1999 Suzuki Grand Vitara 4x4 V6 Awd Automatic Low Miles Nice! No Reserve Tracker on 2040-cars

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2014 Suzuki V-Strom 1000 ABS

Motorcycle trends come and go like fashion, and the latest two-wheeled style du jour is the adventure bike. Chunky and rugged, these (sometimes) dirt-ready rides often take cues from the massive, Armageddon-ready rigs you'd find on the Dakar Rally. In their most neutered form, they can start as street bikes and adapt for adventure duty by adding taller suspension setups, removable saddlebags, bigger fuel tanks, and better wind protection.
Lying smack in the middle of that dirt/road matrix (and leaning toward the tarmac side) is the 2014 Suzuki V-Strom 1000 ABS. A venerable fixture in the adventure scene, it developed a primarily urban following after the model bowed in 2004, though it's also proved itself worthy of tackling trails and light offroad scenarios. For automotive folks not steeped in the vagaries of the motorcycle world, the V-Strom is the two-wheeled equivalent of the late, great Mitsubishi Montero: capable, no-nonsense, and a bit of an unsung hero in the face of more glamorous offroaders like the Land Rover LR4 and the Mercedes-Benz Geländewagen.

Recharge Wrap-up: NASA's EV plane, GM and Navy partner on fuel cell drone sub

NASA is building an all-electric test aircraft called the X-57. The lightweight plane's design balances speed with efficiency. The wings house two main propellers at their tips, with twelve smaller motors with retractable prop blades dotting the wing's lead edge. This helps it get the lift it needs to take off while reducing drag in the air, a delicate balance rooted in wing design. The X-57 is part of NASA's 10-year New Aviation Horizons program to make aircraft quieter, more efficient, and less polluting. Fans of The Right Stuff are sure to be pleased to see X-designated planes back in action. Read more at Wired. Suzuki has made its Baleno hatchback more efficient with a mild hybrid system. The European model has a lithium-ion battery pack under the front passenger seat that stores energy from a regenerative braking system to supplement power from the 1.2-liter engine during acceleration. Suzuki says the system improves the Baleno's fuel economy and reduces CO2 emissions by about five percent. Read more from Automotive News Europe. The Borgward BX7 plug-in hybrid SUV has won several Plus X Awards. The revived German automaker's PHEV received awards in the categories of Design, High Quality, Ergonomics, and Functionality. Any Plus X Award winner must display added value, which the panel of judges call the "Plus X Factor." The BX7 launched in China earlier this year, with plans to go on sale in India later this year and Europe soon after that. Read more at Green Car Congress. General Motors and the US Navy are teaming up to power underwater drones with hydrogen fuel cells. The Navy's goal is to provide its large displacement unmanned undersea vehicles (UUVs) with 60 days of operation between refueling. "Our in-water experiments with an integrated prototype show that fuel cells can be game changers for autonomous underwater systems," says Frank Herr, head of Ocean Battlespace Sensing at the Office of Naval Research. "Reliability, high energy, and cost effectiveness – all brought to us via GM's partnering – are particularly important as Navy looks to use UUVs as force multipliers." GM says that just as on-road experience gained through its Project Driveway fuel cell test fleet is valuable, automotive customers stand to benefit from lessons learned from this naval project. Read more in the press release below. GM AND U.S.

Toyota, Honda, Nissan and more collaborating to increase fuel efficiency

Toyota, Honda, Mazda, Nissan, Subaru, Mitsubishi, Suzuki and Daihatsu have announced an alliance that will see a push to improve fuel economy from both gas-powered and diesel-powered engines by as much as 30 percent before the end of the decade.
The newly assembled Research Association of Automotive Internal Combustion Engines put the roughly $20-million project together, with the Japanese government committing to half the cost while the eight manufacturers will chip in the rest.
According to Automotive News, the automakers will team up and share basic research on internal-combustion engines in a bid to cut costs. Eventually, the results of the research will find its way into a production vehicle, although it's unclear just when we'll see the fruits of this partnership on the road.