Automotive

The four-passenger Ford Start Concept a fuel-efficient three-cylinder EcoBoost engine with 1.0 liter of displacement and the power of a larger I-4 engine, while delivering a CO2 rating under 100 g/km.

Designed at Ford’s California studio in Irvine, the Start Concept was created under the direction of Freeman Thomas, responsible for the recent Lincolns that have clearly influenced the new concept.

The Start Concept features lightweight composite body panels, flush-mounted glass and underbody pan to improve efficiency and aerodynamics. The cars minimalistic approach extends through all of the design details around the car.

The interior compliments the direction of the exterior. It has been designed to be pure, tactile analog experience. The Start Concept interior was designed to evoke passion and driving excitement with the feeling one would expect from a more premium segment.

An additional feature of the interior is “MyFord Mobile Concept,” a conceptual look into how to leverage smart phone interface with the popularity of personalized “apps”.

1.0l three-cylinder EcoBoost I3
The new 1.0-liter Ford EcoBoost engine is designed to use a cast iron block, cast aluminum cylinder head and cast aluminum sump. Its compression ratio will be 10:1. Its compact architecture makes it ideal for packaging in smaller vehicles – as the Start Concept demonstrates.

Extensive development shows power and torque levels comparable to a normally aspirated, 1.6-liter I4 powerplant and carbon dioxide emissions are expected to be under the 100 g/km threshold.

Further technical and timing details of the new 1.0-liter engine and the vehicles it will power will be provided closer to its production launch.

Angel Eye? What is that? ‘Angel Eye’ is a cool headlight feature found on the new (2001+) BMW 5 Series. The projector headlamp unit on the BMW 5 series has a pair of circular-shape rings that when light up, they produce a pair of halos. BMW calls them ‘Angel Eyes’. They are also referred to as ‘Demon Eyes’. They look very nice on the BMW 5 Series. They don’t serve any purpose other than for the nice and aggressive look, and to distinguish the newer BMW 5 Series from other BMW models at night. Great design for an already-great looking car. Would definitely look awesome if BMW put them on the 3 Series.

My install is a little different from the BMW. Only three quarter of the rings are lit up, like a crescent moon. They are not exactly like the full circle of the BMW’s Angel Eyes. Only BMW deserves the full circle; my humble CRX is not worthy enough for the full circle, but it still looks great! continue reading…

Sit down and take a deep breath, EV fans. The Nissan Leaf electric car will cost $32,780 when it rolls into showrooms in December. Add in the federal EV tax credit, and the bottom line is $25,280, a price that makes the Leaf competitive with the Honda Civic and the Toyota Prius.

Nissan announced the price today and said it starts taking reservations for the Leaf electric car April 20. The five-passenger hatchback sports a 23 kilowatt-hour lithium-manganese battery that’s good for a claimed 100 miles and recharges in eight hours. The Japanese automaker plans to crank out 50,000 Leafs in 2011. With some 85,000 “hand-raisers” expressing interest in getting one, some EV advocates believe Nissan’s priced the car so competitively it could have trouble meeting demand.

“I think it’s an excellent price,” said Paul Scott, a founder and board member of the EV advocacy group Plug-In America. “I think Nissan is going to have a hard time keeping them on the showroom floor, especially in states that have additional tax credits. In California, it’s going to be a hell of a bargain at $20,028. They’ve really nailed it. It’s very, very affordable.”

We must note that these prices are for the United States only, and Nissan is offering the Leaf for sale or lease only as a complete package. It is not leasing the battery separately from the car here in the United States, though it might do so elsewhere. continue reading…