First review of Laguna 4RD

Autoexpress magazine published a review of a version of the Laguna equiped with 4RD, or 4WS if you fancy. Generally positive on the handling and dynamics of the car as expected. Meanwhile here are a couple of pictures of the system internals and the rear wheels steering:

It's Laguna day!

Today, just Laguna, nothing else! After following with interest the birth of Renault Laguna III we would like to point to some interesting features that make of this new car the undisputed leader in the mainstream segment. But, will the anonymous styling hurt sales of the most advanced car of its class (and note, we mean the maisntream class: Passat, Mondeo, Vectra, 407, etc.)? So, some of the great features:

- build quality and interior materials that are the best of the mainstream class;

- class leading passive safety (probably, maybe even the first 6-star in euroNCAP);

- class leading active safety in 4RD versions;

- handling that obliterates the competition in 4RD version;

Finally, this just in: the first picture of the Laguna coupe concept that previews the coupe version in 2008. More pics in this site:

4 roues directrices... or 4-wheel steering in Laguna III

If the interested reader remembers we had some nice histories back in May and June about B91-4RD and some patents from Renault. Those were all about the 4-wheel steering system of the new Laguna. We have not read reviews about the new system yet but there is a new picture below that shows how it works, and it looks very simple and effective. Also notice the simple torsion-beam suspension scheme of the Laguna III (obviously the image shows the rear suspension and in this case steering)... in fact the new Laguna use a lot of the underpinnings of the previous version. Simple but effective, inside sourced have confirmed that in this 4RD version the Laguna will obliterate the competition in handling and active safety.

BMW F5

The CGI below predicts how the F5 could look like. Although we believe it will not necessarily look like a van-version of the Concept CS. Oh dear, van... that's the forbidden word for BMW relating this model. The F5 will be the R-class equivalent in BMW, so it's a luxury van-crossover-whatever. Being a BMW it will be sportier than the R-class and for sure BMW will use the word dynamic a lot when marketing the new car.

It is interesting to notice how in this particular case BMW is following Mercedes and it will also be interesting to know if the F5 will achieve more success than the R-class that has lacklustre sales. We think it will suceed because the problem is not in the particular type of car but in the front design of the R-class.

Handling beats power

… or business as usual. But Audi started pushing the engine back for better weight distribution and bigger wheelbase and also started delivering more power to the rear wheels. And that has improved the car although not enough. Maybe in the next generation they start sending all the power to the rear wheels and making a proper sports-luxury RWD platform. But notice how the S5 wobbles on track, some better damping could help.

Audi RS6 in Nurburgring

Very close to presentation of this monster rumoured to have in excess of 570hp. Expect the Avant version to be shown in Frankfurt. Are we on the verge of an insane power war?...the power war has been on for years, but close to 600hp in this type of car is insane.

A generic 4-door coupe

It must have been one year since we got all crazy for 4-door coupes here at auto-future. Other than very high praise for the CLS many new models were predicted following that trend. And the influence of the CLS even brought a nice surprise in the new Jaguar XF: a 4-door coupe with a bit of excessive detailing.

The image below is of a new 4-door coupe that is the one for the people. The average people. So it's a bit generic, a nice interpretation of Mercedes leadership in the form of a VW Passat derivative. The generic 4-door coupe from VW will have predictable technical credentials already in use in the current version and, hopefully, better interiors with improved material quality.

A different Renault Laguna...

It looks nice, has a Renault badge and Laguna written in the plate. But it looks too good to be true!... and it surely doesn't look French.

Audi Q7 finally gets 5 stars... errr... no?!

This is making us look bad. Some months ago when EuroNCAP crash-test results of the Audi Q7 were made public we predicted that Audi would improve the 4-star rating very soon. I mean, it must be a simple task to get it properly done since so many cars now get the 5 stars. But not yet. Just now the Fiat 500 and Kia Ceed were tested and got the usual 5-star rating. Audi is making us look bad because this joint is about the future and we like to make credible predictions! Come on, surely it isn't that difficult for a car like the Audi Q7 to get the 5-stars... maybe improve the steel or whatever!

EV Future errr..., present: Venturi Fetish

European Tesla. VERY expensive.

The road to EV future: Chevy Volt video

A nice story on the Volt with plenty of info. Our concept car of the year and, hopefully, very close to a future real car.

The road to EV future: Nissan Pivo

The Nissan Pivo is one of those rare concept cars that don't disappear from shows. Nissan keeps showing it and for good reasons: it is expected a production version in 2010-2011... but it won't look like this and it will not rotate.

The road to EV future: Plug-in Prius video

One day hybrids will be remembered as the Trojan horse of Electric vehicles. Another step in the evolution to EV future is promised by Toyota with the Plug-in Prius. Still, not a lot of range (about 8 miles on full electric), but others will follow.

Sniffpetrol's new blog

Sniffpetrol site has a new architecture: now it’s a blog, and by the looks of it, regularly updated. Since it's a blog and still keeps the familiar orange design then it must be very good, right? It’s great of course. Amongst other interesting stories they have a new one on the Mini clubman that reports on something Auto-Future knew long ago but didn’t report… because we don’t like the Mini clubman. Regular Mini: love… Clubman version: don’t really care.

Another quality-orange blog, yesterday

2009 Audi A1

Recent information has surfaced on the next very-small Audi. British CAR magazine presented some “official” sketches of the car and interesting information. The drawings do look very nice but then that is expected, the final version might look closer to the preview below. The technical bits are more interesting because they refer to a new platform, different from Polo/Fabia/Seat underpinnings, and one that could have quattro AWD system (in this case read Haldex system). This is good for added credibility, much needed if Audi plans to take on the Mini. Some folks are now saying “oh crap, another we will not get in the USA” but then again, what interest could this car have for Americans?... well, I suppose Paris Hilton could buy one for her dog!

2009 Opel Astra

How should a sporty version of the future Astra look? Well, sport and tacky of course, just like the preview CGI by Autozeitung below. Opel's lack of finesse is legendary and one would be disappointed if Opel cars suddenly started to look classy and elegant. More interesting is the fact that Autozeitung still refers to the future Astra as a notchback in its 5-door version when almost all of the cars in this class have converged to a hatchback with thick C-pillar configuration. We could not confirm this with inside information so a surprise element is in the works.

A MINI SUV...

...or a SUV by MINI. It was recently confirmed that BMW will develop a SUV version of their MINI maxi-success car. Specifically, the car will be based on the underpinnings of the Clubman version with added 4WD and some limited off-road capabilities. This version marks yet another step in the progression of the Mini range. We are not very big fans of the Clubman and we suspect it will not be very successful (this is a risky statement…). But not the SUV version, if it looks as good as the CGI it will be a fantastic hit. Other than the confirmed SUV, someone told us about another version of the Mini family, developed towards very low CO2 emissions. The word Zero was pronounced… we wonder why, zero as in very small?...

Peugeot 3008 SUV

Peugeot is getting ready a small SUV to compete against the Ford Kuga, VW Tiguan, Renault Koleos, etc. The image below shows a really nice design although it’s still early for a credible representation. The small SUV is for now known as 3008 and its development program includes, besides the 3008 SUV, MPV versions with 5 and 7 seats. Finally Peugeot understands the importance of compact MPVs in the European market, many years were lost loosing market share due to the absence of such versions in Peugeot’s range.

2008 Ford Fiesta

A new CGI of the Fiesta... that might get a new name. This looks like a Mazda 2-based job although in reality the new Fiesta might be a bit more unrelated to the small Mazda than one might have thinked of. Because the new Mazda is slightly smaller than the previous version, while we believe that, in typical recent Ford of Europe policy, the new Fiesta will be a very big car for its segment average. Also notice the Mondeo front, we don't like it because it reminds us how the Mondeo is different from the Iosis concept: it was so promising and it turned out so generic!

2008 Ford Falcon

Meet Australia’s greatest invention: the mainstream RWD saloon. And why is it so great? Well, we have quite a few great RWD saloons in Europe and USA but these are usually from luxury brands and come with the luxury price tag. But the folks down-under are clever, they make bread-and-butter RWD saloons that everyone can afford. And with V8 engines available for even more fun. We followed the Holden Commodore with great interest dreaming that it would be available in Europe as some future Opel. Not quite, but people in the UK can buy it as a Vauxhall. And folks in the US will have available the Pontiac G8 based on the Australian GM machine.

Ford of Australia is also updating its Falcon and hopefully its platform will cross oceans and be eventually found in other Ford models of the US and Europe (well, sadly maybe not in Europe). The image below is obviously taking inspiration from the Commodore but there are some disturbing signs that affect its credibility. We have seen recent spy-shots of the Falcon and in all the images the front overhang was very big. This is not apparent in the preview below and is not a good sign for a future sporty RWD saloon.

Saab 9-5 CGI

Every now and then we are reminded that Saab still exists with some new CGI of a future model or news of yet another restyling of one of their current models. Now we have a CGI that translates to a very easy analysis: too good to be true. Too much 4-door coupe, too much elegance, too much sophisticated sportiness. Nothing of the features we can expect from a GM brand although we suspect some managers of GM don’t even know Saab exists. Ouch, that was mean and unnecessary, we apologize in advance!

Renault Megane III, not presented below

The next Megane III, not presented below, is a very important car for Renault and one with a mission: to establish Renault as leader in the mainstream compact segment while increasing profitability. And with another thing to improve over the current model: a more constant sales level, that is, the current Megane started selling very well but after the novelty effect passed sales lowered loosing to the older Peugeot 307. Renault needs to fix that with a more mature design that ages better while still keeping Renault design features. In the picture not presented below it doesn’t seem like the design is very mature but nothing like seeing it on the road for a proper evaluation.

Technically we can expect a great car: the passive safety will be class leader, the interior space will be improved on the current model and the suspension design will probably be the reference of the FWD mainstream class, judging by the very good manners of the Nissan Qashqai that marked the introduction of Renault’s new compact platform. In this respect the new Megane will score points over the Peugeot 308 that still keeps a French-tradition torsion beam in the rear.

It is interesting to note that 2008 will mark a French domination in sales of this class of cars in Europe: the new 308 will be the sales leader in 3-5 door models while either the Scenic or the Picasso will be sales leaders in the compact-MPVs. At the end of 2008 the Golf VI arrives and in the beginning of 2009 the Megane should be ready for a formidable fight with the VW model.

Finally, what’s with the “not presented below” picture? Some stolen images of what looks like a final design and unmasked version of the car were presented by a French magazine and could be illustrating this entry. Auto-Future reports on a lot of these scoops (and other stuff like technical information, EV future series, inside tips, etc), but we believe that showing those images means bad business to Renault. We are still more than one year before introduction of the model so this leak is much more serious than photographing masked prototypes or uncovered vehicles a couple of months before presentation. The interested reader can find those images very quickly on the internet so we are doing this as an editorial statement. We love all car brands and wish no harm to the folks that design and build cars all over the world. So if we feel that we could be hurting their business with a scoop image we don’t present it. And in this case Renault had a very serious security problem with this leak, such thing can not happen more than one year before the presentation of the car!

Official Audi A4 picture

The title of this entry is just slightly inaccurate, ok, maybe a bit more than just slightly,… oh well, it’s misleading and wrong! Or maybe not. Autobild presented a CGI of the next Audi A4. Considering that the car is to be presented at Frankfurt show in September and that this is a Huckfeldt job, we can safely consider the image below (the yellow car) as good as official. We are just guessing here but this could well be a photoshop based on a real photo of the car if Huckfeldt sources are as good as we think. The other image below shows a CGI from more than one year ago and we can see how accurate it already was back then.

It’s also nice to notice that the A4 will be more pleasing to the masses than the Audi A5 that still is a bit strange in the front design. Unfortunately the Audi A4 will probably display the same technical limitations of the A5/S5 that have been so criticised by the press (we remember EVO using some very harsh words: "something of an understeer fest, no matter whether ESP is switched on or off "). Or maybe in the more comfort-oriented saloon the new steering and front suspension feel better.

Small Alfa Romeo

Alfa Romeo and Audi want a piece of the Mini's market share. So they are getting ready small "premium" cars to fight the Mini. The Alfa Romeo pictured below is rumoured to use bits from the Fiat Grande Punto, while the Audi A1 will make use of whatever platform from small Seats and VWs that is in use. However, these two brands have a problem: how to match the iconic status of the Mini, the vintage design and credibility gained from a classic car design? Alfa Romeo could design the car like some classic Alfas from the 70's but these were RWD and the new small Alfa not. But it seems Alfa Romeo and Audi found a vintage factor: they will not be using a multilink suspension as the Mini but instead a cheaper whatever-type as in the cheap cars from their sisters cheap brands. Ah, vintage, right? Multilink is modern so whatever-cheap must be vintage, right? Errr... not?

Future diesel-hybrids

A recent study has presented theoretical advantages of the introduction of diesel-hybrids. According to the results, presented in the graphic below, the highest gains can be obtained with diesel-hybrids in relation to gasoline-hybrids, being this advantage higher for the heavier cars.

These results confirm a trend that is developing under the radar for future cars. Other than the announced Peugeot 308 HDI-hybrid, we know from inside sources that several of the big names of component and system manufacturers have ongoing programs that include diesel-hybrid technology. And, as expected, this technology will see its higher development for European manufacturers.

Alfa Romeo 149

A new image of the next compact Alfa Romeo has surfaced, presumably originated from an internal presentation. There is no new information regarding our previous story on the 149, except that the presentation mentions an “active anti-roll system”. We didn’t see that coming, but a quick research confirms that Fiat issued a patent on a very simple mechanism for a active anti-roll bar. That is some interesting piece of kit that can do wonders for handling although previous experiences (notably the Citroen Xantia Activa but also Mercedes and BMW systems) have failed to convince drivers of a real improvement in driving pleasure. A case to follow.

BMW X3

The picture shows an early mule of the next generation BMW X3. Fashionably dressed as an enlarged 3-series station, it has raised rumours as whether BMW would build a Audi Allroad-type vehicle based on the 3-series Touring. Well, it will not. Such thing will not exist. But we can envisage a nice evolution of the fantastic X3 small-SUV and also a new model, a sort of coupe-ish version with lower roofline and even more car-like features. That will be the X4 (tentative designation).

The BMW X4 will be the equivalent of the X6 in the smaller-SUV-land of BMW. And since we mention the X6, follow us on this: it will blow your mind. No really, that thing looks so good that is unbelievable. It will make hardcore environmentalists want to buy a SUV… errr, maybe not, but I’m a conscious person, interested in an environment-friendly future of auto (just check the “road to EV future” on this joint) and I totally want the X6. Funny how in a couple of years BMW will have a fantastic array of SUVs: X3-X4-X5-X6 (and it seems a X1 is also on plan), who would have thought some years ago! There is a good reason for BMW making all those SUVs: profit. Just check the current X3, it’s still based on the old E46 touring underpinnings with most of the development and tooling costs paid long ago, and BMW sells it for more money than the current 3-series. That car is a cash-cow!

Technically the next X3 will benefit from the E90 base and the most advanced iteration of the X-Drive system featuring torque vectoring. WTF is torque vectoring? Nice phrase for a T-shirt but we will need a blog entry just for that. Later, in a special on future active-safety systems. The next X3 (and also the current model in a few months) will also feature the “efficient dynamics” set of technical bits that are making BMW leader in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions in some classes of vehicles. The next X3 will also benefit from increased efforts in weight reduction and thanks to that and the “efficient dynamics” tech it will probably have CO2 emissions very close to some non-SUV competitors.

Ford Focus restyling

Mainstream car brands are very predictable. For example, every now and then Renault, Ford, Opel, Volkswagen etc. change their front design, or if you want to talk fancy, their design language. And then these new design elements progress to the rest of the range. Check Ford for example. The S-Max presented the kinetic design and quickly Ford restyled the front of the C-Max to incorporate a S-Max face. Now that the Mondeo was presented we can also expect a restyling of the Focus incorporating design elements from the Mondeo. And so it will be. And in a year or two it starts again. Check VW: the Tiguan was just now presented and it shows the chrome face of recent VW models. But that front design will change with the next Golf VI to be presented next year. And then give it one more year and the Tiguan (and Passat) will be restyled with the new corporate face. Predictable, right? Generating marketing opportunities and sales in the short term, probably. Profitable in the long term?...not sure.

Auto-Future Car of the Year 2007: Audi R8

We know, it’s June. But we awarded our Concept Car of the Year 2007 back in January to the Chevrolet Volt. Because we know no other concept car in 2007 will be as important as the Volt. And now we know that no other production car will be so significant in 2007 as the Audi R8, hence the award.

Arguably this prize is not such a bold statement. Because it’s easy to predict what production cars are available in 2007 (unlike concepts that are usually surprises), because we knew long ago the Audi R8 would be a great car, and also because the best car magazine in the world (EVO) just compared it to the 911 4CS and stated: New Order. The 911 is no longer the best sportscar of the world (it has been since the 70’s). The Audi R8 is, according to EVO, the best sportscar of the planet. And this statement is historic.

Moreover, while reading the magazine we learn that the R8 is not only hugely competent, real-world comfortable, has fantastic handling, brilliant quality, but also very fast on the track. The magazine compared laptimes with other exotics and the Audi R8 proved faster than the 911 4CS,…911 Turbo(997);…GT3(997);…F430!!!! Wait, we just can’t believe, faster on track than a F430? We are going to be a bit more bold in our predictions. We award the Audi R8 Sportscar of the Decade. Yes, of the decade!

PS1: before the readers of this joint start accusing Auto-Future of fanboysh behaviour we would like to state that we are well aware that most of regular Audis are nose-heavy overpriced VW derivatives. And the cheaper ones are the same as Seat models but with more tactile plastics. We know their marketing machine is great and that all the perceived quality does not translate to real-world quality and reliability. And we don’t really compare their cars with Mercedes, because if one can afford Mercedes, BMW or Lexus then Audi is just out of the equation. But let’s be fair, the RS4 is great and deserves to be compared with the best and this R8 is just that: the best sportscar of the planet.

PS2: now that Porsche owns about 35% of VW group we wonder if the R8 would even exist if Porsche owned 35% of the company when Audi decided to build it… And what about the future of the R8, its derivatives, its successor… an evolutionary icon like the 911?... with Porsche owning so much of the company?… Predicting the future is fun!

2007 Citroen C5

A nice picture of the new C5 that shows an elegant design. Although something is strange here, the car doesn't look French, it looks too Germanic. But wait, yes there are the weird mirrors for that French weirdness touch. Was just wondering on a thing: when developing stories on the Laguna we were bitching about the windows being too big and now we bitch about this car being too Teutonic. Is it a good idea for French manufacturers to emulate Germanic design features or should they develop their own identity? The new Laguna III and the Peugeot 308 are what we could call "proudly French designs". We will see how these cars and the C5 do in the market for a conclusion.

Brilliance crash-test

Some people have been asking why is taking so long to Chinese manufacturers start selling in Europe. Part of the answer is in a crash-test that ADAC did on a big saloon from Chinese manufacturer Brilliance, the BS6. Yes we Europeans have though safety standards and the Chinese seem to have very soft steel in their cars. At least now we know what BS means in Brilliance's BS6!

The road to EV future: Mitsubishi i MiEV testing

Mitsubishi continues testing the iMiEV this time delivering cars to Chugoku Electric Power Co. thus joining a fleet of cars already in test at Tokyo Electric Co. Well, do we have to establish an electric company to buy or lease one of these cars? Hopefully by 2010 Mitsubishi will have the car ready for series production but for now they are engaged in a race with Subaru for the launch of the first real-life-EV.

The road to EV future: Siemens VDO eCorner Project

One of the key changes with electric cars will be on vehicle architecture, mainly if in-wheel electric motors are used. A major auto supplier is developing just that in an integrated system that also includes active suspension and steering. And a big name like Siemens-VDO does not engage in such project if they don't predict series production in a (hopefully) near future.

Autozeitung's BMW supercar

German magazine Autozeitung has been dreaming about a BMW supercar. Something mid-engined or front engined with lots of power and relatively light to fight the likes of the SLR and/or Audi R8. Many people dream of such car, however, Autozeitung not only dreams about it but also makes CGIs and magazine articles on the car. Unfortunately, such thing will not exist. What a pity and what a waste of magazine paper and resources! We will have (that is, the lucky folks with enough cash) high powered 4-door coupe and coupe-roadster BMW models but nothing specifically addressed at a supercar war. More like GTs to fight several Mercedes-AMG equivalents. Still, here is one pic of Autozeitung so let's share their dreams for a while and then go back to the real life!

North American Scum

A North-American car story featuring George W. Bush and his Cadillac. Nothing about the future today, just good fun. As seen on the hollywoodextra blog and featuring here the words from LCD Soundsystem:

oh I don't know, I don't know, oh, where to begin
when we're north american
but in the end we make the same mistakes all over again
come on north americans

we are north american scum
we’re from north america

System and method to control the steering of the rear wheels of a motor vehicle with four-wheel steering

Method and system for controlling steered rear-wheel steering, and corresponding vehicle

Method for controlling a vehicle having four-wheel steering with the aid of an individual wheel braking device

Rear wheel steering angle control system and method and corresponding vehicle

Steering control for the rear wheels of a motor vehicle and an asymmetrical adherence braking situation

Searching for patents is fun. Well, maybe not fun, more like interesting or enjoyable… or …bearable, err… no, it’s hideous. But one can find important information, like the titles above that are all from patents issued this and last year by… Renault. Oui, Renault! The text of the patents is in French language and it starts like:

La présente invention concerne les véhicules automobiles à quatre roues directrices, et plus particulièrement la commande de braquage des roues arrière directrices.
De façon classique, les véhicules automobiles sont pourvus d'un châssis, d'un habitacle, et de roues reliées au châssis par un mécanisme de suspension avec des roues avant directrices commandées par un volant à la disposition du conducteur dans l'habitacle du véhicule. Les véhicules à quatre roues directrices possèdent, en outre, des roues arrière directrices commandées par un mécanisme adapté.
Le document GB 2 252 538 A (Honda) décrit un pilotage de roues arrière d'un véhicule automobile à quatre roues directrices pour obtenir une bonne et douce réaction en lacet pour une large gamme d'accélération. On détecte l'accélération latérale du véhicule et l'angle de braquage des roues avant, et on détermine un rapport final de l'angle de braquage des roues arrière sur l'angle de braquage des roues avant en fonction de l'accélération latérale. On détermine un angle cible de braquage des roues arrière à partir de ce rapport final, et on tourne les roues arrière pour atteindre cet angle cible. On détermine le ratio final de manière à ce que le gain éphémère d'amplitude du mouvement de lacet soit positif tant que l'accélération latérale est inférieure à une valeur prédéterminée.

And then goes on and on with lots of info on sensors and stuff. I thought of reading it all and explain to you readers of this blog but instead decided to search the internet for porn. You are lucky to get the image below. Still, with all the interesting stuff Renault is working in, another title would be more appropriate for their inventions:

Method and system for making competitors obsolete

A bumper image

An image of the rear bumper of a new small car from an Iberian car brand... I think, might be wrong, and don't want to really voice it loud in case I'm right. You know, keeping out of trouble. You, the reader, please guess what car this belongs to...

Fiat Bravo-based compact MPV

A couple of CGIs have surfaced regarding a MPV version of the Fiat Bravo. Regardless of its accuracy one has two things granted: One, it will look better than the Multipla. Two, even if it's not for real it should be. Fiat should really build such car (and also a Lancia derivative) because the compact MPV is a very important sefment in Europe. Anything that takes clues in engineering and packaging from a Scénic or C-Max will be just fine.

The road to EV future: GM E-flex is for real!

GM just announced today that two development contracts were awarded for battery technology related to the E-Flex electric architecture that will underpin the Chevrolet Volt. One contract will go to lithium-ion battery supplier CPI-Compact Power, Inc. that is a subsidiary of Korean battery manufacturer LG Chem. A second contract has been awarded to Frankfurt, Germany-based Continental Automotive Systems, a division of Continental A.G., a tier one automotive supplier that will develop lithium-ion battery packs. GM also stated that will continue to assess other solutions to quickly bring lithium-ion batteries to production. The two companies will be acting as the battery systems integrators for the E-flex program. Continental will be using lithium ion cells provided by A123 Systems while Compact Power is using LG Chem cells. During the course of the one year contracts the two integrators will supply complete energy storage systems including thermal and charge management for the production development of vehicles based on the new E-Flex platform that is the basis of the Volt.

The Chevrolet Volt was awarded by auto-future "Concept Car of the Year", back in January. Yes, at the beginning of the year, just to show how we believe this concept is important! Hopefully, in 2 to 3 years we will be awarding the production version of the Volt Car of the Year. Hopefully, because if you noticed that the word "development" above was highlighted in bold, this means that these are not production contracts yet.

The road to EV future: photovoltaic

Part of the necessary evolution for future Electric Vehicles is related to batteries. But of course, another important issue is generating electricity from renewable sources. Recently scientists from a Boeing subsidiary (Spectrolab) claimed to have developed a new type of photovoltaic cell that has surpassed an energy conversion efficiency of 40% for the first time. Instead of the usual single-junction silicon cells, Spectrolab scientists have fabricated multi-junction cells with advantage in absorbing more of the frequencies that are available in sunlight. Developments in photovoltaic cells have been regularly in the news and as soon as this and other companies (many located in Silicon Valley) start dealing with development and cost reduction we will have confidence in the availability of cost-effective solar energy for charging auto batteries.

B91 4RD

This joint has not a great web design, neither flashy interfaces or big galleries or photoshops, and it’s not even updated very regularly. But we have graphics! The one below plots two different handling tests (ISO and VDA) and results from several car models. Ideally, a car should achieve the maximum speed possible in both tests, being this speed the maximum that the car passes the test without the driver (and ESP) loose control. The cloud of points in the middle shows a bunch of middle-class saloons and also a Peugeot 307 (that has better handling than several higher-priced cars). It also shows a couple of reference high performance models (BMW M3 and Porsche Boxster). And there is also the primary object of interest, vehicles B91 4RD and B91 2RD.

We know what car those references point to, but we choose not to say what it is. But we give readers a clue: RD means “roues directrices”… Note how model B91 2RD falls amongst the best of the middle cloud of points, and please note how B91 4RD excels with sport-car-like handling! Completely above all other cars in its class.

At this point we would like to note that we had access to benchmark data like this graphic before…but usually try to be out of trouble… this information is only appearing here because it was made public before. Also it is not 100% sure, we could not verify it with other sources hence be warned about its possible accuracy.

Anyway, if this info is true the particular model the graphic refers to will:
- achieve top marks in passive safety, possibly being the first to achieve the 6th star in EuroNCAP crash tests;
- in its 4RD version will obliterate the competition in handling and active safety...
...thus becoming, by far, the safest car in its class.

VW Tiguan

A nice rear view of the new small-SUV from VW. I bet that light cluster would look really nice with LEDs and hopefully VW will offer it as well as an excellent range of engines, the great DSG gearbox and an interior with improved quality regarding the Golf and other current VW models.

In case the reader is wondering, as I was, why are VW and other European manufacturers getting ready so many new small-SUV when emissions regulations and public approval for lower CO2 are on the agenda? Well, profit of course, since SUV versions are most profitable than hatchbacks or breaks. Car manufacturers like profit. They also like to protect the environment and make the good for the world and children, but they like profit more. I also like an intelligent, sensible woman but I like big boobs more. Simple logic!

2008 Toyota Avensis

The future design trends in the middle-class have a common distinction over current designs: more polarizing. The old-school drawing from Auto-Motor-und-Sport pictured below shows the next Toyota Avensis that will move further away from the current anonymous design. If that means closer to a 4-door coupe we applaud. Other than that the technical bits are predictable: superior reliability; superior real-quality (not just Audi-like photo-perceived quality), and more diesels. Another step in the relentless rise of Toyota in Europe. Relentless but slower than what Toyota achieved in the USA because we, Europeans, are a difficult crowd to please.

update: Seat Bolero

Autoweek magazine presented a couple of drawings of the A4-based Seat Bolero (name not confirmed yet). Please refer to previous blog entry for more info and check the sketches at Autoweek.

A couple of remarks. The design is more angular and chiseled than current Seat language. This might just be perceived because we are looking at drawings, not real cars or CGIs. Also it looks very good which is expected from an Audi A4-derived sketch. But the real doubt is: would the board of director's at VW group allow such elegant, sporty and good-looking desgn to be built as a Seat?...

200? Peugeot 608

A new CGI by French magazine L’Auto-Journal on the 608. The magazine mentions a 2011 introduction but we believe that is too much time, even for Peugeot standards. Other than that the design proposal looks perfect and would be an excellent argument for Peugeot to seriously play in the haut-de-gamme segment. But please, at least an Haldex AWD this time... will Peugeot keep selling us FWD cheapness?

2008 Lancia Delta

The picture shows a design proposal close to the final version of the Lancia Delta. Expect the car to be closely related to the Fiat Bravo in both engine range and platform, including the use of a simple rear suspension unlike their brother, the Alfa 149, that will adopt a multilink scheme. Classy improvements over the Bravo are to be found in a better quality interior, chrome accents in the exterior and overall attention to detail.

Regardless of the success of this model it will be interesting to follow how the management of Fiat-group will handle Lancia brand in the future. So many mistakes have been made in the past but we can hope that the future Lancia will revive as the classy and comfort-oriented brand of Fiat-group, with added personality although hopefully without freakish designs like the current Thesis.

The road to EV future: news on batteries

Recently a couple of news pointed to a strong possibility of real-life EV’s in the next years. Mitsubishi and GS Yuasa Corporation formed a new joint venture company to develop and build large format lithium ion batteries for automotive applications. The cooperative effort will kick off with an investment of about $30 million to install equipment at Yuasa's main plant to produce up to 200,000 lithium cells annually. Key-words here: large format; “to produce”; and of course 200,000. This will be the foundation for the manufacturing of the Mitsubishi i-EV, rumoured to be one of the first real-life electric vehicle available in 2010.

Another company, battery supplier A123 Systems, has unveiled two new batteries specifically optimized for automotive applications. One of the new cells is configured for high power applications in regular hybrid configurations while the other is designed for higher energy capacity for plug-in hybrid vehicles. The relevance of this news bit: A123 offers batteries that are for real, being already sold and tested in commercial applications (cordless tools and backup systems). This gives credibility to their promises of commercially available batteries for automotive applications: hybrids, plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles.

2054 Citroen

The vehicle below is a virtual concept car designed for French sci-fi animation movie "Renaissance". The action takes place in Paris, year 2054, and although the movie is very cool the car itself does not look like what we could drive in 2054. It actually doesn't look very futuristic at all. Regardless of the design, the cars that we will drive in 2050 will probably be electric and with a completely different architecture, probably much closer to the Lexus concept presented in Minority Report.

2008 VW Polo

Or maybe 2009 only. The restyling of the current Polo was very well done and the success of the car might allow it to run for a bit more time. Anyway, the replacement is well known since the underpinnings are the same as in the new Skoda Fabia. So no multilink rear suspensions just like in the next Fiesta that will also have a simple torsion beam. It seems the MINI will continue being the only car in this class with a sophisticated rear suspension.

The CGI below is from Auto Motor und Sport and is not reliable. The next Polo will probably adopt the new face of VW (that was already previewed by Auto-Bild although we can't confirm its accuracy yet) so the rather good-looking design below might not be used since it is too "current-VW".

2009 VW Golf Plus

Autozeitung presented a CGI on the next Golf Plus. This will arrive after the new Golf VI presentation. We are not sure about the front design because it should adopt the new face of VW that Walter de Silva will be using for the next Golf and other VW models. BTW, AutoBild has an article about that new front design and although we like what we see so far we need to find confirmation from internal sources. Maybe next week the reader will find in Auto-Future an article on the new front design of VW models, we just need to check with a couple of persons before believing in Huckfeldt CGI. Back to the Plus, the profile of Autozeitung’s CGI of the Golf Plus looks good, it looks like a B-class because probably that was the donor photograph for the photoshop… Anyway, it would not be a bad idea for VW to look inspiration on the success of the B-class.

The Golf Plus sales are not what VW had hoped for. At the beginning of commercialization they were saying it could account for 35 to 40% of overall Golf sales. It now represents 25% so not quite as good as expected. We believe that in order to have more success the Golf Plus should have more space: use the platform of the Touran (that has a longer wheelbase than the Golf), use only with 5 seats, keep the same width and lower the roofline. This would make for a more spacious car than the Plus but at the same time more sporty and elegant than the Touran.

The road to EV future: Toyota Endo

We love Endo and we think it should be available for everyone, you know, for medical purposes... No seriously, other than slang for marijuana Endo is the name of a concept car from Toyota that is rumoured to be presented in its definitive production version at Frankfurt motor show. It seems the Aygo was not small enough so Toyota will present this litlle thing that will compete with the Smart. We like small cars but our interest in this vehicle goes in other direction. While we are anxiously waiting for the first rea-life-widely-available-EV from Mitsubishi or Subaru, and knowing that next year Toyota will make the new Prius available with Li-ion batteries, we are guessing the Endo could also be available in full electric mode. Actually, we are not just guessing, there are some signs in the radar tha suggest that possibility. The begining of the next decade will be very interesting for the future of automobile, that is the EV future.

2008 Alfa Romeo 149

Some recent juice on the highly awaited Alfa 149: the design is now frozen and the first prototypes are on the streets testing. It is expected to arrive in the first half of 2008. Doesn't sound like much time for testing, right? Well it seems Fiat has this software and development practice that allows for less prototype testing and more simulation. Or, if the reader is interested in buying the car, better wait for 2009 and let the first buyers participate in the process...

More info: the car has most of the underpinnings shared with the Bravo (another reason for doing less testing), except for the rear suspension that will be of multilink type. This will have effects on luggage space that will be less than the 400L found in the Bravo.

Mercedes super 4-door coupe

The spectacular BMW CS concept previously presented (just check Bangle 2.0) will not be alone in its fight against super-luxury 4-door coupes such as the Porsche Panamera and Aston Martin Rapide. We are pretty sure Mercedes will present something similar in a size above the S-class. A previous CGI from Autozeitung previews how the car could look like. The reader can see it below and guess what… it seems impossible to design a 4-door coupe that doesn’t look fantastic. All of these uber 4-door coupes from the real luxury brands are great but we wonder when something in the size and price of a Passat will arrive for the rest of us common folks. Precisely, the latest rumours on the 4-door coupe derivative of the VW Passat suggest that it’s late.

Peugeot 308 out in the open

Just weeks before the first official pictures are presented the new Peugeot was found uncovered in French auto-route. Thanks to the person that posted the pic in Peugeot forum. A bit of inside info: does the reader find the new PUG gorgeous?... well the interior will be spectacular in both design and quality.

Bangle 2.0

Just a couple of weeks ago I was checking some Opel Vectra spyshots and noticed what looked like a Bangle-butt in the rear design. Then thought to myself: “if a brand like Opel starts copying such design feature maybe it’s time for BMW to introduce a new design language… of course, something freakish,… perhaps asymmetric…”. At the time didn’t anticipate that Bangle was going to mess with the front grille!...

The spectacular concept seen below is the new flag that signals the introduction of another evolution in BMW’s design language. The amazing object is a concept car that predicts a future 4-door coupe although it will not be in direct competition with the CLS. The new coupe will be bigger than a 7-series and pitched directly against the Porsche Panamera and Aston Martin Rapide. The relevance of this news bit (probably most of the readers have seen the concept) is in the following inside information: although the car will not end up looking exactly like the concept, the most controversial feature will be carried over for the production version and other cars from BMW. That’s right, that front design is for real! Apparently current front designs of BMW were not menacing enough…

Another interesting bit is related with marketing strategy: BMW did not want to appear to just follow Mercedes CLS so they didn’t make a 5-series based CLS competitor (although we believe it will arrive sooner or later). Furthermore, the 7-series based super-4-door-coupe is believed to be out of reach for Audi since Porsche would not allow its newly-owned brand to compete directly against the Panamera. It will be interesting to see how the now strong position of Porsche in VW-Audi group will influence future decisions on future cars.