Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Monday, August 15, 2011
BMW revealed the electric models i3 and i8
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| BMW unveil the i3 and i8 concept cars which are aimed at sustainability and zero-emissions. These vehicles will be the first electrically powered cars from the BMW i sub brand, with the launch of the i3 coming in 2013 and the i8 the following year. The i3 concept has a range of 150km and is intended for use in an urban environment. It comes with a 125 kW electric motor, rear-wheel drive and impressive handling. Weight was a kept to a minimum in this vehicle thanks to the LifeDrive architecture, allowing the vehicle to clock in at just 1 250kg. It also comes with 4 seats and 200 litre luggage compartment. The BMW i3 is able to complete 0-100km/h in less than 8 seconds and can reach 80% charge (off a high speed charger) in just one hour. The BMW i8 comes with a 260 kW engine which allows it to complete 0-100km/h in just 5 seconds and a top speed of 250km/h. It boasts a fuel economy of less than 3 litres/100km, a figure other sports cars would love to emulate. It comes with a plug-in hybrid drive and has a range of 35km in electric mode, with a 3-cylinder petrol engine taking over for more dynamic driving. The BMW i3 and i8 will be built in Germany’s Leipzig plant. Look for more information on these vehicles closer to the release date. | ||||
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Thursday, August 4, 2011
GM Begins Building Chevy Sonics
GM has started building the subcompact Chevy Sonic at their Orion Hills, MI plant. The upcoming Chevrolet Sonic may be small in size, but the automaker has huge plans for the subcompact car, which replaces the forgettable Korean-built Chevy Aveo in its lineup. Chevy has gone to great lengths to promote the Sonic, despite the fact that it won’t hit dealer showrooms until sometime this fall.
Like the Aveo, the Sonic was developed in South Korea; unlike the Aveo, the Sonic will be built in the United States. GM is quick to point out that the Sonic is the only subcompact from a domestic manufacturer built in this country. If you count the Fiat 500 as being from Chrysler, it’s built at their plant in Toluca, Mexico. Ford’s Fiesta also comes from south of the border, and is assembled at the Ford plant in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico.
The Sonic began production at Chevy’s Orion Township, MI plant today, justifying some $500 million in upgrades that GM has spent on the facility, which also builds the Buick Verano. At launch, Chevy will offer the Sonic at a base price of $14,495, which makes it slightly more expensive than a base Ford Fiesta. Opt for the 1.4-liter turbo engine, and the price goes up by $700. If you want the range-topping LTZ version in hatchback form, that price starts at $17,235.
Chevy has alluded to the Sonic’s handling, referencing its direct DNA link to theChevrolet Corvette. We’re struggling to make the connection between a front-engine, front-drive subcompact and one of America’s premier sports cars, but we’ll give Chevy some latitude, at least until we have a chance to drive the Sonic.
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