Swiss automaker Rinspeed has released some pictures and details on their upcoming UC? electric car.

The design is quite strange, and a bit ugly too. It looks like a cross between a Toyota iQ, Fiat 500 and Smart ForTwo.

The most interesting bit about the car though is the solution Rinspeed is proposing to solve the range issue most EVs have. The car is 2.5 metres long, so it could take advantage of the same kind of perpendicular parking Smart owners often use. So Rinspeed has proposed that rail companies build special train cars for the UC? to be driven into and then off of for long distance travel, where the 75 mile range would be impractical. Most European trains are electrical too, so there could be plugs allowing the UC? to recharge during the train ride.

Rinspeed also hopes to sell the UC? to other manufacturers to be produced by them as well. The car will get a live unveiling at the Geneva Motor Show next year.

Here’s the press release Rinspeed made:

A Clever E-Speedster to Fight Gridlock

Automobile, Train and the Web Form a New Kind of Symbiosis at the Geneva Motor Show 2010 (March 4th – 14th, 2010)

For the first time in its long history of developing groundbreaking concept cars the Swiss automobile and concept powerhouse Rinspeed is creating not just a car but a entire mobility concept. The highly likeable two-seater is powered by an electric motor and is aptly named “UC?”, which stands for “Urban Commuter” or “You see?”. It was designed for possible future series production.

Nomen est omen: The little speedster measures just 2.50 meters in length and is intended to help avoid gridlock in the inner cities. At the same time an advanced railcar loading system will add the option to cover long distances by train, comfortable, without traffic jams and stress-free. The desired mobile carport with integrated battery charging station is conveniently booked via the internet.

Rinspeed boss Frank M. Rinderknecht: “UC? – it’s a new and highly emotional web-based car world that interweaves individual and public transport in an intelligent way. We want to create a community of people who are open for a new definition of mobility.”

The lightweight “lovebug” is operated with a central joystick and delivers 124 Newton meters of torque. It reaches a top speed of 110 km/h and has an operating range of 120 kilometers. But the most important aspect of the vehicle is that there is a good chance that it will be built in series production. The concept is designed be easily adapted and integrated by volume manufacturers. Intensive dialogues at the highest levels are already well underway.

The partners and suppliers in the “UC?” project are:

Absaar GmbH – www.absaar.com
AEZ Leichtmetallräder GmbH – www.aez-wheels.com
AkzoNobel Car Refinishes – www.akzonobel.com
A.T. Kearney Global Management Consultants – www.atkearney.com
Carl F. Bucherer – www.carl-f-bucherer.com
Coop Genossenschaft – www.coop.ch
Die Agentur, Werbeagentur GmbH – www.dieagentur-group.com
J. Eberspächer GmbH & Co. KG – www.eberspaecher.com
Elektrizitätswerke des Kantons Zürich – www.ekz.ch
Esoro AG – www.esoro.ch
Harman/Becker Automotive Systems – www.harmanbecker.com
Li-Tec Battery GmbH – www.li-tec.de
Motorex Bucher Langenthal AG – www.motorex.com
Paravan GmbH – www.paravan.de
Pirelli Tyre (Europe) S.A. Swiss Market – www.pirelli.ch
Rafi GmbH &Co. KG – www.rafi.de
Rehau AG & Co. – www.rehau.com
Sellner GmbH – www.sellner.de
Sibu Design GmbH & CoKG – www.sibu.at
Ticona GmbH – www.ticona.de
VDO – Continental Automotive Switzerland AG – www.continental-corporation.com

Special thanks to:

Xmobil Design + Marketing GmbH – www.xmobil.de
Dominic Wuffli + Cédric Facchin

Forward-Looking Statements – This news release contains forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by the Rinspeed management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.

Source: Autoblog

Mini Cooper

In 2001, the Mini Cooper really brought the small car to America.  BMW, the current owner of the Mini brand, showed that Americans were willing to pay for a premium small car.  The Mini gets good gas mileage, has “go kart” handling, plenty of creature comforts, and sells for thousands more than its same-size siblings.

Toyota Yaris

Nissan Versa

Since then, every competitor to the Mini has failed.  While sales might be good for a particular car, they just can’t seem to outsell the Mini. Since 2006, Nissan has been selling the Versa and Toyota has the Yaris.  The difference is, the basic Versa and Yaris are both available for around $10,000, well under what the Mini is going for.  Not too surprisingly, they’re also missing a lot of the creature comforts of more expensive cars.

Smart ForTwo

A car that falls in between the Yaris/Versa and Mini is the Smart ForTwo, a car that is shorter in length than both the Versa and Yaris and yet sells for more money.  Sold by parent company Mercedes-Benz since 2007, the Smart ForTwo has two seats, but is available in a few trim models, including a convertible for under $18,000.  It’s biggest claim to fame is its length, which allows it to park in a parallel parking spot perpendicular to the road, and not stick out much.

Enter the gas price crisis of 2008, when gas hit $4.00 per gallon in a lot of places in the United States.  Buyers flocked to smaller cars, and the subcompact car was once again live and well in America.  All of a sudden, cars which nobody would’ve payed attention to in 2007 were hot sellers!  Anything that got 30+ MPG was in short supply.  eBay was full of auctions for used hybrids, Geo Metros, and the like.

Nissan Cube

Scion xD

Since the Mini’s success began, different manufacturers have been trying to one-up the Mini, offering their funkiest designs in cars such as the Scion xB, Scion xD and Nissan Cube.  While they seem to sell at a decent pace, they aren’t taking the market by storm as their price and advertising should suggest.  While the intended demographic is the young 20-something who wants a lot for his or her money, automakers are finding that more and more empty-nesters are buying up the cars.

If a more mature generation likes the smaller cars, and the data shows that they have a higher median income than the intended demographic, how well should premium small cars sell in America?  Also, why are the buyers with more money not spending it on the Mini?  The easier question to answer is the latter, and the simple answer is that the Mini has a stiff ride coupled with great handling.  While this works for many people, the buyers of the Nissan Cube aren’t looking to take their car to a race track.  That could explain why sales of the Mini Clubman, an extended-wheelbase version of the Mini Cooper, doesn’t sell as well as hoped.  For example, the Mini has a comparable amount of storage space to the Nissan Cube, so the big difference is the ride.

All of the manufacturers who sell cars in the United States have been pouring over the sales data for the last several years, trying to figure out what will sell here, especially with the current economic recession.  Most of those same manufacturers are readying cars to come to our shores in the next 12-18 months, and I’d like to give you a breakdown of what I see coming our way.

Alfa Romeo MiTo

Chrysler is now under the control of Fiat, who is known for building small cars.  Current plans call for the Alfa Romeo MiTo to come to our country first, but I predict that the Fiat 500 should hit our shores before June, 2011, if not far sooner.  Fiat is reportedly fast-tracking their small cars for North America, to be incorporated into Chrysler dealerships.  Click here to read more about Chrysler/Fiat.

Ford Fiesta

Ford has already unleashed a few of its Fiesta cars on US streets.  It’s had a marketing campaign going for almost a year now called “Fiesta Movement”, and is expected to bring the Fiesta to our shores in the Spring of 2010 as a 2011 model.  This new Fiesta isn’t the same one sold in Ford dealerships across the US from the 1980’s into the 1990’s.  It’s a much improved, much better car, sporting a wide range of available options, engines and styles.  Expect to see sedan and hatchback models, possibly with an optional EcoBoost engine, which couples high technology with smaller engine sizes to give drivers plenty of performance without paying a penalty at the pump.  Click the link to see our report on the 2011 Fiesta.

Chevrolet Agile

GM is rumored to be developing an American version of its Brazilian hatchback to battle Ford’s Fiesta in 2010.  Not a whole lot is known, but expect it to carry GM’s current styling cues, and closely resemble the Fiesta in size and overall shape.  Reports have also shown that GM will keep the Chevrolet Aveo in the states, so most of their strategy hasn’t been revealed yet.

Lexus LF-Ch

Lexus has a concept car they are showing off, called the LF-Ch.  It’s a small car, but not quite as compact as the Fiesta or Mazda2.  It’s size is closer to the Audi A3 and BMW 1-series.

Lincoln C Concept

Lincoln revealed its version of the compact car this year at the Frankfurt auto show, the C Concept.  A small car by any measure, it’s impossibly tiny for a Lincoln, but still sports Lincoln-esque dimensions.  Specifically, it’s wider than most compact cars, giving the illusion of a bigger car.  Based on the Ford Focus, the C Concept isn’t as small as the Yaris, Versa or Fiesta, but would definitely provide Ford with a compact luxury platform, if it gets built.

Mazda Mazda2

Mazda shares a lot with Ford, including the platform that the Ford Fiesta and Mazda Mazda2 are built upon.  By changing out some of the suspension and engine parts, as well as completely different interiors and exteriors, the Mazda2 should provide more “zoom-zoom” that Mazda is famous for.  The Mazda2 should offer comparable features and options to the Fiesta, but in a more enthusiast-friendly package.

Conclusions:

Given all of the above information, what do I think is going to happen?  I think that 2010 is going to be a very exciting year for buyers of small cars.  The decent selection is going to explode, offering more luxury-oriented cars.  The Lexus will be a bellweather for the “compact luxury” segment, while the Ford should take the top sales spot, especially given Ford’s recent win with the Fusion as Motor Trend’s Car of the Year for 2010.  Enthusiasts looking for a small car will flock to the Mazda2 or a Fiesta RS, if it’s brought over from Europe.  If Lincoln builds it, the C Concept would probably end up a bit player in this arena, but would be popular with city-dwellers who want something to soak up the potholes and still fit into tight parking situations.  The Fiat/Chrysler/Alfa MiTo is a wildcard; it could end up a big seller in Chrysler dealerships, or it could end up not selling at all.

by John Suit

Photo Sources: AutoBlog, Automobile Magazine, Inside Line, Jalopnik, Left Lane News, The Truth About Cars (TTAC)

This post is written out of pure, fresh dripping spite. Everyone hates inconsiderate drivers, and wishes them a mediaevally horrible demise. And few things are more irritating and inconsiderate than lazy, pathetic, fat-cat parking. Leaving a vehicle diagonally across a spot, or leaving it a metre and a half away from the pavement, or in the middle of two parking spaces is an affront to civility, common sense and all that’s not blood-boilingly maddening. And it seems no-one is better at this than the average Smart ForTwo driver.

The basic idea behind the ForTwo was laudible. A small, cheap urban vehicle that sips fuel and can be bunched up together in herds while parked to save space. Unfortunately, the message that got through to the average commuter was to bring these things in to town in droves and park them in any sodding lazy way you please. Then there’s the business of its youthful, hip status symbol, but I’ve covered that in passing.

The other day, I saw two Smarts together occupying a single space. I should have taken a picture because it was like seeing a yeti or a UFO, or some strange, rare phenomenon people talk about but never see. A friend of mine, who was also my neighbour at the time, used to park his Smart head on, with no further manoeuvring after, whether it was 5 miles away from the pavement, diagonal, or bang slap in the middle of two other cars, where a simple reverse and approximation to one of the already parked cars could allow a normal, proper car to park in the resulting space. When I asked him why he wasn’t a bit more thoughtful he’d say “Why should I waste petrol bothering to park properly?” I don’t know if this is the way of thinking of other Smart drivers, but if it is, it’s a capricious thought because I had another neighbour who’d waste petrol to screw us other drivers over by leaving his litte crapmobile as far between cars as possible whilst parking. Not to mention the way they tax their weedy little engines by speeding stupidly and dangerously in town.

I haven’t even mentioned that pathetic “compact parking” concept. The idea was to be able to park the car at 90º angle, and given that the car was 250cm long, it would fit in spaces with that particular width and everyone would be happy. But parking spaces with 2.5 metres are usually perpendicular to the street, so people can open their doors without denting the car next to them. Spaces on the side of the road are usually around 2.2m, though you can easily get away with just 2m because even the fattest and stupidest jeeps and vans are around 1.9m in width. So “compactly-parked” Smarts jut out inconveniently, and it’s no wonder certain cities have forbidden this stupid practice.

In sum, the Smart ForTwo is a space-wasting, road-cluttering fashionista-mobile. Its potential advantages are blown to smithereens by the thickness of their owners, it’s practicality moot and its place in modern urban society debatable at best.

Mercedes-Benz may be bringing their next generation A-Class and B-Class over to the US, which presumably means Canada will get them as well.

These next generation models will be introduced to Europe in 2011, and if this plan is given the green light, North America would get them by 2012.

This move to introduce more small cars to the US is a bit strange, as sales of their Smart Fortwo are very low, only 661 units were sold in October.

In other Mercedes news, some production of the C-Class may be shifted to Mercedes’ US plant in Vance, Alabama, and reports state that a next generation C-Class is due in 2013.

Source: Inside Line

precizez inca de la inceput ca preturile contin tva. si acum sa ne apucam de treaba:

locul 11 ford focus cc- 24 988 euro.

locul 10 vw eos- 24 200 euro.

locul 9 opel astra twintop- 24 040 euro.

locul 8 mini cabrio- 23 200 euro.

locul 7 peugeot 308 cc- 22 700 euro.

locul 6 vw beetle cabrio- 19 900 euro.

locul 5 peugeot 207 cc- 18 700 euro.

locul 4 mazda mx-5- 18 400 euro.

locul 3 opel tigra- 16 275 euro.

locul 2 smart fortwo cabrio- 13 840 euro.

locul 1 citroen c3 pluriel- 13 100 euro.

One of the coolest parts of our job here at smart center Nashville, is hearing the stories of our customers, and learning a bit about their lives.

Russ was actually smart car reservation holder, but he had never configured his vehicle. So, he chose a blue metallic coupe, with silver tridion. We think it looks really sharp!

Now on his second career, Russ is an SEC football official. He has some GREAT stories. Russ, we can’t wait to see you on TV as we watch our favorite SEC teams go head to head this fall!

BMW and Audi are going at it. VW tries too, but VW can’t match up to those two, and ends up looking stupid.

First example: Billboard wars in Santa Monica

Audi's asking for a fight.

Quit fighting, you.

That’s example no.1

Example 2: Volkswagen vs. Smart

Volkswagen’s answer: 

Translation: "And you have better sex in it"

Smart said: 

Translated: "SIze doesn't matter, it's technique that counts. The Smart Fortwo thanks you for the nice commercial."

Greenpeace says:

“Mercedes Benz sells 1 Smart model with 3.3l/100km and 88g co2 emissions. Mercedes Benz sells 31 offroad models with 11.6l/100km and 279g co2 emissions.

Protecting the enviroment is cool when you are serious about it.”

Lastly: BMW vs. Audi vs. Subaru vs. Bentley.

Douchey move, BMW.

Nice call, Audi.

Subaru, WTH? You're good for rallies and boy-racing, but that's about it.

Bentley's chairman fucks you all.

I can’t help but feel that BMW’s douchey, especially with Car and Driver’s BMW worship. BMW knows it, and uses it in all of their ads. BMW has the 3-series, and only the 3-series. (And the out-of-production Z4M) Audi’s much more versatile. BMW makes dumb sh*t like the X6 and the 5-series GT. And to quote Frei from freiforall.wordpress.com, the “X3 just might be the ugliest thing I’ve ever seen.”

Last Thursday I wrote about trying out a smart fortwo for a few days. In the week I had to try it out, the idea of having a small car really grew on me.

Here’s a photo of my boss, Homemakers’ editor in Chief Kathy Ullyott (right) and me. Kathy has had a smart for a few years now, and she loves to wedge her car into tiny parking spots. We thought we’d make a point by putting the two smarts into one spot. So here we are with the two cars parked tail to tail. We also had no problem parking the cars beside each other across a spot – we could have fit three smarts into one parking spot! But the question is, could be get two-for-one parking passes?

I’m pretty much sold on the idea of small cars (powered by various sources) ruling the road in the future. I think with a smaller size comes smaller-scale environmental impact, even just in the resources to build, maintain, service and house them. What do you think, is there a chance for this, or do people just love big cars too much?

The smart fortwo

I’m getting pretty excited about the lower-eco-impact cars coming on the market. I think Canadians have had a taste of high gas prices, and the concept of fuel efficiency has really taken hold. Why pay more to go the same distance? (And release more pollutants, including greenhouse gasses?)

I snapped up the opportunity to try out a smart car this week since it’s the epitome of efficient vehicles, so here’s me with the little white smart fortwo passion. I absolutely love driving it – it’s a speedy little beast with smooth braking and precise handling. I can park in places I wouldn’t consider in my (fairly small) hatchback. I thought I would be nervous about taking the smart car out on the highway in heavy traffic, but it’s very visible (the fact that it’s cute doesn’t hurt) and I can change lanes very nimbly.

I know the smart car is a good choice because my boss (Homemakers‘ editor, Kathy Ullyott) has one; she said that she filled the tank from running-on-fumes to full the other day for $15. Apparently the fortwo’s fuel consumption is 5.4L per 100 km. Not bad! smart has made the fortwo fuel efficient by making it light – not only is it smaller in size than most cars, it has plastic body panels. Apparently some of the car’s parts are made from 100 per cent recycled plastic, and, in general, many parts of the car are recyclable.

The smart (starting at about $15,000) may not be the right car for everyone, (nor will an electric version, which is currently being offered in Europe). But these kinds of vehicles are no doubt right for a lot of people, a lot of the time. (Me! Me!) Hopefully, within the next couple of years, we will see a mix of smaller, lighter and alternative fuel / electric cars on the roads made with parts that can be reclaimed and recycled.

Government incentives may help this happen; the Ontario government recently introduced a $10,000 rebate on the purchase of an electric vehicle, and they also offer rebates on alternative fuel vehicles.

What do you want in a “green” vehicle?

Mr. & Mrs. Johnson...What a fun couple!

What a neat couple! Mr. Johnson came into smart center Nashville, and immediately liked our Brabus model. Using smart’s express program we were able to track down a silver Brabus Cabriolet for him. With an eye for design, though, Mr. Johnson inquired about adding a black pinstripe to the car. “Great idea,” we said.  And once we had the pinstripe in place, it was a done deal. Below you’ll see the thumbs up from Mr. Johnson.

Delivery day...