BMW’s i3 and i8 prototypes caught on camera in garish atire

It was just a few weeks ago that BMW launched its new brand, simply called “i,” and pledged two new electrified cars would be coming to save us from both the perils of pollution and the danger of boring commutes. Now here they are, spotted in the wild wearing the company’s usual swirly vinyl, which is doing its best to hide those decidedly distinct curves — and failing miserably, if we’re honest. Both the i3 hatch (below) and i8 sportscar (above) were obviously doing some winter testing, and we’d say that the smile on the face of the passenger in the i8 is a good sign that the four-seater with 62MPG rating and a 0 – 62 time of 4.8 seconds will be fun to drive. Or fun to ride in, at least.

Continue reading BMW’s i3 and i8 prototypes caught on camera in garish atire

BMW’s i3 and i8 prototypes caught on camera in garish atire originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 09 Mar 2011 22:37:00 EDT.

GM shows off Terrain SUV with noise cancellation, says silence equals fuel efficiency

GM claims its new Terrain has other SUVs beat when it comes to fuel efficiency, and they’re citing active noise cancellation — a concept near and dear to audiophiles everywhere — as one of the driving factors that puts it 4MPG above the competition. Basically, the Terrain’s enlisted a new one-touch “Eco mode” that allows its four-cylinder engine to run at a lower torque, decreasing engine speeds, and thus saving gas. The thing is, this increased fuel efficiency comes with a “low-end frequency boom,” which is where the noise cancellation sets in: two microphones built in to the car’s headliner detect the boom, prompting a frequency generator to pump counteracting sound waves through Terrain’s speakers. Simply put, GM’s just getting rid of an unpleasant hum. So a quieter car isn’t necessarily a greener car, but we’ll take a more fuel efficient SUV any day. If you’re picking up what GM’s laying down, check out the full PR after the jump.

Continue reading GM shows off Terrain SUV with noise cancellation, says silence equals fuel efficiency

GM shows off Terrain SUV with noise cancellation, says silence equals fuel efficiency originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 25 Feb 2011 06:06:00 EDT.

Smart shows off Forspeed electric roadster concept

Smart shows off Forspeed electric roadster concept originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 22 Feb 2011 08:27:00 EDT.

Porsche unveils fully-electric Boxster E, a drop-top EV we can get behind

They’re just prototypes at this point and number only three, but the trio of Boxster E convertibles Porsche has produced could be a sign of very good things to come from the company. Of course there’s the 918 RSR and 918 Spyder, but the former of those two is intended only for the track and the latter only for the incredibly wealthy. An EV Boxster could be attainable by the only moderately wealthy, though of course Porsche’s giving no indication of price for these yet. Nor range, sadly, nor performance — they’re simply “rolling laboratories” that will provide data for future models to come. Sweet, sweet data.

Porsche unveils fully-electric Boxster E, a drop-top EV we can get behind originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 Feb 2011 22:17:00 EDT.