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Land Rover Range_e concept hybrid (2011)

By Mark Hamilton

First Official Pictures

18 February 2011 12:13

Land Rover will show off the new Range_e diesel-electric hybrid prototype for the first time at the 2011 Geneva motor show.

Haven't we seen the hybrid Range_e before?

Yes and no. CAR readers may be familiar with this modified Range Rover Sport, which was reported here in May 2010. However, this is the first time we've seen a working prototype of the Range_e in public; it presages a production hybrid due in 2013.

By mating Land Rover’s existing TDV6 diesel engine and upcoming ZF eight-speed automatic transmission with a plug-in parallel hybrid drive module, the Range_e boasts a most un-Land Rover-like CO2 rating of  89g/km. For comparison, a regular Range Sport TDV6 musters 243g/km of CO2, while the petrol-electric Porsche Cayenne S Hybrid manages 193g/km.

A pure EV mode in the Range_e offers a claimed 20 miles of zero-emissions motoring at speeds up to 70mph, allowing mums a quieter school-run and providing a handy rationalisation to use against eco-zealous guests at dinner parties. Top speed of the Range_e is 120mph, and Land Rover claim a rather rangey 690 miles between refuelling stops for the diesel-electric prototype.

Rolls-Royce 102EX concept car (2011)

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Rolls-Royce 102EX concept car (2011) first pictures

By Tim Pollard

First Official Pictures

20 February 2011 09:37

Rolls-Royce has confirmed it will show its first electric car at the 2011 Geneva motor show. The 102EX is the latest in a line of concept cars – EX stands for experimental – which history suggests should go on to influence production cars.

The Rolls-Royce 102EX is known internally as the Phantom Experimental Electric and is being used to judge reaction to a battery-powered Roller among owners clubs and media.

Engineers are using the pilot project to test the real-world range of a heavy electric Rolls-Royce, to judge the refinement of an EV drivetrain appropriate to a Rolls-Royce and to monitor the batteries’ performance in cold weather.

Rolls-Royce 102EX: the electric Rolls

CAR broke the story about Rolls preparing electric cars back in 2008. As part of the BMW empire, Rolls-Royce is planning alternative powertrains just as much as Mini is.

The two extremes of the BMW range might seem like chalk and cheese, but this joint approach makes sense. Your typical Rolls-Royce owner might not be quite as fussed by fuel prices as a Cooper owner, but their environmental conscience may be just as wholesome. It makes a lot of sense for a CEO or aristo not to flaunt consumption in these straitened times.

Rolls-Royce CEO speaks

‘We have engineered the world’s first battery electric vehicle for the ultra-luxury segment,’ said CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös. ‘With this vehicle, we begin an exploration into alternative drivetrains, seeking clarity on which alternative technologies may be suitable to drive Rolls-Royce motor cars of the future.’

This afternoon, parent firm BMW will make a further announcement on the future of its ‘Project i’ cars. The company is planning a sub-brand for its future electric vehicles, such as the Megacity Vehicle.

Maserati Gran Cabrio Sport (2011)

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Maserati Gran Cabrio Sport (2011): first pictures

By Mark Hamilton

First Official Pictures

21 February 2011 11:33

Another Geneva motor show, another Maserati variant. Maser has released details of the new Grancabrio Sport, a go-faster version of the 2009 Grancabrio drop-top GT.

Must be motor show season, then?

Too right! Maserati generally releases a subtly fettled new edition of existing models prior to major European motor shows, and with the 2011 Geneva motor show just a fortnight away... welcome to the Grancabrio Sport.

Maserati Grancabrio Sport: the lowdown

Maserati claims it's reduced fuel consumption by 6% over the standard 4.7-litre V8 by means of 'Maserati’s Friction Reduction Program', which also improves responsiveness of the engine. No further details of how this is actually achieved will be released ahead of Geneva, but power and torque are similar to the Granturismo MC Stradale (442bhp, 376lb/ft).

The Skyhook adaptive dampers and suspension have received another set of tweaks for sportier handling; the ZF six-speed automatic is upgraded to a variant of the MC Sport Auto software from the Quattroporte Sport GT S (a car not short of motor show refreshing itself).

Outside, there is some mild tweaking of the Grancabrio Sport's grille and headlights (now in black) and the front bumper and side-skirts.  And get this. There's a new shade of red too: Rosso Trionfale, said to be inspired by the national racing colours worn by the legendary Maserati 250F Formula 1 car of the 1950s. 

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BMW i: the new electric car sub-brand launched

By Mark Hamilton

First Official Pictures

21 February 2011 14:19

I spy something... beginning with i. That'll be the name for BMW's new sub-brand for its forthcoming electric vehicles (both pure EV and hybrid), announced today.

Think of i as BMW M - a sub brand for the internet-savvy, eco-conscious, city-dwelling new premium car buyer. BMW's new sub-brand was launched with a live-streaming web conference from the BMW Welt complex in Munich on 21 February 2011.

BMW i: the new BMW sub-brand

As with the M-cars that BMW traditionalists know and love, BMW i will produce i-cars.  If you're sensing a lawsuit from Apple's i-fixated management, then remember that BMW has previous form in this area, with the once-controversial i-drive multimedia interface system, introduced with the E65 7-series (think Bangled-bimmer Mk. 1) in 2002. 

The new sub-brand will feature a specific i logo, the new cut-out stylised letter i pictured here. There will be a blue graphic in place of the double-kidney grille, which is no longer required for airflow. It's telling that EVs will still - stylistically at least - hark back to the internal combustion age. 

Other brand identifiers? The BMW roundel features an additional blue ring around the perimeter to signify the i sub-brand. A halo for the new brand?

Meet the first BMW i-cars: BMW i3 and i8

The i3 is the name for the the production Mega City Vehicle, due in 2013. It's a small EV hatchback featuring the LifeDrive architechture.  Think aluminium chassis mated to a carbon-fibre passenger cell.  The use of lightweight materials is designed to mitigate the weight of battery packs in the alternative powertrains of the new i-cars. The i8 is a production sports car in the mould of the Vision Efficient Dynamics concept car, and features an evolution of that vehicle's hybrid powertrain. Both vehicles have been teased in concept sketches shown here. Design chief Adrian van Hooydonk introduced the new design philosophy, which emphasises aerodynamics, light weight and the new 'streamflow' c-pillar, as shown on the Vision EfficientDynamics concept.  But details remain literally sketchy until closer to the release of the vehicles.

BMW is investing 400 million Euros in its Leipzig plant to make it home of the i3 and i8 with 800 new jobs to be created as the plant ramps-up to the 2013 on-sale date. 

Skoda's Cheeky Print Ad on Automatic Ambient Lighting

This is one of those print adverts that you may not be sure what is being promoted upon a first glance but you'll definitely remember once you get it and start smiling.

The ad is for the European market Skoda Superb, a spacious mid-size saloon (available as an Estate as well) based on a stretched version of the VW Passat's platform, and it highlights the saloon's automatic ambient lighting positioned under the doors and exterior rear-view mirrors by showing a middle-age man wearing red heels and fence net stockings.

Here's what the ad reads:

Get in and out safely thanks to automatic ambient lighting.
Ambient lighting under the door and exterior rear-view mirror means you will never unexpectedly step into a muddy puddle in your best shoes. It is only one of the exceptional extras that make this Skoda limousine so unique. Like the fuel-efficient engine and green A-label. So your Superb is also remarkably clean.
And don’t be taken aback if people suddenly start watching you. An automobile with this level of luxury just naturally attracts attention. Particularly when it is available from prices starting at €24.990- The Skoda Superb, the limousine from Skoda.

Johnny Walker's Very, Very Long Promotional Audi Q7 Limousine

For some reason unknown to us, the Audi Q7 SUV has become an increasingly popular choice amongst stretch-limousine builders and promoters alike – especially after the demise of General Motors' Hummer brand.

You can find insanely stretched Q7s anywhere from the glamorous and glitzy Las Vegas Strip to the peaceful and scenic Greek coastal town of Nafpaktos, where these pictures were shot by Carscoop reader Christos P.

As you can see from the pictures, this particular Procrustean edition of Ingolstadt's flagship crossover is a promotional…vessel for the Johnny Walker whiskey brand.

Kudos to Chris P. for the shots!

PHOTO GALLERY

Colombian Police Turn Drug Trafficker's Seized Ferrari into a Patrol Car

The Colombian police authorities were recently confronted with this problem: what could they do with a low-mileage Ferrari 348 that was seized from a local drug lord and that no one wanted to buy?

Well, after some deep thought, they came up with a rather simple solution: turn the classic Ferrari into a patrol car painted in the Colombian national police's green and white colors, and tour the country before placing it permanently in a police museum.

The 1991 Ferrari model has only clocked around 1,200 miles (1,900 kilometers) and has been valued at US$250,000 by Colombian authorities.

The classic sports car was seized back in 2007 from Hernando Gomez Bustamante, also known as “Rasguno” or “Scratchy”, who is currently serving time in prison in the States for drug trafficking, money laundering and other crimes.

Up until recently, the vehicle was in the possession of Colombia's National Drug Office, or DNE, which was supposed to take care of seized assets from the illegal narcotics trade. But some 20 years after it was established, the government decided to shut down the division in September as…far too many drug assets were mysteriously disappearing, according to officials.

Authorities then went on to put the car for sale, but buyers stayed away, most likely due to fears of potential repercussions from drug traffickers related to Bustamante.

You can see more photos of the Ferrari 348 in Colombian Police colors over at Elcolombiano.

Story References: CBS News , Photo via Twitter/Zheva10