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Auto Blog
BMW Brilliance Automotive previews 5 Series plug-in hybrid prototype
Filed under: Hybrid, Sedan, China, BMW, Shanghai Motor Show, Luxury
2013 BMW 5 Series plug-in hybrid - Click above for high-res version
In the lead-in to the Shanghai Motor Show, BMW has teased an upcoming plug-in hybrid 5 Series that will be exclusive to the Chinese market. The prototype of this greener version of BMW's midsize sedan is based on theChina-only long-wheelbase 5 Series platform.
The car is part of a joint venture between BMW and Chinese automaker Brilliance. The car is the tip of an eco-friendly iceberg BMW has aimed squarely at China, a country with an increasing appetite for premium-segment cars and a serious need for green-focused, energy-efficient vehicles.
Despite its size, BMW says the plug-in 5 Series will manage nearly 250 miles on a single charge and tank of gas, with up to 47 miles of those on electric power only, provided you don't creep past 37 miles per hour. Those numbers certainly aren't what you'd call impressive, but they're a step in the right direction and they'd likely be a major help in the thick traffic snarls that China's major cities are famous for. As for the U.S. market, a full plug-in 5 Series is unlikely, but BMW is understood to be planning to bring a traditional mild hybrid version of the car to our shores. For now, check out the prototype in our gallery below and via the press release after the jump.
[Source: BMW]Continue reading BMW Brilliance Automotive previews 5 Series plug-in hybrid prototype
BMW Brilliance Automotive previews 5 Series plug-in hybrid prototype originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 07 Apr 2011 18:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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People Say They Won't Shock Others for Cash, But Do
When faced with a thorny moral dilemma, what people say they would do and what people actually do are two very different things. Most say they'd never subject another person to a painful electric shock, just to make a little money -- but in a real-world choice, the sparks fly.
Discovery News - Top Stories »
Dogs More Likely to Approach Male Owners
Although dogs may stick closer to male owners, these canines won't necessarily prefer male company.
Hollywood.com - Recent News
Jeff Daniels May Star in Aaron Sorkin's Upcoming HBO Pilot
Sorkin's show follows the backstage antics of a nightly news show.
Msnbc Techonology
Students worldwide share mobile addiction
College students around the world are "strikingly similar" in their addiction to their cellphones and need to be connected to social media like Facebook and Twitter, says a new study.Auto Blog
Video: Mopar explains why Ram Runner is better than Raptor, do you agree?
Filed under: Performance, Truck, Videos, Chrysler, Dodge, Off-Road
Mopar Ram Runner Stage II Short Cuts video - Click above to watch after the jump
The Ram Runner Stage II kit makes for one very impressive Ram 1500. Performance modifications like beefed-up control arms, Fox shocks and 14 inches of wheel travel make us want to pit the modified Ram against the 2011 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor in a high-speed dirt race to the
We're not the only ones eager to compare the Ram Runner Stage II to the Raptor. Follow the jump to watch an Autoblog Short Cuts video of Jim Sassorossi, Director of Mopar Parts, as he explained to us why Chryslerbelieves the Ram Runner is better than the Raptor. In fact, Sassorossi brings up the Raptor no less than four times, and throws in "best in class" for the Ram Runner's specs another another four times.
This will be a thrilling battle when Ford's ready-made race truck gets pitted against Ram's D.I.Y. wonder. To see what we mean, watch the video and then answer our poll below.
View Poll
Continue reading Video: Mopar explains why Ram Runner is better than Raptor, do you agree?
Video: Mopar explains why Ram Runner is better than Raptor, do you agree? originally appeared on Autoblogon Thu, 07 Apr 2011 19:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Insomniac Cavefish May Hold Clues to Human Sleep Disorders
Blind Mexican cavefish sleep much less than closely related species that live near the surface, according to a study that involved shaking aquariums to keep fish awake. The discovery may help identify genes and pathways involved in insomnia and other sleep disorders in humans.
Discovery News - Top Stories »
Japan: Pride, Honor and Respect in the Face of Chaos
Ian Thomas Ash speaks with ENS Margaret Morton, who was stationed aboard the U.S. Navy destroyer USS Mustin when the Japanese earthquake struck.
Msnbc Techonology
Asteroid's been following us for 250,000 years
A newfound asteroid has been discovered to be trailing Earth on an oddball course: an orbit that looks a lot like a horseshoe.Auto Blog
Opinion: If distracted driving is such an epidemic, why don't statistics show it?
Filed under: Safety
Declining Highway Death Rate Challenges Distracted Driving Fears
The distracted driving debate is being marred by an overdose of hype and hysteria.
My weekend nearly got off to a disastrous start when a driver, busy texting, suddenly realized he was going to miss his exit. At the last possible moment, he slammed his brakes and surged across four lanes of traffic, avoiding the need to go a few miles out of the way - but nearly touching off a multi-car accident in the process.We've all seen the texters, the women putting on makeup, the guys checking their sports scores. Heck, a woman in Florida recently crashed while giving herself a bikini shave. But are we experiencing, as Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood puts it, "a deadly epidemic" of distracted driving - one that can only be addressed by the most draconian of new laws?
There's no question that there are some things you just shouldn't be doing behind the wheel, and few would argue against the laws that many states have passed prohibiting motorists from texting while driving. But what other steps are needed? The latest federal data on highway fatalities suggests we've probably gone far enough - and that the distracted driving debate is being marred by an overdose of hype and hysteria.
Continue reading...
Paul A. Eisenstein is Publisher of TheDetroitBureau.com, and a 30-year veteran of the automotive beat. His editorials bring his unique perspective and deep understanding of the auto world to Autoblog readers on a regular basis.[Image: Corbis]Continue reading Opinion: If distracted driving is such an epidemic, why don't statistics show it?
Opinion: If distracted driving is such an epidemic, why don't statistics show it? originally appeared on Autoblogon Thu, 07 Apr 2011 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Plasmons Create Beautiful Full-Color Holograms
By harnessing the power of tiny waves dancing in an electron sea, Japanese physicists have developed a novel way to project holograms that don't change color when you move your head.
Discovery News - Top Stories »
What Do You Say to An Alien?
An interstellar message that means a lot to us may be inscrutable to E.T. because it is too anthropomorphic.
Hollywood.com - Recent News
De Niro wins late night TV wordplay game and U.S. box office
Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro's odd appearance on late-night TV in America on Friday night (18Mar11) appears to have paid off - their new movie Limitless has topped the U.S. box office.
Msnbc Techonology
Japan aftershocks not shocking
The news that Japan was hit by a magnitude-7.1 aftershock, nearly a month after a magnitude-9.0 quake and tsunami devastated the northeast coast, is grim but not shocking to experts.Auto Blog
Report: Auto leasing surges to highest level since 2005
Filed under: Car Buying, Etc., Marketing/Advertising
Leasing is back in a big way, says The Detroit News. After virtually disappearing, lease packages with monthly payments below $199 and no money down are popping up everywhere lately, and those deals are finding consumers. Take it as a sign of economic improvement, but the reemergence could come back to bite automakers in a few years, too. With leases accounting for more than twenty percent of new car sales in February and March, a whole bunch of returned vehicles could flood the used market in just a few years, cratering the resale values that make automakers and lenders so enthusiastic to offer good lease terms right now.
If irrational exuberance takes hold again and artificially low, unsustainable lease rates are used to pump up sales figures, it's hard to see how we're not in for an eventual crash. Attractive lease deals on brand-new models like the Chevrolet Cruze are cause for concern to some analysts. Leasing is more often used to move luxury vehicles and aging models, so coming out of the gate with a sharp lease deal smacks of a grab at market share. General Motors counters that it has merely brought leasing back to 15-20 percent of sales, a healthy level, and it's being careful.
Dealers are happy to see the increased showroom traffic the new surge in leasing has brought. Many stores saw sales implode as the recession was busy taking everyone off a cliff. Being able to offer a popular car with an affordable payment again is an effective sheepdog to direct people into dealerships, and besides, the used car market has been depleted for months thanks to measures like Cash For Clunkers and people holding on to their cars longer, keeping them out of circulation.
[Source: The Detroit News]
Report: Auto leasing surges to highest level since 2005 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 07 Apr 2011 17:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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