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Toyota Urban Utility concept embraces maker movement

Toyota has unveiled a concept designed in response to the maker movement. Called the Urban Utility, or U2, the vehicle is intended to appeal to those who have embraced maker culture - the trend of learning new practical skills, embracing new construction technologies like 3D printing, and applying them in an inventive and often entrepreneurial way. The U2 will be unveiled at the World Maker Faire in New York City on 20 September and was designed at Toyota's Calty studio in Newport Beach, CA.

Drayson Racing aiming for Electric car World Land Speed Record

The Drayson B12 69/EV – heading to RAF Elvington to break the EV land speed record. One of the best uses for electric car technology is to deliver copious amounts of instant torque for track cars – far more than an ICE engine manages – and Drayson Racing Technology is aiming to prove how much that electric power can help by taking its Drayson B12 69/EV to RAF Elvington on 25th June to attempt to break the land speed record for an EV. That record – 175mph – has stood since 1975 (which probably shows how little EV technology has really moved on in the last 40 years), but the low-drag version of the Drayson electric Le Mans prototype is aiming to break that down the 1.86 mile runway at Elvington.

New Land Rover Freelander will actually be a Discovery

It seems – as we expected – that Land Rover are looking to make more sense of their range of off-roaders as new models are launched, and are going to concentrate on three core brands – Range Rover, Discovery and Defender – instead of the current mish-mash where many models really overlap with others (the top end Discoverys are really a cheaper Range Rover). So the next Freelander will become an entry-level Discovery with underpinnings borrowed from the Evoque (which is itself based on the current Freelander platform, a development of the Ford Galaxy’s platform), and arrive in both 5-seat and 7-seat guise, with the new Discovery ’5′ getting a platform based on the new Range Rover and perhaps spawning two models. The new Discovery range will be targeted as a ‘Lifestyle’ core range for Land Rover (much as the original Disco was) and the Range Rover range will be both sporty and luxurious, with a 7-seat Grand Evoque XL joining the current Evoque, Range Rover Sport and Range Rover.