Columbus Streetcars

Honda Mugen CR-Z - 2011

It’s official: Mugen is prepping a range of tuning accessories for Honda’s new CR-Z hybrid sports coupe. Enthusiasts may rejoice, but the total package is decidedly more “show” than “go.”

We can’t really blame Mugen for that. The CR-Z’s only internal combustion engine is Honda’s well-known 1.5-liter I-4, featuring the automaker’s Integrated Motor Assist hybrid system. Mugen did manage to wring out some extra power with its sport exhaust and intake systems. Exactly how much, however, wasn’t disclosed.

Much focus was also placed on tuning the handling. A spring/damper combo allows for five-way adjustability and lowers the center of gravity. Brakes are upgraded with new pads, rotors, and lines, and 17-inch aluminum wheels are available.

The aerodynamic body changes include front lip spoiler, sides, rear bumper, and rear wing, which definitely add flair. Owners can pickup LED lights or a carbon fiber license plate holder for the front bumper, too. There is even a set of carbon fiber mirror covers to complete the look. Mugen-badged mats and an aluminum shift knob set the interior apart from the OEM car.

No word on availability in the U.S., but here’s a list of some of the parts with prices converted using today’s rate.

Partial Mugen CR-Z Parts List:
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While it has long been associated with British Racing Green, Lotus seems to be turning a different shade of green these days. After showing us a number of biofuel and eco-friendly Exiges, the automaker teased this image of the Evora 414E, a series hybrid which will debut next week at the 2010 Geneva motor show.

Although its debut is a week away, Lotus has spilled most — if not all — of the details ahead of time. The concept car can sprint from 0-60 mph in less than four seconds, and have a range of 300 miles. As for how it’ll look, imagine a standard Evora slathered in copper paint: The chassis remains unchanged from 2+2, thanks to the flexibility of Lotus’s Versatile Vehicle Architecture.

The 414E name comes from the powertrain’s output: 414 metric horsepower (that’s 408 horses for us Stateside folk). The power comes from two electric motors — each delivering 204 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque to an individual rear wheel — that operate independently through single-speed reduction transmissions, which live in a single housing. The two-motor set up opens a variety of torque vectoring options to Lotus, from supplanting a typical electronic stability system and limited-slip differential, to mimicking a rear-steering system without the extra mechanical components, to correcting understeer and oversteer.

A 47-horsepower, 1.2-liter three-cylinder engine acts as a supplement — it’s called the “Lotus Range Extender. The mill features an aluminum monoblock construction that integrates the block, head, and exhaust manifold in one casting. The construction means the engine is less expensive to produce, smaller, and has a lower (total weight is 187 pounds). Another plus? Its two-valve, port-fuel injection combustion system supports alcohol-based fuels and gasoline.

The Evora 414E can travel 35 miles on battery power alone. After that point, the engine becomes a generator, supplying the motors with electricity and topping off the lithium polymer battery pack that sits in the middle of the chassis. Charging is an overnight affair, and the socket hides under the rear license plate.

Though the Evora hybrid uses single-speed reduction gears, it offers a steering column-mounted shift paddles. Knock the car into sport mode, and the paddles operate like a seven-speed twin-clutch gearbox. Pop an upshift and you’ll feel the appropriate jolt through torque modulation at the rear wheels. Pull a downshift and the Evora mimics engine braking appropriate for the gear by adjusting the regeneration levels of the electric motors. Think it’s silly? You can turn the simulation off.

But if the Evora hybrid is a driver’s car, what about the noise? That’s where the sound system comes in. Developed between Lotus and Harman International, the system uses speakers inside the cabin and on the exterior to imitate engine and gear sounds. Four sound options are available to drivers: V-6, V-12, “futuristic,” and a combination of conventional engine and futuristic. The result, Lotus says, is a better experience for the driver and a safer experience for pedestrians, who will be able to hear the car zipping down the canyon road.

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Although we still haven’t seen photos of the actual concept car, Opel decided to release additional information and images of its new Flextreme GT/E show car, which will debut at the 2010 Geneva motor show in March.

In a sense, think of the GT/E as a Chevrolet Volt in a much sexier wrapper. GM has publicly toyed with the notion of amortizing the cost of its Voltec hybrid system across several models (the Converj, for instance, will likely join the Cadillac lineup), and the Flextreme is but one possibility. (A facelifted Volt, called the Ampera, is already slated to reach Europe in the coming years.)

Although it likely rides on the same compact car platform as the Volt, the Flextreme is slightly longer and wider than its siblings. Styling borrows plenty from recent Opel design concepts (particularly the 2007 Flextreme concept) but we see some influence from the Corvette Stingray concept in the GT/E’s front fascia. GM says function doesn’t follow form — in fact, aerodynamic panels extend from the car’s rear fender vents to help direct air around the car’s rear fascia at speeds above 31 mph.

Underneath that swoopy skin, however, is the same extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) powertrain GM has demonstrated over the past few years. A T-shaped, 16-kWh lithium-ion battery pack lurks underneath the cabin and feeds a 120-kW motor driving the front wheels. The battery can propel the car up to 40 miles on a single charge, but a 1.4-liter I-4 combustion engine can come online to help recharge the battery for longer drives.

We’d love to see something like the Flextreme roam European streets in the years to come, but admittedly, the car’s chances at reaching production are nothing short of a mixed bag. GM may be looking to create as many Voltec vehicles as possible to help reduce costs, but as we’ve seen over the past few months, Opel (along with its British cousin, Vauxhall) has many other hurdles to clear before thinking of adding a second EREV to its portfolio. Read more »