Today at Seoul,Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates announced the collaboration with Hyundai and Kia,where the models produced by the two companies will get infotainment systems based on Microsoft Auto software by 2010.

Hyundai and Kia are the first Asian automakers to get systems from Microsoft,but this won’t stop the software company to deal with other automakers.As we already know,Microsoft makes the sync system for Ford.

“There is know exclusivity clause involved here” - Velle Kolde - Microsoft spokesperson.

Microsoft considers that the systems for Hyundai and Kia will be the next version after the one used on Ford and it will be upgradeable.

The seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher is still a celebrity.

According to the reports,Hollywood made an offer to Schumi,to star in a film about his life and career,where the famous actor Bruce Willis could interpret the role of race commentator,Murray Walker.

Michael Schumacher hasn’t accepted the offer yet,but his manager Willi Weber said that it’s under consideration.

Schumi also played in kid’s movies like Asterix and Pixar’s Cars.

We all know that Hybrids and Diesels are rivals in a world with high fuel prices.While people are wondering why no automaker has ever thought to combine them, Volkswagen(who looked to be the first to realise this) announced that Golf TDI Hybrid concept won’t make it to production.

According to Volkswagen,Gold TDI-Hybrid concept is capable of 89g/km of CO2 emissions and returns 69mpg (Imperial) at the pumps thanks to a 220V electric motor and 1.2 liter inline-3 diesel. Drive is delivered via VW’s newest 7-speed DSG transmission.

Even if the Golf TDI-Hybrid concept won’t make it to production,VW is planning to release it in a few years.

The F1 hybrid system is not the same thing as the hybrid system you’d see in street vehicles.This hybrid system is known as KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System).
KERS doesn’t store as much energy as the standard hybrid system,but it only weighs 55 pounds and the limited energy storage capacity is well suited for Formula-style racing.

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A 9-foot bridge was the last stop for a bus carrying the Garfield High School girls softball team.

Even if the GPS system had settings for car, motorcycle, bus or truck,it chose a route through the Washington Park Arboretum where the 12-foot-high vehicle crashed after going under a 9-foot bridge.The bus driver said he didn’t see the flashing lights warning about the bridge height.

The softball team girls and the coach had minor injuries and,of course,the brigde had just a few scratches.

Kia exposed the new concept at the New York auto show on Thursday morning.

The Koup has a wide stance and flared wheels, fronted by a tabbed grille and slanted LED headlights.The car is powered by a turbocharged 2.0-liter, direct-injection four-cylinder engine that makes 290 bhp and it has a six-speed automatic gearbox. Kia added continuous damping control for sporty handling.

It won’t take long before the production for Kia Koup will start.

Audi Snook isn’t really a car and it’s wheel is not … well….a wheel,is a sphere.

This concept was realised by the german designer Tilmann Schlootz.The vehicle seems to be a variant of the Seagway,copying the ideea of spherical wheels from the “I,robot” movie.

This odd car has 3 cylinders that will help the sphere to move in any direction,maintaining the car stable.

The Audi Snook won the Michelin Challenge Award 2008 at Detroit Auto Show.

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A new company called Project Better Place is collaborating with Renault to make electric cars more practical. The main problem with these environmental-friendly vehicles is that of recharging, because this takes hours, and their range is considerably shorter than gasoline powered cars.

The new project raised $200 million and is aimed at installing recharging infrastructure in Israel and Denmark, so that the cars will be recharged alike cell phones. The outlets are placed at parking lots throughout the country, in a number of 500,000 in Israel only, and a similar number is slated for Denmark. That is one outlet for every six parking lots.

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What we know is that the 2009 Audi TT-RS will be the top of the line model in the lineup.For now,the TT-RS is under development at Audi’s Ingolstadt headquarters in Southern Germany.It is expected that the TT-RS to be an important rival for coupes like BMW Z4 M and Porsche Cayman S.

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Alfa Romeo 8C Spider was exposed for the first time at Geneva Motor Show and everyone was impressed.The car’s production will be limited to 500 units.The 8C Spider will be powered by a 4.7 litre V8 engine Continue reading »