Mercedes-Benz is working to bring a vehicle with a drag coefficient of just 0.20 cd to market by as early as 2015. The company has been hard at work improving the aerodynamic efficiency of its vehicles in an attempt to reduce overall fuel consumption.

The 0.20 cd target might seem ambitious, were it not for the fact that the German luxury automaker currently produces the world’s most aerodynamically efficient vehicle: the new E-Class coupe. With a 0.24 cd, the new E-Class Coupe even maintains a “normal” design – or at least a design that one might expect in such a segment.

Surprisingly, this design is more effective at cutting through the air than those futuristic-looking hybrid models like the Toyota Prius, with its 0.25 cd rating. To put this in to perspective the original Honda Insight had a rating of 0.15 cd.

Rainer Tiefenbacher, the man behind the E-Class, told U.K. pub AutoCar that, “There is still plenty more to come as we explore ways of improving fuel efficiency. Designers are still learning about what works aerodynamically and are having to consider it more and more when they think about how a car will look.”

“There are big steps to be made, especially around and under the engine hood. Twenty years ago we celebrated a 0.30 Cd, in five years we will reach the next big step.”

[Source: AutoCar]

The original V8-powered R8 had only been on the streets for a few days when rumors began to surface about a drop-top roadster version of the exotic Audi. Then Audi threw a curve ball with the 12-cylinder turbo-diesel R8 concept before unveiling the V10-powered monster.

Now that the V10 R8 is on the streets, those drop-top rumors have resurfaced.

The U.K. publication WhatCar? is claiming its sources inside Audi have confirmed a convertible version of the R8. More specifically, it will be a soft top.

If Audi is to build a convertible version of the R8, a soft-top is most likely for many reasons. For starters, as the R8 is mid-engined there really isn’t much room for a hard top. Also, we’ve seen Audi stick to soft tops, even on new models like the A5/S5, due, in part, to the fact that Audi’s are notoriously heavy and adding a complex mechanized hard-top would only add to that problem.

It isn’t clear of the convertible version will use the V8 or V10 powerplant but it is supposed to be in dealerships by 2011. If that is the case, Audi might use the Frankfurt Auto Show in September to give us a peek.

[Source: WhatCar]

Starting Monday, Chrysler will idle most of its plants as the company restructures under a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing. This will include 8 U.S. assembly plants, as well as facilities in Canada and Mexico. Other pre-assembly facilities will also face temporary closure including five North American engine plants, six stamping plants and seven transmission plants.

The temporary shut-down will effect 26,000 UAW workers and 10,000 Canadian Auto Workers. 

Chrysler is using the bankruptcy proceedings to its advantage, as the production stoppage will allow it to deplete the ever-increasing stockpile of vehicles.

The temporary shut-down is expected to take from 30 to 60 days, however, there is potential for it to extend beyond that.

[Source: Automotive News]

At a mid-day press conference President Barak Obama made the official announcement that Chrysler will in fact file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Included in the announcement was the news that Chrysler has also reached an agreement with Fiat.

“I can report that the necessary steps have been taken to give one of America’s most storied automakers a new lease on life,” Obama said.

Praising Chrysler’s storied history and saying that the company helped make the 20th Century an American Century, he also chastised the numerous poor decisions made by all parties involved. Chrysler has, “for too long, moved too slowly, building less popular cars, that are less reliable and less fuel efficient,” Obama said.

The President praised Chrysler management, the UAW and the company’s major lender JP Morgan for their “unprecedented sacrifices,” and blasted the small group of holdout hedge funds that have refused to budge and accept the Federal government’s offer. That offer would see the U.S. government pay out lenders $2 billion in cash for $6.8 billion in debt.

The official Chapter 11 paperwork is expected to be filed as early as today and in the restructuring process the Federal government will provide additional loans to Chrysler. Those loans are not open-ended, however, and will have to be repaid in full before Fiat can take a majority stake in the U.S. automaker.

In the mean time Chrysler operations are expected to continue as normal with one major change. The finance arm of General Motors, GMAC, will finance car loads at the dealership level.

Photos: Jason Bauer and Colum Wood

First off, we apologize for the terrible photos. We can blame Blackberry for the poor quality, but we should be so lucky the pics turned out at all.

We just happened upon this this undercover vehicle while cruising north on Highway 1 (PCH) after leaving Huntington Beach, CA. The Hyundai team did a great job disguising the crossover, which we have deduced is the next generation Hyundai Tucson.

At first it’s not clear what the vehicle is and the Michigan plates certainly threw us for a loop. After all, it does have some resemblance to the Dodge Journey.

The real give-away, however, was the Hyundai Sonata (also sporting Michigan plates) we caught following it.

It certainly doesn’t look as striking as the ix-35 ix-onic concept that was first unveiled at the Geneva Auto Show in March but there are some undeniable resemblances. For instance, the roof line is similar, as is the general shape and layout of the windows. The rear haunches also have a slight bulge in them – although that detail is quite well hidden on the test-mule we spotted. Importantly the front end is extremely well disguised, as it would be a clear give-away with Hyundai’s new hexagon front grille.

The Blackberry camera flash did, however, pick up that the crossover is sporting Kumho tires and it’s well-known that the Korean automaker outfits its vehicles with rubber from the Korean tire manufacturer.

GALLERY: Hyundai ix-onic Concept

President Obama is expected to announce tomorrow that Chrysler will in fact file for bankruptcy; according to a report by Bloomberg. The Wall Street Journal, however, says that Obama currently has two speeches drafted for tomorrow’s press conference: one if the struggling automaker files for Chapter 11, and one if it doesn’t.

The Chapter 11 option seems the most likely at this point as it would make the alliance with Fiat a smoother process.

The only way Chrysler will avoid the “B” word is if the companies that it is indebted to agree to accept a cash offer in exchange for that debt. That may sound like a more than fair trade, were it not for the fact that the cash value is just $2 billion, in exchange for $6.9 billion in debt.

While the federal government has made an agreement with the largest lender, other major players, including Oppenheimer Funds, Perella Weinberg Partners and Stairway Capital are holding out. According to David Cole at The Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor, MI, if those lenders have insurance policies that cover them completely in the case that Chrysler fails, then it’s in their best interests to see that bankruptcy is the solution.

President Obama, speaking on the topic at a Town Hall meeting in St. Louis today said that if bankruptcy happens it will be “real quick.”

But with billions on the line and numerous big players involved it’s not clear how even the Federal Government could stop the restructuring of Chrysler from taking years in court.

The Washington Post has reported that a Chrysler/Fiat alliance would see Chrysler CEO Bob Nardelli ousted from his current position in favor of an executive from Fiat.

[Source: Automotive News]

On Saturday, April 25th at 8:15 a.m., Ford set out to show just how fuel-efficient its new Fusion Hybrid sedan really is. With drivers including NASCAR racer Carl Edwards, as well as CleanMPG.com founder Wayne Gerdes and several FoMoCo engineers, the team drove the 2010 Fusion Hybrid non-stop until it ran out of gas.

Ford called this the 1,000 Mile challenge, and when all was said and done, and the last drop of fuel consumed, the car came to a stop this morning at 5:37 a.m. on the George Washington Parkway in Washington, D.C. – after 69 straight hours of driving. The Fusion Hybrid easily surpassed the 1,000 mile mark with the final odometer reading at 1,445.7 miles. This distance is a world-record for a mid-sized gasoline powered sedan and works out to 81.5 mpg – almost double the car’s EPA rated fuel-economy.

Ford also used the stunt to help raise $8,000 towards the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

“Not only does this demonstrate the Fusion Hybrid’s fuel efficiency, it also shows that driving technique is one of the keys to maximizing its potential,” said Nancy Gioia, director of Ford Sustainable Mobility Technologies and Hybrid Vehicle Programs. “The fact that we were able raise much needed funds for JDRF while raising the bar on fuel efficient driving performance made the effort doubly worthwhile.”

Gerdes, who pretty much wrote the book on fuel-efficient driving said the car works “brilliantly.”

“When you don’t need acceleration power while driving around town, the gas engine shuts down seamlessly. There’s not another hybrid drivetrain in the world that does that as effectively. The Fusion engineering team really knocked it out of the park.”

As for NASCAR star Edwards, he was equally impressed. “Having driven the car, I feel strongly about how great it is,” he said, “so strong that I’ve purchased one myself.”

The team used many of Gerdes’s fuel-saving driving techniques to achieve maximum fuel-efficiency. These include:

• Slowing down and maintaining even throttle pressure;
• Gradually accelerating and smoothly braking;
• Maintaining a safe distance between vehicles and anticipating traffic conditions;
• Coasting up to red lights and stop signs to avoid fuel waste and brake wear;
• Minimize use of heater and air conditioning to reduce the load on the engine;
• Close windows at high speeds to reduce aerodynamic drag;
• Applying the “Pulse and Glide” technique while maintaining the flow of traffic;
• Minimize excessive engine workload by using the vehicle’s kinetic forward motion to climb hills, and use downhill momentum to build speed; and
• Avoiding bumps and potholes that can reduce momentum

Official release after the jump:

Continue Reading…

BMW recently took the covers off what appears to be a production-ready version of the upcoming X1 compact crossover to make some promotional shots of the car. But the folks at BMW weren’t the only ones with a camera.

One of the members of forum-auto.com snapped this picture of the entry-level luxury crossover and it appears as though little has changed from the concept car, which was first shown at the Paris Auto Show in 2008. 

While no official details are known about the production model, the concept has a wheelbase of 104.4-inches and an overall length of 175.5-inches. This makes it only 4.3-inches shorter than the X3. 

As for engines, the 230hp 3.0-liter incline-six powerplant is most likely an option, as is a possible new turbocharged four-cylinder. In Europe a diesel motor will be offered as well.

The X1 is expected to debut at the Frankfrut Auto Show in September and go on sale the following year. The Audi Q3 will most likely also be unveiled in Frankfurt as the compact luxury SUV segment takes off.

[Source: WorldCarFans]

According to a recent report in U.K. mag AutoExpress, Porsche is currently testing a special edition Boxster Speedster model. Photographers caught the car out testing and if you look closely you can see the two “speedster” humps in the bodywork, right behind the driver and passenger seats.

The sleek new model is expected to debut at the Frankfurt Auto Show this Fall and will come with additional modifications as well. For starters the windshield is expected to be shorter than the standard model, giving the car somewhat of a drop-top look. A new soft-top will also be required, as the new windshield will change the lines of the car somewhat.

Power is expected to be impressive, reports AutoExpress with the 299hp 3.4-liter engine from the Porsche Design Boxster S being used, although the current 310hp 3.4-liter powerplant in the current Bosxter S is also a strong possibility.

[Source: AutoExpress]

With the Pontiac brand gone, GM is looking to get out of its arrangement with Toyota that spawned the Vibe/Matrix models

In stark contrast to official statements by General Motors reps (and to a story we ran yesterday) the struggling U.S. automaker does indeed want out of the joint project with Toyota that saw the creation of the Vibe/Matrix.

Word comes at GMInsideNews reports that it has obtained a list of four of the six plants General Motors plans to shut down or idle as a part of its new viability plan. Included on that list are the Wilmington, Orion and Pontiac plants… as well as the New United Motor Manufacturing Inc. (NUMMI) facility in Fremont, CA.

Just yesterday Pontiac spokesman Jim Hopson stated that GM is in talks with Toyota about the shared NUMMI project and that ideally GM would like to collaborate on another vehicle.

“We’re clearly not backing away from our partnership at NUMMI,” Hopson said. “There’s no issue of us backing away from NUMMI.”

But apparently there is.

GMInsideNews is reporting that their sources say GM wants out of NUMMI entirely. And to stoke the flames of that fire even further the source claims that were GM to go into bankruptcy, its part of the NUMMI facility would wind up in the “BadGM” pile.

[Source: GMInsideNews]