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New York 2011: Lexus LF-Gh Concept shows off the new face of the brand

Drew Phillips — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 07:01:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Lexus, New York Auto Show

Lexus LF-Gh Concept - Click above for high-res image gallery

Last week we gave you the first look at the Lexus' new hybrid concept car, the LF-Gh, and now we have live photos from the car's official unveiling a day ahead of the New York Auto Show. The LF-Gh debuts Lexus' future direction in style that includes an "aggressive and bold spindle-shaped front grille" accented by LED lighting both front and rear. The look is a departure from the brand's generally conservative styling, and it should be interesting to see how this new fascia integrates into future Lexus production cars.

Lexus didn't open up the doors or the hood, but says that a hybrid powerplant provides the LF-Gh's motivation and that the interior will provide a look at future designs highlighted by a three-dimensional analog clock. You can read the full Lexus PR after the jump, or get a better look at the car in the high-res gallery below.

Photos copyright (C)2011 Drew Phillips/ AOL

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Geneva 2010: Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid not to be overlooked

Drew Phillips — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 17:56:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Porsche, Geneva Motor Show

2010 Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid - Click above for high-res image gallery

During Porsche's press conference here at the Geneva Motor Show, most of our attention was understandably on the 918 Spyder Concept, but the German automaker had several other significant debuts. One was the 911 GT3 R Hybrid, Porsche's first racecar to feature electric power sourced from a duo of motors that send power to a generator attached the flywheel. Like many hybrid production cars, the motors are charged whenever the brakes are applied, and the driver can use the extra power for 6-8 seconds for overtaking.

Porsche plans to do extensive testing with the 911 GT3 R Hybrid after jetting from Geneva, including a trial-by-fire at the Nürburgring 24 Hour race from May 15-16. Porsche claims that it has no intention of winning the race, but we can't imagine that they won't be at least competitive. You can get more details on the car in the press release after the jump, or browse through the high-res gallery of live shots below.

Photos by Drew Phillips / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.

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Geneva 2010: Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid not to be overlooked originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 02 Mar 2010 17:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LA 2009: 2011 Ford Fiesta unveiled by agents of the Movement

Drew Phillips — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 08:38:00 EST

Filed under: MPG, Ford, LA Auto Show

2011 Ford Fiesta - Click above for high-res image gallery

We've been hearing about the 2011 Ford Fiesta for so long that it's hard to imagine that the U.S. version of the car was just officially unveiled today. We gave you all of the official details and photos late last night, but we can now give you our first live impressions of the North American-spec version. Ford's own Mark Fields officially introduced the car along with numerous Fiesta agents on hand who helped pull the sheets off the various Fiestas on the show floor.

Although just 60 percent of the parts on the U.S.-spec Fiesta are common with the European version, it seems that most of the charm of the car remains. Up front the grille has been revised to include the three-bar design (at least on the sedan), and the fog lights have been replaced by LED light strips surrounded by chrome. The interior design is relatively the same as well, although it's been tweaked to conform with U.S. crash standards and features soft touch materials, a four-inch LCD display, and available SYNC, auto climate control, leather seats, moon roof and more. Power comes from a 1.6-liter four-cylinder putting out a respectable 119 horsepower and 109 lb-ft torque. A 5-speed manual or new 6-speed PowerShift electronic dual clutch automatic will be the transmissions of choice, though the automatic goes without any manual controls.

There's plenty of more details in the multitude of press releases after the jump, and we've included all of our live shots of the 2011 Fiesta in the high-res gallery below.

Live photos copyright (C)2009 Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc.

Continue reading LA 2009: 2011 Ford Fiesta unveiled by agents of the Movement

LA 2009: 2011 Ford Fiesta unveiled by agents of the Movement originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 03 Dec 2009 08:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LA 2009: Mazda unveils North American spec Mazda2

Drew Phillips — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 16:40:00 EST

Filed under: MPG, Mazda, LA Auto Show

2011 Mazda2 - Click above for high-res image gallery

The 2011 Ford Fiesta may have been the big B-segment reveal last night, but Mazda has finally decided to bring its own compact runabout to North America, and it's based on the same architecture as it Blue Oval sibling. Originally launched in Europe, Japan, and Australia a couple of years ago, the Mazda2 was very well-received by media and consumers alike, a warm reception that probably helped make the case for the Japanese automaker to bring it over to the United States. That time has arrived, and the Mazda2 will be available in North America as a 2011 model.

Although Mazda revealed what the North American spec version will look like, it's still holding back additional information, including engine specifications, interior details, and pricing. We'll get more details soon, but in the meantime, check the full release after the jump and our live pics from the floor below.

Live photos copyright (C)2009 Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc.

Continue reading LA 2009: Mazda unveils North American spec Mazda2

LA 2009: Mazda unveils North American spec Mazda2 originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Wed, 02 Dec 2009 16:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SEMA 2009: Ford EcoBoost '34 Hot Rod rocks a V6 in style

Drew Phillips — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:01:00 EST

Filed under: Ford, SEMA Show

1934 Ford EcoBoost Hot Rod - Click above for high-res image gallery

Putting modern engines into new cars isn't anything new, but this '34 3-window coupe in the Ford display isn't like anything we've ever seen before. Detroit Street Rods has wedged the 3.5L EcoBoost V6 underneath the hood, making it the first rear-drive application for the twin-turbocharged engine. Packing 400 horsepower and 400 lb-ft torque, this little coupe has the potential to surprise quite a few people at stoplights.

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the car is how the engine is packaged. The dual Honeywell turbochargers have been moved to the front of the motor among various aluminum tubing routing air and exhaust gases, and a single, large exhaust cone exits above the front fender on each side of the car. It's not a rumbling V8, but it looks just as good and is just as fast too. You can read more details about the car in the press release after the jump, or check out our high-res gallery below.

Continue reading SEMA 2009: Ford EcoBoost '34 Hot Rod rocks a V6 in style

SEMA 2009: Ford EcoBoost '34 Hot Rod rocks a V6 in style originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SEMA Preview: Ford stuffs 400-hp EcoBoost motor in '34 Hot Rod

Drew Phillips — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:58:00 EST

1934 Ford 3-Window Coupe EcoBoost Hot Rod - Click above for high-res image gallery

Oh, how times are changin'. Gone are the days of stuffing a Ford Racing crate motor into any and every Blue Oval show car at SEMA. It's all about the boost now... or at least EcoBoost. As part of their "Driving Green" initiative at this year's SEMA Show, Ford will be displaying a 1934 3-Window Coupe fitted with the twin-turbo V6 to create a blend of classic styling with modern performance and efficiency.

Built by Detroit Street Rods, the '34 Coupe is actually the first rear-drive application of the EcoBoost motor. The dual Honeywell turbochargers had to be repositioned to allow the 3.5-liter V6 to fit into the engine bay, but the rest of the motor is in production trim and pumps out 400 horsepower and an equal amount of torque. An all new replica steel body ensures that the coupe is quite a looker and you can read more details in the press release after the jump, and check back next week for live photos of the car as part of our full SEMA coverage.

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading SEMA Preview: Ford stuffs 400-hp EcoBoost motor in '34 Hot Rod

SEMA Preview: Ford stuffs 400-hp EcoBoost motor in '34 Hot Rod originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tokyo 2009: Toyota Prius claims Japan Car of the Year title

Drew Phillips — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 09:57:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Toyota, Tokyo Motor Show, Japan

Thirty years of the Japan Car of the Year - Click above for high-res image gallery

For the past 30 years, Japan has declared a car of the year, an award given to newly-released or redesigned vehicles released from November 1st of the previous year to October 1st of the current year. More than 60 jurors composed of Japanese journalists receive an allocation of votes, and the car with the most votes comes away with the crown.

This year, the Toyota Prius narrowly edged out the Honda Insight, continuing the recent trend of environmentally-friendly winners. Other notable winners included the new Volkswagen Golf, which was named the Import Car of the Year, the Mitsubishi i-MiEV, which was declared to have the Most Advanced Technology. The Nissan Fairlady Z won the category of Most Fun, and finally the Subaru Legacy took top honors for Best Value.

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the award, the Tokyo Motor Show also organized a display of past winners, starting with the Mazda Familia 3-door Hatch Back in 1980-1981 and finishing with last year's winner, the Toyota IQ. We've included the winners from every year (some cars on display won alternate categories, like the Toyota Supra from 1993-1994) in the high-res gallery below.

Photos copyright (C)2009 Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc.

Tokyo 2009: Toyota Prius claims Japan Car of the Year title originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 09:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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