The Fruit of Knowledge
Posts tagged gullwing doors
ETC: Aussies turn Bumblebee Camaro into gullwing door limo [w/videos]
Oct 28th
Filed under: Aftermarket, Etc., Videos, Chevrolet, Australia, Specialty
It is in Perth, Australia – a place that even Aussies consider a hike – where you’ll find this, a Transformers-themed Bumblebee Camaro limousine with both scissor and gullwing doors. Created by Showtime Limos, the pony car has gone draft horse with seating for eight and Lamborghini-style entry in front, DeLorean in back.
And since it wouldn’t be a limo without leather and neon, you’ll find plenty of that inside: light patterns laid out like circuitry, seat cushions arranged like an Autobot, enough strobes to confuse a Decepticon, and two Bumblebee helmets. You can check out the glory in the photos above and videos below, and then you can start working on a reason to have a party in Perth.
Continue reading Aussies turn Bumblebee Camaro into gullwing door limo [w/videos]
Aussies turn Bumblebee Camaro into gullwing door limo [w/videos] originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 28 Oct 2012 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Spy Shots: Mercedes-Benz SLC may not be a gullwing after all
Jun 12th
Filed under: Spy Photos, Coupe, Performance, Europe, Mercedes-Benz, Luxury
Spy photographers clicked off a few images of the newest member of the AMG clan in training. We’ve already heard Mercedes-Benz is planning a new sports coupe positioned just under the SLS AMG. Designed to take on the Porsche 911, the model will be smaller than its older brother in every way, but it may differ in one other important aspect as well. While the SLS AMG is known for the model’s iconic gullwing doors, the SLC hardtop may actually get its wings clipped, bowing with traditional pillar-mounted hinges instead. A convertible model is expected to follow suit sometime later.
Under the hood, buyers will most likely find a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 good for undisclosed horsepower, though an entry model V6 version may find its way to the option sheet as well. While this bruiser was spotted testing at an AMG facility, the bodywork we see here shouldn’t be taken as an indication of what the final model will look like, as our shooters report it’s merely using a shortened cut-and-shut SLS shell.
Mercedes-Benz SLC may not be a gullwing after all originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 12 Jun 2012 11:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Exclusive: Four-door Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG suggested by patent filings?
Feb 22nd
Filed under: Coupe, Sedan, Performance, Government/Legal, Design/Style, Luxury
Perhaps more than most, Mercedes-Benz has proven to be remarkably adept at platform sharing, pulling and pushing at their various architectures to create new models. Take, for example, the marque’s E-Class chassis, which in addition to sedan, coupe, convertible and wagon variants, spawned the CLS ‘four-door coupe’ – a model that itself inspired a whole slew of imitators. The rakish CLS will shortly spawn a load-lugging shooting-brake variant, too – Benz’s offspring are having offspring. Could the same thing be in the cards for the SLS AMG?
Mercedes has already extended the supercar’s appeal with a new Roadster variant for 2012, but as Autoblog can exclusively reveal, an alleged German patent filing suggests that the SLS may be in for an unexpected third bodystyle – that of an unconventional four-door. As shown here, Mercedes appears to be considering a set of rear-hinged demi doors to go along with the vertically sweeping main gullwing doors that would give access to a small back seat. In typical patent-ese, the paperwork suggests that the automaker is particularly concerned about minimizing weight gain and preserving structural rigidity, though it appears there is no fixed B-pillar present.
It isn’t immediately clear if these alleged Deutsches Patent- und Markenamt documents are indicative of a production model, a show circuit-only concept, or just a bit of ambitious blue-sky designer thinking. For its part, when shown these documents and asked for comment, Mercedes-Benz officials wouldn’t say anything beyond the standard “We won’t take the liberty of sharing comments for any potential future products.” We specifically asked if they would like to deny the materials, and they declined.
The paperwork shown here doesn’t give away much else, certainly not touching upon whether any modifications would be made to the SLS’ 571-horsepower 6.2-liter V8 or its rear-drive power delivery. The drawings accompanying the filing clearly suggest an extended wheelbase to accommodate the extra doors, as well as what looks like a second COMAND multi-function control knob on the console between the seats, but that could just be a bit of artistic license or perhaps some lazy cut/paste work in Photoshop duplicating the front seats.
Presumably, if a four-door SLS AMG were to come to market, it would likely come at a premium price for the extra engineering – the coupe model starts at $192,175 delivered, so we’d wager that the pricing would start with a “2″ at the front, putting it in the hunt with cars like the Aston Martin Rapide and perhaps the Porsche Panamera Turbo.
Four-door Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG suggested by patent filings? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 15:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Tesla unveils Model X SUV, wants to be your all-electric crossover come 2013
Feb 9th
We’re here at the Tesla Design Studio in Los Angeles, where Elon Musk just unveiled his startup’s third vehicle: an SUV it calls the Model X. The ‘ute sports some rather unique looking double-hinged “falcon wing” doors which it make loading people and things even easier in tight parking spaces than traditional gullwing doors — Mercedes 300SL and DeLorean owners can chime in on their usefullness here. Powered by the same drivetrain as the Model S, the heavier, bigger-boned crossover still clocks in at a claimed 4.4 seconds to go from 0 to 60mph — the same time as the Model S’ most performant variant mind you. GigaOm scored an early ridealong, and mentions the $50,000 to $70,000 vehicle will seat 7 people when it sashays its way into dealerships come late 2013.
…developing
Tesla unveils Model X SUV, wants to be your all-electric crossover come 2013 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Feb 2012 23:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Mercedes-Benz F125! hints at future plug-in fuel cell S-Class
Oct 17th
Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hydrogen, Mercedes Benz
When the radical Mercedes-Benz F-125! hit the stage at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show it was (and still is) a non-working concept. The zero-emissions F125! is great, in theory, with lithium-sulphur batteries, controls via “touch, speech and hand gestures,” semi-autonomous driving, three-dimensional projector-beam displays and a 1,000-kilometer range. In reality, the F125! is, well, a novel concept with massive gullwing doors.
But word is the F125! previews the technology that may eventually be employed in the 2025-ish Mercedes-Benz S-Class. According to Automotive News, M-B has concluded that electric-drive vehicles will be a big part of its future lineup. Thomas Weber, head of research and development at Daimler AG, told AN that
If zero emission mobility will be necessary, and that’s what we believe, it’s clear we have to change to electric mobility.
But today’s electric vehicles wouldn’t satisfy S-class buyers, says Weber. Most S-Class owners expect a zero-emissions vehicle to have cruising range of at least 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) and thrust comparable today’s diesel-fueled luxury sedans.
To satisfy those buyers, Weber says the obvious choice is a plug-in fuel cell vehicle. That’s where the F125!’s technology comes in. M-B developed the F125! as a plug-in hybrid to reproduce the driving characteristics of today’s S-Class. Weber says where a fuel cell vehicle needs approximately ten seconds to fire up, a plug-in fuel cell hybrid operates almost exactly the same as today’s luxo-barges. Will we ever see a plug-in fuel cell S-Class? Mercedes-Benz sure seems to hint that we will.
Mercedes-Benz F125! hints at future plug-in fuel cell S-Class originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Mon, 17 Oct 2011 16:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Tags: daimler ag, plug in hybrid, luxury sedans, emission mobility, hand gestures, mercedes benz, novel conceptGreat Scot! DMC announces all-electric DeLorean for 2013
Oct 17th
Filed under: EV/Plug-in
Given the car’s iconic classic/futuristic status, it’s no surprise that the DeLorean DMC-12 is a popular car for DIY electric car conversions. That an honest-to-goodness official DeLorean EV is coming from Humble, Texas’ reborn DeLorean Motor Company itself, though? That we did not see coming. It makes sense, though. If you’re gonna build a time machine electric car, why not do it with some style?
Announced Friday night at the DMC Texas Open House, DMC said it plans to work with electric car startup Epic EV to get an all-electric DMC-12 into production by 2013. Epic is the company started by Aptera co-founder Chris Anthony that is working on the Torq and Amp vehicles (and some rather clever videos). Early reports say the Electric DeLorean will have a maximum speed of 125 miles per hour and offer 260 horsepower for something like $90,000-100,000. The gullwing doors should remain, but we’re not sure where the motor will go (the original DeLorean used a rear-mounted engine), let alone the battery pack. This isn’t the first time a DeLorean with an alternative powertrain has been talked about. Before his death in 2005, John DeLorean hinted that a hydraulic hybrid drivetrain might find a home in a relaunched DMC-12. That never happened, of course.
Specific technical details on the upcoming DeLorean Electric are sparse, but we’re pretty sure it will be able to recharge its 1.21 gigawatt-hour battery instantly when connected to the right power source. You know, until the inevitable Mr. Fusion model gets the green light.
Get out your lightning rods and Sony Walkmans, this is going to be fun to watch.
Great Scot! DMC announces all-electric DeLorean for 2013 originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Mon, 17 Oct 2011 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Tags: delorean dmc 12, sony walkmans, fusion model, electric car conversions, battery pack, gullwing doorsReport: Great Scot! DMC announces all-electric DeLorean for 2013
Oct 17th
Filed under: Classics, Coupe, Technology, Electric
Given the car’s iconic classic/futuristic status, it’s no surprise that the DeLorean DMC-12 is a popular car for DIY electric car conversions. That an honest-to-goodness official DeLorean EV is coming from Humble, Texas’ reborn DeLorean Motor Company itself, though? That we did not see coming. It makes sense, though. If you’re gonna build a time machine electric car, why not do it with some style?
Announced Friday night at the DMC Texas Open House, DMC said it plans to work with electric car startup Epic EV to get an all-electric DMC-12 into production by 2013. Epic is the company started by Aptera co-founder Chris Anthony that is working on the Torq and Amp vehicles (and some rather clever videos). Early reports say the Electric DeLorean will have a maximum speed of 125 miles per hour and offer 260 horsepower for something like $90,000-100,000. The gullwing doors should remain, but we’re not sure where the motor will go (the original DeLorean used a rear-mounted engine), let alone the battery pack. This isn’t the first time a DeLorean with an alternative powertrain has been talked about. Before his death in 2005, John DeLorean hinted that a hydraulic hybrid drivetrain might find a home in a relaunched DMC-12. That never happened, of course.
Specific technical details on the upcoming DeLorean Electric are sparse, but we’re pretty sure it will be able to recharge its 1.21 gigawatt-hour battery instantly when connected to the right power source. You know, until the inevitable Mr. Fusion model gets the green light.
Get out your lightning rods and Sony Walkmans, this is going to be fun to watch.
Great Scot! DMC announces all-electric DeLorean for 2013 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 17 Oct 2011 11:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Video: 2012 Mercedes SLS AMG Roadster is a topless beauty
May 30th
Filed under: Convertible, Performance, Europe, Videos, Mercedes-Benz, Luxury
On the heels of its official unveiling, Mercedes-Benz has dropped a video of the 2012 SLS AMG Roadster in its natural habitat. Let the ogling begin. If you were floored by the still shots of the latest confection from AMG, the video will leave you gibbering lump.
Though the Roadster loses the coupe’s iconic Gullwing doors, it keeps its performance credentials and only gains a scant 88 pounds. Power doesn’t budge, but somehow Mercedes claims the topless SLS is quicker than the coupe to 60 by one hundredth of a second. That isn’t much, but faster is faster. To see the newest SLS in action, click past the jump.
Continue reading 2012 Mercedes SLS AMG Roadster is a topless beauty
2012 Mercedes SLS AMG Roadster is a topless beauty originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 30 May 2011 14:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Official: 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster unveiled
May 29th
Filed under: Frankfurt Motor Show, Convertible, Performance, Mercedes-Benz
After the endless parade of rumors, conjecture, spy shots and even official information, Mercedes-Benz has finally dropped the full batch of details and photos of its latest flagship: the SLS AMG Roadster.
The new droptop loses the gullwing doors of its coupe counterpart, but those German engineers have gone to great lengths to ensure it loses nothing else in the process. Chopping the roof, fitting conventional doors, and stiffening the body as required results in a convertible that only weighs 88 lbs more than the coupe. The roof-available in black, red or beige-can be dropped or raised in just eleven seconds at speeds up to 31 mph.
Top speed is electronically limited in either position to 197 mph, while officially quoted acceleration times, for some reason, drop from 3.8 seconds in the gullwing coupe to 3.7 in the Roadster. Along with the convertible roof, Mercedes has also packed in a new electronically-controlled Adaptive AMG Sport Suspension, AMG Performance Media system to track and display vehicle telemetrics, and an AMG Drive Unit to control it all.
The Roadster – which beats the anticipated convertible versions of the Ferrari 458 Italia, McLaren MP4-12C, Pagani Huayra and Lamborghini Aventador to market – will be officially unveiled this fall at the Frankfurt Motor Show, around the same time that deliveries are set to begin Stateside. In the meantime, you can follow the jump for all the details and check out the extensive photo gallery for a closer look.
Continue reading 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster unveiled
2012 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster unveiled originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 29 May 2011 09:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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