spyder

The last time we caught up with Wicked Lasers, it was to check into the Spyder III Pro Arctic, a laser so powerful it requires wearing special eye protection and comes with the warning that it can blind instantly and set fire to skin.

Since then, Wicked Lasers has dodged a potential Lucasfilm lawsuit and set about figuring out how to make the Spyder even more like a real-life "Star Wars" lightsaber.

The result of that effort is the $100 LaserSaber, an add-on to the $300 Spyder. It's a 32-inch polycarbonate blade with an aircraft-grade aluminum hilt.

According to the sales pitch, the LaserSaber features "an ultrasmooth magnetic gravity system that can 'power up' and 'power down' the blade."

This may sound like a dream come true for legions of "Star Wars" fans, but there are some big, honking caveats involved.… Read more

While most auto manufacturers are focusing their attention on the news and new models being revealed at the New York International Auto Show this week, BMW is setting its sights on the Beijing motor show, where it will debut the latest addition to the i family of vehicles.

The BMW i8 Concept Spyder is a topless two-seater version of the i8 coupe, and will make its first appearance at the Beijing motor show later this month. Slightly shorter than its 2+2 sibling, the Concept Spyder makes generous use of the carbon fiber reinforced plastic used in the LifeDrive architecture, … Read more

LAS VEGAS--If I told you that a performance car manufacturer has developed a lightweight version of a popular roadster with a tent-style fabric roof, dubbed "Spyder," you might assume that I'm months late with my Porsche news.

However, I'm talking about Mazda, not Porsche, and the car in question isn't the Boxster Spyder, but the Mazda MX-5 Spyder.

The MX-5 Spyder starts with the MX-5 Miata and ditches the retractable roof in favor of a single-panel grenadine-red soft top made by Haartz. Additional weight savings come from the swapping of the lead acid battery for … Read more

If you've got a little bit of extra cash lying around, jump on this offer. Porsche today announced that dealerships would be taking orders for the 918 Spyder--and the plug-in hybrid super car will sell for a mere $845,000 in the U.S. (that's 645,000 euros).

The 918 Spyder concept made its debut last year at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show and was also spotted last year at Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.

The 918 Spyder design was inspired by the 918 Carrera GT super sports car and the 917 and RS Spyder race cars. Like the 2010 concept car, the production version will be made from a carbon fiber-reinforced plastic monocoque. However, the production version will have a manual roof system with removable panels that can be stored in the front luggage compartment, Porsche said.

The speedy hybrid will do 0 to 60 mph in about 3.1 seconds, with a top speed of 199 mph. As previously reported, the 918 Spyder will be powered by a unique plug-in hybrid system that includes a high-revving, mid-mounted V8 engine with a capacity of more than 4.0 liters and producing at least 500 horsepower. Two electric motors--one each on the front and rear axles--together produce additional 218 hp.… Read more

Last week, CNET Editor-at-Large Brian Cooley walked us through the more interesting aspects of the Porsche 918 RSR Racing Lab concept at the 2011 Detroit auto show.

Now Porsche has released a video on YouTube of the high-performance hybrid doing laps on a test track. The highly stylized "Torture test" video (after the jump), tortures only the viewer because it's just a mere glimpse of what the RSR can, no doubt, do.

The two-seater, midengine coupe is fitted with 911 GT3 R hybrid technology and the design of the 918 Spyder.

In a press release, Porsche boasts … Read more

One of my recommendations whenever anyone gets a new computer or more specifically a new monitor is to calibrate the display so colors appear properly and as expected. This will not only allow you to adjust the richness of the colors on screen, but also allow you to have the colors appear uniformly across different monitors and output devices, which can be especially useful if your work involves design, photography, or otherwise depends on proper color matching.

What is color calibration?

Calibrating a display is essentially adjusting the output for the individual colors (red, green, blue) across various light intensity … Read more

Remember that Audi e-tron we showed you last year? Y'know, the electric R8? Audi's only gone and lopped the roof off to create a spyder version. Somebody pass us a Tena Lady.

Unlike the hard-top e-tron, which was purely electric, this model is a plug-in hybrid. It uses a lithium ion battery plus a pair of 88 bhp electric motors mounted to the front axle which, altogether, can drive the car for up to 31 miles at a speed of 37 mph.

When that energy's depleted, it can be replenished from a household electrical outlet or the … Read more

A couple days before the Porsche 918 Spyder hybrid made its grand entrance to the international car market at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, it got the lay of the land on some twisties in the Carmel Valley foothills. Porsche released a video of the 918 Spyder's first North American miles before showing it off to the tony international car set at Pebble Beach last weekend.

The recently green-lighted Spyder reportedly has a long list of interested buyers will to fork over the anticipated $650,000 for a 500 horsepower 3.4-liter V-8 hybrid that gets 78 mpg. … Read more

OnStar to show up in retail stores, Chrysler backs away from hybrids and electric cars, can technology end crashes in intersections, and we drive the new 2011 Ford Fiesta--was it worth the wait?

? Porsche 918 hybrid gets the green light--bring $500 grand.

? Chrysler scales back on electric cars for now

? OnStar soon coming to retail stores?

? CNET review of the 2011 Ford Fiesta

? CNET drives the production-ready Nissan Leaf