Lexus Releases LF-A Race Car Images Ahead of 24-hour Nürburgring Race

Lexus has finally released official photos of their LF-A prototype which will compete in the grueling 24-hour endurance race at Germany’s famous Nürburgring.

Although the company is keeping details a closely guarded secret, they did state that the 200+ mph supercar is powered by a 4.8 liter V10 engine which produces 500 bhp. The sleek carbon fiber LF-A prototype will be entered by Japan’s Gazoo Racing team and will be driven by a variety of professional race car drivers, Toyota engineers, and Lexus dealers.

This year’s 24 hours of Nürburgring is scheduled to run from May 21 to the 24.

2009 Land Rover LR2 HSE is naughty by nature

Land Rovers have always gone their own way – often literally. While off-roading demands a low center of gravity and muddy trails would seem to warrant hose-out interiors and body-on-frame-construction, the British automaker has long contented itself building tippy-looking unibody boxes with tall greenhouses and opulent cabins – the anti-Humvee, as it were. Further, in recent iterations, they’ve packed their products with immense electronic systems, air suspensions, dial-a-topography Terrain Response controller, and so on… the very sort of complexity that ought to be enough to send English sports car enthusiasts running back to their therapists’ offices.

And yet, the formula has always worked – vehicles like the Range Rover and Discovery (now LR3) have somehow managed to earn both Kalahari-traversing credentials and valet stand privileges. Other companies have attempted the leather-lined off-roader thing before (Lamborghini, Lexus, Hummer, Porsche, and LaForza come to mind), but while some have added the trappings of luxury to their SUVs, exactly no one has been as successful in marrying their vehicles to the notion of aristocracy – the sort of “Lord and Master of All That I Survey” quality that has remained Solihull’s historic preserve. In short, Land Rovers have always been a gloriously and uniquely British contradiction on wheels – a fact that goes some way toward explaining why your author remains more than a little conflicted when it comes to this LR2.

First Drive: 2010 Buick Regal

How’s this for culture shock? I’m driving a German-designed Buick alongside a Korean-designed Chevy through the streets of a Chinese city. Welcome to the future of General Motors. GM plans to double its sales in China over the next five years, to two million units. “China remains the centerpiece of our global growth strategy,” GM Asia-Pacific boss Nick Reilly said at the Shanghai show, where the GM stand featured 37 models, including the German-designed Buick and Korean-designed Chevy.

The Buick is the 2010 Regal. It’s an old American nameplate for a brand-new car — a rebadged version of the Opel Insignia, a stylish Fusion-size sedan that’s selling to critical acclaim in Europe, having recently been voted 2009 Car of the Year there by a jury of 59 European auto writers. The Opel-based 2010 Regal replaces the old W-body model that has been sold in China since 2003. Like its predecessor, it’s built in China by Shanghai-GM, the joint venture company operated by General Motors and Chinese automaker SAIC. GM is currently selling 5000 new Regals a month in China. (Here’s a startling contrast: Buick hasn’t sold 5000 a month of anything in the U.S. for some time.)

OnStar’s introduces injury prediction technology similar to BMW’s

A few months back, BMW announced that the BMW Assist technology will add a “Risk of Severe Injury” algorithm to the existing Automatic Collision Notification service. The purpose of this system was to show a more accurate picture for its first-responders when they get to the accident scene. BMW jointly developed the algorithm with the William Lehman Injury Research Center in Miami to better predict the likelihood of severe injury to the car’s occupants in a crash.

Just a few days ago, GM announced a similar technology being integrated into their OnStar system. By introducing the Risk of Severe Injury algorithm on all 2009 models (excluding X3), BMW and the William Lehman Injury Research Center intended to influence the industry, and this announcement is clear evidence of success. The industry is now beginning to try to convince the CDC to update protocols for using injury prediction at Public Safety Answering Points (911 centers). Such widespread adoption & development are the bases on which we repeatedly state that this technology will save thousands of lives. We hope you can see why BMW is so passionate about getting this technology implemented.

To quote Mr. Peter Baur, Manager of Product Analysis, “With [this development, OnStar is] raising their ability in respect to ACN to the level of BMW’s enhanced ACN. They announced using an injury prediction based on the CDC expert panel’s recommendation, which basically adopted the BMW/WLIRC Urgency approach. Together we now have hopefully enough vehicles with eACN ability on the road to influence the handling at the PSAPS and EMS based on injury prediction. GM claims to have 4 Million vehicles on the road which are able to transmit crash severity, the basis for injury prediction. Now it is important to coordinate with CDC and OnStar the thresholds and the way the injury prediction information is transmitted.”

All these technologies will increase the chances of anyone in a car accident and we would love to see other auto manufacturers following the same path, in the end, savings lives is what everyone wants, regardless of the car brand.

Download OnStar Press Release

2009 Toyota Camry Hybrid becomes first hybrid to pace NASCAR Sprit Cupe Series

A 2009 Toyota Camry Hybrid will make history tomorrow at the Coca-Cola 600 becoming the first hybrid to pace a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series from start to finish. Of course, before NASCAR threw the 187-hp Camry Hybrid on the track, the hybrid had to go through some performance tests for the 600-mile race.

Toyota says that the Toyota Camry Hybrid Pace Car will be given away in a contest sponsored by Coca-Cola. So if you find a golden Coca-Cola can in one of the 6 million specially market 12-packs of Coca-Cola Classic in the southeast U.S., you will win the Toyota Camry Hybrid.

Toyota questions price and durability of plug-in hybrids

Even though as President Barack Obama pitches for 1 million plug-in hybrid electric vehicles on U.S. roads by 2015, Toyota says that consumer demand for such vehicles is limited by the price, recharge time and battery durability.

Toyota estimates that plug-in hybrids may account for 50,000 units a year and could be as little as 3,500. The manufacturer of the Toyota Prius sold 159,000 units of its gasoline-hybrid electric-vehicles last year.

Two months ago, President Barack Obama promoted a $2 billion battery research program that was included in his economic stimulus plan. During his campaign, Obama pledged to have 1 million plug-in hybrid EVs on the road by 2015. The Department of Energy said earlier this month that it plans to begin awarding a portion of $25 billion in low-cost loans to companies that produce plug-in hybrids in U.S. facilities.

Toyota has yet to announce any firm plans on plug-in hybrids for its lineup. Honda has confirmed that it is studying plug-in hybrids but has no plans for consumer sales. Both Japanese automakers say that plug-in hybrid technology adds at least $5,000 to $10,000 to a vehicle’s sale price.

Toyota is preparing to deploy over 500 new generation PHVs in Europe, Japan and the U.S. by 2010.

- By: Kap Shah

Source: Bloomberg