2013 SuperCar BMW Megacity

BMW released few details and photos with the new model called Megacity that will be an electric 4-seater also known as the “MCV”.
This will be specially created for city traffic and will have a 100 kw electric engine.

The 2013 BMW Megacity uses light materials for the LifeDrive concept, that will help reduce the car’s weight by 250 to 300 kg.

Press release:
“The BMW Group is once again breaking new ground with the Megacity Vehicle (MCV), due to come onto the market in 2013: “The Megacity Vehicle is a revolutionary automobile. It will be the world’s first volume-produced vehicle with a passenger cell made from carbon. Our LifeDrive architecture is helping us to open a new chapter in automotive lightweight design. Indeed, this concept allows us to practically offset the extra 250 to 350 kilograms of weight typically found in electrically powered vehicles.” says Klaus Draeger, Member of the Board of Management for Development.

“The drive system remains the heartbeat of a car, and that also applies to electric vehicles,” said Draeger. “Powertrains also remain a core area of expertise of Bayerische Motoren Werke. Electromobility and the hallmark BMW driving pleasure make an excellent match, if you go about things the right way. For this reason we are developing the powertrain for the Megacity Vehicle in-house – that includes the electric motor, the power electronics and the battery system.”

The electrification of a vehicle requires new concepts in vehicle architecture and body construction in order to exploit the potential of the new emission-free drive system to optimum effect. With the revolutionary LifeDrive concept, the BMW Group engineers are developing the car’s architecture from scratch and adapting it to the demands and conditions of future mobility. The goal: to offset the additional weight of an electric vehicle – typically 250 to 350 kilograms. To this end, the BMW Group is focusing on the innovative high-tech material carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP).

The LifeDrive concept consists of two horizontally separated, independent modules. The Drive module integrates the battery, drive system and structural and crash functions into a single construction within the chassis. Its partner, the Life module, consists primarily of a high-strength and extremely lightweight passenger cell made from CFRP. Furthermore, the new vehicle architecture opens the door to totally new production processes which are both simpler and more flexible, and use less energy.

The BMW Group is also aiming to be the force behind the best drive systems over the years ahead – systems boasting outstanding efficiency, performance and smoothness, even if it is electricity rather than fossil fuels that are converted into propulsion. To this end, the BMW Group is vigorously driving forward the technical development of electric powertrains. The BMW Group’s centre of expertise for electric drive systems brings together development, manufacturing and procurement specialists under one roof. All their efforts are focused on the implementation and typically BMW interpretation of the new generation of drive systems. Ultimately, electric vehicles not only provide a zero-local-emission and low-noise form of propulsion; their ability to deliver a totally new and extremely agile driving experience is also impressive.

Renault DeZir Concept

Renault DeZir is the latest concept from the French auto-manufacturer which will be officially presented at the 2010 Auto Show in Paris. A French car in Paris is the best choice, don’t you think?

DeZir Concept has lithium batteries and a 110 kw electric engine at 226 Nm of torque; these batteries can be fully charged in 8 hours.

Although it is a “green” car this concept can reach 100 km/h in less than 5 seconds and has a top speed of 180 km/h. Pretty good, no?

2013 Morgan EvaGT - Car News

Morgan, a company perhaps best known for not introducing new cars, showed off a new car just outside the Pebble Beach Concours and promises to bring a new car to market every two years. At this point the Morgan EvaGT is a concept, but the production version will be the first of Morgan’s ambitious product push. Morgan is even taking orders for the 2+2 sports car, and says it will enter production in 2012.

Unlike the historic, ash-framed Morgans, the EvaGT is a fully modern sports car. A bonded aluminum structure shared with the rare Morgan Aero SuperSports helps keep the curb weight down to a claimed 2755 pounds. Powering the EvaGT’s rear wheels is a 306-hp BMW inline-six. (It is unclear whether this is the new single-turbo engine or the older twin-turbo.) Acceleration to 62 mph is said to take 4.5 seconds and the top speed comes in at 170 mph. But, as Morgan tells us, the EvaGT is also about fuel efficiency and will achieve 40 mpg on some undisclosed cycle.

We didn’t immediately think Morgan when we first saw the EvaGT. Without the company’s usual large, round headlamps, the waterfall grille takes on a Bugatti look. The proportions are decidedly pre-war, though, with the enormous hood giving way to a comparatively small passenger compartment. Morgan says that the price will “be competitive for a car of this class,” but we’re not sure that even the most modern Morgan fits into any class in the automotive landscape.

Honda S2000 going hybrid?

The Japan car magazine, Best Car is reporting that the recently discontinued Honda S2000 will return in 2012, but that the new S2000 will be powered by Honda’s second-generation hybrid drivetrain used in the Honda Accord rather than by Honda’s high-revving F20C 2.0-Liter engine. What will probably disappoint fans of the original Honda S2000 more is the news that car will also be front-wheel driven rather than rear wheel drive of its predecessor, although rumors of a front wheel drive Honda S2000 have been circulating since late 2006.

Best Car also reports that the new convertible is likely to be fitted with a retractable hard-top and will be a step up from the all-new Honda CR-Z hybrid due for release in 2010. The new Honda S2000 is thought to make its debut in production form at this year’s Tokyo Motor Show and is expected to be released for sale in the first half of 2012.