Scary? Perhaps. But according to Volvo’s Senior Safety Engineer Thomas Broberg, the idea of a car train, where a lead vehicle sets the pace and speed and other cars communicate with it from behind will be a reality, at least on European roads by the end of the decade.

Broberg says that closed circuit tests have already proved successful with two cars working together in a car train format; Volvo says field trials are set to be conducted in Sweden later this year.

“Car trains allow a driver to use their time better, drive safer, reduce congestion and improve the environment,” the engineer said. “You’re always following another car, so why not let the driving be done by someone else?”

Broberg also believes that car trains are  a further step towards fully autonomous cars but recognizes from a technical point of view, the concept is tremendously challenging, not mention legally and socially hard to swallow for most.

Yet Volvo is taking radical steps, setting a lofty goal of nobody dying in any of its cars by 2020, but says it “needs to understand the mechanisms about how people think,”  in order to get there.

Broberg also believes that if Volvo could understand how people think in the seconds before an accident, it could potentially change accident situations from critical to non critical.

With more ambitious sales targets now in the works for Volvo, following its purchase by Chinese automaker Geely, the company has the potential to acquire more crash safety data from more of its cars in a shorter time period, speeding up research and development on future safety programs.

[Source: Autocar]

In the world of German sports cars, the Porsche 911 is king. Mercedes-Benz hopes to change that when they introduce their new sports car, rumored to be named the SLC.

The SLC, which will be placed below the SLS in their line-up, will be priced at the more humble versions of the 911 like the Carrera and Carrera S models, so expect a sub-$100,000 price tag for their new model. Insider’s say this model is scheduled for launch in 2014 as a coupe, with a roadster version due out by 2016.

To keep development costs down, this model will share mechanical and technological components with the next generation of the SL-class model, which is due out next year.

Between 1971 and 1981, Mercedes-Benz had a fixed roof version of the SL called the SLC. This new AMG developed version might share certain aspects with the new car, but will be a model all on its own.

Unlike the SLS, the SLC will be offered with a few engine options, just like Porsche does with the 911, so it can cater to a larger market segment. However, it will retain the front engine configuration rather than mid-engine as some previously suggested.

Expect to see this model in concept form within the year.

[Source: Autocar]

When it was introduced, many were baffled by the BMW 5-Series Gran Turismo, citing it as a car in search of a market. BMW had originally planned to sell around 4,000 to 8,000 of these beasts annually in the United States, but so far actual demand has fallen far short of that.

In 2010, the company sold just 2,848 of them and in the first four months of this year, just 720 copies. Given those numbers,  the decision to drop the 5-Series Touring (wagon) perhaps wasn’t such a shrewd move after all.

Although we aren’t likely to see such a vehicle return stateside anytime soon, BMW currently has no plans to drop the smaller 3-Series Touring, even with the upcoming introduction of the 4-Series Gran Turismo, fearing that doing so will yield sales to arch rival Mercedes-Benz (which is what happened with the 5-series).

Whether the 4-Series will prove any more popular than the 5-series GT remains to be seen, but as somebody once said, too many cooks can seriously spoil the broth and with another niche product on the way, in BMW’s case it looks like that could be a serious possibility.

[Source: Automotive News]

After years of Citroen dominating the World Rally Championship, Fiat is getting ready to challenge the French automaker’s dominance with their own entry, based on the Punto Abarth.

The Abarth has been racing in the International Rally Challenge and national rally championships with the Punto S200. The S2000 has done considerably well in a number of lower-tier motorsports campaigns, and a WRC campaign would mark the first time the Punto Abarth has competed in a high level race series.

If the Punto Abarth does compete, it  will likely be adapted to WRC specifications, which now closely mirrors the S2000 spec used in the IRC.

[Source: Autoblog]

For years the Infiniti G37 has been the closest rival to BMW’s 3 Series in terms of driving performance, and now it appears the Nissan luxury division is preparing to take on the German automaker’s Z4 roadster.

According to a report by AutoExpress, the unnamed new model will be a two-seater with a front-engine, rear drive layout. Perhaps most exciting is word that Infiniti is consulting with Lotus on the car’s suspension and chassis development – which can only be a good thing.

In addition to this model, Infiniti is expected to soon debut its version of the Nissan Leaf, as well as a small hybrid designed to take on the Lexus CT200h by 2015.

[Source: AutoExpress]

With the launch of the Prius v, Toyota has begun an unprecedented roll-out of new hybrid models as it looks to solidify its role as the leader in hybrid technology. At the new hybrid wagon’s press drive event last week Toyota’s U.S. sales boss Bob Carter revealed that the automaker plans to introduce 10 new hybrids in the next 20 months. In addition to expected models like a hybrid version of the next-generation Camry and Lexus GS, Carter also confirmed that six of the models will be all-new.

Two of the six will be the remaining members of the Prius family, the Prius c and Prius PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle), which will join the original Pris liftback and the new Prius v wagon. Transforming the Prius name into a brand, Carter says he expects the Prius to eventually overtake the Camry not only as the highest volume Toyota sold in America, but as the number one selling car.

While the Prius c looks to bring Toyota’s hybrid technology into a smaller and more affordable package (and possibly one with even greater fuel economy), the PHEV is expected to launch first. It is expected to come with a roughly 10 mile emissions-free driving range, much less than the Chevrolet Volt, but is also expected to be more affordable. Recently Toyota launched a web portal where consumers could register to express interest in ordering a Prius Plug-in model and in the site’s first three weeks over 17,000 individuals signed up.

GALLERY: Toyota Prius v

Click here to read AutoGuide’s 2011 Toyota Prius v Review and hit the jump to watch our video review:

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When it comes to remaining calm in traffic, women tend to have a cooler head than men, according to new research by satnav firm TomTom.

Measuring the rise in stress level in saliva (ew!), British researchers tested volunteers when caught in a traffic jam and found that the levels for women increased by 8.7 percent while stuck behind the wheel. For men, it skyrocketed 60 per cent in the same traffic scenario.

An interesting finding of the study was that most participants reported they didn’t feel stressed, even though the results showed they were. About two thirds of the women and half (50 per cent) of men reported not feeling any stress after 20 minutes in heavy traffic, but the results showed differently.

This mean that if you get stuck in traffic during the daily commute to work, you could be stressing out your health and not even know it. And according to health psychologist David Moxon, this could lead to erratic driving. In response to our ‘fight or flight’ response, men tend to sit and fume while stuck in traffic, while women cope better with the pressure.

A global survey of 10,000 drivers for TomTom showed 72 per cent drove on a daily basis and 86 per cent felt traffic had a negative impact on their lives.

So how people amuse themselves in traffic? In Britain, 77 percent listen to music, 23 percent sing, 16 percent make phone calls, 20 percent eat/drink and 3 percent smoke.

What do you do to stay calm in congestion? Share your tips in the comments section below.

The tie-up between Red Bull Racing and Japanese luxury brand Infiniti may extend from the race track to the street.

According to a new reports, Infiniti is studying a new performance model that would be built with the Red Bull Racing team. Rather than an all-new vehicle, this would likely be based on a current model, much like the Renault Clio Williams.

“Our relationship with Red Bull is only five races old, but the trajectory for it is to move on and work more closely together. One way of doing that is on a road car project,” said Infiniti motorsports boss Simon Sproule.

The most likely candidate for a high-performance version would be the G37. The Red Bull car would likely go on sale in the next 18 to 24 months, at about the same time Infiniti will most likely be looking to renew its contract with RBR.

[Source: WhatCar]

The Cadillac Racing Team used the grunt of its supercharged V8-powered CTS-V race cars to achieve some of the season’s best results over the weekend at Mosport International Raceway. And if you’re at all curious as to what its like to be behind the wheel of one of the big coupes, do we have a treat for you.

Ride shotgun for two laps of what Caddy hot shoe Johnny O’Connell calls one of North America’s “fastest and, probably, most dangerous race tracks.” O’Connell and team mate Andy Pilgrim even provide some commentary.

GALLERY: Cadillac CTS-V Coupe Race Car

Watch the video after the jump:

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At the annual Michelin Challenge Bibendum sustainable mobility event in Berlin, Germany Porsche showed off its new Boxster E prototypes which continue to undergo testing as the sports car maker examines the future of emissions free driving fun.

In total, Porsche had three Boxster E models which weren’t just on display, but were available (to a select few) to be driven around a course. While two of the prototypes feature a traditional Boxster rear-drive layout Porsche has also built an electric AWD version.

The rear-drive models make 90 kW and 270 Nm of torque (roughly 121-hp and 199 lb-ft), delivering a 0-62 mph time of 9.8 seconds and a top speed of 93 mph. As for the two engine AWD model, it delivers double at 180 kW and 540 Nm of torque (roughly 241-hp and 398 lb-ft), enabling a 0-62 mph time of 5.5 seconds and a top speed 124-mph. Porsche claims this model delivers driving performance on par with the current Boxster S model with weight listed as 3,527 lbs.

Using brake energy regeneration, the Boxster E also features steering wheel mounted buttons that let the driver control the level of energy regeneration via an electronic engine brake.

Using a lithium-iron-phosphate battery, Porsche claims a range of 107 miles in the Boxster E with a 9 hour charge time though a conventional household outlet.

Inside, the car doesn’t have a clutch pedal, shifter or rev counter, but instead features an E-Power meter on the dash. There’s also a TFT display screen with information regarding the remaining range as well as how many more miles can be achieved by switching off things like the air conditioning.

Focusing on the production feasibility of the cars, Porsche says the Boxster E retains all the standard car’s safety features and even the normal amount of luggage space, despite the addition of the electric components. In a release, Porsche was also eager to point out how well received the cars were by potential customers, indicating a production model is likely not far off.

GALLERY: Porsche Boxster E