Cars

DETROIT--Last year, Ford updated the Focus, combining U.S. and European variants into a single world car. Now the company repeats that strategy with the new Fusion midsize sedan.

Ford mixed about one part Fusion with two parts Mondeo, its European midsize sedan, added one more part of new stuff, and came up with a sleek looking high tech sedan. The new car does away with the previous Fusion's three-bar grille and squarish roofline, opting for a grille that shares design language with the Fiesta and Focus. The roofline now forms a graceful line back toward the trunk.

The … Read more

DETROIT--Honda unveiled a revamped version of its storied NSX supercar at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show today, taking the wraps off a greener, sleeker, and likely fiercer sports car that already has Hollywood bragging rights.

The NSX Hybrid Concept is powered by Acura's Sport Hybrid SH-AWD (Super Handling All Wheel Drive) technology, a direct-injection, mid-mounted V-6 engine, and dual-clutch transmission.

The all-wheel drive system can deliver instant negative or positive torque to the front wheels when rounding corners, according to the company.

Honda did not release many details of the concept, and it's unclear which motor powers which wheel set. It only promised that the NSX will create handling performance unmatched in AWD cars. … Read more

So you decided not to spring for the in-dash DVD player and flip-down screens. No problem: your passengers can still watch movies on the road, using your iDevice as the source.

Launching at CES, as reported by Ubergizmo, the Philips PV7002i and PV9002i come with a pair of LCD screens designed to be mounted behind car-seat headrests. Meanwhile, your iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad sits up front in a specially designed cupholder dock, which also charges the device.

The PV7002i will come with two 7-inch screens, two sets of mounting straps, the aforementioned dock, and the single cable that connects them all. The screens have built-in stereo speakers.

The PV9002i is identical, but with 9-inch screens. The kits will be priced at $169.99 and $199.99, respectively, and are due to ship in April.… Read more

Tesla CEO Elon Musk confirmed in an interview with GigaOM that the Model X will be shown at an event on February 9.

An alpha build of the car was apparently shown to investors last month. Autoblog reports that the Model X will be shown at Tesla's design studio in Southern California.

The Model X will be Tesla's third production model, after the Roadster and Model S. Based on the same platform as the Model S, it will have a larger, SUV-like body reportedly capable of seating seven adults.… Read more

If you've ignored the naysayers, saved enough money, and splashed out on an electric car, you're probably now looking for a dedicated home-charging station. If that's the case, look no further--architect Giancarlo Zema has teamed up with Luminexence to design a bonkers yet beautiful leaf-shaped example known as the Lotus.

The Lotus--no relation to Norwich's premier manufacturer of mid-life-crisis mobiles--is a giant solar-powered piece of faux flora that delivers pure, carbon-neutral electricity captured from the sun. It comes with nighttime lights plus an optional information screen, seat and car charging port.

The Lotus is a modular system that's designed in a variety of colors and sizes. The smallest component, a single-leaf design, can be supplied on its own, or mated to other single-leaf units to form double, triple, or quad leaf setups. A large leaf, which provides 19 square meters of photovoltaic panels, is also available. Both leaf styles can be combined to resemble a curious water lily configuration.

Read more of "Luminexence Lotus solar car charger is a tree-shaped carport" at Crave UK. … Read more

Chevy sold 7,671 electric Volts last year, short of its expectation of 10,000. The car has gotten tons of publicity, but that hasn't translated into booming sales.

Even with a $7,500 tax credit dangling like a tasty carrot, buyers haven't flocked to electric vehicles like the Volt and Nissan Leaf.… Read more

After a NHTSA investigation revealed the cause of a fire in a crash-tested Chevy Volt, GM set up a program to reinforce the batteries and coolant systems for previously sold cars.

It is not a recall, but a customer satisfaction program, according to GM. The company will be contacting the approximately 8,000 Chevy Volt owners to arrange a time for the modifications.

GM will add metal brackets to the car's underbody, designed to help prevent a break in the battery casing during a side impact crash. It will also add a sensor that shows when battery coolant is low, and another bracket to prevent overfilling the coolant reservoir. … Read more

Mercedes-Benz is toying with augmented reality to give car buyers a closer look at its products and accessories.

Using downloadable iOS and Android augmented-reality apps for Fitnessbike and the C-class MercedesSport, shoppers can take a virtual walkaround of the products. With the C-class app, you can even outfit the AR sedan with a few accessories, such as a spoiler. But the renderings still have a ways to go to be more useful than a parlor trick.

The apps are intended for German consumers, but Mercedes-Benz has links to the downloads on its Web site, giving a U.S. audience a … Read more

If you're looking for a way to keep your hands free from the phone while driving, as they should be, here's something to consider.

Satechi announced today its new Soundfly View accessory, a Bluetooth FM transmitter for hands-free calling and wirelessly streaming music. The device connects to the in-car 5V port and basically becomes a bridge between your Bluetooth-enabled smartphone and your car stereo system, as long as it has an auxiliary audio port. It works especially well with the iPhone 4S because its Voice Dial feature can be used with Siri.… Read more