At the Frankfurt Motor Show, Smart has officially launched the micro hybrid version of the ForTwo. Like the mild hybrid system developed by General Motors, this belt-alternator-starter system is primarily an automatic start-stop system for when the…
Category: Autoblog
Ford inserting Sony stereos into future vehicles
Until Ford spun off Visteon as a separate, barely financially viable company a few years ago, it was pretty much the exclusive supplier of in-vehicle entertainment systems for Ford cars and trucks. More recently, most Fords have had a common…
Dodge Durango hybrid manager blogs about working on the Two-Mode
The latest entry on the new Voices of Chrysler blog is from Abdullah Bazzi, the manager of the Dodge Durango hybrid program. The first Chrysler hybrids are still a year away from launch and we got a preview of the Durango and Aspen hybrids last…
Report: Toyota may build Auris hybrid in UK from 2012
Toyota is reportedly preparing to produce a hybrid version of its Auris for the European market at its plant in the UK. If it happens, production is intended in to start in about 2012. The Auris is a compact hatchback that is related to the Corolla.…
BMW's Baloga confirms four-cylinder diesels for U.S. market
While some of us here at ABG HQ are major fans of BMW's diesel engines, we were disappointed when BMW opted to enter the U.S. market only with the twin turbo 3.0-liter six cylinder diesel. As fantastic an engine as that is, the 2.0-liter four…
BMW likely to use KERS hybrid on next generation M5
The crew at BWM's M division are all about performance and extracting all of it that they can from run-of-the-mill bimmers. However, they are not immune to the realities of the modern world and the demands for improved efficiency and reduced carbon…
BMW Technik working on hybrid fuel cell 1 series concept
A quarter century ago, BMW established a special research and development center under the BMW Forschung und Technik GmbH. As BMW Technik celebrates its silver anniversary, it has revealed the existence of hydrogen hybrid 1 series concept. BMW has…
Undead: Will Acura show NSX in Detroit even after killing it off?
Just two weeks after we learned that Honda had suspended plans to introduce a new V10 NSX sports car in 2010 comes word that we may see the car anyway. Sort of. The production program is still dead, but it is being reported that the previously…
Greenlings: Why do automatic transmissions now get better fuel efficiency than manuals?
Not so long ago, it was common for automatic transmissions to be referred to as slushboxes, since that's how they often behaved. Rather than use a mechanical clutch, traditional automatic transmissions use a fluid coupling between the engine and the…
Video: Citroën Nemo fails European “moose test,” highlights value of stability control
We've recently had two shining examples of the importance of having a properly functioning electronic stability control system (ESC) in new vehicles. The instability of the 2010 Lexus GX 460 is a known problem and Toyota is working to address it. The…