging night vision, navigation and camera-based sensor technologies to improve driver visibility and object detection ability.

Nissan LEAF electric car

Footage of Nissan’s new LEAF electric car that debuted in Japan on August 2, 2009. The LEAF will go into production in late 2010  

2011 FORD SHELBY GT500 GOES LIGHTWEIGHT WITH ALUMINUM ENGINE, OFFERS ULTIMATE IN HANDLING

• With 550 horsepower and 510 ft.-lb. of torque, Ford’s Special Vehicle Team (SVT) delivers the new Shelby GT500® with a 10 horsepower increase; an all-new 5.4-liter all-aluminum engine is 102 pounds lighter than the previous cast-iron engine and uses Ford-patented plasma-coating technology
• For 2011, Shelby GT500 offers EPA-projected improved fuel economy in city and highway from 2010, eliminating the gas guzzler tax
• The addition of Electric Power Assist Steering (EPAS), a new optional SVT Performance Package, enhanced convertible rigidity and a lowered ride height contribute to improved driving dynamics and handling

DEARBORN, Mich., Feb. 8, 2010 – Ford’s Special Vehicle Team (SVT) engineers are taking high performance to a new level with the 2011 Ford Shelby GT500, resulting in a car that has an all-new aluminum-block engine, even better driving dynamics and handling, improved fuel economy and more horsepower than ever.

“The SVT team continues to push the performance standards of the Shelby to even higher levels and better refinement,” said Jost Capito, director of global performance vehicles and motorsports business development. “All the changes we made reflect a desire for even better handling and outstanding driving dynamics – from weight savings to improved balance.”

Audi A8 2011

Fascinating sportiness, innovative technology and superior comfort: Audi is bringing the next generation of the A8 to the starting line. The new flagship demonstrates the brand’s proverbial Vorsprung durch Technik with its light aluminum body, its powerful and highly efficient engines, the further improved MMI operating system, new driver assistance systems, the full LED headlights and an elegant interior with a craftsman’s level of workmanship.

With all this technology the new Audi A8 offers the perfect synthesis of dynamics, perfection in design, workmanship and pioneering efficiency.

“The new Audi A8 is the sportiest sedan in its segment,” says Rupert Stadler, Chairman of the Board of Management of AUDI AG. “It combines numerous functions in a new and intelligent way. And it’s unmatched in the stylistic elements and impression of the interior.”

The new luxury sedan, to arrive at U.S. dealerships in late 2010, is a technical work of art. Its elegant and forceful body is an aluminum Audi Space Frame (ASF), weighing about 40 percent less than a comparable steel structure. The interior is captivating, with its new and spacious design and uncompromisingly high-quality workmanship full of attention to the smallest detail. The comfort on board is first class – from new, emotionally charged ambient lighting to the luxurious, power adjustable seats in the rear.

The Audi A8 combines a new level of intelligence with exemplary and easy operation. Its multimedia interface (MMI) includes a pioneering innovation: Combined with the standard (in the U.S.) navigation system it has a touchpad. MMI touch enables the driver to control many functions intuitively; for example, the navigation destination can be entered by writing the letters on the pad with the touch of a finger.

MMI navigation plus is networked in a novel fashion with the advanced driver assistance and safety systems. It follows the route in advance during driving and provides the data to the control units for the automatic transmission, the headlights and for the ACC stop & go function. Their enhanced intelligence enables these systems to recognize complex scenarios and to make anticipatory decisions to assist the driver. The new technologies include a night vision assist with marking of detected pedestrians, the Audi pre sense safety system as well as – in the course of 2010 – a speed limit display.

Another high-end solution on board the new A8 is the full LED headlights, which use light emitting diodes for all light functions. They give the luxury sedan an unmistakable appearance even in daylight and even more so after the fall of darkness. The revolutionary optics used in these headlights mean a departure from the tubular light modules commonly used today. The full LED headlights herald a new chapter in lighting technology.

The new A8 starts off with a 4.2 FSI with 273 kW (372 hp). The engine affords increased power and torque – but the fuel consumption has dropped by around 15 percent, thanks to intelligent and efficient technologies like the recuperation system and innovative thermal management.