The Classic British Sports Car From China March 13, 2007
The Nanjing Automobile Corporation, which bought the remaining MG assets two years ago, is about to restart production in China. LONGBRIDGE, England - MG, the legendary British brand that expired after a lengthy illness, will be revived this month as a Chinese sports car when the Nanjing Automobile Corporation begins to produce convertible sports cars under that name in China. The rebirth of MG is the latest and most splashy example of how China’s growing economic might is reaching carefully into foreign markets, buying up troubled companies with established brands and using them to build bridgeheads for some of the …
Slipstream: A New Battery Takes Off in a Race to Electric Cars March 12, 2007
The goal for A123Systems? battery for plug-in hybrid cars is to achieve 155 miles to the gallon and reduce demand for gasoline by 70 percent. VROOOOM! Or, rather, much more softly: brmmm. A123Systems, a start-up in Watertown, Mass., says it has created a powerful, safe, long-lived battery. If the cell fulfills the ambitions of its maker, that softer sound will be the future of automobiles.To date, all-electric vehicles have failed because their batteries were inadequate. General Motors’ futuristic EV1 car of the late 1990s was doted upon by environmentally conscious drivers who admired its innovative engineering, but because the …
Venture Capitalists Want to Put Some Algae in Your Tank
Investors are now searching for a holy grail that symbolizes wealth in both profits and what?s good for the environment. NILAND, Calif. - The idea of replacing crude oil with algae may seem like a harebrained way to clean up the planet and bolster national security. But Lissa Morgenthaler-Jones and her husband, David Jones, are betting their careers and personal fortunes that they can grow masses of the slimy organism and use its natural photosynthesis process to produce a plentiful supply of biofuel.A few companies are in a race to be first to convert algae to fuel on a …
Technology: Keeping Tired Drivers Alert, With No Snooze Button March 10, 2007
Before long, cameras in cars may monitor your face and heartbeat, and if you start to nod off the steering wheel will vibrate and a fan will blow air on your neck. AFTER a tough week at the office, the highway stretches ahead of you. The car is warm and the engine hums. Your eyelids slowly close. And then, there’s a sudden puff of air on the back of your neck. The steering wheel vibrates in your hands and a buzzer sounds. Your car is waking you. The car has been watching your face and, through the steering wheel, feeling …
In Geneva, the Sun Shines Through
The bright lights and unfettered optimism of the auto show here cannot chase away all of the clouds hanging over the industry. GENEVA - The bright lights and unfettered optimism of the auto show here cannot chase away all of the clouds hanging over the industry. During press previews this week, Ford put on a happy face as it introduced a new Mondeo sedan for the European market, even while it undergoes the latest attempt to cut thousands of jobs and turn around a business that has been losing billions of dollars. DaimlerChrysler rolled out a sunny roadster design study, …
Behind the Wheel | 2007 Mazdaspeed 3: Hatchback Slathered in Hot Sauce
The Mazdaspeed 3, a higher-performance version of Mazda?s compact hatchback, is a standout in the ranks of pocket rockets. WHEN they introduced the Mazda 3 sedan and four-door hatchback-cum-wagon in 2003, the Mazda people had a spiel that went something like this: “The kids these days! They want everything! They’re paying 16 grand but they want a mini-Mercedes, so that’s what we have to give them. Even though, back in our day, entry-level cars had cardboard steering wheels, and if you wanted a sunroof you had to wait for a rust hole to form above your head — which usually …
Motoring: Run-Flat Tires: Are They Solving a Problem or Creating Several?
Consumers have begun to report problems with these tires, including their harsh ride, their expense and the elusiveness of replacements. RUN-FLAT tires, which have been offered on some new cars for the last few years, are a soothing security blanket. They can be driven for miles after losing their air, allowing drivers to delay fixing a flat until there is a safe place to stop and avoiding a harrowing tire change along a busy highway. But consumers have begun to report problems with the tires. Jennifer Stockburger, a senior tire-test engineer for Consumer Reports magazine, said the tires offered …
Around the Block: That Way-Out Minivan Becomes More Hospitable to Earthlings
In the latest version of the Nissan Quest, designers said goodbye to its aggressive styling and its truly weird interior. TESTED: 2007 Nissan Quest. WHAT IS IT? A refreshed, toned-down version of a minivan that was thoroughly redesigned as a 2004 model.HOW MUCH? $24,995, base model; $28,105, for the SL; $35,505 for the SE. WHAT DRIVES IT? 3.5-liter V-6 (235 horsepower); five-speed automatic.WHAT CAN IT HOLD? Up to seven people and 32.3 cubic feet of cargo behind the third row; 145.7 cubic feet with second and third rows folded. HOW THIRSTY? E.P.A. rating (on premium fuel) is 18 m.p.g. in …
Design: Mazda and Volvo Try on New Genes March 9, 2007
Recent concept cars from two of Ford?s foreign subsidiaries are pushing the envelope, envisioning more expressive and more extroverted cars. STEVE MATTIN has a problem with old Volvos: there are so many. “There are millions of boxy ones out there,” Volvo’s new vice president and director for design grumbled in a recent interview. “We want to move beyond the box.” One might assume that Volvo would view an abundance of old cars on the road as a rolling testament to the virtues for which it is known: durability and a functional design that transcends fashion. But Mr. Mattin …
In Europe, Germany May Have to Take the Wheel in Going Green March 8, 2007
In getting European automakers to adhere to new limits on carbon dioxide emissions, Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany will have to take on the industry at home. GENEVA, March 6 - Europe prides itself on its pioneering approach to climate change - a commitment that Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany aims to deepen in her term as president of the European Union. There is just one problem: her country, home of the autobahn and the Porsche sports cars that tear along it, is among Europe’s worst offenders when it comes to cars that spew carbon dioxide into the air.To persuade …
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