Mercedes-Benz loads new features into new E-Class

As luxury automakers vie to roll out the most breakthrough features, Mercedes-Benz may have found one of the most obscure yet for the new E-Class midsize sedan: protecting passengers' hearing in the event of a crash. The audio system even emits a carefully designed sound when a collision is imminent to cause occupants' eardrums to tense, reducing the likelihood of ear injury from the noise of a collision.

CES and Auto Industry Development

During CES 2015, we saw implementations of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto from Hyundai, and Audi's Virtual Cockpit interface in its new Q7 SUV, both technologies coming out now. We also saw self-driving car technologies from Nvidia, Mercedes-Benz, Audi and BMW, among others. Those won't hit the road for at least a few years.

Volkswagen Electric e-Golf Car Review

The German car company brought a fleet of the sporty e-Golf battery electric vehicles to the Los Angles Auto Show, eagerly throwing the keys to anyone willing to take a test drive.

The car is worth promoting. The VW e-Golf is a spirited runabout that deserves its place in the popular Golf family. In going electric, it makes almost no compromises in terms of performance, comfort or cargo space. It looks like a Golf, and it runs like a Golf. And like most battery electric vehicles, it costs too much, takes too long to recharge, and has too little range.

Japan is building a “Robot Taxi” for the 2020 Olympics

Japan is planning to use the 2020 Tokyo Olympics as an opportunity to show the world it’s still a tech leader. One of those efforts—if the technology and regulatory clearances shape out—could be an autonomous, self-driving taxi service, currently in development.

Tokyo-based Robot Taxi (link in Japanese) is still on track to start field tests of its driver-less taxi service in one region of Japan by the end of next March, CEO Hiroshi Nakajima revealed earlier this month.

The company, a joint venture between DeNA (one of Japan’s mobile internet pioneers) and ZMP (a robotics firm; tagline “Robot of Everything”) is not building its own cars from scratch. Instead, it’s focusing on adding driverless capabilities to existing cars and designing, creating, and marketing the taxi service.

Review: Ducati charming Scrambler retro bike

Motor Bike lovers have been well aware of the Scrambler’s impending release for the last six months. Ducati marketed the bike in a similar way to how Apple markets their iPhones – plenty of hype and secrecy until the big reveal.

That’s no coincidence as Ducati has squarely aimed this machine at Gen Y and Millennials who fall into that iPhone using, plaid wearing, skinny decaf latte drinking demographic. The Ducati Scrambler is about image primarily with functionality coming second.

Tesla’s Model X electric SUV Review

According to Elon Musk. CEO of Tesla Motors, much awaited electric sports utility vehicle is due to finally reach customers, starting in September.

The Model X was originally unveiled in 2012 along the first deliveries of the Model S sedan and was expected to go into production in 2013.

Musk announced two subsequent delays as the company struggled to meet demand for the Model S and the motoring company’s expansion plans.

BMW begins tests of fuel-cell car developed with Toyota

BMW will test a vehicle powered by hydrogen fuel cells -- developed with Toyota -- for the first time on public roads this month as the German automaker looks to expand clean-car offerings after rolling out the battery-powered i3 in 2013.

The company plans “a technically mature, customer-ready vehicle some time after 2020,” Matthias Klietz, head of powertrain research, told journalists at BMW’s test track here. “By around 2025 to 2030, we expect fuel cell cars to have an established presence, but there are challenges that remain, like building the refueling infrastructure.”

British cars Americans love to drive

Despite having declared their independence from the Crown some 239 years ago, America retains a “special” relationship with England.

The Germans may marvel us with refinement and technological superiority, the Italians may liquefy our faces and hearts with unbridled passion, the Americans may slay us with affable and affordable horsepower.

But the Britishers are the erudite choice for the cog cognoscenti: those who crave an alchemical combination of luxury, performance, exclusivity, and personality.

Volvo is Making Cars more safer for Kids

When the car-safety nerds at Volvo think about it, they come up with a safer way for the most vulnerable beings in our world—our kids—to travel by car. As an alternative to strapping babies and small children into add-on seats in the back of the car (where we can’t even see them without some jerry-rigged mirror), Volvo’s designers have come up with the Excellence Child Seat Concept.

Just unveiled in Sweden, it rethinks the interior of the car around everyone—baby, child, and adult—who rides in it.

Kawasaki H2R hits 206 mph at Isle of Man

The Isle of Man's Snaefell Mountain Course is the most dangerous track in the world to race a motorcycle, claiming the lives of hundreds of riders over the years.

Depending on your outlook, that makes the feat recently attained by Kawasaki rider James Hillier either incredibly brave or utterly crazy. For what was called a parade lap, Hillier climbed aboard a new Kawasaki Ninja H2R and took it to a GPS-verified 206 miles per hour down the Sulby straight, a new top-speed record on the island.

New Batmobile is a monster

The latest model of the iconic Batmobile isn’t the same car your dad grew up with.

The newest version of the legendary car was unveiled in Las Vegas and it’s an intimidating, military-looking monster.

“This one is like on steroids, it’s cool,” said Batman fan, Reggie Watkins.

Honda unveils $184,000 motorcycle

Exotic cars finally have some real competition in the toys for rich girls and boys department.

Honda has introduced a street-legal racing bike that goes on sale in July for the eye-popping price of $184,000.

The RC213V-S is based on Honda’s MotoGP championship winning motorcycle, and the two are so similar that Honda says they share about 80 percent of their parts.

Google Driverless Car to hit public roads this summer

The Californian search giant Google claims its latest vehicle is the first to be built from scratch for the purpose of self-driving. The latest version of pod car,  that needs no gas pedal or steering wheel — will make its debut on public roads this summer.

Google claims the two-seater can drive, brake and identify road hazards without intervention or prompt from a human driver. The latest prototype boasts far more capabilities than the earlier model Google introduced last May, which was so rudimentary it had fake headlights.

Mazzanti Evantra Ultra Luxurious Supercar

Italian boutique automaker Mazzanti Automobili specializes in producing high performance cars that are hand-built-to-order for their wealthy clientage. In 2011, the company revealed their Evantra project — a mid-engine coupe, designed to be produced in a limited quantity and to be highly customizable.

While the car went into production last year, the company is still revealing new specs for future models to entice prospective buyers and tease the rest of us.

Smart Shrinking Car drives sideways to park in small spaces

A team of German engineers have come up with an ingenious solution of low parking spaces  -- a "flexible" electric vehicle capable of shrinking, driving sideways (think like a crab) and turning on a dime.

The EO Smart Connecting Car 2 is an innovative design from DFKI Robotics Innovation Center, based in Bremen, Germany, where a team of software developers and designers, as well as electronics and construction engineers, have been refining the smart micro car project for the last three years.

Daimler unveiled first autonomous truck licensed to drive on public roads

Almost 80 years after its official opening, the famous Hoover Dam was the setting for the World Premiere of the Freightliner Inspiration Truck on May 5th, 2015. In July 2014 Daimler Trucks provided the world's first demonstration of an autonomous truck in action when the Mercedes-Benz Future Truck 2025 drove along a cordoned-off section of an autobahn.

The Inspiration Truck is now the next milestone on the road to series production of the Highway Pilot system. In the field of commercial vehicles, the Highway Pilot system is the only one in the world to feature the kind of sensor and camera technology that makes operation of the Freightliner Inspiration Truck possible – from initial acceleration to the speed limit for trucks.

You Can Buy A BMW i3 Electric Car On Amazon Japan

You can pretty much buy anything on Amazon and now on Amazon Japan you will be able to get your hands on an electric vehicle, the BMW i3. Amazon Japan will be selling the BMW i3 electric vehicle and you can either choose to buy the car outright or lease it.

It looks like buying the car through Amazon Japan is a little more complicated that buying regular products though. Once you have added the car to your shopping cart, you will then be contacted by BMW, who will ask for a number of documents from you.

 

BMW are apparently offering their I3 EV through Amazon Japan in the hopes that they can reach a wider audience and can appeal to customers who don’t have time to pop into the showroom to buy a car.  

Hyundai Reveals E4U An Egg Shape Vehicle

Hyundai is now getting into the act with its “E4U” personal mobility vehicle concept that was spied at the Seoul Motor Show last week by Nikkei Tech-On.

Hyundai’s egg-shaped vehicle sets itself apart by sitting atop a horizontally spinning semi sphere that is used for propulsion instead of wheels.

The driver stands on a small platform and directs the vehicle by tilting it so that different sides of the semisphere contact the ground.

FERRARI FF New Model of 2015

Unlike its relative competitors, Ferrari hasn't simply added a supercar engine to a grand toured or supercar kit to a luxury coupe; it’s literally reshaped what a four-wheel drive GT can look and act like.

Ferrari has nestled its 6.0-liter V12 engine, which produces 650 horsepower and 503 pound-feet of torque, which is mated to a seven-speed F1 transmission, much like the 458 Spider. 0 to 60 is surpassed in around 3.6 seconds on its way to the 208 mph top speed.

Raht Racer: 3 Wheeler with Pedal runs 50 mile per hour

Those who like to commute to work by bicycle, but are looking for similar benefits offered by an automobile, there may be a solution for you, RAHT Racer; Recumbent-Automotive-Human-Transport.

It takes pedal power to a whole new level.  RAHT Racer is a three-wheeled, fully enclosed, weatherproof vehicle, complete with roll cage, suspension, seat belts, air bags, headlights and trunk space.

Where the RAHT racer differs from most other alternative energy vehicles, is the rider provides pedal power, which is converted to electrical energy via the vehicle’s patent pending hybrid flywheel generator technology.