Immediately after the announcement of the 2010 BMW ActiveHybrid X6 , BMW issued another press release announcing the 2010 BMW ActiveHybrid 7, which will also debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, and will be available in the U.S. in the spring of 2010.
 
The car is engineered with a high-precision, direct-injected, V-8 engine with a three-phase synchronous electric motor, eight-speed automatic transmission, and an enhanced version of Brake Energy Regeneration technology. Although these figures are not official, the ActiveHybrid 7 is expected to produce 455 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque and will do 0 to 60 miles per hour in 4.8 seconds, while giving approximately 15 percent better fuel economy than the BMW 750i.
 
The car is also fitted with Auto Start Stop which will maximize efficiency by avoiding engine idling when stopped; the climate control system in the BMW ActiveHybrid 7 is supplied with power directly from the high-voltage battery, thus ensuring that it will not switch off when the Auto Start Stop is in use. The ActiveHybrid 7 will come in two models, with standard nineteen-inch light-alloy rims in a ten-spoke Aero turbine wheel design, with runflat tires. The car will also come with a Tire Pressure Monitor which will warn the driver if the pressure in any tire ever drops more than 20 percent.
 
For more details about the new 2010 BMW ActiveHybrid 7 scroll down and read the press release.

BMW announced yesterday that the production version of the 2010 BMW ActiveHybrid X6 will be on display at the Frankfurt Motor Show, in September, and coming to the U.S. by the end of this year.
 
The new X6 will increase driving dynamics and at the same time reduce fuel consumption. The drive system of the BMW ActiveHybrid X6 consists of a 400-horsepower, twin-turbocharged V-8 gasoline engine and two electric synchronous motors delivering 91 horsepower and 86 horsepower, respectively. Maximum system output is 480 horsepower, with peak torque of 575 pound-feet, making the BMW ActiveHybrid X6 the most powerful hybrid vehicle in the world, with acceleration from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 5.4 seconds and top speed of 130 mph (electronically limited).
 
The chassis of the car is based on the BMW X6 xDrive50i chassis. The two-mode active transmission is based on an Electric Continuously Variable Transmission (ECVT) operating in two separate modes. One mode is for stop-and-go driving and low speeds, and the second is for driving at higher speeds. This two-mode transmission combined with the high performance battery pack allows the car to run at low speeds only on the electric motor.
 
The car comes with Electronic Power Steering with integrated speed-related Servotronic steering assistance, windshield-mounted sensors that automatically control the light and the windshield wipers on demand, and a Head-Up Display on the windscreen, as well as the usual standard BMW fare. BMW has not said how much this car will cost but we are betting it’ll command a premium over the current X6 models.

 
For more details about the BMW ActiveHybrid X6 scroll down and read the press release.

General Motors’ method of determining that the Chevrolet Volt is expected to get 230 miles per gallon in the city was not mentioned during GM’s press release yesterday. And even though GM CEO Fritz Henderson never said that these figures are official, the automotive world was given the impression that they are.

The guys at Green Car Advisor did a little digging and contacted EPA who replied saying that, “EPA has not tested a Chevy Volt and therefore cannot confirm the fuel economy values claimed by GM.” EPA went on to applaud GM’s dedication to building a car of the future and said, “We're proud to see American companies and American workers leading the world in the clean energy innovations that will shape the 21st century economy.”

To read more about EPA’s statement click on the link below.

+ Green Car Advisor: EPA Applauds GM Effort, but Says It Cannot Confirm Volt's Claimed 230 MPG

This morning, General Motors a new entry-level Cadillac sport sedan (rumored to be called ATS) which is expected to compete with the BMW 3-Series and the Hyundai Genesis.

General Motors has not released much about this yet-to-be-named car, except that it will come as rear-wheel drive with an all-wheel drive option, and will have a range of high-tech engines. The car is expected to be cheaper than the CTS, which means it should cost less than $40,000. General Motors also hinted that the new Cadillac is expected to be in production by 2012. We wonder if this new car (in concept form) will be at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

For more information about the new Cadillac click on the link below.

+ Edmunds Inside Line: Cadillac Announces New Entry-Level Sedan - But Don't Look for It before 2012

American Le Mans
Road America, WI
Circuit: Road America
Race: Sunday, 16 August @ 03:00pm ET
Tv: Speed Tv

Speed World Challenge
Road America, WI
Circuit: Road America
Race: Sunday, 16 August @ 09:35am ET
Tv: N/A

Bad news for all you Schumacher fans. The seven-time world champion is not going to be racing Felipe Massa’s Ferrari in Valencia.

Schumacher has stated that medical tests show his neck is not strong enough for racing, as he is still recovering from a neck injury he had incurred in a motorbike accident in February. “Yesterday evening, I had to inform Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo… that unfortunately I'm not able to step in for Felipe,” Schumacher says on his website. “The consequences of the injuries caused by the bike accident in February – fractures in the area of head and neck – unfortunately have turned out to be still too severe.”

Now taking Filipe Massa’s place is Ferrari test driver Luca Badoer, who has been Ferrari’s main test driver since 1998, and who hasn’t competed in a F1 race since the 1999 Japanese Grand Prix. 

For more details about Schumacher’s injury and Ferrari’s substitute driver Luca Badoer click on the links below.

+ itv: F1: Schumacher calls off F1 comeback

+ itv: F1: Ferrari turns to Badoer for Valencia