We now know what Ford is planning for the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show. The manufacturer has released a slew of photos and information on its new Evos Concept – a design study that will likely influence the look of the company’s products in the near future. While we aren’t likely to see many four-door gullwing hatchbacks in the Ford product line any time soon, chances are that the automaker’s artists will roll in elements like smaller, more discreet headlamps, more vertical hexoganal grille and a sleek silhouette. According to Ford design guru J Mays, the new look is penned, “not to provoke, but to seduce.”

The look is likely to command Ford design for the next five years or so, and you won’t hear any complaints from us on that front. Inside, the Evos also hints toward what’s coming down the pike in terms of interior design as well. With a driver-oriented instrument panel and an inverted ‘L’ climate system, Mays says that future Ford models will boast a more cockpit-like feel.

Befitting a true concept car, Ford says that the Evos is powered by the same plug-in hybrid drivetrain found in the C-Max Energi. That means that a set of lithium-ion batteries store and release electricity to allow the vehicle to operate primarily as an electric vehicle. Hit the jump for the press release.

Continue reading Ford Evos Concept is a sexy sign of things to come

Ford Evos Concept is a sexy sign of things to come originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 30 Aug 2011 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This compilation of racing crashes in the 1930s, ’40s, and ’50s is a jarring reminder of when auto racing really was a life-or-death venture. Put simply, if you drove a race car during this period, you were as likely to be killed as you were to retire.

Thanks to ever-increasing speeds and no regard for driver and spectator safety, it was common for races to turn deadly. Because of the sacrifices these drivers made, racers, teams and sanctioning bodies have since come together to make racing safer than ever.

If “Killed Myself When I Was Young” interests you, check out the hour-long YouTube video “Grand Prix: The Killer Years,” detailing the fight for even basic safety measures in Formula 1. Be advised that neither video is for the faint of heart; both are embedded after the jump.

Continue reading Vintage crash compilation shows how far racing has come

Vintage crash compilation shows how far racing has come originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 22 May 2011 20:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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To hear Autocar tell it, Honda has confirmed that it’s working on a faster version of its disappointing CR-Z hybrid. Having suffered the slings and arrows of enthusiast who thought they were getting another CRX, Honda has said they will have a quicker version of the car out when the next-generation IMA hybrid system arrives.

They’re keeping mum about what engine the augmented CR-Z will rock, but speculation is that the new model will put down about 160 hp between its gas and electric powerplants. Honda R&D chief Tomohiko Kawanabe says the company is leaning away from a turbo engine because a naturally aspirated set up will work better with the hybrid drive.

Kawanabe also indicates Honda won’t let the power increase take away from the current car’s fuel efficiency and C02 production numbers, so expect most of the new power to come from an improved electric motor.

The as-yet unnamed sportier CR-Z is still at least a year away, which makes sense, as the new hybrid system isn’t expected on our shores until 2012, when it’s due in the new Civic. Watch for updates as details emerge.

Images copyright (C)2011 Steven J. Ewing / AOL

[Source: Autocar]

Report: More details on Honda’s hotter CR-Z come to the fore originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 21 Mar 2011 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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