| 2008 Infiniti G37 Review - Seduce Me
Diving into a right-left-right downhill combination at Barber Motorsports Park just outside of Birmingham, Alabama, lots of things snap into focus. First, the 14-inch front rotors on the 2008 G37 Sport really burn off speed in a hurry. Second, the entire package is well balanced and just plain easy to drive quickly and smoothly. Third, the 2007 BMW 335i coupe provided for comparison may have some advantages over the Infiniti, but you'll notice more of the BMW's deficiencies (rather than advantages) on the track. Not out of whole cloth
Infiniti introduced their G35 coupe back in 2002 as a 2003 model. Those with a keen mind for the ephemeral recall it was introduced with its four-door counterpart the G35 sedan, and that the market warmed to the coupe as a more mature alternative to its shorter-wheelbase 2-seat cousin, the Nissan 350Z.
BMW Vision EfficientDynamics Concept
Yesterday, DailyTech reported on VW's intention to bring a diesel-electric hybrid Golf to market. The hybrid powertrain would boost fuel economy to nearly 70 MPG on the small two/four-door hatchback. BMW also has diesel-electric hybrids on the brain with its new Vision EfficientDynamics concept vehicle. The concept is based on the X5 Sports Activity Vehicle (SAV) and uses a 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder Variable Twin Turbo diesel engine. The diesel motor develops 204 HP and 295 lb-ft of torque. Unlike the previous BMW X6 ActiveHybrid concept vehicle which was a full hybrid, the Vision EfficientDynamics is a mild-hybrid vehicle. A 15kw generator boosts total power to 221 HP, while regenerative braking steps in to help power the vehicle's electrical systems and recharge the rear-mounted lithium-ion battery pack.
The motorcycling year
Now on to a happier note. The Daily Telegraph/MCN London Motorcycle Show, at ExCeL, London, takes place from January 31 to February 3. This is the big one for bikers in the South-East and London. Housed in the excellent ExCeL centre, in London's Docklands, a key selling point is the show site's accessibility - and it's outside the dreaded congestion zone. The show is one of the most modern bike events in look and feel, and you'll be able to see all the latest machines from Honda, BMW, Suzuki, Yamaha, Harley-Davidson, KTM, Ducati and Kawasaki. .
Tesla to raise $250m for electric cars
Tesla Motors, which this month launched a battery-powered roadster based on the Lotus Elise, plans to raise $250m in equity and debt to fund a push into production of electric sedans. The California-based niche carmaker plans to build an electric four-door, five-passenger luxury sports sedan, comparable to a midrange BMW or Mercedes, that will sell for about half the price of the roadster, which retails in the US for $98,000. .
BMW HAND KLIEN F1 LIFELINE
Christian Klien is set to spend another season in F1 after BMW announced that he would be their 2008 test driver along with Marko Asmer. Having parted ways with Honda at the end of last year, Klien had hoped to land a race-seat with the Force India outfit. However, that went to Giancarlo Fisichella, leaving the Austrian without a drive. It didn't take him long though to find a new job with BMW announcing on Saturday that they had signed him as one of their two test drivers for this year's championship. "We wanted a third driver with Formula One racing experience," said BMW Motorsport director Mario Theissen, "as well as an up-and-coming young driver for us to train up to Formula One level. "With Christian we have signed on a driver who is familiar with the format of a grand prix weekend and can step into the breach right away should one of our team drivers have to back out.
Alternative-Energy Vehicles Added Spark To Detroit Auto Show
When the North American International Auto Show opened in January 2000, a dozen alternative fuel cars were on display. This year, the big Detroit show featured some 75 such cars and trucks. And dozens more are close to being road ready, says the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, a trade group whose members include BMW Group, Chrysler, Ford Motor, (F) General Motors, (GM) Mazda, Mitsubishi Motors, Porsche, Toyota (TM) and Volkswagen. Still, cars that run on something other than gasoline remain a small portion of the market. While consumer research firm J.D. Power estimates that 77% of car shoppers ask about alternative fuel vehicles, fewer than 2% of them actually buy one. Fewer than 400,000 alternative vehicles are on the road, about the same number of cars that cross New York's Brooklyn Bridge every day.
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