Author: Tabitha
You’ll be the talk of the links this spring when you show up in this swinging ride. Batman’s Tumbler car that appeared in the Dark Knight movies was the inspiration for the Gotham Golfcart, which might not lower your score, but will likely intimidate the heck out of the other players in your foursome. The manufacturer starts with an EZ-Go golf cart chassis and remodels it with a trick suspension, leather seats, dual rear tires and his and hers bag holders. A six-horsepower electric motor can push this modified monster to speeds up to 38 mph. You can purchase the…
That’s a distinct possibility, according to The Sleuth’s sources. Although the Alpine name is well known in Europe as a successful rally and luxury model, it’s mostly unknown in North America, except among a few die-hard fans. Now a brand new version, christened the Alpine A110, is set to roll off a Renault-Nissan Alliance assembly plant in France for the 2018 model year. The car will reportedly use a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine (similar to the one used in the Nissan Juke NISMO) mated to a seven-speed automated manual transmission. The version of the Alpine A110 that would arrive here…
The Spymaster’s operatives recently spotted disguised versions of Jeep’s two- and four-door models that make up two of three new JL-series Wranglers. The remaining model will be a four-door pickup that, at least for now, goes by name Safari. Although the upcoming Wranglers closely resemble the current models, the boxed frame is newer and lighter and many of the body panels will be made of aluminum. The base engine will be a turbocharged four-cylinder, while a variation of the current V-6 will be optional on two-door variants, but most likely standard in the four-door model and the Safari truck. The…
The automaker will offer an all-electric vehicle by 2019 that CEO Lex Kerssemakers said will have a range of ‘at least’ 250 miles and cost between US $35,000 and $40,000. He told reporters at the recent Geneva Auto Show in Switzerland that those numbers would put the Volvo EV ‘in the neighborhood’ of the Chevrolet Bolt EV and the upcoming Tesla Model 3, according to a report in industry news outlet Automotive News. The price and range are prerequisites for U.S. sales, said Kerssemakers. “If I want to make a point in the United States, if I want to make…
Jaguar drove its first electric vehicle on the streets of London in mid-March. The drive of the Jaguar I-PACE concept previewed the production model to be revealed in late 2017, and on the roads in the second half of 2018. Jaguar Director of Design Ian Callum said “we’ve torn up the rule book” to make a vehicle with super-car inspired aesthetics, sports-car performance and SUV space in one electric package. Compact, lightweight electric motors at the front and rear axles drive all four wheels. The I-PACE will be ‘a long-distance sprinter,’ he said, that will accelerate to 60 mph in…
According to The Sleuth, the automaker’s 2017 Clarity Fuel Cell sedan will be followed by plug-in hybrid and battery-electric variants that are expected to go on sale by the end of 2017 as 2018 models. The plug-in version will have a range of 40 miles on batteries alone before the companion gasoline engine kicks in. The battery-electric model will reportedly have an 80-mile range, which would fall far short of the current crop of electrics such as the Chevrolet Bolt with its 238-mile range. The Clarity Fuel Cell that will soon be available to California residents on a three-year lease…
The Spy Guy’s sources have supplied him with intel and images regarding Hyundai’s mid-size sedan that will undergo some revisions for the 2018 model year. Clearly in evidence is an all-new front end with a much larger hexagonal grille (much like the current compact Elantra) and side air-intake/foglight pods. The revised interior will get a larger touchscreen plus revised seats, steering wheel and floor console. There are no planned changes to the three available four-cylinder powerplants, but an eight-speed automatic transmission will take over shifting duties from the current six-speed. The new Sonata gets a new grille and other visual…
Panasonic has developed a solar photovoltaic car roof for the Toyota Prius plug-in hybrid vehicle that makes 180 watts of power, which us enough to recharge the lithium-ion powertrain battery and the standard 12-volt lead-acid battery, given time. The ‘HIT Photovoltaic Module for Automobile’ increases the car’s drivetrain efficiency by about 10 percent, adding up to an additional 2.2 miles of range per day ‘under ideal conditions,’ reports emerging-technologies Web magazine New Atlas. Currently available only in Japan and Europe, the option costs just shy of US $2,000 and involves removing the vehicle’s head-up display, blind-spot monitor and rear cross-traffic…
Tesla Model 3 sedans will begin rolling off the company’s Fremont, Calif. assembly line in July, the company says. The initial production target is 5,000 Model 3s per week by the fourth quarter of 2017; Tesla says that in 2018 the rate will double to 10,000 units weekly. The Model 3 will mark Tesla’s transition from niche player to volume automaker, said automotive lifestyles Webmag Motor Authority. With the upcoming small sedan, Tesla’s annual production will be as high as 500,000 units by 2018, it said, a long way from the 84,000 total units it built in 2016. The Model…
If you would rather display some of your tools in plain sight, as opposed to storing them in your tool chest, consider the Tool Dot. Each of these 1/2-inch-diameter fasteners has an extra-strong adhesive backing so it can be attached securely to your garage or workshop wall. As well, the Tool Dot’s magnetic properties allow it to support up to a half-pound of wrenches, pliers, screwdrivers, or what-have-you. For heavier tools, use additional Tool Dots to support the weight. A rubber bumper protects the Tool Dot’s magnets. Buy in packages of 12 in black, white or clear colors for $15…