Electric Vehicles & Cars News - Page 14

Two car enthusiasts took their heavily modified cars to the track to determine which one would succeed between a Nissan GT-R and Acura Integra. The race is part of Hoonigan's HONDA vs HATERS YouTube racing series, which puts unique and high-powered cars to the test.

Before I jump into the drag race details, let's first start by defining "hoonigan": "A person who operates a motor vehicle in an aggressive and unorthodox manner, consisting of, but not limited to, drifting, burnouts, donuts as well as acts of automotive aeronautics. One who hoons."

The 1994 Acura Integra GSR featured 1,400 hp, a 4-speed manual, and a 1.9-liter turbocharged inline 4 motor. The all-wheel-drive car weighed just 2,700 pounds. The competing 2015 Nissan GT-R featured 1,300 hp, a 6-speed DCT, and a 4.1-liter L twin-turbo V6 engine. Also sporting AWD, the car weighed in heavier at 3,400 total pounds.

Honda showed off its e:N2 Concept vehicle during a recent event hosted in Shanghai, China. It's the latest futuristic prototype after the company unveiled the e:N concept publicly in 2021. Trying to figure out what category this vehicle fits in may prove difficult - is it a coupe? A hatchback-type vehicle? Or is it an SUV?

The eye-catching surface finish of the vehicle is met with a clean metallic look that highlights sharp body lines. Interested auto buyers in the United States could be disappointed as it looks like this concept will one day initially focus on the Chinese market.

Honda designed the car so people behind the wheel have a driving experience to remember in an EV that stands out. Using Honda's current technologies, designers hope to offer vehicle stability and responsive handling.

German automaker Mercedes-Benz has a partnership with Riot Games and the studio's popular League of Legends title - and it has led to the Project SMNR (Summoner) virtual show car effort. Project SMNR has a fully 3D virtual user interface, so viewers interact with a real-time hologram environment.

Using "metamaterials" provides a fully virtual environment that is not limited by physics or production constraints. Instead of vehicle wheels, only energy fields are demonstrated - or something like the axles are removed so the void sculptural axle tunnel is revealed. Here is what Mercedes-Benz noted about the project:

"The resulting use of completely new materials, known as 'metamaterials', pushes the limits of what is possible. For example, the two-seater vehicle has a dynamic silhouette with a centrally located driver's cockpit and increased ground clearance. The wheels in the conventional sense have been replaced by energy fields and are fluidly integrated into the overall design of the vehicle. The flexible energy fields make it possible to completely dissolve the axles and bring their absence into focus. In addition, the spokes run inwards and accentuate the sculptural axle tunnel."

The consumer automotive industry is packed with models and trims providing a few different categories. A particular trend that is often overlooked is beginning to receive more attention: camping vans.

Ford recently started taking orders for the Ford 2023 Transit Trail Van, while Mercedes-Benz is teasing the Concept EQT Marco Polo camper van. Electric automaker Rivian is expected to launch the Adventure Van sometime in 2025 - and its electric R1T truck has a three-person tent or kitchen cooking add-ons.

It might appear to be a random niche customer base, but it has grown enough for organized support. The Adventure Van Expo Series 2022 went on a multi-city west coast tour throughout 2022 for van life enthusiasts - where van builders, rental companies, and others were on hand to speak to the public.

The Porsche GT Team will say goodbye to the FIA World Endurance Championship's GTE-Pro class with two special 911 RSR race cars. The German automaker wanted to create a design that matches modern styles and combines them with historic colors.

The WEC GTE-Pro class will be shuttered after the 2022 race season. To mark the occasion, both 911 RSR cars will rock red, blue, black, pink, gold, and grey stripes on the white base coat - on the front, sides, and rear wing. The race team spelled out "goodbye" in bold lettering and has it on each car's windscreen.

All drivers who raced for the team have their names spelled out on the roof, along with goodbye written in different languages. After the next race, the 911 RSR cars will have competed in 62 total GTE-Pro events. Each of the 16 class victories dating back to the 2013 season is noted on the fenders.

Mini doesn't want the ability to drive a manual transmission to become a lost art. To help do its part, the automaker recently launched a training initiative to teach interested drivers how to master using a stick shift.

Mini will host its driving seminars on closed tracks under supervision. This will be done at the BMW Performance Center in California, which offers teen driving classes, a driver's school, and driving experience packages. The driving knowledge taught will include vehicle controls, finding the correct friction point, and learning smooth starts, stops, and acceleration.

Mini has a number of 2023 vehicles with manual transmission - the automaker showing continued dedication to stick shift. A steady decline in cars sold in the US market using a manual transmission - 37% more than 10 years ago has dwindled to just 13% in recent times. And that trend will likely continue with the auto market increasingly going electric.

Researchers from the Eindhoven University of Technology have created a zero-emissions car that captures CO2 from the air while driving down the road. The Zero Emission Mobility (ZEM) car prototype from the TU/ecomotive student team uses carbon capture devices to collect CO2 through a filter.

ZEM was first introduced this year, with the research team saying it's a proof-of-concept car, but there is potential the filter capacity could one day increase. Over 20,000 travel miles in a year, ZEM can capture 2 kilograms of CO2. Although it might seem trivial, if the filter has a modular design, it could be more widely implemented.

As CNET learned: "When these filters can be made modularly, they can be implemented into every type of vehicle, every type of transportation."

The 2023 Ford F-150 Raptor R is the most powerful version of the Raptor, and the US automaker designed it for high-performance off-roading. Now in its third generation, each Raptor model has been designed to be able to hit the trails or desert straight out of the dealership showroom.

The F-150 Raptor R has 700 hp and can generate 640 lb-ft of torque, which provides a significant 250 hp and 120 lb-ft improvements on the standard model.

The 5.2-liter supercharged V8 engine also has a long-travel suspension designed to help drivers successfully navigate trails and other off-road environments. The powerful engine was first introduced in the Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 - but some modifications were made to ensure off-road performance.

Benteler recently announced it has established the Holon brand, as the company pushes forward to embrace an increasingly electric future. These types of vehicles have potential at airports, office campuses, schools, and other locations with high levels of foot traffic.

Holon uses its autonomous experience and aims to transition that into efficient mobility solutions. One example is the electric autonomous people mover concept shown off in 2021. The people mover is built on the Benteler electric drive system that provides autonomous driving and battery pack modules designed for fast charging and extended life.

Intel's Mobileye will develop self-driving software for the mover, with mobility provider Beep developing mobility service OS solutions.

The 2023 BMW i7 xDrive60 is an all-electric luxury sedan from the German automaker, showing it can transition luxury cars from traditional gas engines. The i7 stands out because it's the first electric BMW 7 Series car model - and BMW was sure to pack the car full of features.

The i7 has 536 horsepower with 549 lb-ft of torque and can accelerate 0-60 mph in 4.5 seconds. The battery range reaches up to 318 miles, with up to 80 miles of range time after just 10 minutes of charging. The top speed is 130 to 149 mph and can accelerate from 0-100 mph in 9 seconds.

The i7 battery pack can use 101.7 kWh from the total 105.7 kWh total capacity output.