A Peugeot Concept car

APA Peugeot Concept car at Frankfurt Auto show in Germany. 

When Peugeot unveiled the BB1 Concept at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show, we said "Now here’s something you’ll never see put into production!" Apparently we were wrong. In a recent statement Peugeot announced that the electric concept is now being tested and that a production version will be unveiled in 2012 or 2013. Moreover, the production version will keep the concept’s radical look.

There is one thing that hasn’t been quite decided on yet. Peugeot is still trying to figure out whether the BB1 will be a car or a quadricycle. The BB1 has handle bars and a twist-grip accelerator. The passengers will sit pillion style behind the driver.

One thing is for sure, the Peugeot BB1 will definitely be an electric model. The concept is powered by an electric motor placed inside the rear wheels, designed in association with Michelin. The unit delivers 20 HP and accelerates the BB1 from 0 to 30 KPH in 2.8 seconds and from 30-60 KPH in 4. The power needed to turn the electric motor is provided by a lithium-ion battery pack that gives the passenger car an autonomy of 120 km.-topspeed.

BYD M6 launches priced from 130k to 230,000rmb!

The BYD M6 was launched yesterday and has opened a new challenge for MPV makers. The M6 is BYD’s first MPV and has gained a lot of attention due to its likeness to the Toyota Previa MPV that is also sold in China. BYD initially launched four different models of the M6 and these are:

• 2.0L Basic – 139,800rmb
• 2.0L Luxury – 150,800
• 2.4L Basic – 177,800
• 2.4L Flagship – 239,800   
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• The M6 measures (LxWxH) 4820mm x 1810 x 1765mm, and has a wheelbase of 2950mm meaning it is big enough to carry its intended cargo of 7 people, although the smaller engined vehicles may struggle under extreme load. The 2.0L engine is BYD’s own design whilst the 2.4L is an off the shelf purchase from Mitsubishi, however both are upto Chinese5 emissions specifications. The 2.0L offerings are only available with a 5 speed manual but the larger 2.4L will come with a 5 speed automatic gearbox.
• Previously BYD have only concentrated on cars priced in the 100,000rmb area, the M6 is a step into the semi luxury market that they have yet to conquer. The way BYD took over the compact car segment with the F3 is likely to be a major worry to MPV makers, could they do the same in the already delicate MPV market over the next few months?-chinacartimes.
  
  
  
  
  

Finally: motorcycle headlights that look around the corners

You can't accuse BMW motorcycles of lacking gadgets - with the latest and greatest Beemers packing quickshifters, traction control, integrated ABS and all sorts of other goodies, they're right at the pointy end of the pack. But as great as those features are, this one's so forehead-slappingly obvious and excellent that frankly it's a disgrace that nobody else has beaten the Bavarians to it. The (optional) Adaptive Headlight technology on the upcoming K1600GT finally solves one of the most annoying problems on pretty much every motorcycle - by tilting the headlight according to your lean angle, to light your way around a corner as you turn it, instead of having to ride into blackness. Bravo!

The problem is simple enough - to run a road-legal headlight, you have to cut off the top half of the beam using a suitable reflector so you don't blind oncoming drivers, giving you a flat lighting horizon when you're vertical. But when you dip into a corner and lean the bike over, that lit-up area tilts with you, and if you're turning left, the left side tilts downward until you're basically unable to see through the corner, like so:

It's not just annoying, it's a real safety factor if you do a lot of night miles. So BMW deserves unreserved praise for coming up with its Adaptive Headlight system, that senses your lean angle and uses a tilting reflector to aim the beam the way you're leaning. Hence:

Check it out in this promo VIDEO.

The K1600GT headlight also adjusts its pitch, allowing it to run a full HID Xenon beam without blinding oncoming motorists. So there's every reason to believe this will be the best stock headlight on the market, by far.

Hopefully, the day is not far away when ALL stock bikes will have a smart system like this. It sure beats my solution - retina-frying PIAA driving lights mounted beside the headlights and pointed upwards and outwards. Great for my visibility, but lord help any oncoming traffic - or any roadside wildlife that's not wearing SPF 30+ sunscreen.

AVX flying-car concept – the Vertical Takeoff and Landing SUV

In April scientists at the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) put out a call seeking designs for a tactical flying carunder its Transformer (TX) program. One of the first to respond is AVX Aircraft Company – its AVX Aircraft that can be manually driven on the ground like an SUV and also boasts Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) capability.

The stated objective of the TX program is to “demonstrate a four person flyable/roadable vehicle that will provide the warfighter with terrain-independent mobility. This presents unprecedented capability to avoid traditional and asymmetrical threats while avoiding road obstructions.” The TX will be designed to enhance future operations with use in strike and raid, intervention, interdiction, insurgency/counterinsurgency, reconnaissance, medical evacuation and logistical supply.

The Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) from DARPA called for a design that:

• could be manually driven on the ground like an SUV
• rapidly configures between ground and flight configuration
• has Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) capability
• has a cruise speed equivalent to a light aircraft
• has automated takeoff/landing flight control.

AVX met these performance requirements with its AVX TX design that has:

• 1,040 lb payload
• 250 nautical mile range on one tank of fuel
• 10,000 ft mean sea level altitude at max gross weight
• 80mph on road speed, 30mph rough terrain speed
• 140mph flying speed
• converts from road to flight mode in 60 seconds

AVX says its TX will also have intuitive controls that will provide non-pilot operator control and navigation systems that are intuitive enough to facilitate the transition from road to flight operations. The vehicle’s dual ducted fans will provide propulsion both on the ground and in the air.

Additionally the AVX (TX) can be quickly converted to medivac with a vehicle operator, medical attendant and littered patient. It can also be converted to a resupply vehicle and can move 12,50 lbs as an unmanned vehicle using a sling or 1,000 lbs as a manned vehicle with the same 250 nm range.

New Proton prototype mule spotted

I feel like we’re in an Episode of X-Files or something here. From these new photos sent in by reader KK Chen it is pretty much confirmed – the Exora that wasn’t really an Exora that we checked out earlier yesterday wasn’t an effect of a ‘squashed’ image. It’s something completely different. Here you can see both a real Exora and the mysterious new prototype vehicle with a mix of Exora sheetmetal covering it side by side.

And here’s a closer look at the mysterious new prototype. Is this the upcoming Persona replacement model built on a variant of the Exora platform (and disguised with Exora sheetmetal) with a multi-link suspension instead of the Exora’s torsion beam?

The Exora’s platform is definitely capable of that, in fact it was one of the features touted during the Exora’s technical briefing when it was first launched. Or is this a completely different vehicle? Whatever it is, this is NOT some kind of ‘Exora coupe’, the Exora sheetmetal and headlamps etc are likely just a disguise.-paultan.