Concepts

Following Rolls-Royce's announcement of its new Wraith model for the upcoming International Motor Show in Geneva, Kia offered up relatively clear pictures of, but few details about, a concept car it will put on display.

The body style looks like a three-door hatchback, similar to the European-market Pro Cee'd. In a press release, Kia refers to it as a "provocative and racy new urban concept car." Among concept cars, "Urban" often refers to a compact SUV. However, Kia's new concept, despite some resemblance to Nissan's Juke, appears to sit at hatchback height, … Read more

DETROIT--Volkswagen has been much better known for its high-mileage diesel models than hybrids. Yet here at the 2013 North American International Auto Show, VW showed a concept car featuring a new transmission that will let it turn almost any car in its lineup into a hybrid. The company also showed a new, more efficient direct-injection 1.8-liter engine making 250 horsepower.

The CrossBlue concept, a diesel hybrid, relies on what VW board member Ulrich Hackenberg referred to as an eDSG in an interview with CNET. The eDSG is a new version of VW's Dual Shift Gearbox (DSG), a transmission … Read more

LAS VEGAS--The LCD touch screen has become commonplace in cars, but the technology suffers from limited shaping. Texas Instruments used its Digital Light Processor (DLP) technology to come up with a display that could take a wide variety of shapes in the car, and allow touch control for people wearing gloves.

In its exhibition area at CES 2013, Texas Instruments had a car dashboard mounted on a stand to show off the concept. A very large screen followed the curves of the dashboard down the center stack, capable of showing car functions such as navigation, phone, and audio. Just like … Read more

LAS VEGAS--Lexus showed off a prototype version of its safety-focused research vehicle today at CES, and it's designed to be more aware of what's going on around on the road.

That translates to a car that's been equipped with a bevy of sensors and other technological goodies, including a roof-mounted Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) laser that can detect objects from 70 feet away.

Other additions include a trio of hi-def cameras that look out for nearby vehicles; a sensor that detects the car's speed and angle; and a GPS antenna that Lexus says can figure out which way your car is pointed even when the car isn't moving. … Read more

CNET Tech Car of the Year for 2012

2012 Tesla Model S Our choice for CNET Tech Car of the Year goes to the 2012 Tesla Model S, a car that shows superb technology throughout while also challenging our conceptions of how a car should work. Most people know the Model S for its electric drivetrain, which not only gives it tremendous acceleration, but also the best range among current production electric cars. Compared with an internal combustion engine, the Tesla's electric motor delivers magnitudes of better energy efficiency. The EPA estimates the cost of electricity for a year of driving at $700, about 25 percent of the cost for gasoline in an equivalent luxury sedan.

Beyond its efficiency, the Model S modernizes the whole idea of a car's cabin. Tesla streamlined the entire process of getting into the car and setting off, taking out steps that have become anachronistic. A big touch screen handles all in-cabin functions, eliminating the need for an array of buttons across the dashboard. A 3G data connection feeds the infotainment functions, providing maps, destination search, and music, similar to what we have become used to with our personal electronics.

The Model S went up against the Audi S5, BMW 640i Gran Coupe, Ford Focus Electric, and Toyota Prius C, a formidable field nominated for technical excellence in drivetrain and cabin. The BMW proved popular with our jury, and we liked how the Focus Electric drove, but the Model S trumped the others with its innovative approach and capabilities.

… Read more

In the year 2020, your car may recognize you when you get in, and immediately adjust the seat and mirrors to your preferences. At the same time, it could bring up your calendar on a screen, and automatically program your destination based on your next appointment. As passengers get in, each would have access to his own audio zone and be able to connect his smartphone and tablet to the car's own Wi-Fi hot spot.

Those are some of the technology promises built into automotive supplier Visteon's e-Bee concept car. The car, based on a Nissan Leaf electric vehicle, … Read more

Today Honda sent out a sketch of a new concept vehicle the company intends to unveil at the North American International Auto Show in January. Honda calls the concept an Urban SUV, and it looks like the predecessor to a new, small SUV in the lineup.

The sketch shows the profile of a car with lines similar to the latest CR-V model. However, Honda updated the CR-V for 2012, so the concept is not likely to be a new version of that car.

More likely would be a smaller SUV, similar to the Subaru XV Crosstrek and BMW X1, a … Read more

BMW used to own the mantle for German performance cars, until Audi redesigned its model lineup over the last decade. In the face of this competition, BMW today released photos of the Concept 4 Series Coupe, which looks ready to go up against the Audi A5 and S5.

The BMW product design department has come up with some odd ideas in recent years. Witness the X6 and 5 Series GT. However, this new Concept 4 Series looks like a more natural fit between the 3 Series and 5 Series, and borrows styling from the recently updated and stylish 6 Series. … Read more

To generate interest around the New York-based fashion brand Nooka, best known for its unconventionally designed wristwatches, designer Mike Lubrano wants to make NYC taxi cabs out of DeLorean DMC-12s, specifically the DeLorean time machine made famous by the "Back to the Future" films.

The normally bare stainless-steel finish of the DeLorean gets a coat of taxi-yellow paint and the concept, which only exists as a digital photo manipulation, receives NYC taxi livery and rooftop signage. The gull-winged DeLorean certainly looks cool, but with seating for only two passengers including the driver, the DMC-12 is definitely a less-than-ideal … Read more