2010 Volvo S80 3.2 Used 3.2l I6 24v Automatic Fwd Sedan Premium on 2040-cars

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Volvo finds a way to turn body panels into batteries [w/video]

One of the problems with designing an electric vehicle is figuring out where to fit the battery pack. Volvo - as a part of a European Union research project - is working on a way around this issue by replacing standard parts with lightweight components that double as batteries on both conventional and plug-in vehicles. The image above shows one such piece on a Volvo S80. While looking like nothing more than a carbon fiber plenum cover, the piece is actually a battery pack that can store and supply enough energy for the car's entire 12-volt power system.
The parts are made by sandwiching super capacitors (which can charge faster than standard batteries) in between layers of carbon fiber. They can then be formed to replace numerous body panels such as the decklid, roof or door panels. Volvo says that the replacing the body panels and batteries with these nano batteries can help reduce the vehicle's weight by as much as 15 percent. It has taken more than three years just to design the batteries, so there's no telling when, or if, we'll ever see this technology used on a production vehicle. Scroll down for a video and press release on Volvo's innovative battery technology.

The first trailer for Top Gear's 24th season shows a hands-free drag race

In the excitement over Amazon's new motoring show, it's important to remember that there's a certain series from the BBC that's attempting to get its mojo back for a 24th season. Yes, we're talking about Top Gear. Since Chris Evans' departure earlier this year, Top Gear news has been relatively sparse, particularly as The Grand Tour and its hosts Jeremy Clarkson, James May, and Richard Hammond seized headlines. But on Christmas, watchers of the series' YouTube channel caught a glimpse of the first scene from the next season. Featuring hosts Matt LeBlanc, Chris Harris, and Rory Reid in what looks like a trio of old, dilapidated cars. We're thinking TG is running a taxi comparison. There's a London black cab and a Mercedes-Benz W210 – a favorite of European cabbies – but we aren't sure where Harris' boxy wagon fits in. Did the Volvo 850 Estate ever serve as a livery vehicle? But it's the basis for this comparison that's weird, because the hosts appear to be having a no-hands drag race. The cars veer off in different directions, traveling across what looks like a snow-covered dirt lot. We're assuming hilarity ensues. And while we don't quite know what they're hoping to accomplish, we are looking forward to watching it go down. Top Gear's 24th season doesn't have an official air date, and the video ends only with a cryptic "Coming Soon." Expect to hear more in the next few months.

Volvo shows glimpses of new Concept C Coupe ahead of Frankfurt [w/video]

Volvo has released a short teaser video for a concept car that will be unveiled on August 29 ahead of the Frankfurt Motor Show. At first glance, it would appear to be nothing more than a few sketches and some words from Volvo design boss Thomas Ingenlath, but at about the 11-second mark, four images are flashed on the screen revealing the true nature of the video - the Volvo Concept C Coupe.
As Inglenlath suggests in the video, this new concept is designed to help bring more excitement to the brand's lineup, and from what we can tell in these strategically captured shots, the company is definitely on to something. While we don't get too much of look from any one angle, the front reveals what appears to be a concave version of Volvo's signature grille and the side shows off a stylish greenhouse. We have to wonder, do these images confirm the identity of the mystery concept car that's been floating around the Internet this week? In either case, our favorite view is perhaps the rear shot giving us a glimpse of the car's name as well as its flat, wide haunches and C-shaped taillights.
Scroll down to watch the whole video, and if you don't have a trigger-quick mouse finger, don't worry. We made a gallery of screen shots showing the four embedded images.