Solar Blimp Takes to French Skies   06 Jul 2009 17:03 GMT
A team of French engineers is preparing a test flight of a helium blimp they’ve wrapped in flexible solar panels. If it goes well, by the end of the summer the team plans to cross the English Channel in an airship they say allows unlimited flight with zero emissions. Projet Sol’R, led by INSA Lyon and [...]
Source: wired.com

Auto Ego: Accumulated, if Not Curated   03 Jul 2009 21:26 GMT
Lenny Shiller, who owns 57 classic cars and trucks, prefers cars that are not “what everybody else has.”


Source: NY Times

A Pontiac Pickup That Never Was   03 Jul 2009 14:57 GMT
The demise of Pontiac spells the end for creations still on the company’s drawing board — including a quirky homage to the Chevrolet El Camino.


Source: NY Times

Rust in Peace | Suzuki X-90: An S.U.V., but Not Really   03 Jul 2009 14:57 GMT
Neither fish nor fowl, the X-90 was a two-seat, targa-topped mini-S.U.V. that had neither the utility of an S.U.V. nor the handling of a sports car.


Source: NY Times

Behind the Wheel | 2009 Pontiac Solstice Coupe: The Last Pontiac   03 Jul 2009 14:41 GMT
The new targa-top Solstice is the last of the Pontiacs, the final breath of a brand that failed to adapt to a changing world.


Source: NY Times

Handlebars: BMW’s Boxer: A Classic Design Is Updated and Refined   03 Jul 2009 14:40 GMT
The flat-twin engine has been a distinctive BMW attribute for decades, but a devoted following does not mean the company has lost interest in innovation.


Source: NY Times

Wheels: IndyCar President Tony George Resigns   02 Jul 2009 20:05 GMT
Tony George, the controversial president and chief executive of the IndyCar series and Indianapolis Motor Speedway, resigned from both positions.


Source: NY Times

Wheels: Mercedes to Celebrate Silver Arrows at Goodwood   02 Jul 2009 20:05 GMT
Mercedes-Benz will mark the 75th anniversary of their Silver Arrow racecars with a celebration at the annual Goodwood Festival of Speed in Britain.


Source: NY Times

Wheels: Does Quality Matter? The Mini Conundrum   02 Jul 2009 20:05 GMT
The problems that led to Mini’s dreadful score in the latest J.D. Power Initial Quality Survey seem to be the reasons why owners love the brand and its cars.


Source: NY Times

Solar Racing Champs Roll Out A New Car   02 Jul 2009 19:14 GMT
Delft University is the Brawn GP of solar car racing, an outfit so singularly successful that it has won the World Solar Challenge four times in a row. The Dutch team is back with its newest car, Nuna 5, and has its sights set on a fifth title when the checkered flag drops later this [...]
Source: wired.com