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Concept Car of the Week: Honda Kiwami (2003)

As part of Honda's exploration into new, clean-performing technologies, the Kiwami concept was created to test public acceptance of the idea of a large, fuel cell-powered luxury sedan.  Unveiled in 2003, the simple yet striking design seemed like a Japanese twist on the Renault Vel Satis concept, which shared a similar wedge profile, wide stance and minimalist approach.  However, the Kiwami found its own interpretation of modern luxury, expressed through elegantly integrated technology rather than with crystal champagne glasses.  Up front, a full-width LED strip headlamp sat flush with the flat bonnet and the rectangular bumper to create a design of primitive beauty.  Further examples of the same simple Japanese aesthetic are found around the car, including the uncluttered body panels and a full-width tail-lamp graphic that matched the front theme.  The dramatic proportions of the interior were closely related to the package of the hydrogen power plant. Unlike other manufacturers at the time, Honda engineers did not create a 'skateboard' fuel cell chassis below the cabin. Instead, a sideways H-shaped layout for the control unit, ultracapacitor, fuel cell stack, hydrogen storage and other components was used, helping to create a lower center of gravity.

Infiniti FX gets new grille, limited-edition variant for 2012

The Infiniti FX crossover gets a light makeover and a small price increase ($100) for the 2012 model year, plus a limited-edition model. The base FX35 and FX50 all-wheel-drive models will go for $44,900 and $59,350 excluding destination. The Limited Edition FX35 starts at $51,550.

Ram introduces CNG-powered pickup

Aside from the Honda Civic Natural Gas, compressed-natural-gas-powered vehicles have usually been converted after the fact, generally for fleet use. Chrysler is hoping to carve out a niche in the corporate-pickup segment by selling a factory-built CNG Ram 2500 that can seamlessly switch over to gasoline operation when the natural-gas tanks run dry. The twin 4.6-cubic-foot CNG tanks (which store the equivalent of 18.2 gallons of gas) take up a section of the bed, while an eight-gallon gasoline tank provides fuel during start-up and then reserve capacity when the compressed tanks are tapped out, allowing the bruiser a measure of operational flexibility.