Toyota Set to Launch 10 New Hybrid Models by 2010

Toyota, not to be outdone by Honda unveiled the third-generation Prius and Lexus' first dedicated hybrid the HS 250h at the Detroit Auto Show this week.

During the unveiling of the 2010 Prius, Toyota provided more details about its current hybrid plans. Toyota plans on selling 1 million hybrids per year sometime in 2010. In order to reach its lofty goal, Toyota is planning on introducing 10 new hybrid models by 2010. Two of them are the new Prius and HS 250h.

In addition to launching 10 new hybrids, Toyota also announced the introduction of 500 Prius plug-in hybrids that will be globally leased later this year. The plan was originally planned for 2010. Out of the 500 lithium-ion powered plug-ins 150 are destined for the U.S.

The 500 plug-in Prius will be used for market and engineering analysis.

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Tesla Roadster Sport Starts at $128,500...0-60 MPH in 3.7 Secs

Tesla has announced the new Tesla Roadster Sport, which is a "high-performance" version of the Tesla Roadster.

The Roadster Sport gets an upgraded suspension, adjustable dampers, anti-roll bars and Yokohama’s Ultra High Performance tires. Additionally the Sport comes with an hand-wound stator and increased winding density for lower resistance and higher peak torque.

The upgrades help shave off .2 seconds off the car's 0-60 time from 3.9 to 3.7 seconds.

The Tesla Roadster Sport will be available this summer starting at $128,500.

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Bugazzi, Fronty Ford, headed to RM’s Hershey auction

Hmm. Two doesn’t make a trend, but this will the second Barris-built car to cross a major auction block in the month of October, after the Banacek AMX at Mecum. This one, a 1972 Bugazzi, will head to RM’s Vintage Motorcars of Hershey auction October 8-9. The Bugazzi started out as a Harry Bentley Bradley concept atop a Lincoln Mark IV platform as Paul Rimmer’s idea of an American Rolls Royce. Barris took over production from Rimmer and built about 12, one of which headed to Joe Comforte, proprietor of the Mustang Ranch. Being sold without reserve, RM estimates it’ll go for $30,000 to $60,000.

Bugazzi a bit too, umm, rococo for you? At the same event, RM’s also auctioning off this 1915 Ford Model T “Fronty Ford” speedster, equipped with a Peugeot-style Bub Wasp body, a Frontenac overhead-valve conversion on the Model T four-cylinder and Ford wide-track axles. It’ll also go for no reserve, estimated to sell for $40,000 to $60,000.

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How Does a Supercharger Work? - Turbocharger vs Supercharger

A while back, I wrote a post about the effects of Nitrous Oxide on your car. I talked about how it basically just shoves oxygen into your combustion chamber. Well there’s an easier way to do that, without hilarious gas…forced induction systems.

The purpose of forced induction systems, aka superchargers and turbochargers, is to push more air/fuel mixture into the combustion chamber. The simplest way of visualizing them is as air compressors that just pump more air into the engine. More air and fuel means more power. That’s the primary goal of these devices: create more power. They both do this same job, although in slightly different ways.

Superchargers

A supercharger with part of the inside exposed

A supercharger is a belt driven device that forces air into an internal combustion engine. It consists of a drive belt, drive, the driven gears inside, and a centrifugal compressor wheel. The belt drives the gear and compressor wheel. The compressor wheel pumps air into the engine. In the picture above, the intake air comes in from the back, and goes out of the bottom, the belt drives the wheel in the front.

Supercharger are installed on top of the intake manifold on V-type engines and on the side of inline engines. Since they’re belt driven, supercharger speed is dependent on engine speed and is most efficient at higher engine speeds.

Turbochargers

A turbocharger with the inside exposed

A turbocharger is actually a type of supercharger. In fact turbos used to be called turbosuperchargers because they’re just superchargers that are run via a turbine wheel.

A turbocharger is an exhaust gas driven device that forces air into an internal combustion engine. Turbochargers use the exhaust gases from the engine to drive a turbine wheel. That turbine wheel is connected to the compressor wheel by a shaft. That shaft speed can get up to 150,000 RPMs, so it has to be supported by ball bearings or tapered roller bearings that are pressure lubricated and cooled by the engine oiling system.

Which one is better?

Turbochargers are appealing because they use waste exhaust to power the boost, while superchargers have to take power away from the engine itself via the belt. Still, superchargers are much easier to install and tune, and they give a broader powerband, meaning more power over a broader spectrum instead of a quick jump in power once you get to a certain threshold - like a turbocharger.

It’s difficult to say which is better flat out. Superchargers are easier to install, they don’t get nearly as hot as turbochargers, they’re more reliable, more low end power, etc. There are lots of benefits to superchargers, but turbos have that one big one…they run off of wasted kinetic energy. Turbos address the one main disadvantage of using a supercharger, the fact that it has to take power from the engine to spin.

This is an age old question, both turbo and superchargers have been around for a while, and the debate still isn’t settled. I gave you the information, it’s up to you to make the informed decision.

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Introducing The Latest Jalopnik Side Project: Low-Mileage Volvo 245 Wagon [Project Car Hell]

Because you can never have enough Swedish metal, this sub-14K cherry banana creme 1986 Volvo 240 Wagon will be joining Black Metal V8lvo and Project 1964 Continental.

The combination of five doors, classic European styling and affordable rear-wheel drive have always made the Volvo 240 wagon (the five doors means it's a 245, as opposed to the 242 we race) an especially desirable vehicle for us. We'd been looking around for one, contemplating all manner of engine swaps, when we came across this sub-14,000 mile car in Llano.

The story, which has been verified through service records and a CarFax check, of how a 1986 Volvo 240 DL with less than 14K miles ended up in Llano, Texas involves a pair of snowbirds who flocked from Orange, New Jersey to live their final years along the banks of Lake Buchanan. We're not sure if they knew how long they'd have the car (or how long they'd live) when they moved down there, but given they only passed away a couple of years ago we'd say they did fairly well for themselves.

The car then ended up in the hands of the previous owner, who has driven the car occasionally as a fourth vehicle. He inherited the car at around 10K miles and has only used it slightly since. He did some work on the car, including adding the turbo Volvo wheels (referred to as Virgos), put in a new, aesthetically-challenged stereo system and made a few other tweaks.

We picked it up this Saturday, driving it back from Austin to Houston. It was an absolute pleasure. Despite being a normally aspirated four-cylinder car, it wasn't as slow as you might think and actually has a bit of punch in the mid-range despite the weight. The addition of a kick-down gear in the four-speed auto transmission doesn't hurt either. Let's put it this way: in the spectrum of RWD European sedans of the 80s It's faster than a non-turbo Mercedes 300D but slower than a BMW E28.

The exterior has only two main aesthetic issues, namely the lack of rocker trim (we have it, he couldn't figure out how to reinstall it after taking it off) and the peeling of the black tape below the window. The interior has the typical crack on the dash but is in surprisingly fresh condition. The fake leather seating is soft, not crackly, and gives an impression of being kept in a garage and well-treated most of its life. In all of the seats there's only one tiny puncture we've seen. There's a small bit of rust near the back window inside below the gasket that needs to be corrected and repainted, but it's the only area of visible rust we've seen on the car.

Mechanically, it seems in great condition (we'll learn more when we take it apart). The condenser seized so the a/c doesn't work, but that's a problem we're going to remedy come springtime. The engine runs without complaint. Shifts are smooth. The suspension handles bumps like a car of 8 years not 22.

In the end, we're pleased with the purchase and plan to spend the spring working on these phase 0 issues before contemplating what's next. The chance to have such a low-mileage Volvo that is mechanically and aesthetically 95+% is exciting enough for the moment. Then chaos.

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Video: Stunt Biker Does A 2-Person Full Monty, Sans Helmet

His Darwin Award nomination is pending. When the chick clinging to the bike looks towards the camera, I was surprised to learn there is such a thing as a “terrified smile.”

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Vintage VW Bug Gets Turbocharged V8, Probably One Of The Four Horsemen [Novelties]

We're not sure what makes this vintage Volkswagen more terrifying, the turbocharged V8 engine or the unconventional (for a Bug) engine placement. Either way, this car fulfills a few dreams and, likely, a few nightmares.

"Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds," was the phrase uttered by J. Robert Oppenheimer shortly after developing the atomic bomb. We can only hope he builder of this certain-death machine felt a similar emotion the first time he planted the progress pedal and rocketed himself into hot rodding lore.

Details are scarce, but we do know this street weapon is powered by a turbocharged 5.3 liter LSx-based engine. Taking the extra indie step forward, the fuel is managed by the beautifully homebrewed Megasquirt system. Die hard vintage VW fanatics will throw a rod when they notice very little original Bug remains, as it sits on a fully boxed one-off chassis with matching integral cage. Enough with the chatter — we'll let the pictures and video below do the talking.

Hat tip to TenBeers!

[LS1Tech]

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