ImaginativePRO Blog

GOOGLE UNVEILS ITS NEW PROTOTYPE SELF-DRIVING CAR TO THE PUBLIC, AND IT LOOKS LIKE A TINY BUBBLE CAR

AW, LOOK, IT'S SMILING A MONA LISA SMILE AT US. NICE AUTONOMOUS CAR!

We've known Google has been working on self-driving cars for awhile now, but all of a sudden, the project is real: last night, Google revealed a working prototype of its self-driving car. It's a two-seater that looks something like a mashup of a Fiat 500, Steve Urkel's car, and a cartoon smiley face.

Chris Urmson, Director Google Car program is interviewed on the Charlie Rose TV show. (Click Image To Enlarge)

This isn't a production model; Google is making perhaps 100 of these little buggers mostly as an experiment. They have no steering wheel, no gas or brake pedals, and only two seats. They're powered by an electric engine and are artificially limited to a top speed of 25 mph (good news for the testers). The cars are resolutely simple. Says Chris Urmson, the director of the project, in a Google blog post:

"On the inside, we’ve designed for learning, not luxury, so we’re light on creature comforts, but we’ll have two seats (with seatbelts), a space for passengers’ belongings, buttons to start and stop, and a screen that shows the route--and that’s about it."

The new prototype of the Google Self-Driving Car is finally unveiled to the public. (Click Image To Enlarge)

The car isn't designed like other cars; it lacks things most cars have, and not just the steering wheel. It has no mirrors, no stereo, no glove compartment. Though it can only go 25 mph and, according to Re/Code, it was constructed to minimize damage from any collision it might have:

Ron Medford, director of safety for the project and former U.S. Department of Transportation administrator in charge of vehicle safety research and regulations said.

“We imagine at some point there will be an accident with one of these vehicles, so we’ve designed the front end to be soft.  The front of the car is built with foam, and the windshield is flexible to reduce the injury the car might inflict if it collided with pedestrians, bikers or anything else.”

Passengers hitched themselves in for a ride on Google's new prototype self-driving car. (Click Image To Enlarge)

If you look closely, you can also spy a sort of Mona Lisa smiley face on its front. Google says it's aware that the idea of a robotic self-driving car might be a bit threatening to folks used to cars that can't, you know, move themselves around, so the company very intentionally created the friendliest-looking car it could. The car has details that almost make it look like it has a nose and mouth, and the tiny size and gentle bubbly curves of the body make it a very nonthreatening-looking vehicle.

A look inside a new prototype of the Google self-driving car. (Click Image To Enlarge)

Google and other auto makers have previously experimented with retrofitting existing conventional cars to drive themselves. But this is the first car really designed from the ground up to drive itself. It seems like a curious thing, to sit in the front seat of a car with no controls--almost like riding in a gondola. Check out this video:

 

Google's reasoning for the self-driving car project isn't hard to grasp, given there are 33,000 auto-related deaths per year here in the States, and an estimated 1.2 million worldwide. Google believes self-driving cars can reduce that danger by up to 90%. For drivers of these cars, that means no more drunk driving, no more falling asleep at the wheel, no more falling victim to blind spots or road rage from other drivers.

Google's new self-driving car prototype being built at its production facility by Google automotive engineers (Click Images To Enlarge) 

Urmson wrote on his blog,  

"If all goes well, we’d like to run a small pilot program here in California in the next couple of years."

California is one of the only states, along with Florida, Nevada, and Michigan, where self-driving cars are legal.

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COMMENTARY:   I have covered Google's self-driving car before, but this is the first actual prototype that will serve as a test bed on the roads of California.  If it passes this test, which will probably last several years, Google will know if it has a safe, practical and eco-friendly automobile that can have public appeal.  I remain skeptical that the Google self-driving car will ever become a viable transportation vehicle.  Too many things that can go wrong.  You can't possibly build enough safety features into the car's computer brain to cope with today's stressful and often unsafe driving conditions, but only time will tell.

Courtesy of an article dated May 28, 2014 appearing in Fast Company Design

CHEVROLET UNVEILS THE 2015 CORVETTE Z06 AND Z07 PERFORMANCE PACKAGE

The 2015 Corvette Z06 will deliver unprecedented levels of aerodynamic downforce, at least 625 horsepower from an all-new supercharged engine, and an all-new, high-performance eight-speed automatic transmission, and the suite of advanced driver technologies introduced on the Corvette Stingray.  (Click Image To Enlarge) 

 

WITH THE TRACK-FOCUSED Z07 PERFORMANCE PACKAGE, THE 2015 CORVETTE Z06 BECOMES A TRUE ALL-AMERICAN MADE SUPERCAR THAT CAN COMPETE ON ANY TRACK. 

 

 

The 2015 Corvette Z06 will deliver unprecedented levels of aerodynamic downforce, at least 625 horsepower from an all-new supercharged engine, and an all-new, high-performance eight-speed automatic transmission, and the suite of advanced driver technologies introduced on the Corvette Stingray.

 

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The 2015 Corvette Z06 is distinguished from the Corvette Stingray by unique color schemes that emphasize the driver-focused cockpit, and a unique, flat-bottomed steering wheel.

 

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With track-focused Z07 performance package, 2015 Corvette Z06 delivers faster lap times than 2013 Corvette ZR1.

 

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The heart of the 2015 Corvette Z06 is the all-new LT4 6.2L supercharged V-8 engine, expected to deliver an estimated 625 horsepower (466 kW) and 635 lb-ft of torque (861 Nm). To balance performance and efficiency, the LT4 leverages the same trio of advanced technologies introduced on the Corvette Stingray: Direct injection, Active Fuel Management, or cylinder deactivation, and continuously variable valve timing.

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The new 1.7L Eaton R1740 TVS supercharger spins at up to 20,000 rpm – 5,000 rpm more than the supercharger on the Corvette ZR1’s LS9. The rotors are shorter in length, too, which contributes to their higher-rpm capability – and enables them to get up to speed quicker, producing power-enhancing boost earlier in the rpm band. That boost is achieved more efficiently, thanks to a new, more direct discharge port that creates less turbulence, reducing heat and speeding airflow into the engine.

 

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The 2015 model is the first Corvette Z06 to offer a supercharged engine, an automatic transmission and, thanks to a stronger aluminum frame, a removable roof panel. The new, supercharged 6.2L engine is expected to deliver at least 625 horsepower (466 kW), and can be matched with either a seven-speed manual or an all-new, high-performance eight-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters for manual control. The aluminum frame carries over from the Corvette Stingray and will be used essentially unchanged for the Corvette Racing C7.R.

 

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The 2015 Corvette Z06 will deliver unprecedented levels of aerodynamic downforce, at least 625 horsepower from an all-new supercharged engine, and an all-new, high-performance eight-speed automatic transmission, and the suite of advanced driver technologies introduced on the Corvette Stingray.

 

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The 2015 Corvette Z06 (bottom) and the upgraded version equipped with the Z07 performance package (top) for the serious racer.

 

 
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More images of the 2015 Corvette Z06:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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COMMENTARY:   No that's what I call an out-of-the-box, true all-American sports car that can compete on the race course without any problems.  A true American made super car that can compete on any course.   Sorry, don't have all the performance specs yet, but they will be incredible for sure.

 

Courtesy of an article dated January 18, 2013 appearing in Luxurious Magazine

MERCEDES-BENZ UNVEILS ITS CONCEPT CAR THE AMG VISION GRAN TURISMO AT THE 2013 LOS ANGELES AUTO SHOW

Mercedes-Benz unveiled its wild Gran Turismo Concept at the 2013 Los Angeles Auto Show.   This is the automaker's vision of motoring in the future, and it's a vision we can get behind.

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Unfortunately, the Gran Turismo Concept is just that--a concept vehicle that won't be built, well, ever. At least not by Mercedes-Benz directly.

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However, it appears that some enterprising fabricators are looking to produce the Gran Turismo Concept, and it could be in your garage if you're ready to fork over $1.5 million.

Per the listing on JamesEdition, the car will be built using the 2014 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT as the base vehicle. From there, the body will be formed using carbon fiber and ADV.1 will create wheels to mimic the look of those found on the concept vehicle. A carbon-fiber body will help reduce the weight of the SLS AMG GT, and the listing says customers can specify custom changes to the interior of the vehicle.

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Just five will be created, and one is already under contract. The listing states that two will go to Europe, two will wind up in the Middle East, and the final car will make its way to the United States. We're extremely curious to see how this project turns out. If it winds up looking like the Gran Turismo Concept then we may just declare that this is money well spent.

Well... once you juice up the power a bit to match the wild looks.

COMMENTARY:   The MB AMG Vision GT is a brute of a car.   Love the wide body, exaggerated fenders and huge tires and rims on this car.  The body style reminds one of the Corvette Stingray on steroids.  Looks like Mercedes-Benz is finally adopting the "muscle car" look that has been a strong point of differentiation for Cadillac.

Courtesy of an article dated December 15, 2013 appearing in Motor Authority

TESLA MOTORS REPORTS Q3 2013 RESULTS, LOSES $38 MIL, SOLD 5,500 MODEL S, BUT THIS WAS BELOW FORECAST, STOCK PLUNGES

California-based electric-car maker Tesla Motors said it lost $38 million in the third quarter, or 32 cents a share, according to GAAP, on revenue of $431 million.

That was worse than the 25-cent loss that analysts using GAAP had forecast.

Stock price tumbled more than $20, or 11.5%, to $155 in the first three hours of after-hour trading following the close of the Nasdaq exchange.

Tesla prefers to report results using non-GAAP methods — also known as adjusted results — under which it earned an adjusted $16 million in the quarter, or 12 cents a share, beating the non-GAAP forecast of 11 cents. Adjusted revenue was $603 million.

Acknowledging the adjusted results, but saying they weren't good enough, auto-industry analyst Brian Johnson at Barclays told clients in a note Tuesday afternoon:

"Results with somewhat slower ramp of Tesla S deliveries reinforce our view that Tesla had overshot in the past few months and is more properly valued at $141."

Tesla Model S electric luxury car and Tesla founder and CEO Elon Musk at the company's factory in California. (Click Image To Enlarge)

CEO and founder Elon Musk earlier forecast 5,000 Model S deliveries in Q3. The company reported 5,500. Johnson had forecast 5,850.

Tesla on Tuesday predicted 6,000 Model S deliveries in the fourth quarter. Johnson wanted to see 6,603.

Tesla Motors Model S all-electric sedan. (Clik Image To Enlarge)

In a conference call with Wall Street analysts after the earnings announcement, Musk said,

"There is a huge amount of demand in North America" for the company's electric-power luxury cars. But U.S. sales might disappoint because the maker is capacity-constrained, "and we have to start delivering cars to Europe."

He noted that Tesla signed a new agreement with Panasonic for more cells that make up the power-pack of the Model S sedan as well as the Model X crossover SUV coming late next year and a third vehicle, priced about $35,000, after that.

The stock closed regular trading Tuesday at $176.81, up $1.61 or 0.9%.

Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) - Share Prices November 5, 2013 Through November 7, 2013 - Google Finance (Click Image To Enlarge)

Share price had been zipping upward since Oct. 30, after a 17% drop during that month. The recent climb came despite comments by Musk recently that the stock was overpriced.

An estimate by Nasdaq, where Tesla shares are traded, said that the stock was trading at a breathtaking 711 times earnings before the after-hours plunge Tuesday.

Karl Brauer, a senior analyst for auto researcher Kelley Blue Book, said.  

"Tesla's appeal is based as much on image and reputation as hard financial numbers. The company will likely remain on track, even after this quarter, as the financial darling of the car world." 

Selling Tuesday could have been investors locking in profits, rather than losing faith in the company. Regarded more like a volatile tech stock than a car-company stock, Tesla's share-price ride has been a wild one. Its 52-week high is $194.50 and the 52-week low is $29.33.This year, it's up more than 400%.

Musk has said a crossover SUV to be called Model X coming soon will be priced not much more than the Model S hatchback sedan, which starts at about $73,000.

In his quarterly letter to shareholders, Musk forecast fourth-quarter adjusted earningsabout even with third-quarter results.

But he said Q4 free cash flow would be "about break-even," which is a drop from the Q3 $26 million, a record for the company.

Musk said the company's cash on hand at the end of the quarter was $796 million, up $49 million from the previous quarter.

COMMENTARY:    Tesla Motors sold only 5,500 Model S sedans, well below the 5,850 forecast, and this setoff some alarms on Wall Street.  The financial results were not spectacular for a company whose stock has skyrocketed in value from $37.89 at the end of March 2013 to a high of $193.37 at the end of September 2013.  Wall Street really expected much better financial results from Tesla to justify its stock price performance.  The result was a drop in Tesla's stock of over 25 points at the end of trading on November 6.   The stock took another hit, dropping another 11.39 points on November 7 to end the day at $139.77.  

 

Tesla has yet to generate a profit, and is operating well below its breakeven point, the result is a net loss of $57.75 million for the nine months ending September 30, 2013.  This is substantially below the net loss of $306 million for the same period ending September 30, 2012, but this is still a loss, and investors are wondering when Tesla will begin generating a profit.  

Tesla Motors Inc - Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations (In Thousands) - Q3 2013 and Nine Months Ending September 30, 2013 - Tesla Motors (Click Image To Enlarge)

 Tesla Motors Inc - Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets in Thousands - Q3 2013 and Q3 2012 - Tesla Motors (Click Image To Enlarge)

Tesla Motors Inc - Reconciliations of GAAP to Non-GAAP Financial Information - Q3 2013 and Nine Months Ended September 30, 2013 - Tesla Motors (Click Image To Enlarge)

Although Tesla Motors's Model S sedan won Motor Trend Car of the Year in 2012 and garnered Consumer Reports highest grade for a car in 2012, the problem that I see is that Tesla is serving a niche market of mostly affluent, environmentally-conscience car buyers, and you have to wonder just how many Model S sedans it can sell at over $90,000 a pop, in a market that is basically finite in number, with the vast majority of sales in the U.S.   

A year ago I predicted that Tesla had to sell  21,000 Model S sedans just to breakeven.  The company has already sold 17,700 units through the end of September, and believes it will sell 21,000 Model S sedans by the end of the year.  At 17,700 units, Tesla is operating below this level, and hence it is losing money. What is really killing them is that they don't have enough fast charging stations installed and like many automakers, must continue to invest in R&D, to develop new vehicles and improve previous models.  For a small carmaker, this is a huge challenge, and a drain on cash.  

In short, Tesla simply doesn't have the sales volume at the high-end of the price spectrum with the Model S to sustain its growth, let alone its stock price.  However, the company plans on introducing a "moderately-priced" all-electric car that can go 200 miles on a charge, and will be priced starting at $30,000, in order to compete with the Chevy Volt and other electric cars in the mainstream electric market, which is much larger and broader in scope. That car won't be ready for market until 2015 so I see Tesla's stock taking an additional hit in Q4 and most of 2014.

Courtesy of an article dated November 5, 2013 appearing in USA Today 

WATCH THE OFFICIAL VIDEO OF THE FERRARI #458SPECIALE, THE MOST POWERFUL FERRARI V-8 EVER BUILT!!

The 458 Speciale was designed to provide non-professional drivers with a much more intense and extreme experience behind the wheel.  Enjoy the video:

Click To View The Official Ferrari Speciale 458 Video 

Courtesy of The Official Ferrari 458 Website 

BETTER PLACE FOUNDER SHAI AGASSI SAYS THAT DETROIT AUTOMAKERS CAN LEARN FROM TESLA MOTORS, RESPOND BUT NOT COPY IT

Should major automakers be concerned about the fact that Tesla's market cap is rapidly approaching the levels of Ford and General Motors? Of course.  (Click Image To Enlarge)

As the electric car company becomes more and more successful, the Big Three need to respond. But just copying a brash startup won't work. Here is what will.

Earlier this summer, General Motors vice chairman Steve Girsky hinted that the company's CEO, Dan Akerson, was more than a little concerned about the rise of electric vehicle startup Tesla Motors:   Girsky said in an interview with Bloomberg. 

“He thinks Tesla could be a big disrupter if we’re not careful.  History is littered with big companies that ignored innovation that was coming their way because you didn’t know where you could be disrupted.”

Shai Agassi, the founder of bankrupt electric vehicle infrastructure company Better Place, has some advice for them: Don't copy Tesla. Just learn from it.  (Click Image To Enlarge)

Should major automakers and their investors be concerned that Tesla's market cap is rapidly approaching the levels of Ford and General Motors?  Of course. That's why Shai Agassi, the founder of bankrupt electric vehicle infrastructure company Better Place, has some advice for them: Don't copy Tesla. Just learn from it.

Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ.TSLA) - Share Prices Jan 1, 2013 through September 13, 2013 - Google Finance (Click Image To Enlarge)

In a series of three posts on LinkedIn, Agassi expresses his thoughts on what Detroit should be doing to get in on the electric vehicle market, which Tesla currently has cornered.

In a series of three posts on LinkedIn, Agassi expresses his thoughts on what Detroit should be doing to get in on the electric vehicle market, which Tesla currently has cornered. (Click Image To Enlarge)

Agassi says.

"This was my reaction to a number of posts in the business media that were starting to compare and contrast Tesla with the rest of the industry.  There's this whole idea that the industry should copy Tesla or somehow figure out how to copy Tesla when they're making probably a thousand times as many cars as Tesla."

Agassi says, "There's this whole idea that the industry should copy Tesla or somehow figure out how to copy Tesla when they're making probably a thousand times as many cars as Tesla." (Click Image To Enlarge)

The auto industry, in other words, needs a different strategy.

Agassi's four main takeaways for the industry: Electric cars are objects of desire; Electric cars are like a modern appliance that has software and physical components which need to be constantly updated; Electric cars are on wheels, so automakers need to design vehicles with exponentially improving battery packs in mind; and electric cars drive and sell differently--because car dealers won't invest in marketing a new product category, direct sales may be the way to go.

He has four rules to remember:  Electric cars are objects of desire. Electric cars are like a modern appliance; Electric cars are Moore's Law on wheels; and Electric cars drive and sell differently. (Click Image To Enlarge)

When I ask Agassi if he thinks it's realistic for big, clunky automakers to switch to an entirely new distribution model, he points to the used car industry.  He says.  

"eBay is selling more than a million cars a year at a price point that's roughly around $10,000. If you were able to offer a $10,000 car--one third to one half the price of a new car today--you create a whole new proposition for a whole new market segment."

Agassi says, "If you were able to offer a $10,000 car--one third to one half the price of a new car today--you create a whole new proposition for a whole new market segment." (Click Image To Enlarge)

That requires bringing electric vehicles down to that new low price point--a daunting proposition considering the high cost of batteries. But Agassi has an interesting solution: Don't factor battery prices into EV costs; it's not like gas prices are included in vehicle sticker prices. Instead, he says, automakers should follow the cell phone subscription model and ask people to pay a certain amount per month ($300, say) for battery use.

Agassi argues that automakers shouldn't factor battery prices into EV costs--it's not like gas prices are factored into regular vehicle costs. Instead, they should opt for a subscription model. (Click Image To Enlarge)

Even though Agassi's now-defunct Better Place also relied on a subscription model for battery use, he still believes the model is valid. Better Place, he says, deployed its "battery switch" stations before testing consumer demand, whereas Tesla is deploying charging and battery switch stations only after gauging demand (Tesla also manufactures its own vehicles, while Better Place did not). He writes:

"Produce a base version of an electric cross over. Make it beautiful and benefit from great electric performance. Then take a page from Ford’s Model-T game plan: price that new car at a disruptive price of $9,999, “batteries not included” (after operator subsidies and government incentives).   At high volume, even at that price, this car will be making great profit for the carmaker."

"Support the car with an operator that deploys infrastructure making this EV more convenient to use than a gasoline car. The operator will own the batteries, and offer electric miles at weekly cost which is at parity what the average driver pays for gasoline today. Only this service contract will come with unlimited miles. Then offer various luxury versions of the car, with many “options” offered at higher price points. Consumers who are offered an insanely great car for $9,999 will buy a ton of add-ons, generating even better margin for the carmaker."

Tesla is deploying charging and battery switch stations only after gauging demand. (Click Image To Enlarge)

And he says.

"The company that follows this advice will capture not just a portion of the EV market, it will capture a portion of the car market. That's how industries are formed."

It's hard to say whether legacy automakers are nimble enough to make such a dramatic shift.  The next major EV manufacturer--if there is one--may be a company that doesn't yet exist.

The company that follows this advice, he says, "will capture not just a portion of the EV market, it will capture a portion of the car market. That's how industries are formed." (Click Image To Enlarge)

He says.  

"If you had to guess in the year 2000 who would bring a music device that would capture most of the market, you'd say Sony--they own music labels, they own everything in the industry.   If I told you it was Apple, you'd be laughing because they didn't make a music device at the time."

COMMENTARY:    I agree with Agassi Shai's assessment of Tesla Motors.  Right now the market for electric vehicles or EV's is too small and too early in its development for either the Big Three or Asiatic automakers.  However, they see that the handwriting is on the wall:  The world's oil supply is quickly running out.  We are now entering a period where we consume more oil than the "Oil Shieks" can produce.  Global warming is becoming a reality, no matter what the neysayers think.  With oil prices exceeding $100 per barrel, and the oil refineries producing less gasoline, this has driven gas prices to the highest levels since 2005.  

Electric vehicles are filling a real need in the marketplace, but until the battery technology can improve storage capabilities, and the cost of the vehicles comes down, sufficiently to attract more buyers, EV manufacturers will be stuck in this "dead zone."  Tesla Motors is not immune form this.  It knows it too.  Elon Musk knows that Tesla Motors cannot survive strictly by meeting the demands of affluent buyers who afford to pay premium prices for the Tesla Model S sedan.  This is why Tesla Motors is pushing for a lower-priced EV like the Model C.  

Agassi says it like it is.  The Big Three and Asiatic automakers should not try to copy Tesla, but learn from it.  Furthermore, you cannot simply copy Tesla's design and technology innovation which is clearly head and shoulders above anything the big automakers presently have.  Tesla Motors has intellectural property protection to insure they will be around.  It is being sought out by other companies, including several of the big automakers like Nissan and Toyota to license Tesla's lithium battery technology.

One other thing:  Tesla Motors has Elon Musk.  In all my years, I have never seen another entrepreneur with a track record of success that comes even close to what Elon has been able to accomplished.    Musk co-founded of Zip2, Founded PayPal, SpaceX, Tesla Motors. With his management team he has successfully scaled each company to the point where they now have developed sustainable and predictable revenue models.  He is the real deal.  Tesla Motors has a successful IPO and its stock is now at 165 a share, impossible, but true.  It would not surprise me if the does get SpaceX to put the first American on Mars in another 20 years.  The big automakers cannot replicate someone like Elon Musk.

Courtesy of an article dated August 29, 2013 appearing in Fast Company Exist

THE FERRARI SPECIALE 458 -- ESTABLISHES NEW BECHMARKS FOR INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGICAL RESEARCH

It’s called the 458 Speciale: it’s Ferrari’s new sportscar, the fruits of the innovation and extreme technological research that have gone into a car as outstanding as the 458 Italia.

The aerodynamic efficiency (an E index of 1.5), a more powerful aspirated V8 engine (605 cv) and the highest power density (135 cv/l) in the history of Ferrari road cars, an extraordinary weight/power ratio (2.13 kg/cv), electronic control of the slip angle (SSC): these are some – but not all – of the characteristics that make this car truly Speciale and that are destined to become standard for the Ferraris of the future. The aptness of the car’s name is easily shown by its performance figures: accelerating from 0-100km/h in 3s (or 9.1s for 0-200km/h) and a best lap time round Fiorano of 1m 23.5s.

Ferrari Speciale 458 side, front and rear views (Click Images To Enlarge)

The new 8-cylinder mid-engine berlinetta, which will be launched at the Frankfurt Motor Show on September 10, was designed with the target of raising performance and driving emotion to the highest levels, while still guaranteeing ease of control in every situation.

Ferrari Speciale 458 top view, cockpit view and transmission shifting controls (Click Image To Enlarge)

The 458 Speciale is the latest product of Ferrari’s core philosophy of extreme technological innovation and research which, in this instance, has yielded powertrain, aerodynamics and vehicle dynamics advances that transform the already exceptional 458 Italia into a car genuinely worthy of the “Speciale” moniker. The result is a completely new, uncompromising, streamlined sports car concept.

 

Many of the sophisticated solutions being applied for the very first time to an in-range car in the 458 Speciale, including its advanced active aerodynamics, will become a standard feature of all new Ferraris in the future.

Flanked in the Maranello marque’s range by the multi-award-winning 458 Italia and 458 Spider, the new mid-rear-engined V8 berlinetta was designed to boost both performance and driving emotion to unprecedented levels, yet simultaneously guarantee smooth, effortless control in all kinds of situations.

  

Ferrari Team drivers Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa both take turns driving the Ferrari Speciale 458 in a racetrack in Barcellona, Spain.  Looks like both drivers had a great time.

Having lavished meticulous attention on the power unit that was named “Best Performance Engine” at the International Engine of the Year Awards for two consecutive years, Ferrari has now built its most powerful naturally aspirated V8 ever (605 cv) with an extraordinary specific power output of 135 cv/l , the highest ever achieved by a road-going naturally aspirated engine.

Thanks to an equally exceptional weight/power ratio of just 2.13 kg/cv, the 458 Speciale can sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in a mere 3.0” (0-200 km/h in 9.1”) and also clocked a lap time of just 1’23”5 at the Fiorano Circuit.

 

The 2014 Ferrari 458 Speciale taken through its paces on a test drive on the country roads of Italy.

Aerodynamic requirements guided the work of the Ferrari Styling Centre, which led the project in cooperation with Pininfarina, to sculpt the car’s forms to ensure they were more performance-oriented than ever. The most notable features in this sense are the front and rear movable aerodynamics which balance downforce and cut drag, thus helping make the 458 Speciale the most aerodynamically efficient range production car in Ferrari history (E Index of 1.5)

The technology used in the vehicle dynamics subsystems which gives the driver instant confidence and control at high speeds, natural power oversteer management and precise response to commands are further advances in an area in which Ferrari is already a well-established leader.

One of the most innovative content of the 458 Speciale is the Side Slip angle Control system (SSC) which makes it easier to achieve car control on the limit, thereby greatly improving driving emotions.

Thanks to the development of an accurate new algorithm SSC performs instant-to-instant analysis of the car’s side slip, comparing it with the target value and then optimising both torque management (via integration with F1-Trac traction control) and torque distribution between the two wheels (via integration with the E-Diff electronic differential).

Part and parcel of the car’s development included Michelin Pilot Sport Cup2 tyres which were specifically honed for it in an intensive collaboration programme involving, amongst other factors, numerous track test and simulator sessions. Conceived for the 458 Speciale, they boost performance over a single lap in the dry as well as improving performance consistency in subsequent laps. They also allow the car to avail of maximum available grip in the wet.

The abovementioned technical content has improved the 458 Speciale’s single lap time and also delivers repeatability of that performance on subsequent laps that is absolutely unprecedented for a car not designed exclusively for track use. The result is that the 458 Speciale has the fastest response time (0.060 s) and highest lateral acceleration (1.33 g) ever achieved by a car in the Prancing Horse range.

COMMENTARY:   For you automotive aficionados here are the specifications for the Ferrari Speciale 458:

Click Image To Enlarge

Courtesy of the Ferrari Speciale 458 Official Website

TESLA MODEL S ACHIEVES BEST SAFETY RATING OF ANY CAR EVER TESTED BY THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION (NHTSA)

Tesla Motors Model S luxury sedan (Click Image To Enlarge)

SETS NEW NHTSA VEHICLE SAFETY SCORE RECORD

Palo Alto, CA — Independent testing by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has awarded the Tesla Model S a 5-star safety rating, not just overall, but in every subcategory without exception. Approximately one percent of all cars tested by the federal government achieve 5 stars across the board. NHTSA does not publish a star rating above 5, however safety levels better than 5 stars are captured in the overall Vehicle Safety Score (VSS) provided to manufacturers, where the Model S achieved a new combined record of 5.4 stars.

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Of all vehicles tested, including every major make and model approved for sale in the United States, the Model S set a new record for the lowest likelihood of injury to occupants. While the Model S is a sedan, it also exceeded the safety score of all SUVs and minivans. This score takes into account the probability of injury from front, side, rear and rollover accidents.

The Model S has the advantage in the front of not having a large gasoline engine block, thus creating a much longer crumple zone to absorb a high speed impact. This is fundamentally a force over distance problem – the longer the crumple zone, the more time there is to slow down occupants at g loads that do not cause injuries. Just like jumping into a pool of water from a tall height, it is better to have the pool be deep and not contain rocks. The Model S motor is only about a foot in diameter and is mounted close to the rear axle, and the front section that would normally contain a gasoline engine is used for a second trunk.

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For the side pole intrusion test, considered one of the most difficult to pass, the Model S was the only car in the "good" category among the other top one percent of vehicles tested. Compared to the Volvo S60, which is also 5-star rated in all categories, the Model S preserved 63.5 percent of driver residual space vs. 7.8 percent for the Volvo. Tesla achieved this outcome by nesting multiple deep aluminum extrusions in the side rail of the car that absorb the impact energy (a similar approach was used by the Apollo Lunar Lander) and transfer load to the rest of the vehicle. This causes the pole to be either sheared off or to stop the car before the pole hits an occupant.

The rear crash testing was particularly important, given the optional third row children's seat. For this, Tesla factory installs a double bumper if the third row seat is ordered. This was needed in order to protect against a highway speed impact in the rear with no permanently disabling injury to the third row occupants. The third row is already the safest location in the car for frontal or side injuries.

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The Model S was also substantially better in rollover risk, with the other top vehicles being approximately 50 percent worse. During testing at an independent facility, the Model S refused to turn over via the normal methods and special means were needed to induce the car to roll. The reason for such a good outcome is that the battery pack is mounted below the floor pan, providing a very low center of gravity, which simultaneously ensures exceptional handling and safety.

Of note, during validation of Model S roof crush protection at an independent commercial facility, the testing machine failed at just above 4 g's. While the exact number is uncertain due to Model S breaking the testing machine, what this means is that at least four additional fully loaded Model S vehicles could be placed on top of an owner's car without the roof caving in. This is achieved primarily through a center (B) pillar reinforcement attached via aerospace grade bolts.

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The above results do not tell the full story. It is possible to game the regulatory testing score to some degree by strengthening a car at the exact locations used by the regulatory testing machines. After verifying through internal testing that the Model S would achieve a NHTSA 5-star rating, Tesla then analyzed the Model S to determine the weakest points in the car and retested at those locations until the car achieved 5 stars no matter how the test equipment was configured.

The Model S lithium-ion battery did not catch fire at any time before, during or after the NHTSA testing. It is worth mentioning that no production Tesla lithium-ion battery has ever caught fire in the Model S or Roadster, despite several high speed impacts. While this is statistically unlikely to remain the case long term, Tesla is unaware of any Model S or Roadster occupant fatalities in any car ever.

The graphic below shows the statistical Relative Risk Score (RRS) of Model S compared with all other vehicles tested against the exceptionally difficult NHTSA 2011 standards. In 2011, the standards were revised upward to make it more difficult to achieve a high safety rating.

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COMMENTARY:   The 5-Star Safety Rating gives Tesla Motors a slam dunk, winning the top three automobile awards.  In a blog post dated May 15, 2013, I reported that Consumer Reports had given Tesla Motors a score of 99 points, beating all the major automobile carmakers.    Consumer Reports said that the Tesla Motors Model S sedan was "the best car ever tested."      Last year the Tesla Model S won Motor Trends' Car of the Year for 2013.   It's an incredible car.  Yes, it's expensive, but you get what you pay for.   Last year the Tesla Model S won Motor Trends'  Car of the Year for 2013.   It's an incredible car.  Yes, it's expensive, but you get what you pay for.

Courtesy of a press release dated August 19, 2013 by Tesla Motors

2013 VOLKSWAGEN XL1 DIESEL/ELECTRIC PLUGIN HYBRID CAR TEST DRIVE, COULD REACH 209 MPG, LIMITED PRODUCTION, PRICE UNKNOWN

The 2013 Volkswagen XL1 diesel hydbrid is the most aerodynamic and fuel-efficient hybrid ever produced (Click Image To Enlarge)

Smaller than a Golf and lower than a Boxster, Volkswagen's XL1 looks like a bijou supercar. It has a sleek, thigh-high, carbon-fiber composite body, butterfly wing doors, a mid-mounted powertrain, and a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. The XL1 is a supercar of a different sort, though. It won't hit 200 mph, but it will go more than 200 miles on a single gallon of diesel. 

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In fact, on the official European combined driving cycle, the XL1 is rated at 261 mpg. European and American fuel-consumption tests are quite different, but VW engineers say an equivalent combined EPA city/highway number would be about 20 percent lower -- say, 209 mpg. What does that mean? It means you could drive the 2800 miles from Santa Monica Pier to downtown Manhattan on about 55 bucks' worth of fuel. And a bit of electricity. 

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Perhaps what's most remarkable about this little diesel/electric plug-in hybrid, however, is that it wouldn't be stuck in the freeway slow lane the whole way. With a combined system output of just 68 hp and 103 lb-ft, acceleration is understandably modest -- VW claims 0-60 mph takes about 12.5 seconds -- but during our brief test drive, the XL1 was content to happily bowl along a Swiss freeway at 70-75 mph, the diesel twin purring at a little over 2100 rpm. The XL1's top speed is electronically limited to 100 mph.

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Duck under the door and into the cabin of the XL1, and you're greeted with a lot of familiar-looking VW hardware, right down to the instruments and switchgear, though most of it is actually bespoke to the XL1. The steering wheel is small, with a flattened base, and the DSG shifter looks like a three-quarter-scale version of the one you'll find in a Golf GTI. The small, fixed nav screen is the Garmin unit from the Up!, VW's cute little city car.

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You don't so much fire the XL1 up as switch it on. The hybrid system gives primacy to the 27-hp electric motor wherever possible. Squeeze the long-travel accelerator pedal and the XL1 oozes away with a distant high-pitched whine. The 47-hp, 800cc parallel twin diesel -- architecturally, it's one half of VW Group's 1.6-liter TDI four -- sounds like one of those air mattress inflation pumps when it first fires up, a rapid chocka-chocka-chocka-chocka-chocka-chocka in your right ear.

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The electric motor is situated between the diesel engine and the seven-speed DSG transmission. At low speeds and with modest accelerator inputs, the XL1 will run a considerable distance solely on electric power before the diesel kicks in. Press a button, and the XL1 will stay in pure EV mode for up to 30 miles, courtesy of a 5.5-kW-hr lithium-ion battery pack allowing emissions-free running in city areas. Management of the power flow is impressive: Only when the chocka-chocka of the little diesel overwhelms the whine of the electric motor are you aware of any change in how forward motion is being accomplished. The transitions are smooth and seamless.

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Just like any supercar, the XL1 demands compromises. It's noisy because there is very little sound deadening, which helps keep overall weight to just 1750 lb. Not only do you clearly hear both engines, but you also hear the tires on the pavement, the suspension working over the bumps, and the curious rasp of the tiny carbon-ceramic disc brakes as you came to halt. VW engineers considered an active noise cancellation system, but discarded the idea because of weight and the fact that it would consume precious power. Mechanical noise is part of the XL1 experience, just like it is in a Pagani Huayra.

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What you don't hear much of, however, is the wind. With a Cd of just 0.189, the XL1 is the most aerodynamic production car in history. It cleaves the air like a hot knife through butter, and, at 50 mph or more, the dull roar of the tires effectively cancels out any engine noise.

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It's been many years since we've driven a new car without power steering, so the XL1's manual system is at first a bit of a shock. It's heavy in tight turns at slow speeds, and loads up in faster corners. But you do know exactly what's going on with the front tires. It's old school and kind of entertaining. The regenerative braking system, by contrast, is almost state of the art in pedal feel and consistency.

 

VW has not announced a price for the XL1, saying only that it will offer what it calls "innovative financing" to get customers into the car, and that just 250 will be virtually hand-built on a special production line at VW's Osnabrück plant in northwestern Germany. Simple auto industry economics suggest this is easily the most expensive Volkswagen ever made -- after all, supercar technologies mean a supercar price tag -- and that it's a money loser. So why build it? "It's a lighthouse car," says VW Group R&D chief Ulrich Hackenberg. "This is the technology spearhead of the VW Group, and all the brands will benefit."

COMMENTARY:     The XL1 is powered by a source of 800cc two-cylinder turbo power (half engine BlueMotion), producing 47bhp.  It supports the 27bhp electric motor that is powered by a lithium ion battery.  These can be imposed on internal plug, which allows the car to travel 35 km (22 miles) on electricity alone.  The electric motor can also be used to support the torque of the diesel engine in the "full throttle acceleration, lifting the figure of £ 74m to £ 103 feet, but it also contributes to the overall effectiveness is well beyond the regular production cars.  XL1 8bhp only requires to maintain a constant speed of 62 mph, however, requires a 1.6 TDI Golf 18bhp to accomplish the same feat.  The result is a car that you can go back and let 313.9 mpg only 24g/km of CO2 - the same time allowing a maximum speed of 100 mph (electronically limited) and 0-62 mph time of 11.9sec. Despite its relatively small 10-liter tank of diesel, there are several XL1 about 340 km.

In its press release of February 27, 2013, here's what Volkswagen said about the XL1:

"Volkswagen to produce XL1 by handcrafting-like production methods at its Osnabrück plant in Germany

XL1 is the most aerodynamic production car ever

0.9 litre combined fuel consumption was a vision – now it is a reality

Wolfsburg, 21 February 2013 – The XL1 from Volkswagen is the most fuel-efficient production car in the world, with a fuel consumption value of 0.9 l/100 km. Thanks to its plug-in hybrid system, the two-seater can also cover a distance of up to 50 km in all-electric mode and therefore with zero local emissions.

The XL1 is an automotive hero that follows pure sports car design principles: low weight (795 kg), perfect aerodynamics (Cd 0.189) and a low centre of gravity (1,153 mm high). This gives the efficient Volkswagen the ability to cruise on the road at a constant speed of 100 km/h using just 6.2 kW / 8.4 PS. In all-electric mode, the XL1 requires less than 0.1 kWh to cover a driving distance of over one kilometer.

High-tech lightweight design, perfect aerodynamics and a plug-in hybrid system – consisting of a two-cylinder TDI engine (35 kW / 48 PS), E-motor (20 kW / 27 PS), 7-speed dual clutch gearbox (DSG) and lithium-ion battery – all make it possible for the new Volkswagen XL1 to emit just 21 g/km of CO2. If necessary, the XL1, with a top speed of 160 km/h, can accelerate to 100 km/h in just 12,7 seconds. Clearly, 0.9 l/100 km fuel consumption is a record figure that has not been achieved by any other vehicle to date, and it illustrates how Volkswagen is redefining what is technically feasible in carmaking.

Conceptually, the XL1 represents the third evolutionary stage of Volkswagen’s 1-litre car strategy. When the new millennium was ushered in, Prof. Dr. Ferdinand Piëch, who is today Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Volkswagen AG, formulated the visionary goal of bringing to market a production car that was practical in everyday use with fuel consumption of one litre per 100 km. In the two-seat XL1, this vision has become reality. Despite the tremendous efficiency of the XL1, developers successfully came up with a body concept, which delivers more everyday utility than in the two previous prototypes. While the driver and passenger sat in a tandem arrangement for optimal aerodynamics in the L1, the 1-litre car presented in 2002 and in 2009, in the XL1 two occupants sit slightly offset, side by side, nearly as in a conventional vehicle.

The XL1 is 3,888 mm long, 1,665 mm wide and just 1,153 mm tall. By usual automotive standards these are extreme dimensions. For comparison: a Polo has a similar length (3,970 mm) and width (1,682 mm) but is significantly taller (1,462 mm). Even a purebred sports car like today’s Porsche Boxster is 129 mm taller (1,282 mm). So, the XL1 will make a spectacular appearance – a car of the future, built for today."

VW Group chairman Martin Winterkorn promised it will be available by 2013 “at an affordable price.”  Car & Driver Magazine thinks that the VW XL1 will be somewhere around the equivalent of $50,000.   Qatar won’t get it—and the U.S. probably won’t, either—but this is just the thing European eco-warriors have been waiting for.

Sorry USA.   American's would buy them all at $50,000 a pop.

Courtesy of an article appearing in the June 2013 issue of Motor Trend Magazine, an article dated August 1, 2013 appearing in All About Super Thunderspeed Cars, an article dated March 18, 2013 appearing in The Superslice and a video uploaded on YouTube on February 27, 2013 

TESLA MOTORS ELON MUSK'S WILD NEW IDEA: 'HYPERLOOP', A FASTER-THAN-PASSENGER JET PNEUMATIC TUBE TO SHUTTLE PASSENGERS

Elon Musk, CEO and founder of Tesla Motors and SpaceX

This whole transit system would be impossible to crash, always available on demand, way less expensive than current travel options and, ideally, solar-powered.

Tesla Motors (TSLA) CEO and co-founder Elon Musk started off his week on Monday by tweeting an announcement that, from anyone else, would have sounded like a tease for a bad sci-fi movie:

“Will publish Hyperloop alpha design by Aug 12. Critical feedback for improvements would be much appreciated.”

If you still think electric cars or rocket ships are cool, you haven’t been keeping up with Musk. His “hyperloop” is a proposed “really rapid transit system” that he says will be able to get a passenger from San Francisco to Los Angeles in a half-hour. That would mean travel at 800 miles per hour, or about twice the speed of conventional  aircraft.                         

Artists concept of a futuristic ET3 high-speed pneumatic tube transportation system might look like (Click Image To Enlarge)

He has been a little vague on how this works, except to say recently that the concept is “a cross between a Concorde, a railgun, and an air-hockey table.”
 
Also, he says it will be impossible to crash, always available on demand, way less expensive than current travel options and, ideally, solar-powered.

Artists conception of an underground passenger terminal for the futuristic ET3 highspeed pneumatic tube transportation system (Click Image To Enlarge)

Remember, this isn’t Donald Trump talking trash. This is Elon Musk, who has already changed the nature of money, as a co-founder of PayPal, the electronic payments system.
 
Since selling PayPal to eBay (EBAY), Musk has served as CEO of SpaceX, which is in the business of building rocket ships and spacecraft. The company, which he co-founded, is now under contract with NASA to service the International Space Station.
 
Of greater interest to today’s investors, though, is Musk’s role as co-founder, CEO, and CTO of Tesla Motors, the venture that is proving that building all-electric vehicles can be a profitable business.
 
We’ll find out how profitable it is right now on July 22, when Tesla announces its earnings results for the second quarter. The stock, which just made a splashy debut on the Nasdaq-100 Index (INDEXNASDAQ:NDX), has zoomed from $25.52 to $133.26 in a bit less than a year.
 
That’s the kind of price increase that makes for warnings about a bubble market.
 
But Musk says Tesla is just getting started. His real goal is to produce electric cars at an increasingly economical price. The first Tesla model, launched in 2008, was a roadster with a base price of about $70,000.
 
At an event for Tesla owners over the weekend, Musk said the company hopes to ship 800 Model S vehicles per week by the end of 2014. It has added a third model, the Model X, a crossover between a sedan and an SUV, and has plans to produce a minivan to appeal to the masses in a couple of years.
 
If you think this is sufficient innovation for an entrepreneur who is, after all, only 42 years old, wait until he unveils his plans for what he calls “the fifth mode of transportation,” alongside trains, planes, cars and boats.
 
Speculation is rife about what exactly this mode of transportation could be. Blogger Brian Dodson, who really is a rocket scientist, explains how he thinks it might work, based on the sparse information available.  
 
In short, it sounds like the hyperloop might be a kind of pneumatic tube for people.  Musk has to be one of the few people on Earth who could suggest such an idea without getting laughed at.
 
Ironically, the concept, like that of an electric car, isn’t new. Pneumatic tube systems, which use compressed air to move objects through a tube connecting fixed points, are still in use in some industries, but were more common in the late 19th century. In their early years, there was speculation that the technology could be used to transport people, but nobody ever proved it.
 
Musk hasn’t promised proof at this point, just an “alpha design.” But he has said that he will make the design available as “open source,” and that he will not seek any patents for it.

COMMENTARY:    Elon Musk has incredible entrepreneurial vision which I have often compared to Apple co-founder Steve Jobs.   Tesla Motors, a producer of technologically advanced, brilliantly designed and award-winning all-electric cars he founded  in 2003, and Space Exploration Technologies Corporation or SpaceX, which he founded in 2002, has achieved incredible success by being the first commercial space company to build a fully-recoverable, multi-stage space rocket, the Falcon 9, and cargo and passenger carrying spacecraft, the Dragon spacecraft.  In 2012,  NASA awarded SpaceX a contract to develop and demonstrate a human-rated Dragon as part of its Commercial Crew Development (CCDev) program to transport crew to the ISS. SpaceX is planning its first crewed Dragon/Falcon 9 flight in 2015, when it expects to have a fully certified, human-rated launch escape system incorporated into the spacecraft.   

So far, both companies are doing very well and achieving much success.  The Tesla Model S all-electric luxury sedan has received rave reviews from car experts, received Trend's 2013 Car of the Year, 2013 World Green Car of the Year,  Automobile Magazine's 2013 Automobile of the Year and in May 2013 achieved the highest score awarded to an automobile by Consumer Reports in 2013.  Consumer Reports said.

"It performs better than the entries from any other car company."

With all these accolades, Tesla Motors, in spite of racking up record operating losses, is loved by Wall Street.   Tesla Motors Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) stock has skyrockted from $33.87 at the end of 2012 to its current price of  $116.16 as of 10:17 a.m., July 17, 2013.   Yes, Tesla Motors stock has risen to bubble-making proportions, but interest in the stock has not waned.   So far today, TSLA has risen +7.29 or +6.29% since the opening. 

Elon Musk appears to be making all the right moves at both Tesla Motors and SpaceX.  Clearly, Tesla's all-electric vehicle technology is proven beyond a shadow of a doubt, but the Company has been criticized for producing vehicles appealing only to celebrities and snobbish affluent buyers.   Elon Musk knows that in order to achieve higher revenues and justify its lofty stock price, his cars have to appeal to larger audiences.  In a blog post dated February 14, 2013, Elon Musk unveiled the Model X, a electric crossover between a sedan and SUV.  The Model X will compete in the high-end mainstream SUV market.  Prices will be in the Model S territory, or about $49,000.  A fourth model, aimed at a lower price point and wider audience, would likely be announced in 18 to 24 months says Musk.  That vehicle will compete in the mid-to-highend electric vehicle market against models from Nissan, Toyota, and the Big 3 Detroit automakers.  

SpaceX is racking up one success after another.  Its Dragon spacecraft recently delivered its first shipment of cargo to the International Space Station, and appears to be on schedule to begin delivering NASA space astronuts to and from the ISS within two years.  

Elon Musk has already boisted that SpaceX could be sending astronauts to the planet Mars within 10 to 15 years, and this new idea of a pneumatic tube to shuttle passengers between Northern and Southern California at faster than commercial jets is another example of this.

Elon Musk is very flamboyant and boisterous, but I would not crossout any of these ideas.  Who would've thought that SpaceX would eventually replace the Space Shuttle, and transport payloads at 30% lower than the Shuttle.  These ideas are going to take a lot of capital, so I have a feeling that a SpaceX IPO is not out of the question withint two or three years.  Stay tuned. 

Courtesy of an article dated July 16, 2013 appearing in Minyanville and an article dated June 3, 2013 appearing in Core77