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theautoalert.blogspot.com aston-martin-cygnet, originally uploaded by AutoAlert!

Aston Martin and Toyota have teamed up to create a city car known as the Aston Martin Cygnet. What we are talking about here is basically a special edition of the Toyota iQ Car. You take a bare bones Toyota iQ, throw a little leather at it, a little flare, jack up the price to $32,000, and you’ve got yourself one heck of a competitor to the Smart ForTwo and the electric Mini Cooper.

If you’re expecting Aston Martin type performance, you better think again. The Cygnet has no more gusto that the regular Toyota iQ, it only looks faster. But there is very good reason for this. Aston Martin is looking for a little green to throw in with the rest of their ozone hole punching fleet, such as the DBS, Vantage, and D89.

The new European legislation is about to crack down on manufacturers, forcing them to produce more fuel efficient vehicles than ever before. The good news is, it won’t be so much the efficiency of each car, but rather the efficiency of the entire fleet (as an average).

So if you have one Cygnet at 60 mpg and one DBS at 10 mpg, you’re basically getting an average of 35 mpg give or take a few. In other words, the Aston Martin Mini-Me allows those who want to be green, to be green, while those who like their big V-12’s, they can still have them, and feel a little less guilty.

The above photo is just a sneak peak of what the Cygnet is going to look like once it is complete. The main draw will be its excellent fit and finish, which Aston Martin promises will be just as well-built as any other $100,000+ sport, luxury vehicle.

Aston Martin plans on selling approximately 4,000 to 5,000 of these a year to uphold their green standards, and it will be by far their least inexpensive vehicle in quite some time. Austin Powers, eat your heart out!

Asimo, originally uploaded by And… Action!

While you may never actually see this on a vehicle in your lifetime, it is comforting to know that Toyota and Honda are hot on the trail of some pretty nifty brain wave steering mechanisms. At the moment the rather crude system uses a large cap on the head, so bad hair days would unfortunately be a regular occurrence (okay, so this is problem number one).

The cap is programmed to read the brains EEG waves within 125 thousandths of a second, analyze them, and then make the appropriate motion as to what the cap wearer is wishing to do. In the past, these types of system were rather slow to read waves, and therefore the lag time between commands was too long to actually make anything functional of this technology.

Currently, Toyota has the system hooked-up to a wheelchair. Thanks to the newer quicker processing ability, the wheelchair driver has so far shown the ability to cruise forward, switching between right and left turns almost immediately after the thought. Unfortunately, as reliable as the system appears to be, it is still not quite 100 percent guaranteed.

Considering that stopping is one of the key safety functions of any wheelchair, such as when you are approaching a 4-way street corner, Toyota is still relying on mechanical facial expressions (problem number two) to accomplish the stopping motion. Each helmet is fitted with a facial expression detector which is programmed to stop each time it senses the driver puffing one cheek (the face, not the rear).

We still have a ways to go before any of this technology is considered for automotive applications, but we are definitely on the right track. Honda is working on a similar concept, except instead of using a wheelchair they are using a robot. The robot is known as Asimo, and has shown itself capable of being controlled via brain waves, such as in moving its arms up and down by the controllers wishes.

Okay, so it maybe one small arm raise for a robot… but it’s one giant, How do you do, for mankind!

Source: Los Angeles Times

Just because you don’t have much money, certainly doesn’t mean that you can’t have some big power in 2010. We have seen the introduction of a number of affordable sports cars for 2010 featuring some rather respectable horsepower. Okay, you’re probably not going to see the likes of too many V-8’s for under 30 G’s, but when you’re pumping out over 300 horsepower… who cares!

2010 Chevrolet Camaro LS-

Horsepower: 306
0-60: 6.1 seconds
Cost: Under $23,000
While the Chevy Camaro is under attack by some, due to the fact that GM is by-in-large a failing resemblance of a once great company, it is still a great car. For the tune of just under $23,000, you can receive a hopped up 3.6-liter V6 with 304 horsepower a six-speed manual transmission, rear-wheel drive, and a quick 0-60 launch of not much over 5- seconds. The high tech V-6 also sees a highway mpg of just under 30, which is comparable to a lot of pokey 4-bangers cruising the streets. This car has changed the tired old cliché that a V-6 muscle car is not for the enthusiast.

2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe-

Horsepower: 306
0-60: 6.2 seconds
Cost: $25,000
I can still remember the last Hyundai I drove back in the late 90’s. It was one of the slowest, least powerful, boring, and uninspiring economy boxes I had ever been in. I promised myself I would never drive a Hyundai again. Well, a good 10 years later, and I can barely even recognize Hyundai from those days. They have figured out the recipe for good looks, good handing, and solid performance in a very affordable package. Just $25,000 will get your foot in the door to a 3.8 liter high winding V-6, a six-speed transmission, and solid rear-wheel drive axle.

2010 Ford Mustang GT-

Horsepower: 315
0-60: 5.1 seconds
Cost: $28,000
I’d love to say that for under $20,000, a V-6 Mustang can be one fast ride. In truth, it’s 210 horsepower V-6 is just as uneventful as it ever was. To really get your thrills with the Mustang, you are going to have to step up to the mid-range GT. All models of the 2010 GT have been upgraded to the performance of the previous “Bullit” model, which upped the ante to 315 horsepower from its original 300. The new Mustang is raw, quick, and powerful. Its rumbling V-8 soundtrack is cleverly piped in through the interior, giving the true muscle car enthusiast one of the most bangs for the buck at 28 G’s!

2010 Nissan 370Z-

Horsepower: 332 horsepower
0-60: 5.1 seconds
Cost: Barely under $30,000
The Nissan 350Z was already cool, but the new 370Z is even cooler. It is lower, lighter, and a heap faster than any of its predecessors. The zippy 3.5-liter V-6 has been replaced with the slightly larger 3.7-liter, and its six-speed manual receives a new 7-speed paddle shifter. It’s new 332 horsepower and 90-pound Jenny Craig diet plan has brought its old 5.5-second 0-60 into the Mustang Bullit territory, at just 5.1 seconds. While the 370Z is often compared to the Mustang, it is an entirely different animal. It is more refined, quieter, and slightly easier to drive for the novice enthusiast, thanks to its SynchroRev Matching.

2010 Dodge Charger RT-

Horsepower: 368 horsepower
0-60: 5.7 seconds
Cost: You can find one under $30,000
Of all the cars mentioned so far, the Charger RT may not be the fastest, but if you like your engines big and loud, it is hard to get a 5.7-liter Hemi for under $30,000. This is the only sedan on the list that would be just as comfortable picking up a load of kids, as it would going out for a few passes at your local drag strip. Pound for pound this is the most muscle for the buck, but due to its heavy weight status (over 4,100 lbs) it is known a little more for its bark than bite. But with the momentum the green movement is gaining here in the US, this may be one of your last chances to own an affordable V-8.