Car Tech

Callaway C16 Speedster, an American supercar

At a small booth in one of the hallways of the 2007 Los Angeles Auto Show, Callaway displayed its new C16 Speedster. The Speedster, which was introduced last summer, completes Callaway's C16 lineup. Previous models are a Cabrio and a Coupe, but neither look as unique as the Speedster. The C16s rely on a Corvette chassis, but in the case of the Speedster, the body is original. Its open cockpit hearkens back to 1950s race cars. For safety, carbon fiber helmets are always available for the driver and passenger, and are stored behind the seats. Under the hood sits … Read more

Chevy Tahoe Hybrid wins Green Car of the Year award

At the 2007 Los Angeles Auto Show, Green Car Journal's Green Car of the Year award was given to the 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid. The Tahoe Hybrid is the largest car to win the award, with past winners including the Toyota Prius and the Mercury Mariner Hybrid. The newly introduced Tahoe Hybrid uses a dual-mode hybrid system developed by GM, Daimler-Chrysler, and BMW. GM is the first company to bring cars with this system to market. The Tahoe Hybrid uses a 6-liter V-8 gas engine in conjunction with electric motors for propulsion. The motors get electricity from a battery … Read more

Photos: VW Space Up Blue

Volkswagen is getting as much mileage as it can from its Up! concept microvan. After appearances at both the Frankfurt and Tokyo auto shows in recent months, the model made another appearance at this year's Los Angeles show in the form of the Space Up Blue concept. In contrast to the previous variants, the four-door Space Up Blue came with some drive-train details: it is powered by an energy network of a lithium-ion battery pack, a high-temperature hydrogen fuel cell, and a solar panel. Check out our slide show of the blue sky Blue here.

Photos: Audi Cross Cabriolet Quattro concept

Audi unveiled one of the few concepts at the 2007 Los Angeles Auto Show, the Cross Cabriolet Quattro. This car is an attempt to combine a convertible coupe with an SUV, exploring untapped ground in the design world. The car gets Audi's off-road equipment, including Quattro all-wheel-drive and ride height adjustment, along with the latest cabin gadgets, such as navigation integrated with Google Earth and a Bang & Olufsen audio system that can play Internet radio.

Click here for photos of the Audi Cross Cabriolet Quattro concept.

The Beat goes on sale, but not in the U.S.

When GM showed off its Beat, Groove, and Trax micro-concepts in New York earlier this year, it said that it would produce the model that proved to be the most popular with the public. Today at the 2007 Los Angeles Auto Show, we have a winner, as Chevrolet announced that it would produce the three-door Beat, which the automaker said had been the overwhelming favorite among online voters.

According to Chevy, the Beat will be aimed at "tech-savvy, young-at-heart" drivers, as evidenced by its pop-up navigation system. Unfortunately for those who like the look of the brawny hatchback, … Read more

Photos: 2009 Lincoln MKS debut

The new MKS is Lincoln's flagship luxury sedan, but it will have a base price below $40,000. Options such as all-wheel-drive and a slew of advanced cabin technology will push that price up. Cabin tech includes the Microsoft-developed Sync system, which lets you make hands-free cell phone calls and use voice command with your MP3 player. It will also have a touch-screen navigation system, adaptive cruise control, and a 5.1 surround-sound system designed by THX. The engine in the car is a newly developed 3.7-liter direct-injection turbocharged V-6.

Click here for photos of the 2009 Lincoln MKS.… Read more

Honda unveils FCX Clarity fuel cell vehicle in LA

Honda used the first morning of the 2007 Los Angeles Auto Show to unveil a production version of its FCX fuel cell vehicle. Dubbed the "FCX Clarity," the four-door sedan is powered by the same V Flow fuel cell platform found in Honda's FCX Concept, which is connected to a lithium-ion battery pack that, in turn, powers an electric motor. This drive train enables the car to run solely on compressed gaseous hydrogen with zero emissions. As in the Concept, the Clarity's fuel cell powertrain, which is 45 percent smaller than Honda's current-generation FCX, is … Read more

Ford's Mulally sets out vague "sustainability blueprint" in LA

It has become de rigeur for automakers to pay lip service to a future of alternative fuels and increased efficiency, and Ford's CEO Alan Mulally chipped in his two cents here on the first day of the 2007 Los Angeles Auto Show. Aside from his commitment to deliver a line of vehicles that "people do want and people do value", Mulally said that he wanted to "start a discussion" about sustainability, fuel economy, and energy security. In the near term, Mulally said Ford plans to offers more turbo-charged gasoline direct-injection engines, lighter-weight cars, and new … Read more

Audi offers push-button hooptie

Audi plans to unveil a two-door four-seater concept car with a soft top at the 2007 LA Auto Show on Wednesday.

The Audi Cross Cabriolet, which Audi says is a mini car/SUV, will have a 240-horsepower 3-liter engine.

But here's the neat thing. The four-wheel drive car will have an electric ride-height adjustment. Audi says it's for driving on different types of terrain, but I'm thinking it's just one of those things people won't be able to resist playing with. The car is also shown in a wild copper color.

Audi says that the … Read more

Daimler, Ford to partner on fuel cell company

Daimler and Ford Motor are partnering on a privately held company to develop automotive fuel cell technology, both companies announced Thursday.

The companies plan to buy the automotive fuel cell business unit of Ballard Power Systems, a British Columbia-based supplier of hydrogen fuel cells for vehicles. From that asset, they plan to start a private company, according to a joint statement.

Daimler will own a 50.1 percent share of the new company, Automotive Fuel Cell Cooperation (AFCC), the companies said. Ford Motor will own a 30 percent share, and 19.9 percent will be owned by Ballard.

AFCC will … Read more