paris

The 404 187: Where we're tickling the Bonch

We finally get our hands on the much coveted Bonch aka Bonnie Cha, Senior Editor for CNET.com. No, we don't grill her on the latest cell phones at CTIA or the proper way to make a Superman cape. Instead, we try to guess Sarah Palin's e-mail password, run through a list of Jeff's mancrushes, do the Cha Cha on the air, and take a visit to the Sex Museum, aka Wilson's cellar.

Wow, did someone open up a tank of nitrous oxide in here? Today's show is literally 40 minutes of constant laughter, and we owe that to our special guest, Bonnie Cha! She's a Senior Editor of mobile phones at CNET and one of the first people I ever met at the San Francisco office. Please don't be operating heavy machinery while listening to today's show! We do taint, tarnish, and otherwise frack up Bonnie's "innocence" by explaining the science behind "Supermanning that ho," which goes over surprisingly well with her. We also debut a service called Cha Cha that allows you to text or call a 24/7 concierge service that will literally answer any inquiry, such as "Is the 404 going to be taken off the air tomorrow?" or "Why is Bonnie's nickname The Bonch?" Of course, all of these questions can be answered using another service; here in 2008 we call it Google. Furthermore,why would I use the Cha Cha when I know Wilson will always be within arm's length of a computer? The man is physically tethered to the Internet. Finally, we take a look at the NBC fall lineup and Bonnie asks the question that's on all of our minds: Jeff, how can you like Sex and the City and still urinate standing up?

EPISODE 187 Download today's podcast … Read more

Video: Chevy Volt from all angles.

GM has rolled out the "production" version of the Chevy Volt this week (a cheeky move since it won't go into production for another two years) and it was received more warmly for proving the Volt is real than wowing us with styling.

But looks aren't the point of the Volt: lofty and sustainable miles per gallon is. Here's a look at the car in motion with some thoughts on its challenges as it begins the longish road to showrooms.

See all coverage of the 2008 Paris Motor Show.

Chevy concept Orlando to debut in Paris

Having had success with the Malibu, Chevy reaches towards the East Coast to try its luck with Orlando. This new concept car, which incorporates design language seen in the Malibu and the production version of the Volt, will be shown at the Paris Motor Show. The Orlando is based on the same platform as the new compact Chevy Cruze, which also debuts in Paris, and shows the flexibility of that platform for small and large cars. Although GM doesn't use the term in its press release, the Orlando concept fits the crossover segment. The closest thing Chevy has previously … Read more

ConceptFascination hints at future of Mercedes E-Class

Fresh on the heels of the reveal of the C250 BlueEfficiency, Mercedes gives us a peek at the future of the E-Class with the ConceptFascination. As the name indicates, we are only looking at a concept. However, with the still handsome, but slightly dated looking, E-Class due for a refresh, we can expect at least the broad strokes of the concept to translate to production.

Under the hood, the ConceptFascination is powered by the same new 2.2-liter four-cylinder diesel engine that will be introduced on the C250 BlueEfficiency. Mercedes has already made public its intentions to use this engine … Read more

Mini's latest CUV concept to debut in Paris

The magic number for Mini's concept CUV (crossover utility vehicle) is four. Its new Mini's fourth body variant follows the Cooper, the Convertible, and the Clubman. It has four doors, four-wheel drive, four bucket seats, and is about 4 meters long. Perhaps this recurrence of the number four is a coincidence, or perhaps it's the work of an obsessive-compulsive Mini engineer. Whatever the case, Mini has revealed the first round of photos of its new Mini Crossover Concept, set to debut at the 2008 Paris Motor Show in October.

The Crossover Concept packs SUV proportions into a … Read more

Production Kia Soul debuts at Paris

Five years after the Scion xB came out, a box car war is brewing with the debut of the production Kia Soul at the 2008 Paris Motor Show. Nissan will also take part with the introduction of the U.S.-bound Cube next year. Kia calls the Soul an urban crossover vehicle, but it doesn't seem likely people will start talking about UCVs. The production Soul retains much of the concept version's styling, shown this summer at the British motor show. The D-pillar retains its width, and flows into the tapering roof cap. The rear hatch also uses … Read more

Volvo unveils DRIVe, eco-minded diesel vehicles

Volvo has a reputation for making some of the safest cars on the market. Soon their cars may be known as safe for the environment, as well. Volvo has released images and information about its upcoming 1.6D DRIVe series of vehicles, set to be displayed at October's Paris Auto Show.

Essentially, the 1.6D DRIVe line is a series of diesel variants of the C30, S40, and V50 that yield an estimated 52 to 53 miles per gallon across the line. Aside from the thrifty 1.6 liter clean diesel angine that powers the 1.6D DRIVe line, … Read more

Porsche Cayenne S Transsyberia to debut in Paris

Is this the new SUV of choice for Russian hockey moms?

The 2010 Porsche Cayenne S Transsyberia will debut at the 2008 Paris Motor Show, which begins on October 4.

The SUV is basically a limited-edition take on Porsche's Cayenne SUV. The 405-horsepower SUV will have a 4.8-liter direct fuel injection V8 engine (from the Cayenne GTS) and the Tiptronic S six-speed automatic transmission. The SUV has a top speed of 158 mph. The funky roof headlights are a free option offered by Porsche, only dependent on your country's rules for using them on public roads.

It'… Read more

Mazda to show Kiyora concept, MX-5 face-lift in Paris

While Mazda waits on the cost of batteries to decrease before entering the hybrid/electric-vehicle market, the company is focusing on increasing the fuel economy of their standard internal combustion powered vehicles. The Kiyora concept, set to be officially revealed at the 2008 Paris Motor Show, is a lightweight, urban compact concept car that showcases Mazda's developments in the area of efficiency.… Read more

Honda to revive the Insight as a Prius-fighter

Honda introduced the first gas-electric hybrid for purchase with the Insight in 1999, then came Toyota's Prius and everyone forgot about Honda's little hybrid that could. We all knew that Honda was working on a larger Prius-fighting, dedicated hybrid vehicle, but Honda has denied that they'd be reviving the Insight moniker for this new vehicle. On Thursday, Honda released the first official information and images of their Prius-killer concept and it's called, you guessed it, the Insight.

The Insight Concept carries over the styling cues of Honda's fuel cell vehicle, the FCX Clarity. It looks … Read more