Nissan wins bid to create taxi for New York

Fighting off stiff competition from Ford and Karsan, Nissan's NV200 minibus has been crowned the 'Taxi of Tomorrow' for New York City. The contest aimed to build on the city's century-long taxi heritage and find a purpose-built vehicle that could answer the needs of busy commuters. Back in 2007, New York City officials created a set of goals for the next generation taxi cab as part of a project called the 'Taxi of Tomorrow'.

Tomorrow’s world: Fiat's MultiAir engine tech

By Jesse Crosse Motor Industry 14 October 2009 16:50 Fiat this year launches what it claims is a big step forward in variable valve timing: MultiAir. It's the first time that a manufacturer has made a properly variable valve system a production reality, and will slowly be rolled out across most of Fiat's and Alfa's car ranges.How does Fiat's MultiAir vary from existing variable valve timing (VVT) systems?Current VVT systems rely on mechanical systems to open and close the valves. Engineers have long understood the benefits of changing valve opening and closing times to tweak an engine's power and emissions performance, depending on the need for power or parsimony.Valves are an engine's nose and mouth – it inhales through inlet valves and exhales through exhaust valves.

Alcraft Motor Company to ‘reinterpret’ British vehicles

Alcraft Motor Company, a new British bespoke design and engineering business, has launched its first design study in a line of concepts that will “reinterpret vehicles using British design values.” With the help of students from the Royal College of Art, Alcraft will initially focus on marques with British heritage, including Aston Martin, Jaguar and Land Rover. On Bing: see pictures of Range Rovers Find out how much a used Range Rover costs on Auto Trader It’s this last brand Alcraft is turning its attention to first, reimagining the 2013 model year Range Rover with even more of a British spin. Here’s how, according to Alcraft design consultant Matthew Humphries: “We’re extremely pleased with how the Range Rover study has turned out.