The future of automotive transportation, huh? Many so-called futurists have attempted to predict what we'll all be driving five, 10 or even 15 years from now, but there seem to be more questions than answers. Will we even be driving at all? It would seem that Swiss design studio Rinspeed sees us piloting tiny little electrically operated vehicles from point A to point B, alongside teenagers that like to hang out in urban areas riding skateboards and jumping over obstacles. At least that latter part doesn't sound all that different from today, right?

Moving on to more interesting things, namely Rinspeed's awkwardly named and Geneva-bound UC? Concept, we see plenty of in-car communications and entertainment systems that apparently work along with the mobile phone in your pocket. Wait a second, is that a scratch? No worries! Just take out the handy-dandy color-matched BandAid in your pocket and you're good to go!

Need to go farther than the UC?s (ugh, that name!) 65-mile range will allow? Simply pull into your special parking space in the city-to-city electric train, plug your car in for good measure, and you're off with nary a care in the world. All that's left is to tell all your BFFs about your day via the in-car Twitter interface. Isn't technology grand? Click past the break to see for yourself.



[Source: YouTube]

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The latest round of Porsche 911 spy shots showed the coupe undergoing cold weather testing, and now our frost-bitten shooters have caught the convertible ahead of its reveal later this year.

Being a 911, the stylistic changes won't be revolutionary, but we've gotten word from insiders that active aerodynamics are part of the package (think the Ferrari 458 Italia's pliable nose), along with a new speed-deployable rear spoiler and a handful of openings in the bodywork to tweak airflow and cool off components.

Underneath the new platform, which insiders hint will carry the 991 designation (we don't get the roll-back either), Porsche's boffins are likely to employ a new electro-hydraulic power steering system to further reduce emissions, with the standard 3.6- and 3.8-liter direct-injected flat-sixes carrying over unchanged. Inside, our spies suggest that the wheelbase may be lengthened to make rear seat accommodations more suitable for fully-formed humans and that Porsche may ditch the traditional hand brake lever in favor of an electronic switch, similar to the Panamera's.

We should get our first official eyeful of the next generation 911 later this year, with sales beginning in early 2011.

Details on the deadly airplane crash that took the lives of three Tesla Motors employees are now filtering in, including the identities of the deceased. As reported yesterday, the Cessna 310 aircraft was owned by 56-year-old Doug Bourn, who worked as a senior electrical engineer at the electric car company, and he was indeed piloting the aircraft when it went down.

The other two passengers have been identified as Andrew Ingram, 31, of Palo Alto, an electrical engineer; and Brian M. Finn, 42, of East Palo Alto; a senior manager of interactive electronics. Finn reportedly lived with his one-year-old daughter just two blocks from where the plane went down in East Palo Alto.

It's still not known what caused the plane to go down, but the San Jose Mercury News reports that it was likely a mechanical problem of some kind and not necessarily due to the foggy conditions that were encountered on Wednesday. Click past the break for a video from the Contra Costa Times.

[Source: San Jose Mercury News]

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One of the more than 100 reveals at next month's Geneva Motor Show will be the new Ford C-Max and Grand C-Max. Referred to as "Multi-Activity Vehicles" by The Blue Oval, the two C-cars offer a five-seater in the C-Max and a seven-seater in its Grand sibling, that latter also providing twin sliding doors. Ford's Human Interface System bows as well, with new interactivity and operated through two five-way toggles on the steering wheel.

Beside those two debutantes will be a Ford Kuga with a new powertrain, getting a more powerful 163-horsepower, 2.0-liter Duratorq TDCi diesel, and an optional Powershift gearbox that emits less CO2. The Mondeo is another recipient of a heart transplant, benefiting from an all-new 203-horsepower, 2.0-liter Ford EcoBoost SCTi gas engine. Follow the jump for all the information from Ford, and get your pre-Geneva high-res peek in the gallery below.



[Source: Ford]

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Just yesterday, Toyota Motor Company's president Akio Toyoda (yep, the grandson of the company's founder) indicated that he had no intention of attending a February 24 Congressional hearing before the House Oversight Committee. Instead, Toyoda said that Yoshimi Inaba, president of Toyota's operations in North America, will appear on behalf of of the automaker.

When pressed further, though, the New York Times reports that Toyoda said he would consider attending if he received a formal invitation, none of which had been extended. Well now, that little oversight has since been corrected. Chairman Edolphus Towns (D-NY) has sent a letter – the text of which you'll find pasted after the break – formally inviting Toyoda to attend the upcoming Toyota Gas Pedals: Is the Public At Risk? hearing.

Oh, and Toyoda should also feel free to submit "written testimony for the record, of any reasonable length," and to "be prepared to provide a five minute opening statement and answer questions posed by Members of the Committee." Sounds like a nifty little shindig, we'll be waiting for our own formal invitations in the mail. We'll bring the popcorn.

UPDATE: According to a statement released tonight, Akio Toyoda will testify before Congress next week, saying "I look forward to speaking directly with Congress and the American people." Full statement after the jump.


[Source: Committee on Oversight and Government Reform | Image: Junko Kimura/Getty]

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Have you been considering driving from Kabul to Jalalabad in Afghanistan lately? We have some advice for you: Don't do it. Not because you're going to get captured and beheaded by Al Queda or suicide bombed by the Taliban (but hey, both of those things could happen), but rather we advise specifically against the driving part. Yeah, us, Autoblog – we're telling you not to drive. Why? The road, you see, is much too dangerous.

The curving, climbing, dropping, tiny guard-railed, high-altitude road was built by the West Germans in the 1960s and then promptly blown apart by the Soviets in the 1980s. The Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in the 1990s didn't exactly fill the pot holes (they are rumored to be elephant size or larger), and while the U.S. incursion might be there to win the hearts and minds of the Afghan people, we're A) dropping a lot of bombs that tend to blow things up B) not focused on tarmac. Even if the road were Autobahn-smooth it's barely two-lanes wide and heavily trafficked by over-loaded semi-trucks.

There's also the fact that most Afghanies don't have anything even resembling a driver's license and are probably driving Ladas. Says local fish monger Mohammed Nabi, "I sit right here and watch people crash all day long. The course of history has proved that the Afghan people are bullies. This is why we cannot drive safely." Then there's our favorite part:

The only note of caution is provided by children, who live in the impoverished villages nearby. Often as young as 4 or 5, they stand bedraggled at the bends, using flattened green Sprite bottles as flags, waving the drivers through when the way is clear.

Safety first!

[Source: New York Times | Image: RuckSackKruemel - Licensed Under CC2.0]

Drive a Jaguar XK and you'll agree, there's little wrong with the way it rides, handles, and goes. Looks are subjective and the competition keeps ratcheting up interior quality and equipment to levels that surpass what's sumptuously packed into Jaguar's rakish two-door. With that in mind, Jaguar is keeping what's great, namely the bonded-and-riveted structure, and changing what's looking old, according to Autocar.

The body will finally ditch its throwback fish-mouth and move to a grille predictably inspired by the XF, and there will be more sculpting and surface development in the metalwork, though final choices have yet to be made. The convertible version will keep its soft roof for weight and packaging reasons, mainly, and the interior will reportedly be the best-ever in a Jaguar.

The biggest news is Jaguar's addition of a diesel engine for its sports/GT model. Long since the bastion of trucks, torquey modern diesels are gaining popularity in sports cars from BMW, Audi, and now Jaguar. A 3.0-liter turbodiesel V6 will be offered in the upcoming XK D, serving up 300 horsepower and exceptional fuel economy. Big, fat torque from a less-thirsty engine sounds like a good idea to us, and Jaguar is hoping that it boost XK volume back up to 10-12,000 units per year. The exhaust note might need a little work, however, to ever be better than the hoodlum-class V8 bark the XK currently trumpets so gloriously.

[Source: Autocar]

The 2011 Hyundai Sonata has a lot of things going for it. Not only does the sedan wear sleek new sheetmetal, it's powered by a powerful yet fuel-efficient 2.4-liter four-pot mill with direct injection, capable of achieving up to 35 miles per gallon on the highway and it's priced below the $20,000 mark. Now, the Sonata can wear another badge of honor, as it has just earned the rating of Top Safety Pick from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

According to the IIHS, a Top Safety Pick vehicle must earn the highest rating of "good" in all front, side and rear crash tests, and it must be equipped with electronic stability control. This is a relatively big achievement for Hyundai, as the 2011 model is the first Sonata to receive this high honor.

We're in the process of conducting our first drive on the Sonata as you read this, so stay tuned for full driving impressions in the not-too-distant future.



[Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety]

We know a whole heck of a lot about Ford's new 2011 F-Series Super Duty pickup truck lineup, but there are a number of important details that we're still waiting to be revealed. For instance, we know that it will come with an optional 6.7-liter Power Stroke diesel V8 engine that's capable of running on B20 biodiesel, but we don't know how much power it will produce.

As is the case with most new model launches, we're pretty sure the 2011 Super Duty will cost more than the truck it replaces, but we don't know by how much. Or do we? According to a report from Automotive News, citing "a dealer and a source familiar with the program," the 2011 F-Series Super Duty will carry a base price of $28,995.

If true, that would put the new truck exactly $2,145 over the 2010 model's $26,850 asking price. If you'd like to add the powerful new diesel V8, you can tack on (according to our friends at PickupTrucks.com) about $6,500 $7,835 to that baseline amount. We contacted Ford for comment and got a, "We've not yet released pricing on the new Super Duty."

In any case, as with all heavy duty pickup trucks these days, expect options to drive up the price of the new behemoth from Ford into the stratosphere rather quickly. Will it be worth it? We'll know soon enough – expect a full report on the new HD hauler from us early next month.



[Source: Automotive News – Sub. Req'd]