Standard Horizon Eclipse+ on 2040-parts.com

Webinars: Visualization & Digital Effect Creation with Autodesk

Car Design News hosted Visualization & Digital Effect Creation with Autodesk on February 9, 2011. This webinar explored how effective communication is key to 'selling' a particular design internally, and provided information on how to get your vision across using Autodesk Showcase, with an emphasis on materials, cross-sections and environments. We all know that a beautifully-rendered image captures the emotion of a design idea; convincing animations and digital effects place the product in a realistic environment and depict consumer interaction, making the design credible and relevant to the target consumer.

SSC Tuatara revealed in Shanghai

Jerod Shelby reveals the SSC Tuatara in Shanghai We finally discovered last month that Shelby Supercars wouldn’t be calling their new Veyron-bashing hypercar the Ultimate Aero II (which seemed logical) but has instead taken a leaf out of Pagani’s ‘Book of obscure names for Supercars’ and decided on SSC Tuatara. Yep, SSC has named their hypercar after the Maori name for a lizard, a lizard with the fastest evolving DNA of any creature (doubtless the motivation for Jerod nicking the name for his car). Interestingly, a comment on the story we ran about the new SSC getting the Tuatara moniker said that as well as having the fastest evolving DNA of any creature, the Tuatara “…puts a tortoise to shame in the slow moving stakes, and is also regarded as a living link to the dinosaurs” which, for Jerod Shelby’s benefit, we should probably gloss over.

Honda plans gasoline engine for the CR-Z

Honda is set to provide the CR-Z with an all-new four-cylinder gasoline-engine option as part of plans to broaden the compact coupe's appeal in key world markets, including North America. Currently available with just one engine option—a gasoline-electric hybrid system that mates a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine with a brushless electric motor—the CR-Z is also earmarked to receive a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine currently undergoing development in Japan. The new unit, which is also planned for the Jazz, the Civic and the Accord, forms an integral part of an engine downsizing program instigated at Honda.