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Sketches from Honda’s trademark application for the Fury have been circulating across motorcycle news magazines around the world recently, and we’ve gotta say that the first reaction amongst the motorcyclists on the Gizmag team was … why?

The Japanese big four bike manufacturers have been chipping away at the Harley Davidson market for decades, and we thought that it had already been proven that you can build a better Harley in every respect, add more cubes and take full page adverts in all the magazines, but it still won’t be a Harley Davidson. You can even build it in America, but it still won’t be a real Harley.

Perhaps the regular winds of change and the passing of time that slowly soften and dissipate long-held, deeply-rooted, emotionally-based attitudes and prejudices within certain population groups will prove us wrong, but … we’re still wondering why now we’ve seen it.

We love what Honda does – it makes great motorcycles that are faster, more economical, more reliable, cheaper to run and buy, with much better roadholding than the bikes which wore the brands it banished. As a company, it is primarily responsible for bringing two wheeled technology into the modern era. Maybe a couple more decades down the track the Fury or its next generation offspring will be seen by the Harley Davidson brotherhood as equivalent motorcycles. Maybe not. Maybe we’ll eventually see prime specimens of manhood down at the supermarket with “Honda Fury” tattooed on their massive biceps. Maybe not.

Here’s Honda’s press release: On Friday, January 16th at the New York International Motorcycle Show, American Honda introduced to the world what many have deemed the most radically styled production Honda ever built: the 2010 Fury. The Fury radiates attitude and delivers a total riding experience approaching the outer limits of motorcycling.

The Fury opens the door to the most extreme level of custom looks. But once you’re rolling, the Fury experience is all about that special bond between rider and machine: the unmistakable big V-twin pulse, the characteristic Vee engine note and the no-nonsense riding stance bring you back to the core elements of riding.

Destined to become a milestone machine, the Fury captures the pure, undiluted chopper essence, places it within easy reach of nearly every rider and then backs it up with the same quality and reliability built into every Honda. It’s a radical concept in a unique package, a combination never before offered - until today.

FURY KEY FEATURES:

- Full-on chopper styling - Longest wheelbase ever in a production Honda motorcycle - Muscular V-twin power, sound and feel - Clean looks, superior attention to detail - Spacious riding position - Low seat height - Single-shock rear suspension with hard tail look - Extra-wide 200-series rear tire - Slim-look 21-inch front tire - Legendary Honda fit, finish and reliability - Unrivaled value FURY SPECIFICATIONS:

Engine Type: 1312cc liquid-cooled 52° V-twin Bore and Stroke: 89.5mm x 104.3mm Compression Ratio: 9.2:1 Valve Train: SOHC; three valves per cylinder Induction: PGM-FI with automatic enricher circuit, one 38mm throttle body Ignition: Digital with three-dimensional mapping, two spark plugs per cylinder Transmission: Five-speed Final drive: Shaft Suspension Front: 45mm fork; 4.0 inches travel Rear: Single shock with adjustable rebound damping and five-position spring preload adjustability; 3.7 inches travel Brakes Front: Single 336mm disc with twin-piston caliper Brakes Rear: Single 296mm disc with single-piston caliper Tires Front: 90/90-21 Tires Rear: 200/50-18 Wheelbase: 71.24 inches Rake (Caster Angle): 38.0° Trail: 3.5 inches Seat Height: 26.7 inches Fuel Capacity: 3.4 gallons Colors: Dark Red Metallic, Metallic Silver, Ultra Blue Metallic, Black, Matte Silver Metallic (2010 special color - limited production) Curb Weight including all standard equipment, required fluids and full tank of fuel, ready to ride: 663 pounds

Audi's Sportback conceptImage Gallery ( 21 images )

Another German debut at Detroit this year, Audi's Sportback concept is intended to showcase the company's ongoing 'design vocabulary' while demonstrating the effectiveness of its exceptional clean-diesel powerplant. While delivering sporting levels of performance, the 3.0 litre TDI V6 returns an exceptional 39.87mpg while keeping emissions well ahead of both the 2014 Euro6 standards and California's tight emissions regulations.

The exhaust system incorporates AdBlue diesel emissions fluid injection upstream of the catalyser - a technology used to reduce nitrous oxide emissions from diesel engines. It's a common and proven emissions control technique for diesels, and incoming EPA laws starting in 2010 will mandate its use in trucks. Carbon dioxide emissions are kept to a low 156g/km, helped along by the efficient engine as well as a host of other energy-saving ideas.

Like many recent cars, the Sportback concept's engine turns itself off when the vehicle is stopped at the lights, and seamlessly fires up when you're ready to take off. Likewise the electric power steering consumes no energy at all when the car's moving in a straight line, kicking in as soon as the wheel is turned - and the fuel pump turns itself off the instant there's no fuel required, to save that extra bit of power. The electric assisted steering alone is estimated to save 200ml of petrol for every 100km travelled as compared to a hydraulic system. Temperature is also closely monitored for maximum efficiency and minimum emissions, with engine coolant partially diverted as the car warms up to bring it up to optimal temperature as fast as possible.

The Sportback body shape has been one of Audi's biggest sales hits since its introduction in 2004, customers liking the way the large rear hatch keeps the looks elegant and sporty while offering the practicality of back doors and a roomy luggage space. This concept car signals Audi's intention to bring the Sportback shape out of the compact segment and into its sports sedans, and as such it's a preview of what we can expect from the upcoming A7 sedan.

Ride-wise, CDC (continuous damping control) suspension constantly adjusts itself to driving conditions, and the damping can be changed from comfort to firmer sport settings instantly at the touch of a button. The system also tweaks the damping to control forward pitch under heavy braking and sideways body-roll during fast cornering to keep the low-rolling resistance but high-performance tyres planted on the deck without sacrificing a comfortable ride.

380mm ceramic brake discs on all 4 wheels and aluminium monobloc calipers up front provide huge fade-free stopping power to the concept's 21-inch wheels - and should last more than 180,000 miles without replacement.

The concept's interior is stunning in cream and grey leather, highlighted by scored oak panelling that gives it the watertight, integrated feel of a speedboat cabin.

The Audi Sportback concept is absolutely stunning in the flesh, and significant parts of the car like its ultra-efficient engine will be seen in production models very soon

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There's more than a subtle hint of Prius in the new Insight's 5 door bodyshell but following the poor sales of the Civic Hybrid, which was indistinguishable from a regular petrol power Civic, Honda have decided to follow the Toyota example and make a distinctive new aerodynamic Insight chassis that will only be sold as a Hybrid.

Mild Hybrid

While the Prius ‘look’ may score credibility points down at the local supermarket the 2010 Honda Insight is a much milder Hybrid than the 2010 Toyota Prius. Honda call their system Integrated Motor Assist (IMA), a simple system consisting of a small efficient gasoline engine, a continuously variable transmission (CVT) and a thin, brushless electric motor sandwiched between the two. Comparing the Honda and Toyota hybrid powertrain specifications is revealing. The Honda Gasoline engine is only a 1.3 Litre 8 valve VTEC compared to the 1.8 litre 16 valve VVT-I in the third generation Prius. The in-line 4 cylinder engine puts out 88 hp (64 Kw) and 88 Ft/lb. The electric motor in the Insight is an ultra this Permanent Magnet AC Synchronous Brushless DC (BLDC) unit that puts out and regenerates only 13 Kw (10 hp) with 68 ft/lb (92 Nm). This doesn’t compare favourably with the Prius at 59kw (80hp) and 295ft/lb (400Nm) which earns the Insight the tag of ‘mild’ hybrid. Another technical specification that no doubt keeps the price down but also classes the Insight as ‘mild’ is the 100 volt 0.58 Kw/hr battery pack. While it uses the same Nickel Metal Hydride (Ni-MH) Battery technology found in the Prius it has less than half the capacity as the 500 volt 1.3 Kw/hr Toyota pack. Honda say the 2010 Insight can be driven in EV only mode up to 30 mph (48 kph) on a level surface but with such a small battery it will probably give an EV only range of around 2 miles (3 kms). With a curb weight of 2723 lb (1235 kg) off the line the Insight does 0-60 mph in 10.9 sec and the quarter mile in 17.9 sec.

No plans for a Plug-In

While the the 18 inch wheels and LED headlights of the Paris show car are replaced by 15 inch wheels with low-rolling-resistance tires and more conventional Projector-Beam Halogen Headlights, the Insight does come with most of the features you would expect in a Hybrid. These include automatic idle stop, stepper motor controlled drive-by-wire throttle and electric power steering. Of course the most important factor for any hybrid is the fuel economy. The 2010 Honda Insight is rated at up to 43 mpg in highway driving so with a 10 gallon tank it gives a range of 430 miles (688 km) between visits to the fuel station. Unlike most of the other big names in Hybrids there has been no news on when a Honda plug-in hybrid will be offered.

While the software is designed to go hand in hand with Roland's entry-level HD-1 electronic drum kit, it will talk to any electronic drum kit with a MIDI output using the included USB-MIDI interface.

The software starts off at a beginners pace, teaching you basic drum patterns and following the whole way through to playing full length songs with a backing track. What's really cool is the ability to load your own MIDI files into the software to play along with, so your track selection will never grow stale and you're not stuck paying $2 a pop for additional songs.

The Game Screen will be familiar to anyone who has played drums in Guitar Hero World Tour or Rock Band, with sequenced blocks falling down the screen that correspond to the different drums, and will give you a score at the end of the song.

Once you're comfortable here, you can move to the Notation Screen which will teach you to read real drum notation by visually displaying which pads to hit and which hands to use for fills. This mode has the advantage of showing you whether you're late, early, or on time for each note, so you can identify which sections you're having trouble with - and with the ability to set your own tempo, loop difficult sections, and learn difficult beats one pad at a time, you have everything you need to turn the trickiest beat into something you can play without breaking a sweat.

Roland DT-HD1 will be available in February 2009 with an MSRP of US$99 for Windows XP and Vista platforms. Needless to say, we're quite eager to get our hands on this one - stay tuned for a full review.

Initially based at Bicester and latterly at Reynard Park, Brackley, UK, Reynard built successful cars in Formula Ford 1600, Formula Ford 2000, Formula Vauxhall Lotus, Formula 3, Formula 3000 and Champ Car.

Now Reynard and new partner Andre Brown have revived the famous name in a new company and intend to build a two-seat sports car fully compliant with SVA regulations for low volume type approval and capable of being road registered. Designed to compete as a racing car in the 750 Motor Club Bike Sports Championship - this particular vehicle complies with Class C specifications which require a standard Honda Fireblade engine up to 1000cc and a minimum weight including the driver of 475kg. The Inverter, including fluids weighs in at 400kg, leaving 75 kg for driver, helmet and race suit.

The following text was released by Reynard this week at the launch:

Track performance on Avon slicks will provide a 4G lateral cornering experience, until now unachievable outside the top echelons of high performance racing cars like F1. (8"X13" front and 10" X 13' rear wheels) Road performance will provide excellent acceleration with 360 bhp/tonne power to weight ratio with the smallest standard Honda Fireblade engine or 530 bhp/tonne with the Hayabusa 250 bhp engine. For road use the car is equipped with treaded road legal tyres. (7" X 16" front and 9" X 17" rear wheels) Wind tunnel testing has proven that the car with driver can support twice it's own weight at 100 mph and four times its own weight at terminal velocity. The car will drive upside down on a ceiling at 100 mph, hence the name Inverter.

Technical Description

The frame is constructed from laser cut, CNC bent and TIG welded stainless steel tube. Production versions may be robotically welded with MIG. The tubular frame is reinforced with two aluminium honeycomb composite side panels which are riveted into position to enhance torsion capabilities. These panels will be further reinforced by the addition of an outer lamination of Tegris which provides enhanced side- intrusion protection.

The nosebox has been designed in aluminium honeycomb, with the added feature of frontal side protection. This type of composite side protection panel and front crash-box concepts have been tested by Cranfield University and demonstrated excellent energy dissipation properties.

The final drive is accomplished by composite tooth belt. This feature requires no chain lubrication and eliminates the dispersion of grease and oil debris. Reverse gear is applied by 12v electric motor and applied via a simple sprag clutch. Differential is Quaife grease filled unit with production CV joints and driveshafts.

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KITT at CES 2009Image Gallery ( 15 images )

Cadillac's Converj conceptImage Gallery ( 12 images )

The Cadillac Converj concept is primarily a showcase for General Motors' Voltec electric powerplant, which uses a t-shaped 16-kWh lithium-ion battery pack, a powerful electric engine and a four cylinder petrol generator that can feed energy into the battery as charge decreases on longer trips.

The battery pack's 220 cells can be charged from a 240V wall socket within three hours, or closer to eight hours with a 120V setup. A single charge is good for around 40 miles, or a little more than the average American car travels in a day. When the battery gets low, the generator kicks in to deliver long distance motoring range without any concern that you'll end up stranded somewhere looking for a power outlet. Regenerative braking will also return a modest quantity of charge to the battery while stopping.

Power isn't mind-blowing at around 160 horsepower, and top speed only around 100mph - but the engine is capable of delivering a healthy 370 Nm of torque instantly from idle, so the Converj won't let you down when the lights turn green.

In the interests of extended economy, aerodynamics are a key consideration in the sleek body design. The underside of the vehicle is completely covered with a smooth bellypan, there's very few grilles or exterior openings to disturb airflow, and even the side mirrors have been left behind in favour of low-profile rearview cameras.

The 2x2-seater interior is trimmed in black leather and white suede, with polished aluminium and wood grain accents. The OLED instrument cluster can be reconfigured to the driver's choice of information display, and the audio and navigation systems are integrated into a single touch-screen console in the dash.

As nice as the Converj looks, it's the powertrain that matters, as this is the bit most likely to make it through to a production model sometime in the near future. 40 miles of full-electric commuting is a bit disappointing at this stage of the game, but it's good to see Cadillac getting on board and looking to inject some options into the market as the first wave of practical electrics hit the market sometime in the next couple of years.

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"The key figures are that the V10 makes 105 more horses than the 4.2-liter V8 R8, 78 more foot pounds of torque, gets to 100 kmh in 3.9 seconds and has a top speed of 316 km/h."

Audi’s press release follows:

Ingolstadt – Audi is launching the next variant of its top-of-the-line model. With the R8, the brand has established itself at the forefront of high-end sports cars from the very start – and now comes the R8 V10. Its 5.2-liter, ten-cylinder engine churns out 386 kW (525 hp) and 530 Nm (390.91 lb-ft) of torque, which makes for breathtaking performance. With superior Audi technologies such as quattro all-wheel drive, the lightweight aluminum body, the innovative all-LED headlights, and its striking design, the R8 V10 takes pole position against the competition.

The R8 V10 is the result of cumulative know-how from Audi’s string of Le Mans victories. Its naturally aspirated engine combines racing technology such as dry sump lubrication with FSI gasoline direct injection. The ten-cylinder design is the perfect synthesis for impressive top performance, mighty pulling power, and low weight. Starting in 2009, this engine will also prove its potential on the world’s racetracks – in the new R8 racing car Audi is developing for customer teams in conformance with the GT3 rules.

The V10 engine in the production sports car will be almost identical in construction to the one in the racing version. Its displacement is 5,204 cc, at 6,500 rpm it delivers 530 Nm (390.91 lb-ft) of torque, at 8,000 rpm its power tops out at 386 kW (525 hp).

The specific power output is 100.9 hp per liter of displacement – and each hp has to propel only 3.09 kilograms (6.91 lb) of weight, because the Audi R8 V10 in the version with the six-speed manual gearshift weighs only 1,620 kilograms (3571 lb). The engine accounts for 258 of these kilograms (569 lb) – that’s only 31 kilos (68 lb) more than the V8.

The Audi R8 5.2 FSI quattro rockets from zero to 100 km/h (62.14 mph) in 3.9 seconds. In the version with the sequentially shifting R tronic it reaches 200 km/h (124.27 mph) in another 8.1 seconds. Even then its propulsive power hardly lessens: it’s sufficient to reach a top speed of 316 km/h (196.35 mph). The immense force, the spontaneity and the thrust of the acceleration, plus the sound of the engine – all these impressions coalesce into a breathtaking sports car experience. The V10 plays a concert with growling bass tones and powerful high notes, which grows into a grandiose fortissimo as the engine revs up. This sonorous acceleration doesn’t reach its limit until 8,700 rpm.

The 5.2-liter powerplant uses direct injection according to the FSI principle developed by Audi. A common rail system injects the fuel into the combustion chambers with up to 120 bar of pressure. Direct injection reduces the susceptibility to knocking and provides a certain amount of cooling through the evaporation of the fuel, which in turn supports a high compression ratio of 12.5:1. This in turn contributes to superior performance and improves fuel economy. The R8 V10 with R tronic gets by on an average of 13.7 liters per 100 km (17.17 US mpg).

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Most cars and motorcycles these days can outrun their headlights – that is, they can go fast enough to have a stopping distance which is further than you can see at night. The PathFindIR system lets you see four times farther than you can with headlights, particularly in dusty or foggy conditions. The PathFindIR is able to see pedestrians from over 1,000’ away and vehicles even farther.

The PathFindIR thermal imager uses the same technology FLIR offers to military agencies to see at night. It features a 36 deg field-of-view lens, which provides excellent roadside awareness, even at long range. This gives you a better chance of seeing animals and pedestrians approaching the roadway before they become a danger.

PathFindIR is easy to install in your car, truck, motorcycle or SUV and features the same imaging core as the BMW system, which costs US$2200 as an option on high end Beemers. No pricing as yet.

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All of the car’s direct technological influences have not yet been revealed, but the web site hints at who might be involved when it states the car has been “designed by a team accustomed to winning Formula 1 Grand Prix”, and it will be driven by the spectacular Graeme Wight Jr who will follow in the footsteps of such luminaries as Graham Hill and Sir Jackie Stewart who gave the marque 17 F1 wins and a drivers and two constructors title.

It is quite fitting that the marque should be revived in 2009, as it will be sixty years since BRM was founded by Raymond Mays, who had built several hillclimb and road racing cars under the ERA brand before the war, and Peter Berthon, a long-time associate. Mays' pre-war successes (and access to pre-war Mercedes-Benz and Auto Union design documents) inspired him to build an all-British Grand Prix car for the post-war era, as a national prestige project (which, naturally, he would drive himself!) with the backing (both financially and in kind and labour) of the British motor industry and its suppliers channelled through a trust fund.

This proved an unwieldy way of organising and financing the project, and as some of the backers withdrew, disappointed with the team's slow progress and early results, it fell to one of the partners in the trust, Alfred Owen of the Rubery Owen group of companies, which primarily manufactured car parts, to take over the team inits entirety. Between 1954 and 1970, the team entered its works F1 cars under the official nameof the Owen Racing Organisation and won 17 Grands Prix, The Drivers World Championship and two World Constructor's titles.

According to the press release, “the BRM Bee Four electric racing car will be consistent with BRM's long history of innovation and teamwork, and will be a great demonstration of Rubery Owen's modern focus on environmental technologies. It will also be a 'marker' for a new breed of motorsport, one which minimises environmental impact and is overwhelmingly cost effective, but at the same time is phenomenally fast and very 'inclusive'.”

Paul Owen, Grandson of Sir Alfred and Managing Director of Rubery Owen's Environmental Technology Subsidiary Rozone Limited commented: "Rubery Owen is very pleased to see the BRM name once again being used to drive forward an innovative development to take motorsport to new levels. For the last decade, our Rozone subsidiary has been seeking to develop technologies under the umbrella of "Sustainable Solutions" - solutions which try to balance economic, social and of course environmental considerations, all within a framework of teamwork and co-operation.

"We believe that the BRM Bee Four project demonstrates this perfectly - acknowledging the past, enhancing the present, and creating the future. At a time when we are all examining the cost effectiveness and environmental impact of many parts of what we do, we hope that the project will demonstrate that motor sport can be both these things - but without forgetting the 'social' aspect or the importance of fun, enjoyment and competition' - the main reasons we all do it in the first place!"

The Higgins-Aube ENERGYAImage Gallery ( 6 images )