2013

Hyundai, Kia plan plug-in hybrids for 2013 models

Hyundai and its automotive sibling Kia plan to respectively introduce plug-in hybrid versions of the Sonata and Optima sedans with 2013 models. Plug-in hybrids can be recharged at home from the mains supply, unlike conventional gasoline-electric hybrid cars are recharged only when the driver applies the brakes. Hyundai and Kia until now have focused more on fuel-efficient gasoline vehicles rather the trend toward electric vehicles. Hyundai plans to launch its hybrid version of the Sonata, its first global hybrid model, in South Korea in May. Kia is expected to debut the Optima Hybrid the same month. James RaiaA sports, travel and business journalist for more than 45 years, James has written the new car review column The Weekly Driver since

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New green, lots of green, Porsche hybrid will debut in 2013

Porsche has announced its 918 Spyder hybrid sports car, the carmaker’s most expensive model ever, will be priced at $845,000 in North America and will be available to buyers in November 2013. The vehicle, which will be priced at $1.09 million in Europe, will have appropriate production number, 918. The two-seat Porsche plug-in hybrid will accelerate to 62 mph in 3.2 seconds. It features a 500-horsepower V8 engine and 218-horsepower electric drive system. The car’s lithium-ion battery can be recharged in three hours. James RaiaA sports, travel and business journalist for more than 45 years, James has written the new car review column The Weekly Driver since 2004. In addition to founding this site in 2004, James writes a Sunday

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BMW announces new green sub brand, i3, i8 set for 2013

BMW has unveiled the sub-brand BMW i, which will feature two green vehicles expected in the marketplace by 2013. The BMW i3, previously known as the Megacity Vehicle, will be the BMW Group’s first series-produced car for urban areas driven by electric power alone. The BMW i8 is a plug-in hybrid. Both models are based on a construction concept known as LifeDrive architecture. An aluminium chassis houses the powertrain, and the passenger cell consists of high-strength but lightweight carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP). Like the BMW i3, the BMW i8 will also be manufactured at BMW’s Leipzig, Germany, plant. An additional range of mobility services — which can also be used independently of the cars — will be an integral component

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Toyota announces plans to debut two Prius siblings by 2013

According to a dispatch in the Wall Street Journal from the recent National Dealer Conference in Las Vegas, one of the new hybrids will be smaller and one larger than the current Prius, the country’s largest-selling hybrid. According to the newspaper, Toyota executives briefed dealers about the new vehicles, including size details. AUTOMOTIVE RESOURCES AND INFORMATION Auto Shipping Quote–Car Financing–Car Insurance Quotes–Car Loans–Online Car Insurance–Rental Cars–Used Cars The pending smaller hybrid will comparable to the Toyota Yaris. The larger new hybrid will offer about 50 percent more interior space and storage than the Prius. Toyota also announced a milestone for the Prius at the same dealers’ meeting. Since its debut in 1997, Prius sales worldwide recently surpassed two million units.

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Bugatti set to replace Veyron with Galibier in 2013

The four-seat Bugatti 16C Galibier sedan is expected to go on sale in 2013 for about $1.5 million. Only 300 will be produced. The Galibier, made of carbon fiber and aluminum, will use the Veyron’s 8.0-liter W-16 engine, but will employ superchargers rather than turbochargers and will produce 800 horsepower. AUTOMOTIVE RESOURCES AND INFORMATION Auto Shipping Quote–Car Financing–Car Insurance Quotes–Car Loans–Online Car Insurance–Rental Cars–Used Cars The limited-edition, two-passenger Veyron 16.4, introduced in 2005, is near the end of its 300-unit production run. So far, 260 have been built. The Veyron has 1,200 horsepower, 268 mph Super Sport edition debuted this summer at a price range between $2.2 million and $2.6 million, including shipping. James RaiaA sports, travel and business journalist

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Ferrari announces six new models, including hypercar, to debut before 2013

According to the Italian luxury sports car manufacturer, a new variety of the entry-level 458 Spider will be debut the new offerings and is scheduled for 2011. AUTOMOTIVE RESOURCES Auto Shipping Quote, Car Financing, Car Insurance Quotes, Car Loans, Online Car Insurance, Rental Cars, Used Cars A new generation of the 612 Scaglietti will follow and likely provide the base for Ferrari’s first hybrid model. Codenamed F151, the 612 Scaglietti successor’s name is still unknown. In 2012, the next hypercar Ferrari will debut, based on the small production mystique of the Enzo. A new version of the 599 GTB Fiorano, currently known as F152, will also debut in 2012. The Ferrari California will receive a major facelift in 2013 and

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