The SHC – The Future Of 3 Door Hatchbacks?

Designer Jamie Martin has turned his hand to designing some pretty awesome concepts in the past. He designed the Cobra Venom V8 concept car and the C.R.A.B police droi that we featured a while ago. He’s even one of the 4 winners that were tasked with creating the new design for the London bus (that may not sound much of a boast, but if you look at it you’ll realise it’s not your average bid red bus). Now he’s designed the SHC, or Super Hatchback Concept which is essentially a cross between a super car and a three door hatchback.

From the front end, the SHC looks like it could easily be a new TVR while the back end features the now obligatory multiple exhausts. It has ideal weight distribution which has been achieved through careful material choice and solid engineering and is definitely a concept that has been borne through sound design rather than jsut a quick mock-up that you might see when you’re hopping around the Internet.

Airflow is directed optimally through, over, and under the car. It has high torque and offers incredible supercar performance and speed despite being a convenient and useful hatchback. It is, as Jamie himself puts it, the supercar that you can also do your shopping in (the typical Ferrari isn’t exactly blessed in the boot space department).

Happily, the tech doesn’t stop there either as the SHC is brimming with new and cutting edge gadgets and drive technology. It would include a 6 speed short-shift gearbox as standard with an optional 7 speed also available. The twin-turbocharged engine offers direct injection and overboosting. Regenerative braking and AirHybrid drive make it an ecologically friendly hatchback too.

You can see full details on the SHC here.

Can you see the SHC gracing our roads in the near future?

Would you buy what is essentially a supercar wrapped up in a hatchback’s body?

August Cars – A Souped Up Porsche, A Weird Peugeot, And A New Panoz

It’s that time of the month again when we get to drool at the beautiful new cars that are being released and, thanks in no small part to a US manufacturer called Panoz, we can drool with very good reason. There’s also a new tardis from Peugeot which is smaller than a Smart but somehow seats four people. There’s a tech riddled Citreon C4 and a souped-up version of the 4 door Porsche.

View August’s Cars…

The Jaguar XJ – A World Of Gadgets On Wheels

Sometimes, adding a car review as a gadget can prove tenuous at best but we do it anyway because we like cars but Jaguar has gone all out to provide us with a car that you can proudly and genuinely call a gadget – in fact, you can call it a whole bucket load of gadgets because the new Jaguar XJ is crammed full of tech goodies that every reader will be crying out to get their hands on.

It’s got probably one of the most ridiculously intelligent dashboards you’ll see in a car for some time. Rather than albeit functional but now old fashioned dials to show speed, petrol level, etc… there is instead a 12.3 inch LCD screen and it’s definitely not a boring affair. When the car desperately needs to tell you something, it will replace certain parts of the display so if you have to be told that your son in the back isn’t wearing his seatbelt your petrol gauge will disappear to be replaced by the graphically represented warning light.

The car itself also has intelligent cruise control. It senses traffic in front of you and corrects and laters your speed accordingly so you can keep on cruising without even having to break a leg sweat.

The dual screen satnav is pretty darn impressive too. The passenger can watch TV while all the driver can see is the satnav screen. There’s a DVD player, a 30GB hard drive for multimedia storage, and you can even burn your CDs to the hard drive while in the car.

DAB radio and iPhone support complete what is one of the most imrpessive collections of multimedia entertainment and connectivity tools available. Most people’s laptops can’t boast that kind of functionality.

Do you want a car with a heated steering wheel and 30GB hard drive for storing movies and music?

Well, you will have to fork out around £65,000 for the privilege but still… 

Yoda Or Brian Blessed? – You Decide… On TomTom SatNav At Least

TomTom SatNavs have helped lead the way (see what we did there?) for years and as well as offering clear turn by turn instructions and perhaps more importantly to those of us that have to regularly rely on the digital stars to guide us home, they even allow us to download new and more interesting skins and voices. Let’s be honest after a few turns the standard voice becomes dull (no offense to the original voic actor) and lifeless at best so downloading and using a new voice is a good way to add a little extra spark to your journey.

Homer Simpson was one of the first voices offered and he went down such a storm that several others have been added. Yoda is one of the more recent examples and his voice has been offered by voiceskins.com and Lucas Film so that you really can use the force to get you home.

The TomTom community is able to request voices and the most popular requests are usually filled. In fact, one Facebook group that was started several years ago, forgotten about, and then promoted with some vigour, has helped ensure that one of the boomiest, deepest, and most theatrical of all voices will soon be heard ringing frantically from car windows as drivers follow Brian Blessed’s directions home.

The actor, probably best known for his role in the film Flash Gordon, became the subject of a Facebook campaign led by Richard Gardner from Manchester. He initially started the group to have Blessed used as the TomTom voice in April 2008 but having forgotten about the group was surprised to learn that it had gathered 450 members in Feburary 2010. Several thousand members had soon joined the petition and Gardner approached TomTom.

Gardner was told that if he could raise 25,000 members of the group then TomTom would approach Blessed to start negotiations. With 25,772 members, the SatNav manufacturers have remained true to their word and Brian Blessed really will soon be showing you the way home (if you own a TomTom of course).

Who navigates you home?

Will you be downloading Yoda or Brian Blessed?

The Most Powerful Porsche Ever, The Fastest Audi Ever, And A Skoda

The line-up of new cars for July is a shortlist of supercars, albeit a very short list of supercars, plus a Skoda. OK, so the 1.4 litre Skoda might be sloughtly out of its depth in the company of the Porsche 911 GT2 RS but according to T3 you shouldn’t underestimate it and at £15,700 it is without doubt the most affordable of the line up by some considerable margin.

Porsche has released a strainge lineup of vehicles lately including the Cayenne which has at least cleaned up its act and almost made roadworthy 4×4 vehicles something that won’t cause you to be spat at when you hit London city streets.

This little beauty, though, the Porsche 911 GT2 RS to give it its full title is definitely back to Porsche’s roots of making fast, hot cars. 611bhp means that you can do 205mph and reach 62mph in just 3.5 seconds. Twin turbochargers and the kind of weight loss that would normally demand a gastric band has given light to these impressive figures but you’ll only be able to enjoy them if you have access to a reasonable strip of unused runway and £164,107.

The Audi R8 caused a major stir when it was first released, largely because it looked stunning and it went. The car that is billed as being the fastest Audi ever, the R8 GT, offers 560bhp from its V10 engine and has four wheel drive so you can hopefully keep it planted on the right side of the kerb when you hit a corner.Price has yet to be confirmed but you know what they say? If you need to ask then you’ve got too much sense to own a car like this.

For a more than reasonable £15,700 you can have the Skoda Fabia vRS which offers a 1.4 supercharged engine and lets you hit a more realistic 139mph. Instead of buying the Porsche you could have 10.5 of these, which would be really useful.

The Year Of The Android – Orange Android Coming Soon Plus Open Spot App Now Launched

Orange looks like it’s attempting to almost single handedly turn this into the year of the Android, having an Android device designed and manufactured on its behalf that will apparently be available on contract and pay as you go and will cost as little as £100. The phone has a working title of Project JAL which we assume will be changed nearer the release date to something much more Orange like. The Dolphin or the Fruitbat maybe.

Apparently it will offer all the basics and will be similar in many respects to phones like the Vodafone 845 and the T-Mobile Pulse Mini – let’s hope they take some of their naming inspiration from T-Mobile rather than Vodafone then. It will have a 3mp camera and will run the latest version of Androi 2.1 when it is released. The date for release is currently set for the third quarter of this year so it’s not all that far away now. Although this is only a rumour and Orange has made no move to confirm or deny it, there is a swathe of information around so it’s likely to be a good one.

That’s not only good news for those that want a smartphone without the smartphone price but also for people struggling to find a parking space (erm… probably). A new Android App called Open Spot. Users gain karma by tagging open parking spaces in their local area and this gives other users the opportunity to find somewhere to leave their cars.

The problem with any app like Open Spot is that it’s next to useless without a mass of users to help carry the idea forward. And, you’ve got to question how many people will use it even if it is available for free download at the Google App store.

Are you that desperate to find decent parking that you’re on your way out to get an Android mobile now?

TomTom launches Star Wars-themed sat nav update

GPS sat nav manufacturer TomTom has released what some may regard as one of the most geek-friendly navigation voices of all time, getting the dulcet tones of legendary Star Wars villain Darth Vader into a new add-on voice navigation download.

TomTom launched the Darth Vader voice navigation pack on May the 4th, which has traditionally been designated as Star Wars Day by fans of the epic space saga and for the princely sum of £7.95 any TomTom owner can be ordered around by Darth Vader during a journey.

A promotional email was circulated last week, ostensibly from the Sith Lord himself, although the media kept quiet about the launch until the day actually arrived.

TomTom has commissioned novelty voice navigation packs in the past and it seems that the number is set to grow as Scottish comedian Billy Connolly and fictional cartoon father Homer Simpson are both confirmed for future releases.

The launch of other Star Wars navigation packs are planned for the next few months, when TomTom is set to bring mercenary Han Solo, robot C3PO and wise green sage Yoda to a sat nav near you.

It remains to be seen whether the novelty factor of these voice-overs is enough to keep you using them for extended periods, or having a quick giggle and then reverting back to the neutral, default voice files. However, the modest price is sure to attract quite a few TomTom owners over to the Dark Side for a dabble with Darth Vader and chums.

Audi R8 Spyder

The Audi R8 is one of the most desirable cars available and it is hard to think how it could be improved. But the new Spyder is due in March 2010 and it looks like it has improved on an already great design.

The Spyder ditches the side-blades for carbon fibre composite panels with a cover for the soft roof (which opens in 19 seconds whilst moving at speeds up to 31 miles per hour) . The styling is breathtaking both outside and in the interior of the car. The interior is equipped with a variety of top end gadgets including a race styled multi function steering wheel, electronically heated and adjustable seats, lap timer, driver information systems, deluxe air conditioning and a bang and olufsen sound system.

The car is full of innovative tech. The seats are coloured with pigments that actually reflect the infrared part of sunlight. This keeps the seats 20 degrees cooler than standard leather or cloth. Audi also offers lots of custom extras, such as bespoke leather and specially designed trims. A worldwide first is the optional seat belt microphone for the hands-free system, which makes it possible to talk on the phone even with the roof down on the motorway. Three tiny microphones are included on both seat belts.  There is a fourth microphone in the windscreen frame so sound is picked up from all around the car.

The power comes from a mid mounted V10 that produces 525 BHP, it will hit 62.14 MPH in 4.1 seconds and keep on going to an eye watering 194.49 Miles per hour. All of this will cost buyers £109,580 and is available in March 2010 and we can’t wait.

Parajet Skycar The First Mainstream Flying Car

I don’t think a day passes without me finding myself bumper to bumper inching along stuck in the inevitable traffic jam of the daily commute. I also don’t think a day passes without me willing my car with all my might to leap into the air and soar heroically above the honking horns and billowing exhaust of my fellow commuters, sadly it hasn’t happened, yet.

Parajet have taken this fantastic dream and ran no… flown with it.

The Parajet Skycar is a two seater, road legal, all terrain vehicle which runs of bio fuel, produces zero emissions and oh yeah it can fly.

Simplicity is the key to its design. It works in a similar way to paramotor. A large propeller running off the engine and a ‘parafoil’ wing provide lift. In drive mode the wing is folded into the boot and drive is transferred from the propeller to the wheels. This simple setup means the car is cheap, safe and reliable.

An emergency reserve parachute is included should the wing become unattached or a mid-air collision occur, always good to know.

In ‘Road Mode’ it has a top speed of 180 kmph 0–100 kmph in 4.5 seconds, rear wheel drive and a range of 400 km. In ‘Fly Mode’ a top speed of 110 kmph, a maximum altitude of 15,000 ft, a cruising altitude of 2000-3000 ft and a top speed of 110 kmph.

So if you find yourself looking to spend £50,000 you can purchase a flying car today, and fly it next year.

To read more visit the manufactures website www.parajetautomotive.com

Review Of The Current And Upcoming Tesla Range Of Cars

The future of the motor industry seems to rely very much on the next generation of electric cars. The major manufacturers are ploughing money into designing electric cars, not only to meet the demand for greener cars, but also to meet the likely slow down in oil production as oil becomes more difficult to find, or extract. The recent announcement by Daimler and Tesla of Daimler’s acquisition of a ten per cent stake in Tesla Motors Inc, brings together the old and the new. Daimler with over a hundred and twenty years experience in the motor industry realises that change has to come and has linked up with one of the most modern thinking companies in the field.

Tesla Motors are based in San Carlos, California and make electric cars with a feel of the future about them. It began development of its first vehicle, the Roadster in 2004. Subsequently the car was launched to an enthusiastic reception due to its sporty good looks and fuel efficiency. It still remains the only highway capable electric vehicle on sale in Europe and North America. The Tesla Roadster is the first production car to travel more than two hundred miles on a single charge. It is also the first car to receive certification in the United States and Europe as a lithium-ion battery powered vehicle. Reaching a staggering 0-60 in 3.9 seconds, and able to travel the equivalent of 256 miles to the gallon, the Roadster is managing to produce the type of statistics that the car enthusiast and the motor industry want to hear. A single electric charge will allow the car to travel two hundred and forty four miles with no emissions from the tailpipe, which made it the first production car to achieve this. The car is based on a Lotus design, is a few pounds heavier, but is actually faster than the original car.

Building on this success, Tesla has recently launched a new model, Model S, a family car which is due to go into production in 2010. As well as a flair for car design, Tesla will produce a family vehicle capable of meeting stringent European environmental, durability and most importantly, safety standards. The new model has already reached over a thousand in advanced orders since its launch in March 2009. At a launch price of £49,900, which is less than half the price of the sporty Roadster, the car produces zero emissions. It has a range of three miles on a single charge and the option exists for a quick forty five minute charge. The Tesla Model S can also reach an impressive 0-60 in 5.6 seconds, and has a top speed of a hundred and thirty miles per hour. A sports version of the Model S is likely to be able to reach from 0-60 in less than five seconds. The Model S also has a single speed gearbox which allows responsive handling and effortless acceleration. It can be charged from any 120V or 240V outlet, although if you have a 480V outlet available it will only take forty five minutes to become fully charged. There are far fewer moving parts, which make it less likely to break down. A Tesla does not need regular oil changes which help to reduce on road costs. In addition because of the floor mounted power train, the front space which would normally be used to mount the engine, actually becomes more boot space. The car is advertised as being able to carry up to seven people in comfort, as with some of the standard people carriers. In addition, the car will have a touch screen TV with 3G connectivity which will allow passengers to check the car charge from their iPhones.

Reviewers have generally been extremely enthusiastic in the praise of Tesla cars. Some have referred to the fact that Tesla have at last managed to improve the electric motor, which had basically not changed since its introduction in the early part of the last century. Electric power quickly fell by the wayside in favour of petrol powered cars. Even electric cars produced towards the end of the twentieth century still had many of the basic faults which used to bedevil the early electric cars. Cars would perform poorly if the ambient temperature dropped below a certain level, even on a full charge. Tesla have managed to eradicate this problem by introducing a cooling/heating system which allows the battery to be kept at a constant temperature.

Tesla have now moved the appeal of the electric car to a new level, and it may well be that petrol powered cars will soon be seen as museum pieces.

Watch the new video:

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