Hasta La Gadget!

Hyundai has unveiled a new concept car at the 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show. The car is called the Veloster C3 Concept and it’s sort of a convertible. I say it’s sort of a convertible because it maintains its fixed roofline and only the center section of the car’s roof opens in a manner similar to what Fiat does with the new 500 Abarth Cabriolet.

One of the more interesting aspects of the cars semi-convertible manner is that it also has a tailgate in the back allowing you to carry bulkier items if you push the convertible top forward. As you can see in the photograph, the car is carrying a similarly colored bicycle in the trunk area. Hyundai calls this particular open tailgate set up recreation mode.

The concept car features a special white paint job, minty green wheels in the back, black wheels in the front, and red touches. The floor the vehicle is covered in a mosaic of old skateboard decks. The engine the concept car is the 1.6-liter turbocharged GDI four-cylinder producing 201 hp.

I can’t say that I’m exactly the target market for the Veloster, but in general, I like the design of the car. I’m definitely not feeling the different colored wheels on this concept or the red interior matched with the colors on the outside of the car. There is no indication at this time if Hyundai will produce a version of the Veloster with this sort of convertible top.

[via Motoward]

Hyundai shows off Veloster C3 concept is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Sports car maker Porsche was on hand at the 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show and took the opportunity to make the world premiere of the new 2013 Cayman. The 2013 Cayman represents the third-generation of the car and Porsche promises it’s completely new. The 2013 model is lower, longer, lighter, and faster according to Porsche.

Porsche also promises that the new Cayman is also more efficient and more powerful than ever. Porsche says that the new Cayman is up to 30 kg lighter than the previous model depending on the specific version and how it’s equipped. Porsche also notes that the new Cayman uses 15% less fuel per 100 km and the outgoing version of the Cayman.

Porsche stuck to the formula that has made the Cayman successful with the 2013 being a two-seat mid-engine sports car available as a standard Cayman and the more powerful Cayman S. The base Cayman uses a 2.7-liter flat six-cylinder engine producing 275 HP. The base Cayman is able to hit 100 KMH in 5.4 seconds with a top speed of 266 KMH.

The high-end Cayman S has a larger 3.4-liter flat-six engine producing 325 hp. This version is capable of reaching 100 KMH in 4.7 seconds when properly equipped and boasts a top speed of 283 KMH. The newly designed Cayman also has new optional features available for the first time including adaptive cruise control. Another first-time feature is an optional Burmester sound system. The Cayman also gets a new optional keyless Entry & Drive system. Pricing and availability is unknown at this time.

Porsche unveils 2013 Cayman in LA is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Cool small carmaker Fiat has unveiled the new 2013 Fiat 500 Abarth Cabrio. Fiat says that little turbocharged car is track capable and has a clever open top design offering high-performance four passenger fun. The car promises the most interior space, rear seat legroom, and shoulder room among key competitors in a segment.

The little car uses a turbocharged 1.4-liter MultiAir engine producing 160 hp and 170 pound-foot of torque. The engine is mated to a five-speed manual transmission. The little car has special Abarth-tuned performance hardware and has a lowered ride height, beefier suspension, larger brakes, and wider tires the normal Fiat 500.

The soft top on the new Cabrio is power operated and retracts up to the rear spoiler at speeds of up to 60 mph. While the vehicle is traveling up to 50 mph the roof can be neatly folded all the way open tucking behind the rear head restraints. A middle position that retracts the top above the front passengers can be activated at any time regardless of speed.

Fiat says that the turbo used in the engine spins up to 230,000 RPMs and produces a maximum of 18 PSI of boost. The turbocharger system uses two intercoolers located behind the driver and passenger side air inlets of the special front fascia. The car also features a special fresh air intake system and has a 3.35 final drive ratio. Pricing and availability on the Fiat 500 Abarth Cabrio is unknown.

2013 Fiat 500 Abarth Cabrio unveiled is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

U-Boat Worx, a Dutch manufacturer of submarines, has released its “subsea limousine,” the C-Explorer 5. This nifty underwater vehicle, aside from looking like something out of countless science fiction movies, can seat four and is aimed at the affluent end of the market. It was unveiled at the Monaco Yacht Show in September, and is now available for about $2.4 million.

The CE5 is targeted at resorts and well-off citizens who have always wanted to take a stroll under the water. It’s a pressurized vessel constructed of steel and acrylic capable of descending up to 1,000 feet into the murky depths of whatever body of water you happen to be closest to. It can hit speeds up to 3 knots, which is about 3.5mph.

Like many smartphones, the vessel’s battery life comes in at around 8 hours of operation, with an optional upgrade to 16 hours for those concerned about running out of power in the middle of a watery nowhere. Should something go awry, the CE5 can support its crew for 96 hours. The batteries are high-capacity lithium-ion.

Steering is achieved via dual-2kWh thrusters and an options dual-1.2kWh thrusters for side-to-side movement. For the average sojourner, however, it’s the CE5′s interior that is likely to be most impressive. You’ll find LED lighting and air-conditioning rounded out with a pleasant design and round pod-like window. The CE5 offers a remote-controlled device that’s tethered to the vessel for exploration, as well as an external arm, and HD camcorder, and sonar.

[via Gizmag]

U-Boat Worx unveils underwater limousine is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

BMW has taken the wraps off of its latest eco-friendly car design, the BMW i3 Concept Coupe, with an innovative carbon fiber cabin, clever inter-car communications system, and smartphone connectivity. Debuted at the LA Auto Show this week, the i3 Concept Coupe follows BMW’s LifeDrive ethos, packaging a carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) passenger cell – lighter than steel, but stronger – on top of a 170HP electric motor slice with li-ion batteries.

The Drive section – shared with the previous BMW i3 Concept – is made primarily of aluminum, again to keep it light and strong, while the modularity of the system would allow BWM greater flexibility in how future EVs are pieced together to target different market segments. For the i3 Concept Coupe, it’s a case of a distinctive “layered” sports design, with some of the CFRP left untouched by the custom Solar Orange paint so that its high-gloss grain is visible.

That’s not to say the aesthetic is solely intended for visual appeal. The front apron’s complex venting creates an “air curtain” which pushes air around the wheel arches, while the rear apron has a diffuser to tweak the rear air flow. CFRP’s inherent strength means no B-pillar is required for structural purposes, so the two rear seats are more easily accessed; the scalloped shoulder line also maximizes light in the back. While the 20-inch wheels are on the large side, they’re narrow and fitted with low-resistance tires.

Inside, it’s a mixture of leather, wool, wood, and other renewable materials, with an electronic gearshift and twin displays mounted across a swathe of eucalyptus wood (sourced from sustainably managed European forests, naturally). BMW’s iDrive system is in the center panel between the front seats, but the space between the dash and where the transmission tunnel would normally be found is left empty. That makes the whole cabin feel more spacious, BMW says, but also allows for easier exiting the car on either side.

Since it’s the future of mobility we’re talking about, there’s no shortage of technology packed into the i3 Concept Coupe. A 6.5-inch screen above the wheel serves instrument binnacle duties, while a second, 8.8-inch panel in the middle is dedicated to BMW i ConnectedDrive: it can show infotainment, navigation, pull contacts, messages, and schedules from a wirelessly tethered smartphone, mixing that data together so that the system can make suggestions as to where and when to recharge the EV based on where the driver needs to go and the predicted range.

That range can be achieved in one of three modes – Comfort, Eco Pro, and Eco Pro+ – which temper the enthusiasm of the electric motors and how fulsome the HVAC system blows, heats, and cools depending on how much driving you need to squeeze from a full charge. BMW claims Eco Pro achieves up to 20-percent greater range than Comfort, while Eco Pro+ – which also limits top speed to 56mph – extends it even further. A roughly 100 mile range is expected in standard conditions, and the center display can show estimated range in each mode using a set of concentric circles (as in the above shot).

Meanwhile, a dedicated modem means the i ConnectedDrive system can get real-time traffic data from the BMW servers, and can map out the most efficient route or the fastest route to the driver’s destination. If a driving mode change is required, it can prompt that too, and remote reservation of charging station is also supported. BMW has created iOS and Android apps which will handle remote control and monitoring of charging, as well as setting navigation details, and how to complete the last stage of a journey on foot or by public transportation.

As for when you might be able to park a BMW EV like the i3 Concept Coupe on your drive, the release schedule still is pretty uncertain. “The study presented at the 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show has been brought out in parallel to the ongoing development process for getting the first ever all-electric model from the BMW i brand ready for series production,” BMW says of the new concept, “and demonstrates the potential for conceivably extending the model range.”

BMW i3 Concept Coupe ditches steel for intelligent EV is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.