2010 Toyota Prius revealed in leaked photos: What's new?

Toyota has been coy about the appearance and features of its upcoming 2010 Prius hybrid vehicle, but somehow these pics leaked out. The photos show a Prius that's about the same shape as its predecessor, with wedgier-looking headlights and some nice-looking fog lamps that reside in what looks like a jet engine intake. There was no further word about its plug-in capabilities or that solar battery-charging roof.

On the inside — which Toyota says is roomer than the current Prius — we see a big improvement: the shifter is almost in a conventional location (see gallery below), compared to the goofy in-dash position of today's Prius. We also like that swooping dash with the gauges embedded closer to eye level, taking cues from the gorgeous Honda Civic Hybrid interior.

Under the hood, Toyota says it'll goose up the total horsepower to 150 from today's 110 and get better mileage, but still use those old-fashioned nickel hydride batteries rather than the more trendy and efficient lithium ion. Oh, well, rumors swirl that the newer batteries could be on the way, and rightfully so if this iconic car means to do battle with the upcoming Chevy Volt. The car looks okay, but we're just wishing Toyota would have taken a few more design chances than this.

2010 Toyota Prius revealed in leaked photos: What's new?

Toyota has been coy about the appearance and features of its upcoming 2010 Prius hybrid vehicle, but somehow these pics leaked out. The photos show a Prius that's about the same shape as its predecessor, with wedgier-looking headlights and some nice-looking fog lamps that reside in what looks like a jet engine intake. There was no further word about its plug-in capabilities or that solar battery-charging roof.

On the inside — which Toyota says is roomer than the current Prius — we see a big improvement: the shifter is almost in a conventional location (see gallery below), compared to the goofy in-dash position of today's Prius. We also like that swooping dash with the gauges embedded closer to eye level, taking cues from the gorgeous Honda Civic Hybrid interior.

Under the hood, Toyota says it'll goose up the total horsepower to 150 from today's 110 and get better mileage, but still use those old-fashioned nickel hydride batteries rather than the more trendy and efficient lithium ion. Oh, well, rumors swirl that the newer batteries could be on the way, and rightfully so if this iconic car means to do battle with the upcoming Chevy Volt. The car looks okay, but we're just wishing Toyota would have taken a few more design chances than this.

Audi R8 Spyder: New spy video!

The Audi R8 Spyder has been caught testing at Nurburgring. Great sound!

Audi R8 Spyder: New spy video!

The Audi R8 Spyder has been caught testing at Nurburgring. Great sound!

21st Century Car: Ford Model T 2.0, redesigned to cost $7000

It's been 100 years since Ford's first Model T hit the road, and to commemorate the occasion, Ford commissioned a design contest to create Model T 2.0. Of the two winners of $25,000 in scholarship money, the Model T2 design you see above was our favorite, a three-wheeled coupe from Deakin University in Melbourne, Australia. It has motors on each wheel's hub, powered by compressed air. It also sports an unspecified "novel steering system," which we figure has something to do with all three wheels getting into the act.

The parameters of the design competition were tough, requiring the vehicle to cost less than $7000 and have a range of 125 miles. It's not going to be easy to actually build a car that cheaply, since the most inexpensive car available these days costs nearly twice that. But if a car like this could get you a $7500 tax break like the increasingly expensive Chevy Volt, they'd be paying you $500 to drive one away from the dealership. Take a look at the other winning design:

This is the 2015 Ford Model T, designed by students at Aachen University in Cologne, Germany. Like the old version 1.0 jalopy, this vehicle uses a common chassis that can accommodate various bodies such as a truck, sedan or mini city car. Both designs are simple, but we're still not sure if these cars could be built for $7000 — maybe if the currency deflates to half its value by 2015.

via Jalopnik

21st Century Car: Ford Model T 2.0, redesigned to cost $7000

It's been 100 years since Ford's first Model T hit the road, and to commemorate the occasion, Ford commissioned a design contest to create Model T 2.0. Of the two winners of $25,000 in scholarship money, the Model T2 design you see above was our favorite, a three-wheeled coupe from Deakin University in Melbourne, Australia. It has motors on each wheel's hub, powered by compressed air. It also sports an unspecified "novel steering system," which we figure has something to do with all three wheels getting into the act.

The parameters of the design competition were tough, requiring the vehicle to cost less than $7000 and have a range of 125 miles. It's not going to be easy to actually build a car that cheaply, since the most inexpensive car available these days costs nearly twice that. But if a car like this could get you a $7500 tax break like the increasingly expensive Chevy Volt, they'd be paying you $500 to drive one away from the dealership. Take a look at the other winning design:

This is the 2015 Ford Model T, designed by students at Aachen University in Cologne, Germany. Like the old version 1.0 jalopy, this vehicle uses a common chassis that can accommodate various bodies such as a truck, sedan or mini city car. Both designs are simple, but we're still not sure if these cars could be built for $7000 — maybe if the currency deflates to half its value by 2015.

via Jalopnik

Chevrolet Made With Lego