Lexus Hoverboard Ride Revealed Video

Following the unveiling of the Lexus Hoverboard in June, the luxury automotive company is completing a full and final reveal of the project concluding a successful testing phase which took place in Cubelles, Barcelona.

The Lexus Hoverboard project began 18 months ago through collaboration with a team of scientists from IFW Dresden and evico GmbH, who specialize in magnetic levitation technology.

Following extensive testing with pro skateboarder and hoverboard test rider Ross McGouran, in Dresden, Germany, the team were determined to push the hoverboard to its limits and conduct further tests within dynamic surroundings.

Since the Lexus Hoverboard was unveiled in June, testing has been carried out in a specially constructed hoverpark, combining elements from skate culture with technology within its architecture.

Up to 200 metres of magnetic track was transported to Barcelona from the Dresden facility to lay beneath the hoverpark surface in order to create the dynamic test, offering Lexus the opportunity to demonstrate tricks no skateboard could ever perform, like travelling across water.

Lexus has captured the final ride footage and released it as a film led by award winning director Henry-Alex Rubin.

RELATED: 2015 Lexus F Sport at ICAR Montreal

The Lexus Hoverboard technology features two “cryostats”—reservoirs in which superconducting material is kept at minus 197 degrees through immersion in liquid nitrogen.

The board is then placed above a track that contains permanent magnets.

The magnetic field from the track is effectively ‘frozen’ into the superconductors in the board, maintaining the distance between the board and the track—essentially keeping the board hovering.

This force is strong enough to allow the rider to stand and even jump on the board.”
The Lexus Hoverboard film called “SLIDE” features the high performance GS F and is part of the fourth project in the Lexus “Amazing in Motion” campaign series that showcases creativity and innovation from the Lexus brand.

RELATED: Lexus Revealing the World’s First Heartbeat Car

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2016 Volkswagen Jetta GLI Revealed

Volkswagen has unveiled the 2016 Jetta GLI, the sedan equivalent of the Golf GTI.

Equipped with a specially tuned sport suspension and 210 hp, 2.0-liter, TSI turbocharged and direct-injection EA888 four-cylinder engine, the GLI offers a compelling blend of value, performance and practicality.

For 2016, the GLI gets a bold new look highlighted by an aggressive front fascia that incorporates a honeycomb grille and foglights, along with a new rear bumper design that has a diffuser and a pair of chrome-tipped exhausts.

All 2016 Volkswagen Jetta GLI models have 18-inch Mallory design aluminum-alloy wheels, shod with standard all-season tires or optional summer performance tires.

RELATED: 2015 Volkswagen Golf Sportwagon Review

Inside, 2016 GLI models benefit from the new MIB 2 infotainment system that incorporates the full suite of USB and Car-Net connectivity.

The well-equipped base model sports LED tail-lights, Keyless access with push-button start, Climatronic automatic dual-zone climate control, a sunroof, six-way power driver seat, a rearview camera, front and rear Park Distance Control, the award-winning Fender Premium Audio System, rain sensing wipers, auto headlights, and heated seats.

A new standard feature on the 2016 Jetta GLI is Volkswagen’s Automatic Post-Collision Braking system.

This builds on the premise that a collision is rarely a single, instantaneous action, but rather a series of events that follow the initial impact—the most significant of which can cause additional collisions.

The Automatic Post-Collision Braking system addresses this by applying the brakes when a primary collision is detected by the airbag sensors, thus helping reduce residual kinetic energy and, in turn, the chance of additional damage.

RELATED: Preview: 2015 Volkswagen Golf & GTI

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2019 Porsche Macan Facelift Revealed With Fresh Styling And New Tech

The updated Macan arrives with new LED headlights and a larger touchscreen.

With 350,000 models sold since it launched in 2014, the Macan is

Porsche’s fastest-selling model by a significant margin

, but in recent years it’s faced stiff competition in the premium SUV segment from the likes of the Jaguar F-Pace, Audi Q5, and Mercedes-Benz GLC.

To maintain this staggering sales momentum, Porsche has given the 2019 Macan a mid-cycle update with fresh styling and new technology. As standard, the 2019 Porsche Macan now comes with LED headlights. Combined with a new front bumper, these changes give Porsche's best-selling SUV a more modern look. At the back, the changes are more noticeable, however, as the Macan now sports a full-width LED taillight strip matching the Cayenne and Panamera. New exterior colors available include Miami Blue, Mamba Green Metallic, and Dolomite Silver, while new 20- and 21-inch alloy wheels round off the exterior changes.

Inside, the cabin’s center console is dominated by a larger touchscreen, enlarged from seven inches to eleven inches, for the infotainment system. It also has extra functionality such as intelligent voice control and real-time traffic info as standard equipment. Like the Panamera and Cayenne, the user interface on the infotainment system can be customized using predefined tiles. The air vents have also been redesigned and are now positioned below the central screen.

Drivers will also be able to record their off-road adventures in the Macan using the bundled Offroad Precision App. Elsewhere, a GT sports steering wheel lifted from the 911 can be added at an extra cost, which includes an integrated Sport Response Button as part of the optional Sports Chrono Package. New comfort options include a heated windshield and an ionizer that improves the air quality in the interior.

To improve the SUV’s stability and comfort, Porsche has optimized the chassis and fitted tires with different widths on the front and rear axles, enabling the driver to take full advantage of the automaker’s all-wheel drive Porsche Traction Management system.

Surprisingly, Porsche hasn’t detailed the 2019 Macan’s engine options, but we expect they will be largely carried over from the outgoing model. Expect the base model to use a four-cylinder engine tuned to deliver around 300 horsepower compared to the 252 horses the current model produces. There will be no diesel option this time, and a hybrid variant has also been ruled out for this generation. Reports suggest the range-topping Turbo’s 3.6-liter unit will be replaced with the new Panamera’s 2.9-liter V6 engine, which is expected to produce 434 hp to match the outgoing Macan fitted with the optional Performance Pack. The 2019 Porsche Macan will go on sale in China first, with other markets to follow later this year.

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Porsche Taycan: More Details Revealed

It’s still at least a year away but customers can’t wait to have a go.

The Taycan may only be due for release at some point late in 2019 but there has been so much interest in the car that Porsche claims to have received over 10,000 order requests from potential customers. That should allay the fears of those within the company who thought that the introduction of an all-electric Porsche might be met with a negative reaction.

With such a lot of interest surrounding this potentially game-changing supercar, UK publication Auto Express managed to get access to some pre-production prototypes that are being built at the rate of two a day, to uncover a few more details.

As with any brand-new addition to a model range, getting the production numbers right ahead of time can be tricky. Lutz Meschke, Deputy Chairman for Finance and IT at Porsche is tasked with this job and he said that they plan to sell up to 25,000 units per year. “We are capable of ramping up our production capacity substantially if demand exceeds expectations.”

If the Taycan performs as promised, those production figures are sure to be on the conservative side. And about those performance claims, for now, Porsche engineers are not revealing exact battery specifications or driving range but they say that up to 310-miles should be possible and the 350kW fast charging system could add 180-miles of range in as little as 9 minutes.

Powertrain-wise the Taycan should develop over 600 horsepower and will have a permanently excited synchronous electric motor (PSM) at each axle. These motors are developments of the units used on the Le Mans winning 919 LMP1 car and are both lighter and more compact than traditional electric motors.

The 0-62mph sprint will take around 3.5 seconds while 124 mph will arrive less than 9 seconds later. Porsche usually understates its acceleration claims, so it may even be a bit quicker in real-world testing. What they do say is that these figures will be repeatable over and over again without losing performance. Now that is something that should appeal to its core customers. A head-to-head against Tesla's own Model S will be an interesting comparison indeed.

The plan is to expand the Taycan line to include more affordable variants, rumor has it that there will be three in total with power outputs starting at 400 hp with a rear-wheel-drive option a possibility at a later date. Over-the-air updates will also be possible with the Taycan, and may include infotainment upgrades, power boosts as well as safety tech improvements.

Interestingly, the Taycan’s architecture will also be used as a base for the upcoming Bentley EV and a fully electric Porsche SUV is also in the cards by 2022 at the latest. The full Taycan reveal will take place at next year’s Frankfurt Auto Show and it will spearhead a new era of electric Porsches, that, according to Meschke, would make the traditional Porsche a niche offering by 2030.

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