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2012 BMW I8 CONCEPT PRICE WITH PHOTOS AND VIDEO
A production version of the BMW i8 Concept is expected to go on sale in 2014, with a predicted price tag of $300,000.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Honda Sued In Small Claims Court Over Mileage Claims
She’s had it with Honda, and Heather Peters, a former lawyer, hopes her unusual legal approach will garner as much as 10 times the cash reward and potentially serious consequences for the company if others follow her lead.
Peters, unlike the hundreds of Civic Hybrid owners who joined class action suits, decided to take Honda to small claims court over her 2006 Civic Hybrid achieving sub-par mileage. The car is said to get 50 mpg, but according to Peters, her car never came close and only managed 30 mpg as the battery wore.
Her choice seemed more attractive after finding out that people taking part in the suit would probably only receive about $200 cash and a $750 to $1000 rebate incentive to buy a new Honda. She aims to be awarded the maximum $10,000 allowed as of 2012 in California small claims court.
While taking the Japanese car giant to court might seem sort of senile, Peters is far from crazy. The first fist in her corner is that she has a legal background, so she will be able to prepare a case better than your average Honda customer. Second, California small claims court doesn’t allow lawyers, so Honda will have to keep their legal crack shots at home. Third, as Richard Cupp Jr., who teaches product liability law at Pepperdine University, told the associated press, ”the judge will have a lot of discretion and the evidentiary standards are relaxed in small claims court.”
It’s true that most people probably won’t have the time, education, or energy to take Peters’ path against Honda. If she succeeds and others choose to take similar action, she estimates that it could cost Honda as much as $2 billion. For now, she’s launched a site to promote her cause: DontSettleWithHona.org.
As for her future car plans, she is willing to trade her Civic for a comparable car with a manual transmission because it’s all she trusts anymore.
Morgan Celebrates 75 Years with Special 4/4
Although the auto industry is generally seen as a fast-paced, every changing business, where the latest and greatest rule supreme, some vehicles and even automakers defy that trend, remaining true to their original concept of motoring.
A standout example is Britain’s Morgan Motor Company, based in Malvern, Worcestershire. For 75 years it’s been hand building essentially the same car, the 4/4, complete with a wood ash frame. And while the company has expanded into developing high tech models such as the Aero Supersport and zero emissions electric vehicle projects, the 4/4 remains a firm favorite with a substantial waiting list worldwide.
In celebration of its first four-wheeled machine to enter production back in 1936, Morgan is launching a special 75th anniversary edition, available in three exterior colors, Sport Black, Sport Red or Old English White, with a matte hood stripe and special “4/4″ and 75th anniversary emblems. Other features include narrow fenders, 9-stud windshield and black painted 15-inch wire wheels.
Powered by a Ford sourced 2.0-liter Duratec twin cam four, cranking out 145 horsepower, the 4/4 Anniversary, in part due to its light weight (a shade over 2000 lbs), is a relatively spritely machine and will do 0-62 mph in around 7.2 seconds and reach a top speed approaching 120 mph. In car that employs essentially 1930s technology, that kind of performance feels decidedly supersonic.
Nissan Pathfinder Concept Teased Again: Detroit Auto Show Preview
Nissan‘s all-new Pathfinder Concept is set to debut at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show on January 9th and the Japanese automaker has just teased us with two real short video clips highlighting the new SUV’s front and back.
The videos are complete teasers, but it clearly showcases the Pathfinder’s traditional SUV hallmarks that have been renovated for the new platform, complete with a dramatic new aerodynamic design.
Nissan continued to brag about the upcoming Pathfinder Concept’s features, which include “thoughtful” technology, seating for seven, and plenty of cargo room. The four-wheel-drive Pathfinder Concept previews the upcoming next-generation production Pathfinder that is set to go on sale next fall.
GALLERY: Nissan Pathfinder Concept Teasers
Camaro GT Race Car Makes the ZL1 Look Like a Chick Car
YACO Racing’s collaboration with Sareni United and Reiter Engineering has come to fruition. We kept our eyes on Sareni United after we previously saw a preview of their new Chevy Camaro GT3 race car, and it appears that the final product is ready for public consumption.
Sareni United, founded and owned by Hans Reiter of Reiter Engineering, got the inspiration for a GT3 Camaro race car when he went to America in 2010. Armed with a team of a dozen people, the new car was developed within one year and the FIA approved the start of the homologation in October of 2010.
Powered by a 7.9L V8 with a newly developed Holinger gear box, with 650-hp and 590 lb-ft of torque. Prototype testing was promising, with the Camaro running similar lap times as Lamborghini‘s Gallardo but the team continued to fine tune the vehicle.
YACO will be campaigning a pair of these race cars at the ADAC GT Masters races and may compete in the GT3 European Championship.
Pricing isn’t cheap, with the Camaro priced at over $250,000 (€195,000) based on today’s conversion rates.
GALLERY: Sareni United Camaro GT
Custom ’69 Chevy Camaro Coupe Is A Beauty: Barrett-Jackson Auction Preview
Built by Ringbrothers and designed by Sean Smith, this custom 1969 Chevrolet Camaro Coupe can be yours if you’re heading to Barrett-Jackson’s Scottsdale, Arizona auction.
One of the nicest ’69 Camaros we’ve seen in a long time, the exterior Mineral Gray/Pewter finish looks immaculate in the photos. The Hunter Green interior is unique while the Camaro packs a 454-cubic inch Ram Jet ZL1 under the hood, numbered 193 of 200. The engine is combined with a six-speed Viper transmission.
On the outside, custom one-off Budnik wheels in a staggered setup adorn each corner. Stopping power has been enhanced with 15-inch rotors and Baer’s six-piston calipers. The interior is race-inspired with a Tilton pedal setup, MOMO steering wheel and custom Classic Instruments. Lightening the body is a carbon fiber hood, trunk, deck lid, bumper and brake ducts.
SIM-LEI EV Revealed With 206 Mile Range
Take a good look at this car, because if you were next to it at a stop light there’s a good chance it would beat you off the line by a long shot.
It’s the SIM-LEI EV, built by the SIM Company, founded in 2009 at Japan’s Keio University. What separates it from the other EVs on the block is SIM’spreference to use four electric motors, one per wheel, rather than a central motor under the hood. The car should have debuted in March, 2011 but couldn’t meet that date after the earthquake devastation of last year.
Range is the biggest selling point. The SIM-LEI is said to last up to 206 miles in city traffic, thanks in part to the car having a minimal 0.19 coefficient of drag, which bests cars like the Nissan Leaf and Mitsubishi i which ballpark around 100 miles.
Most people interested in buying an EV will probably agree that range is important and having double the capacity of the competition is pretty sweet, but there’s something else that makes the SIM-LEI even more interesting. It scoots from 0-60 mph in just 4.8 seconds. For some perspective, a 2010 Mustang GT does it in 4.9.
Sure, the 93 mph top speed isn’t going to do much to your heart rate, but having motors distributed to all four corners mean this car will feel like it’s got suction cups for wheels around tight corners. Say what you will, but that’s a lot of fun.
