Nissan has announced a new limited-production Nissan GT-R Spec V model which we’re still having trouble wrapping our collective brain cells around. The GT-R was unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show in 2007, and it has taken all before it since then – it is a technological masterpiece that looks like a relatively normal car, but outperforms cars worth double, triple and more. In Japan it sells for 8.6 million yen, translating into the cheapest production supercar the world has yet seen. Now, the Spec V is being shown at Geneva and has already gone on sale in Japan for 15,750,000 yen (JPY) – an increase of 83% in price – and the engine produces NO more horsepower. So what do you get for an extra US$72,000?… Details
As General Motors Corp.’s losses grow, so does the amount it plans to cut on marketing spending. In a 40-page document of financial results released today, the automaker disclosed that it will slash marketing in North America — including vehicle incentives — by $800 million this year alone. …. Details
Juan Zamora is really glad for overdraft protection.
When he pulled in to fill up the tank on his ’94 Camaro in Richland on Tuesday, he figured the $90 on his debit card was more than enough.
It turns out the Hanford worker who commutes weekly from his home in Spokane was wrong …Â … Details
Mechanical transmission of power using gears is very energy inefficient. The familiar automotive multi-speed gearbox and differential suffers from the friction losses that result in 20 – 30% of engine power being lost between a car’s engine and the wheels. Many techniques are being developed to eliminate mechanical transmission including Wheel Motors and Hydraulic transmissions that we have seen being trialed in UPS delivery vans. Now in an innovative new approach, Scottish company Artemis Intelligent Power has developed a hydraulic hybrid transmission system it says can double a vehicle’s MPG in city driving… Details