2012 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Lt on 2040-cars

Auto blog

GM Ultium tech can scavenge heat from everywhere, even you

GM likes to give us tidbits about its Ultium platform from time to time, and today it’s telling us about the platformÂ’s ability to capture waste heat from the propulsion system. In addition to capturing from the propulsion system, it can also capture humidity from both inside and outside the vehicle and even from passengersÂ’ body heat. Yes, you, your family and/or your friends are a usable heat source as far as GM EVs are concerned. It then deploys the heat in an advantageous way. If at this point, youÂ’re screaming, "Heat pump!" youÂ’d be right. WeÂ’re talking about an elaborate heat pump system that GM is using for its Ultium-based vehicles. Every Ultium-based GM vehicle gets this system that is covered by 11 patents and four publications. The waste heat it collects is used in a number of ways, but its primary use is to heat the cabin quickly and efficiently. GM claims it can heat the cabin of its Ultium-based vehicles quicker than vehicles with traditional internal combustion engines. Plus, when put to use, GM claims that using the heat pump provides its EVs with up to 10% more range than theyÂ’d have without. Beyond heating the cabin, the heat pump is capable of putting waste heat to use by preheating the battery prior to charging so that you can charge quicker. The system can even cool the propulsion system in preparation for Watts to Freedom (WTF) launch control starts. GM says this was vital in helping the Hummer EV achieve its bonkers 0-60 mph time of about 3 seconds. “Having a ground-up EV architecture gives us the freedom to build in standard features like UltiumÂ’s energy recovery capabilities,” said Doug Parks, GM executive VP of global product development, purchasing and supply chain. “This helps us squeeze more efficiency, performance and overall customer benefit out of our EVs.” GM says itÂ’s been developing heat pump technology since the EV1 and its heat pump. This is the modern evolution of that technology, and GM says itÂ’s going to be implemented in every Ultium-based vehicle as a standard feature. Related video: Green Cadillac Chevrolet GM GMC Technology Electric Future Vehicles

Callaway rolls out radical Corvette C7 GT3-R at Hockenheim

Leave it to Callaway to take a badass Corvette and make it even more so. Case in point: the new Callaway Corvette C7 GT3-R you see here. It made its big debut this past weekend during the season finale for the ADAC GT Masters series at the legendary Hockenheimring – the on-again, off-again home of the German Grand Prix. Why in Germany, you ask? Because that's where Callaway Competition is based. The racing division got its start in Heilbronn as Woeher & Ciccone back in 1985. It joined with US-based Callaway Cars in 1988 to distribute its modified Corvettes in Europe, and branched out into constructing racing cars in 1994. And this is its latest project. Designed in partnership between Callaway Competition in Germany and Canadian designer Paul Deutschman, the new GT3-R replaces the previous C6-based Z06.R GT3. It packs a 6.2-liter V8 pumping 600 horsepower through an X-Trac six-speed sequential gearbox. And as you can see, it sure looks the part. Callaway will be offering the new GT3-R to privateer teams for entry in a variety of racing series around the world. But it'll also be fielding the example you see here, sponsored by Whelen Engineering that – like Callaway Cars – is based in Connecticut. Callaway Corvette C7 GT3-R World Debut at Hockenheim October 3, 2015 Hockenheim, Germany – October 3, 2015 – This weekend's ADAC GT Masters Season Finale was the backdrop for the unveiling of Callaway Competition's new Callaway Corvette C7 GT3-R. Following a brief presentation to media and invited guests, the successor of the C6-based Callaway Z06.R GT3 was displayed to the public for the first time on October 3, 2015 at the Hockenheimring in Germany. Constructors of GT race cars since 1990 and based in Leingarten Germany, Callaway Competition possesses a wealth of experience, technical know-how and a broad network of specialized professional partners. These elements were crucial to conduct such a large undertaking. After nearly two years of comprehensive planning, intensive development and expert fabrication of vehicle components, Callaway Competition completed the first C7 GT3-R just a few weeks ago. Its striking design comes as a result of the collaboration between Canadian designer Paul Deutschman and team owners Giovanni Ciccone and Ernst Wohr. Mike Gramke, Uwe Hoffmann, Florian Mohring and Andre Zanke were also heavily involved in the vehicle's development.

Autonomous tech will drive motorheads off the road

While autonomous technology could make car travel much safer and more efficient — and automakers and marketers are salivating over the prospect of a "passenger economy" that could potentially generate $7 trillion by 2050 — those of us who enjoy driving are not so stoked. Experts have predicted that as autonomous vehicles are deployed in large numbers, human-driven cars eventually could be outlawed on public roads due to the carnage they create, which is currently more than 41,000 deaths a year in the U.S. alone and climbing. Such scenarios have driving enthusiasts envisioning a "Red Barchetta" style nightmare becoming reality, making Rush lyricist Neil Peart a clairvoyant as well as one of rock's most badass skin-pounders. But there could be a couple of refuges left for motorheads, and they won't be on public roads. As Popular Science's Joe Brown points out in a recent editorial, we're seeing a wave of vehicles being offered by legit mainstream automakers that aren't made for public roads. The poster child of this vanguard is the 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon, which comes with a crate full of goodies that lets you turn the already formidable street-legal muscle car into a drag-strip dominator. Brown also notes that two out of five of the Ford GT's driving modes are for use on the track, "catering to the $450,000 machine's club-racing clientele." We're also currently enjoying the heyday of production off-road-ready pickups that kicked off with the Ford Raptor in 2009. The latest salvo in this escalating war of overachieving trucks is the Chevy Colorado ZR2 that can take on the likes of California's Rubicon Trail without issue. Brown also gives a shout-out to his magazine's Grand Award Winner, the Alta Motors Redshift MX, which "isn't even allowed on public roads" and is "meant for bombing around motocross tracks, big backyards and single-track woods trails." If you follow Brown on Instagram, you know that he's also a two-wheel aficionado, and he points out that sales of off-road bikes are leaving street machines in the dust. Sales of off-highway motorcycles rose 29 percent between 2012 and 2016, according to the ­Motorcycle Industry Council — compared to 6 percent for road-bike sales during the same period. "That's a nearly 400-percent drubbing," Brown remarks.