Buick Velite

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Buick Velite is a roadster concept car designed by the Buick division of American automaker General Motors and built by Bertone. It was first presented to the public at the 2004 New York International Auto Show.

In 2002, Buick showed a roadster concept car that they called the Bengal. It was widely thought to be an impressive exercise in styling, but never considered to be a viable production vehicle. With the Velite, a much more practical design is put forth. Originally speculated to utilize the Kappa platform, the basis that underpins the Pontiac Solstice and the Saturn Sky roadsters, both of which are seeing production, but in actuality the Velite makes use of the Zeta platform — which is shared with the Holden Commodore/2008 Pontiac G8, as well as the forthcoming Chevrolet Impala and Pontiac GTO replacements.

The Velite features styling cues that show its Buick heritage. The "waterfall" front grill, triple fender portholes, cleanly elegant lines, not extravagant. Its engine is an experimental twin-turbocharged 3.6L V6, rated at 400hp, mated to a 6 speed automatic transmission.

Buick has shown great interest in producing it, but have said it is unlikely it will be found in show rooms in the near-distant future as they are concentrating on refreshing their current line-up. Despite the recent attention on the Zeta platform, no mention has been made of a Velite on this platform. If the Velite were to make it to production, however, the twin-turbochargers would most likely be absent. This is despite the fact that Buick is experienced with forced induction, with the early 80s Buick Grand National.

Comments (0) 07.07.2007. 10:56

Dodge Demon Concept

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Dodge Demon is a concept car manufactured by DaimlerChrysler and branded under its Dodge division. The Demon made its' premiere at the 2007 Geneva Auto Show. The Demon is being considered for production considering the fact that if produced, it can take on competitors including GM's Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky, as well as Ford Motor Company's Mazda Miata. The Demon would have a base price in the neighborhood of $15,000, making it thousands of dollars less expensive than its competitors.

Engine and Design

The Demon has a 2.4L DOHC gasoline I4 engine with normal aspiration. This engine is said to put out around 173 horsepower (72 horsepower per liter) and 166 Ft.-Lbs. of torque. This is connected to a traditional 6-speed manual transmission and runs on gasoline. The exterior design of the Demon shares many styling elements with the Dodge Viper. The interior of the roadster is not very out of the ordinary, giving it a possibly production ready status, unlike many other concept cars.

Technical Specifications

* Engine: 2.4-liter gasoline World Engine
* Maximum Power: 172 hp SAE (128 kW) @ 6000 rpm
* Maximum Torque: 165 lb.-ft. (224 Nm) @ 4400 rpm
* Transmission: Six-speed manual
* Drivetrain: Rear-wheel drive
* Overall Length: 156.5 (3974)
* Overall Width (max. @ body): 68.3 (1736)
* Overall Height: 51.8 (1315)
* Wheelbase: 95.6 (2429)
* Overhang, Front: 30.6 (777)
* Overhang, Rear: 30.3 (769)
* Curb Weight (estimated): 2600 lbs. (1179 kg)
* Tire Size, Front/Rear: 58.7 (1491)
* Wheel Size: 19 x 8 in.
* Outer Diameter: 25.2 (640)

Comments (0) 07.07.2007. 10:38

Hummer

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Hummer is a brand of sport utility vehicles (SUVs) sold by General Motors, also known as GM. They are based on the military High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle, or Humvee. The Hummer is one of the larger SUV types, with commensurate high fuel consumption.

History

Hummers were originally built by AM General Corporation, formerly the military and government vehicle division of American Motors, in its South Bend, Indiana assembly plant. AM General had planned to sell a civilian version of the Hummer as far back as the late 1980s. In 1990, two matching white Hummers were driven from London to Beijing over the rough roads of central Soviet Union. The Hummers made the trip with ease, for they were built to drive on off-road terrain. The highlights of this journey were broadcast in the United States on ESPN. This publicity would pale in comparison to the attention that the HMMWV received for its service in Operation: Desert Storm the following year.

In 1992, AM General began selling a civilian version of the M998 High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV or Hum-Vee) vehicle to the public under the brand name "Hummer". According to sources, they began doing so after Arnold Schwarzenegger asked them to; apparently, he was impressed by a convoy of HMMWVs that drove by during his filming Kindergarten Cop in 1992. In 1998, AM General sold the brand name to General Motors but continued to manufacture the vehicles. GM is responsible for the marketing and distribution of all Hummers produced by AM General. In the next few years, GM introduced two new homegrown models, the H2 and H3, and renamed the original vehicle H1. AM General continues to build the H1 and is contracted by GM to produce the H2. The H3 is built in Shreveport, LA alongside the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon pickups.

As of 2006, Hummer has gone international with selected importers and distributors in Europe and other markets.

Since October 10, 2006, GM has been producing the Hummer H3 at its Port Elizabeth plant in South Africa for international markets.[2] Hummers at the Port Elizabeth plant will be built both for local South African consumption and for export to Australia (for the 2008 model year), Europe, the Middle East, and Japan. As of October 2006, Hummer vehicles are marketed by about 300 dealers in 34 countries. 173 of those are in the U.S.

The H2 is also assembled in Kaliningrad, Russia, by Avtotor, starting in June 2004. The plant produces a few hundred vehicles annually, and its output is limited to local consumption (five dealers in Russia initially).

On May 12, 2006, GM announced it would cease production of the original H1 Hummer.[3]

GM CEO Rick Wagoner has said the Hummer brand of trucks will run on Biofuel Powertrains in Last Year's Los Angeles International Auto Show. Schwarzenegger has subsequently had one of his Hummer's converted to run on biofuel and now promotes this approach.

Hummer H1 vs. HMMWV

The Hummer H1 is basically a HMMWV built for civilian use; it has no armor or weapons fittings. However, the drive-train, frame, body, suspension, etc., are exactly the same. The H1 differs from the HMMWV in having a civilian interior, including trim, comfortable seats, stereo, and air conditioning as standard options. As a result of its commercial use, features introduced in the civilian Hummer have been incorporated into improved military versions. The H1's electrical system is 12 volts, with the two batteries wired in parallel. The HMMWV runs on a 24V system, where the two batteries are run in series to generate 24 volts.

Comments (0) 07.07.2007. 10:28