Concept Cars
Concept cars are prototypes of ideal cars. They are usually showcased for public exhibition. In the fiercely competitive world of car manufacturing, manufacturers are constantly designing and making special cars to show their ability to design and manufacture highly useful cars, built ahead of the times. As the name goes, such cars are purely conceptual in nature.
Why are concept cars conceptual?
Manufacturers of such cars do not go for mass production. This is because prototype cars are non-traditional and are made of very expensive materials or materials like paper or carbon fiber, mass production of which is not feasible. The designs and layouts of such cars are too fanciful to be implemented practically.
Purpose of designing concept cars:
Concept cars are made combining the best of modern technology with the highly effective and time-tested layouts of cars from the past. Reactions to such cars enable automobile companies feel the pulse of the market. The fanciness of the cars set the pace for future designs. Manufacturers come to know whether a car is acceptable or requires a few modifications before going to production. Cars which evince little interest are usually destroyed. Those which catch the imagination of the public are preserved as a strategy to expand the list of company patents.
2010 Mercedes-Benz S400 Hybrid
Clearly, the S400 Hybrid has a limited clientele—folks who welcome that 3-4 mpg improvement over an S550. Environmental-friendliness doesn’t have to be limited to the lower end of the price scale.
The new S400 Hybrid isn’t the first full-size luxury sedan to assume gasoline/electric operation. Lexus launched its LS 600h L sedan, with a comparable hybrid powertrain, as a 2008 model. Both companies evidently believe there’s a significant urge for greater fuel economy and reduced emissions, even at the upper end of the economic scale.
One big difference lies in the battery. With the S400, Mercedes-Benz is the first automaker to issue a series-production model with a lithium-ion battery pack that fits into the engine compartment. Except for seldom-seen Fisker and Tesla cars, other hybrids use nickel metal hydride batteries.
Under the S400 hood, a 3.5-liter V-6 gasoline engine generates 275 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. A 15-kilowatt electric motor is located between the gas engine and the seven-speed adaptive automatic transmission, which incorporates Sport and Comfort modes. The electric motor adds 20 horsepower, for a total of 295; plus 118 pound-feet of starting torque, to boost acceleration when taking off.
BMW Alpina B7
BMW Alpina B7 has taken the BMW 750i and used it for the basis of this new car. However, with the special design and the V8 engine it boasts, it is quite a bit lighter than the 760Li, which is a great benefit if you want better maneuverability and agility. Also, the Alpina has decided to add a supercharger to the engine as well, which adds quite a few horses but very little weight to the vehicle.
When Alpina began to actually develop the B7 engine, the BMW V8 engine then only had a 4.4 liter displacement. However, from this beginning they decided to supercharge this engine, which was something that was never done in the past before. The end of this achievement led to the impressive 500 horsepower and 516 lb ft of torque as well. While you’ll notice that this car doesn’t have the higher pitched sound that the M engines tend to have, it has a more high class low pitch sound that lets you know there is a V8 engine under the hood without being crass about it.
The Chassis from the 7 series was used as well, but Alpina took that chassis and refined and fine tuned it quite a bit to make it ready for the higher performance level of the B7. While it kept the Active Roll Stabilization, Alpina engineers worked with Michelin and BMW to help bring about shock absorbers and springs that have a firmer calibration. Also, the 760i’s brakes were used on the care, which are larger than those in the 750i. Alpina also topped the 20 in wheels and tires that BMW used on the 760i as well. They added 21 inch wheels to the car with special slender spokes, which provides great ventilation for the brake rotors.
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