Chrysler started to build the Dodge Durango Hybrid 2009 in fall 2008, featuring the 340 hp (254 kW) 5.7 L (345 cu in) Hemi engine with MDS as well as the new Two-Mode Hybrid system developed with General Motors and BMW. The manufacturer claimed an almost 25% gain overall fuel fuel economy and an almost 40% gain in the city.
EPA testing on the Hybrid Durango with the Hemi V8 engine indicates fuel mileage to be about 20 miles per US gallon (12 L/100 km; 24 mpg-imp) (city) and 22 miles per US gallon (11 L/100 km; 26 mpg-imp) (highway) for 2009 model.
Dodge Durango Hybrid
Dodge Durango Hybrid
Dodge Durango Hybrid
The normal (non-hybrid) Durango with the 5.7 L (345 cu in) Hemi and 4WD gets 13 miles per US gallon (18 L/100 km; 16 mpg-imp) (city) and 19 miles per US gallon (12 L/100 km; 23 mpg-imp) (highway).
The 2009 Dodge Durango Hybrid has a starting MSRP of $45,340.Production of the hybrid models (this included Chrysler Aspen Hybrid as well) began on August 22 2008. Chrysler received approximately 3000 pre-orders from dealers. By early November 2008, 400 of the hybrid S.U.V.’s, including Chrysler Aspen, had already been built.
Dodge Journeys assembled and marketed in Japan are known as Dodge JC.
As part of the vehicle's introductory promotion, Dario Franchitti's No. 40 Dodge Charger carried a "Journey" paint scheme for the 2008 Daytona 500 on February 15, 2008.
The Aston Martin Rapide is a four-door, high-performance sport saloon, which British luxury marque Aston Martin introduced in early 2010 to compete with the Maserati Quattroporte, Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class, and Porsche Panamera along with the upcoming Audi A7 and Lamborghini Estoque. It was first presented as a concept car at the North American International Auto Show in 2006. The Rapide name is a reference to the Lagonda Rapide, a saloon car produced by Lagonda, now part of Aston Martin. The car is based on an Aston Martin DB9. The base price for the Aston Martin Rapide is $199,950 (USD)and the first cars were rolled out in May 2010.
The Rapide is built at a dedicated plant at the Magna Steyr facility in Graz, Austria. Production began in 2010 and the factory plans to build 2,000 per year.
The production version features a full-length glass roof and LED light bars on the rear end, two firsts for Aston Martin.
Postwar Cadillacs, incorporating the ideas of General Motors styling chief Harley J. Earl, innovated many of the styling features that came to be synonymous with the classic (late-1940s and 1950s) American automobile, including tailfins and wraparound windshields. Fledgling automotive magazine Motor Trend awarded its first "Car of the Year" to Cadillac in 1949; the company turned it down. On 25 November 1949, Cadillac produced its one millionth car, a 1950 Coupe de Ville. It also set a record for annual production of over 100,000 cars, a record it repeated in 1950 and 1951. Cadillac's first tailfins, inspired by the twin rudders of the Lockheed P-38 Lightning, appeared in 1948; the 1959 Cadillac was the epitome of the tailfin craze, with the most recognizable tailfins of any production automobile.
Cadillac's other distinctive styling attribute was its front-bumper designs which became known as Dagmar bumpers or simply Dagmars. What had started out after the war as an artillery shell shaped bumper guard became an increasingly important part of Cadillac's complicated front grille and bumper assembly. As the 1950s wore on, the element was placed higher in the front-end design, negating their purpose as bumper guards. They also became more pronounced and were likened to the bosom of 1950s television personality Dagmar. In 1957 the bumpers gained black rubber tips which only heightened the relationship between the styling element and a stylized, exaggerated bumper design. For 1958 the element was toned down and then was completely absent from the 1959 models.
Cadillac Cars
Cadillac Cars
Cadillac Cars
Cadillac Cars
Cadillac Cars
Cadillac Cars
Cadillac Cars
Cadillac Cars
Cadillac Cars
Cadillac Cars
Cadillac Cars
Cadillac Cars
In 1966, Cadillac would mark up its best annual sales yet, over 192,000 units (142,190 of them de Villes), an increase of more than 60%. This was exceeded in 1968, when Cadillac topped 200,000 units for the first time.
The launch of the front-wheel drive Eldorado in 1967 as a personal luxury coupe, with its simple, elegant design — a far cry from the tail-fin and chrome excesses of the 1950s — gave Cadillac a direct competitor for the Lincoln and Imperial, and in 1970, Cadillac sales topped Chrysler's for the first time. The new 472 cu in (7.7 l) engine that debuted in the 1968 model year, designed for an ultimate capacity potential of 600 cu in (9.8 l), was increased to 500 cu in (8.2 l) for the 1970 Eldorado. It was adopted across the model range beginning in 1975.
Lotus Engineering has established a group dedicated to hybrid and electric vehicles.
Lotus plans to enter the electric vehicle race, CEO Michael Kimberley told the Financial Times . "Don’t be surprised to see an electric Lotus shortly,” he said, adding that a concept version could debut as early as March 2009, at Geneva Motor Show. Lotus is now front and center in the electric-car arena.
Lotus did not reveal details about the car or the engine but discloses that it will go for 300 to 400 miles (640 km) and it will really live up to the expectations of being one of the best electric cars in the world.
Lotus Cars
Lotus Cars
Lotus Cars
Lotus Cars
Lotus joined Jaguar Cars and Caparo on a luxury hybrid executive sedan project called "Limo-Green"--funded by the UK Government Technology Strategy Board. The vehicle will be a series plug-in hybrid.
Tesla Motors, a likely rival for Lotus if its plans go through, has also turned to contractors for parts of the all-electric Roadster.Of note however, is the fact that Tesla currently obtains the chassis for their Roadster from Lotus as do Dodge for their EV because of the heavy weight of the batteries in an EV and Lotus's widely known low weight and sharp handling characteristics. While only 10% of the parts of the Tesla Roadster are shared with the Lotus Elise, Lotus is responsible for approximately 40% of the overall content of the car.
