2011 Nissan Juke

Remember the Nissan NX  of the mid-'90s? The tiny, econobox-based sportster was as cute as a bug and spent its brief lifespan mixing it up with other long-gone, sporty front-wheel drive affordables like the Mazda MX-3, Honda Civic CRX, Toyota Paseo and even the Hyundai Scoupe. While there were a lot of inexpensive, racy looking coupes back then, most automakers just don't see any money in that segment anymore. Instead, when they look to spin something off of their entry-level B-class chassis, most veer toward the white-hot crossover segment.

Consider the latest example, Nissan's 2011 Juke. Come to think of it, this in-your-face city slicker has some startling similarities to the NX. For one, at 162.8 inches long, it's deceptively small – just 0.4 inches longer than the '90s coupe. Further, both the Juke and the NX1600 rely on 1.6-liter four-cylinder power. And like the Sentra-based NX, the more emotional Juke is based on the same humble underpinnings that give structure to Nissan's workaday offerings, in this case, the Versa and Cube. And while the Juke may not be cute as a bug, there's something downright insectian about its Predator-like mug.

Despite not being a traditional sporty car, Nissan has been talking up its controversially styled mini-ute with many of the same descriptors, so we hopped a plane to Vancouver to see if the Juke could bob and weave its way into our hearts. Follow the jump to find out how it fared.

Nissan Murano 2011

Nissan Murano 2011


The 2011 Nissan Murano offers a refreshed grille and bumper design, new taillights, a new 18-inch aluminum-alloy wheel design and a number of interior and content refinements. Two new models have been added to the lineup, SV FWD and SV AWD, for a total of eight models. Other changes include the addition of one new exterior color, Graphite Blue, and a new wood grain hue on Murano LE models.

Concept of One-Wheel Electric Scooter

RYNO Motors has developed the world’s first self-balancing one wheel electric scooter. The scooter has a range of about 30 miles and can hit a top speed of 25mph. It weighs a mere 125 pounds and can support a rider weight of 250lbs. Multiple sensors constantly monitor the balance of the motorcycle during the movement and control system is ready to seize control of the bike if the driver ignores the warning and, for example, exceeds the maximum permissible speed or bends the car under a dangerous angle. There is also a system for monitoring the battery status (LiFePo4, by the way). When the battery level drops to 25%, the system warns the driver signal is yellow, up to 5% – red. It is assumed that the model will cost $3500.

Maybach Exelero: The Worlds Most Expensive Car

Maybach Exelero: The Worlds Most Expensive Car


The Maybach Exelero was first introduced by German car manufacturer Maybach in 2005. This two Seater vehicle is said to be the fastest car in the world with a top speed of 351 km/hr. This luxury car is priced at a whopping $8,000,000 USD. At that price it can be safely assumed that you have to be unbelievably wealthy to even fathom buying this baby.

Maker Faire Detroit Amick A2

One of the makers we encountered setting up for the Maker Faire Detroit  on Friday afternoon was Douglas Amick. Amick was unloading the A2, a three-wheeled, battery-powered, wind-assisted tandem-two-seater. The A2 was originally built by Amick's late father, James, who devised the aerodynamic arch on the rear of the vehicle. That element is claimed to help propel the vehicle forward in crosswinds.

Apparently, airflow coming in at an angle to the vehicle will swirl around as it passes through the arch, actually applying force to the A2's rear, giving it some boost. We'll have to check with some contacts with aerodynamic expertise on the veracity of this claim. Regardless, the Amick A2 is kind of cool-looking. Apparently, it originally had aluminum air batteries installed but they're no longer functional.

Aprilia Dorsoduro 750

Rumors have swirled since the introduction of Aprilia's in-house developed 750cc V-twin engine back in 2007 (in the company's naked Shiver and supermoto-inspired Dorsoduro  models) that a larger 1200cc version of the potent mill was in the offing. Well, it's been nearly four years since its introduction, and we still don't see a big-bore bike to go up against the likes of the Ducati Monster and Hypermotard.

However, it seems such a machine may finally be headed to a dealership near you. And interestingly enough, the news kinda sorta comes from Aprilia itself in the form of (what we assume to be) a mistakenly posted service manual for the upcoming bike. It appears that the new engine will sport higher compression in addition to the increased displacement, so we're expecting plenty of power from the ride-by-wire platform.

We should also see a suitably beefed-up chassis with slightly more relaxed steering geometry, longer wheelbase and fully adjustable Sachs suspension. Anti-lock brakes will be optional and can be fully turned off. All signs point to a November debut at the upcoming EICMA Show in Milan, and we wouldn't be surprised to see 1200cc versions of both the Dorsoduro and Shiver.

Next-generation Peugeot GTI will be inspired by the SR1 Concept

For those who liked the Peugeot SR1 Concept, unveiled back in March at the Geneva Motor Show, we have good news: the French manufacturer will use the same design philosophy for the new GTI sport hatchback.

These words came from Peugeot design boss Gilles Vidal who confirmed that the next-generation GTI will incorporate the front-end styling of the SR1 Concept. For those who don’t know, the SR1 Concept used Hybrid4 technology, which means that the car was powered by a 1.6-liter THP petrol engine capable to deliver 160 kW (218 bhp) but also by a rear electric motor developing 70 kW (95 bhp). In electric mode the vehicle becomes a ZEV (Zero Emission Vehicle), while its combined cycle fuel consumption is only 4.9 litres/100 km or 119 g/km of CO2.