TSR Performance

2012 Zero Electric Motorcycles Rolling Off the Production Line

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 15:48:39 +0000

The Zero Motorcycles 2012 have arrived and the electric dual-sport Zero DS and the street fighting Zero S are groundbreaking bikes for a number of reasons.

The Zero S has a one-charge range of 114 miles and a top speed of 88 mph. The Zero DS meanwhile can hit 80 mph. Both bikes make use of maintenance-free belt drive systems. This belt drive system combines with Zero’s brushless air-cooled motors and motorcycle power packs to make for what the company says is the perhaps the world’s easiest-to-own type of transportation. Zero advertises its bikes as costing $0.01 per mile to own.

Owners of the new Zero motorcycles will love the newly-developed Z-Force power pack. Able to take 3,000 full charges before dropping to 80 per cent capacity, it is close to 95 per cent denser than the company’s previous power pack.

Scot Harden, Vice President of Global Marketing for Zero Motorcycles, said, “It’s an amazing feeling to watch the fruition of so much hard work and effort as it comes into being and becomes something that is so special and unique. We are very proud of our dedicated team at Zero Motorcycles. Without their passion and dedication to building the very best electric motorcycle, we wouldn’t be in the position we are today. The progress being made is phenomenal, every model in the lineup goes faster, further and is more fun than ever before.”

Of course, these bikes may have some newfound competition coming from Austria: the KTM Freeride!

You Want Power? You Want Thrills? You Want an Electric Car? You Want the PG Elektrus EV Roadster!

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:39:52 +0000

PG and Germany-based car designer Michael Fröhlich have released the result of their collaboration: the stunning PG Elektrus EV Roadster. The electrically powered vehicle is a wonder to behold even before one gives thought to its engine. Viewed from the front it contains more than a hint of evil. Its grill is expansive, open and hungry. Its body seems to hang lower than its wide tires sit. The hood is an expanse of badness. To see this charismatic roadster in person is to ask, “How can something so green, be so mean?”

PG said at the unveiling of its beast in Germany’s capital city that the e-Roadster will be powered by an engine that is based on the engine that the British sports car company puts in its Lotus Elise. According to PG, its drivetrain is a state-of-the-art electric propulsion technology.

The numbers that the automaker released with the unveiling of the car are simply I-got-see-it-to-believe-it amazing. Its engine is said to produce 270 hp and 258 pound-feet of torque that will get it from zero to 52 mph in fewer than three seconds and a top speed of 155 mph. Its max range is a likewise admirable 215 miles.

However, the performance figures are not the end to the impressive figures. Perhaps the most noteworthy number of all is 367,000, the number of dollars you’ll need to fork over to take home the PG Elektrus EV Roadster. Still, you’ve got to expect to pay a pretty penny for the most super of the EV supercars.

Toyota Twitters with Hybrid Le Mans Photos

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 19:00:46 +0000

Showing themselves to be once again the marketing geniuses that created the successful Prius, Toyota released several photographs of the hybrid racer due to compete at Le Mans in June.

The “sharkfin” behind the driver cockpit is clearly labeled “HYBRID,” and the normally-aspirated 3.4 liter V8 will connect to a capacitor storage system to recover energy that would normally be lost. The complicated set of rules that hybrid vehicles must adhere to mean that design partner Nisshinbo is testing the racer extensively before then. It’s even possible that the hybrid’s debut will not be in Le Mans, but rather one of the other FIA Endurance races that build up to the June race.

Toyota also has plans to race a Prius-based car in the Super GT race series in Japan this year. But don’t go getting your hopes up for any high-performance Prius deals in the near future. About the only thing the Prius GT300 shares with its street legal cousin is the name though: the racing version has a whopping 300 horsepower and features a paint job covered in sponsor decals. Members of the Prius cult got their first chance to see the sexy new version of their favorite hybrid last week at the 2012 Tokyo Auto Salon.

Toyota Will Field a HYBRID Racer in 2012 LeMans!

editor — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 14:55:49 +0000

The article describes about the sport car, namely the Toyota hybrid racer being developed for Le Mans. it is expected that the new car will be rolled out early in 2012 for an extensive pre-season testing program.

“Toyota has entered Le Mans before, but by using our hybrid technology this time will be a completely new challenge,” said Toyota Motorsport Chairman, Tadashi Yamashina.

Toyota’s current motorsport projects are unaffected by the announcement of the new racing program and will continue as before. Toyota last competed in the Le Mans 24-Hour as a manufacturer in the late 1990s racing the GT-One, which established a new race lap record in 1999.

Read the full article here:
Hybrid Toyota for 2012 Le Mans

Image by Tom Jemmett

2012 Tesla Model S Sport Will Do 0-60 in Under 5 Seconds!

editor — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 14:53:01 +0000

The article is about the release of high performance version of Tesla Model S in 2012, which is going to be a rival to BMW M5. According to the Tesla CEO Elon Musk, the cost of this version would be about $80,000 and also comes with the battery pack sized at 85-kWh. In addition to this, the Model S will be offered with aerodynamic wheels, that is optional to increase the mile range up to 320 miles.

Read the full article here:
Report: Tesla Model S Sport to rival BMW M5, 0-60 mph in 4.5 seconds

Image by kenjonbro

Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid Outruns GT Class At Laguna Seca

editor — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 13:51:01 +0000

How about we catch up on the west coast debut of the Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid? The 911 GT3 R Hybrid outran the entire GT class by the end of the race, thanks partially to some blisteringly quick lap times, but primarily because the team only required three fuel stops compared to the rest of the field.

Read the full article here:
Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid takes to Laguna, electric tech bound for 2014 LeMans

Image by David Villarreal Fernández

Brammo Acquires Electric Dirtbike Park Network

editor — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 20:24:39 +0000

A bike company based in Oregon, Brammo has acquired the electric dirt bike park concept from Quantyaparx, in a bid to expand its brand recognition. Even though Brammo is promising park users with brand new models, only one model has so far been released and is struggling to keep the customers happy. More details are available on GREENWALA.

Read the full article here:
Brammo Buys Quantaparx in Bid To Expand Brand Recognition

Image by lynneluvah

Infiniti Sets World Record For A Hybrid In The Quarter Mile

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 20:05:52 +0000

On August 23, 2011, a single Infiniti M35h sat on the asphalt at Santa Pod Raceway in the U.K. As with many days in the region, it was overcast and rainy. A normal day to start, but, by the end of the day, the M35h had ripped down the track, setting a world record as witnesses from Guinness World Records looked on.

The 360-horsepower M35h sprinted down the quarter-mile track several times. The average for the runs was 13.9031 seconds, with the quickest run tripping the clock at 13.8960 seconds. In case you may innocently think that this is just a quick time compared to other hybrids, here are the times that a few other cars have posted in the past.

1982 Lamborghini Countach S: 13.9 secs
1998 BMW M3: 13.8 secs
2007 Aston Martin V8 Vantage Volante: 13.6 secs
2007 Porsche 911 Carrera: 13.6 secs
1966 Shelby Cobra: 13.5 secs
1964 Ferrari 250 GTO: 13.5 secs

The M35h is the only 350 plus horsepower hybrid that also offers in excess of 30 mpg. That is pretty good fuel economy from a car that sprints from 0-62 in 5.5 seconds and has a top speed of 155 mph.

Image by Infiniti Global

Husqvarna Takes Aim At Younger Riders With Electric Concept Motorcycle

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 18:36:30 +0000

Husqvarna’s new Concept E-go is an all electric dirtbike clone designed to capture the attention of young riders looking to save money on their commute.

The concept weighs in at scant 176 lbs. That is a near perfect weight, since it is most like going to be powered by a 15 hp engine. The E-go also features a single-sided double-leg fork, a single-sided aluminum rear swingarm, a self-supporting single-rider seat, and an aluminum battery case. Sadly, Husqvarna did not release powertrain information, how many miles per charge, how long to recharge, you know, all of the stuff that potential buyers are going to want to know eventually.

Husqvarna will release all of the E-go’s measurements when the bike finally reaches production. Looking at the bike, it should be an interesting intro bike for riders new to the electric motorcycle market and may be the bridge needed to strengthen the overall market.

Jaguar C-X16: More News

editor — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 17:33:02 +0000

The article is about the details of Luxury car maker Jaguar’s C-X16 concept car, which was launched at the recent Frankfurt Motor Show. The C-X16 can run on both fuel and electric power. This Prototype high-performance hybrid system is designed for the purpose of cutting fuel consumption, letting the car run on electric power alone at speeds of up to 50 mph.

Read the full article here:
Jaguar Reveals C-X16 Details Ahead of Frankfurt Debut

Image by Autoviva.com