Author: Tabitha
Art book publisher Taschen of Cologne, Germany, has produced what is likely the most expensive automobile tome ever. The first 250 Art Edition copies of “Ferrari,” by journalist Pino Allievi (of the 1,947 copies, representing the year the automaker was founded), chronicles the marque’s history and includes hundreds of rare photos gleaned from Ferrari’s archives as well as private collections. The first-edition books also bear the signatures of founder Enzo Ferrari’s grandson, Piero, Ferrari Chairman John Elkann, and the late Sergio Marchionne, who headed up Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and who was also Ferrari’s CEO. The 514-page book sells for $5,840,…
This is no ordinary beach-day chiller. The Dometic CFX28 is a portable cooler with a separate freezer compartment, which can be plugged into your vehicle’s 12-volt outlet or your home’s 120-volt wall receptacle. Both power cords are included. The CFX28 is solar-operation compatible and the freezer compartment can be set to a low of -7 F (-22 C). The cooler weighs 29 pounds and has a total storage capacity of 27 quarts, or the equivalent of 47 12-fluid-ounce cans. The unit comes with a built-in digital temperature control/readout plus a USB port for charging your phones or tablets. Purchase for…
Audio specialist IXOOST from Italy, in conjunction with Pirelli Design, has launched a unique Bluetooth wireless speaker that’s a scaled-down version of a Pirelli P-Zero racing tire. The half-scale replica is the same size that Formula One teams use for wind-tunnel testing. The P-Zero Sound Speaker is available in nine different trim colors that reflect the different tire compounds that the teams can select for specific race courses (depending on track and weather conditions), such as yellow (soft), orange (super hard), purple (ultra soft) and blue (wet). Each speaker comes with a one-inch tweeter and a four-inch mid-woofer, and is…
The Norshire is a handy device that can act as a powerful pressure-washer for those times when you’re not near a water tap. The unit comes with the necessary attachments for washing your vehicle, including an adjustable spray nozzle and brush. You can use the Norshire with just about any water source, whether a lake, stream, bucket or even a bottle of drinking water (which can be screwed directly to the top of the unit). When fully charged with electricity, the cordless Norshire can jump-start a dead car battery or it can be used as an external power source for…
The Sleuth’s sources indicate that the company will build a followup to the limited-edition — and expensive — 8C coupe that arrived in North America a decade ago. The exotic second-gen Alfa that launches in 2022 uses a twin-turbocharged 2.9-liter V-6 (the same engine available in the Giulia and Stelvio Quadrifoglio models) positioned behind the cockpit, plus an electric motor connected to the front axle. The combined output is expected to be about 800 horsepower. To keep the weight down and the performance up, the 8C will be built with a carbon fiber chassis, which is also how the current…
That’s the burning question on The Sleuth’s mind, prompted by the recent reveal of the Hyundai Kona EV. It, along with the Kia Soul EV, plus every single Tesla model, look as though they have had their mouths taped shut. It’s as though the designers, who might otherwise be sketching eye-catching front ends, have been given some other mandate. On the other hand, kudos to Nissan’s second-generation Leaf and the new Jaguar I-Pace for appearing normal, with attractive grille-like nosepieces. Despite its odd looks, the dimple-face Kona EV’s 201-horsepower electric motor and 64-kilowatt/hour electric battery contribute to an officially maximum…
E-commerce company Amazon has incorporated key functions of its Alexa smart-home/infotainment system into a voice-activated command program for automobiles. Called the Alexa Auto Software Development Kit, it includes support for smart home controls such as adjusting temperature, lighting and door locks, streaming media, weather news and other Alexa features, including making calls from phones, GPS navigation and making searches for movies, restaurants and businesses. Alexa is slated to appear in more vehicles later in 2018 as automakers, including BMW, Ford and Toyota, integrate it into their production systems. Toyota is building Alexa into its Entune 3.0 system, reports technology-culture webmagazine…
The automaker claims its upcoming E-tron electric utility vehicle will deliver “enormous” power and high efficiency. It will also offer zero-to-60-mph sprint times in less than six seconds and a 250-mile range per charge, though not likely both at once. Along with the E-tron, Audi will introduce its most efficient kinetic energy-capture system yet, able to return to the batteries equivalent energy to drive almost the same distance it’s driven downhill. The automaker demonstrated its claim on a continuous 19-mile drive down Pikes Peak in Colorado, where it recuperated “more than 70 percent” of its operating energy input needs, and…
Audi said it would begin taking orders online for the all-electric E-tron utility vehicle on Sept. 17, the same day as its production unveiling in San Francisco, Calif. A $1,000 deposit will be required, after which customers will be able to track when their vehicles will be built, shipped and delivered, beginning in early 2019, the automaker said. Final specifications for the E-tron, including range, will be released at the unveiling event, but alternative-vehicles webmagazine Green Car Reports said initial estimates for range are about 250 miles. It will be the first mass-produced electric vehicle with available 150-kilowatt direct-current (DC)…
The American motorcycle maker has announced a growth plan describing “the first in a broad, no-clutch ‘twist and go’ portfolio” of electric two-wheelers designed to establish the company in the electrification of motorcycles. Earlier in 2018 Harley-Davidson teamed up with electric motorcycle maker Alta Motors and served notice its first electric motorcycle would come to market in 2019. “We’re going big in EV with a family of products that will range in size, power, as well as price,” COO Michelle Kumbier told Charged Electric Vehicles Magazine. “When you look at EV, you know this is a whole new customer base…