Gordon Murray Reveals T.32 Pure Electric Roadster

Gordon Murray, who revolutionized Formula 1 cars in the 1980s and was responsible for the creation of the one of the best supercars of all time, the extraordinary McLaren F1, has recently become a champion of environmentally friendly vehicle.

Not too long ago, he even revealed an all-electric city car, the T.27, and said that he's talking to three manufacturers for getting it into production.

However, old habits die hard. Despite all the talk about revolutionizing city mobility, his true calling is in sports cars. Now, if Murray could create an eco-friendly sports model, he would combine his two different interests into one all-encompassing project.

The chance came along when carbonfiber specialist Toray Industries Inc. commissioned Gordon Murray Design [GMD] to build an all-new all-electric roadster. The result is the open-top, two-seater Teewave AR.1, or as Murray calls it, the T.32.

The Teewave AR.1 uses a carbonfiber monocoque chassis developed by Toray and is powered by the Mitsubishi iMiEV's electric powertrain. While the electric motor develops only 65-horses, the AR.1’s weight does not exceed 850 kg (1,874 lbs) including the 240 kg (529 lbs) battery.

Still, 65HP is, well, 65HP so GMD's performance figures aren't exactly worthy of a car that wants to belong to the sports segment: 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) in 11.4 seconds and a top speed of 146 km/h (91 mph).

Nevertheless, Murray claims that the T.32 “proves that performance through light weight is the most efficient and environmentally friendly way to achieve power-to-weight targets.”

GMD says that development of the car from concept discussions to running vehicle took just nine months.

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IAA 2011: Ford's Pure Electric E-Bike Concept

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U.S. to Miss Out on Street Legal SLS AMG GT3, Perhaps Even the E-Cell, But will get the Black Series

If the standard SLS AMG with its 6.3-liter engine and 571-horses is not hot enough for you, you’ll be happy to learn that Mercedes-Benz has told Motor Trend that the company will launch not one, but two hotter versions of its supercar.

“We absolutely have to do a Black Series SLS AMG”, said Tobias Moers who is a member of the board of directors and head of vehicle development at AMG. Although he declined to provide further details, judging from recent Black Series versions such as the C 63 Coupe, we can expect more power and, of course, an impressive aero-kit and race-inspired interior.

The Black Series, however, will look tame compared to the road-legal version of the SLS AMG GT3 racer, which will be created to homologate it for Europe.

Unfortunately, it won't be heading over to this side of the Atlantic due to the massive cost of re-certifying it for the States. “AMG does not make money losing projects. We can’t afford to,” said Moers.

The 2013 SLS E-Cell electric version may be another SLS that may not cross the Atlantic. Mercedes hasn’t yet ruled out bringing the 525HP pure electric supercar to the US, but once again, the company officials are contemplating whether or not the sales volume will justify the cost of the re-certification.

Story Source: Motor Trend

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Skoda Begins Production of Electric Octavia E Line Test Fleet

Skoda announced that it has begun production of the Octavia E Line, the company’s first fully electric car that was first saw in concept form at last year’s Paris Motor Show.

Starting this fall, the Czech automaker will manufacture a test fleet of 10 cars that will be used for evaluation of the emissions-free technology. This will help the Skoda collect valuable data to be used in future applications that will reduce its average CO2 emissions.

“Emission-free mobility is one of our key goals for the future, and my opinion is that electric vehicles are the right answer o the increasingly stringent emission limits”, said Skoda’s board of directors member for Technological Development, Dr. Eckhard Scholz.

Based on the Octavia Combi, the E Line features a 26.5kWh lithium-ion battery pack placed under the floor and an electric motor with a constant output of 60kW (80HP) and a maximum power of 85kW (110HP). As with all electric motors, its torque (270 Nm or 199 lb-ft) is available immediately.

With this setup, the Octavia accelerates from 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) in 12.0 seconds and reaches an electronically limited top speed of 135 km/h (84 mph), while its maximum range is about 140 km (87 miles).

The Octavia E Line also features a sound generator that simulates the noise of a regular internal combustion engine at speeds up to 40 km/h (25 mph) in order to warn pedestrians.

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Frankfurt Show Preview: New Audi A2 Concept

These past few years, Audi and the German premium automakers in general, have set out to fill every possible niche consumers may or may not think they need, from luxurious superminis to wild supercars. And they are far from done.

At the upcoming 2011 Frankfurt auto show, Audi will lift the covers off a new pure-electric concept study that revives the name of long gone A2.

The original model was a small MPV built from 1999 to 2005 that was way ahead of its time in several ways, but what made it truly unique was that it was manufactured entirely out of aluminum.

The new A2 concept is, however, a different car - and a very confused one at that. First of all, it’s a five-door hatchback but it's actually smaller in size than the three-door A1 measuring just 3.80 meters (12.47 ft) long, 1.69 meters (5.54 ft) wide and 1.49 meters (4.89 ft) tall. In comparison, the A2 is 3.95 meters long, 1.74 meters wide and 1.42 meters tall.

At this stage, Audi has not revealed many technical details on the A2 Concept, but it is believed that the car is based on a shortened version of the A1's platform.

The German automaker says that the A2 offers "plenty of room for four people" and that it features flat interior floorboard. There are four individual seats, with the center console attached to the driver’s seat and the rear console extending forward between the two rear seats. The load area has two levels with a frame creating the upper level.

The only piece of information we get about the drivetrain from Audi is that the A2 Concept sports a "powerful electric drive system for agile performance and long range".

And what does the future hold for the A2? Well, at last year's Geneva Salon, Audi execs hinted at the A2 but noted that if the company were to produce such a model, it would be offered with both conventional and electric powertrains.

We'll find out more about the A2 at the rapidly approaching Frankfurt Motor Show.

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