Detroit Auto Show 2010

Mini Cooper Countryman

2010-01-21T10:06:00.000-08:00

MINI Cooper is introducing an SUV: the Mini Countryman. This is the first four-door Mini, and it's intended to attract to closet SUV lovers who don't want to be painted with the Escalade/Hummer brush. The MINI Countryman will be available in the US in January 2011.

The MINI Cooper SUV will be available with front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive, as well as an optional sport suspension. The cargo area will have 12.2 cubic feet of storage capacity, 41 cubic feet if the back seats are folded down. It will come with either six-speed manual transmission or tiptronic automatic transmission.

Americans may choose from two engines.There's the more fuel efficient 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine that can rev from 0 to 62 m.p.h. in 10.5 seconds. The more powerful Cooper S sports direct-fuel injection, 180 horsepower (52 pct more), and a 0-to-62 rate of 7.6 s. Other features include stability control; front, side, and curtain air bags; optional smart phone integration; and a run-flat tires upgrade.

Conan Obrien's $1.5 Million Bugatti Veyron Mouse

2010-01-21T07:04:00.000-08:00

Conan O’Brien presented the Bugatti Veyron Mouse.The Bugatti Veyron EB 16.4 is the most recent version of a mid-engined full-sized grand tourer developed by the German car-manufacturer Volkswagen and produced by the Volkswagen-brand Bugatti Automobiles SAS at their HQ in Château St. Jean in Molsheim (Alsace, France), and whose production and development is often credited to Ferdinand Karl Piech. It is called after French racing driver Pierre Veyron, who won the 24 hours of Le Mans in 1939 while racing for the original Bugatti company. It was named “Car Of The Decade” by the BBC television programme Top Gear.

A Brief History Of The Hybrid Car

2010-01-20T01:11:00.000-08:00

Due to the demand of having a car wherein everyone can consume less fuel and will not contribute to the air pollution, the hybrid car was finally created to meet this end. And due to the rapid advancements in the gasoline engine, the hybrid car has become extremely popular.

A hybrid car is a means of transportation using two power sources; it uses a rechargeable energy storage system found on board and a fuelled power source as the vehicle's driving force. The hybrid car pollutes less and uses less fuel.

Back in 1899, Ferdinand Porsche have developed and led the way to the very first working hybrid-electric vehicle. Other people followed suit in Ferdinand Porsche's invention. Many people who became interested in the hybrid-vehicle concept have been continually making hybrid cars. However, there was no major car manufacturer who invested in the hybrid concept and mass produced hybrid cars until the late twentieth century. The hybrid technology was mainly utilized in developing diesel-electric submarines during that interim period.

The diesel-electric submarines mainly operate very much the same as a hybrid car. However, the submarines main goal was to conserve oxygen rather than spend less fuel. During the later years, submarines have evolved and have begun using the nuclear power as a substitute for diesel.

During the 1990's, the Toyota Prius and the Honda Insight were the first successful hybrid cars available in the market. It was two of the pioneers in the hybrid car concept which virtually changed the way the world thinks about cars.

An idealistic inventor, Victor Wouk, manufactured a hybrid electric and gas motor vehicle that siphoned fuel at half the amount as practically all the other cars being built then. He built the hybrid car thirty years before the Toyota Prius got the attention of the U.S. as an energy-anxious nation.

The account about the hybrid car and its inventor, who died in May, 2005, at age 86, is unfamiliar among even the most avid fans of the growing hybrid car association. In terms of hybrid car knowledge, it is in fact America that should have led all other countries. Wouk said that the government program that he developed about hybrids was unknown to everyone.

Victor Wouk founded and sold two successful electric industrialized companies in the late 1940s and 50s and in 1962 he was approach by Russell Feldman, one of the founders of Motorola, who recognized the pollution from the automobile as one of the biggest problem of the environment and he wanted to discover the possible solutions with regards to this problem. But his experiment did not work much for the possible solution.

Having an idea, Wouk pondered the problem throughout the 60s and ultimately reached a clever solution. He combined the low-emission benefits of an electric car with the power of a gasoline engine to produce a hybrid vehicle. But Wouk did not get any response to his ideas for creating a hybrid car; in fact he was heavily criticized for not believing in a full-electric system.

With the help of his colleague, Charlie Rosen, who shared his belief about hybrid cars, gave him the chance to prove his ideas of creating the hybrid car as one of the solution to the rapid health cost of auto-pollution. And now the impressive capabilities of the invention of Wouk, the hybrid cars, can now be a very great help in terms of less fuel consumption and less air pollution.

Wouk and Rosen put up a new company particularly to developed their hybrid car idea and make it possible to be in the market and be used as an everyday car that belched far less harmful vapors than contemporary vehicles.

The Prius

Ever since the Toyota Prius was released in the market, it has been able to remain as the premier choice of hybrid cars available. It is true that old hybrid cars looks more like an alien car and cost far more than the conventional car. However, because of the latest technology installed in newer versions of hybrid cars, it looks more like a conventional car and is far cheaper than its predecessors. It is a fact that hybrid cars today looks very much like conventional cars. However, it will enable you to cut fuel consumption in half.

For example, the Honda Civic Hybrid car looks very much like its conventional version. However, when you look at it closely, the hybrid version of the Civic is able to conserve fuel much better than its gasoline counterpart. The Civic Hybrid can get you 50 miles in just one gallon of gasoline.

During the year 2004, Ford has developed and introduced the very first hybrid SUV, which is the Ford Escape Hybrid. A year later, Toyota also introduced their line of hybrid SUV called the Highlander Hybrid.

Because of the growing demand for hybrid cars, other car manufacturers are now following the footsteps of the other companies who already released a version of their hybrid car in the market. For example, Nissan is now planning to develop and introduce a hybrid version of the Nissan Altima.

Nowadays, over 300,000 hybrid cars are running on American roads wherein 95 percent of them are Japanese made. The hybrid vehicles are truly very different technology that can both save money and our environment.

About the Author
The author Kath Mathews manages the website that shows you how to get the best alternative fuel for cars savings and other fuel economy tips. Visit now for quality information online on the best alternative fuel for cars and other alternative fuel savings.

Source: http://www.articleassembly.com

How To Convert Car To Electric

2010-01-17T01:09:00.000-08:00

Family Living Off the Grid with Renewable Energy takes Know How and Applies it to Electric Cars... Discovers the 'SECRET' to increasing the range of their Electric car up to an amazing 100 miles from a single charge with revolutionary discovery while building their own Electric Vehicle...How did they do it?

Learn more HERE!

NAIAS 2010 Floor Map

2010-01-15T22:13:00.001-08:00

Ford Fusion Hybrid Wins 2010 Car of the Year Award

2010-01-15T08:19:00.000-08:00

Ford Fusion Hybrid won The Car of The Year, Ford Transit Connect is the Truck of The Year!

How to get to the Detroit Auto Show?

2010-01-15T00:16:00.000-08:00

Click here for the map !

From Detroit Metropolitan Airport
Take I-94 eastbound to the Lodge Freeway (M-10) south,
then the Lodge south to the Larned Street exit.
Go east on Larned to Cobo Center.

From I-75 (north of Detroit)
Take I-75 southbound to I-375, to westbound Jefferson Avenue.
Follow Jefferson to Cobo Center.

From I-75 (south of Detroit)
Take I-75 northbound to Exit 49 toward M-10/Southfield/Downtown/Civic-Cobo Center.
Take the exit on the left toward M-10/Lodge Freeway/Civic Center.
Take the M-10 S exit toward Civic Center/Cobo Center.
Merge onto MI-10 southbound/John C Lodge Freeway.
Take the Larned Street exit, Exit 1B, on the left toward Cobo Center.
Stay straight to go onto West Larned Street.
Turn right onto Washington Boulevard - Cobo Center will be on the right.

Parking

Park & Ride

Shuttle service is available at the Detroit Zoo and The Henry Ford at Greenfield Village. Luxury coaches provided by Bianco Tours, the official NAIAS transportation company.

Dates of Operation:
Saturday, January 16, Sunday, January 17 and Monday, January 18 (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day)
Saturday, January 23 and Sunday, January 24

Hours of Operation:
Detroit Zoo and The Henry Ford departures:
--Every hour on the hour from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. to Cobo Center.
--Sunday, January 24 (last day of show): The last shuttle departing from the Detroit Zoo and The Henry Ford to Cobo Center will be at 4:00 p.m.

Cobo Center departures:
--Every hour on the hour from noon to 10:00 p.m. to the Detroit Zoo and The Henry Ford.
--Sunday, January 24 (last day of show): The last shuttle departing from Cobo Center to the Detroit Zoo and The Henry Ford will be at 6:00 p.m.

Cost:
Parking: $5.00 per vehicle, round trip
Bus Ride: 6 and over $6.00; 5 and under free. Tickets can be purchased on-site at the Detroit Zoo and The Henry Ford at Greenfield Village.

Read more here!

The 2011 Audi A8 is the winner of the Production Category

2010-01-14T11:59:00.000-08:00

The 2011 Audi A8 won the Award for Design Excellence. The fourth generation of Audi’s flagship car, the Audi A8 made its first auto show debut at the North American International Auto Show. The other finalists for production vehicles were the Bentley Muslanne, Fiat 500, Ford Focus, and Lincoln MKX.

GMC Granite Excellence in Design Award for concept cars at the Detroit show

2010-01-13T23:32:00.000-08:00

The Granite won the Excellence in Design Award for concept vehicles debuted at the Detroit show.The GMC Granite, a concept which combines functionality with what General Motors calls an urban-industrial design aesthetic, made its worldwide debut here in Detroit.
The car is powered by a 1.4 L (85 cu in) ecotec turbocharged I4 that produces 138 hp (103 kW) and 148 lb·ft (201 N·m). This is matched to a six-speed transmission with a dual-clutch.

Electric and hybrid cars from the Detroit Autoshow 2010

2010-01-13T01:10:00.000-08:00

New electric and hybrid cars from day 2:

Tesla Model S

CT&T C Square Sport Car Concept

Revenge Verde Supercar

Subaru Tourer Hybrid Concept

NAIAS 2010

2010-01-12T05:29:00.000-08:00

Detroit Auto Show 2010 day one - cars

2010-01-12T00:52:00.000-08:00

Check this gallery for the pictures of the cars!

2011 Audi A8 sedan	GMC Acadia Denali
Audi E-Tron Concept	GMC Granite
Bently MusulaneCEO	Honda CR-Z
BentlyGTC	KIASorentoSULLY
BMW ActiveE Concept	Mercedes-Benz E-Class Cabriolet
BMWZ4	Mercedes-Benz S400 Hybrid
Buick Regal GS Concept	Mini Beachcomber Concept
Chevrolet Aveo RS Concept	Toyota FT-CH Concept
Ford Focus	VWConcept

2010 NAIAS exhibitor list

2010-01-11T12:14:00.000-08:00

Acura

Audi

Barkan

Bentley

BMW

Buick

BYD Auto

Cadillac

Chevrolet

Chrysler

Chrysler Corporate

Commuter Cars - Electric Avenue

CT&T United

Dodge

Edison*2 - X Prize Electric Avenue

EV Innovations - X Prize Electric Avenue

Ferrari - The Gallery

Ford Corporate

Ford Division

GEM - EcoXperience

General Motor Corp.

GMC

Green Vehicles - Electric Avenue

Harvey Coachworks - Electric Avenue

Honda

Hyundai

Jaguar

Jeep

Kia

Lamborghini - The Gallery

Land Rover

Lexus

Li Shi Guangming - Electric Avenue

Lincoln

Lotus

Maserati

Maybach

Mazda

Mercedes-Benz

Mercury

MINI

Mitsubishi - Electric Avenue

Nissan - Electric Avenue

Ram

Revenge Designs

Rolls-Royce - The Gallery

Saba Motors - X Prize Electric Avenue

Saleen Performance Vehicles

Scion

smart

SMS Supercars

Spyker - The Gallery

SSI Racing - X Prize Electric Avenue

Subaru

Tesla

Th!nk - EcoXperience

Toyota

Venturi - Michelin Exhibit

Volkswagen

Volvo

ZAP - X Prize Electric Avenue

NAIAS 2010 public shows and tickets

2010-01-11T09:19:00.000-08:00

Dates and times:

Saturday, January 16 - Saturday, January 23, 2010 
9 a.m. - 10 p.m. (no admittance after 9 p.m.)

Sunday, January 24, 2010
9 a.m. - 7 p.m. (no admittance after 6 p.m.)

Early access for handicapped individuals at 8 a.m.
Enter at the Oakland Entrance.

Prices:

-Adults: $12 per person

-E-Tickets: $12 per person

-Any Day Pass, Group Ticket: $8 with a purchase of 25 tickets or more

-Seniors: $6 (65 and older)

-Children: $6 (7-12 years old; 6 and under free with a parent or guardian)

The 2010 North American International Auto Show in Detroit opens today

2010-01-11T08:42:00.000-08:00

The first motor show took place in Detroit in 1907 at Beller's Beer Garden at Riverside Park.It was renamed the North American International Auto Show in 1989. Since 1961, it has been held at Cobo Center where it occupies nearly 1 million square feet of floor space.

The show begins with press preview days, industry preview days and a charity preview event. The charity preview raises money for local children's charities. In 2004 and 2005, the charity preview attracted 17,500 people at $400 a ticket and raised $7 million in total. 2006 was the sixth consecutive year the charity preview event raised over $6 million. 35,711 tickets were sold for the industry preview representing people from 24 countries in 2005 and 6,897 credentialed press from 63 countries. Over 800,000 attended during the days the show was open to the general public in 2004. It is estimated that the show generates a revenue of over $500 million to the local economy.

Read the full article on Wikipedia!

Detroit believes in small cars

2010-01-10T00:39:00.000-08:00

This week opens the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, is no longer the n-trucks and off-road vehicles are the main focus, but also with small cars like the Ford Fiesta, the Chevy Cruze, the Fiat 500 or the Chevy Aveo. Part of a prolonged recession, partly due to consumer preferences and global marketing strategy due to changes in the American manufacturers seem to give up the high-performance vehicles and focus on trifles.

The Chevrolet Aveo and the Cruze shows the small sparked by the issue of the all-new Ford Focus and Fiesta novelty in the U.S. market. The Fiat 500 as shown in the Chevrolet booth. The small car market, Japanese manufacturers have already been heavily pushing the new models include the Mazda 2, and the Honda CR-Z, and the latest hybrid cars. "Previously, hot cars carried was large, no longer cool" - summed up the transformation in automotive industry expert John DeCicco, a professor at the University of Michigan, adding to the Detroit manufacturers, the Big Three finally realized the message of the modern age.

Analysts say the U.S. market in all segments of the apparent shift towards smaller cars. This is supported by the fact that over the past eight years, the smallest cars - the so-called compact and szubkompakt class - share from 15 to 23 per cent. Those who had high terepjárókkal were now looking for smaller, those who have large passenger cars, medium-sized vehicles to sit; economic difficulties consumers have become economical. The previous V6-s popular manufacturers in many cases, four-cylinder, turbo-charged engines, replaced by mostly.

Higher petrol prices high emphasis on consumption is positive, and the factories in the U.S. market also want to introduce successful models elsewhere in the world. The USA Today newspaper contends that the North American imagine autoshow range of European influence is felt. Detroit for the past three decades, Asia, trying to draw inspiration, but now turned to Europe, where the less popular engines fitted to less polluting, but acceptable performance cars. Detroit is hoped that this success formula in the United States to come.