12/15/2007

2009 Honda FCX Clarity

Latest Car News : One Day One Car, One Page, One News, Different Views, Various Sources - One Paragraph Each
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2009 Honda FCX Clarity : Specifications & Features
Base price: Three-year lease, $600/month
Engine: Fuel cell and 288-volt lithium battery, 134 hp/189 lb-ft
Transmission: Direct-drive electric motor, front-wheel drive
Length x width x height: 190.3 x 72.7 x 57.8 in
Wheelbase: 110.2 in
Curb weight: 3582 lb
Fuel economy (EPA city/hwy): 68 mpg combined EPA cycle (est.)
Major standard features: Power windows/locks/mirrors; AM/FM/CD/XM/MP3 audio system with iPod input and steering wheel-mounted audio controls; dual-zone climate control; remote keyless entry; tilt/telescope steering wheel; alloy wheels; voice-operated navigation; active (radar-guided) cruise control
Safety features: Anti-lock brakes, traction and stability control; dual front, side and curtain airbags; tire pressure monitors
Warranty: All maintenance provided during three-year lease
source: thecarconnection.com
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First Drive: 2009 Honda FCX Clarity on the road
The electric motor only puts out 136 hp but the 189 lb-ft torque is available instantly when you press the go pedal. When the demand for forward momentum exceeds the output of the fuel cell, a lithium ion battery mounted under the rear seat provides extra electrons to the get the motor spinning faster. The single-speed transmission mounted co-axially with the motor also means no shifts to interrupt the flow of acceleration. Pressing the pedal on the left brings plenty of negative acceleration. The pedal feel is firm and the brakes modulate easily. The electronic braking controls seamlessly blend friction and regenerative braking.
source: autobloggreen.com
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Honda will lease the FCX Clarity from three dealers in Southern California
Honda has announced a few more details about the whos and wheres of the FCX Clarity launch that is due to kick off next summer. We already knew that lessees would pay $600 a month for the car, which covers all maintenance costs and collision insurance; fuel is extra. Honda told Automotive News that about 50 people have told Honda that they'd like to be among the few who get to lease an FCX Clarity. Honda also said that three Honda dealers, in or near the cities of Santa Monica, Irvine and Torrance in Southern California, will be the places to get an FCX Clarity. If you're interested in adding your name to the 50, you can do so at the official FCX Clarity site.
source: autoblog.com
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First Drive: 2009 Honda FCX Clarity
And you got it right: This thing is no concept, no prototype. It's a finished automobile (and a beautifully finished one at that) that'll be available for three-year leases in Southern California for $600 per month. The lease amount doesn't reflect the car's production cost, of course; instead, it's meant to filter the applicant list to the car's eventual audience -- specifically, households earning $150,000 per year, with presumably well-educated occupants. Combined with its co-axial and compact motor/gearbox up front, lithium battery pack under the rear seat, and single, 5000psi storage tank behind the rear passengers, the Clarity is brilliantly laid out. Interior space is generous, particularly its rear passenger legroom, and trunk volume is commendable. From a stop, the lithium batteries offer an initial energy surge to bridge the power gap as the fuel cell awakens from it "Auto Stop" hibernation, and, during braking, the batteries are replenished just as with a familiar hybrid car. While cruising, the Clarity is eerily silent. A few whines, maybe, but there's not even much aerodynamic noise.
source: motortrend.com
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2009 Honda FCX Clarity Road Test
The FCX is a futuristic jellybean, first impressions suggesting a cross between the new Honda Accord and the Prius. Toss in a dash of the Honda CR-Z concept vehicle that debuted in Tokyo, last month - at least the show car's split rear glass, which folds over into the tailgate. If we had any complaint, surprisingly, it was rear visibility, despite the sedan's expanse of glass. Inside, the compact FCX would likely qualify as a full-size four-door; even with the driver's seat set to handle my 6'2" frame, there was plenty of legroom in the back. The sedan's instrument panel vaguely resembles that of the new Accord, with its stairstep layout. There's a huge, high-res LCD for the built-in navigation system, or to display the complex power system at work underneath. The instrument panel centers around a flashing, multi-color cluster that looks a lot like Tokyo at night, and can be nearly as distracting, as you struggle to understand what the various fluorescent readouts signify.
source: thecarconnection.com
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11/26/2007

2008 MERCEDES-BENZ C63 AMG



What it is: A high-performance version of the recently introduced C-class with a large V-8 stuffed under the hood.

Why it's important:it will be the most affordable car in mercedes-Benz's extensive AMG lineup of performance vehicles.
Powertrain:Likely to get the same 475-hp, 6.2-liter V-8 and seven-speed automatic you'll find in the CLK 63 AMG convertible.
Competition:Audi RS4,BMW M3, Cadillac CTS-V,jaguar S-type R.
What might go wrong: Mercedes will probably make the stability control undefeatble,and the C64 AMG just might understeer liks its forebear.
Estimated costs and arrival:Look for the C63 AMG this fall at the Frankfurt auto-show-it could go on sale soon after,in the $60,000 ballpark.

11/21/2007

2011 AUDI A7


What it is:Audi new four-door will slot into the lineup between the A6 and A8.
Why it's important:The very elegant A7 is designed to compete with the Mercedes-Benz CLS.
Platform:It's based on the next generation Audi A6,which will have its longitudinally mounted engine set farther back to improve weight distribution.
Powetrain:The A7 will shareits engines with the upcoming A6.That means a 3.2-liter naturally aspired direct-injection V-6 with at least 265 horsepower and a new turbocharged 3.0-liter powerplant making 300 horsepower.Later,as S7 is planned with a 5.2 V-10 FSI engine and 460 horses.A six-speed automatic as well as the DSG will mate with Audi;s Quatttro system.
Competition:BMW6-series,Mercedes-Benz CLS-class.
What might go wrong:The four-door "coupe" segment is growing rapidly,so by the time the A7 arrives,it could face heady competition.Even the upcoming VW Passat four-door coupe might eat into sales of the A7.
Estimated arrival and costs:The A7s first auto show will be Frankfurt in the fall of 2009.It should go on sale in 2010 as a 2011 model,costing between $50,000 and $65,000.

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