Here’s the fourth part of this amazing Lamborghini documentary, and today we explore what’s going on behind closed doors at the Lamborghini factory in Sant’Agata Bolognese. These historic premises at the moment accomodate more or less 850 employees, who work meticulously to produce the iconic super sports cars in an environment as neat and clean as an operating theatre.

Lamborghini’s exclusive production line only delivers an average of a dozen units a day and features a mixture of hi-tech and hand craftsmanship, which ensures vehicles are assembled to the highest quality standards.

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General Motors and the students from Israel’s Bezalel Academy of Art and Design have created the Windows Of Opportunity (WOO), a device which will basically turn the car’s side windows into multifunctional touch screens. With the WOO, passengers will be allowed to play, draw, write messages, interact with the surroundings and so on, making bored kids complaining on the back seat a distant memory. The device is still well into its testing stage and uses both motion and optical sensor technology, but at the moment it does not feature the “smart glass” function (that would modify the transparency or black out the windows), which will be implemented if the WOO will actually enter into production.

The current Windows of Opportunity prototype makes use of four different characters/apps called Otto, Foofu, Spindow and Pond - each one of which is in charge of a single specific function - that should be able to effectively entertain the kids while introducing them to the use of the WOO. We will be waiting for further development of this interesting idea, but for now you can enjoy the exhaustive video above.

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Mercedes-Benz is at the 2012 International CES in Vegas with its newly unveiled SL roadster (just introduced to the world at the 2012 North American International Auto Show in Detroit) as well as the by now well-known C-Class coupe and the F125! Concept. Here is a bunch of pictures taken live at the event in Vegas by the colleagues from our parent-site Autoblog.it.

The much hyped new SL boasts a new aluminum body-frame that makes it 140 kg than the previous version, and will come in two variants: the SL350, equipped with a 3.5-litre V6 producing 306 hp and 370 Nm of torque, and the SL500, powered by a 4.7-litre twin turbo V8 unit delivering 435 hp and no less than 700 Nm of peak torque. More powertrain options and an AMG version will soon expand SL’s engine range.

The F125! Concept has been created to celebrate 125 years of automotive history, which also means 125 years of history for the three-pointed star house. The model is a hydrogen fuel-cell and plug-in hybrid electric car that boasts a range of no less than 1,000 km (about 620 miles) and, accordingly to its maker, anticipates the future of the automobile. This concept made its first appearance at the last Frankfurt Motor Show and has its fuel tank integrated in the body of the car, allowing for more room for passengers and luggage alike. The F125! is an all-wheel drive vehicle that adopts the e4matic technology, which implies that each one of the four wheels has its own dedicated motor. The car uses 23″ rims and develops 313 hp. The F125! goes from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) of 4.9 seconds and a limited top speed of 220km/h (137 mph).

View the full Mercedes-Benz at the 2012 CES photo gallery

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Ford is at the 2012 International CES in Las Vegas with three very significant models: the new Fusion, the Focus Electric and the Evos Concept. The new Ford Fusion - revealed just a few days ago at the 2012 NAIAS - is a prime example of the ‘One Ford’ global strategy that the Blue Oval has adopted as its business policy: the car has been developed on the same platform that will also generate the Mondeo (Ford Fusion’s European twin) and Lincoln MKZ, an operation that rationalizes and optimizes the costs but not to the detriment of the quality of the models. Accordingly to CarScoop website, the implementation of this policy is going even faster than what Ford expected: originally, the carmaker was aiming at reducing its total number of platforms to 11 units by 2014, but apparently they will be able to go down to just 9 platforms by the end of 2013. The move will allow Ford to produce 85% of its global output with these 9 architectures only, with positive effects for both its finances and the overall quality of the vehicles.

The Ford Fusion is clearly inspired by the Evos concept - which was introduced to the world at the last Frankfurt Motor Show - and represents an evolution of the stylistic language known as Kinetic Design. Measuring 4.50 meters in length, 1.97 in width and 1.36 in height, the model boasts a pretty sleek figure that shows how the carmaker is trying to adapt to the rules of a globalized marketplace, rather than trying to adjust to the requirements of a single area. This is also the reason why the new Ford Mondeo will basically turn out to be a mere ‘clone’ of the Fusion: this will allow for a more organic development of just one model, as opposed to do that for two utterly different cars.

The Evos had introduced a new design pattern for the front end, dominated by a large grille that we find quite reminiscent of the typical Aston Martin styling, and that has been adopted - among others - by the Focus Electric as well. This environment-friendly version of the popular hatchback is expected to make its debut on the market by 2013 and is powered by an electric motor delivering 125 hp with 245 Nm of peak torque, fed by a ion-lithium battery package (courtesy of LG-Chem) located at the back of the vehicle. However, none of what has been written so far in this article explains in full why Ford Motor Co. is at one of the most important electronic fairs of the planet: to find that out, click on the ‘Continue reading’ link below.

View the full Ford at the 2012 CES photo gallery

Continue reading: Ford presents new cars and technology at the 2012 CES in Las Vegas

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Rinspeed will present at the next Geneva Motor Show (March 8-18) an original and innovative modular mobility system called Dock+Go, aimed at all the electric vehicle out there (the Smart ForTwo you see on the pics has been picked for demonstration purposes only).

The main idea behind this very interesting mobility concept is the docking “backpack on wheels”, which adds an extra axle to the vehicle and significantly increases its load capacity, and can be attached to the car whenever the need arises. Apparently, there will be different versions available, each one designed and developed for differet applications (i.e. mail delivery, food delivery, craftsmen and so forth). But there is more to it: the module comes with an “energy pack”, meaning a combustion engine or range extender - packed with batteries or powered by a fuel cell - that provides the car it is attached to with more range. Basically, the docked third axle drives the rotating second axle and thus recharges the on-board battery of the city car. Genius.

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By the end of the year Mercedes will present the new and completely redeveloped SL Roadster, which is said to have taken the meaning of the SL tag (’sporty’ and ‘lightweight’) even more seriously. Our colleagues from Autoblog.it had the chance to see it at the Mercedes-Benz Advanced Design Studio in Carlsbad, California, where they also met engineers and designers involved in the project, and here is an account of what they told them.

The car surely lives up to Mercedes’s high standards combining tradition and innovation, and its most distinctive feature is possibly its brand new state-of-the-art aluminum frame, the first full aluminum bodyshell ever implemented in large series production by Mercedes-Benz. This construction uses different kinds of aluminum, and each one of its components has been specifically designed and optimized for its own specific task. All parts are obtained through chill casting or vacuum die casting, worked into extruded aluminum sections or into aluminium plates of different thicknesses. Apart from being significantly lighter, this new structure is superior to the previous steel construction also in terms of rigidity and safety, with lower resonance and vibrations. However, it is not a 100% aluminum bodyshell as Mercedes also used the even lighter magnesium for the rear panel and high-strength steel tubing integrated in the A-pillars. Let’s translate all this into numbers then: weighing in at 254 kg, this new structure will allow the new SL 500 to gain 125 kg over its predecessor while the new SL 350 will be no less than 140 kg lighter than the current version. Torsional stiffness has gone up as well, going from the already impressive 16,400 Nm per degree of the last models up to 19,400 Nm per degree of this new aluminum bodyshell.

Click on the ‘Continue Reading’ link below the thumbnails to find out more about the new chassis and see more pictures and videos.

Continue reading: New Mercedes SL spotted at the Advanced Design Studio in Carlsbad

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If you want to steal younger car customers away from other brands the best way to do that so far seems to be to offer them everything their life packed into their Smartphone can handle, on the inside of the car. Mercedes Benz quotes one of its users as saying “I don’t want my life to stop when I get into my car” and so here are the new connectivity solutions being offered on the Mercedes A-Class concept.

The Concept A has quite a futuristic interior and the infotainment system graphics are described as “revolutionary”. While they might appeal more to geeks than to “digital natives”, they do suit the car and get the message across. What is the message? Much like the Ford Evos Concept, the Mercedes Concept A interior and connectivity is all about continuing your lifestyle on the inside of your car. Although for our money, Ford seemed more focused on providing a new driving experience and way of thinking, rather than possibility to update your Facebook status.

The Mercedes system means you can Twitter away while actually in your car as smartphone apps are made accessible by the car’s connectivity system. All this “while you’re driving”, although Mercedes does actually clarify that the intuitive system has been developed with minimal driver distraction so that customers can keep their eyes on the road.

That’s nice to know - we have visions of lots of distracted driving or alternatively lots of people sitting in parked cars, maybe in their garages, as they Twitter before entering their own home…. On the whole, though, it’s pretty cool stuff - see how the new Mercedes A-Class concept connectivity works in the video above.

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Ever wondered how the famous new Porsche 911 seven-speed gearbox works? In this video perhaps the most important aspect of the 2012 Porsche 911 changes gets explained, and it looks like we’ve got some intelligent technology on our hands. The first six gears of the 911 are in a quick shift racing format, while the seventh has been created for lower engine speeds at long distance, high speed travelling.

That’s going to help in keeping fuel consumption down on the new 911 and we guess will be something rolled out on other models in the future. The dual-clutch PDK transmission also has the seem setup with the sports ration and then the “long ratio” on the seventh gear. See how it works in the video.

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While we’re unlikely to see the Jaguar brand on a Formula 1 car anytime soon, Williams has stated that after its collaboration on the Jaguar C-X75 Concept, it would like to develop the relationship further, becoming Jaguar’s official racing arm. Autocar reports that Williams chairman Adam Parr says: “We would like to become the competition and sporting side of Jaguar.”

The Jaguar C-X75 set the supercar world aflutter when it appeared as a concept at the 2010 Paris Motor Show and since then it has been under development with Williams. The kinetic energy recovery system could have great potential and while Williams isn’t saying much about the technology being built around the C-X75, we’re lead to believe exciting innovations are on the way.

According to Parr from Williams, the C-X75 is set to be the world’s most environmentally friendly supercar, and with racing potential to meet future regulations, it’s a tantalising idea which is becoming reality. Parr says: “We are concentrating on a downsized internal combustion engine combined with some pretty amazing kinetic energy-recovery systems.

“The C-X75 is not a Le Mans car, of course. But Jaguar had a tremendous record at Le Mans. I think you can say that competition and high-performance cars is an area where Jaguar are keen to develop their brand.” How much do you like the sound of that?

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The geeky looking guys in lab coats don’t really evoke the kind of petrol head dream the acronym AMG represents, but after all this is a video about AMG technological innovation and high performance engines - not the gorgeous cars the powertrains end up in at the end of their production lifecycle.

The AMG technical video takes us through the new AMG 5.5-litre naturally aspirated V8 which has recently been released on the new Mercedes SLK AMG. The engine not only uses the naturally aspirated technology but has been modified on all fronts to provide better performance but also fuel economy. The video gives us the low-down on the camshaft, valve and fuel injection functions and everything else.

The video also gives us an insight into the cylinder control of this engine, revealing just why it’s so efficient and easy on the fuel for a performance unit. If we needed convincing that AMG is at the top of its game, we certainly don’t anymore and it’s only through this kind of research and development that we’ll be able to drive top performance, fuel-powered cars into the future.

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