AUTONEWS

Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3 Coupé Pininfarina: an Italian-German masterpiece

The Mercedes-Benz coupé we are discussing here and which appears in the images is called the 300 SEL 6.3, designed by Pininfarina and commissioned by a Dutch businessman whose identity has never been revealed.

Its design began in the mid-1960s and culminated in its unveiling at the 1970 Paris Motor Show. Based on the W109 series, it was equipped with the iconic 6.3-liter V8 engine.

The idea that led to the creation of the 300 SEL 6.3 Coupé originated in the Netherlands, in the mind of a renowned Dutch businessman who, in the mid-1960s, was determined to obtain a two-door Mercedes-Benz with a body derived from the W109 sedan, the company's flagship at the time.

He therefore approached the German manufacturer, but they categorically refused to produce a completely custom design due to the high costs that this would entail.

After corresponding with the company, months later the entrepreneur first tried to buy a simple chassis, also without success, and then, privately and successfully, a new long-wheelbase sedan, already equipped with the 8-cylinder engine.

For all the aesthetic modifications, he then chose to hire a famous Italian coachbuilder, Sergio Pininfarina, who, however, initially refused, claiming that the chassis was not rigid enough, and only accepted the project a few months later, informing the client of a total cost of around 10,000,000 lire at the time, just over 5,000 euros today.

When the car arrived at Pininfarina's headquarters in Turin, the client presented several requests for customization, all documented on the original paper cards that remained with the car over time.

The entrepreneur asked the designer, for example, for a high driver’s seat, “like a Rolls-Royce”, combined with a reduced glass surface and a split, folding rear seat, as well as improved sound insulation.

Construction began in 1968 and, after skilful modifications by the Turin coachbuilder, the result was a revolutionary design, never before produced by the company.

As mentioned at the beginning, its first public appearance, in front of the press, was on the Pininfarina stand at the 1970 Paris Motor Show. The client subsequently took delivery of the coupé on February 10, 1971 and exported it to the Netherlands. Since then, it has been sold several times, most recently in August 2023 in the United States for $350,000.

Mundoquatrorodas

 

KIA

Kia Tasman: a mid-size pickup truck with a disruptive style

The Kia Tasman is a mid-size pickup truck with a disruptive style that combines rusticity with versatility, but it only operates in one region of the world, in this case, Australia and some English-speaking markets.

However, the potential of the Kia pickup truck is enormous and a concept presented in South Korea shows how the Tasman can go far and even interest the defense sector in many places, including Brazil.

The Kia Tasman Weekender concept is a juiced-up version of the current pickup truck, with aesthetic elements and details that reinforce the robustness of the South Korean brand's mid-size pickup truck.

The squat beige look that imitates the desert reinforces this idea of ​​adventure and military operations, even though the goal is to compete with the Ford Ranger Raptor, albeit without the same performance.

With a very high suspension, side bars serving as running boards, as well as darkened alloy wheels, the Weekender draws attention, which also has BFGoodrich off-road tires.

Boxes on the wheel skirts seem to hide compartments for ammunition or some extra equipment, as do the vertical full LED headlights with fog lights, reminiscent of a large camping lantern.

The beefy bumper is enough to scare many people, and it has an integrated electric winch for the constant need for off-roading.

There is a trunk integrated into the cabin on the cargo bed and a snowboard rack on the roof, highly loaded with aesthetic elements alluding to the proposal.

Hooks in the front and rear, as well as folding foot supports on the wheel skirts, reinforce the commitment to versatility in use in hostile environments.

With huge door handles and compact doors, the Kia Tasman Weekender is ready to win over more consumers than Australians, New Zealanders and South Africans.

The Gandini Group wants the Tasman here and, if it is possible to evaluate it, we would like to try it out with a look like this…

In the trunk, a 2.2 CRDi diesel with 208 horsepower and 44.7 kgfm is enough to make the agroboy go crazy and the rural producer be pleased with the power of this pickup.

Gasoline? Kia has very powerful options to compete with a Raptor, but it seems that the Tasman Weekender is a more stylish and unusual alternative, with the good economy of diesel, of course.

Mundoquatrorodas

 

AUTONEWS

Audi focuses entirely on recycling: goodbye waste, hello circular economy

The car industry is changing, and Audi does not want to stand by and watch. The goal of the German company remains to say goodbye to waste and transform end-of-life vehicles into raw materials for the future. The four-ring brand has in fact decided to seriously invest in the circular economy, focusing on the use of secondary materials in its models and creating a real virtuous cycle for steel and other recycled components.

Starting in 2025, Audi will make thousands of pre-production vehicles available, destined for a dismantling process and transformation into high-quality materials for the automotive industry. All thanks to the collaboration with TSR Resource, experts in the recovery of scrap metal. This is how we are working on a structured and economically sustainable recycling system.

Audi does not limit itself to recycling to "look good", but wants to revolutionize the entire production process. The German company is developing a closed supply chain for steel and other materials, ensuring that components from old vehicles are brought back to life in new generations of cars. How does it work? End-of-life cars are dismantled and shredded by TSR Resource.

The recycled materials (mostly steel) are processed into high-quality raw materials. Audi receives credits on a digital material account, a system that allows these resources to be distributed to its suppliers in a more fair and transparent way. Audi's partners will be able to access these recycled materials, reducing costs and price fluctuations. Ultimately, a smart and strategic system that allows it to reduce dependence on new raw materials and the crazy fluctuations of the global market.

Audi is not content to recycle only when it is convenient. It is creating an entire ecosystem that will guarantee recycled raw materials without compromising the quality of its vehicles. In this way, the supply chain is more robust and less vulnerable to fluctuating raw material prices, precisely because of the greater independence from global markets, reducing the risks associated with crises or scarcity of resources. The resulting cars are significantly more sustainable and uncompromising.

Recycling does not have to mean lower quality, and Audi has already taken concrete steps in this direction, with projects such as GlassLoop (which uses recycled glass for the windshields of the Audi Q4 e-tron) and SteelLoop (which reuses steel for the roof of the Audi Q6 e-tron). Now, with the new recycling plan, the German brand wants to expand this strategy on a large scale.

Renate Vachenauer, Audi Board Member for Purchasing, says: “Recycling has enormous potential. We are constantly increasing the use of recycled materials in our vehicles. With our digital credit system, Audi is revolutionizing the way in which recycled raw materials are purchased, making it more independent of the market. We are showing that sustainability and economy can go hand in hand.”

Christian Blackert, CEO of TSR Resource, expressed satisfaction: “We are delighted to collaborate with Audi on a project that represents a new benchmark in automotive recycling. We reduce dependence on fragile supplies and ensure quality materials for new generations of vehicles”.

Mundoquatrorodas

 

AUTONEWS

This is what a car engine looks like without a timing belt or chain. Are they indestructible? We analyze it.

We live in a time when, above all, timing belts have become a major player, and not precisely for the purpose for which they were designed. Many users have found oil-immersed timing belts have caused major breakdowns in their cars, the most famous example being the Stellantis Group, although other brands have also used this solution at some point.

At the same time, the timing chains used in other engines also have the potential to fail, which can seriously dent your savings. While these parts alone cost between €50 and €200, depending on the model, the labor involved in repairing or replacing them in hours can mean the final bill can reach up to €3,000.

Given this situation, we wanted to review examples of engines that have been marketed without using either belts or chains. Specifically, they have been installed by brands such as Volkswagen, Ford, and Toyota. Instead, the camshafts were driven by the crankshaft through a set of gears. This, as is often the case, has a series of advantages and disadvantages, which we will review below.

This is what engines without a timing belt or chain look like...As our colleagues at Auto Motor und Sport explain, at first, doing away with the timing belt may seem like a great advantage. This rubber part actually contrasts slightly with the rest of the block, which is metallic. Its function is to precisely control the camshaft and valves at both low and high rpm. And for this task, a set of metal gears can do it better, hence its use in many Formula 1 cars and cars that participate in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

As we mentioned on Autonews, in some modern engines, the timing belt passes through an oil bath, something that the rubber or plastic in this element doesn't like at all. This material is subjected to a corresponding amount of stress, which can cause serious engine damage, as has already been proven. Faced with this situation, many opted to use an iron timing chain, which offers advantages in terms of durability and precision. However, there are also examples of chain elongation or disintegration of the guide rails.

Considering these aspects, from a mechanical point of view, everything speaks in favor of using spur gears, which are usually helical on parallel shafts, so they can be designed with any imaginable ratio, right down to the camshafts. Beyond racing engines, it has also been used in large-displacement diesel engines that operate at low speeds.

Even all auxiliary units, such as the water or oil pumps, the compressor used by the air conditioning, or the power steering, could be driven by a common gear. However, modern engines, which are subject to strict emission regulations, now require that these components be decoupled from the engine while driving. This is intended to reduce fuel consumption, but increases production costs.

Advantages of engines with spur gear transmissions...What is clear is that spur gear drives are primarily found in gearboxes and rarely in engines. They offer both technical and economic advantages. Among the most important are their simple design and more robust construction, allowing them to enjoy a long service life. These components ensure very precise power transmission, which can have a positive effect on smooth operation.

Disadvantages of engines with spur gear transmissions...There are a number of other factors that make using spur gear drives impractical in certain situations. First, they produce a lot of noise, compared to a rubber timing belt. They can also cause annoying vibrations, especially at high speeds. And we must also keep in mind that the gears are not indestructible, as they are subjected to heavy loads on their flanks. Not to mention that changing them is complex and expensive. And the last detail is that they require a large space in front of the engine, given how tight their current situation is in this regard.

Examples of engines with spur gear transmissions...If you're curious to know the models that have used this type of system. One of the brands that used it was Volkswagen, specifically in the 2.5 TDI codenamed EA 153, which was sold between 2003 and 2009 for both the T5 and many Touaregs. This five-cylinder engine didn't have any major breakdown problems, and was considered a reliable engine.

Another example is Toyota. When the Japanese brand still had diesel engines in its range, it has been a long time since they were removed from its passenger cars, they used it. Specifically in the so-called B engines, with four cylinders and displacements between 3.0 and 4.1 liters. Added to this is Ford, which also experimented with this technology, but its gears weren't made of metal and broke over time.

Mundoquatrorodas

 

AUTONEWS

In Australia, 1 in 5 road deaths is a motorcyclist. We can make them safer

The proportion of motorbikes on Australia's roads has remained steady over the last decade, about 4.5% of all registered vehicles. But motorcyclists are over-represented in road deaths.

In 2015, they made up 17% of total road fatalities. In 2024, this has crept up to 21%.

Meanwhile, other road users have either maintained a steady proportion of road fatalities or—in the case of car passengers—declined since 2015.

So, less than one in 20 vehicles is a motorbike. But one in five people killed in a road crash rides one. What's going on—and can they be made safer?

Why are motorcyclists more vulnerable?...On a motorbike, people lack the protection of an enclosed vehicle. This makes them more vulnerable to injuries, including to the head, chest and—most commonly—legs and feet.

Road conditions can also make a significant difference to motorcyclists. With only two points of contact with the road, motorbikes have less stability than four-wheeled vehicles.

Even minor defects—such as potholes, uneven road surfaces or gravel—can reduce traction, cause skidding or lead to a loss of control, particularly when cornering.

For example, a 2022 study of 188 motorcycle crash sites in Victoria showed sharper curves were linked to a higher risk of crashing. A study of over 1,400 motorcycle crashes in Tasmania from 2013–16 found road surface defects were a contributing factor to 15% of all crashes, and 24% of single-vehicle crashes.

Age and experience also play a role...In a car, a driver's greater experience level is linked to greater safety. Evidence shows this may be particularly important for motorcycle riders as they maneuver and balance their vehicle and respond to road conditions.

The Tasmanian study also showed young riders aged between 16 and 25 were disproportionately at risk. They accounted for just 11% of registered motorcycles but 42% of motorcycle crashes.

Their crash rate was more than three times that of riders aged 26–39—and six times higher than riders over 40. They made up more than half of all incidents on curves.

Alarmingly, nearly a third of riders who died on South Australian roads between 2016 and 2020 were unlicensed.

Can motorbikes be made safer?...Modern cars have passive safety features, such as airbags and crumple zones, to reduce injuries. Technology—including collision avoidance systems and advanced braking—has also reduced fatality rates for drivers and passengers.

In contrast, motorbikes rely almost entirely on a rider's skill, protective gear and the road conditions.

In recent years, motorcycle manufacturers have been introducing "advanced rider assistance systems". These adapt similar features used in cars, such as adaptive cruise control (which adjusts speed and distance from vehicles ahead) and forward collision warnings.

However, these systems are still relatively new, and whether they can reduce crashes and fatalities is yet to be robustly studied.

Many motorcyclists are also hesitant to adopt these kinds of technologies due to concerns they may lose control or become over-reliant on them. Cost is also a factor, as rider assistance systems are still mostly limited to premium motorcycles.

Safety is everyone's responsibility...Currently, motorbike riders continue to rely on infrastructure quality, rider training and skills, risk awareness, and protective gear as their primary safety measures.

Stronger regulation and enforcement of licensing, in conjunction with post-license training, have been shown to help reduce motorcycle fatalities.

This includes implementing a graduated licensing system, which imposes restrictions on novice riders and gradually lifts them as they gain experience and maturity.

Post-license rider training courses on defensive riding strategies (such as lane positioning, scanning and buffering) could be complements to basic licensing processes.

And let's not forget: safety is not solely in the hands of motorbike riders.

An analysis of more than 5,000 two-vehicle motorcycle crashes in the United States found the motorcyclist was at fault in less than one in three cases.

Educating drivers of other vehicles matters just as much as motorcyclists themselves. Creating safer roads depends on mutual awareness and responsibility.

Sharing the road responsibly means drivers should:

-regularly check mirrors and blind spots for motorcycles, especially before changing lanes or turning

-maintain a safe following distance, understanding that riders may need to swerve to avoid hazards like oil, gravel or potholes

-allow the same space when overtaking a motorcycle as they would a car

-stay alert for lane filtering—where riders legally travel between lanes of slow or stationary traffic at low speeds.

Recognizing motorcyclists as vulnerable road users, alongside pedestrians and cyclists, is key to making roads safer for everyone.

Provided by The Conversation

 

HONDA

2026 Honda Prelude

It won't be as sporty as it looks, unfortunately, with an efficient hybrid powertrain hiding underneath that sleek body. But to its credit, the last Prelude only made 200 horsepower when it left the American market at the end of 2001. The final production version should look very similar to the concept, which is a win in our book—but it's still unclear if Honda plans to sell it here in the US.

The Prelude concept previewed the model's return as a two-door hybrid coupe. The automaker has a habit of making its production models closely resemble concepts—as seen with the Civic—and we expect that to happen with this new model.

The concept had the classic short rear deck and long hood proportions of a coupe. A simple lower front grille opening sat below sleek headlights, while a full-width rear light bar in a black surround under a black deck-lid spoiler complemented the clean styling.

Honda never showed the Prelude's cabin on the concept. Some Honda cues will carry over, and it could have unique Prelude branding and special seats inside.

If the latest rumors are true, the new Prelude should be similar in size to the Toyota GR86 sports car. The Honda will be about two inches longer than the Toyota at 169.3 inches while having the same-sized wheelbase—101.4 inches—and nearly identical heights at 51.2 and 51.6 inches, respectively. The Honda is about a half-inch wider than the Toyota and has a 2+2 layout for four passengers.

According to reports, Honda wants to position the new Prelude as a premium option above the Civic and Toyota GR86. In Japan, the GR86 costs ¥2.9 to ¥3.6 million ($18,738 to $23,261 at today's exchange rate). The Prelude will cost a bit more, ranging from ¥4.2 to ¥4.5 million ($27,138 to $29,077) in that country.

Honda has confirmed the coupe will have a hybrid powertrain with two electric motors. The latest report says the Prelude will use the same 2.0-liter four-cylinder e:HEV engine that powers the Accord and Civic hybrids. However, the Prelude will produce a bit more power than that pair, estimated at 207 hp. The new Civic Hybrid makes 200 hp, which is more than the new Civic Si, while the Accord has 204 hp.

If the Prelude arrives in America, and Honda still wants to outclass the Toyota, it could start somewhere in the $30,000 range as the GR86 begins at $30,395 in the US (the price includes the $1,095 destination charge). However, the Toyota makes 228 hp from its 2.4-liter flat-engine, so it would be cheaper and more powerful than the Honda but less efficient.

Honda took advantage of an event in Japan to reveal to the world the cabin of the Prelude, a new model that will be officially presented later this year, but will only arrive in Europe in 2026. In the images we can see a mix of the interior of a Civic and an Acura Integra. From the images, we see that the Prelude will have an automatic transmission and it is already possible to see the button that activates the technology called Honda S+ Shift.

This system will simulate the sound and feel of rapid automatic gear changes, Honda reports.

In the video below, recorded by a Japanese YouTuber, you can see the interior of the Prelude in detail.

Mundoquatrorodas

 

AUTONEWS

Burning heavy fuel oil with scrubbers found to be the best available option for bulk maritime shipping

When the International Maritime Organization enacted a mandatory cap on the sulfur content of marine fuels in 2020, with an eye toward reducing harmful environmental and health impacts, it left shipping companies with several main options.

They could burn low-sulfur fossil fuels, like marine gas oil, or install cleaning systems to remove sulfur from the exhaust gas produced by burning heavy fuel oil. Biofuels with lower sulfur content offer another alternative, though their limited availability makes them a less feasible option.

While installing exhaust gas cleaning systems, known as scrubbers, is the most feasible and cost-effective option, there has been a great deal of uncertainty among firms, policymakers, and scientists as to how "green" these scrubbers are.

Through a novel lifecycle assessment, researchers from MIT, Georgia Tech, and elsewhere have now found that burning heavy fuel oil with scrubbers in the open ocean can match or surpass using low-sulfur fuels, when a wide variety of environmental factors is considered.

The scientists combined data on the production and operation of scrubbers and fuels with emissions measurements taken onboard an oceangoing cargo ship.

They found that, when the entire supply chain is considered, burning heavy fuel oil with scrubbers was the least harmful option in terms of nearly all 10 environmental impact factors they studied, such as greenhouse gas emissions, terrestrial acidification, and ozone formation.

"In our collaboration with Oldendorff Carriers to broadly explore reducing the environmental impact of shipping, this study of scrubbers turned out to be an unexpectedly deep and important transitional issue," says Neil Gershenfeld, an MIT professor, director of the Center for Bits and Atoms (CBA), and senior author of the study.

"Claims about environmental hazards and policies to mitigate them should be backed by science. You need to see the data, be objective, and design studies that take into account the full picture to be able to compare different options from an apples-to-apples perspective," adds lead author Patricia Stathatou, an assistant professor at Georgia Tech, who began this study as a postdoc in the CBA.

Stathatou is joined on the paper by Michael Triantafyllou, the Henry L. and Grace Doherty and others at the National Technical University of Athens in Greece and the maritime shipping firm Oldendorff Carriers. The research is published today in Environmental Science and Technology.

Slashing sulfur emissions...Heavy fuel oil, traditionally burned by bulk carriers that make up about 30% of the global maritime fleet, usually has a sulfur content of about 2% to 3%. This is far higher than the International Maritime Organization's 2020 cap of 0.5% in most areas of the ocean and 0.1% in areas near population centers or environmentally sensitive regions.

Sulfur oxide emissions contribute to air pollution and acid rain, and can damage the human respiratory system.

In 2018, fewer than 1,000 vessels employed scrubbers. After the cap went into place, higher prices of low-sulfur fossil fuels and limited availability of alternative fuels led many firms to install scrubbers so they could keep burning heavy fuel oil.

Today, more than 5,800 vessels utilize scrubbers, the majority of which are wet, open-loop scrubbers.

"Scrubbers are a very mature technology. They have traditionally been used for decades in land-based applications like power plants to remove pollutants," Stathatou says.

A wet, open-loop marine scrubber is a huge, metal, vertical tank installed in a ship's exhaust stack, above the engines. Inside, seawater drawn from the ocean is sprayed through a series of nozzles downward to wash the hot exhaust gases as they exit the engines.

The seawater interacts with sulfur dioxide in the exhaust, converting it to sulfates—water-soluble, environmentally benign compounds that naturally occur in seawater. The washwater is released back into the ocean, while the cleaned exhaust escapes to the atmosphere with little to no sulfur dioxide emissions.

But the acidic washwater can contain other combustion byproducts like heavy metals, so scientists wondered if scrubbers were comparable, from a holistic environmental point of view, to burning low-sulfur fuels.

Several studies explored toxicity of washwater and fuel system pollution, but none painted a full picture.

The researchers set out to fill that scientific gap.

A 'well-to-wake' analysis...The team conducted a lifecycle assessment using a global environmental database on production and transport of fossil fuels, such as heavy fuel oil, marine gas oil, and very-low sulfur fuel oil. Considering the entire lifecycle of each fuel is key, since producing low-sulfur fuel requires extra processing steps in the refinery, causing additional emissions of greenhouse gases and particulate matter.

Their results showed that scrubbers reduce sulfur dioxide emissions by 97%, putting heavy fuel oil on par with low-sulfur fuels according to that measure. The researchers saw similar trends for emissions of other pollutants like carbon monoxide and nitrous oxide.

In addition, they tested washwater samples for more than 60 chemical parameters, including nitrogen, phosphorus, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and 23 metals.

The concentrations of chemicals regulated by the IMO were far below the organization's requirements. For unregulated chemicals, the researchers compared the concentrations to the strictest limits for industrial effluents from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and European Union.

Most chemical concentrations were at least an order of magnitude below these requirements.

In addition, since washwater is diluted thousands of times as it is dispersed by a moving vessel, the concentrations of such chemicals would be even lower in the open ocean.

These findings suggest that the use of scrubbers with heavy fuel oil can be considered as equal to or more environmentally friendly than low-sulfur fuels across many of the impact categories the researchers studied.

"This study demonstrates the scientific complexity of the waste stream of scrubbers. Having finally conducted a multiyear, comprehensive, and peer-reviewed study, commonly held fears and assumptions are now put to rest," says Scott Bergeron, managing director at Oldendorff Carriers and co-author of the study.

"This first-of-its-kind study on a well-to-wake basis provides very valuable input to ongoing discussion at the IMO," adds Thomas Klenum, executive vice president of innovation and regulatory affairs at the Liberian Registry, emphasizing the need "for regulatory decisions to be made based on scientific studies providing factual data and conclusions."

Ultimately, this study shows the importance of incorporating lifecycle assessments into future environmental impact reduction policies, Stathatou says.

"There is all this discussion about switching to alternative fuels in the future, but how green are these fuels? We must do our due diligence to compare them equally with existing solutions to see the costs and benefits," she adds.

Provided by Massachusetts Institute of Technology