Ford Motor Company will bring its 14 years of research and development expertise using computer human models to a consortium of automakers and suppliers as a way to improve restraint systems for all vehicles of the future.

Ford is one of nine automakers and two suppliers that will consolidate their pre-competitive research and development activities in human body modeling into a single global effort to advance crash safety technology. The computer models, which represent human beings in minute detail, could help scientists determine and better understand injuries that are likely to result from a vehicle crash.

The use of finite element models to simulate vehicle crash tests has a strong potential to improve vehicle safety and to save time and money in hardware prototyping and testing. But the differences between the human body and the crash test dummy limit engineers to assessing injury potential with indirect gross injury measurements, such as chest deceleration and deformation.

The virtual humans initially will be used in automotive safety testing but could be used in other ways.

Read more about  Ford Joins Automotive Consortium to Accelerate its Research Work Using Virtual Human Crash Test Dummies

Ford iosis Concept Car selected for Villa D’Este Concours

• Ford iosis selected for the final short list at the prestigious Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este on the Italian Lake Como
• Ford’s dramatic “kinetic design” form language is defined by iosis and is now being seen in Ford production models like the Ford S-MAX – Car of the Year 2007 – and new Ford Mondeo
• iosis is evidence of Ford’s “Feel+” strategy and new emotional values: high levels of driving pleasure, premium levels of quality and reliability at an affordable price
• Stefan Lamm, Ford of Europe’s head of Exterior Design said: “The iosis is a benchmark concept vehicle for us, as it represents the purest expression of our ‘kinetic design’ form language, representing energy in motion”

The Ford iosis concept car, which made its debut at the 2005 Frankfurt Motor Show as the definition of the company’s dramatic “kinetic design” form language, has been selected as one of the finalists in the Concept Cars and Prototypes class at the prestigious Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este in Italy.

The 2007 event takes place at the Grand Hotel Villa d’Este in Cernobbio, Italy between April 20 and 22. During the three day event, thirteen concept cars will be on display to visiting members of the public who will be able to vote for their favourite in a secret ballot at the Villa d’Erba on Sunday, April 22. The event is expected to attract around four thousand visitors.

The organising committee selected Ford iosis for its innovative impact on automotive design. Iosis preceded a range of new Ford’s products which include elements of “kinetic design” form language. These products are receiving very positive comments from customers and the media within Europe and elsewhere.

The first Ford production model that expresses the ‘energy in motion’ philosophy of the company’s dynamic new ‘kinetic design’ form language is the bold and sporty Ford S-MAX, which is Car of the Year 2007.

Together with “kinetic design” Ford has introduced a new brand philosophy of “Feel+” which is designed to highlight the new energy and emotion of Ford’s latest vehicle offerings, including the all-new Ford Mondeo.

“Feel+” is more than an advertising strapline, however, and represents a new way of thinking inside Ford for its latest products. With the emphasis on driving pleasure, high quality interiors, reliability and affordability, Ford is stepping up its delivery of new exciting products to its customers around the world.

Stefan Lamm, Ford of Europe’s head of Exterior Design said: “The iosis is a benchmark concept vehicle for us, as it represents the purest expression of our “kinetic design” form language, representing energy in motion. Iosis also signalled the design future for Ford of Europe production models – a future that is now being realised with the Ford S-MAX, Car of the Year 2007, and the all-new Mondeo, which provided the initial inspiration for this concept. We are delighted that the organisers have selected iosis to be a competitor at this event.”

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With the new C63 AMG Mercedes is aiming to break the 400 bhp mark in a C-class. Using the new 6.3 litre V8 detuned to about 420 bhp it will be an Autobahn rocket for sure. While the new C-Class is official already, engineers at AMG still have to hide their little baby under disguise when driving some high speed tests at the famous Nürburgring in Germany.

View Mercedes C63 AMG photos

Nissan Europe reported total sales of 56,563 vehicles (*) in March 2007, a decrease of 2.4% compared to the same month last year. Year to date, Nissan sold 118,437 vehicles in Europe, a decrease of 3.9% year on year.

Market conditions in Germany and the run-outs from the popular C and D segments late last year (Almera, Tino and Primera) contributed to overall sales dip last month. However, the Russian and Central European markets performed well (+82.4% and +28.8% respectively).

Sales of the new QASHQAI have begun with a positive start with an impressive order bank and sales of the Navara and Pathfinder are doing well. Moreover the van /trucks (Atleon, Cabstar) were ahead of last year.

COUNTRY HIGHLIGHTS

- For the region of Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan, Nissan sold 9,334 units in March, registering an increase of 81.3% compared to last year. Year to date Nissan sold a total of 21,033 units in these countries, up 85.4% compared to the same period last year.

- Nissan in Central Eastern Europe (Slovakia, Czech Republic, Hungary & Poland) sold 1,682 units in March, an increase of 28.8% compared to last year. Year to date Nissan sold 3,943 units in these countries, an increase of 213.7% compared to the same period last year.

TOP 10 COUNTRIES

Nissan employs around 12,000 people in its European design, research and development, manufacturing, logistics, and sales and marketing operations. Last year, the company produced a total of 506,602 vehicles in its Spanish and British plants. Nissan Europe’s Head Office is based in Trappes (Paris), France.

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Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., NEC Corporation, and its subsidiary, NEC TOKIN Corporation, have signed an agreement to establish a joint-venture company – Automotive Energy Supply Corporation (AESC) – to focus on lithium-ion battery business for wide-scale automotive application by 2009.Nissan and NEC Group will invest 490 million yen (approx. USD 4.1 million*) in the partnership. AESC is expected to begin operations by the end of April, 2007, and will operate as an independent company. The new company will focus on the development and marketing of advanced lithium-ion batteries, designed to power future generations of electric-powered vehicles. After one year, the partnership will be expanded to include mass production and sales. The new joint venture will become the leading company in mass production of lithium-ion batteries for the global automotive community using pioneering technologies developed by Nissan and NEC Group.

NEC and NEC TOKIN bring expertise in cell technology and battery manufacturing; while Nissan will focus on the cell stack for real-world application in electric-powered vehicles. AESC’s core product will be advanced lithium-ion batteries for automotive application and the company will be fully responsible to market its products to other potential customers in the auto industry.

AESC will mass produce lithium-ion batteries with a set of unique properties that makes them a highly competitive and appealing energy-generation solution for automotive application. Among the multiple advantages that the new batteries will offer are cutting-edge and environmentally-friendly technology, cost competitiveness, superior performance, safety, and versatility.

Nissan’s partnership with NEC represents a key component of its “Nissan Green Program 2010” mid-term environmental action plan, as announced in December, 2006. “As a ‘Sincere Eco-Innovator’, Nissan continues to develop forward-looking ‘green technologies’ that contribute to sustainable mobility. Nissan will introduce our own original hybrid vehicle by 2010, followed by our next generation electric vehicle in the early part of the next decade,” said Carlos Tavares, Executive Vice President of Nissan.

“Together, Nissan and NEC’s engineers have addressed the key challenges of cost, performance, safety and reliability – we believe that we have a breakthrough technology in the lithium-ion battery product we will produce. Through AESC, this battery will be made available to all automakers, and we expect this could further accelerate the development of future generations of eco-friendly vehicles,” explained Tavares.

“NEC brings to the partnership years of knowledge, expertise, and resources in lithium-ion battery technology through NEC TOKIN’s know-how, cultivated through long years of experience in battery business. Further co-development with Nissan has enabled a superior-class battery that we expect to spread in the market at an unmatched speed due to the wealth of benefits it will assuredly bring to our future eco-conscious customers,” said Konosuke Kashima, Executive Vice President of NEC. “Moreover, the alliance with Nissan guarantees Nissan as a prospective customer of AESC. We will also strive to accelerate growth by expanding marketing to auto manufacturers worldwide.”

The evolution towards cleaner powertrains will see the proliferation of a wider mix of electric-powered vehicles including hybrids, plug-in hybrids, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and electric vehicles made available to customers. The establishment of AESC demonstrates that both Nissan and NEC firmly believe that lithium-ion battery technology will become an important energy-source solution to achieve a sustainable mobile society. Both companies are confident that there will be a ready and growing market for lithium-ion batteries in the next decade and beyond.

BMW has announced details of the new BMW M3 Coupé, a model that 21 years ago created an entirely new segment for super-high-performance compact cars. In the past two decades and three previous generations, the M3 has proved a success on road and track. Originally powered by BMW’s first 16-valve four-cylinder engine and subsequently by 3.0-litre and 3.2-litre powerplants, BMW M3 engines took top category honours on a record six successive occasions in the Engine of the Year awards. Racing derivatives have also won more Touring Car titles than any other car as well as numerous Endurance races.

Engine and Drivetrain

With DNA connecting the new M3’s engine to that of the BMW Sauber F1 Team, the racing link is maintained in the fourth generation M3. The new M3 Coupé engine develops 420hp at 8,300rpm and 400Nm of torque at 3,900rpm from its 3,999cc V8-power unit, and red-lines at 8,400rpm. To highlight the flexibility of the engine, 85 per cent of torque is available from 6,500rpm. Power is transferred to the road by BMW M’s six-speed manual gearbox and variable M differential which conveys up to 100 per cent of available power to the wheel with most grip.

Like its predecessor, the new V8-powered BMW M3 easily breaks through the magical 100hp per litre barrier, offering 105hp per litre. This engine powers the car from zero to 62mph in 4.8 seconds and on to a limited top speed of 155mph. However, these supercar levels of performance do not compromise economy with the car still delivering 22.8mpg on the combined cycle, being an eight per cent improvement over the outgoing car.