Mercedes-Benz Concept BlueZERO E-CELL PLUS: Petrol-Electric Hybrid Hints at Production Model

Mercedes-Benz will be presenting an updated version of its BlueZERO E-Cell concept car at this month's Frankfurt Motor Show. Originally presented in Detroit at the beginning of the year, BlueZERO E-Cell is propelled exclusively by a battery-powered electric drive that allows the car to travel up to 200 km or 125 miles on a single battery charge. The Frankfurt Show-bound 'PLUS' ads a rear-mounted 67HP 1.0-liter turbocharged three-cylinder gasoline engine to the mix.

Sourced from the Smart Fortwo, the three cylinder engine is hooked up to a generator and is used exclusively to provide juice for the electric motor - just as in the case of the Chevy Volt. With this configuration, the car has a total range of up to 600 km (375 miles), of which up to 100 km (62 miles) can be covered solely on electricity.

The concept hatch is equipped with a high-performance, 18 kWh lithium-ion battery that can store enough power within around 30 minutes for a 50 km (31 miles) cruising range while the complete electric range of 100 km (62 miles) requires a charging time of a little more than an hour. Mercedes said that charging time with a standard charge cycle at a conventional household outlet with 3,3 kW is around 6 hours.

The BlueZERO E-CELL PLUS' electric motor that produces 100kW or 136 horsepower and a maximum torque of 320 Nm, drives the front wheels. According to 'das' Germans, the car can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h (62mph) in less than eleven seconds while the vehicle's top speed is electronically limited to 150 km/h (93mph).

The 4.22-meter-long BlueZERO models are based on the sandwich-floor architecture known from the A-Class and B-Class. It is believed that the concept model will form the base for a production model in the very near future.

Kneibler Autotechnik's Supercharged BMW M3 Coupe gets 459 HP

Few things are better in life than the previous-generation BMW M3 E46, one of the most complete Ms ever built. Nevertheless, many tuners such as Kneibler Autotechnik believe that there's plenty of room for improvements. The German tuning house has come out with a comprehensive package of powertrain, chassis and body modifications. The company has boosted the M3's 3.2-liter straight-six performance with a supercharger, intercooler and ECU upgrade.

These changes result to a total output of 456 horsepower and 498Nm (367 lb-ft), up from 343 horsepower and 365Nm. But there's a price for the upgrade -literally: the performance kit costs a hefty €13,000 while the sports muffler will cost you another €1,350.

Other available performance modifications include a new braking system with 6-piston calipers at the front (€3,852) and 4-piston calipers at the back (€3,103), KW-Sport coilover kit (€1,749) and stabilizers (€419) plus 20-inch alloy wheels from Oxigin wrapped in 255/30 Hankook tyres up front and 305/25 at the rear (€2,723).

We wouldn't suggest it from a style point of view, but Kneibler Autotechnik also offers an LSD scissor door conversion for €1,990.

If you do you the math, the total price of the package (without the doors) comes out to a more than hefty €26,196 or about $37,500 at today's exchange rates.

Malignant Rumors: VW Planning to Reshape Porsche's Model Portfolio, Drop Cayenne and Panamera?

The biggest of the boardroom battles between VW and Porsche may be over, but that hasn't done much to stop the usual rumors from making the rounds. First, Germany's Autobild reported that VW CEO Martin Winterkorn was pushing for a couple of volume vehicles - a baby Boxster and junior Cayenne - and a third, Panamera-based, model. More recently, however, Car magazine is claiming that VW Chairman Ferdinand Piech wants to take the Porsche brand in another direction, pushing it back to its roots.

How? By killing off the Cayenne and Panamera once they have run through their respective life cycles, the argument being that VW AG produces more than enough sedans and SUVs already.

The big questions are: 1) How would people feel if Porsche aced its controversial (if popular) Cayenne and the new Panamera, and instead concentrated on strictly building sports cars? and2) What sort of lineup would we be looking at?

After all, a baby Boxster would be right in line with the old Porsche philosophy, and a larger GT would help make use of the Panamera's platform if the humpback saloon did indeed bite the dust. Of course, no one but the suits within the company know what's really going on, but it's always fun to speculate.

By Phil Alex

Phil Alex was born in Rhode Island in 1985. He graduated with degrees in Finance and German from Wofford College in 2007 and has had an obsession with cars and travel. Currently he resides near Japan's international airport in Narita. He makes no apologies for his articles and welcomes all feedback, as long as it is adamantly worded. If for any reason you are inclined to vent some more, check out more of his posts on the Examiner here.

Toyota Previews Auris Hybrid with Pre-Production Concept

Toyota today dropped an official photograph of the Auris HSD Full Hybrid Concept, which will be displayed for the very first time at the 2009 Frankfurt motor show. In essence, it's a pre-production model lightly guised as a concept that previews Toyota's first European-built full hybrid that will be produced in the UK with sales scheduled to start in mid-2010.

The Japanese automaker said that the Auris Hybrid represents a milestone in the firm's strategy as it will be the first mainstream Toyota (obviously, the company doesn't count the Prius as a mainstream model...) to benefit from the company's full hybrid technology and the first step in the deployment of Hybrid Synergy Drive (HSD) across the company's model range.

This means that like the Prius, the Auris Hybrid will most likely be able to run on its electric motor(s), the internal combustion engine or a combination of the two. There's been no hint from Toyota on the type of engine that will be used on the Auris Hybrid.

We've only got a single photo of the car to go by, but it is evident that the hybrid version of the Auris will feature a number of specific exterior styling cues to differentiate it from the standard model.

These include the reshaped headlights with blue rings, a unique grille with a highlighted Toyota logo and the redesigned front bumper. We also see that the Auris Hybrid's rooftop features what appears to be a solar panel.

Full details and a comprehensive image gallery will follow closer to the Frankfurt Show opening.

New Special Edition Suzuki Swift SZ-L, Production Limited to 500 Units

Suzuki is enhancing its UK line-up with the introduction of a special edition model to the Swift range called the SZ-L. Based on the five-door model with the 1.3-liter petrol engine, the SZ-L gets a higher level of standard equipment that includes air conditioning, pearlescent or metallic paint, 15-inch alloy wheels, electrically retractable exterior mirrors, side protection mouldings, specific floor mats and chrome finish for the exterior door handles, front grille and rear tailgate trim.

Furthermore, chrome bezels are added to the instrument gauges while the door trims and audio surround have aluminum effect detailing.

Suzuki offers the special edition Swift in four colors, Cool White Pearl, Cosmic Black Pearl, Supreme Red Pearl and Silky Silver metallic. The Swift SZ-L will be produced in a limited run of 500 units with prices set at £10,250.