Autoblog

click above for more high-res images of the gorgeous Audi R8

It's that time of year where everyone's prognosticating like Nostradamus about what the coming year will hold. The authoritative ink slingers at Automobile magazine have decided that Audi's R8 deserves the dual honors of 2008 Automobile Of The Year and Design Of The Year, as well. While infused with the generous spirit, Automobile named General Motor's Two-Mode Hybrid rig Technology Of The Year.

The R8 is Audi's sports/GT that looks like a supercar and radiates a glow across the entire Audi model line. Not only does it have neck-snapping visual presence, with a 420 horsepower V8 between the axles, there's a deep well of accelerative force to go along with a finely-tuned AWD chassis that doesn't scramble the occupants. Park the R8 next to some rosso italiano, and the lithe German with its metal side blades, straked vents front and rear, and muscular stance might just steal all the thunder.

Big trucks that return 20mpg in the city have been about as realistic as Tinkerbell, until now. General Motors partnered with BMW and the artist formerly known as DaimlerChrysler to develop a flexible hybrid architecture for a wide variety of applications. The second-generation system, with lots more transmission trickery added to the bag of fuel-saving techniques, is allowing the GMT900 platform to post city EPA mileage numbers not far behind four-cylinder midsizers. Because of the system's joint development, we should start seeing this hardware popping up in a variety of different vehicles soon. We're sure that not everyone will agree with Automobile's picks, so fire away with your own suggestions.

Press release after the jump.

Gallery: 2008 Audi R8

Lexus is billing the IS-F as "Everything you thought we weren't," and the potential is certainly there. The engine bay is filled with 5 liters of 4-valve V8 putting out 416 horsepower and 371 pound-feet of torque. The Minilite-esque wheels hide a Brembo braking system with six piston front calipers and cross-drilled rotors 14.2 inches in diameter. The sill extensions wrap up the front fenders to form a styling detail reminiscent of extractor vents, and the rest of the body has been tweaked in the wind tunnel to improve high speed aerodynamics. It all sounds good when you read the spec sheet, and the car does at least look aggressive . What everyone's dying to know, though, is "has Lexus done it this time?" Automobile magazine had the same burning curiosity, and they just also happened to have an IS-F sitting in their lot.

In no time, they headed over to their local Dynojet. The result? Well, they're a little disappointed, and they're calling the torque delivery peaky. Looking at the dyno graph, we're not sure we'd agree entirely with that assessment. There's at least 225 lb-feet at the wheels from 1,800 rpm, topping out at 318 lb-ft. First, let's point out that 15 percent torque loss through a drivetrain including an eight speed automatic is pretty phenomenal. Secondly, the torque curve is pretty fat below the peak. What is surprising to everyone, though, is the way the power drops off precipitously on the other side of the 5,200 rpm peak. You'd think an engine with 4-cams and Yamaha-designed cylinder heads would be a revver. Of course, there are lies, damn lies, and statistics and these dyno results are sure to kick up some debate. What still remains to be seen is how the entire package works when pitted against its bogeyed competition. For that, we must still wait.

[Source: Automobile, photo: Automobile]

It's the Ultimate List, at least until it becomes the Penultimate List the next time some publication decides to go through the exercise of picking the best of all time, and then justifying the results. Automobile Magazine has picked up the gauntlet for its September 2007 issue, and selected what they've termed The 25 Greatest Cars of All Time. Of course nobody's going to agree with each one of their picks, but their list is a good one, backed up by solid explanations for each picked. Thus, it's hard to fault the gang at Automobile - they love cars as much as the rest of us, and most of the cars that made the cut would likely also be our picks.

For some outside perspective, there are sidebars sprinkled throughout the feature with figures like Mario Andretti, Walter di'Silva, and Caroll Shelby (among others) opining on their idea of the greatest car of all time. You could accuse us of being sentimental fools, but it's heartening to see the past so well represented, even when more modern cars can run rings around the four-wheeled icons that made the cut. Choices are organized into five categories: Dynamics, Innovation, Supercars, Racing, and Icons.

More after the jump, including Automobile's original list of 150 nominees and a few of those selected as the Greatest of All Time. Click the Read link to view Automobile's final list of 25 cars.

[Source: dBusinessNews.com]

Long before Henry Ford got into the business, and about a year before Daimler and Benz had a go at it, came "La Marquise". Running on coal, wood and paper, the 1884 steam-engined four-wheeler is considered the oldest running car in the world. And it's going up on the auction block at Pebble Beach next month.

La Marquise has a top speed of 38 mph, and completed a 19-mile road-course demonstration in 1887 with an average speed of 26 mph. That kind of velocity was enough for the car to uphold its record as the fastest in the world... when De Dion-Bouton made another car – a three-wheeler – for La Marquise to compete with in the world's first car race.

The automobile was built for the Count De Dion in France by De Dion-Bouton et Trepardoux, the company in which the nobleman was part owner. Remarkably, some 123 years later, the car has only had two owners since. You could be the fourth if you've got the $1.5 to 2 million the car's expected to fetch at auction. (Leno, we know you're reading this....)

Follow the link to view La Marquise on film.

[Source: Gooding & Company via CNN Autos and RideLust.com]

It appears that today is the day for shedding divisions, as in addition to news that Daimler has sold a majority stake in Chrysler to the Cerberus Group, we've also learned that Primedia has finally unloaded its Enthusiast Media division to Source Interlink. The Enthusiast Media division of Primedia includes 70 magazines titles and 90 websites, including Motor Trend and Automobile Magazine, among others.

Source Interlink appears to work in the field of distribution, which should fit well with the Enthusiast Media division that produces dozens of magazine titles each month needing to find their way onto newsstands across the world. It appears that the purchase will make Source Interlink a vertically integrated producer and distributor of content from this point on. Though a copy of Motor Trend goes for about $4 on the newsstand, Source Interlink paid $1.2 billion for it and its siblings thanks to financing support from Citigroup Global Markets, Inc.

Like the sale of Chrysler to Cerberus, only time will tell if these sell offs benefit the seller, the sold and the buyer. You can read the full press release from Source Interlink detailing the sale after the jump.

[Source: Source Link via Winding Road]

We've all been there, you're pressing on, but you know you're dangerously close to falling asleep while behind the wheel. Rolling down the window, blaring the radio, and frequent shakes of the head just aren't doing it. Those jumping jacks you did at the rest stop a few miles back helped for a little while, but you can feel sleep creeping up on you quickly. Driving while drowsy is a big danger, and researchers from the University of Tokyo, Oita University, the Shimane Institute of Health Science have teamed up with Delta Tooling, to develop a seat that can detect a tired driver. Hiroshima-based Delta supplies dies for industrial presses and equipment to industry for the manufacture of products, mainly automotive seats.

The team first had to target what they were going to detect with the seat, so they set out to study the signs of sleep onset, paying particular attention to pulse and respiration. Once they determined what they were looking for, a sensing system was designed for integration into an automotive seat. In the seatback, sensors monitor the driver's pulse, while the bottom cushion has sensors that keep track of breathing. Testing in a variety of conditions was carried out, and the system is reportedly effective even through layers of thick clothing, such as winter coats. There have been drowsiness detection systems in the past, but this system requires no action from the driver, which is a new development. As long as there's a posterior in the seat, it's keeping vigil against the Sandman.

Now that the detection system has been dialed in, work can progress on just what to do with that information. There's currently no alarm tied to the sensors, but that's the obvious next step. Many safety ideas come and go, but we think this one, like ESC before it, has legs.

[Source: Pink Tentacle]

As previously posted, the automobile is the number one recycled product in the U.S. Most of the recycled materials are re-used for different purposes, like floormats being turned into sound-deadening materials.

But how about fuel? In a new study, Changing World Technologies, Inc. used a process known as "thermal conversion" to recycle foam seats and other automotive parts into oil. The process involved pounding the scraps into a soupy mix, then subjecting it to 600 degree heat. The resulting oil was then separated from the waste water. One researcher estimated about 64 percent of the raw material was successfully processed into oil.  The results were released by the U.S. Council for Automotive Research (USCAR).

Several hurdles from the process, such as carbon dioxide emissions and heavy metals, would have to be dealt with before the process ever becomes commonplace. Also, there is intense debate of what automotive parts would be allowed to be processed into fuel.

The USCAR decides this week if the process requires another study. See here on how General Motors is converting landfill gas into natural gas.

[Source: Detroit News]