Visteon shows off the future of automotive electronics with its e-Bee concept

There is a lot more to a car than the engine and wheels, and Visteon aims to show how little details, and a whole lot of tech, can make a car even better.

Features like navigation and infotainment systems are becoming increasingly important to consumers when looking for a car to buy, and automakers that make the best use of the newest technologies in these areas will having an ever-increasing advantage over their competitors. So to showcase where they believe these trends will be heading in the near future, automotive supplier Visteon has created a concept car, known as the e-Bee, filled with current and near-future tech.

The e-Bee is based on the Nissan Leaf, which seems like a logical choice as an electronics showcase, but there was even more to it than that. Visteon was also showing off a new climate control system that incorporates both the heating and air conditioning into one unit. This saves electricity, particularly in cold weather, thus improving the vehicle’s range while using the climate control. Much of the instrumentation has been replaced by screens, and touchscreens have also replaced the switchgear, infotainment and headlight controls. A screen even replaced the rearview mirror, offering a much wider field of view.

The car has the ability to sync with your various mobile devices as well, and can even read your calendar to determine whether you’re on your way to an appointment, and then automatically update the navigation system accordingly. The interior surfaces are made of recycled materials and manufactured by Visteon to save weight when compared to materials being used currently. Connectivity will be important, and as such, the e-Bee is designed to use open-source programs which can be updated regularly over the life of the vehicle. The car will be a rolling Wi-Fi hotspot, andwas built with the idea in mind that people would use it for ride sharing programs, and that these people would be able to get work done in the car.

These are some exciting ideas, although there are those would seek to further limit such communications equipment in cars as a safety measure. It remains to be seen whether it will be technological advancement or legislation which shapes the future of our cars’ interiors, but we like the e-Bee anyway. CNET reports that the car will be making an appearance at CES in early January, where we’ll likely get some hands-on time for ourselves.

View the original article here

Volvo to bring S60 Polestar super sedan concept to L.A.

Volvo is bringing its performance-focused S60 Polestar to the L.A. Auto Show later this month in an attempt to show off its style and speed.

Why should the Germans be the only ones to build super sedans? This was the question Cadillac asked when they built the fire-breathing CTS-V, and now the Swedes are asking it too. The result of this Scandinavian introspection is the Volvo S60 Polestar concept, a tuned version of S60 sedan which will be giving the Germans something to think about. With its turbocharged inline-six engine, the standard car produces 300 horsepower and 325lb-ft of torque, enough to stay competitive with Germany’s middleweights. But there is no engine swap for the Polestar concept, and you might be wondering how it could possibly keep up with, say, an M5.

Well, Volvo’s in-house tuning people at Polestar have cranked the engine up to 508 horsepower and 424lb-ft of torque. This is achieved by way of a Garret 3171 turbocharger, modified cylinder heads and combustion chambers, a modified air intake and a new 3.5-inch Ferrita exhaust system. That power is sent through a Haldex all-wheel-drive system and the car is capable of a 0-60 time of just 3.9 seconds. That makes it quicker than an M5 or an E63 AMG, and ties it with a CTS-V. They’ve even painted it in that shade of blue which somehow makes Volvos look faster, not an easy thing to do.

The concept is coming to the L. A. Auto Show at the end of this month, according to Winding Road. But we should all remember that the S60 Polestar is still only a concept. Volvo have issued the usual statement about how they’ll build the car if there’s sufficient public interest, but we’re not sure how much excitement Volvo buyers are likely to generate over a super sedan with a 186 mph top speed. We still think it would be great if Volvo built it, if for no other reason than giving all those M5 owners something to be jealous about.

View the original article here