Posted by febry on 4:08 PM
The modern automobile is a microcosm for our networked society. Everything from the brakes to the dual-zone climate control and from the windscreen wipers to the CD player is connected through a Controller-Area-Network (CAN) bus. Like the nerves in our bodies, this network passes information from one component to another. It allows the anti-lock brakes and electronic stability control to work in unison, disconnects the cruise control when you step on the accelerator and allows the headlights to switch themselves on in low light conditions.
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Posted by febry on 3:47 PM
Truth to be said, the third generation of the Honda Odyssey is about as exciting to look at as a bowl of cheerios. And no, adding carlashes will definitely not change our view on the Japanese minivan’s styling or rather, the lack of it. Read more »
Posted by febry on 2:23 PM
Following the announcement on the time and place of the premiere of the all-new 2013 Lexus GS 350 –that would be the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance on August 18th for those of you that didn’t read our previous story- the Japanese company lifted the embargo on the first test drive of the car in the States. 
Invitees include names like Car&Driver, Autoweek and Motor Trend. Naturally, the exterior of the pre-production test cars were bagged in plastic, but their interiors were largely free of camouflage (see links below for photos) revealing an edgier LF-A-esque design with lots of stitched leather on the dashboard and a gigantic 12.3-inch information screen above the center console.
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Posted by febry on 1:40 PM
A few weeks ago at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, Honda unveiled a concept study of the hybrid CR-Z prepared by Mugen’s European division. The fettled CR-Z retained the regular model’s mechanical hardware including the IMA electric motor and the 1.5-liter gasoline engine, but the upgraded internals and the addition of a supercharger increased its performance by more than 50% over the normal model, to 200+ horsepower and 215 Nm (158.6 lb/ft).
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Posted by febry on 1:01 PM
One of Europe’s most popular people carriers, the Renault Scenic, is about to receive its first cosmetic refresh to stay ahead of the fierce competition in the compact segment. The current, third generation of Renault’s minivan was launched onto the European market in 2009 and is available as the five-seat Scenic and the longer 7-seat Grand Scenic. Though we can’t be 100 percent sure, the prototype caught by our spy photographers appears to be the shorter Scenic model.
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Posted by febry on 12:03 PM
GM’s Design Center is adopting the use of three-dimensional rapid prototyping in order to reduce the time and money required in developing expensive parts of prototypes. The 3D technology will replace much of the work done on clay modeling and molding while developing a prototype. Moreover, designers from various GM design studios from around the world will be able to see their creations come to life much faster thanks to the digital manufacturing capabilities.
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Posted by febry on 11:11 AM
This year’s edition of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance that takes place in California on August 18 will see Lexus lifting the veil off the next generation of its GS premium sedan, which we recently showed you testing at the Nurburgring racetrack in Germany. 
Lexus teased the new GS with the LF-Gh Hybrid concept study at the New York Auto Show in April.
"Our customers have been waiting for a new GS that's more intense in every way," commented Mark Templin, Lexus group vice president and general manager. "They'll soon discover this GS was well worth the wait."
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Posted by febry on 10:50 AM
The NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) is investigating oil-cooler leaks on 4,400 Lotus Elise sports cars from the 2005-2006 model years. The safety agency instigated the search after 33 owners complained that their cars’ oil-cooler ruptured, spraying oil on the wheels and /or the engine bay. Read more »
Posted by febry on 10:20 AM
The brand-new BMW 1 M Coupe hasn’t been around from more than a few months, but we already have the first recorded accident of which we know about. The unlucky owner of the car, who is from South Korea, posted these photos of the mishap over at the BMW 1Addicts forum. He said that he was the first customer to receive one of the 80 BMW 1 M Coupes scheduled to arrive in the South Korean market.
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Posted by febry on 9:56 AM
Electric car buyers in California will have to reach deeper in their pockets as the state has run out of the $5,000 rebates it was handing out to customers interested in vehicles like the Nissan LEAF and the Tesla Roadster. The generous rebate was given on top of the $7,500 tax credit offered by the government. As for the 500 owners of electric cars that are currently on the waiting list to receive the rebate, California’s Air Resources Board said it will consider providing them with a $2,500 discount. Not what they signed up for, but still better than nothing.
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