Author: autoevolution

Buying a motorcycle is a difficult task for most bikers, and it gets worse when it comes to a used one. This is why we will give you some basic tips to guide you in the process. The first things that should cross your mind is what type of motorcycle are you interested in. However, if experienced riders already know what they are looking for, the things get complicated when you look to buy your first two-wheeled vehicle.

This is only the beginning. If this sounds hard, wait until you hear all… (read more)

Porsche has brought a huge surprise to the Geneva Auto Show, as the carmaker has presented the 918 Spyder concept car.The 918 Spyder is a plug-in hybrid hypercar that deals with the first hundred in 3.2 seconds and reaches a top speed of 198 mph (320 km/h) while returning a fuel economy figure of 78 mpg (3l/100 km in the New European Driving Cycle) and emitting 70 grams of CO2/km.

The car is powered by a V8 gasoline engine offering in excess of 500 HP that revs up to 9,200 rpm, used in conju… (read more)

After presenting the Lotus Cosworth T127 Formula One car, an open wheeler powered by a Cosworth engine, British carmaker Lotus announced today it will expand the partnership with the engine maker to include "all motorsport activities which are based on Toyota powertrains." The first embodiment of this expanded partnership will be the V6 engine fitted in the Lotus Evora Cup racing car.

The ties between Lotus and Cosworth are, of course, already historical ones but our new strategic r… (read more)

Subaru booth at the 2010 Geneva Auto Show is quite impressive, but the model that dominates the entire display is actually the so-called Hybrid Tourer Concept, a vehicle that incorporates most of the company’s breakthrough technology.

The first eye-catchy things are surely the gull-wing doors that perfectly shows how roomy the car’s interior actually is. And speaking of interior, the first thing you’ll notice is the top of the dashboard which, as the manufacturer describes it, is movable up a… (read more)

The Audi A1 frenzy continued today in Geneva with the presentation of a new version of the recently released model, the A1 S Line. Packing a somewhat small, but punchy engine, this version of Audi’s smallest vehicle comes with visual enhancements as well.

The engine we mentioned is a 1.4-liter TFSI unit, which develops 122PS and 200Nm of torque. It is paired with a choice of two powerunits, either a 6-speed manual gearbox or the optional 7-speed S tronic twin-clutch transmission.

Thanks t… (read more)

Valmet Automotive has presented the Eva electric vehicle concept at the Geneva Auto Show, along with three other green vehicles, developed in collaboration with other green companies.

The Eva was born one year ago, when it was just an idea. The electric vehicle is destined for urban use, can accommodate 4 passengers, has a top speed of 120 km/h and offers a range of 160 km for each charge.

It uses an aluminum space frame and a direct drive motor. The communication between the car and its … (read more)

Chrysler is now owned by the Fiat Group, and the Italians intend to continue promoting the brand in Europe. So the American brand has quite a line-up for the Geneva Auto Show, which also includes the Chrysler PT Cruiser Couture Edition.

According to Chrysler, the new special edition model is supposed to exemplify the romance of American automotive heritage, styling and versatility that made PT Cruiser an instant hit.

The Couture Edition features a two tone paint job: its fenders and high b… (read more)

British luxury car manufacturer Bentley announced today it will expand FlexFuel capabilities across the entire Continental range, meaning the new Supersports Convertible and its W12 6.0L unit will also be able to use petrol, E85 bioethanol or any mix of the two fuels.

The announcement comes two years after the manufacturer officially stated at the 2008 Geneva Auto Show that Bentley will cut CO2 emission by 15 percent by 2012. The same plan calls for the creation of a new powertrain, some 40 … (read more)

Last week we reported that Tata Motors, the owner of Jaguar Land Rover, secured a 340 million pounds loan form the European Investment Bank, destined for the development of hybrid Jaguar and Land Rover cars.

Now that it has the financial resources to develop future electric and hybrid vehicles, Jaguar Land Rover introduces a recruiting campaign: the company plans to employ 50 engineers with experience in areas including electrical infotainment, software and hybrid engine technology. These wil… (read more)

Heikki Kovalainen insisted that the latest reports regarding his comment on the Lotus T127 in recent days were taken out of the context and, consequently, not very fair towards his new team Lotus F1 Racing.

Earlier this week, we had reported to you – via Finland’s Turun Sanomat – that Kovalainen admitted a poor level of performance for the T127 after the first 4 days of testing on Jerez and Barcelona. Asked to compare his new car to the one he used to drive for Minardi F1 some 6 years ago, in… (read more)

American manufacturer GM announced today somewhat of a large recall, with no less than 1.3 million Chevrolet and Pontiac vehicles to be send for repairs to the motor in the power steering system.

According to GM, the models affected by the recall are 2005-2010 Chevrolet Cobalt, 2007-2010 Pontiac G5, 2005-2006 Pontiac Pursuit (Canada) and 2005-2006 Pontiac G4 (Mexico).

The recall comes after the carmaker notified the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on Monday. The ma… (read more)

With Campos Grand Prix having suffered an ownership & management change a couple of weekends ago, it seems the very name of the team will be different. According to Spanish newspaper Diario AS, it seems the Spanish outfit will be renamed into Hispania Racing F1 Team before the start of the new season.

Jose Ramon Carabente, until a few weeks ago shareholder within Adrian Campos’ controlled team, decided to buy the majority stake in the organization and proceeded to a management change, appoint… (read more)

Kia has brought a green version of the Cee’d hatchback to the Geneva Auto Show, meant to be an ambassador for the brand’s EcoDynamics fuel-efficient line-up.

The car is based on the five-door version of the Cee’d and manages to return a CO2 emissions figure of 98 grams per kilometer. This can be translated into an 11 percent reduction in emissions, compared to the current cleanest model in the Cee’d range. The latter has a CO2 emissions figure of 110 grams/kilometer.

The EcoDynamics Cee’d… (read more)

The Geneva Auto Show has brought us a 300C eco style from Chrysler. Though you might think that the Americans have been cooking an all electric 300C of some sort, you’re dead wrong. The car manufacturer took another approach on the environmental awareness trend and used eco-friendly materials.

The list of the materials Chrysler used on the 300C eco style include cork, bamboo, recycled jute carpeting and suede seat inserts. The car also has refurbished wheels and a refined interior.

The 300… (read more)

The Geneva Auto Show gets more and more eco-friendly. Italdesign Giugiaro together with Malaysian manufacturer Proton introduced Emas, a family of low environmental impact cars that is supposed to revolutionise traditional segmentation in the car market.

We have created a family of models in different configurations but all offering the passenger room of a medium-category car while maintaining the exterior dimensions of a compact mini. The architecture has been designed in such a way as to a… (read more)

Following almost half of year of teasing and taunting what Nissan called until now "global compact car," the fourth generation Micra broke cover today in Geneva, with the promise of "setting new industry standards".

The new Micra which, according to Nissan, will be marketed in 160 countries, retains its compact dimensions, but is a bit longer and lower than the previous generation. The longer wheelbase allowed Nissan to gain interior space, by placing the wheels at each c… (read more)

The German tuner 9ff has developed a tuning program for the facelifted version of the Porsche 911 Turbo, turning the practical supercar into a violent monster.

9ff offers three technical modifications levels, thus enabling customers to choose between a subtle change, a refinement and a total rework of the Porsche 911’s engine.

The first stage, called DR530 offers a 30 HP premium, bringing the car’s output to 530 HP. These are assisted by 735 Nm of torque. The mods include new exhaust val… (read more)

Electric bike manufacturer Zero Motorcycles revealed its highly-anticipated 2010 product line of electric motorcycles during this year’s Daytona Bike Week. The entire line of models will be available for demo rides and viewing at the booth and demo course at the Cycle World International Motorcycle Show inside the Ocean Center.

The 2010 Zero model line upgrades includes the Z-Force Air Induction System on the S and DS models, a platform that allows the bikes to produce more horsepower from li… (read more)

The European CR-Z hybrid coupe is making its world debut in Geneva these days. Honda also took advantage of the event and announced UK pricing for the vehicle, available for ordering starting March 5, 2010. The world’s first sporty hybrid coupe, as the Japanese carmaker likes to call it, will be available in three equipment grades: S, Sport, and GT.

All grades will feature three driving modes, which allow the drivers to adapt the settings of the car to suit their needs, such as maximizing eco… (read more)

Besides the fact that he’s the President of Romania, Traian Basescu is a very lucky guy. Mostly because some of his wishes are quickly coming true, at least when it comes to the next car he’ll drive.

In other words, all the other Dacia fans (no pun intended) must stay in line because Traian Basescu will receive the first ever Dacia Duster SUV. And by that, we mean that the first unit that is rolled off the assembly lines will be handed over to Mr. Basescu, who’s already familiar to the feelin… (read more)