Click above for more high-res renderings of the Ronn Motors Scorpion

Ronn Motors, the company we introduced you to a while back, plans to properly introduce the world to its Scorpion supercar at the upcoming SEMA Show in Las Vegas. We have very real doubts as to whether the vehicle will function as the company claims. Ronn says its car breaks down water into hydrogen which is then injected into the twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 engine sourced from Acura. Sure, they could get some hydrogen from water and inject it into the engine along with the air/fuel mixture, but at what gain? These systems have been proven not to work many times, though some still claim that their fuel mileage has dramatically increased after installing them. Let's just say we are highly skeptical but would love nothing more than to be proven wrong. In any case, we are looking forward to getting an early glimpse into the production bodywork considering that the renderings that we've seen have been pretty darn impressive, as you can see from our gallery below.


[Source: SEMA]

Volkswagen had a big presence at the 2007 SEMA show in Las Vegas last week. They brought their Dieselution interactive display out to Sin City and showed off their upcoming Jetta CleanTDI in sedan and SportWagen form. They also announced the 2008 Jetta TDI cup racing series and and their Touareg TDI off-road racing program. The video above has a variety of Volkswagen representatives, including PR manager Keith Price and race driver Ryan Arciero, talking up the various programs.

[Source: UnCutVideo]

Toyota introduced the 2009 Corolla at SEMA Wednesday. According to the LA Times, the car is 140 pounds heaver, two inches wider and "will show little to no improvement in fuel economy, and maybe even a small drop for some versions of the car." Edmunds however says it "has made some substantial improvements in ... fuel economy." The LA Times article quotes a spokesperson saying that the fuel efficiency is already quite good, the numbers are not official but should be "a little less." USA Today says "fuel economy should be about the same."

So which is it; better, worse or the same? Mike Michels, a spokesman for Toyota Motor Sales USA, says "It's putting out more power and has better fuel economy than it's predecessor. ... But if you look at the outgoing Corolla, those numbers will look higher. It's because the EPA changed the rating method." Okay, so maybe everyone is confused because the numbers changed... but wasn't the transition from 2007 to 2008? I am getting confused now.

I will just compare the company press release to the EPA site data. The press release says 27/35 mpg. The EPA site says... it has two numbers. Wonderful. The automatic has lower mileage so if they meant that one, it's higher but if they mean the manual, then it's lower. I think they meant the automatic manual as standard so there is a drop which would make sense because it's heaver and larger. I am contacting everyone involved just to be sure. Is Toyota the new big, fat king of the car industry? Maybe. Stay tuned.

[Source: LA Times, Edmunds, USA Today, International Herald Tribune]

GM opened the full-scale electric car dialog with the EV-1 (and its demise), Toyota opened the full-scale hybrid dialog with the Prius. Now that Green is Good as Gold, aftermarket folks are opening the mass market dialog when it comes to making the cars you want to buy right now a little less hard on the Earth. Next in the queue: EcoTrek with its biodiesel Cadillac Escalade EXT, simply referred to as BioCaddy.

Starting with a plain black EXT, EcoTrek swapped the 6.2-liter Vortec V8 for Chevy's PPE supercharged Duramax 6.6-liter diesel. Fitting it required cutting a scoop into the hood. The Hydramatic transmission came out, and in went an Allison. The suspension was removed and replaced with an Air Ride ARC4800L Big Red Max LevelPro System. And as an extra, the BioCaddy gets an ethanol injection system for a claimed "30% additional HP or fuel economy." About the only thing dirty on it is the 26" DUB Dirty Dog II rims clothed in Pirelli Scorpion rubber. EcoTrek even blacked out all the chrome -- something we consider a good thing. Having a "clean ride" is about to take on a new meaning.

At the 2006 SEMA show in Las Vegas GM made a big splash with the turbine-powered EcoJet concept that they built for some guy named Leno. SEMA is coming up again next week and this time they are reiterating the ethanol message with two of the cars they are showing. First up they have another occupant for Jay Leno's massive garage in the form of an E85-powered Corvette Z06. No messing with flex-fuel for this 600hp beast, it's E85 all the way. Second, a Chevy hot-rod inspired by customs from the forties and fifties will have multiple fueling options with the ability to consume either E85, gasoline or blend of the two. At least neither one of these is ever likely to accumulate very many miles on the road. It will mostly be rolling off the trailer, onto the show stand, and then back again.

[Source: General Motors]

I'm very much of the opinion that sophisticated computer engine controls and more precise hardware such as high-pressure fuel injectors are the key to short-term fuel-economy improvements in current gas engines. Other drastic measures such as small-displacement, turbocharged engines will require more involved engineering, and there's still a future for exotic measures such as HCCI and even plasma combustion. But I spoke with two calibration engineers at SEMA who help develop aftermarket tuning controllers that work with the vehicle's ECU. In the past their jobs focused solely on improving power but both say they're busy with mileage calibrations now. However, tweaking the vehicle's computer requires an in-depth knowledge of programming. Manufacturers have teams of engineers working on these programs, and while making changes is easy, the results may not always be satisfactory.

Ron Bilyeu is an independent tuner working out of Indiana-based Pro Dyno Tech. Working with a chassis dyno that measures torque at the drive wheels, Bilyeu says he can improve fuel economy from 15 to 20 percent. I don't doubt those improvements are possible with many vehicles, especially those with older engines, but not all vehicles will enjoy such gains. I am impressed with Bilyeu's credentials and commitment to understanding and teaching of engine programming. He has instructional tapes sponsored by Snap-On and appears to treat each vehicle as an individual project instead of developing a universal program. I would take my car to him, if only to find out how much it pulls on the dyno.

[Source: Denise Hinckley / thepaper24-7.com]

At last week's SEMA show, a show not known for its embrace of green car technologies, hybrids finally made an impact on the annual SEMA Vehicle Design Awards. The awards finally added a hybrid category, and the inaugural winner was the Chevrolet Silverado Classic Hybrid. True to SEMA's aftermarket audience, the Silverado wasn't chosen for its reduced emissions, but because it because the hybrid that is most friendly to accessories. For its part, Chevy said the award proved the Silverado, which won with almost 22 percent of the vote, was now the "benchmark" in this new design category.

For more on the other award winners (in the car, truck and SUV categories) see this post over at Autoblog.

[Source: SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association)]

The annual SEMA Show in Las Vegas is best known for speed-burning, hot-rod customs and plenty of outrageous gas-guzzling trucks and SUVs. Fuel economy was never an issue in the 21 years I have covered this show. This has changed, be it ever so slightly, for the 40th anniversary of the show, which officially opens this morning. While I haven't spotted a Prius yet, it's still early and there are more than 2,000 vehicles on display. I have seen a few of the more popular gas-miser compacts such as the Scion and Chevy HHR that have been completely decked out with custom paint, wheels and sound systems. That's a good sign. Some consumers may be tentative about buying a compact for fear of not driving a "cool" car. If SEMA can prove anything, it's that any car can be modified and personalized to achieve "cool" status. I'll be at the show all week to report on all that is green here. I know there is at least one electric-vehicle company here, and I'm looking forward to Thursday when Erin Brockovich talks about fuel-saving magnets. And I promise, if there's a Prius rolling on dubs, I'll find it.

Related:

• Erin Brockovich to show off emissions-reducing magnets at SEMA

Cummins has announced it will supply 4.2-liter V6 and 5.6-liter clean diesel engines to DaimlerChrysler for light-duty vehicles. We can get an early look at the potential of such deal at SEMA next week when Jeep shows off a custom Wrangler Unlimited from the Mopar Skunkwerkes group. This teaser email I received says it's powered by a 4.2-liter diesel. Code named 50 JK, the hardtop Jeep features custom bumpers, 4-inch lift, 35-inch tires, carbon-fiber hood, Dana 44 axles front and rear, GPS and full saddle leather. This one's sure to be "Trail Rated." All totaled, Chrysler will have 65 vehicles on display at SEMA. Wonder how many will be boasting fuel efficiency?

[Source: DaimlerChrysler]