Fisker Karma Electric Supercar Struts Its Stuff at CES 2012 PICS

Information Specification Image Review Fisker Karma Electric Supercar Struts Its Stuff at CES 2012 [PICS]
LAS VEGAS — The Fisker Karma is an electric car on a nationwide tour, and one of its stops was at CES 2012. We got a chance to sit in it and experience all its luxury appointments, both interior and exterior.
Easing our 6-foot+ frames down into the vehicle, we found it’s seriously low-slung (as any good sports car should be). Once you sit down it feels like you’re wearing it rather than sitting in it. We liked its swank leather interior, made of “low carbon” leather that was manufactured in the greenest possible way, in keeping with the overall theme of the vehicle.

We’re also fond of its solar panels on the roof, which actually do more than the Prius’s solar panels, which are used to run a fan to keep the car interior cool as it sits in parking lots on hot days. Nay, the Fisker’s batteries actually assist in the charging of the car while it’s in the sunlight. And just look at that styling.
The car is said to have a 50-mile range on a single electric charge. Lately it’s had a bit of trouble with its batteries — 50 of the cars were shipped last month with batteries that presented a potential fire hazard. The company’s still working out that issue.
The super luxurious interior and sporty exterior of the Fisker Karma is certainly not cheap, with prices starting at $100,000. We saw the car in the middle of a hotel ballroom, slightly disappointed that we couldn’t take it out on the road for a quick spin.source:http://mashable.com

2014 Jeep Compass with New 6 Speed Auto Heads to Geneva for its European Premiere

Land Rover will be displaying a new 9-speed automatic transmission for use on its passenger cars and SUVs at next weeks Geneva International Auto Show. The new ZF 9HP gearbox was developed by transmission specialist ZF with Land Rover being a lead partner in the project – or so the British company says. 

Specifically designed for transverse applications, the ZF unit is rather compact in dimensions, as despite sporting three more gears, it is only 6mm (0.23 inches) longer and actually weighs 7.5kg (16.5 pounds) less than the outgoing six-speed transmission it will replace.
According to the British carmaker, increasing the number of gear ratios from six to nine provides significant improvement in fuel consumption and a corresponding reduction in CO2 emissions, while the smaller ratio steps help improve response during acceleration, shift quality, drive and refinement.

 Furthermore, the lowest ratio in the new 9HP is far lower than the existing 6sp transmission, with the company stating that it is specifically designed for "off-road use, towing and more extreme on-road conditions like gradients and altitude, giving the driver a heightened sense of control".

Another special feature of the ZF 9HP is the adaptive shifting system that allows the software to learn from the drivers techniques "within seconds, sharpening up during brisk driving then slipping seamlessly into a more economical regime just as quickly when taking a more relaxed approach," according to Land Rover. 

“We are extremely excited about the 9HP which has been tailored exactly to dovetail with the unique attributes of our vehicles,” said John Edwards, Land Rover Global Brand Director. “It will add another layer of performance, refinement and efficiency, further enhancing Land Rover’s world class abilities.”