New Ferrari Dino 246 GT will Be Launched In Paris

2012 will be a pretty busy year for Ferrari. After the F12berlinetta & the new Enzo replacement, the company will take a little break from developing V12 supercars & will focus on offering the long rumored successor for the legendary Dino instead.

In the past few years, Ferrari has been up & down when asked about a new Dino, but now Ferrari sources have confirmed to us that a new Dino is currently being developed & that it will be unveiled this fall at the Paris Auto Show, with the production to follow in early 2013   as a celebration of the car’s 45th anniversary.

The new Dino will be the smallest model in Ferrari’s line up & will be powered by a detuned version of the V8 engine used in the 458 Italia. This means we’ll see a total output somewhere in the 450 HP area. As for its exterior design, expect to see the classic Dino brought to our modern days: it will combine elements from the latest 458 Italia, FF, & F12berlinetta & will still offer a 2+2 seats configuration. The best part is that the car’s legendary nose will remain, but will look a bit modernized.

As for the car’s price, our sources have confirmed that the new Dino will be the cheapest model in the line up, but you’ll still have to dish out about $200K if you want to own one.

BMW has Unvieled new i8 Spider

This open top BMW i8 Spyder concept will be turned into a production variant of the petrol electric hybrid supercar in 2015.

 The i8 Spyder is the third pre production version of the revolutionary supercar. It’s set for its first public airing at the Beiging motor show later this month. This concept is said to give extra clues to the production coupé, which is due to go on sale in late 2014. Of note are the solid doors, which replace the transparent sides of the previous concepts.

There are other subtle differences from the two previous concepts. The kidney grille is blanked off to cut aerodynamic drag & the ‘layered surfacing’ styling treatment has evolved slightly with its open roof design, the i8 Spyder has a new, free standing windscreen & conventional door glazing that integrates with fixed rear three quarter side panels.

To provide roll over protection & boost chassis stiffness, there are prominent safety hoops, faired in by body panels, at the rear of the cabin. Although this concept leaves the design of the roof unclear, BMW insiders suggest that a removable panel, probably fashioned from carbonfibre, is the favoured solution.

The rear end has also been modified, with a flat, transparent engine cover in place of the sloping coupé roofline. It doubles as the luggage cover, over a wide but shallow stowage space.

As with all future BMW ‘i’ sub brand models, the Spyder is based around a lightweight carbonfibre reinforced plastic structure clothed in body panels of the same material. It is 4480mm long, 1922mm wide & 1208mm tall. That makes it 130mm shorter, 142mm wider & 187mm lower than a 335i cabriolet.

The snug 2+2 layout of the i8 coupé has been ditched for a pure two seat cabin, with the rear bulkhead moved forward to provide added space for the engine. With a 2650mm wheelbase, accommodation is described as “generous”.

The i8 Spyder has the same plug in petrol electric hybrid system used by the i8 coupé. The 1.5 litre three cylinder turbo petrol engine is mid/rear mounted & delivers up to 220bhp to the rear wheels. The same engine will be offered in future Minis & a new front wheel drive entry level BMW.

In the i8 Spyder, the 1.5 litre petrol engine is mated to a front mounted 129bhp electric motor driving the front wheels via a fixed ratio gearbox.

The i8 powertrain can operate on petrol or electric power, or a combination of the two & in either front, rear or four wheel drive. A range extender function recharges the battery on the move. Together the petrol & electric motors make 349bhp. Computer simulations suggest the 1630kg i8 Spyder’s 0 100kph will be 5.0sec. Top speed limited at 250kph.

With the lithium ion battery sited within the centre tunnel & the petrol tank behind the rear bulkhead, BMW is claiming 50:50 weight distribution. Technical details of the battery remain secret, although BMW reports a 1hr 45min recharge using a high voltage supply. A recuperation system is also included to collect kinetic energy produced under braking & on a trailing throttle.

LED Lights Make Perfect DRLs

Lately you may have noticed an increasing number of cars with luminous "eyebrows" driving around.

That is because the European Union recently passed a directive making dedicated daytime running lights (DRL) a mandatory requirement on all new passenger cars and small delivery vehicles approved on or after the 7 February 2011. From August 2012 this will be extended to all buses and trucks as well.

What are DRL?

DRLs are bright, forward-facing lights situated alongside or beneath a car's existing headlamps and are designed to make a vehicle more conspicuous to other road users during the day.

Unlike regular headlamps, which can be switched on and off independently from the engine, DRLs come on automatically with the car's ignition and remain on while the engine is running. They can only be switched off again when the car's engine is off or the main headlamps are engaged.

DRLs are not a recent development. Sweden has required all motorists to drive with their headlights on all year round since 1977 and by 2006 12 European countries had introduced them in one form or another. The UK has never made it a requirement until now.

Fuel Consumption

One of the chief issues surrounding DRLs is additional fuel consumption.

DRLs draw their electricity from the car's alternator, which in turn results in greater fuel consumption. Not only is this more costly, but it also results in more CO2 emissions. Finding a light source that is both bright and efficient is therefore important.

Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) consume a fraction of the electricity needed by regular dipped-beam headlamps. A normal headlamp will use about 110 watts. DRLs using LED-based lighting only require 5-10 watts, therefore putting less strain on the car's alternator and resulting in less fuel consumption.

LED Bulbs also offer further advantages in that they last longer and produce a more directional light, making them more visible than typical headlamps.

The main purpose of DRLs is to improve the visibility of vehicles to other road users. By doing so the European Commission believes they will greatly reduce the number of casualties on European roads. According to one report, more than 35,000 people were killed on European roads in 2009, with many more left seriously injured.