Error 404--Not Found

From RFC 2068 Hypertext Transfer Protocol -- HTTP/1.1:

10.4.5 404 Not Found

The server has not found anything matching the Request-URI. No indication is given of whether the condition is temporary or permanent.

If the server does not wish to make this information available to the client, the status code 403 (Forbidden) can be used instead. The 410 (Gone) status code SHOULD be used if the server knows, through some internally configurable mechanism, that an old resource is permanently unavailable and has no forwarding address.

Error 404--Not Found

Error 404--Not Found

From RFC 2068 Hypertext Transfer Protocol -- HTTP/1.1:

10.4.5 404 Not Found

The server has not found anything matching the Request-URI. No indication is given of whether the condition is temporary or permanent.

If the server does not wish to make this information available to the client, the status code 403 (Forbidden) can be used instead. The 410 (Gone) status code SHOULD be used if the server knows, through some internally configurable mechanism, that an old resource is permanently unavailable and has no forwarding address.

Global Vehicles

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Multi-driving positions for Citroën's C-Crosser concept


An emphasis on practicality and modernity is designed into the Citroën C-Crosser, which can be transformed into a pickup.

The Citroën C-Crosser may not have been the most handsome concept car at Frankfurt, but there was no denying its demonstration of novel applications. Described as a "future leisure vehicle," its driving position—including an airliner-like control yoke instead of a steering wheel—can be placed for right- or left-hand drive, or even centrally. The yoke has a fixed hub on which controls are positioned. X-wire is used for links between the driver and engine, brakes, and for steering all four wheels. At low speed, the rear wheels turn in the opposite direction to the front. At higher speeds, the rear wheels turn in the same direction as the front, notably to improve lane-changing response.

The Citroën C-Crosser's driving position can be left, right, or center.

The C-Crosser is another car that majors on packaging. The front seats are positioned and shaped to enable rear passengers to extend their legs under the front seats. Overall vehicle length is 4.28 m (14.04 ft). Bodywork is modular with its tailgate and roof stowable beneath the floor to create a pickup. Despite their popularity in the U.S., privately owned pickups are a comparative rarity in Europe; they are generally only used for commercial tasks. However, via concepts, there is a clear move by some companies to raise interest in them. The C-Crosser has sliding side doors and a variable height load sill. The car's ground clearance can be raised from 140 to 200 mm (5.5 to 7.9 in). Its suspension is derived from Citroën's production Hydractive system. Although its rear side windows are narrow, the concept has a glass roof extending back from the windshield header rail.
C-Crosser driving position by night. As with some other concepts revealed at the Frankfurt Motor Show, it has an airliner-style yoke.

4 into Smart will go


Smart continues to reveal how it plans to expand its range; the two-seater roadster and coupe have already been seen at international motor shows, and at Frankfurt the five-door Tridion4 was unveiled.

Smart has revealed its Tridion4 concept—a five-door four seater with an overall length of 3.65 m (11.97 ft). Overhangs are minimal. As with the Smart City Coupe and Cabrio, it uses steel for the safety cell, plastic for the body. The surface of the chassis cell serves as an outer skin in the area of the A- and C-pillars, the roof pillars, and door sills. The front and rear fenders and doors are clad with deformable, scratch-resistant plastic panels. Also new from Smart is a hybrid developed in conjunction with DaimlerChrysler and UK-based Zytek. Called "hyper drive," the system incorporates a diesel engine plus an electric motor.

Audi advances with Avantissimo



Audi's large and luxurious Avantissimo concept shown at Frankfurt includes a new approach to glass roof design.

When Audi presents a concept at an international motor show, there is never any risk that it will lack technology. The luxurious and very powerful Avantissimo station wagon revealed at Frankfurt certainly has plenty. The vehicle includes a 4.2-L, V8, bi-turbo, 316-kW (424-hp) engine driving all four wheels through a six-speed automatic transmission; an aluminum body based on the company's proven ASF (Audi Space Frame); air suspension; a part-glass roof; and an advanced lighting system.

Described as a "design study," the concept has production potential. Its design accent is on sportiness, and F1-style paddles control the car's transmission. Use of aluminum extends to the Avantissimo's suspension: four-link at the front, trapezoidal link at the rear, and separate springs and shock absorbers. The layout is similar to that used for the new-generation Audi A4, but the concept also has air suspension to give continuously controlled damping. It also facilitates ride height control, the car settling lower as speed rises. The car has three suspension settings: automatic, sport, and comfort. Tires are Michelin's PAX run-flat design. Braking includes an electrohydraulic park brake.

Audi's ALS (Advanced Lighting System) in its Avantissimo concept "knows" when the car is approaching a bend and is capable of altering the headlight reflector's setting as the car reaches a point where the driver needs to "see around the corner."

The Avantissimo is a large car in European terms with a length of 5.1 m (16.6 ft) and width of 1.9 m (6.3 ft). It has a high waistline and relatively narrow side windows. Its wheels are large and particularly prominent. The lights are also a major feature and use Audi's ALS—Advanced Lighting System. An entirely new development, as echoed in their design, the bi-xenon headlights behind clear-glass covers give special emphasis to the front end of the design, says Audi. The actual light source in these headlights always remains vertical. The reflectors are raised to a 45° position when the lights are in use and thus deflect the vertical light beam onto the road. When the headlights are switched off, the reflectors return to a horizontal position and prevent light from emerging. The ALS alters the light-beam pattern when the car is cornering to match the driver's viewing angle, allowing the driver to "see around the corner." This is dependent on road speed and steering angle, and the system can process information from the onboard navigation system.

Avantissimo power: the V8 bi-turbo engine of the new Audi concept produces 316 kW (424 hp).

The car's roof consists mainly of panels of sandwich glass. The roof incorporates photovoltaic elements, which supply solar energy to operate the climate control system when the car is parked. Audi designers have used the roof glass and the light it provides as an active design element.

The Avantissimo launches Audi's MMI (Multi-Media Interface) control concept. It is used to select and operate all information and entertainment media, including the navigation system and Internet access. All the main functions are directly accessible via a button. Selection within each menu is by means of a large rotary switch and the pushbuttons surrounding it. Information is displayed on a monitor. The car has a fingerprint scanner for driver identification.

Tango for two from SEAT


SEAT's Tango concept has distinctive styling, particularly at the rear.

SEAT's concept car at the Frankfurt Motor Show was a two-seat roadster called Tango, said to "evoke the spirit of the 1950s and 1960s." The Tango has a complex tubular structure, some of which is left exposed in the interior. The structure is described as "a direct descendant" of SEAT's World Rally Car safety cage. The driver's seat is fixed, but the pedal box is adjustable. The steering wheel—together with its integral instrument binnacle—is adjustable for height and reach. The car's headlights follow the direction of the front wheels, an old concept but something today's manufacturers are now considering seriously supported by modern technology. Distinctive styling elements include driver and passenger headrest fairings blending into the trunk lid.

The engine is a 1.8-L four-cylinder producing about 134 kW (180 hp), driving through a six-speed gearbox. Claimed performance includes a 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) time of seven seconds. Aluminum is used extensively—for chassis, pedal box, footrests, and instrument dials. Front suspension includes MacPherson struts, lower wishbones, and an antiroll bar fixed to a subframe, which is stiffened by the dashboard crossbeam and windshield frame, "forming a forward arch," says SEAT. At the rear of the vehicle, the tubular framework is joined to the seat structure and is strengthened with a series of buttresses.

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Error 404--Not Found

Error 404--Not Found

From RFC 2068 Hypertext Transfer Protocol -- HTTP/1.1:

10.4.5 404 Not Found

The server has not found anything matching the Request-URI. No indication is given of whether the condition is temporary or permanent.

If the server does not wish to make this information available to the client, the status code 403 (Forbidden) can be used instead. The 410 (Gone) status code SHOULD be used if the server knows, through some internally configurable mechanism, that an old resource is permanently unavailable and has no forwarding address.