Detroit Preview: Fisker Karma

Just one short year after Fisker showed us its plug-in hybrid Karma show car at the "Detroit Auto Show", the house that Henrik built will be returning to the Motor City to debut the production version of its ambitious project. Fisker says the production model, which is shown in the post just-released official pic, will only vary slightly in design from the show car, including a different upper grille that's a bit larger towards the outer edges and a larger lower air intake. The exhaust pipe from the internal combustion engine will also exit from an odd place: behind the front wheels. We'll also get our first view of the Karma's production interior in Detroit next month.

Fisker announced last month that it had chosen General Motors' turbocharged, direct-inject 2.0L four-cylinder as its power source of choice, and after sampling the engine in the Chevy Cobalt SS Turbo, we're very eager to see what it will do in a hybrid set-up designed to make one very large luxury saloon move like the wind. Combined with the hybrid system's 22.6 kWh electric motor, the drivetrain as a whole is said to produce 408 horsepower and propel the car to 60 mph in 5.8 seconds and onto to a top speed of 125 mph. What sounded like vaporware 365 days ago is starting to take form, and we'll be on hand in Detroit next month to bring you more.

The Scorpion is a Hydrogen/Gasoline Mix Supercar

Meet the Texan answer to the $150 oil barrel

Genius and madness often seem to share the same shoes, but rarely with such gleeful abandon as they do here, in the RNNM Scorpion.The brainchild of Ronn Maxwell, Chief Executive Officer of Ronn Motor Company, no less - a Texas outfit that simultaneously deserves a slap and a biscuit for its blind optimism. The Scorpion is a hydrogen/gasoline mix supercar that generates its hydrogen on demand by fracturing molecules from a small onboard water tank.

'A Texas outfit that simultaneously deserves a slap and a biscuit for its blind optimism'

If that wasn't complicated enough, it then mixes it with petrol at a ratio of about one to three, achieving the not terribly impressive fuel figure of around 40mpg.
There are no official performance figures given yet, but order books are open, apparently, and the first customer cars are - time to get out another biscuit here - going to be ready by the autumn.

Source: Top Gear

Hybrid/Diesel Land Rover LRX

THIS is the first picture of the new “baby” Land Rover.
The car-like LRX blends the looks of a 4x4 with a coupé.

And it will be the “green” new face of Land Rover - exploding the myth of 4x4s as gas eating monsters.

It's diesel/hybrid engine will slash CO2 emissions and return 40 mpg when the car goes on sale in 2010.

Land Rover managing director Phil Popham says the LRX is described as a cross-coupé this gives “a powerful message” that the firm is serious about environment friendly vehicles.

He said “It’s a way of affirming the brand’s responsible approach."

The car, features lightweight materials, it is 5.9 ins shorter than the Freelander and 8.1 ins lower. Butstill a full four seater with wood and leather trim.

Sun Motoring Editor Ken Gibson said “It’s sensational and extends the brand into a new segment.”

Source: The Sun

Ronn Scorpion - Hydrogen Power!

This is the Ronn Scorpion, and please do forgive for being a touch sceptical, but it does sound just a little too good to be true.

According to Texas-based Ronn Motor Company, the Scorpion is an all-carbon fibre supercar that'll hit 60mph in 3.5 seconds, return over 40mpg... and burn hydrogen all at the same time.
Yes, burn hydrogen. The Scorpion, so they say, is powered by 'fracturing water molecules' from an onboard water tank to create hydrogen, which is then mixed with petrol (in about a 40/60 split) and combusted in the 3.5-litre Honda-sourced V6.

The Scorpion will be available this autumn, which I sort of doubt, but within a year hopefully we will be able to grab a vehicle like this, because of the fore coming fuel prices.