Concepts

LAS VEGAS--Chip maker Freescale sees smartphone integration as the future of automotive infotainment systems.

Luke Smithwick, who runs the Driver Information and Infotainment Business section of Freescale, points out his daughters as an example of how young people's lives are on their smartphones. And no matter what regulations might be passed, those phones will find a way into the car. So Smithwick's mission is to work on technology that can safely integrate smartphones with driver information systems.

Among its displays here at CES 2012, Freescale had a head unit with its version of MirrorLink enabled, a new technology … Read more

Some years, automakers show off fanciful design concepts never meant for the road at the Detroit auto show, but 2012 features significant new launches people can actually buy.

The big three came loaded for showrooms, each showing off impressive new models or updates. Cadillac came out ready to seriously take on the BMW 3-series with its all new ATS. This small sport luxury sedan sounds like it's got the right stuff to compete with the eternal champion from Munich.

The new Dodge Dart is less ambitious, but looks like a credible revival of a popular nameplate. And it aims … Read more

DETROIT--Sexy new cars should come with some sizzle, but when they start to smoke, caveat conceptor.

That was the case at the 2012 North American International Auto Show when the new Lincoln MKZ sedan concept began puffing away while on a tilted stage.

It happened while a lovely lady was posing for photos by the MKZ's driver-side door for a New York Times photographer. Tendrils of smoke suddenly began wafting up from the panel.

I hate to say cherchez la femme, but perhaps she was a little too lovely.

The smoke turned into a veritable column, and in moments Lincoln staff were all over the MKZ, ushering journalists away from the vehicle. … Read more

DETROIT--Chevy wants the nation's youth, and it built two Hot Wheels-esque concept cars to use as bait.

The two concepts, unveiled at the 2012 North American International Auto Show, go by the names Code 130R and Tru 140S. Chevy cites the potential market of 80 million people in their '20s as the impetus for these two design studies.

The Tru 140S is intended to evoke an expensive exotic car in its styling, although its profile brings the old Pontiac Sunfire to mind. And based on the Chevy Cruze platform, with front-wheel drive and a turbocharged 1.4-liter engine, it is unlikely to provide supercar performance. … 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

Lexus brought the game of teasing upcoming car show unveilings to new heights by issuing a third photo of the LF-LC 2+2 Hybrid Sport Coupe concept ahead of the 2012 Detroit auto show.

The first photo came out, with few other details, almost a month ago, and was followed more than a week later by a slightly more revealing photo. Now we get a clear, full-frontal shot along with a more detailed side view of Lexus' concept.

The concept takes the sharp, some would say ugly, styling of the Lexus LFA supercar to more extreme levels. The long, lower … Read more

In the week before the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Toyota and Nissan both release videos on the Internet that show virtually nothing of the new concepts the companies will show.

Nissan previously released a photo of its dramatic (its word, not mine) new Pathfinder concept. Today, Nissan released a video on the Pathfinder micro-site. But the video shows so little it actually seems to take away some of the previous information offered up.

Over some pleasant music, Nissan's video shows a sky view through different terrains, going from day to night. I can only conclude that … Read more

Quantum superconductors are an amazing thing.

With the right materials cooled down to below -301 degrees Fahrenheit, you can create a superconductive magnetic field known as the Meissner effect that is capable of floating stably in midair.

Over the past year, we've seen the effect demonstrated with a floating crystal wafer and a skateboard, and discussed as a real-world solution for high-speed rail.

With all that said, it seems completely plausible that some bored science students might construct a small-scale quantum superconductive racetrack styled after the '90s PlayStation game Wipe'out. I mean, why not?

Well, as badly as I want to believe in the above piece of awesomeness, it is likely a hoax.… Read more

Last week Lexus teased with a partial shot of the new sport coupe concept, but today a little more was revealed.

Lexus released this side view of the LF-LC 2+2 sport coupe, but the company is still holding out on any under-the-hood details. The sport coupe concept will be unveiled at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit next month.

"Crafted from a clean sheet of paper at the request of Lexus headquarters in Japan, the LF-LC blends both high technology and organic shapes to connect the driver to the machine," Mark Templin, Lexus group vice … Read more