The Truth About Cars » Future VehiclesThe Truth About Cars is dedicated to providing candid, unbiased automobile reviews and the latest in auto industry news.Fiat, BMW to Collaborate on Platform, Engines- July 8, 2008 Fiat makes some really wonderful small cars. But as always, it&39;s more fun to do it with someone else! And so Fiat likes to take lovers, much like the Italian Prime Minister does (e.g. former topless modelcurrent Minister for Equal Opportunities Mara Carfagna, Ministers of Parliament Gabriella Giammanco, Micaela Biancofiore and Nunzia De Girolamo and Venezuelan Model Aida Yespica). Consider: The Fiat Panda and 500 share a platform with the upcoming Ford Ka. Fiat partnered with PSA...http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/fiat-bmw-to-collaborate-on-platform-engines/ Mahindra Moving Forward With Plans for 2009 US Truck Debut- July 7, 2008 Those of you wishing for a sensible, small, utilitarian diesel engined pickup truck are about to get your wish. The Wall Street Journal reports Mahindra &38; Mhaindra&39;s&160;plan to release its Appalachian model mid-size pickup is on schedule for 2009. Previous reports &160;tell us that the truck will feature a 2.2-liter, four-cylinder diesel rated at 150hp and 300 ft. lbs. Preliminary specifications tell of a six-speed automatic transmission, electronic stability control and a 7.5 ft. long...http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/mahindra-moving-forward-with-plans-for-2009-us-truck-debu... BMW 7-Series Engines Revealed- July 4, 2008 While the 4th is an American day of celebration, it&39;s a day of national shame, disgust, and disappointment for our British friends across the Atlantic (Jeremy Clarkson, in particular, is said to be spending the day sobbing and eating some kind of pie with meat, rather than apples). To help combat their dreadful feelings, BMW of UK has put out a press release on the just revealed new uberlux 7-Series sedan. Not surprisingly, it will holster the new twin-turbo V8 engine (badged 750i in The...http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/bmw-7-series-engines-revealed/ Ford to Revive SVO Mustang- July 3, 2008 Just a week ago, we called on Ford to revive the SVO Mustang. And now, a &34;reliable source&34; has told Garage 419 that Ford is considering a revival of a Mustang SVO. OK, not the actual Fox-body &8216;Stang of the eighties. But the same idea translated for today. We&39;re talking about a 300hp EcoBoost four cylinder engine mated to a six-speed stick; a combination that could shave as much as five hundred pounds off a current GT. Much of that diet would come off the front end, improving...http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/ford-to-revive-svo-mustang/ GMs Not Beat Yet; Launches Disinformation Campaign- July 3, 2008 Scanning the blogs as we do, Frank and I often sense the cold dead hand of automotive PR. Predictable patterns emerge. For example, GM saves bad news for Friday and launches &34;good&34; news (new products, restructuring, etc.) ahead of bad (sales figures, losses). This time, unusually, we&39;ve detected GM PR man Steve Harris&39; spinmeisterwerk post-trauma (Black Hole Tuesday). Unless... Anyway, not to diss disinformation, but Harris&39; handiwork arrives in the form of &34;here&39;s one high.http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/gms-not-beat-yet-launches-disinformation-campaign/ Toyota Leapfrogging Volt- July 3, 2008 At the recent Toyota Environmental Forum, ToMoCo&8217;s Executive Vice President outlined the company&8217;s five-point plan for a &8220;sustainable mobility society.&8221; Green Car Congress charts the ch-ch-changes. 1. Further development of gasoline- and diesel-fueled combustion engines; 2. Hybrids and plug-in hybrids; 3. Alternative fuels, including synthetics and biofuels; 4. Electric vehicles; and 5. Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. Masatami Takimoto revealed that gasoline and diesel will...http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/toyota-leapfrogging-volt/ Fords Fiesta ECOnetic to get 66 MPG- July 2, 2008 AutoExpress reports that Ford has prepped a not-so-mean but oh-so-green Fiesta ECOnetic for the British Motor Show. While not officially confirmed for production, odds are it will eventually hit (love tap) the streets of The Land of Hope and Glory. The ECOnetic Fiesta will have a 1.6-liter turbodiesel powerplant with all of 89hp, as well as loads of aerodynamic mods. Equally important, the UK-market Fiesta will have low enough CO2 emissions to evade London&39;s congestion charge. ECOnetic trim.http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/fords-fiesta-econetic-to-get-66-mpg/ Shai Agassi Wants $100b of Your Taxes for EV Recharge Stations- July 2, 2008 Hey, why not create a national network of electric vehicle EV re-charge stations OK, this video kinda exaggerates the all-important re-charge time. And if those mats recharge your EV in ten seconds, why do you need a car wash-style battery swap stations These are not churlish questions (which is why we continue to ask Tesla about their Roadster&39;s range and recharge times). They speak to the commercial viability of the entire project. Anyway, go for it Shai! What&39;s that You want MY tax...http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/shai-agassi-wants-100b-of-your-taxes-for-ev-recharge-stat... Wild Ass Rumor of the Day: VW to Build 235mpg Car- July 1, 2008 CAR Magazine is reporting that VW&39;s 2002 concept car-- the 1 Liter Car-- is headed into production in The Year of Our Overload 2010. The name comes from the fact the VW uses 1 liter of gas per 100 kilometers (a standard European fuel economy format). Ferdinand Piech was seen cruising around in this puppy during his final days (or what we thought were his final days) at VW&39;s helm. The crazy car, which looks more like a rolling fighter jet canopy, is mostly carbon fiber. It weighs an...http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/wild-ass-rumor-of-the-day-vw-to-build-235mpg-car/ Mercedes To Build EV A-Class Using Tesla Batteries. Or Not.- July 1, 2008 Autobloggreen (ABG) is all over Mercedes&39; EV plans. The tree-hugging bloggers report that Stuttgart&39;s first EV will be an A Class. Digging deeper, it seems that Mercedes will be using a battery pack from Tesla Motors, confirming Elon Musk&39;s hint of a &34;small deal&34; with Daimler. The rumor hasn&39;t been confirmed by Mercedes, and ABG points out that Daimler claims to already have li-ion battery thermal issues licked. Furthermore, Continental has been named as the official...http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/mercedes-to-build-ev-a-class-using-tesla-batteries-or-not... |