No related posts.

Wherever you find General Motors and Ford going at it, Chrysler is seldom very far behind. Except in Australia. The Land Down Under has its own unique touring car championship in the form of its popular V8 Supercars series, but the only contestants these days are Ford (with its FPV Falcon) and GM subsidiary Holden (with its HSV Commodore). That, however, could change in the near future.

Word on the Aussie street is that Chrysler Group Australia is entertaining the possibility of jumping into the popular series, likely with a vehicle based (however loosely) on the 300. Because V8 Supercars teams – which budget around million to run two cars for the season – are by regulation independent of any manufacturer, Chrysler would need to woo a few away from their current Ford or Holden partners, but several have reportedly approached the Pentastar automaker about the possibility.

The addition of a third manufacturer to challenge Ford and Holden would mirror a similar move made this season by BMW to challenge Audi and Mercedes-Benz (which was also rumored to be considering a V8 Supercars entry) in the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM). Chrysler previously supplied the V8 Supercars series with the first-gen 300C SRT8, which serves as the pace car for several years.

According to Australia’s The Age, SRT brand CEO Ralph Gilles reportedly likes the idea, but stopped short of committing to any impending program. The prospect, however, could be made more feasible by a new, more cost-effective “Car of the Future” being implemented in V8 Supercars, much as the “Car of Tomorrow” was in NASCAR and the “Next-Generation Touring Car” was in the British Touring Car Championship. Another plus is the expansion of the series outside of Australia to locations like India, Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Africa and – most crucially – the United States as a support race for the upcoming U.S. Grand Prix Formula One race in Austin, Texas.

Chrysler considering entry into Australia’s V8 Supercar series? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 25 Jan 2012 17:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments
Autoblog Australia

No related posts.

As any Acura diehard would be quick to tell you, a revival of the iconic NSX is long overdue. In true Honda fashion, the automaker decided that, if it was going to go to the trouble of producing a legitimate sportscar, it was going to take on the very best in the industry. Suffice it to say, the NSX delivered the goods.

We now have a new concept to drool over. While the last conceptual sportscar Acura showed off left NSX purists with a sour taste in their mouths – a V10 engine mounted up front was a far cry from the lightweight and high-revving mid-engine V6 of the original – we have a strong feeling that nobody is going to turn their noses up at this new NSX Concept.

Like its forebear, this latest take on the NSX promises to shed excess weight through the use of a high-tech platform made from the latest lightweight materials. Power, as with the original, will come from a V6 mounted behind the two occupants that sends its power to the rear wheels; except this time, it will be augmented by an electric motor.

Acura’s latest SH-AWD incorporates one electric motor in a dual-clutch transmission, forming a hybrid setup. Additionally, two more motors can instantly send negative or positive torque to the front wheels during cornering for improved handling and efficiency, and the whole package can be tailored via software. Acura says the new all-wheel-drive system will provide “supercar acceleration while offering outstanding efficiency.”

We’re not so sure environmentalists are ready to accept the notion of an eco-friendly supercar, but it’s clear Acura’s parents at Honda are keen to keep emissions and fuel usage in check. “In this new era, even as we focus on the fun to drive spirit of the NSX, I think a supercar must respond positively to environmental responsibilities,” says Takanobu Ito, president and CEO of Honda Motor Co.

Acura isn’t saying how much horsepower its V6 engine and three electric motors will amount to, but we’re not expecting outlandish figures. The automaker says it’s aiming for an “extremely favorable power-to-weight ratio.” We like the sound of that, and hope the production version, which is expected within the next three years, delivers on this laudable promise. Check out the complete press release after the break.

Continue reading Acura NSX Concept portends an efficient hybrid supercar

Acura NSX Concept portends an efficient hybrid supercar originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 09 Jan 2012 15:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments
Autoblog Concept Cars

No related posts.

Think “supercar” and only a handful of countries are likely to come to mind. And most of them are in Europe: Italy, Great Britain, Germany… even Sweden and France have pitched in here and there with such notables as Koenigsegg and Bugatti. Consider examples like the Dodge Viper, Ford GT and Corvette ZR1 and you can deal America in on the action, and with vehicles like the Acura NSX, Nissan GT-R and Lexus LFA, Japan has lent its hand, too. But India?

The populous subcontinent may not be the first that comes to mind, but DC Design is eager to change that. The company has popped onto the scene here and there with its Rolls-Royce coachbuilds and dolled-up Tata Nanos, but is now preparing to step up to the big leagues with the vehicle you see teased here.

Set to be unveiled at the upcoming Delhi Auto Expo (which is not, to our chagrin, a display of pastrami delivery trucks), DC’s first independent project is set to be powered by a forced-induction V6 engine sourced from Honda, delivering about 400 horsepower. Considering the low target weight of less than 3,500 pounds, that could prove more than enough. 30 lakh rupees (about ,000) is the target price, with production capped at 3,000 units per year.

DC Design previews India’s first supercar originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 03 Jan 2012 09:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments
Autoblog

No related posts.

No related posts.