The Crazy Cars of the CES in Las Vegas

The Crazy Cars of the CES in Las Vegas: Held each year in Las Vegas, the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is a leading technology-related trade show closed to the public where a host of the world's latest gadgets and gizmos are on display.In the main, smartphones, tablets and cutting edge computers are laid out for inspection but there's more to the show than that. Given we're writing a story about it you can probably guess what that may be...

That's right, cars, and not just your run-of-the-mill Detroit Auto Show cars, but those that are packed with gadgetry including the Ford Evos 'cloud connected' concept, which saves driver's preferences, work schedule and music tastes.Vehicles here are also loaded with the latest sound systems, such as the motorized three-wheeler with football-sized speakers at the front and rear for a mobile surround-sound experience, and the pimped out dune buggy. There's also some cool concepts such as theAudi 'Urban' Concept and an awesome Audi R8 completely coated in carbon-fiber.Photos courtesy of Business Insider.

source: www.businessinsider.com

 

Delhi Auto Expo: DC Design Reveals Avanti Supercar Concept in Delhi

DC Design Reveals Avanti Supercar Concept in Delhi - India's premier automotive design firm DC Design has finally revealed its new supercar concept and it looks very promising.Unveiled today at the Delhi Auto Expo, India's first ever supercar looks sleekly styled and has been given the name the Avanti. According to Indian Autos Blog, legendary Indian actor Amitabh Bachchan was on hand to unveil the vehicle, which was met with a loud round of applause from the reporters in the packed auditorium.

 

"We intend to produce 300 units of the Avanti in 2013-2014 and if all goes well we could ramp up the production to go into four figures per annum," said DC Design founder Dilip Chhabria upon unveiling the vehicle.Power is to come from Ford's EcoBoost 2.0-liter 4-cylinder turbocharged engine with direct injection and VVT. With DOHC and four valves per cylinder, it can deliver more horsepower and torque than a naturally aspirated 3.0-liter V6. Rated at 240hp and 270lb-ft of torque, the power will be delivered to the tarmac via a MMT 6-speed manual transmission with an optional power shift six-speed dual clutch gearbox.

Impressive stopping power will come via 330mm ventilated discs operated by racing calipers at the front and rear. Whether the supercar concept can deliver what it promises on paper remains to be seen. 

 

source: indianautosblog.com

 

GM Boss Mark Reuss Builds a Fantasy Supercar Out of the Company’s Parts Bin

Almost every car fan has, at one point or another, considered building his ideal car: for example, one with a Ferrari or Lamborghini bodywork, a Pagani interior, a Veyron engine, Porsche everyday usability and all this at the price of a used 300,000-mile Ford Escort… Well, the automotive term for this is a parts bin special; that is, a model built by borrowing only (or mostly) existing parts from other models. Mark Reuss, GM’s North American president, was asked by Car & Driver to assemble his dream car by using components that already exist on the company’s shelves.
We have to admit that, even though General Motors is not the first carmaker that comes to mind when picking components to assemble our dream car, Reuss has managed to conjure a pretty interesting vehicle.
The bodywork would come from the 2002 Cadillac Cien concept, which Reuss believes “defined Cadillac”.
Up front, the Chevrolet Volt's 149HP electric motor would power the front wheels, while GM’s turbocharged 2.8-liter V6 linked to a Corvette differential would power the rear axle, making the car an all-wheel drive hybrid.
The Volt would also donate its T-shaped battery pack (after it has been cleared by the NHTSA, we presume), mounted between the seats and wirelessly charged through an inductive mat making cables unnecessary.
America’s favorite supercar, the Corvette, would contribute in the handling department with its magnetorheological dampers and the ZR1's carbon-ceramic brakes, while GM’s pony car, the Camaro, would provide the ZL1’s Goodyear F1 SuperCar G performance tires.
Reuss is even talking numbers: the hybrid powertrain would churn out a total of 440HP and 450 lb-ft of torque, enough for a 0-60mph [96km/h] acceleration time of 3.2 seconds. In fact, he went as far as predicting his dream car’s Nürburgring lap time: 7:46. Not ZR-1 or GT-R territory, but quite fast nevertheless.
What about the interior? Well, Reuss would choose the suede steering wheel from the Caddy CTS-V linked to an electric-power steering system, the Recaro bucket seats from the Opel Insignia OPC and a Volt-like multifunction display for energy and VBox info.
Last, but not least, GM North America's president would like his dream car to have a silent interior when in EV mode so he would add a Bose active-noise cancelling system and offer perfect visibility courtesy of a Hughes night-vision system, front and rear cameras and a blind-spot monitoring system.
We applaud Mr Rauss' choices, which would make for one of the best "parts bin special" GM has ever thought of building.
He did omit one thing though: his passenger of choice. Therefore, we feel compelled to make a suggestion: Gisele. She did make a name for herself in the automotive crowd in a CTS-V after all...
Story References: Car&Driver , Photo Illustration: Carscoop

GM PARTS BIN

2002 CADILLAC CIEN CONCEPT