Paula Patton Joins BMW To Unveil i3 Concept and i8 Concept

November 18th, 2011

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Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol star Paula Patton joined BMW of North America President Ludwig Willisch at the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show to introduce the first concept vehicles of the new visionary and sustainable brand, BMW i – the fully electric BMW i3 Concept and the hybrid-electric BMW i8 Concept. The two vehicles will be the first purpose-built electric and electric-hybrid vehicles to be made primarily of carbon fiber when they become available in 2013 and 2014, respectively.

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The BMW i8 Conceptis a sleek, low-slung, silver and glass sports car with flip-up doors. The BMW i3 Concept is a next level smart car, built for congested city driving and features the same color scheme with large glass doors that open “coach” style, i.e. the rear doors opening in the opposite direction from the front.

The new BMW M5 also made its debut at the LAAS. Sim Simma!

More images of Patton and the new concepts After the jump »

Infiniti M Hybrid Commercial

March 17th, 2011

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In the new ad for the new M Hybrid, Infiniti challenges the notion of what a hybrid can be. The spot looks back over a century of hybrids culminating in their first hybrid sedan. Check it out below:

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2012 Infiniti M Hybrid Pricing Announced

February 23rd, 2011

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Infiniti has revealed the pricing for the upcoming M Hybrid. The first luxury sedan hybrid from the Japanese automaker will hit U.S. dealerships on March 16th with an MSRP of $53,700. As we reported earlier this month, the luxury hybrid’s fuel economy is rated at a very impressive 32 mpg (highway) and 27 mpg (street), which is impressive considering there are over 350 horses under the hood.

The 2012 Infiniti M performance luxury sedan is also offered in four non-hybrid models, which go on sale March 2, 2011. The non-hybrid Infiniti M has a starting M.S.R.P. of $47,700 USD for the Infiniti M37 RWD. The other models are the Infiniti M37 AWD ($49,850 USD), Infiniti M56 RWD ($59,100 USD) and Infiniti M56 AWD ($61,600 USD).

Hit the jump for more images of the M Hybrid.

After the jump »

BMW New Sub-brand BMWi

February 21st, 2011

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Iconic German automaker BMW has thrown its hat into the electric vehicle market with the introduction of the BMW i sub-brand.

The first two vehicles under the new brand—the BMW i3 (p/k/a Megacity Vehicle) and BMW i8 (based on the BMW Vision EfficientDynamics concept study)—will be launched in 2013.

The i3 marks the first vehicle made for an urban area powered 100% by electricity for the company. The i8 on the other hand is a plug-in hybrid that blends the sporting ability of a high-performance machine with the fuel consumption and emissions of a small car.

Both vehicles feature the LifeDrive architecture that BMW introduced last summer. The Drive module including an aluminum chassis that houses the powertrain Then there is the Life module consisting of a high-strength and extremely lightweight passenger cell made from carbon fiber-reinforced plastic.

The automaker also plans to invest millions into mobility services that can be used with our without a vehicle. No pricing has been announced for the i3 or i8 yet. With the Volt and Leaf running at $40,000 and $25,000 plus respectively, we are fairly confident that  the Bimmer i will be fairly pricey, all things considered.

2012 Infiniti M Hybrid MPG Announced

February 7th, 2011

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Infiniti announced official EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) fuel economy figures of 32 mpg (highway) for the 2012 Infiniti M35h.

The first ever luxury hybrid vehicle from the Japanese automaker offers 350hp (3.5-liter DOHC 24-valve V6 engine, which paired with the 50 kW electric motor) and 27 mpg (city) for a combined fuel rate of 29 mpg. Ranking it 10 mpg below the popular Ford Fusion/Milan hybrid but given the M35h’s power it seems to be a fair trade off.

The soon to be released sedan also features the all-new Infiniti Direct Response Hybrid system, which is an advanced one-motor, two-clutch parallel hybrid design that utilizes precise, high-speed motor control technology enabled by the powerful Lithium-ion battery, allowing power to be delivered directly to the vehicle’s 7-speed automatic transmission.

It goes on sale in the U.S. in spring 2011.

Toyota Prius v Debuts At NAIAS

January 11th, 2011

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Toyota has expanded the Prius line to include the roomier Prius v (for versatility). Unveiled at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit–Prius v offers the same hybrid powertrain and platform yet features 50% more space than the Prius hatchback.

Due in the U.S. this summer, Prius V is also expected to have better fuel economy than any SUV or Crossover on the market.

Hit the jump for more info and images.

After the jump »

2011 Touareg Hybrid Preview

April 13th, 2010

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With their latest edition of the Touareg Hybrid, Volkswagen seems to aspire to reach a level of newness and innovation.

The first thing you need to know is the Touareg Hybrid is much more about luxury than it is about fuel efficiency. The SUV shares the same platform as the Porsche Cayenne and Audi supplies the engine. The 26 mpg won’t please too many environmentalists however VW claims the latest Touareg will go 0-60 in 6.5 seconds and top out at 150mph, which should please most drivers.

More images and full preview After the jump »

M35 Hybrid

October 7th, 2009

9117_82942369954_58128939954_611791_2947937_nToday Infiniti confirmed that the M35 Hybrid is currently in production. Hit the jump for more pics. After the jump »


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