Saturday, 18 April 2015

2016 BMW 7 Series Will Park Itself With No One in the Car

2016 BMW 7 Series Will Park Itself With No One in the Car

2016 BMW 7 Series Will Park Itself With No One in the Car

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BMW has released new details on its upcoming next-generation 7 Series sedan including one particularly amazing feature.

The German automaker wants to set a new benchmark for luxury and technology with the 2016 BMW 7 Series model and has revealed that the new sedan will weigh up to 287 lbs lighter than the current model.

The weight savings is made possible thanks to the Carbon Core at the heart of the 7 Series' body structure and is based on technology developed by the company's i sub-brand. According to BMW, the carbon fiber material also helps increase torsional rigidity and strength on the sedan.

SEE ALSO: 2016 BMW 7 Series Spied in Aggressive Trim

BMW also revealed that the new 7 Series will benefit from a turbocharged six-cylinder engine offering while its handling performance will be enhanced with the first electromechanically-driven Dynamic Drive roll stabilization system.

But the biggest news is that the 2016 BMW 7 Series will be the first production car to be able to park itself using a remote control. The remote control option will allow owners to get out of their vehicles and have the 7 Series park itself in extremely tight parking spaces and can tell the vehicle to enter or exit a parking space fully automatically through the BMW Display Key. The technology is still being discussed with regulators in some countries as BMW works on getting it approved in all markets.

Another first for the 2016 BMW 7 Series will be gesture control, the ability for the car's infotainment system to understand gestures and the automaker believes it'll be an industry first. The system uses a 3D sensor to detect hand movements and the gestures can be used for numerous functions including controlling the radio's volume and accepting or rejecting phone calls.

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Ford, Chrysler Bidding to Build Mail Trucks

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Two automakers are hoping to build the next-generation of U.S. Postal Service delivery trucks.

Both Ford and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles are bidding on producing the new delivery trucks and are among a list of 15 companies that are in the running. The  contract will supply the government agency with new delivery trucks, replacing the current fleet that is more than 20 years old. Ford and Fiat Chrysler are competing against various military, mass-transit and specialized transportation companies for the contract and the proposed vehicles will need to last at least 20 years, carry a minimum payload of 1,500 lbs and pass safety and emissions requirements.

SEE ALSO: Ford Enters Joint Venture to Develop Low-Cost Carbon Fiber

The government service is also requiring the next-generation of vehicles to share a similar design but have improved fuel economy and other performance specifications and ergonomics. It will be up to each company to propose a new or modified vehicle, according to Postal Service spokeswoman Sarah Ninivaggi.

The contract would supply up to 180,000 vehicles at $25,000 to $35,000 per vehicle, which totals between $4.5 billion and $6.3 billion. Expect the Postal Service to select companies for prototype models by July with testing starting in September 2016 and selecting the company by January 2017. From there, you'll likely start seeing new postal trucks in 2018.

[Source: The Detroit News]

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2016 Camaro Production Tail Lights Spied

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AutoGuide.com's spy photographers just caught the production tail lights for the 2016 Chevrolet Camaro.

The next-generation Chevrolet Camaro will make its official debut May 16 in Detroit and will be based on the American automaker's new Alpha platform that also underpins the Cadillac ATS and CTS. Until now, the 2016 Chevrolet Camaro has been shy on showing off its rear tail lights that appear to be an evolution of the current model's.

SEE ALSO: 2016 Chevrolet Camaro Four-Cylinder Spied

Expect the 2016 Chevrolet Camaro to weigh at least 200 lbs lighter than its predecessor and will be powered by the same 6.2-liter V8 it currently uses. Rumor has it that the base-model Camaro will use a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder while the new 3.6-liter V6 used in the Cadillac CT6 will be available as an option. Unfortunately there's another month to go before the next Camaro debuts.

Discuss this story at our Chevrolet Camaro forum

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Finnish Company Reveals 1,300 HP Electric Supercar

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A Finnish automaker has debuted an all-electric supercar.

Named the Toroidion 1MW, the electric supercar was revealed at Top Marques in Monaco and looks to set its sight on toppling the Koenigsegg One:1. According to the company, the all-electric powertrain makes 1,341 hp (1,000 kW) in a two-seat, stylish body. Toroidion also said that the new powertrain is scalable for different applications, suggesting that the Finnish automaker is considering less powerful variants, or even cheaper offerings for the market.

The battery utilized in the system was developed for quick swapping, enabling the car to be used on the track by changing the module in pit lane. In fact, Toroidion noted that the company was established in 2011 with the aim to develop an entirely new electric powertrain "that could be competitive at the Le Mans 24-hour race."

SEE ALSO: Koenigsegg Regera Megacar Makes 1,500 Hybrid Horsepower

The 1MW will be designed, developed and built in Finland with global launch ambitions. Toroidion hasn't disclosed details as to when it'll head to production, but it looks like the supercar category is heating up to be really competitive.

Discuss this story at our luxury lifestyle forum

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Honda S1000 Rumored for Production

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The Honda S1000 has reportedly been green lit for production.

The all-new Honda S660 was recently launched in Japan and now there are reports that the Japanese automaker has approved a more powerful S1000 model that will be built and exported to other markets. The company has hinted numerous times that a S1000 was in the plans and it appears that it will be powered by a 1.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder VTEC engine with well over 100 hp. According to a Motoring source, Honda's new three-cylinder turbo engines are "so hi-tech that without even trying they pump out roughly 60kW (80 hp)."

SEE ALSO: Honda S660 Launching with Concept Edition

That's not all, as rumors suggest that Honda is planning a S660 Type R model that will take its current powerplant and push it to around 100 hp. Unfortunately don't expect the hotter model to make an appearance until mid-to-late 2016 and even then, it isn't likely to come to the U.S. Now if a S1000 makes it to North America then there might be a reason to get excited.

[Source: Motoring]

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2016 Audi A6, A7 Pricing Announced

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Pricing on the 2016 Audi A6 and A7 models has been announced.

The 2016 Audi A6 2.0T FWD S Tronic will have a starting price of $47,125 including destination while Quattro all-wheel drive models will run $2,200 more. Those looking for more power can opt for the A6 3.0T, which comes standard with Quattro all-wheel drive and is priced from $58,325. A6 diesel shoppers will have to pay at least $60,425 and the range-topping S6 4.0T Quattro S Tronic will start from $71,825.

As for the A7, Audi has announced that the A7 3.0T Quattro Tiptronic will be priced from $67,375. The A7 TDI diesel variant will have a price tag of $71,325 while the S7 4.0T is $83,825. If the S7's performance isn't enough for you, the 2016 RS 7 will start at $109,825.

SEE ALSO: 2016 Audi A6, A7 Make Official Debut in LA

The Audi 2.0 TFSI engine provides 252 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque in the A6 while the 3.0 TFSI is good for 333 hp and 325 lb-ft of torque in both the A6 and A7 models. Both the S6 and S7 models see a performance bump of 30 hp to a total of 450 hp and 406 lb-ft of torque while the RS 7 has an impressive 506 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque.

 Discuss this story at our Audi forum

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