Car Listings & Reviews

Filed under: Ethanol, Flex-Fuel, Cadillac, Detroit Auto Show

Next week at the Detroit Auto Show Cadillac will be taking the wraps off an all-new version of the SRX crossover. The SRX is getting smaller and moving to a new platform that is mix of the Epsilon II car platform and the Theta CUV. For 2010, the SRX will have two engines available, a 300 hp turbocharged 2.8L V6 based on the Saab Turbo-x engine and a new 3.0L direct injected V6. Both engines are part of GM's high-feature V6 family along with the 3.6L that's used in a wide variety of GM vehicles.

Contrary to some reports, the 3.0L SRX will not be a flex-fuel vehicle when it launches this summer. The spec sheet that was published by GM lists the engine as E85 capable. However, this is an error based on copy data over from the standard specs for the engine. GM Powertrain spokesman Tom Read confirmed to ABG that the engine has probably been engineered to be compatible with E85 with items such as high flow fuel injectors and corrosion resistant fuel lines. Cadillac spokesman David Caldwell confirmed that the SRX will run only at gasoline at launch and there are no current planst to make it flex-fuel capable. The only flex-fuel Cadillac currently available is the Escalade. For the full details on the SRX, head on over to Autoblog.


[Source: GM, Domestic Fuel]

Continue reading Detroit preview: Cadillac SRX is direct injected but not flex-fuel

Detroit preview: Cadillac SRX is direct injected but not flex-fuel originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 06 Jan 2009 15:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LeaseTrader.com's Auto Lease Transfer Marketplace Brought ... MSNBC - 43 minutes ago MIAMI, FL - LeaseTrader.com, the nationwide online marketplace for car lease transfers, today announced it has bucked the trend in automotive market ... LeaseTrader.com's Auto Lease Transfer Marketplace Brought ... International Business Times all 9 news articles

Filed under: Ethanol, Lotus

For the engineering crew at Lotus, building transportation devices that are not sports cars is nothing new. Back in the early 90s they put their knowledge of lightweight materials and aerodynamics together to create a race bicycle that tore up the velodrome at the Olympics, not to mention wild soap box racers. The latest project is a three ski snow speeder that will be used in an Antarctic expedition next November to raise awareness of climate change. The Concept Ice Vehicle (CIV) is powered by a two cylinder BMW bike engine converted to E85 operation and turning a propeller that pushes the vehicle across the ice and snow at up to 84 mph. The CIV will be used to scout for crevasses in the ice. When the voids are found the GPS coordinates will be sent back to the rest of the team to warn them before anyone falls in.

[Source: Wired]

Bond would kill for this Lotus-developed biofueled Antarctic speeder originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 06 Jan 2009 14:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hendrix threatens suit on Detroit car insurance Detroit Free Press, United States - 1 hour ago Even rampant automotive crime doesn’t add up to what Detroiters pay in premiums, he said. Detroit’s automotive rates are the highest in the United States, ...

Filed under: Emerging Technologies, EV/Plug-in, Green Daily

When he's not taunting Tesla, Dale Vince is pretty focused on building his wind-powered car. The Zero Carbonista project (previous post) is moving along and the fourth (of six) video about the project is new ready for your viewing pleasure. The front of the car is taking shape and now it needs a name. On the shortlist are: The Zero, The Storm and The Nemesis. I think the Zero Storm would be a good compromise, and I think it'll sound good with a British accent.

In the video, the biggest problem the team is facing seems to be figuring out the fingerprint entry and startup system. What's more exciting is the torque potential the designers and engineers discuss towards the end of the video. Check it out after the jump and see what the (indirectly) wind-powered Exige is up to these days.

[Source: Zero Carbonista via Treehugger]

Continue reading Dale Vince's wind-powered car could be the Storm, the Zero or the Nemesis

Dale Vince's wind-powered car could be the Storm, the Zero or the Nemesis originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 06 Jan 2009 13:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Blue-Blood Automotive Brands Show Red Ink, Too BNET, Ca - 2 hours ago The automotive downturn that bottomed out in 1991 was especially tough on luxury brands. What amounted to a tax hike on luxury cars started on Jan. 1, 1987. ...

DeVoe to consolidate some of its franchises The News-Press, FL - 1 hour ago The DeVoe Automotive Group will be consolidating some of its franchises from Bonita Springs and Naples in order to restructure and streamline its ... DeVoe to consolidate car dealerships WINKNEWS.com DeVoe consolidating its dealerships in Bonita, Naples Marco Eagle all 6 news articles

Filed under: Solar, Honda, Green Daily, Pacific Region

If you are going to bill yourselves as the World's Greenest Automaker, as Honda does from time to time, you'd better be willing to back it up. Luckily, Honda always seems to be looking for a way to do just that. Whether it's by offering the best overall fuel economy in the United States or powering billboards with solar power, Honda is often a step ahead. Wait, hold on... powering billboards with solar power? Yep, in the land of Oz at least, Honda has partnered up with APN Outdoor to create Australia's first eco-friendly outdoor advertisements. The solar panels provide power when possible and a backup electrical connection that gets its power from a green feed is there to pick up the slack. This may be a small thing, but we'll take it. We should also mention that Honda has invested in solar technology itself, with its Soltec subsidiary opening for business in 2006 and now selling panels for residential or commercial use.

[Source: Honda]

Continue reading Honda advertises cars with green hybrid billboards

Honda advertises cars with green hybrid billboards originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 06 Jan 2009 12:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Formulating Tool For Automotive Appearance Chemicals Product Design & Development, NJ - 3 hours ago Dow Corning has launched a new interactive Automotive Appearance Chemicals guide that provides essential formulation and application advice. ...

Examiner.com

Automotive Movie of the Month – “The Italian Job” (the 1969 original) Examiner.com - 3 hours ago Still, once you get past the cheeky stylings of this period film, you can have a lot of fun with the automotive sequences. I enjoyed some of the rye humor. ...