What could be better than your readers being involved in a groundbreaking automotive project? That’s exactly what happened to our friend Ben at Bespoke Ventures, who had a reader named Janne thank him for a post about rear mounted radiators…then attach a few photos.

Above is the finished product, the ERA (Electric Race About) electric car from Finland. The ERA will be competing in the upcoming Progressive Auto X-Prize, too.

The car itself, according to Ben, is being developed by Helsinki Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, spanning more than three years of work. And, without a doubt: this electric car is an absolute stunner.

They’ve gotten support from a variety of companies, including Valmet Automotive, also in Finland. The company not only assembles Porsche Boxster and Cayman models, but had produced a concept called the Valmet Raceabout in 2005. We think they may be related…

Back to the electric car. Here are some (impressive) preliminary specs:

• • Weight: 2,755 lbs (1,250 kg)
• • Drivetrain: AWD
• • 0-60 MPH: Less than five seconds
• • Range: More than 180 miles per charge

We wish the ERA team luck, and hope the vehicle sees series production soon. We’ve pasted a video of the car after the jump. Oh, and readers: if you have something cool in your garage, don’t be afraid to share!

[Source: Bespoke Ventures]

As reported on Marc VDS Racing, a Belgian-Canadian joint effort is preparing to take on the competition in the FIA GT3 European Championship with a pair of freshly built Ford Mustangs. Canada’s Multimatic Motorsports has prepared the Mustangs for Belgium-based Marc VDS Racing, an experienced racing outfit that runs a pair of Ford GTs in the FIA GT1 World Championship.

Weighing in at just 1,350kg (2,976 lbs) and featuring a 5.3-liter V8 engine that pumps out an impressive 560-hp, these Multimatic masterpieces have been undergoing testing at Ford’s Bedfordshire test facility in the UK. The team’s #98 car will be piloted by Belgian Eric De Doncker and Canadian Scott Maxwell but the #99 car does not have an official driving duo as of yet. We’re assuming there’s also a healthy exchange program of Belgian chocolate for Canadian maple syrup.

It’s still too early to say just how competitive the VDS Mustang GT3 will be, but we don’t recommend betting against Multimatic, who led the factory Ford Mustang FR500C assault on the 2005 Grand Am Cup Championship and won the driver’s, manufacturer’s and team’s championship. VDS Racing has a solid track record, having run successful racing programs in GT1, Moto2, GT3 and RallyRaid.

If you’re jonesin’ for a GT3 Mustang of your own, Marc VDS Racing together with Multimatic will build additional cars to order, though the sticker price has yet to be confirmed.

[Source: Marc VDS Racing]

Take a closer look at this wild looking Mustang after the jump:

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Remember all that nonsense about the Chevy Volt getting 230-mpg? Well, after the EPA denied coming up with the number and Chevy admitted there was no standardized way to compare the fuel consumption of a range-extended electric vehicle like the Volt with a conventional gasoline vehicle, the whole business died down for a while – or at least it did after Nissan claimed its fully electric Leaf gets 367 mpg.

To give a better idea of what drivers should expect, top Volt engineer Andrew Farah recently told the Detroit News that in testing the car is getting 50 mpg once the range-extending gasoline engine kicks in. For the record, that’s after the car has driven for 40 or so miles on pure electric power. Now 50 mpg might not sound all that impressive considering the Prius already gets 51 mpg in the city, however, for those first 40 miles no gasoline is used at all. What this means is that for those who travel 50 miles each way and can power up at work, a 10 gallon tank of fuel should deliver 25 full days of commuting.

Taking all this into account, the 230-mpg number doesn’t sound so ridiculous after all.

More concrete fuel economy numbers are expected to be released later this year or in early 2011, around the launch of the car.

[Source: TheDetroitNews]

During testing for the Chinese Grand Prix this weekend, Torro Rosso’s Sebastien Buemi was involved in a bizarre crash that just has to be seen. While under hard breaking down the main straight heading into Turn 14, both front wheels and tires came flying off his race car, leaving him without steering or much braking.

Since the incident Torros Rosso has examined the car and found the fault to be with the front suspension, which essentially collapsed, snapping the wheels loose. The part in question is part of a new design introduced on the car for the Chinese GP. Buemi was unhurt and should be ready for qualifying tomorrow for Sunday’s race.

[Source: Jalopnik and Formula1]

See more video of the crash after the jump:

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Chevrolet will unveil a new Orlando-based concept car at the Beijing Auto Show, powered by an adapted version of the powerplant found in the Chevy Volt. The team at GMInsideNews has provided us with a patent sketch for the vehicle, which was filed in August of 2009, but made available just yesterday. Associated with the sketch is GM designer Bob Boniface, the lead designer for the Volt.

The vehicle also appears to be the very same model that GM leaked in a YouTube video last year. Seen below, the Orlando-based model is smaller than the Orlando, but most certainly displays Volt-like styling.

We’ll be sure to bring you more when Chevrolet officially unveils this concept in Beijing later this month.

GALLERY: Chevy Orlando Voltec Concept

[Source: GMI]

While Ford has made the decision to turn the Explorer from an SUV into a crossover, it seems committed to making that crossover as capable as possible. Ahead of its debut, Ford has announced the new Explorer will get a “terrain management system” to help owners get the most out of the 4WD system.

After market research, and knowing full well that as a crossover the new Explorer will be marketed to less off-road savvy individuals, Ford wisely decided to do away with having to make drivers choose from two-high, four-high or four-low depending on road or trail conditions. Instead the next-gen Explorer will get a simple console mounted knob with clearly marked driving modes for normal, mud, sand or snow. Every mode will also be compatible with a new hill-decent feature, to navigate steep grades. Rather than use a traditional transfer case, Ford will use more advanced electronics to send power to each wheel. This will also reduce the overall weight of the truck crossover and combined with a new V6 engine will see a reduction in fuel consumption by as much as 25 percent.

See the official release and a short video demonstration of the system after the jump:

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With the A8 L making up the vast majority of A8 sales in the U.S., it’s not surprising that Audi went to tremendous lengths in designing the new extended wheelbase model. With the standard A8 for 2011 being a good deal sportier, the more luxurious A8 L is in a whole new realm of luxury.

Normally we focus on a car’s engine, which on the A8 L is an impressive W12 unit totaling 6.3-liters with 500-hp and 461 ft-lbs of and giving an speedy 4.9 second 0-60 mph time, but the A8 L deserves more mention on the interior. With a total length of 17.28 ft, the L is roughly 6-inches longer than the standard A8 – with all that space coming between the wheels to deliver half a foot extra in rear seat room.

In that extra six-inches of space Audi has crammed the sort of luxury you might only expect on a yacht – and as much wood as a yacht too. The rear seats are heated and ventilated and can not only more forward and back, but also provide settings for cushion depth and seat back angle. And of course, there’s lumbar support and massagers built in. We particularly like the feature in the full-length center console that allows the rear seat passenger to push a button and have the front passenger seat move forward – making it easier to stretch out with the flip out ottoman and enjoy one of the two 10.2-inch LCD screens.

Other highlights include a fridge and folding table in the center console, as well as a 1,400-watt, 19-speaker Bang & Olufsen Advanced Sound System

The 2011 Audi A8 L will officially debut later this month at the Beijing Auto Show, with pricing announced sooner to the yet unreleased on-sale date. When the A8 L does hot dealerships, the 500-hp W12 motor will be offered initially, with additional diesel and gasoline engines to follow.

GALLERY: 2011 Audi A8 L

Official release after the jump:

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Honda has just released a new commercial that will be used to help promote the CR-Z hybrid when it goes on sale later this year. The 90 second spot was filmed in southern Spain and will reportedly be run on networks in Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

As for the car itself, the CR-Z made its world premiere at the Detroit Auto Show earlier this year, using a 1.5-liter gasoline engine and an electric motor to make 122-hp at 6000 rpm and 128 ft-lbs of torque at 1000 to 1500 rm when mated to a slick-shifting six-speed manual transmission or 122-hp and 123 ft-lbs of torque with a CVT automatic (which features paddle shifters by the way). As for fuel-economy, it’s rated at 36-mpg city and 38-mpg highway.

The CR-Z comes with a three-mode driving system, with buttons on the steering wheel to choose Sport, Normal and Economy driving. Sport mode delivers a more responsive throttle, with tighter steering and the tachometer lights up bright red when in Sport model. Econ mode delivers optimum fuel efficiency with reduced pedal feel. The air conditioning system will also reduce its lag on the engine in Econ mode. Normal mode delivers standard settings, and in both Normal and Econ mode, the tachometer display will light up blue or green depending on how the vehicle is driven – with a green display representing the most fuel-efficient driving.

Like the Insight, the CR-Z offers and Eco Guide to help driver’s keep track of fuel economy.

Two trim levels will be offered in the U.S., a base CR-Z and well-equipped EX model. The six-speed manual is standard, as is Vehicle Stability Assist, an AM/FM/CD/USB audio system with six speakers, automatic climate control, power windows and door locks, remote entry and cruise control. The CR-Z EX includes HID Headlights fog lights, a 360-Watt AM/FM/CD premium audio system with seven speakers including subwoofer, Bluetooth and a leather-wrapped steering wheel. EX models will get the option for navigation.

Pricing for the CR-Z will be released closer to launch.

[Source: Carscoop]

See after the jump for the new Honda CR-Z ad:

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Yesterday Ferrari gave the official first showing of its new 599 GTO Supercar at a private event in Italy. Held at Modena’s Ducal Palace military academy, the new “Fastest Ferrari” was presented by company head Luca di Montezemolo, as well as chief executive Amedeo Felisa and vice-chairman Pierro Ferrari, the son of Enzo Ferrari himself. In attendance were 500 guests of honor, including cadets from the academy. At the unveiling Ferrari also announced that there was no need to reach for your wallet – as all 599 models have already been spoken for.

Limited edition Ferraris like this one always sell out and we can particularly see why with the 599 GTO. After all, as we already mentioned, Ferrari claims its the fastest prancing horse ever with a record setting 1:24 second time around the Fiorano test track. As for the GTO itself, well, Ferrari has equipped it with a version of the standard car’s 6.0-liter V12, making 670-hp at 8250 rpm and 457 ft-lbs of torque at 6500 rpm. Ferrari claims a 0-62 mph time of 3.35 seconds and a top speed in excess of 208-mph. Helping to achieve quicker acceleration is a reprogrammed six-speed F1 transmission with 60 ms shift times and the ability to drop several gears at a time. Ferrari engineers also focused on weight reduction, dropping the GT car’s curb weight to 3,538 lbs. Along with lighter bodywork, including thinner aluminum panels, the GTO also gets thinner glass, a lighter exhaust and transmission and an even lighter second-generation carbon ceramic brake setup.

New aerodynamic improvements were also made resulting in improved downforce but no more drag. New ducting around the wheels reduces drag, as do wheel doughnuts. A new front lip creates more downforce at the front axle, while new side skirts help streamline airflow under the body. It’s also hard to miss the new racing-style rear diffuser.

Suspension improvements have also been made with stiffer springs and rear anti-roll bar, as well as a second-generation magnetorheological suspension control system (SCM2). More importantly, Ferrari says the SCM2 setup works with a tighter steering ratio, VDC (Vehicle Dynamic Control) and the updated F1-Trac traction control systems to be incredibly responsive to inputs.

Also helping in the handling department are new 20-inch wheels, with wider 285 front tires. And what’s more important to getting the most out of the car than the driver? No, Ferrari doesn’t include your own Felipe Massa, but the 599 GTO does come with the company’s Virtual Race Engineer system designed for the 599XX. It constantly monitors all aspects of the car and is able to tell the driver how close to the limit he is operating the car.

Ferrari will give the 599 GTO its first public showing at the Beijing Auto Show later this month.

GALLERY: Ferrari 599 GTO Unveiling

GALLERY: Ferrari 599 GTO

For a video introduction to the car (dubbed over in English) see after the jump:
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Before Tein made their way to North America in the form of Tein USA, the green-branded suspension products were a rarity and collectibles amongst the JDM-fanatics. Oddly enough, when Tein did get established in America it seemed that the goodness of their products got diluted. Once items like their srings became readily available, the prestige of having some of the world’s finest suspension products didn’t seem to be as great. But at the end of the day, Tein still produces some of the world’s finest suspension products and today they’ve turned their attention to what all other JDM tuners out there are also beginning to focus on – hybrids.

The Tein 06 Honda Civic Si was one of those projects that garnered a ton of attention here in North America, especially after it was reported that it got stolen. But it was one of Tein’s finest projects, touching on all bases and perhaps made North Americans associate Tein to its eye-catching graphics found on their project cars. One thing to be aware of however is that Tein only designs and manufactures suspension products. This ranges from regular lowering springs to full coilover systems with in-car dampening control (EDFC). So most Tein projects are often unlikely to see any other major modifications unless they plan on hitting the track to showcase their suspension goods.

Thanks to the power of Google Translate, we have been keeping our eyes out on Tein’s CR-Z Special Blog page where the tuner has been showing off its testing and tuning on the new hatchback from Honda. Tein currently has Mono Flex suspension out sporting 5.0k spring rates in the front and 5.0k spring rates in the rear while lowering the car 40mm front and rear and supporting EDFC.

They also announced that the Super Street dampening system isn’t far out – a release in mid-May that has softer spring rates of 3.0k (front) and 4.0k (rear). These will have similar lowering profiles as the Mono Flex but will not support EDFC. These are probably catered much more to the street.

For regular lowering springs offerings, Tein has their High Tech springs available lowering the car 25mm in the front and 30mm in the rear unless you have an automatic, in which it’ll be 30mm in the front and 30mm in the rear. Spring rates on those are 2.2k and 4.0k for the front and rear, respectively.

It looks like by the time the Honda CR-Z goes on sale here in North America there will be plenty of products readily available for the tuner market.

GALLERY: Tein Honda CR-Z

[Source: Tein Japan CR-Z Special Blog]