Archive for the 'Personal vehicles' Category
Is it a car? Is it a helicopter? Actually it’s both. A futuristic dream becoming reality! The first flying automobile, equally at home in the sky or on the road – meet the gyrocopter PAL-V Europe NV. “Driving and flying will be combined in one vehicle that could cost little more than an executive saloon car.”
Experts have designed the world’s first practical flying car aimed at frustrated commuters – and it looks like a Reliant Robin.
The bizarre three-wheeled vehicle promises relief to motorists stuck in traffic jams by turning into an aircraft capable of soaring up to 4,000ft above congested roads. With a top speed of 125mph on land, the Personal Air and Land Vehicle, or PAL-V, corners like a motorbike by automatically tilting as it negotiates each bend. But hidden in its roof and rear are a foldable rotor, propeller and tail section which allow it to take off and fly at speeds up to 120mph.
Its comical appearance betrays its rapid acceleration from 0 to 60 in just 5 seconds – a far cry from Del Boy Trotter’s yellow Robin Reliant in Only Fools and Horses. Its inventors believe that when the the one-seater cars go on sale to the public, they would cost little more than an executive saloon car. When airborne, the PAL-V is similar to the tiny autogyro aircraft Sean Connery flew in the 1967 James Bond movie ‘You Only Live Twice’.
The PAL-V Europe NV’s design includes a rotor on the roof to lift it through the air, and a propeller at the rear to provide forward thrust.
To fly the PAL-V you need a recreational pilot’s licence, which takes between 10 and 20 hours training to obtain, while a normal driver’s licence covers you for use on the road.
If you secretly nurtured a dream of owning a flying car, the good news is your dream can be a reality by 2011.
Terrafugia, a start-up created by Lemelson-MIT Student Prize winner Carl Dietrich and colleagues at MIT’s Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, is aiming to show off what it calls the Transition “personal air vehicle,” a vehicle resembling an SUV with retractable wings, to the EAA AirVenture Conference in Oshkosh, Wis., at the end of July 2009.
TMIT students, from Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, have successfully flight tested the prototype of a winged car for the first time. This car took off from a runway in Plattsburgh, New York. It flew for 37 seconds. The engine used in this whole exercise was 100 hp Rotax engine that gets 30 mpg on the highway using regular unleaded gasoline.
Nissan Motor Company has unveiled an original personal city electro vehicle – the Land Glider Concept. It is characterized by the ability to lean in corners, combined with a 1+1 seating layout. It has width of just 1.1 meters. The powertrain adopts 2 electric motors.
“The exterior incorporates a soft, sleek-looking body that appears to be protected by a special armor,” explains Takashi Nakajima, Nissan’s Project Design Director. “And while it is very mechanical in its nature, the four-wheeler boasts a dynamic body design that almost seems alive. As part of Nissan’s expanding zero emission family, the Nissan Land Glider Concept exudes a clean, friendly attitude.”
Technical Specifications
- Length: 3,100 mm;
- Width: 1,100 mm;
- Height: 1,415 mm;
- Wheelbase: 2,180 mm;
- Seating Capacity: 2 seats.
Honda has unveiled at the Los Angeles Auto Show this week a three seat concept car Honda P-NUT (Personal-Neo Urban Transport) Concept.
Honda P-NUT, according to representatives of the Japanese company, demonstrates the vision of designers that might look like ultra-compact city vehicle in 10-15 years.
Honda says the P-NUT is ready for one of three possible powertrains: an efficient gas engine, a gas-electric hybrid, or a pure electric set up.
The central driving position will be flanked by two rear seats and has been built to provide ample legroom. All of 11.2 x 5.7 x 4.6 feet size, it has its rear seats with a foldable option in case you need more storage space. Honda says legroom for all occupants is the equivalent of a mid-sized sedan.
Global Competition “World Car of the Year” (WCOTY) is remarkable in that predict the results quite difficult. But the jury of professional automotive journalists are so diverse and represents so many different regions, that some national and regional peculiarities and predilections don’t play a significant role in the final selection. The winner will have to please everyone.
The jury assessed each model in terms of technical innovation, cost, safety, environmental friendliness, as well as the emotional component. From this list, the world’s best recognized Honored model VW Golf next generation, the representatives of the jury also impressed with layout of a compact Toyota iQ and a fresh perspective on the world car of the new Ford Fiesta. The final choice of a “World Car of the Year” is made of the trio. Throughout the short history of the competition WORLD CAR OF THE YEAR even one brand could not win it twice. The tradition is continued in 2009.
WORLD CAR OF THE YEAR is so good because it is not tied to a specific region. The jury of the competition includes 59 automotive journalists from different countries up to Mexico to South Africa. Have the greatest representation of the country with a developed automobile industry and automobile market: ten Americans, six Japanese, five Germans, five Chinese.
The new Jaguar XJ is a beautiful car with an exterior made entirely of aluminum, giving it slightly better gas mileage and aerodynamics, according to Jaguar. The XJ8 features an luxurious interior, but trails the leaders in the luxury class.
The vehicle itself is a massive departure from previous generations, which in essence changed little in style terms over 30 years. But it gained more modern lines conceived under the supervision of Jaguar design chief Ian Callum.
The Jaguar XJ is built on a light and strong all-aluminum structure. Two engine options are available: a 300-hp 4.2-liter V8, or a 400-hp 4.2-liter supercharged V8. Both engines send power through a six-speed automatic transmission. An adjustable air suspension is responsible for the XJ’s impressive road handling abilities and luxurious ride. Safety features part include advance dual front airbags, side curtain airbags, and front side-impact airbags. Anti-lock brakes, traction control, and auto electronic stability control are standard.
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has announced at the Shanghai auto show its new car called the Ghost (once known as the 200EX/RR4 concept).
It is absolutely new car model because it evokes a sense of “adventure and technical innovation,” as well as “flair and style.”
“Simplicity is the hardest part in design principle to follow. It’s at the heart of our approach to Ghost. Seductively simple, it offers the presence you’d expect from a Rolls-Royce underpinned by the latest technology and ideas in luxury car design. Ghost is the essence of Rolls-Royce in its simplest, purest form. Every inch delivers on the power of simplicity.” – Rolls-Royce says.
Rolls-Royce also announced final specifications for the advance new car. The 6.6-liter twin-turbo V12 will pump out 563 hp and 575 lb-ft of torque and will mate to a ZF eight-speed automatic transmission. Rolls-Royce says the engine has also been retuned for more low-end torque, to provide a quieter and more relaxing driving experience in the tradition of the company’s cars.
After the unveiling in July and the official presentation in Frankfurt last September it was time for the debut on the road and on the track for the Ferrari 458 Italia.
The first group able to test-drive the car were journalists from some of the most important magazines in the world. The journalists drove the new model from the Prancing Horse on the roads around Maranello and on the Fiorano circuit: an intense day to discover the new generation of 8-cylinder mid-engine cars from Maranello.
Every Ferrari is the result of an uncompromising design approach that integrates styling and aerodynamic requirements. The Pininfarina design features compact, aerodynamic lines, underscoring the concepts of performance-oriented efficiency that inspired the project.
“Just brilliant to drive, it worths its price” published Autocar, 10 November 2009.
In the year 2009 Volkswagen group plans to launch one of its most successful car model of German auto maker, Volkswagen Beetle, in India by December. The most awaited small car model would be imported from Volkswagen group plant in Mexico.
The company official refused to say about the exact pricing of Volkswagen Beetle model but they indicated that it will be priced in the range $18,000 – $20,000 thereby placing it in luxury car segment in India.
The new style car Volkswagen Beetle will be packed with all those luxuries features that any premium category auto car offers. The the Volkswagen group will launch its compact car based on the Polo platform in 2 variants: hatchback and sedan.
The Mitsubishi Concept PX-MiEV is a new-generation concept car under the theme of “The EV: its dawn and future”. This is the brand new Mitsubishi Concept PX-MiEV, a new car which will be showcased at the Tokyo Motor Show 2009.
The Mitsubishi Concept PX-MiEV new hybrid-electric system can operate in several modes including pure electro vehicle, series hybrid, parallel hybrid, charging, regenerative, and power supply mode.