The Jaguar Land Rover Auto Trade Company Ltd. in China has recalled over 214 Discovery 3 cars due to defective brakes and engines. About 1,069 Discovery 3 cars have been reportedly sold in the mainland between June 2007 and May 2008 where the issue was traced to a problem in the diesel engine that may catch fire at the worst possible scenario.

For their part, Jaguar Land Rover has announced that they will be replacing the defective parts of all issued models free of charge. Car owners who have purchased this model should immediately bring their car to the nearest maintenance center for check-up and possible replacement if necessary.

(Source) China CSR

Continue reading...

Grado launches GR8 earbud headphones
LG’s 15-inch OLED HDTV shipping to Korea this November, everywhere else in 2010
Production of Guitar Hero 5 playboy commercial showcased on film
CerevoCam Automatically Uploads your Images
Smartbook AG unhappy over use of the term ’smartbook’

Continue reading...

Unhappy with the current state of affairs with diesel engine supplier Navistar, Ford has instead taken matters into their own hands producing a diesel V8 codenamed ‘Scorpion”.

This turbocharged 6.7 liter  diesel burning V8 engine  has been meticulously deigned in-house by Ford to include just about every modern feature you can think of. Hell, they even put it through tests equivalent of being driven 250,000 miles. We’ll apparently be seeing this appear in Ford’s 2011 Super Duty vehicles.

Ford released a lot of information regarding this new engine, way too much for me to list here, but I’ve included the official press release after the break so you can read all about it.

(more…)

Continue reading...

It seems that a mechanic working for the F1 subsidiary GP2 has been put into an a coma late Saturday night while in the pit. According to WCF, 57 year old Vasco Rossi took a blow to the head from a wheel gun after a car got caught on a cable while driving through the pit.

Officials quickly hurried to get Mr. Rossi airlifted to the nearest hospital where he will stay in a coma for at least 3 days. Luckily, the condition is not life-threatening but this still goes to show you the dangers associated with working in the pits of such a big event.

Everyone here at Car Buyer’s Notebook hopes for a speedy recovery for Vasco Rossi and express our deepest sympathy to anyone close to him.

Continue reading...

We’ve heard of Zipcar several times now and know what its all about, you sign up for the service, request a car and then pick it up at a nearby location. This effectively eliminates the need to actually have your own car, but just how big is the market for such a service?

Well, according to Zipcar CEO Scott Griffith, massive. So massive in fact that he sees his company being worth $1 billion dollars at some point in the future. Of course, they still have a ways to go with 300,000 members and 6,500 vehicles currently in service but it’s certainly a start and it’s the ambitious nature of this executive that counts.

via autoblog

Continue reading...

For motorists and practical consumers, the turn towards efficient vehicles does not only cover the fuel consumption that is being discussed widely by car enthusiasts today. As we know, a lot of talk has been targeted towards the compact space that most cars (especially the electric vehicles) provide today. But don’t tell that to Toyota as they have their own share of ideal solutions such as this 2010 Toyota Sienna XLE AWD. It exemplifies the traditional vehicles for accommodating families in their transport needs.

The Toyota Sienna comes packed with the traditional Toyota concept along with great features as well. For room, there is no question that space has been thoroughly considered. This includes luggage compartment space along with foldable seats and adjustable center consoles for more passenger room. It is powered by a 3.5 liter V6 engine with a 5 speed automatic transmission. The 2010 Toyota Sienna is definitely a car worth considering, particularly for families who want a sensible vehicle to use.

(Source) The Auto Channel

Continue reading...

Just yesterday we were givenour first glimpse of BMW’s Vision EfficientDyanamics Concept and were wowed by the futuristic look showcased in the pictures. Today, BMW has gone ahead and released a video showcasing the same car along with some of their employees breaking it down.

The unfortunate thing about this car is that if/when it does hit the streets it will most likely look nothing like this.

Continue reading...

MSI U210 now available for pre-order
Sony DVP-SR200P/B DVD Player
25% off THQ Collector Pack this weekend on Steam
Solar panel touting roads the future?
MOTOCUBGO A45 for Brazil

Continue reading...

With the death of the Pontiac Vibe and the departure of other vehicles, the usefulness of the NUMMI factory headquarted in Fremont, CA has dropped drastically for Toyota. However, due to the fact that the products pumped out by the factory are still some what in demand, Toyota will transfer the production of said products to a factory in Cambridge, Ontario.

Exactly what are these products, you say? The Toyota Corolla, of course.

This of course is an expansion on the report we brought to you a few days ago of the same Fretmont, CA factory getting the axe.

Read (Montreal Gazette)

Continue reading...

Currently the most prominent source of biofuel is corn but due to the high cost of materials associated with the production the alternative fuel has yet to take off. Luckily, researchers from the US Department of Agriculture have recently discovred that it is possible to use watermelon juice to produce ethanol/biofuel.

Over 360,000 tons of watermelons are wasted every year, says Discovery News, as farmers leave 20-40% of their crop due to them not being aesthetically pleasing. So, why not use these as a form of alternative energy?

I’m sure we will be hearing more about watermelon juice as biofuel in the near future.

Continue reading...

What you see above is the Robert Lange’s Balanced-Over-Battery fully electric, tilting vehicle. Sure the car features a cool DIY look but the real gem is that Lange reportedly only spent $500 over the 3 years it took him to build this car. Of course, its made of recycled components but it’s still ridiculously cheap for the outcome.

Another interesting feature of this car is the tilting which is used for steering; the car will tilt left to right up to 45 degrees as the driver leans into turns while its batteries act as a counterweight. Also, the car uses a creative gear-box like system where it can be switched from 36 to 72 volts for added power.

via jalopnik

Continue reading...

BMW is really looking to blur the boundaries between the present and the future with they new Vision Efficient Dynamics Concept hybrid vehicle. As you can see from the above picture this car features a super futuristic design with glass gullwing doors and other components making for an ultra light vehicle.

Under the hood is a 356 hp diesel/electric engine capable of 590 lb-ft of torque and a top speed of 155 mph. To car is to pull power from regenerative brakes that will juice 98 lithium polymer cells making for a range of ~31 miles on electricity alone.

Chances are we’ll see more of BMW’s Vision Efficient Dynamics Concept at this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show which is right around the corner.

via press

Continue reading...

A new Cadillac commercial has hit the web today giving us the first ever look a production CTS Coupe. Also featured in the commercial are other Cadillac vehicles such as the Cadillac SRX, CTS and CTS Sport Wagon.

The ad is apparently called ‘Re-ignition’ and is part of a campaign to notify the US of Cadillac’s new beginnings.

Anyways, check it out and let us know what you think in the comments.

via jalopnik

Continue reading...

General Motors is busy looking for buyers for their German subsidiary Opel and it looks like it will take some more time before they find a worthy buyer. GM is reportedly against the inclusion of Russians to take over the Opel brand which has so far raised some eyebrows which include that of technology takeover.

For the record, Berlin favors Magna and GAZ, the Russian state-owned car builder, and Sberbank to succeed the Opel brand. And this was said to be one reason why the Magna bid was turned down although GM had openly denied it had a hand on this. The plot for the future of the Opel brand continues to be befuddling but from the looks of it, there may be a chance that GM is playing possum and probably hold on to the Opel brand. That is if rumors hold true!

(Source) AFP

Continue reading...

Currently roads do nothing more than provide a space to drive your car. However, that all may change soon enough thanks to Solar Roadways and the Department of Energy. What you see above is one of their concepts, a series of extremely durable solar panels being utilizes as a road.

Solar Roadways, the guys behind this concept, have recently been granted $100,000 from the Department of Energy to develop a 12×12 foot solar panel that would be used as a road surface. Even better, these solar panels will include a series of LED lights for use with updating signals and signs.

Just imagine a future where the United State’s entire infrastructure of roads were covered with these solar panels. Couple that with consumer friendly all electric vehicles and you have yourself a sure win.

via gizmodo

Continue reading...