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Search Industry News & Analysis> Sheetz Taps 350Green for EV Charging NetworkInstalling DC fast chargers at five locations; also filling in new N.C. markets ALTOONA, Pa. -- Sheetz Inc. said it plans to build and operate a network of electric-vehicle (EV) charging stations at five Sheetz locations in Pennsylvania with the help of 350Green, a developer of EV charging station networks. Customers will be able to take advantage of what the convenience retailer said are the first direct-current (DC) fast chargers installed at U.S. gas stations.The locations include Lancaster, Mechanicsburg, Mifflintown, State College and York, Pa.350Green's PowerDock is a standalone unit that offers up to four simultaneous charges. Its Express Plaza can be configured as a standalone unit or part of a solar carport for maximum energy efficiency and reduced grid load.The installation of EV charging stations shows how Sheetz is taking the next step in the evolution of the gas station, it said, just as it has placed a priority on innovative food and beverage offerings for customers on the go."We provide top notch convenience and a wide variety of food and beverage choices for our customers to refuel themselves inside our stores," said Stan Sheetz, president and CEO of Sheetz Inc. "By offering [EV] charging stations, we now can offer our customers an environmentally friendly refueling choice at the pump."Placing chargers near where people live and work is considered an important part of reducing the "range anxiety" that could otherwise slow the adoption of EVs. To ease fears of batteries sputtering mid-trip, 350Green has been working with partners across the country to meet the rising demand for convenient charging options."Sheetz has made their stores a destination as well as a convenient place to refuel. Making charging part of the convenience store experience shows you don't need to sacrifice anything to own a cleaner car," said Mariana Gerzanych, CEO of 350Green. "Expanding the charging infrastructure beyond homes and public garages through partnerships like this one is making electric vehicle ownership a realistic option for millions of people."The installation of the Sheetz chargers will be completed by the end of this year. A DC fast charger (480V) can charge a Nissan Leaf to 80% in as little as 25 minutes.San Diego-based 350Green is a project developer that designs, builds and operates a scalable, nationwide network of EV charging stations. The company partners with retailers, commercial property managers and developers and municipalities to locate charging stations at places near where EV drivers live and work. Current projects are underway in Illinois, Indiana, Pennsylvania, California and New York. The company has signed partnerships with Walgreens and Simon Property Group, among others.In other company news, Sheetz said that it continues to fill in new markets in North Carolina, opening two stores September 29 in the cities of Archdale and Henderson. This is part of continued effort to keep developing areas along the Interstate 85 corridor, it said."North Carolina is still emerging for us," saids Stan Sheetz.The Henderson location has a drive-through window, something Sheetz has been opening stores with more frequently. The site also has a car wash.The locations will offer fresh food items such as the MTGo! And Shweetz Bakery lines of sandwiches, wraps, donuts and muffins, along with the signature MTO line of Angus beef burgers, grilled chicken sandwiches, freshly made salads, french fries, onion rings and more. It also offers Sheetz Bros. Coffeez, a full-service espresso and smoothie bar staffed by a trained barista. Customers can order hand-made specialty coffee drinks including lattes, cappuccinos and mochas--hot, frozen or iced.In keeping with a longstanding tradition of supporting Special Olympics, the company donated $2,500 to the athletic programs for each city.Sheetz also opened a new 6,000-square-foot store in Mansfield, Pa., on September 29. It made a donation to Special Olympics Pennsylvania as part of the opening celebration.Altoona, Pa.-based Sheetz, with more than $4.5 billion in revenue for 2010 and more than 14,500 employees, operates more than 395 convenience locations throughout Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland, Virginia, Ohio and North Carolina.Related Topics: alternative fuels Reynolds Consolidates Sales GroupsCategory News GasBuddy Brings Digital Coupons to C-StoresCategory News AquaBall Updates Its PackagingCategory News NCSA Announces 2015 Candy Hall of Fame Inductees

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You are here: HomeArchive2016Marc Haynes: 1968-2016 ShareFacebook, Twitter, Google Plus, Pinterest, Email Print Posted in:GT CupObituaries Marc Haynes: 1968-2016 Bute Motorsport founder and disability motorsport pioneer passes 21 October 2016, 7:07 AM Whilst in Japan for the latest round of the FIA WEC, news reached the DSC Editor of the passing of Marc Haynes. Marc, best known to most here as the driving force behind Bute Motorsport and the GT Cup, was, quite simply, a remarkable man, a pioneer in motorsport in a number of very significant ways, and a man that truly understood, in this sometimes assumptive business of ours, that listening and responding to your customers is not only good manners, it’s good business too. Time spent with Marc was never wasted, though in recent years our paths had crossed only infrequently it was always a pleasure to catch up, and Marc was always generous with his time and with explanation of what had been going on, what was planned, and why. He will be sorely missed on the UK national motorsport scene. Our heartfelt condolences go to his family and friends, in particular to Hannah, Phil, Tom, Jock and the rest of the team at Bute Motorsport. My trip to Snetterton for the preview of the latest addition to the package, the Prototype Cup, proved again that the bonhomie on which the package was founded lives on beyond it’s founders passing. The Haynes family have provided the following words which say more than I ever could about the challenges that Marc took on, and conquered during his time with us. Marc Haynes passed away peacefully on Sunday the 16th October 2016 aged 48, finally succumbing to the health challenges he had bravely faced over the past few years. Marc was a loving and devoted Son, Brother and Uncle, whose love of his family and of life was only matched by his courageous determination to challenge misconceptions about disability. Through his actions and achievements he demonstrated that disability does not necessarily define or limit what a person can achieve. Marc was an intelligent, effusive, humourous and extremely generous man who had a strong and fierce determination and a humbling courage. It was this wonderful combination that defined his charming character, and is the reason he will be greatly missed by so many, from boardroom to motorsport paddock. Born with syringomyelia, a degenerative spinal disorder, by the age of 5 years old Marc was confined to a wheelchair. Marc demonstrated exceptional resilience, and through sheer determination and force of will refused to accept that his disability would prevent him from having a fulfilling and exciting life. As the second son of John & Annette Haynes, Marc was born into a car loving family. Marc graduated from Manchester University with a BSC (Hons.) Business Degree and worked at IBM before joining Haynes International Motor Museum. Marc’s huge influence upon the development of the museum is testament to his foresight. This vision culminated in 2014 when, having successfully raised £6,000,000 and after many years of planning, Marc oversaw the reopening of the museum. The importance of the new facility was publically recognised at The International Historic Motoring Awards, winning the highest accolade of museum of the year. The museum will be a lasting physical testament to his hard work and vision, and will house the prestigious collection he cared so deeply about, for many years to come. Marc’s career at the Museum culminated in his appointment as CEO in 2014. He was a Non-Executive Director of the Haynes Publishing Group PLC as well as holding various posts within a range of private property investment and development business interests in the UK and the USA. His love of cars and particularly the desire to compete on a level playing field meant that it was inevitable that Marc would become a pioneer in Motorsport. In 1989 he was the first paraplegic to obtain a racing licence from the RAC Motor Sports Association and in so doing has changed the lives of many disabled drivers who followed his lead into Motorsport. From his early motorsport days hill climbing and sprinting, he progressed into national GT racing in the Porsche Classic Championship, campaigning in a 911T and later a 911SC. Marc inspired and encouraged his brothers, Chris and J, to share the adventure and excitement of motor racing with him. For several seasons the three of them shared the same grid. Marc progressed to racing a Ferrari 360 Challenge and both this and his Porsche 911T remain on permanent display in the museum, as a tribute to his racing and to the man that changed the attitude and outlook for many people. It was the frustration of not being able to find a suitable race series to enter his Ferrari 360 Challenge car that prompted him to create the GT Cup, which had its inaugural race in the autumn of 2007. In that same year Marc founded Bute Motorsport to manage the new racing series. From its first year in 2008 as a series, the GT Cup became a full Championship in 2009 and flourished under Marc’s close attention to the wishes of the entrants and drivers. Marc, as founder and CEO, believed passionately that the GT Cup Championship should be run ‘by racers for racers’. This founding philosophy remains at the heart of the GT Cup, which continues to provide amateur enthusiasts with the opportunity to race against like-minded drivers in a congenial, but competitive, environment. Marc was immensely proud to be elected as an Associate Member of the BRDC in recognition of his exceptional contribution to British motor sport, especially his pioneering role as an inspiration and source of support and encouragement to other disabled racing drivers. This year heralded a new dawn for UK motorsport as his team at Bute Motorsport established the Prototype Cup for LMP3 and CN cars. It held its first race at Snetterton in early October to much applause and support. Long term Championship Co-ordinator Hannah Wilson was promoted to Director and Race Manager in July, to allow Bute to continue to expand its activities. She will continue to run the company with support from Technical Co-ordinator Phil Boland. Chris Haynes remains a director of the company, and will be joined by J Haynes. Their objective is to continue Marc’s work with the Bute Motorsport team, and to remain true to the principals and reasons that Marc founded Bute Motorsport. Marc was a unique force of nature, never letting barriers get in the way of what he wanted to achieve. He was a generous soul who thrilled in inviting and encouraging others to join him on his many adventures. He will be remembered for many reasons including his sense of humour in the face of adversity, his unbridled drive and vision but most of all, for being a racer. Marc’s family would like to welcome everyone to join them in remembering a remarkable man at a thanksgiving service to be held at Sherborne Abbey at 2pm on Monday 21st November 2016. Due to the large numbers expected to join us in celebrating Marc’s life we ask that you please email [email protected] to register your attendance. Charitable donations will be collected on the day for Cancer Research UK and Muscular Dystrophy UK. Tagged with: Graham GoodwinShareFacebook, Twitter, Google Plus, Pinterest, Email See more Previous article Ligier JS P217 Development Continues In Monza Next article Fuji, Race Gallery Related Articles Posted in:24H Series 24H Series Full Season Entries Healthy Ahead of Round 2 At Mugello by Graham Goodwin 0 Comments Posted in:Other Series & Events 100+ Signed Up For 2017 Ginetta One-Make Competitions 0 Comments #GTCUP Join the conversation across Facebook, Twitter & Instagram

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Backup Camera Mandate Part of National Debate (Source: dieselpowermag.com) NHTSA pushes for the mandate to save lives while opponents such as the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers reminds it of costs associated with implementing the rule New regulations that require automakers to improve rear visibility in all new models by 2014 were proposed in December 2010, and now, the backup camera rule is part of the national debate about safety, federal regulations, and jobs. The backup camera rule would require the installation of backup cameras in all new vehicles by 2014. It was proposed by President Barack Obama, and is a response to the Cameron Gulbransen Kids Transportation Act, which is a 2008 law named after a young boy who was accidentally ran over by his father's car. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), about 292 people die from back-over accidents per year. By implementing the backup camera rule, half of those lives would be saved annually. While the backup cameras could clearly be beneficial, the topic is up for debate because opponents say the requirement would be too costly and would result in job losses. According to an August 30 letter the president sent to House Republican leaders, the backup camera mandate is in the top five list of the five most costly rules under consideration at this time. The backup camera rule could cost as much as $2.7 billion, and would equate to about $18.5 million per life saved. Adding the cameras to vehicles would tack on an extra $58 to $203 per vehicle. "Congress built flexibility into this law to balance safety and cost, and unfortunately NHTSA has ignored Congress by mandating an expensive, one-size-fits-all solution for rearview cameras," said Gloria Bergquist, spokeswoman for the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers. So far, individual automakers have not said anything negative about the rule despite these costs. In fact, Ford plans to have backup cameras in all Ford and Lincoln models by the end of this year. The backup camera plan calls for 10 percent of the United States' new fleet to meet standards by 2012, 40 percent to meet the standards by 2013, and all new vehicles to comply by 2014. Source: The Detroit News "We don't know how to make a $500 computer that's not a piece of junk." -- Apple CEO Steve Jobs NHTSA Requests Extension for 2014 Backup Camera Mandate Government Regulations Could Require Backup Cameras on All New Vehicles by 2014

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» Ashok Leyland Ashok Leyland launches first ‘Indian-made’ electric bus India-based Ashok Leyland, a flagship of the Hinduja Group, has unveiled the country's first Circuit electric bus designed and engineered entirely in India, by Indians, for the country. In line with Ashok Leyland's vision More… Ashok Leyland begins work on RAK expansion Ashok Leyland, a leading bus manufacturer, has started work on the expansion of its manufacturing capacity at the company's facility in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE. HH Sheikh Saud Bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Supreme Council member and Ruler o More… Ashok Leyland wins $200m vehicle supply contract Ashok Leyland wins deal for 3600 vehicles worth $200m India-based Ashok Leyland, flagship of the Hinduja Group, said that it has won a $200 million contract from the government of Cote D’Ivoire for the supply of 3,600 vehicl More… Indian auto major to open RAK assembly plant India's Hinduja Group flagship Ashok Leyland on Thursday will inaugurate a vehicle assembly plant in Ras al Khaimah Investment Authority (Rakia). The plant will be inaugurated by Sheikh Saud Bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah More… Nissan agrees India vehicle deal The Indian motor company, Ashok Leyland, and Nissan of Japan have agreed to form a partnership to produce Light Commercial Vehicles (LCVs). They aim to make 100,000 vans a year in Indian factories for both the domestic market and export. More… 1 2 3 4 5 > Last ›

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1 of 8BMW i3 concept 2 of 8BMW i3 concept 3 of 8BMW i3 concept 4 of 8BMW i3 concept 5 of 8BMW i3 concept 6 of 8BMW i3 concept 7 of 8BMW i3 concept Next Gallery: EBay exotic: 1991 Aston Martin Virage » 8 of 8Next Gallery: EBay exotic: 1991 Aston Martin Virage BMW i3 has entry-level electric prowess July 28, 2011 While the overtly sporting i8 is set to act as the performance figurehead for BMW's initial range of purpose-built alternative-drive vehicles, it is the less expensive and the more practical i3 that offers the choice of either standard plug-in electric or optional range-extended electric drive. This feature will provide BMW's “i” brand with broad appeal at a base price that executives suggest will be comparable to more powerful versions of today's 1-series when sales begin in 2013.Conceived primarily for urban driving, the compact zero-emissions hatchback eschews the traditional low-slung lines of contemporary BMW small cars for a distinctly more upright stance that offers the i3 excellent all-round visibility for ease of maneuverability in city traffic, along with room for up to four adults and a nominal 7.1 cubic feet of luggage space behind the rear seats. In BMW's words, “It's been designed for maximum practicality but without any compromise in overall driving dynamics.”As with the i8, the i3 is based around a light but highly resilient carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic body structure and rides on a predominately aluminum chassis in a move that will see the car hit the scales in production trim at about 2,800 pounds. At 151.4 inches in length, 79.2 inches in width and 60.5 inches in height, the five-door i3 is 4.7 inches longer, 12.8 inches wider and 5.2 inches higher than the three-door Mini hatchback. It also rides on a platform boasting a 4.1-inch-longer wheelbase, at 101.2 inches, and wider tracks. BMW claims the rear-wheel-drive i3 boasts a “comparatively small turning circle” and keenly describes its handling as being “agile at typical city speeds.” By mounting the car's liquid-cooled battery--a lithium-ion unit of unspecified weight and capacity--within the central section of the floor, BMW says it achieved a center of gravity that is lower than that of existing gasoline- and diesel-powered 1-series models.Unlike the gasoline-electric-hybrid-powered i8, the i3 relies on a pure electric driveline currently undergoing durability testing in a fleet of 1-series Active-E prototypes. At the heart of the new plug-in system is a compact electric motor mounted over the rear axle, where it provides drive to the rear wheels via a single-speed transmission. The rear mounting of the engine has been made possible by a continuous development program kicked off in 2009 that has seen the size of the electric motor reduced by 40 percent compared with that used in the Mini E, a car that has acted as a test bed for much of the i3's driveline hardware. BMW says the drive unit--motor, power electrics, transmission and differential--are mounted so that they do not intrude into the interior.With 170 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque, the brushless motor is claimed to propel the i3 from to 0 to 62 mph in 7.9 seconds. It is also claimed to possess 50-to-75-mph rolling acceleration of 6.0 seconds. BMW has yet to provide details about the i3's aerodynamic properties, but without the need for drag-inducing cooling ducts and the inclusion of skinny, low-rolling-resistance tires, its drag co-efficient is expected to be less than 0.30.Maximum speed is limited to 93 mph to protect the charge of the battery. “We could gear it to achieve a much higher top speed, but in the interests of range, we have decided to cap it at a level we think will be sufficient for most needs,” a BMW insider told AutoWeek. The i3's battery has undergone detailed optimization to allow it to operate in all climates. As with the Mini E, BMW say it will give its urban-based electric car a heavy acting brake-energy-recuperation system with prodigious regeneration of electricity on a trailing throttle. It will also get a so-called coast-mode function that can be chosen by the driver for periods of energy-neutral freewheeling. While it is holding back on exact details of the i3's lithium-ion battery pack until closer to launch, BMW claims an overall range of between 80 and 100 miles for the i3. Internal studies reveal that the i3 is sufficient for up to 90 percent of journeys likely to be undertaken by customers of the new car. BMW has revealed for the first time that it also plans to offer the i3 with an optional range extender (or Rex, as BMW likes to refer to it) in the form of a gasoline engine that is planned to be packaged alongside the electric motor within the rear-axle assembly. Described as being smooth and quiet-running, the gasoline unit is used to power a generator which maintains the battery charge to ensure that the i3 can continue on electric power. Unlike the i8, the combustion engine does not provide direct drive to the rear wheels. By Greg Kable See more by this author» See MoreFrankfurt Motor Show Confirmed: Mercedes pickup won't be a 'fat cowboy truck' Citroen Cactus M concept debuts at Frankfurt motor show There's now a Bentley Bentayga waiting list: First year is sold out Maserati confirms Levante, updates Ghibli and Quattroporte for Frankfurt motor show 354 hp underhood in Audi’s newest S4 rocket

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£ submitPorsche Driver's SelectionHomeYou are here: Home • For Kids • Toys A classic children's toy and not just for children. As soon as the Carrera slot-car track is set up at home, it will quickly be obvious whether only the children will be playing with it or whether Daddy will be heavily involved too. The Porsche model cars fly around the corners, bringing a smile to the faces of adults and children alike. Many people dreamt of owning a racing track like this when they were small and now they can make the dream come true for their own children. Board games and card games on the subject of motor racing also combine the love of playing games and an interest in motorsports. The toys from Porsche will give rise to a love of motorsports and will be enjoyed by both parents and children. My first Porsche – wooden car

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Apple could have electric car by 2019 Sources say Technology - 22.09.2015 22:35 - Read: 1032 Apple will take mobility to the next level in 2019 when in launches its long-rumored electric car, SIA reports quoting the Wall Street Journal. Sources familiar with the plan said that the tech giant has committed to the product and will soon triple the staff of its Project Titan, which has been investigating it for several years. The company already has a foothold in the automotive business, with several automakers now offering its Apple CarPlay, which integrates iPhone functionality with a vehicle’s infotainment system, but has been secretly developing an electric car, according to insiders. But, while the company has recently discussed using an autonomous car testing facility in California, its first car isn't expected to be driverless.

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Toyota develops next-generation engine valve mechanism / | June 14, 2007 00:00 Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) recently announced that it has developed Valvematic, a variable valve lift mechanism created through combining VVT-i (Variable Valve Timing-intelligent), which controls the timing of intake valve opening/closing, with a new mechanism that can also control the intake valve lift volume. While conventional engines control air intake using a throttle valve, Valvematic adjusts the volume of air taken in by continuously controlling the intake valve lift volume and timing of valve opening and closing. This ensures optimal performance based on the engine's operational condition, thus helping vehicles achieve both high fuel efficiency and dynamic performance. The first application of Valvematic will be in a new 2.0-liter engine being introduced in the near future. This new system further evolves the Toyota petrol engine and improves fuel efficiency by between 5 and 10 per cent (depending on driving conditions), reduces CO2 emissions, boosts power output by at least 10 per cent and enhances throttle response.　Toyota positions global environmental preservation and initiatives toward energy diversification as a priority management issue in terms of its corporate social responsibility. As a part of its efforts to reduce CO2 emissions through high fuel efficiency and to achieve cleaner exhaust emissions, Toyota plans to completely revamp its petrol engine and transmission lineup by 2010. More power for the Porsche roadstersJune 26, 2006Toyota USA to launch next generation Corolla on June 6May 22, 2013Honda's VCM 6 4 3 Optimizes Power and Fuel EconomyFebruary 27, 2008Toyota Indonesia reveals a facelifted InnovaAugust 20, 2013Subaru BRZ, Toyota 86, Scion FR-S to get second generationJuly 10, 2014

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Engineering students compete to build hybrid race cars Teams spend year building vehicles Andy Hershberger LOUDON, N.H. — A major competition is taking place this week at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, but if you go to watch, you won't hear the normal roar of the engines. Click to watch News 9's coverage.This is the ninth year that Dartmouth College has sponsored an event in which engineering students are asked to build formula hybrid race cars that run on a mix of gasoline and electric power.About 300 students from 17 universities are taking part in the competition.Douglas Fraser, who teaches engineering at Dartmouth, said it's relatively easy to build a gas racer or an electric-powered car, but combining the two takes serious brain power."This requires design work," he said. "There are no off-the-shelf solutions to building a hybrid vehicle.""It is a pretty big undertaking," said Karan Patel of the University of Michigan. "Our team is 70 people, so there's a lot of work to be done. This has taken a year to build. We're on a one-year design cycle. We design and build a car every year."When complete, the cars can cost tens of thousands of dollars and reach top speeds of about 60 mph.Yale University is the defending champion. Team captain Connor Durkin said it takes a 30- to 40-hour work week on top of a regular class load to be the best."Waking up at 7 a.m. before class to go mill for three hours," he said. "Then go to class and then skip lunch to go do more parts and then get in the garage from 6 to midnight, 2 a.m. just to wrap things up."The top teams get trophies and cash prizes, but many said it's the journey that matters the most."I'm a fifth-year senior, and I've been working in the field for three years, and I've learned more on this car than those two combined," said Adam Tallman of Lawrence Technological University. "It's a wonderful, wonderful experience."Several major automobile companies are also at the competition to talk to students, do interviews and, in some cases, offer jobs.

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Automile - All Cars Connected Can the Tesla Model X 'Accelerate the Advent of Sustainable Transport'? Published Tuesday, October 6, 2015 Last week, Tesla CEO Elon Musk debuted the long-awaited Tesla Model X, a fully electric SUV. The Model X is the third electric vehicle Tesla Motors has produced, with the Tesla Roadster and Model S preceding. The Model X boasts some impressive features that give legitimacy to Musk’s claim that this is the safest SUV on the market. In a class of vehicles prone to rollover, Tesla has reduced this risk by positioning the car’s battery under the floor, which lowers the center of gravity of the vehicle. By replacing a traditional engine block with an electric battery that isn’t in the hood of the car, the crumple zone is larger so that in the event of a front-end collision, the risk of passenger injury is significantly lower. On top of that, the software upgrade in the Model X includes advanced sensors to detect impending crashes and will automatically apply the brakes in the event of a crash. In addition to its safety features, the Model X is prepared for apocalyptic scenarios: a “bioweapon defense mode” renders the car’s cabin essentially bacteria and virus free. The industry’s best air filters remove pollen, bacteria, viruses and other pollutants, and elevates the air pressure inside to keep the interior of the car comparably sterile to an operating room, touts Tesla. The Model X also features what Tesla claims is the largest windshield ever installed on a production vehicle. The panoramic glass is designed to enhance the driver’s experience and Tesla also claims that it can reduce carsickness. The top portion of the glass is tinted to protect against UV rays. Perhaps the most interesting feature for car lovers will be the “Ludicrous Speed” mode, at which the vehicle can go from 0-60 mph in just 3.2 seconds. That, coupled with a 250 mile driving capacity from a single charge, and you’ve got a seriously compelling electric vehicle. But the true innovation of the Tesla Model X is its commitment to connectivity at every angle. New software enables automatic lane changing and self parallel parking, and smart rear passenger falcon doors equipped with ultrasonic sensors adapt to the environment around them, adjusting automatically if the car is parked in a garage with a low ceiling, or if very close to another vehicle. Similarly, the driver’s side door opens automatically as they approach the vehicle, and closes when they sit down. Tesla’s already celebrated 17” touchscreen brings new apps, vehicle data, and connectivity to the forefront. This connectivity built into the car allows one to instantly learn about new features that the car has gained from software updates and change driver profiles at the click of a button. Certainly revolutionary for the SUV market, and for the electric car market in general, the concern remains with production time and the price tag. Tesla production has been notoriously backlogged, with the Model X’s release already two years late. The other problem is the price tag. With the Model X starting at $100,000 and $132,000 for the signature series model. For a company that wants to “accelerate the advent of sustainable transport,” a price tag that hefty will be a significant barrier. What do you think about the Tesla Model X? Share your thoughts with us on Twitter @Automile or on our Facebook page. Automile Can the Tesla Model X 'Accelerate the Advent of Sustainable Transport'? Automile Box Copyright 2017 Automile Inc. All Rights Reserved Automile Inc. 291 Alma Street, Palo Alto, CA 94301. 415-749-9270

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NHTSA says they won't investigate 'death wobble' PALO ALTO, Calif. -- The ABC7 News I-Team was first to report about a violent shaking occurring in some Jeep vehicles. Now, the government agency responsible for vehicle safety is responding to questions raised by Congress following our investigation. Jeep owners call it "the death wobble" -- a violent shaking in the front end of that occurs at highway speeds. Videos from YouTube show just how bad it can be. It's happened to our own Dan Noyes and an ABC7 producer. Our investigation got the attention of two members of Congress. "This is a public safety issue," said Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Palo Alto. Rep. Henry Waxman, D-California, and Eshoo sent a letter to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, or NHTSA, demanding the agency tell them how bad the problem is and what's being done to fix it. They released a response from NHTSA administrator David Strickland. In it he writes the agency has reviewed "shimmy" complaints on Jeep Wranglers from 2005 to 2010 and found "...402 relevant complaints..." and"...identified two possibly relevant crashes, one of which alleged non-fatal injuries." The I-Team analyzed NHTSA data back in February and found more than 600 complaints about Jeeps wobbling or vibrating since 1995, mostly Wranglers made after 1997. We found no deaths related to the wobble. In the letter Strickland says, "...while the condition is disconcerting to drivers, it does not result in loss of control such as the vehicle moving out of its travel lane." But that's not what the I-Team found. Retired CHP Officer David Fairbrother says he nearly crashed his 2008 Jeep Wrangler during a so-called "death wobble." "I lost control of the wheel and the vehicle on I-5 at freeway speed and spun out into a dust ball into the center divider," said Fairbrother. Fortunately, no one was injured. Chrysler, which owns Jeep, would not comment on NHTSA's findings, but Michael Palese with corporate communications for Chrysler Group LLC has previously said, "Chrysler Group vehicles meet or exceed every applicable government safety standard and have excellent safety records. All manufacturer vehicles equipped with a solid axle are susceptible to vibration and, if experienced, it can be corrected by performing minor maintenance items, such as properly balancing or changing the tires, or a front end alignment, installing a new steering dampener, or by tightening or replacing other loose or worn parts. In fact, most reported incidents -- in all manufacturer vehicles equipped with or without a solid axle -- are often linked to poorly installed or maintained after-market equipment, such as lift kits, oversized tires, etc. This is not a safety issue, and there are no injuries involving Chrysler Group vehicles related to this allegation. Indeed, the name you've given to this condition has no basis in fact." In its letter NHTSA says other vehicles have been investigated with this similar problem and therefore it"...does not believe this particular condition indicates a likelihood of a safety-related defect would warrant a formal investigation," said Strickland. But Eshoo released a statement late Thursday saying she will be "...asking the auto manufacturer to inform its customers about this potential problem and direct them to take immediate action if any vibrations occur." And the executive director of the Center For Auto Safety - a consumer watchdog group - calls NHTSA's response one of the most evasive responses he has ever seen from a federal agency. We will keep you posted as this story develops. Written and Produced by Ken Miguel Load Comments

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Correction: This is a 1964 Jerry Baltes-built slingshot dragster, the original picture showed The Green Monster, which is also being displayed Concours d'Elegance of America at St. John's to feature Slingshot dragsters The 34th-annual Concours d'Elegance of America at St. John's, formerly known as the Meadow Brook Concours d'Elegance, will host a selection of Slingshot rail drag cars this year, in addition to the Duesenbergs, Pierce-Arrows and Cords.The cars get their name from the rearward positioning of the driver seat behind the rear axle. These cars were at the top of their class in the 1960s and ran on 90 percent nitromethane and 10 percent methanol. The long and narrow Slingshots have skinny tires up front with full drag slicks in the back. They are the precursor to today's Top Fuel cars, which produce about 7,000 hp and pull 5 g's of force off the line. The Logghe Brothers will be featured this year at St. John's. Ron and Gene Logghe have built some of the fastest cars in the sport. They pioneered the first flip-top Funny Cars and worked with some of the best in the business, such as Connie Kalitta and Jim Marsh. The Logghe Brothers were inducted into the Michigan Motor Sports Hall of Fame in 2010.Another dragster-body builder, Al Bergler, will be featured. Bergler has worked on cars in both the Sportsman and Professional series. He is one of the highest regarded body-part fabricators in the world.The Arfons Brothers will show their Green Monster No. 5 car. This dragster is powered by a 12-cylinder Allison aircraft engine. The Green Monster did its thing in the mid-to-late 1950s. It wears the same green paint and monster face as it did when it was breaking speed records.The Concours d'Elegance of America is scheduled for July 29 at the Inn at St. John's. The show opens at 10 a.m. and ends at 4 p.m. Visit www.concoursusa.org for more details.

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AutomotivePeugeot 5008’s handsome face hides a practical family haulerScott CollieSeptember 7th, 201612 picturesPeugeot's French revolution is continuing with the 5008View gallery - 12 imagesWhen it was introduced on the latest 208, Peugeot's new design language set the foundation for some of the best looking family cars out there. The 308 GTi is a handsome car, and the 3008 SUV proved those good looks translated to a more rugged canvas, but the 5008 might be the most successful application yet. It's not only stylish on the outside, but also has all the space to ferry big families from A to B in comfort. Even though it's 11 cm (4.33 in) longer than the outgoing model, it still looks compact and sporty, largely thanks to the punchy flared wheel arches and squashed window line. The broad, horizontal detailing down back doesn't hurt either. Handsome though it may be, there's more to the 5008 than a pretty face. It's been designed to cater for families with kids, so special attention has been paid to the boot and rear seats. With the third-row folded there's 1,060 liters (37 cu.ft) of luggage space, and folding the rear seats and passenger seat leaves room for items up to 3.2 m (10.5 ft) long. If it's kids you're more interested in carrying, all three rear seats are the same width, which should make long family road trips and fully-loaded school runs far more bearable for all parties involved. The second row of seats can be reclined through five positions, and slide to make more room for lanky teenage legs. Interestingly, there's no mention of how much space there is in the third row, suggesting the rearmost seats are still the preserve of young kids and expert contortionists. Up front, the 5008 is all about putting Peugeot's latest technology at the driver's fingertips, including the latest version of the iCockpit system. We found the first-generation system was good for anyone who'd consider themselves average size, but could leave long-legged drivers stuck in an awkward position, so it will interesting to see how the latest iteration stacks up. Under the skin is the Efficient Modular Platform 2 (EMP2) currently doing service in the 3008. Even though it's bigger and heavier than that car, Peugeot is adamant the 5008 will still be able to get up and dance in the bends. There's also an optional Sports Pack, bringing stiffer suspension, a sharper throttle, quicker gearshifts and more engine noise to the table. Ultimately, whether it's a sports car on stilts or not is largely irrelevant to most buyers, who are more likely to be concerned with how it handles the school run. The stress on these should be reduced thanks to the requisite set of driver assistance technologies on board, including active lane keeping assist, blind spot warnings, auto-emergency braking and adaptive cruise control, while hill descent control is for those that might need to tackle a steep, slippery driveway.Power comes from four choices of gasoline engine, ranging from 130 hp to 165 hp (97 to 123 kW). Six diesels ranging from 100 hp to 180 hp (74 kW to 134 kW) will also be offered, although the full range will depend on where you live. Pricing for the 5008 is yet to be announced, but we'll be on the ground to get a closer look when it launches at the Paris Motor Show later this month. Source: Peugeot View gallery - 12 imagesPeugeot 5008’s handsome face hides a practical family hauler1 / 12 #Peugeot #SUV #Paris Motor Show 2016

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2010.11.03 Alas, poor Pontiac has joined the automobile graveyard Written by David Green. By RICH FOLEY Pontiac died Sunday night, and I’ll bet you didn’t even notice. It’s true the 84-year-old vehicle brand hasn’t produced a car in nearly a year, but the official time of death was October 31st, the day on which remaining dealer agreements with General Motors were set to expire. Not that it’s been that easy to find a new Pontiac recently. A New York Times article stated that GM said less than 125 new Pontiacs were available in the U. S. at the end of August. A whopping total of eight were sold nationwide in September. At that sales rate, they had nearly enough inventory to make it to 2012, but perhaps there was a rush on remaining vehicles earlier in October. At least I wasn’t able to track one down. I searched on Pontiac’s web site for available cars within 50 miles and found none. Searches within 100 and 150 miles, the limit allowed on the site, were equally fruitless. The Times article said that most of the remaining inventory consisted of “heavily discounted G6’s” and a Miami man wishing to purchase a Solstice two-seater coupe had to make an 1,100 mile round trip to a Florida panhandle dealer to find one. I asked my friend Gary, who is a sales representative for a Chevrolet/Cadillac dealership, if he could find any Pontiacs still available. He gave up after a search of dealers within 900 miles turned up nothing. That Florida Solstice just might have been the final sale. I suspect rental car agencies probably seized all the blowout-priced G6’s. Before he hung up, Gary pointed out that, while working at a Pontiac dealership, he delivered the first Pontiac Aztek sold in Lenawee County. Since most experts mention the oddly-styled Aztek as an example of the lackluster vehicles hastening Pontiac’s downfall, it might seem like something he’d prefer to keep secret, but since the owner loved his purchase, it’s instead the story of a happy customer. Pontiac wasn’t always known for automotive oddities like the Aztek, the two-seater Fiero with a penchant for spontaneously bursting into flames, or the 1990s Daewoo-built LeMans subcompact, which besmirched the good name of the original 1960s LeMans. Back in the day, it was cool to own a Pontiac. “Sportier than a Chevrolet, but less uppity than an Oldsmobile or Buick” was how the Times article described the Pontiac of the 1960s, when the brand was usually third in sales behind Chevy and Ford. Back then, the GTO, and later the Firebird and Trans Am kept Pontiac going and one year set a division sales record of 920,000 cars. By 2009, the brand had fallen to 12th place in sales and it was all over except planning the funeral. My sister and brother-in-law own two reminders of the brand’s glory years. My sister bought a new Pontiac Trans Am back in 1979 and still owns it, although I should point out it spent almost 20 years in storage so it’s not like it has a half-million miles on it or anything. After they settled in Kansas, brother-in-law Gary bought and restored a 1964 Pontiac GTO. If you’re going to go to all that trouble, that’s one of the best choices you can make. Now that Sandy and Gary plan to move to Texas next year, finding a home with enough garage space to store their car collection is a priority. Considering my track record of owning cars from failed brands (I’ve had three Plymouths and an Oldsmobile over the years), it’s a bit odd I’ve never owned a Pontiac myself. The one time I drove one was memorable, however. About 10 years ago, a friend asked if I would help her pick up her car at a repair shop. I drove her car while we dropped off her loaner, then she drove me home. She owned a mid-1990s Pontiac Bonneville, a car 30 years removed from the model’s 1960s glory. It was after dark and I was amazed by a dashboard assault of dozens of yellow, orange, pink and even blue lights. I was glad I still had my sunglasses with me. In retrospect, about the only warning light it was missing was a flashing red message saying “Beat the rush, buy a Chevy now!” Rust in peace, Pontiac. < Prev

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MINI to add three models by the end of the decade Article by Christian A., on January 17, 2012 According to MINI’s global boss Kay Segler, the British manufacturer owned by BMW will add three models by the end of the decade. Although he didn’t want to give any details regarding the new models, he did says that these will likely use BMW’s new front-wheel-drive platform that debuts with the second-generation Mini Cooper hardtop in 2014. The new cars will bring the number of MINI models to 10. In the United States, the new Roadster will debut next month while a coupe version of the Countryman crossover, called the Countryman Coupe will be introduced in the first quarter of 2013. This model was unveiled back in 2011 at the Detroit Auto Show as the Paceman Concept. The good news continue for MINI as Jim McDowell, company’s boss in the United States said that North American buyers have become more willing to wait for a car built to their specifications. According to the same McDowell, almost 40 percent of all MINI vehicles sold in the United States custom-ordered by buyers rather than taken from dealer stock. This means that the models bought are more expensive and according to McDowell the average transaction price for a Mini in 2011 was $28,000. The base Mini Cooper hardtop starts at $20,200, including shipping. Last year, the company sold a record 57,511 cars in the United States and expects this number to increase in 2012. Coming up with innovative concepts for the benefit of urban mobility has allowed the MINI to evolve and grow into a successful brand. It has brought a steady stream of fresh ideas since over 50 years ago when it started up until today, thus ensuring that driving fun continues to grow even with the driving space on roads becoming tighter and tighter. This success is underpinned by Mini’s creative use of space, which is a principle entering a new territory with MINI’s Rocketman Concept. This study car, which is to be revealed worldwide at the 2011 International Geneva Motor Show, is reminiscent of the classic Mini when it comes to exterior dimensions. Its technology, however, hints at the future of automotive engineering and design. MINI Rocketman Concept is a 3+1-seater featuring three doors as well as a length of over 3 meters, thereby responding to the basic requirements of mobile lifestyles in future cities. Aside from that, it pools MINI’s core values together. Ingenious functionality, impressive agility, irresistible design, and exceptional efficiency all combine into one groundbreaking and extraordinarily attractive subcompact car concept – yet one that is typically MINI – for the premium segment. MINI’s design team, with an awareness of tradition as well as a talent for innovation, has developed a vision for a car that occupies a small space on the road yet features an interior that is spacious. The MINI Rocketman Concept thus carries the brand’s classic virtues but at the same time offers a fresh take on the MINI’s unmistakable design features. The concept also uses cutting-edge manufacturing and construction technology in order to create one-of-a-kind solutions for the body and interior design. A systematic application of design principles for lightweight solutions and an interior that is purely geared towards maximum driving fun are what define the study car’s innovative concept. Moreover, carbon spaceframe construction, with a striking surface structure that can be seen at the front end, in the interior, and around its doors, forms the basis for the concept’s weight-minimizing construction. The MINI Rocketman Concept gives you the ideal platform for outstanding efficiency. It is designed to allow for a drive system that combines enhanced sprinting ability and average fuel consumption of 3 liters per 100 km. The MINI Rocketman Concept also has wide-opening doors that feature double-hinge joints as well as integrated sills. Lightweight seats have customary MINI contours and can be configured in various positions. This allows you to choose from a two-up, a comfortable three-seater, or an efficiently divided space for four. Topics: mini If you liked the article, share on:

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As Gas Costs Soar, Buyers Flock to Small Cars Bill Vlasic|The New York Times Friday, 2 May 2008 | 11:08 AM ETThe New York Times Soaring gas prices have turned the steady migration by Americans to smaller cars into a stampede. In what industry analysts are calling a first, about one in five vehicles sold in the United States was a compact or subcompact car during April, based on monthly sales data released Thursday. Almost a decade ago, when sport utility vehicles were at their peak of popularity, only one in every eight vehicles sold was a small car. The switch to smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles has been building in recent years, but has accelerated recently with the advent of $3.50-a-gallon gas. At the same time, sales of pickup trucks and large sport utility vehicles have dropped sharply. In another first, fuel-sipping four-cylinder engines surpassed six-cylinder models in popularity in April. “It’s easily the most dramatic segment shift I have witnessed in the market in my 31 years here,” said George Pipas, chief sales analyst for the Ford Motor Company. The trend toward smaller and lighter vehicles with better mileage is a blow to Detroit automakers, which offer fewer such models than Asian carmakers like Toyota and Honda. Moreover, the decline of S.U.V.’s and pickups has curtailed the biggest source of profits for General Motors, Ford and Chrysler. Once considered an unattractive and cheap alternative to large cars and S.U.V.’s, compacts have become the new star of the showroom at a time when overall industry sales are falling. Sales of Toyota’s subcompact Yaris increased 46 percent, and Honda’s tiny Fit had a record month. Ford’s compact Focus model jumped 32 percent in April from a year earlier. All those models are rated at more than 30 miles per gallon for highway driving. Dave Strom of South Boston, Va., recently bought a tiny Smart ForTwo Passion Coupe, made by Daimler, the German automaker. Mr. Strom also owns a pickup truck, which he uses mainly to haul his boat. When he runs errands, he drives his Smart, which he says is getting 45 miles a gallon. “I had to smile the other day when I filled my tank for $18 and the guy next to me had a Ford Explorer and the pump was clicking past $80,” said Mr. Strom, a 66-year-old retired manager of a Chevrolet dealership. Previous spikes in sales of smaller cars were often a result of consumers trading down during tough economic conditions or gas-price increases. When the economy improved or fuel prices dropped again — as they did after the oil-price shocks in the 1970s eased — buyers invariably went back to bigger vehicles. But with oil prices expected to remain high for years, auto industry executives are seeing a turning point. “The era of the truck-based large S.U.V.’s is over,” said Michael Jackson, chief executive of AutoNation, the nation’s largest auto retailer. Sales of traditional S.U.V.’s are down more than 25 percent this year. In April, for example, sales of G.M.’s Chevrolet Tahoe fell 35 percent. Full-size pickup sales have fallen more than 15 percent this year, with Ford’s industry-leading F-Series pickup dropping 27 percent in April alone. Sales of pickups, though, are expected to strengthen with the economy, because of their use as commercial vehicles. The rise in sales of more fuel-efficient vehicles occurred during one of the industry’s worst months in more than a decade. For the month, G.M. sales dropped 23 percent and Ford slid 19 percent, while Toyota fell by 5 percent. The figures were adjusted for the fact that this April had two more selling days than a year ago. Another bright spot in the numbers were sales of so-called small crossovers — which look like little S.U.V.’s and are based on car underpinnings. Like small cars, they also accounted for about 20 percent of the total industry sales for the month, according to the research firm J. D. Power & Associates. The analysis by J. D. Power also showed that 42 percent of all vehicles sold in April were equipped with four-cylinder engines, compared with 38 percent for six-cylinder engines. How the downsizing of America’s vehicle fleet will affect fuel consumption is still largely unknown. When gas prices rise, as they are now, many drivers simply drive less to save money. But there are some indications that the trend toward smaller vehicles will reduce the nation’s fuel use. In California, motorists bought 4 percent less gasoline in January than they did the year before, a drop of more than 58 million gallons, according to the Oil Price Information Service. “That is an incredible year-over-year drop,” said Tom Kloza, the organization’s chief oil analyst. “Some of it clearly has to do with changes in the vehicle fleet.” Baby boomers buying more compact cars Small cars have traditionally been favorites of young, first-time buyers attracted by their low prices. But sales have been creeping up since 2005, particularly among older baby-boomers whose children have grown. Crossover vehicles have also drawn in empty-nesters who have less need for a large car, S.U.V. or minivan. “The first of the baby boomers turned 62 this year, and they’ve started downsizing,” Mr. Pipas of Ford said. The latest crop of small cars and crossovers also feature the creature comforts and safety features once found only in more expensive models. Factor in the economic benefits of fuel-efficient engines, and small cars have not only become practical, but trendy as well. “This shift appears to be a permanent situation,” said Jesse Toprak, chief industry analyst for the auto information Web site Edmunds.com. “These new products have become more fashionable, just like small, fuel-efficient cars are in Europe.” The low prices on small cars are also luring consumers who are tightening their belts in an economic downturn. “We wanted to have good fuel economy, but we were equally concerned about the price of the car,” said John Shelby of Phoenix, who recently purchased a Honda Fit for $15,600. Smaller vehicles, though, mean smaller profit margins for automakers. The drop in pickup sales, because of the slowdown in the housing and construction industries, has been particularly painful for Detroit’s Big Three. “It’s just a difficult truck market for everybody, ourselves included,” said Mark LaNeve, G.M.’s head of North American sales. “By and large, people are just staying out of that market.” Automakers ignore the move to smaller vehicles at their own peril. G.M., for example, is playing catch-up by introducing a dozen new cars and crossovers in the next few model years. With federal fuel-economy regulations increasing to 31.6 miles per gallon by 2015, car companies have another incentive to speed development of smaller vehicles. “If you look at where the automakers are putting their resources into now, just about everything is going into small cars,” said Tom Libby, senior market analyst for J. D. Power.

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Volkswagen plays a round of fifth-generation Golf Aston, Alfa and Audi may be vying to be stars of the show, but the real battleground at Frankfurt is among the smaller hatchbacks that account for one in four of all cars sold in Europe, writes Ray Hutton. The German favourite is the fifth-generation Volkswagen Golf, coming to Britain early next year. Although completely new, the appearance of the five-door version is not so different from the previous model. The three-door, however, picks up style features of the smaller Polo. The new Golf GTI does not go into production for another year but a “design study” shows what it will be like and confirms it will be powered by a 200bhp turbo version of VW’s 2 litre FSI (direct petrol injection) engine. General Motors is trying to steal attention from the Golf by showing its new five-door Astra, due for launch in the UK next May. It is bigger

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Fiat Industrial reorganizes structure BLADE NEWS SERVICES MILAN — Capital goods maker Fiat Industrial on Monday announced a new management structure aimed at making it easier to merge with its U.S. subsidiary CNH Global N.V., the agriculture equipment maker. Fiat Industrial, which makes trucks, agriculture and construction equipment, said it has created a 20-seat Group Executive Council, which will be headed by Chairman Sergio Marchionne and CNH CEO Richard Tobin in the new position of group chief operating officer. The structure, which puts emphasis on brands, geography and industrial processes, is similar to a four-region management organization adopted at carmaker Fiat last year to drive integration between Italy’s Fiat and the U.S. carmaker Chrysler, which it controls.

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Grassroots Cause Marketing from Volvo Buy a virtual glass of lemonade from Lemonadestandforlife.com, sponsored by Volvo, and the money goes to Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation to support families who must travel for their child’s cancer treatments.Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, is named for Alex Scott, who in the year 2000 at the age of 4 announced to her parents that pediatric cancer must be cured and to do her part she was going to sell lemonade from a stand. Alex herself suffered from neuroblastoma and died in 2004 at the tender age of 8. By then she had already raised $1 million for cancer research.Now a 501(c)(3) charity, Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, has generated $35 million for cancer research, $12 million of it from lemonade stands.Volvo’s relationship with ALSF began in 2002 when Alex was nominated for the inaugural Volvo for Life Awards. She won it in 2003. And in 2004 Volvo dealers helped Alex meet her goal to raise $1 million for pediatric cancer research before the year end. Sadly, Alex died in August 2004. But inspired by her determination, Volvo dealers pitched in and helped Alex surpass her goal. At left is an ad from the Alden Keene Cause Marketing Database that gives a little more background on the relationship.Volvo does an annual national car raffle for ALSF. And Volvo seeded the Lemonadestandforlife.com with a $200,000 donation. There’s a counter on the site, which came online in time for Christmas 2010, that says: “As of today, 213,688 cups have been purchased.”Assuming everyone paid $1 a cup that means that the virtual lemonade stand has generated $13,688 above and beyond Volvo’s donation.If true, that has to be a disappointment for both ALSF and Volvo. The problem, in my view, is that too often these virtual icon campaigns don’t offer quite enough. These promotions can seem thin. Recognizing this, the MDA, a few years back, added a free musical download to people who bought their virtual shamrock. But I’m not sure that’s enough any more.The site does offer the usual social media ways of distributing the purchased lemonade cup; email, Facebook and Twitter. But by itself, plain vanilla social media isn’t enough either.Imagine instead a game. Maybe the cups of lemonade are launched at a penguin, Alex’s favorite animal, whose thirst can’t seem to be slaked. Think Angry Birds. You play the game for a $1 donation and your score is posted on Twitter and Facebook. You get extra plays for more money or for sending links to friends in your social network. The game would have levels and would be able to remember where you left off.This is more involved in every way than the simple website Volvo has posted, but also more involving. Done right the game would be sticky. Something users would return to again and again.Lastly, Happy Birthday to my own Alex!Labels: Alden Keene Cause Marketing Database, Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation, MDA Telethon, Shamrocks, virtual paper icons, Volvo

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Young drivers know risks, but text anyway: survey Tue May 8, 2012 6:08am EDT Email This Article | Share This Article (Reuters) - Most young American drivers agree that it is dangerous to text while driving, but nearly a third admit they do it anyway, a survey by Consumer Reports shows. While eight in ten said they knew of the risks, about 29 percent of drivers 16 to 21 said they had used text messaging in the past month, the survey found. And, 47 percent said they had made a phone call while driving, without a headset or other hands-free device. The same survey showed that 48 percent said they had seen one or both of their parents using a cell phone without a hands-free device. Nevertheless, last year there were the fewest traffic fatalities in the United States in more than six decades. The number would have been even lower if not for traffic deaths caused by drivers who were distracted by using a mobile phone or engaged in other types of attention-dividing tasks, said Rebecca Lindland, director of automotive research for IHS Inc. The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said that in 2010, some 3,092 were killed in "distracted-affected crashes," or 9.4 percent of all road deaths. A NHTSA survey earlier this year showed that younger drivers from ages 18 to 20 showed the highest level of phone involvement in crashes or near-crashes. Drivers of this age are three times more likely to read or send an email or text message while driving than those 25 and older, the NHTSA survey found. Reports of texting while driving drop sharply as age increases, NHTSA said. The Consumer Reports survey said that half the young drivers survey said they are less likely to text while driving or use a handheld phone while a friend is in the vehicle with them.

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Toyota Green Journey Initiative: NIIE Mumbai won the best Ad Campaign contest ‘Toyota Green Journey’, an exciting and innovative contest organized by the Toyota Kirloskar Motors, recently concluded the ending ceremony of the contest with NIIE Mumbai winning the award for ‘best ad campaign’ category. Besides the ‘best ad campaign’, there were two more award categories including the ‘best concept paper’ and the ‘best blog article’. While the ‘Best Ad Campaign’ title won by the National Institute of Industrial Engineering (Mumbai), the Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies claimed the Best Blog Article Award. On the other hand, the Management Development Institute, Gurgaon awarded for the Best Concept Paper. All winners entitled for certificates from Toyota and Rs 15 lakh as price money. Get Toyota Etios Liva Price The interesting contest witnessed contestants of the program were students of various colleges in the country, where the presented a number of innovative ways and ideas on sustainable energy such as, fuel consumption, waste management and usage of green technologies. The participants came from over 200 prestigious institutes, spread across 60 cities of the country. The ‘Toyota Green Journey’ has been considered a big step ahead in the direction of initiating the sustainable and greener approach. Toyota is renowned worldwide for its hybrid technology and green initiatives. Speaking on the occasion, TKM’s Deputy Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer (Marketing and Commercial), Mr. Sandeep Singh said that over 2700 teams participated in the contest and the company is very happy by this overwhelming response. He added that the company is looking forward for more such contests as it helps the company in connecting with young minds to generate greener ideas.

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Search Scrapping the Auto Industry Obama mandates threaten thousands of jobs and to decrease the living standard for countless Americans. July 3, 2011 Tait Trussell Higher fuel-economy standards for vehicles, sought by the environment-obsessed Obama administration, would add as much as $10,000 to the cost of a future car, could slash auto sales by 5.5 million a year and eliminate more than 260,000 jobs. Those are conclusions of the Michigan Center for Automotive Research in a major study released this June. Congress in 1975 first set corporate average fuel economy (CAFÉ) regulations in the wake of the Arab Oil embargo to reduce oil and gasoline consumption. Car manufacturers were required to have a low average miles-per-gallon for their future fleets of autos. In more recent years, the reduction of fuel has been related to so-called green house gases, such as carbon dioxide, and to reinforce the myth of global warming. Now Obama wants car-makers to roughly double the fuel economy standard to 56.2 miles per gallon by 2025. Some environmental organizations wanted even a 62-mpg standard. The administration ruled a 35.5 standard by 2016. That’s up from 27 mpg now. New vehicle sales are expected to average 15.2 million units annually between now and 2025, the center said, considering modest growth in GDP, scrapage rate (the average car is kept for 10 years) and new car prices. “However, dramatic changes, not determined by market forces,” could significantly alter growth, age of cars and sales, the center pointed out. “This could result in the loss of hundreds of thousand of manufacturing jobs and reduce the standard of living and personal mobility of millions of U.S. consumers” because of “mandates by the federal government to improve fuel economy...beyond what is required by the market." The cost and effectiveness estimates for fuel reduction technology relied on a study by the National Research Council (NRC), reviewed by 13 outside sources and release in June. The NRC analysis attempted to identify all significant economic technologies for light-duty vehicles by 2025. Over 40 were identified. “Fuel cell vehicles are not expected to be significant in volume.” Both battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) would have “limited deployment,” the NRC said. Expensive government mandates have made the U.S. motor fleet “the oldest among developed countries,” the study said. As early as May 19, 2009, President Obama overturned the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. He high-handedly raised the new fuel-economy standard four years sooner than it was to go into effect. Then on May 21, 2010, the “can’t-wait” President ordered his Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to immediately plan new fuel-economy standards—in truth, levels of greenhouse gas emissions for 2017-2025. This brash action was taken without explicit calculations of the potential impacts on U.S. motor vehicle demand, production or employment, the Center for Automotive Research noted. Long-term growth in auto sales is largely determined by increase in people’s incomes and growth in the adult population. The market for car sales has been “saturated since the early 1970s. The U.S. driving age population reached 240 million in 2009," the center said. Since the late ‘70s, the average household has two cars. By 2025, the Center estimates the vehicles “should level out at 2.07 vehicles per household. So, are electric cars our automotive future? People who race out to buy an electric car, such as the heavily federally subsidized Chevy Volt, thinking it’s the “green” thing to do, are deluded into believing it helps the environment. Wrong. That new Volt typically is recharged by electricity from a coal-burning power plant. And because the Environmental Protection Agency has convinced naive Americans that carbon dioxide (CO2) is "destroying the planet," EPA is threatening to close many of their coal-fired plants, driving up the price of electricity. A new British study, reported June 10 by Back to Basics, says electric cars could give off as high emissions over their lifetimes as gasoline-fueled cars because of the energy consumed in making their batteries. Indeed, old chap, you’d have to drive 129,000 kilometers before any savings in CO2, a Brit might tell you. Plug-ins, it seems, leave their own “carbon footprint.” One of many facts Obama apparently doesn’t know about the shaky outlook for electric cars is that half of the households of people who own cars have no garage. Not many folks would want to plug a car all night into their living room socket. Stricter standards push auto makers to build smaller, lighter cars. Recently the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety released its study of vehicle death rates. Big, heavy cars are safer, with a death rate less than a third that off small cars. So paying thousands more for an electric car -- even with government subsidy -- could make minimal positive impact on the environment, while added more woe to our jobless economy. Yet another not-so-wise move is being promoted by the White House. Share About Tait Trussell Tait Trussell is a national award-winning writer, former vice-president of the American Enterprise Institute and former Washington correspondent for The Wall Street Journal.

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A Chat with Ford's Alan Mulally Dennis Simanaitis Advertisement - Continue Reading Below Ford Motor Co. President and CEO Alan MulallyA Fortune magazine Brainstorm Green conference gave several of us automotive journalist types an opportunity to spend what's known these days as quality time with Alan Mulally, president and chief executive officer of Ford Motor Co. This private reception was a first time for me, and I came away thinking that every company should be so lucky to have such capable leadership. Here, in no particular order, are some of the things discussed: Most PopularOn Ford ElectrificationThe Fortune event was part of my drive of the Ford Focus Electric (see its Drive report elsewhere at this website). Mulally noted that this car is part of a Ford plan to electrify some 20 percent of its products by 2020. Unlike political posturing I've seen, he was clear in his characterization of "electrified" products to include conventional hybrids, not just plug-ins and battery electrics. Nevertheless, the Ford plan is quite a challenge when you consider that conventional hybrids currently account for no more than a few percent of the market. 2012 Ford Focus ElectricAdvertisement - Continue Reading BelowOn the Union of Concerned Scientists' ReportRecently, the Union of Concerned Scientists, an organization with strongly green credentials, published a report noting that the benefits of battery electric vehicles depended profoundly on where these BEVs are driven. In particular, throughout much of the American midsection, where electricity depends on coal for its production, an overall assessment actually favors the gasoline-fueled car. I asked Mulally what effect this would have on BEV acceptance. He said, "This report is a level of analysis that's fantastic. Now we're looking at all the areas, how we generate the electricity as well as how we use it."Along this theme of how we use it, Mulally noted that battery cost continues to be a crucial aspect of comparing hybrids, plug-ins and BEVs. He put the battery cost of a hybrid at around $2000. With a plug-in, he said this rises to $7000–$8000. In a battery electric, it's in the range of $12,000 to $15,000. It's curious that these comments made headline news in the mass media—though the theme should be familiar to R&T readers (see, for example, my recent Tech Tidbits column, May 2012)."The vast majority of this electrification will be hybrids," Mulally said. "A hybrid brings tremendous value," he continued. "Also, nothing else about your lifestyle has to change." Advertisement - Continue Reading Below 2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid and EnergiOn Government's RoleWith regard to rebates, tax credits and subsidies for transportation, Mulally said "It's clear that all countries want economic development, energy independence and security, and environmental sustainability. This isn't just for a better world, but because it makes tremendous business sense as well. The question is, `Where do we want to use our precious taxpayer money?' "On National Mpg/CO2 Standards versus the CARB Mandate"Having one national standard for mpg and CO2 is extremely important," Mulally said, "and we were very pleased when everyone pulled together to achieve this. The most important thing is not having different standards for every state—this would invoke tremendous costs." Most PopularWhat about the more recent California Air Resources Board mandate (which requires automakers to meet CARB-determined sales volumes of EVs)? Said Mulally, "The customers will decide..." Ford Motor Co. President and CEO Alan MulallyOn a Change of Job"I had a great life at Boeing," he said. "I'd been there for 37 years and contributed to all the Boeing airplanes as a designer: the 707, 727, 37, 47, 57, 67 and "triple 7" and the 87."Then I got a call from Bill Ford, and I said `Bill Ford of the Ford Motor Company?' Yes, it was, and he said they were having some trouble. The forecast they had for profits for 2006 was a $17 billion loss—$17 billion with brackets around it. Now if you're in business and have brackets around your profits, it means you have no idea what you're in business for."In fact," said Mulally with a sardonic smile, "We were able to achieve that forecast...."We had actually 97 different models around the world, and we were losing money on all the brands and all the vehicles. It was a very serious situation. That strategy clearly wasn't working."A New Strategy—of Only One PageThis led to a strategy he was able to share with us, namely because it took no more than a single sheet of paper. In fact, Mulally carries a photo-reduced version of it as a card in his wallet.Advertisement - Continue Reading Below"At the top," he said, "you see circles representing markets around the world: Asia/Pacific, Russia and Europe, and the Americas. Then there are the sizes of the vehicles—and this is a tremendous shift worldwide. In the next few years, nearly 60 percent of vehicles worldwide will be B/C size like the Fiesta and Focus. About 25 percent will be C/D size like the Fusion. And about 15 percent will be larger, like the Taurus and bigger trucks and SUVs. 2013 Ford Explorer Sport"Our entire plan is to offer customers a full family of the vehicles they want—vehicles meeting their standards of best-in-class quality, best-in-class fuel economy, lowest CO2, safe smart designs with best-in-class value. All of these ideas have coalesced around the world."Do you remember when smaller vehicles in the U.S. used to be `cheap and cheery'? Not anymore."Another notation on the card is PGA. "Not Professional Golfers Association," Mulally jokes. "It stands for `profitable growth for all.' It's the only way to have a sustainable business."Is the Strategy Working?"Where are we today? We had borrowed that `small' home improvement loan of $23 1/2 billion approximately, and we have now paid back nearly $21 billion of it. We have been operating profitably—we've turned the corner. For the last few years we've actually increased market share in the U.S. and globally. And we have reinstituted a dividend."At the close of our private reception, prior to his keynote address at the Fortune conference, Mulally joked "You guys are going to come, right? So if I fall over something, you now know the whole Ford story—and I want you to stand up and help me..."Need I add that Alan Mulally didn't require our help. Speaking as one with essentially no business acumen, I would say the Mulally strategy is working just fine, thanks. And he communicates it extremely well with evident commitment, enthusiasm and humor..Related posts:Ford: Rebuilding an American Icon. Worth Watching?2012 Ford Focus SFE – Ford Focuses on 40 mpgMaking the Ford Anglia Fly – Ford of Britain CentenaryMore from Road & Track: Car Culture alan mulally ford focus Ford Interview : Alan Mulally , President and CEO of Ford Motor Co. Photos: Alan Mulally & the 2012 Ford Focus Electric Ford CEO Alan Mulally talks the new Mustang with Stephen Colbert Photos: 2011 Ford Mustang by Muscle Mustangs and Fast Fords Fabulous Fords 2004 Photos: 2004 Fabulous Fords Forever! 2014 Ford Mustang Sedan

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> GT Cars CTS-V Coupe GT Cadillac CTS-V Coupe GT Country of origin:United States Produced from:2011 - 2014 Introduced at:2011 NAIAS Successor:Cadillac ATS-V.R Last updated:January 07, 2011 Page 1 of 1 Cadillac announced it will return to racing in 2011 with a race-prepared version of its CTS-V Coupe competing in the Sports Car Club of America World Challenge, North America's top production-based racecar series.The move returns Cadillac to a series where it competed from 2004 to 2007. Competing in the GT Class with the CTS-V Sport Sedan, Cadillac captured the Manufacturer's Championship in 2005 and 2007 and the Driver's Championship in 2005.Cadillac will field two teams in the upcoming SCCA World Challenge GT Class with a racecar based on the CTS-V Coupe. The CTS-V line, which also includes the CTS-V Sedan and CTS-V Wagon, was recently named to Car and Driver magazine's 10 Best list for 2011."Returning to racing in the SCCA World Challenge is a great way to demonstrate the performance and capability of the CTS-V Coupe," said Don Butler, vice president for Cadillac marketing. "The racecars in this series are production based, which allows us to validate our performance against the best of our competitors on the track, and not just the showroom."Cadillac is working with Pratt & Miller, a New Hudson, Mich., engineering firm which specializes in motorsports, to develop the CTS-V Coupe racecar. While some of the production CTS-V components will be modified due to the unique demands of racing or to meet the SCCA series' technical rules, every effort is taken to maintain as much production content as possible."The SCCA World Challenge lends itself well to a natural transfer of knowledge," said Jim Campbell, GM vice president for Performance Vehicles and Motorsports. "The series will become a key test-bed for Cadillac. We anticipate using what we learn on the racetrack to ensure the V-Series stays on the cutting-edge of performance."The first event in the SCCA World Challenge is March 25-27 in St. Petersburg, Fla. Johnny O'Connell, a three-time GT1 champion in the America Le Mans Series, and Andy Pilgrim, who won the 2005 SCCA World Challenge GT class in a Cadillac, will be behind the wheel of the CTS-V racecars. Page 1 of 1 Article Add your comments on the Cadillac CTS-V Coupe GT

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Home > Support > FAQs > Search Result: A-S2000 > What is the difference between A-Stock and Refurbished Yamaha Products? What is the difference between A-Stock and Refurbished Yamaha Products? A-STOCK: Yamaha products that are new are considered A-Stock which means that they have never been used and are factory fresh. A-Stock units have the full Yamaha manufacturer’s warranty as long as they are purchased from an Authorized Yamaha Dealer. Refurbished Stock: Yamaha Refurbished Stock items may have been opened and may have minor (if any) cosmetic damage. Yamaha Refurbished Stock items have been inspected by Yamaha and, if necessary repaired or reconditioned by Yamaha. Yamaha Refurbished Stock items will have a Refurbished Stock sticker placed over the serial number on the box and the product for easy identification. Refurbished Stock units have Yamaha manufacturer’s warranty as listed below when purchased from an Authorized Yamaha Dealer Warranty Term Duration from date of purchase by or for the Original Owner Type of AV Products: AV Receiver models RX-Z1, RX-Z7, RX-Z9 and RX-Z11.………………… 2 years. A/V and Stereo Receivers, Sound Bars, Processor and Integrated Amplifiers, Separate Amplifiers and Preamplifiers, Tuners, CD Players and Changers, HDD Players and Recorders, Network Players, Powered Loudspeakers, Media Controllers and Speaker Systems purchased individually, as a pair, or as part of an Integrated or Packaged System.………………… 1 year. Cassette Decks, Blu-ray Disc Players, DVD Players and Changers, Integrated Systems (Receiver or Amplifier combined or on same chassis with CD, DVD or Blu-ray Disc Player), Desktop Audio Systems (i.e. TSX and PDX Series), Multimedia Speakers, Headphones, Earphones and Accessories.………………… 6 months

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Home > Cars > Go drag racing with the Chevy COPO Camaro Go drag racing with the Chevy COPO Camaro By The Chevrolet Camaro is the quintessential American muscle car. It has good looks and enough power to get you down the quarter mile in a hurry, all while making a lot of noise. Newer Camaros have tried to add handling to their resumes, but muscle cars have always been about going fast in a straight line. The COPO Camaro, a limited-edition designed for drag racing, brings the Camaro back to its roots. The COPO is a dedicated racing machine, so much so that you can’t drive it on the street; none of the cars have VIN tags. It may not pass muster at the DMV, but the COPO Camaro does meet the requirements for the National Hot Rod Association’s Stock Eliminator and Super Stock classes. Under the hood will be one of three engines. Buyers can get a 5.3-liter V8 with a small or large supercharger, or a 7.0-liter V8 derived from the Corvette Z06’s LS7. Chevy was mum on power numbers, but the LS7 makes 505 hp and 470 lb-ft of torque in the Corvette. All three versions will be mated with a race-spec Powerglide automatic transmission. An automatic is better suited for handling the punishment of drag launches, and it can shift smoothly and consistently all the way down the quarter mile. The stock Camaro was much-praised for its independent rear suspension, but the COPO gets a more primitive solid rear axle; drag racers prefer this setup. The interior gets a roll cage, bucket seats, Chevrolet Performance gauges, and a racing shifter. Only 69 COPO Camaros will be built, with an $89,000 price tag. Chevy will contract with an outside company to choose worthy buyers, who will be invited to the GM Performance Build Center to participate in their car’s construction. The whole process sounds less like buying a car and more like joining the Avengers Initiative. It also sounds like a lot of trouble for a highly specialized car; 69 units isn’t even a blip on GM’s annual production tallies. Profits are not the goal here; the COPO Camaro is all about bragging rights. The COPO will fly the Chevy flag at drag strips across the country. It will also do battle against rival Ford’s Mustang Cobra Jet. “The COPO Camaro is going to shake up the sportsman drag racing ranks this summer and give Chevy fans a great new reason to cheer,” GM vice president of motorsports Jim Campbell said in a statement. The concept of a drag racing Camaro is a throwback, and so is the same. In the 1960s, COPO stood for Central Office Production Order, a back-door way to get special equipment for General Motors cars. the original COPO Camaro, the ZL-1, was based on the 1969 model. It had a 427-cubic inch (roughly 7.0-liter) V8 and was intended for drag racing. Some things never change.

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Home > Cars > Will Tesla’s media war make the Model S the next… Will Tesla’s media war make the Model S the next Corvair? By Back long before I could drive, a guy by the name of Ralph Nader delivered a damning review on an innovative car from the most powerful car company in the world. The car was the Chevrolet Corvair, which was GM’s answer to sporty rear-engine cars from both Porsche and VW. The review, which took the form of a book titled “Unsafe at Any Speed,” was scientifically debunked in 1972, about three years after GM was forced to cancel production of the Corvair. Researchers concluded that while the Corvair had issues, it was no more or less safe than other vehicles of its time period. Most of the cars made in the 1960s weren’t exactly known for great handling. Nader may have overblown the problem, but it was GM’s misguided response that killed the car. Rather than fixing the problems and giving Nader some credit, the corporate giant decided to go to war with him. The result was a dead car and the birth of one of the most powerful consumer advocates in history. Tesla is experiencing what seems to be a similar problem. A New York Times reviewer named John Broder panned the car for running out of juice on a test drive, and Tesla attacked him personally. The attention is causing the review to circulate more widely, and may make the guy famous much like GM did for Nader. And it could kill Tesla. The review heard ‘round the world Unlike the Corvair, the Tesla S isn’t being presented as unsafe, but as using an unreliable technology (lithium-ion batteries) that could leave the driver stranded, much like what happened to the reviewer. In regular weather, this could be problematic, but in the kind of weather they’ve been having on the east coast lately, this could be life threatening and a serious problem. To be fair, the author of the article isn’t a typical car reviewer. He appears to cover mostly the oil market. As such, he may well lack the expertise and experience to properly review an EV or compare it to comparable gas-powered cars. In other words, Tesla should have either passed on giving him a review vehicle, or insisted that one of their folks ride along. After all, Apple doesn’t send review products to Microsoft fans, and Microsoft doesn’t send Windows 8 PCs to Apple sites (they did that during the Vista launch and it didn’t go well). The problem with electrics For a time, I was a battery analyst covering the US market. There was no one putting any real money into this market and, for some reason, after everyone else left, the job landed on my desk. My firm actually ran the largest battery show in the nation. There are a number of problems with battery technology that need to be overcome. They are created through a relatively toxic process, they don’t like extreme cold or high heat, they have a quarter the energy density of dynamite, quality control has had historic problems, and when they do fail, they burn really hot. I can speak to this last point because a failed lithium-ion battery pack almost burned my house down. Electric vehicles are almost the polar opposite of gas vehicles. Gas cars are most efficient at moderate highway speeds over long distances, torque develops at speed, and they can operate over a wide temperature spectrum. Electric vehicles are most efficient in stop-and-go or slow speeds, they have most of their torque available at start (making them wicked fast off the line), and are best over a much narrower temperature range. If a gas car is as silent as an electric car, you are likely coasting; if an electric is as noisy as gas car, it is probably in the process of blowing up. Finally there are lots of gas stations and very few charging stations (and you’d better bring a novel to read while you fill up). So a review scenario that would favor an electric car would have the driver hopping around the city and in traffic, with a total drive distance under 100 miles. One that would favor a gas car would be a long drive over a distance greater than 100 miles. For competition, an electric will typically win in the sprint to 30 mph, a gas car would be favored at top speed and above posted speed limits. Tesla CEO Elon Musk accused the author of creating a test that made the Tesla S look bad. He’s right, in that New York Time’s Tesla test would favor a gas car over an electric and expose the range, charging station, and weather problems associated with an electric. But he didn’t do anything you or I might not do with our own cars, or hope to do with a new Tesla. Tesla’s problem Tesla’s mistake was giving the car unchaperoned to a reporter who is tied to the hip to gas. An EV would be a hard sell for a guy who makes his living in oil, even if it behaved more like a gas car than it does. Tesla is defending the car’s range by claiming the distance driven is inaccurate, he didn’t charge the car properly, and that he drove over the speed limit rather than under it, as he claimed. But by making these challenges, the company is just making the author of the review more visible. Ultimately, a $52,000 car shouldn’t need excuses, it should be able to compete head to head with a gas car in a test that favors gas cars. Just as GM validated Ralph Nader and eventually had to kill the Corvair, Tesla is unintentionally focusing everyone on the shortcomings of electrics and making it harder to see through them to the advantages. Put differently, a bad car review isn’t news, but a car company going after a reviewer in the media definitely is. There is an old saying: You don’t go to war with people that buy ink by the barrel. Tesla should likely revisit that advice, or it may find itself as a footnote in history as a peer to the Corvair.

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by Bob Graves Electric Vehicles’ Slow Merge Into the Fast Lane As home to almost half of all of the electric vehicles (EVs) being sold in the United States, California is clearly the nation's proving ground for their deployment. But the trend is not promising. With about 71,000 zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) being bought annually in the state, the adoption rate is less than half of what will be needed to reach California's target of 1.5 million ZEVs on its roads by 2025. The vast majority of ZEVs are expected to be electric vehicles, and California's state government is pushing hard for their adoption with a combination of regulation and incentives such as rebates to purchasers on top of the federal tax credits they can receive. Still, the rate is lagging, leaving transportation experts to debate why that's the case in a state legendary for its green attitudes and activist mindset. READ MORE Urban Transportation’s Multimodal Future Second perhaps only to waterways, road systems have had the greatest impact on the design and physical structure of our cities. The car-centric redesign of the American city that began in the early 20th century was embraced with open arms by urban planners and citizens alike. Yet now, in the early 21st century, its limitations are clear. There is a rapidly growing awareness that simply expanding our roadways won't end congestion and gridlock. The future, more and more urban transportation experts are coming to believe, lies in mobility-friendly networks in which cars are just one element -- and an ever-shrinking one as we move from a system in which the personally owned vehicle is king and toward a multimodal future of on-demand driverless vehicles, ride-sharing, expanded public transit, greater reliance on human-powered transportation and other alternatives. READ MORE Infrastructure's Digital Disruption If there's any consensus that emerged from the presidential election, it was on the need to do something about America's aging infrastructure. "We're going to rebuild our infrastructure, which will become, by the way, second to none," President-elect Donald Trump declared in his victory speech. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi responded that top Democrats shared that interest, with a particular focus on job creation. "We can work together to quickly pass a robust infrastructure jobs bill," she said. Trump is talking about a 10-year, trillion-dollar infrastructure plan -- certainly a bold vision. But as the saying goes, the devil is in the details. And the details have to include an understanding of the many ways digital technology is transforming how America works, lives and plays. READ MORE Limited Resources and the Vision of a Circular Economy Natural resources like water, minerals, oil and timber are the feedstock of an economy. The predominate pattern of their use is a linear flow of resources into manufactured goods and then on to consumers, product end of life and, finally, disposal. There are, of course, serious problems with this linear-flow, consumption-oriented economy, not the least of which is resource depletion. But is there another way? Yes, say those who advocate for moving toward a "circular economy," one in which materials would no longer be consumed but rather would be used and then fully recovered to be remanufactured again and again -- ideally with no degradation and of equal quality to virgin materials. "In the circular economy we are no longer consumers and there's no end of life for products," noted Ellen MacArthur at a recent conference. "We are all just users." READ MORE Doubling Down on California’s Climate Commitment Back in 2006, California lawmakers passed Assembly Bill 32 (AB32), its first-in-the-nation climate mitigation legislation. State officials were either, depending on one's viewpoint, making a commitment to rescue the state from a bleak environmental future or sending its economy off a cliff. "There's no way to get to the targets except by stopping the use of energy," Dorothy Rothrock, vice president of the California Manufacturers and Technology Association, said at the time. Opponents ran ads warning of job losses, reduced investment and energy rationing. Despite those dire predictions, California has survived the last 10 years quite well: It tied with Oregon last year as having the strongest state economy. And, already on track to meet AB32's 2020 emissions reduction target, California doubled down this month on its climate commitment with the enactment of Senate Bill 32 (SB32), which will require the state to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030. READ MORE

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Red Bull engine deal ‘not Wolff’s decision’ – Horner on October 6, 2015 in Motorsport Oct.6 (GMM/Inautonews.com) Christian Horner has revealed that talks with two manufacturers are taking place as Red Bull continues to work on its engine supplier crisis. Amid the Renault divorce, the energy drink company says it will have to quit formula one if it cannot secure a competitive alternative engine for 2016. Mercedes, however, has ruled out working with Red Bull, Ferrari is believed to be offering only a ‘B’ engine, and Honda has played down reports linking it strongly with Red Bull’s secondary team, Toro Rosso. Nonetheless, Red Bull Racing team boss Horner told the Austrian broadcaster Servus TV: “There are talks with two manufacturers.” Fascinatingly, although Mercedes’ motor racing chief has categorically ruled out a deal for Red Bull, Briton Horner hinted that the German carmaker could still be an option. “The decision does not lie with Toto Wolff,” he said. “It is at a higher level. “There are many conversations going on behind the scenes, and obviously the promoter of formula one, Bernie Ecclestone, is worried about what’s going to happen with us.” Horner admitted the situation is now urgent. “This is an important topic that hopefully we can get resolved in the next few weeks. It’s critical. It’s getting late — very late,” he said. “We are now at the beginning of October, and the designers at Milton Keynes want to know what to do with the RB12. When do we want to have the solution? Two weeks ago! “Adrian Newey said to me ‘Christian, we need an answer. I know what to do with the front and the rear of the car, but we also need to know what to do with the middle’. “Because it’s not just about the engine,” Horner explained, “it’s about the cooling, which affects the shape of the sidepods. It’s also about the transmission, which affects the shape of the rear end. “Ultimately, the decision about what will happen is with Dietrich Mateschitz. My job – as soon as we know what engine we’ve got – is to put it all into effect immediately. “But right now, as I sit here, we do not have a solution,” he admitted. “Yes, that is some sort of advantage for the other teams, but the quality of our work at Red Bull Racing is so high that we can cope with the delay. Everyone is highly motivated and we want to win again. “But we do not want to continue as we have in the last year and a half,” Horner insisted. If an acceptable solution is not found, however, and Mateschitz does pull the plug, Red Bull will be left with hundreds of employees with no work to do. Horner insisted: “If we are not going to the grands prix any more, then we will look at other activities. We have many extremely talented people working at Milton Keynes, and we would have to look at how best to use that talent. “For sure the staff are concerned,” he admitted, “but I tell them ‘Concentrate on your work and don’t worry about what you can’t influence’.”

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Lowrider Events » Majestix C.C 8th Annual Picnic – On The Scene Majestix C.C 8th Annual Picnic – On The Scene October 9, 2010 by Joe Sotelo Share on Facebook Currently celebrating their 25th year anniversary, Majestix Car Club also held their 8th annual Memorial Day Picnic this past May in Dallas, Texas. Car clubs, solo riders, and various auto shops came from near and far to support an event that is quickly taking on legendary status in the North Texas area. This fact is undeniable, given the many participants who came to Dallas from throughout Texas and as far as Kansas and Oklahoma. Estilo Car Club brought in their Midland, Texas chapter to show support with their clean rides. This unity and support from one car club event to another car club event has been gaining momentum within the last decade, and is quickly becoming a staple within the Lowrider movement. It is this camaraderie that has undoubtedly helped take Lowriding into the 21st century.Awards are always a given at the Majestix picnics, and this year there were two clean sweeps. Majestix Car Club, utilizing three of their chapters, provided a line-up that was a true display of quality craftsmanship. Majestic member Tony, a.k.a. “Skim,” brought his 1964 drop top Impala, which is still a relatively new addition to the Dallas/Ft. Worth scene. Together, they were awarded with Best Car Club Line-up, complete with a 6 foot trophy sponsored by Street Kings motorcycle club, and Best Traditional Lowrider of the picnic, respectively. Bad Boy’s Hydraulics has been a part of the Majestix picnics since its inception. This year, they provided all of the hopping entertainment. Bad Boy’s swept both single and double pump class categories. All awards were voted on and given by Majestix Car Club members based on categories which included quality, craftsmanship, participation and innovation. It could have easily been a car show, due to the fact that so many rides that represented at the picnic had not yet been seen on the street.Awards aren’t what drives this traditional Lowrider car club to keep their tradition alive; the real motivation is the spectators. Majestix members had a vision 8 years ago to give back to their gente as well as their families. By providing the community a day to celebrate Memorial Day, raza style, the club can see that their work is all worth it. Majestix would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their support. See everyone next year! Joe Sotelo See more articles from Joe Share on Facebook Majestix C.C 8th Annual Picnic – On The Scene /37

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Home The History of Splash Car Washes The History of Splash Car Washes Splash Car Wash was founded by Mark Curtis and Chris Fisher with the opening of their first hand wash -- Splash, Greenwich. Both lifelong Greenwich, CT residents Curtis and Fisher cast aside their business suits and ties to immerse themselves in suds and water with the purchase of Greenwich Car Wash in 1981. Eventually renamed Splash Car Wash in 1994, to mark a totally innovative concept developed by Curtis and Fisher for washing cars on conveyor by hand in a tunnel, overwhelming response to their new hand wash became the catalyst for phenomenal growth at Splash. Similar operations opened at Bedford Hills, NY in 1995 and Norwalk, CT in 1996. More locations soon followed as Splash Car Wash continued its expansion with the acquisition and development of “soft cloth” washes and the latest in washing technology offering exterior-only or full service automated washing. Today there are 16 Splash Car Wash operations located throughout Fairfield, CT and Upper Westchester, NY counties: Bridgeport, Cheshire, Cos Cob, Darien, Fairfield, Greenwich, Hamden, New Haven, New Haven East, Norwalk, Shelton, Stamford, West Haven, Wilton, Bedford Hills, Brewster, and White Plains. Splash Car Wash is among the 11th largest car-care companies in the country, and with over 27 years of experience, Splash Car Wash has fast become a leader in the car wash industry. What Curtis and Fisher then supposed to be a simple, turnkey business, morphed into a major operation employing more than 500 people and washing over one million cars per year. Much success can be attributed to the dynamic marketing programs Splash Car Wash has deployed over the years for its customers including coupons, gift cards, loyalty programs, cross promotions with local businesses on the Splash Car Wash web site and comprehensive fundraising programs. More recently, effective use of electronic media has placed Splash Car Wash at the forefront of the car care industry as pioneers of social media tools such as Facebook and Twitter. Even during its rapid expansion, Splash Car Wash has continued to maintain its commitment to the communities it serves. Since its first fundraising event in 1985 with the A.R.C. of Greenwich, Splash Car Wash has raised over one million dollars for many local organizations, charities and associations throughout Connecticut and New York. Splash handles requests from over 400 charitable organizations each year. In 1999, Splash Car Wash became the only car care company to have employees win both the “Most Valuable” and “Car Wash Manager of the Year” awards in the same year, and it now has the honor of being the only car wash with two “MVP” awards. Splash Car Wash has won the prestigious Mass Mutual Blue Chip Enterprise Award and has been voted ‘Best Car Wash” over 20 times by various publications in New York and Connecticut. Splash Car Wash car care services include: Hand Wash, Express Wash, After Hours Washing, Five Star Detailing and Lube and Oil Change.

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Edition: USA UK editionAUS editionIND editionLAT edition Newsletter sign up McLaren P12 and P13 supercars set to be unveiled in 2015 Posted on 2 Apr 2012 Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton, at the launch of the MP4-12C at One Hyde Park. McLaren Automotive has plans to design two further roadcars following the launch of the MP4-12C. The MP4-12C is the first sportscar designed and built by McLaren since the F1, which set the record for the fastest road car in the world at 242.95 mph in 1998. McLaren teamed up with Mercedes Benz to create the Mercedes Benz SLR McLaren but it wasn’t the vision of its chairman Ron Dennis to have a sports car as a partner, he wanted a McLaren design, McLaren built motorcar, which is how he came up with the MP4-12C that went out into the market last year and retails at £168,500. After the MP4-12C there are another two cars in the design phase of production, the P12 and P13. The P12 will challenge the Bugatti Veyron and Ferrari Enzo at the top of the price range. A spokesperson for McLaren said: “It is along the lines of the McLaren F1 so it will have a much higher retail value and we won’t make too many of them so it will be a real collector’s piece.” McLaren have said that it is planning to make the P12 the lightest supercar yet, with a target weight of 1,140kg. It will cost in the region of £1m and is said to be able to reach a top speed of around 260mph. The McLaren P13 will cost between £60,000 to £80,000 and is set to be revealed at the Geneva Car Show in 2013. The spokesperson added: “It will compete in a similar market to Porsche. We are trying to put cars out that at every single level of the sportscar automotive market.” The company is unveiling a number of dealerships around the world, which will total 34 after the final 18 open. There has been more than 1,800 orders for the MP4-12C that have been placed via McLaren’s new retailers spanning across 18 countries. Click here for our full factory tour of the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking.

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1 of 9The LT1 V8 will make at least 450 hp and 450 lb-ft of torque in the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette.Photo by DALE JEWETT2 of 9The front view of the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette's LT1 V8 engine.Photo by DALE JEWETT3 of 9The left front of the LT1 V8 for the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette.Photo by DALE JEWETT4 of 9A side view of the LT1 V8 for the new Corvette.Photo by DALE JEWETT5 of 9The back of the LT1 V8 engine for the Chevy Corvette.Photo by DALE JEWETT6 of 9The aluminum engine block for the LT1 V8.Photo by DALE JEWETT7 of 9Small block V8 chief engineer Jordan Lee with the piston for the LT1 engine for the Corvette.Photo by DALE JEWETT8 of 9Cutaway drawing of LT1 V8 for 2014 Chevrolet Corvette. Next Gallery: Nissan Extrem concept bows at Sao Paulo auto show » 9 of 9Next Gallery: Nissan Extrem concept bows at Sao Paulo auto show 2014 Chevrolet Corvette V8 to make at least 450 hp: New-generation small block uses direct fuel injection, cylinder deactivation The 2014 Chevy Corvette will be powered by an all-new 6.2-liter V8 that combines direct fuel injection, continuously variable camshaft timing and cylinder deactivation to make the sports car both powerful and fuel efficient.General Motors unveiled the new V8 on Wednesday, and said it will produce at least 450 horsepower and 450 lb-ft of torque. It will power the new Corvette, set to be unveiled in January at the Detroit auto show, from 0 to 60 mph in less than 4 seconds. The engine is also expected to help the new Corvette get better fuel economy. The current Corvette is rated at 26 mpg on the highway.The aluminum engine, designated LT1, is the first version of the fifth generation of GM's small block V8. GM has plans to use other versions of the fifth-generation small block in other products, including the redesigned 2014 full-size pickups and SUVs.Higher-performance versions of the new engine are also likely for the new Corvette. GM and Corvette officials would not discuss future plans.The base engine for the 2013 Corvette, known as the LS3, also displaces 6.2 liters and is rated at 430 hp and 424 lb-ft of torque. The current Corvette engine does not use direct injection, variable camshaft or cylinder deactivation.“When you talk to Corvette customers, the most important part of the car for them is the engine,” said Tadge Juechter, the Corvette's executive chief engineer.He added that Corvette fans show little interest in smaller engines. “They want their Corvette to have a V8,” he said.Trio of new technologiesThe LT1 engine uses three key technologies:1. Direct fuel injection, which sprays fuel directly into the cylinder to mix with incoming air. The technology, which uses a high-pressure fuel system, lets the engine use less fuel for each cylinder and reduces emissions. GM believes the LT1 is the first time direct injection has been used with an overhead valve engine.2. Cylinder deactivation, which shuts down four of the engine's eight cylinders when the Corvette engine is under light load, such as cruising on the freeway. The technology turns the Corvette's V8 into a four-cylinder, saving fuel.3. Continuously variable camshaft timing, which enables the engine to open and close its intake and exhaust valves at the best time for power or fuel economy, depending on the demand from the driver.GM has been working on the new engine for five years. The first two years of work focused on the combustion chamber and making the air flow and fuel burn as efficient as possible, said Jordan Lee, chief engineer for the engine program.Key changes to the engine include moving the spark plug to a central location in the combustion chamber and pistons that have a complex design on the surface to contain the air-fuel mixture.GM engineers plan to present a paper at the 2013 SAE convention to detail and explain the improvements to fuel economy and emissions gained with the engine design.Other engine details:-- The fuel flow will shut off at 6,600 rpm.-- The engine has an 11.5:1 compression ratio. That higher than the current engine's 10.7:1 compression ratio. Despite the higher ratio, the new Corvette can run on regular unleaded fuel although premium fuel will be recommended.-- The LT1 engine has 50 lb-ft more torque at low rpm than the current engine, which delivers more pulling power. The engine's low-end torque is comparable to the LS7 V8 used on the current high-performance Corvette Z06.-- The LT1 will be available with wet sump and dry sump oiling systems. A dry sump system, typically used for high-performance and race engines, does away with the conventional oil pan and uses an oil reservoir mounted in the car.-- The added technology makes the LT1 engine heavier than the current LS3 V8, although GM officials would not say by how much. The addition of new technologies made the engine heavier but it was worth the tradeoff for improved fuel economy and performance, Juechter said.-- GM will build the LT1 engine at its Tonawanda plant near Buffalo, N.Y. The plant has plenty more capacity to build small block V8s than the Corvette program will need.-- This is the third time GM has used the LT1 designation for a Corvette engine. The LT-1 V8was used in the Corvette in 1970-1972; and an LT1 version of the second-generation small block V8 was used in the Corvette from 1992-96. Car News, Photo, Authors, Chevrolet, Chevrolet Corvette, Jake Lingeman

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Final day to submit nominations in Overdrive contest recognizing female driversTwo winners with attitudeVideo: Overdrive’s Most Beautiful Brita Nowak talks tough times, more at GATS‘Problem load’? No problem Top 3 beauties chosen in Overdrive contest most beautiful From left to right: Tina Comer, Libby Clayton, Maggie Stone Three female drivers — Libby Clayton, Tina Comer and Maggie Stone — have been selected as the winners of Overdrive’s Most Beautiful. They will fly to Dallas to attend The Great American Trucking Show where they will receive make-overs, sign autographs and participate in a photo shoot at the Pride & Polish event. A team of celebrity judges will choose the grand prize winner who will appear on the cover of Overdrive magazine. Seventy-one women initially entered the contest. Online voters narrowed the field to 10 in April, and in June, readers cast their votes to help select the top three. Libby Clayton, who has been a trucker for seven years, drives doubles across the country for Dillard’s department store. She says that once her children were grown, she decided to ditch her desk job and pursue what she had always wanted to do: drive. She says she thinks women should be in whatever career field they want to be in as long as they can do the job. “A workplace is a workplace, whether it’s behind a desk or the wheel of a big rig. I think we’re as comfortable there as we can be in any position,” Clayton says. Tina Comer is an owner-operator with Comer Trucking and has been logging in California for six years. She says it’s her mission in life to make everyone her friend. She advises others to “go out, do the best job you can do, and learn to laugh at yourself, because you’re going to bend a bumper on a stump once in a while.” She doesn’t feel like it’s a big deal to be a woman in the world of trucking, even in the logging business. “I just feel like I’m just one of the guys. I don’t think about the gender role much. We’re just all out doing the same job and having a good time.” Maggie Stone’s father, uncles and grandfather all drove trucks, but she’s the first woman in her family to do so. After two years in the Army in the late ’80s, she started driving professionally in 1992. Through all that time on the road, she’s says she has grown to appreciate the sense of family and community there is in trucking. She owns her own company — Missfit Trucking — and runs under her own authority, and says she’s got a very big heart and a contagious smile. So much so, that she dedicates her time, money, and her truck to helping needy trucking families every Christmas, and she’s volunteered with Trucker Charity Inc., a group that helps truckers in need year round. Click here to see all of the contestants from the Most Beautiful contest. More About: most beautiful Retreads: Modern money savers? Robotic trucks set to push drivers out of a job?

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The Range Rover Evoque five-door is expected to debut in Los Angeles in November. Range Rover Evoque five-door is confirmed The three-door Range Rover Evoque won't stand alone in showrooms. Land Rover on Thursday confirmed that there is a five-door Evoque for those who need a little more utility from their SUV. The five-door Evoque is expected to debut at the Los Angeles auto show in November.The Evoque, based on the LRX concept we saw in 2008, is part of the company's plan for bringing new customers to the brand that might otherwise only be considered by the upper crust.The Evoque is 17 inches shorter than the Range Rover Sport and seven inches lower. It's constructed with lightweight materials and will be available with a full-size panoramic sunroof. The Evoque will sit on a modified version of the Land Rover LR2 platform.Power will come from a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine making 240 hp. The company says it will deliver the power of a six-cylinder while returning the mileage of a four. All Evoques will get permanent all-wheel drive and Land Rover's patented Terrain Response system.Suspension will be available with an Adaptive Dynamics option using MagneRide dampers for a comfortable but sporty ride.The three- and five-door Evoques hit showroom floors in fall 2011. Car News, Land Rover, Range Rover Evoque

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"Best Seller" 164877J170821 Royal Plum GR Auto Gallery is pleased to present this 1967 Chevrolet Impala Hardtop Coupe for purchase. The Impala entered its 4th generation of production in 1965 where it set an all-time industry sales record of 1 million units sold in the United States, which has never been equaled. While in the same generation in 1967 the model was redesigned with enhanced Coke-bottle styling which featured Corvette-inspired front and rear fender bulges. This '67 Impala is in excellent condition inside, outside, and underneath. It's powered by the original 283ci V8 and the 2-speed Powerglide automatic transmission. The engine was recently completely gone through receiving a full tune-up from a top mechanic. This was a very careful restoration all in the last year to restore the chrome and paint to have it beautifully sitting it its original Plum Royal Metallic factory color. With just over 46,000 original miles, this is one of the best classic Impala's you can find out there restored to look like it did the day it rolled out of the factory. Please call or email for more details!

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VW Beetle GRC will make its debut this weekend at Port of Los Angeles Article by Christian A., on September 19, 2014 The VW Beetle GRC was first unveiled back in June but tomorrow the German vehicle will make its debut at Los Angeles rounds of Global Rallycross Series. According to the official press release, the Beetle GRC will be drive by Scott Speed, who is looking to take advantage of twice the number of points being offered. Currently, Scott Speed is third in points, behind Nelson Piquet Jr. and Ken Block. If you don’t remember, the Beetle GRC is powered by a 1.6-liter TSI turbocharged and intercooled engine that produces 544 hp, while power is delivered to all four wheels through a fixed-ration AWD system featuring a multiplate limited-slop differentials (front and rear). As a result, VW’s rallycar accelerates from 0 to 60 mph (96 km/h) in 2.1 seconds. "The No. 77 7UP Volkswagen has had a lot of bad luck lately and we are due some good fortune—hopefully it turns up this weekend on the West Coast,” said Speed. “We will have to work extremely hard in L.A. and make sure we get off on the right foot on Friday” "It's been a roller coaster season so far, but I am still very happy with the results, especially the win in New York, considering this is a new team and a new car,” said Foust. “Continuing the learning process, I will be piloting an even newer car with Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross in Los Angeles. I am very excited to compete with the new Rockstar Energy Drink Volkswagen Beetle at the Port of LA.” Topics: vw, vw beetle, rally car If you liked the article, share on: Tesla’s Electric GT Championship turns into a much faster race with shift to P100D In racing, driving a quicker and lighter car doesn’t always result in a win. However, such a car definitely has some advantages over other competitors. This could be the reason... by Christian A. - February 16, 2017 Toyota bags first World Rally Championship victory since 1999 Yes, Toyota hasn’t joined the WRC since the first generation of iPod was released. For the first time in many years, Toyota comes back and has won its first race... by Christian A. - February 14, 2017 Chevrolet gets ready to unleash the Camaro GT4.R race car for this year’s competition It just keeps getting hotter. McLaren, Porsche and Ford Motors have heated up the GT4 racing runways. In no time, BMW and Mercedes-AMG will be joining in. Not to be... by Christian A. - February 10, 2017 Lexus unveils new RC F GT3 racer that will take part in GT3 events in the US and Japan The final version of Lexus’ GT3 racer is now here at last and it looks meaner and more menacing than the namesake concept it was derived from. Welcome the new... by Christian A. - January 16, 2017 BMW released official photos of its M4 GT4 race car BMW recently held its year-end celebration in Munich, Germany. The same motorsport event had on display the upcoming BMW M4 GT4. It was then wrapped in camouflage to conceal its... by Christian A. - December 15, 2016 Facebook 2017 Camaro SS 50th Anniversary Edition will be the pace car at 100th Indianapolis 500 BMW M4 GTS is named official DTM safety car for 2016 season McLaren Automotive to launch track-focused 570S GT4 and the 570S Sprint models NASCAR approves new Dodge Charger nose for the 2011 Sprint Cup Series season Roborace -- the world’s first driverless racing series -- is set to arrive very soon

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Home > Cars > Scion aims to ditch the kids and mature along with… Scion aims to ditch the kids and mature along with its customer base By They grow up so fast, don’t they? It’s hard to believe it’s been ten whole years since Toyota unveiled its youth-oriented Scion brand. The Japanese automaker was in it to win it, so to speak, with a concentrated push towards capturing the youth market with its off-shoot brand. But that was then and this is now. The once wide-eyed youth Toyota was chasing are now older and Scion may need to grow up along with them to keep pace. Having just concluded a nine-month review of its Scion brand, the Japanese manufacturer now looks poised to change things up considerably, reports Automotive News. Instead of eccentric ad campaigns and boxy car models, Scion will now focus its efforts on garnering more mainstream appeal. And part of that process has already begun. Take for example the sporty FR-S: the two door, rear-wheel drive coupe is nothing like any of the cars Scion offered prior to its introduction. Instead of trying to operate outside the mainstream, the new 200 horsepower FR-S is a performance car, plain and simple. Of course, looking at a car like the Scion iQ, it’s hard to see it as anything but quirky. Not so, according to Scion. In the past, the spotlight may have shone on some of the more eccentric traits surrounding the diminutive city car, especially its unique design, but not anymore. Now, Scion has placed a greater emphasis on more mainstream appeal such as fuel economy, handling, and overall vehicle functionality. With new models like the iQ and sporty FR-S look to carry the brand’s banner into the future, the fate of the nameplates best-selling models, like the boxy xB, is looking rather bleak. While speaking with Automotive News, Scion vice president Jack Hollis hinted that the company may not replace the model with a “one for one” as buyers today are less interested quirky exterior designs. So what exactly incited this shift in focus for Toyota and its Scion brand? The answer is twofold, really. First, many of the young adults initially attracted to the Scion brand (members of Generation Y born between 1980 and 1999) are entering a different stage in their lives, and with that comes new tastes. According to Scion execs, members of this demographic have different needs now that they are no longer 22 years old. They argue that today’s 22-year-olds are very different from those in the past. While these new buyers still appreciate Scion’s fixed-pricing policy, the vast majority are no longer interested in letting their automobile define their character. Things like zany exterior designs and club-thumping ads are no longer relevant to these consumers. Second, sales, or lack thereof, for the brand have continued to dwindle, demanding a shift in strategy. When the recession hit in 2008, Scion volumes took a bigger dive than almost all other brands. Sales figures for the U.S. in 2011 were barely a quarter of their 2006 peak of 173,034 units. According to Scion, poor employment prospects for recent college graduates (a key demographic for Scion) and an inability to finance cars such as the $16,500 tC meant purchasing a Scion made matters more than difficult for potential buyers. With sales having suffered in recent years, we can’t help but wonder if the Japanese automaker might find itself in a precarious situation, left with a youth brand that no longer wants to cater to the youth. So far though, that doesn’t seem to be the case. Even though sales have yet to climb to former figures, Scion sales grew 8 percent in 2011 and are up 19 percent in the first three months of this year. But according to Toyota, sales aren’t the sole focus of the brand. Instead, according to Jim Lentz, CEO of Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A., more important is that Scion attracts new customers that have never bought a Toyota before, which seems to be working — figures show 70 percent of Scion buyers are new to Toyota (a trend Scion intends to continue with its primetime push of the FR-S beginning in June). In that sense, Scion has served its purpose as an effective feeder brand into the Toyota family. Whether it continues to do so remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure: while Scion may be young, it’s at least showing some signs of maturity.

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Home > Cars > Where will the Fisker Atlantic be built? Where will the Fisker Atlantic be built? By Fisker Automotive’s long-awaited second model, the Atlantic, is an important car for both the company and consumers. It’s lower price and higher production volume will increase Fisker’s profits and market share, while giving more people the opportunity to buy into Henrik Fisker’s vision of green motoring. The Atlantic was also supposed to help the U.S. economy, because Fisker said it would be built in a former General Motors plant near Wilmington, Delaware. However, that plan has changed. “The whole plan has changed, Fisker CEO Tom LaSorda told Automotive News, “Wilmington is our primary site…but there are other options. We have to look at what’s best for the company and the shareholders.” A decision on where the Atlantic will be built should be made by the end of the summer, LaSorda said. This will push back the car’s introduction, since it was supposed to start pilot production by the second half of 2012. If Wilmington is chosen, the plant could be readied for production very quickly, according to the Fisker CEO, who said the plant just needed a paint shop. So Fisker has a car, but no factory. The Atlantic, which had gone by the codename “Project Nina” for months, was unveiled last week just ahead of the New York Auto Show. It applies the “EV-ER” extended-range electric technology from Fisker’s Karma to a smaller vehicle. It is powered by an electric motor, with batteries charged by a gasoline engine. The Atlantic will likely coast between $50,000 and $60,000. Aside from its nearly emission-free powertrain, the Atlantic’s biggest selling point was the Wilmington plant, which was expected to create hundreds of jobs. A U.S. factory probably helped Fisker secure loans from the Department of Energy, which were used to develop the Karma. The DOE has refused to loan Fisker any more money, which would have helped finish development work on the Atlantic. Instead, Fisker secured $132 million in private capital in March. Fisker’s corporate offices are in Orange County California. Assembly of Karma sedans is contracted to Finland’s Valmet (which also builds some Porsche Boxster and Cayman models). The Karma’s batteries are assembled at A123 Systems in Livonia, Michigan, and its gasoline engine-generator is supplied by General Motors. No longer beholden to the DOE, Fisker is now free to explore other options for production of the Atlantic. Fisker may be able to secure a better plant, or contract Atlantic production to another company and avoid the costs of opening its own factory. In the meantime, the Atlantic will be a very pretty conversation piece, but it will not make anyone any money, or save the planet with low-emission luxury. LaSorda said Fisker is doing what is best for its shareholders, but it’s hard to see how delaying production of this highly-anticipated car by almost a year will benefit anyone.

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Heavy Weather Sailing 7th edition by Bruce, Peter; Knox-Johnston, Robin Publisher: Adlard Coles Heavy Weather Sailing has been regarded as the ultimate international authority on surviving storms at sea aboard sailing and motor vessels. The first edition was compiled by Kaines Adlard Coles himself in 1967. Since then, technology may have improved, but the weather certainly hasn't. This is the seventh updated edition, edited by racing yachtsman Peter Bruce, which ensures that in its fiftieth year, the book remains relevant and essential. The book brings together a wealth of expert advice from many of today's great sailors--including fresh accounts of yachts overtaken by extreme weather--from Ewan Southby-Tailyour, Alex Whitworth, and Peter Cook to Larry and Lin Pardey. It also includes a new foreword by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, Britain's most high-profile yachtsman. The expert advice section has been updated in line with current thinking--along with new information regarding the use of storm sails and drag devices, the technique of taking refuge, and heavy weather preparations and their effects on yacht design. These revisions ensure that Heavy Weather Sailing is as useful today as it ever was--perhaps more so in the light of tragic disasters like the loss of the Cheeki Raffiki mid-Atlantic after her season racing in the Caribbean. This is the definitive book for crews of any size contemplating sea voyages, whether racing or cruising.Author Biography After many years spent in the Royal Navy, Peter Bruce continues to spend much time at sea racing, cruising, or researching his pilotage books. He has achieved a string of victories in his own yachts, making him one of the top Corinthian skippers in the world. He has twice been on Britain's winning Admiral's Cup team and has taken part with distinction in most of the Fastnet races since his first in 1961. He has been revising Heavy Weather Sailing for over twenty-three years.

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Something fishy in Switzerland The Mole has always liked Lake Geneva but he has never been able to afford to buy a place down that way. You need to be a dodgy African dictator, a motor racing World Champion or a disgustingly rich industrialist, singer or film star if you wish to afford anything nice in the area. Michael Schumacher paid something like $15m to buy himself a decent chunk of Switzerland not long ago in this part of the world. The Mole has been going to Geneva for a long time and he likes to hide out at a nice little restaurant down on the shoreline at a place called the Creux de Genthod where he often used to take young ladies a long time ago before Mrs Mole was on the scene and where he goes occasionally goes to remember those good times. The restaurant used to be a laundry but began to offer food and lodging to the fisherman on the lake, now its just a nice restaurant hidden away for those who know how to find. You go there to eat the local perch, fresh from the lake, served with a little tartare sauce and accompanied by the Gamay de Genthod, made by Mrs Humbert, the local mayor, from the vines which are just around the corner. It may not be the best wine in the world but it is perfect, even if the perch always seems to need a little extra salt. The Mole was down there the other day on a secret mission to try to work out what the French engineering company Mecachrome is doing having bought Heini Mader Racing Components S.A. in Gland. Mader is a famous engine builder, who has been working in the racing business since the 1960s. He was in charge of Jo Bonnier's operations at Gland from 1969 onwards and after Bonnier died in a crash at Le Mans in 1972 Mader took over the business, changed the name of the business and went on preparing engines. First there were Cosworth DFVs but then later Mader was called in by BMW to prepare its customer F1 turbos in the mid-1980s. In 1987 he took over all the BMW engines and these were supplied to teams under the Megatron name. When turbos were banned Mader went back to Cosworths, preparing engines in F1 and Formula 3000 but more recently has worked in sports car racing. No longer a young man Heini sold the business last year to Mecachrome. The Mole did not pay all this much attention until last November when word reached him at Vauxhall Cross that Mecachrome had hired a number of Cosworth Racing Formula 1 engine designers. This was strange. Mecachrome has a long established relationship with Renault but as far as The Mole is aware does not actually design the Ford F1 engines. That is done by the design team at Viry-Chatillon. Mecachrome is due to provide engines for the new GP2 series in 2005 but The Mole's spies in Paris suggested that these engines do not need designing. They are the old Renault V10s from the late 1990s and will simply be rebadged for the new series and stuck in the back of Dallara chassis. It is a cheap and cheerful way for the Mecachrome boss Gerard Casella and his old Supertec partner Flavio Briatore to make more money. And then The Mole heard something else rather strange. The man who had been in charge of all Mecachrome's dealings with Renault in F1 had been transferred to oversee the revamping of Mader's facilities in Gland. At the same time two other things happened: Mecachrome announced that it was moving its headquarters from Paris to Montreal because the company felt that "Canada was the door that would open North American markets". This was followed by an announcement that the company was going into partnership with the Red Bull Cheever Racing Indy Racing League team. This was strange because in the past Mecachrome has always been an engine company but here was a deal which promised to include "various spheres of expertise and critical processes including engineering, research, development as well as chassis and component aerodynamics and design." Add to this rumours from Italy a few years back that Mecachrome was negotiating to buy the Minardi F1 team in order to showcase the company's technological abilities. The Mole sat that morning, mulling it all over down by water's edge in Nyon, wondering if he might bump into Jean Alesi or Jackie Stewart who both have mansions in the area. Mecachrome is obviously expanding in motor racing but why would it want Formula 1 engine designers? And why would the man who knows most about F1 in the company be moved to Mader's place to bring it up to standard? But then why would the company be expanding in America, offering more than just engine deals to Eddie Cheever? And what about the ambition to do things in F1? It all sounded very fishy. The Mole considered for a moment and then decided that it was probably a good time to have lunch. A little perch perhaps.

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VoicesCommentatorsRupert Cornwell Rupert Cornwell: US car industry drives back from the brink Out of America: One of the success stories of the Obama administration has been the resurrection of the 'Big Three' after a government bailout Saturday 7 August 2010 23:00 BST These days, what with a sour economy, unrelenting Republican opposition and a world that stubbornly refuses to bow to his will, victory laps are few and far between for Barack Obama. But last week he was taking one around what, at the moment of his election two years ago, would have been the most improbable of circuits: America's beleaguered car industry. And in the land where unfettered capitalism is king, the President was bringing an equally unfamiliar message. Government intervention works.The rescue of Detroit's erstwhile "Big Three" is one of the unsung success stories of the Obama administration. It's not a done deal; the industry could yet again tumble back into crisis thanks to its own mistakes, or thanks to the second dip of what may prove to be a double-dip recession. Friday's latest unemployment figures, showing the loss of 131,000 more jobs, suggests the latter remains very much on the cards. But at least the vanishing jobs are no longer in the car industry. To understand how remarkable this is, cast your mind back to November 2008. It wasn't just the near-death experience of the financial system that cast a sobering shadow over those Obama election night celebrations in Chicago. It was also the fact that the US car-makers, once the jewel of the nation's manufacturing sector, were on the verge of death as well. General Motors and Chrysler were to all intents and purposes bankrupt; Ford would have been too, but for a massive line of credit it had taken out in 2006, repayable in 2013, against which it had mortgaged the entire company. In December 2008 Congress refused to take up legislation to rescue the industry. At that moment a bailout for Detroit was even more unpopular than a bailout for Wall Street. With their stupidity and shortsightedness, and their refusal to build high-quality, fuel-efficient vehicles, the car companies had been architects of their own downfall. Let these incompetent, tin-eared executives, who took private jets to bring their begging bowls to Washington, pay the market's price for their follies. Such was the popular mood. If the US emerged from the crisis without a car industry, then so be it. To his credit, it was the outgoing George W Bush who realised that, for all their sins, the car manufacturers could not simply be thrown to the wolves and his successor left, in his words, "to confront the demise of a major American industry in his first days in office". Bush diverted $25bn (£15.6bn) from the Troubled Asset Relief Program (Tarp) bank rescue fund to GM and Chrysler. Obama added a further $60bn, conditional on the two companies shedding jobs (including those of their top management), going through bankruptcy and coming up with realistic restructuring plans. The public disapproved, but the scheme went through. Today the US Treasury owns 61 per cent of a slimmed-down GM that has shed four of its eight former brands, as well as a big chunk of Chrysler, now run by Italy's Fiat. Exactly how many jobs were saved is impossible to know. The Obama administration says a million, and who is to disagree? Indubitably, for a stricken Detroit, in its distant heyday the fourth largest city in the land, the collapse of the car industry would have been the coup de grâce. As I said, it's not a done deal, not by a long shot. But each of the three companies is today in profit, the first time this has happened since 2004. In all, the sector has added 76,000 jobs since GM and Chrysler emerged from bankruptcy. GM has already paid back $6bn of emergency loans, and plans to sell a big slice of the Treasury's stake, taking the company public by the end of 2010. "We want the government out, period," Edward Whitacre, GM's chief executive, said last week. "We don't want to be known as Government Motors." As for Ford, it is still supported by government loan guarantees for the development and export of a new generation of "green" vehicles. But investors brave enough to take a punt in mid-November 2008, when its shares fell below $1.50, have done very nicely indeed. Ford stock closed on Friday at about $13. Nor, to its credit, has the Obama administration meddled in GM's management, as critics of the bailout predicted. It hasn't pandered to the Democrats' allies in the unions, and it hasn't forced uneconomic pet projects on the company. What it has done is set higher fuel-efficiency standards for US cars (39mpg by 2016 compared with 27.5mpg today) – something that would have happened years ago but for ferocious lobbying by the industry. The real glory days, of course, are gone for ever. Back in 1965, total car and truck sales here hit 15 million for the first time. This year they may recover to about 12 million, but no one expects a return to the 15 million mark before 2014 at the earliest, and China (inevitably) has now supplanted the US as the world's biggest market. As for Detroit, its decline may be measured by schemes to turn back into farmland swaths of overgrown, abandoned plots where once stood the tidy homes of car workers in jobs that seemingly would last for ever. "Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return." The biblical admonition applies even to the Motor City. And even today's recovery is not a given. The "Big Three" are still heavily dependent on gas-guzzling trucks and SUVs. Ford has its highly praised Fusion hybrid, but whether buyers are ready to shell out $41,000 (£25,600) for GM's electric-petrol Chevrolet Volt, due out in November, remains to be seen. Nonetheless, Mitt Romney, reared in Detroit, and past and almost certainly future Republican presidential candidate, at least has been proved wrong. If the bailout went ahead, he declared in November 2008, "we can kiss the automotive industry goodbye". That poignant leave-taking has not yet occurred – and is unlikely to anytime soon. More about: Automotive Equipment (car Industry) Economic Rescue Package

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Features » Epstein’s Muffler And Auto Restoration – Business Epstein’s Muffler And Auto Restoration – Business December 9, 2010 by Jae Bueno Share on Facebook Owner Joe Epstein Epstein’s Muffler & Auto RestorationCity/State Montebello, CAThe final addition to any Chevy Bomb is a split manifold exhaust system that provides the familiar exhaust note and the ability to rap your pipes. If you have a Chevy Bomb from the 1930’s to the 1950’s, it’s a must that you be able to rap your pipes! Many of the Chevy Bomb owners take a ride down to Epstein’s Muffler Service & Auto Restoration in Montebello, California for one of Joe Epstein’s amazing exhaust systems.Born in the Culver City area of West Los Angeles, California, Joe Epstein had always been enamored by custom cars. When he was 10 years old, he used to hang out at a gas station down the street from his parents’ home. Too young to drive, he started with Mini Bikes and Go Karts. When he was old enough to drive, he bought his first motorcycle. After the motorcycle came Joe’s first car and his first foray into Lowriding. Suffice to say, he has not stopped since.In March of 1981, Joe and his wife opened Epstein’s Muffler Shop in Montebello, California on Whittier Boulevard. The place was initially opened as a muffler shop. Over time, many of the customers that would come into the shop for muffler work would see the cars Joe was building for himself, and asked for his help in building their cars. One of the shop’s first restoration projects was a customer’s car from West Los Angeles. Joe tore it down completely and restored it. From that point on, cars began coming in on a regular basis.May of 2006 brought forth a major setback for Epstein, when a natural gas explosion destroyed the Whittier Boulevard shop. Joe and his wife relocated the shop to another location in Montebello and have seen their business thrive in this location. The shop is still putting cars out and building custom exhaust systems to this day.On the day of the shoot, a few of Joe’s latest restoration projects were on display at the shop. Although each ride was unique in its own way, they were all restored with Joe’s attention to detail and period-correct styling. Any car that he builds, whether it is for himself or for a customer will have nice paint, get from point A to point B, and ride low, very low! He prides himself in the functionality of his work as much as he does his design styleAs we poked around the shop, we saw a Chevy truck that Joe was building a custom exhaust system for. It was air-bagged and notched, so the exhaust had to be built, so that it could tuck under the truck when it was laid on the ground. The shop also holds a nice collection of vintage Chevrolet parts, which Joe makes available for his customers.If you are in need of muffler work or restoration services, you can reach Joe Epstein at 323-724-4110 or stop by the shop Monday through Friday from 8a.m. to 6p.m. The address is 7803 Telegraph Road Unit N, Montebello CA. Jae Bueno See more articles from Jae Bueno Share on Facebook Epstein’s Muffler And Auto Restoration – Business /45 1985 Buick Regal Limited – Phase One All it takes is one decision—or moment—to change your life. February 9, 2017February 9, 2017 by Phil Gordon LOWRIDER SOCIAL NETWORKS

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Home | Cars | Volvo | S40 | 2011 S40 T5 Sedan R-Design Sedan MAX MPG T5 Sedan MAX MPG Share the 2011 Volvo S40 While it may lack the power and refinement of some European luxury sport sedans, the 2011 Volvo S40 is a stylish, comfortable model with a lively engine. Reviewed by Automotive on Until a few years ago, there was a distinct schism between the non-premium and premium sedans. However, in recent years, that gap has been bridged, with the introduction of several attractively priced four-door sedans with luxury features. The 2011 Volvo S40 falls in this class, and has a bit more to offer than other domestic, run-off-the-mill models. However, it doesn’t have the sophistication most of its European peers boast of. The niche positioning, in fact, poses some problems for the car. Fans of Scandinavian car designs would most likely find the design of the 2011 Volvo S40 very appealing. The floating waterfall center-stack is unique to all Volvo models. It’s also indicative of the company’s novel aesthetic. This look sets the cabin of the S40 apart from that of its competitors. The two-tone leather interior of the R-design trim, with a generous serving of the youthful Volvo spirit, makes for a more intriguing space. The climate control functions are easy to operate and attractive in their simplicity. However, the optional navigation system is burdened with outdated menus and graphics, and unintuitive controls. The T5 R-Design trim includes all the components of the T5 Trim, and further spices up the vehicle with rear and front spoilers, a sport steering wheel, side skirts, aluminum pedals, and unique watch-dial gauges. Both trims can be fitted with the Climate package that has headlight washers, heated front seats, and automatic climate control and wipers. Opting for the Multimedia package will give you a 10-speaker premium stereo system, as well as a navigation system that offers real-time traffic updates. Standalone options include adaptive xenon headlights, 18-inch wheels, keyless entry/ignition, satellite radio, blind-spot detection, and rear parking sensors, coupled with power-folding mirrors. Engines: 2.5-liter five-cylinder Transmissions: five-speed automatic Models: Volvo S40 T5, Volvo S40 T5 R-Design For 2011 Volvo has discontinued both the base model S40 2.4i model and the AWD version of the T5 R-Design. The standard T5 model of the 2011 Volvo S40 is fitted with fog lights, 17-inch alloy wheels, and heated outside mirrors. The standard T5 model has an eight-way power driver seat with memory, air-conditioning, neoprene-like T-Tec upholstery, tilt-and-telescoping steering, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, a 60/40 split-folding rear seat, cruise control, auxiliary/USB input jacks, an eight-speaker audio system with Bluetooth, and a CD player. Opting for the Preferred package also gives you leather upholstery, power passenger seating, and a sunroof. The interior of the 2011 Volvo S40 is well constructed, and consists of high quality materials. The seats of the car are well shaped for smooth long-distance driving. They also offer plenty of support to the driver and passengers. The T-Tec upholstery in the entry-level S40 model is a boon in hot weather, and also holds the passengers firmly in place during the turning of sharp corners. This, in fact, is a worthy alternative to the leather option. However, the trunk capacity is somewhat disappointing, holding just 12.6 cubic feet of cargo. With the cancellation of the base engine in the 2010 version, the 2011 Volvo S40 can now be purchased only with a 2.5-liter turbocharged inline-5 engine that can generate 227 hp and 236 lb-ft of torque. The standard automatic five-speed transmission system provides power to the front wheels. The all-wheel drive is no longer available. The 2011 Volvo S40 can go from zero to 60 mph in 6.7 seconds. Stability and traction control and antilock disc brakes are standard equipment in all the 2011 Volvo S40s. Other safety features include a full-length head curtain and front-seat side airbags. There’s also a whiplash-reducing frontal head restraint. The blind-spot warning system is an optional accessory across the lineup. While the S40 is yet to be rated according to the government’s new and more stringent crash testing rules, the 2010 version of the same car received a four star rating, out of a possible five, for driver protection during the frontal crash tests. It was also awarded five stars for rear and front-impact protection. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety tests, the 2011 Volvo S40 got the best ?good? rating in the frontal-offset test, and a second-best ‘Acceptable’ rating in the side-impact tests. Volvo S40: 21/30 mpg city/highway Front seats are very comfortable Wide array of safety features Peppy turbocharged engine Stylish looks inside and out Priced a bit high for being slightly less than a luxury sedan Handling is not up to standards of a sport sedan Navigation system has an awkward interface While it may lack the power and refinement of some European luxury sport sedans, the 2011 Volvo S40 is a stylish, comfortable model with a lively engine. If You Like This Vehicle Infiniti G

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Authors & Experts (Chinese, Portuguese) Bridging Communities Guiding Investors Leading Nations Read Issue at Magzter Issue Online The Major Facelift The legacy Russian passenger car maker AVTOVAZ is undergoing a major facelift. Not only will it help the LADA brand stand on par with other quality international mass car brands, regaining domestic market share and expanding internationally, but it will also prepare the company for the longer-term Industry 4.o challenges. Nicolas Maure, who took office as president of AVTOVAZ just in April, explains how the company is going to meet these goals in an exclusive interview with BRICS Business Magazine. it’s just one day after the data from the Association of European Business (AEB) were released, showing that Russian car sales recorded their first monthly rise in almost two years in November year-to-year, with LADA far ahead of the broader market. Does that mean the Russian car market as a whole and AVTOVAZ in particular have turned a corner, or is it just a kind of dead cat bounce? Right, the new car sales in Russia in November rose 0.6% year-on-year to roughly 132.3 units – although, in January to November, they were still 12% below the same period of 2015. As for AVTOVAZ, we sold over 25,500 LADAs in November, which translates into an 18.2% rise year-on-year. In terms of 11 months cumulative sales volume in Russia, we are only 2.8% behind our own 2015, with 238,666 cars sold. If we go back to 2012, 2.8 million passenger cars were sold in Russia. In 2016, we expect the total market will be 1.3-1.35 million passenger vehicles. I believe this is really a bottom point, provided the state support measures like the fleet renewal program, scrapping subsidy to continue in 2017, which is especially important for LADA, where the latter program contributes to around 50% of the total sales. If done, this will help the market to be at least stable. Maybe we will see a small growth in H1. And, to me, it is very encouraging to see we are continuously keeping 20% market share of the Russian passenger car market. I would like to even improve it a bit, but this is still to be done. I am challenging teams for this. the way, AVTOVAZ seems to have been particularly hurt by the slump. So, for example, LADA Granta lost its best-selling car status in Russia in H1 2016. The company itself posted a 27.2 billion ruble ($445.1 million) loss in the first six months of 2016, which was on top of the huge 74 billion ruble ($1.2 billion) loss in 2015. What is the reason for such a dramatic loss? Speaking about the financial loss, it is necessary to mention the big impairments that were mainly due to the freezing of assets we did in books until the market recovers. It is IFRS accounting rules that we implement on them. So it’s not really an operation loss, but it is what we call a paper loss. But if we look at pure operating profit impairment and provisions, you may see that every quarter of 2016 compared to every quarter of 2015 shows improvement. It’s especially true in Q3, embracing July, August, and September, where the losses were reduced by two-thirds. How did you achieve that? It is a combination both of a revenue side and a cost side. On the revenue side, it is the volume effect linked to our long-term investment, mainly. Also, it is due to the right price positioning of the new cars having raised moderately, so I believe we are now at normal levels. Then we started some harsh programs to optimize the cost of cars. So, we bet more on local content and localized suppliers in Russia, as well as did some trim optimization. The key focus was on Vesta, and today, the profit situation with this car is becoming, let’s say, acceptable. Apart from the product side on the costs, we also stopped all the consulting expenses that were very significant in previous times. We also have seen positive effects from a four-days-a-week working regime in Togliatti, which started in February and was restarted in mid-August. This does not include the lines and activities where we need people to work for five days, such as the LADA Izhevsk plant, where the top-selling LADA Vesta is produced, and the BО-line, which produces LADA Largus, LADA XRAY, Renault Logan, Renault Sandero, and Nissan Almera. Both LADA Izhevsk and the BO-line in Togliatti work five days, plus, some teams of engineering involved in our new projects such as LADA Vesta SW. All the measures have had a significant impact on costs, although people have not been hurt much by the measures. That is why we haven’t seen any serious social issues in the plant. It’s mainly thanks to support provided on the state’s side. So when people work four days, we pay them for four days; the state and the region contribute to the fifth day for people who would like to do social works. So this was a good combination for us to reduce the costs and for the people not impacted by reduction of revenues. BOUNCING BACK goals were imposed upon you by the shareholders? Have they been supportive in improving the situation at AVTOVAZ since your appointment in April? The roadmap is to bring AVTOVAZ back to operating profit within two years. This is very clear. But, of course, my first steps were a kind of emergency actions, like cutting all consulting costs or like returning Vesta to profitability, which I did. Shareholders have been supportive, although, of course, there is a clear difference between Alliance Renault-Nissan and Rostec. On the Renault side, they have been supportive in providing new people to the team. So, for example, our new executive VP for Sales & Marketing is Jan Ptacek, Czech by origin, and our executive VP for Manufacturing & Supply Chain, Slovenian Ales Bratoz, came from Renault-Nissan. They both speak Russian, as I try to bring in those who can work well in the Russian environment, although this is a quite limited number of people. In this context, I should mention the new Export director, Max Missana, an Italian, whose main focus will be the CIS markets but who would also be responsible for the re-launching of further export markets. So Renault has helped – and still helps – us by providing the key people that we were lacking, as well as providing methodologies and information systems that we can implement at AVTOVAZ. We have a monthly meeting with the Renault top management to review all the activities. Renault has also been instrumental in providing short-term financing on top of bank loans. And Rostec is very supportive in government relations, so we spoke with the state of support measures and also the five-day payments that I mentioned. Rostec is also helping us discuss with Sberbank the creation of a call-center in Togliatti. There will be a three-party scheme that involves AVTOVAZ providing a building to Sberbank, Samara Governor Nikolay Merkushkin offering support for refitting the building, and Sberbank installing the call-center for more than 1,000 people starting in 2017. Why do you need this Sberbank facility on your site? For sure these projects, and projects of its kind, will help diversify the economy of the city of Togliatti and the Samara region, which are excessively dependent on AVTOVAZ. It will also remove some pressure from the plant as we have to optimize our workforce. So this is a good opportunity to propose to Sberbank the hiring AVTOVAZ employees. I am sure that for AVTOVAZ employees, there will be possibilities to also consider job and activity opportunities in other companies based in Togliatti, like Sberbank and our suppliers, of course. It sounds like you are sticking to a more moderate approach to increasing the efficiency of AVTOVAZ compared to your predecessor, Mr. Bo Andersson. It’s not a secret that he was criticized for pressing on with cutting the workforce, weeding out shoddy component suppliers in Russia, and buying parts heavily from abroad, thereby adding to social insecurity and bringing extra pressure on the bottom-line of AVTOVAZ. On principle, I will not comment on my predecessor. What is for sure is that, as I mentioned above, AVTOVAZ’s recovery will come from both the cost and revenue sides. Among other things, this embraces higher sales volumes and higher average selling prices corresponding to new cars accepted by the public in Russia but also in export markets. And the other portion will be cost optimization. This goes through higher localization with both Russian suppliers in Russia but also with international suppliers in Russia on both Tier 1 and Tier N levels. What is very obvious is that, first, when we buy locally, we have no currency risk exposure. So, in terms of risk minimization, it is much better. And then, when the suppliers are close to the production site, it is much more efficient to solve quality or delivery issues without having huge delivery times. And this is not only the policy of AVTOVAZ. It is also the policy of the Alliance Renault-Nissan, that its suppliers, when possible, should be close to the plants. This is what we are doing. For sure there are still imported parts that we need to further reduce in number, especially for Vesta and XRAY. And we have roadmaps to increase localization by about 10 points within three years. And when doing so, every supplier has the opportunity to be a supplier to AVTOVAZ. We make absolutely no distinction between pure Russian suppliers and global suppliers in Russia, but the condition is that they must be located in Russia and be competitive in terms of cost, quality, delivery, and so on. Literally one day before our meeting, the AVTOVAZ Board gave the go-ahead to the plan aiming to raise a total of 25 billion rubles ($410 million) from issuing additional shares. Why do you need this money? This will help us have a more robust balance sheet and also to reduce the interest expense burden. We need to improve our debt-to-equity ratio, so together with our shareholders, we discussed how to increase the equity of AVTOVAZ. The first step will be that share capital increase, which is ongoing in December 2016. Yesterday, we also disclosed the price of the shares, which is nine rubles per share. I will not tell you more because this is more of shareholders’ responsibility. So this financing is very much welcomed. AVTOVAZ has modernized its lineup and manufacturing processes and significantly improved product quality, Carlos Ghosn, the CEO of Renault and Nissan, was quoted as saying in March. Are there still plans to press on further modernization? At the board meeting. we presented a mid-term plan of the company, which is in fact a long-term plan because it is up to 2026. Among other things. it includes investments in our plant, both for vehicle lineup plus modernization of the production in Togliatti and Izhevsk. Regarding the lineup, we have already disclosed that we will already be launching a Vesta station wagon in H2 2017. This is already on track. I cannot disclose everything, but we also said is that within the 10 years to come, we will launch eight new models and do eight separate facelifts. This is a very significant plan. So, at the end of 2026, the whole LADA lineup will be totally renewed. That will be to address the Russian market, which itself is moving with demand, shifting from sedans to crossovers and SUVs. It will also address export opportunities that we put in the plan. But, in addition to this, we will for sure keep investing heavily in the plant in Togliatti. You know it is 50 years old in 2016, so in 2026 it will be 60. It means we also need to modernize the plant to make sure that working, safety, and environmental conditions, and, of course, the productivity conditions are there. BRAND IS KEY Given the quality of the product is key, what about the brand image? The product is key, and the brand is also key. Brand image, what we call a brand platform, is a very important challenge for us. We are working on it. We have KPIs by third-party market survey companies providing data to us, so we know that we are still far from Western companies like Renault, Hyundai, and KIA in terms of brand image. We have set up a roadmap of targets we would like to get close to. Will you expand on this prospective brand platform? The brand platform will give features of the brand we want to promote like ‘good value for money’, ‘robust’, and ‘fitted to Russian conditions’. But this is too early to tell you, because it is not finalized yet. We are going to do it before the end of 2016. is done, for sure the new vehicles will support our brand image. But we also have to work with the dealership network. Today, about 10% of our dealers are at the right level, but the others need to invest and improve. Of course, we have to work on communication. All messages we need to convey must be in line with the brand platform. So, at the end of the day, the customers should believe that, when buying a LADA Vesta, it is at least not worse but as good as Ford Focus or VW Polo. This is, for the moment, a kind of challenge. But we believe we can do it within the years to come. Also, we want to regain market shares in export markets, which is also related to the brand image. How are you going to market LADAs abroad given the brand image looks to be even worse than in Russia? What are your export plans based on? I cannot agree. For example, I, a French citizen, can tell you that LADA’s image in the 1970s, 1980s was not too bad. Especially for LADA Niva, which was perceived as a very good value for quality vehicle to go off-road. You will probaby be surprised to know that the largest export market today for LADA 4x4s is Germany. So it is a kind of iconic vehicle, and we need to build up on the image for export markets. But, of course, to achieve this, we have to strongly improve the brand image. However, I can tell you that it’s possible from my experience in Romania at Dacia. This is a much smaller country, but we got the same situation with the brand, which was 80% of the market like LADA’s 70% 15 years ago. Then, after the Romanian revolution in 1989, the Dacia market share went down like crazy. However, due to the new cars we launched, like the Logan, the Duster, and the full retrofit of dealerships, nowadays Dacia’s market share is 33%. The brand image is number two in the country behind VW, ahead of Renault. And Romanian citizens are very proud of their domestic brand. Because it’s a really good value for money. They can also see the car is being exported in Western Europe. The game is really to achieve the same with LADA so that Russian citizens also be proud of the new LADA. The LADA is keeping the DNA of older good times but also showing up-to-date cars, up-to-date dealerships, up-to-date communications, and also significant exports. What export markets are you targeting? This may not be so much Europe because of regulation and, let’s say, extreme competition. Of course, it is CIS countries, and we believe that we will find new export countries in other regions of the world. In this respect, we look at the Middle East, Africa, and Central and South America. We may consider some collaboration with Alliance Renault-Nissan for exports also. CHALLENGED BY Industry 4.0 of a longer-term perspective for AVTOVAZ, I have to put you in the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, or Industry 4.0. It is going to be a huge challenge to the whole global automotive industry. Car sharing, electric, AI-guided vehicles, and other services are quickly gaining traction and market share, so only efficient, digital, technologically well-fitted and R&D-capable players will survive. Is AVTOVAZ preparing for the Industry 4.0 challenge? Actually, there are many things behind Industry 4.0. We are starting from design of a car, which is totally digital and computerized today. Now, the manufacturing itself will increasingly be digitally controlled. On the distribution side, an increasing number of our customers are now buying the cars by Internet. And when in the car, new LADAs are now fitted with the Era-Glonass accident emergency response system, which opens a door to web-connected services like LADA Connect. So engineering, manufacturing, and usage of a car, and the car itself will become digitalized. And, of course, we have to be prepared for this. Regarding your point on car sharing, it is not yet a clear trend in Russia today and even in other markets. I know this very well, because even in Paris the car-sharing service called Autolib has some limits. It is not that easy for such companies to operate. So it may come one day, especially in large cities where there are some parking issues, but it will take some time. But what about the mental shift that is already there? Thus, for example, how are you going to persuade young people to buy and own a car instead of sharing it? Frankly speaking, we have to separate large cities from the rest of the country. I believe the latter will remain as it is. I mean the full ownership, because you need a car to organize your work, your family, and so on. Let’s say medium and small cities will be more or less sticking to the same pattern. But for the large cities, it is true, because such issues as traffic congestion or serious lack of parking space will likely to remain incremental. Then, it is more interesting from a user’s view point to have a 60-70% utilization of a car instead of five percent to 10%, which is the case today, as we use a car mostly to move from home to work and back. This is obviously a kind of limited utilization of a vehicle. However, we have to think about the digital systems behind infrastructure in order to put this new Industry 4.0 in place. Yes, it may also be linked to electric vehicles, which will come one day. But the question is how quickly this will really happen. So, even in my native country, I see possible trends, but it will take time for them to gain a really strong foothold. Is there any plan to invest tangibly in increasing your in-house engineering, R&D competences and capabilities, as they are crucial in addressing the Industry 4.0 challenge? A quick answer is yes. Over the next three years, we will be recruiting 250 engineers, which is already decided. And most of these people will be related to new technologies. So it is going to touch the product, such as LADA Connect. There will be many evolutions of the system. It will also embrace manufacturing, including the installation of paper-less processes in the plant. For the sake of this, we are looking for young people with good vision, deeply connected guys. And for sure we will need people skilled in communication technologies, including those with strong capabilities in social media marketing, which we don’t have today. We will probably also recruit people in the mobile telephone and computer industries. We know it is a changing world, and we are preparing for it. And our parent companies Renault and Nissan are doing the same. Its starts with connected vehicles, and then it will end with maybe one day even the autonomous vehicles. Are the Alliance members going to undertake a kind of concerted action on this Industry 4.0 challenge? How deeply involved are Renault and Nissan in the technological uplift effort of AVTOVAZ and probably vice-versa? On the technical side, increased Renault involvement in AVTOVAZ is already in place, and it has opened the door for more cooperation and synchronization in R&D and technical developments. For sure there are some technological breaks that we will take from the Alliance as they are. But the Alliance can also be interested in our engineering and developing cheap, quick, and efficient solutions for, let’s say, a budget or entry-level car segment. An example for it is what we did with Era-Glonass and are doing with LADA Connect. And the Alliance has invested in the good skills of Russian engineers to develop this kind of system. I have no doubt that more and more significant exchanges with Renault and also Nissan partners will be there. We are also considering people exchange with Renault. I mean sending people from Renault to AVTOVAZ and vice versa in order to develop links to get them much closer than they are. Linked to this, we are going to start a huge English training program at the AVTOVAZ University so that everybody can capture the right level of English language. For sure this will lay a good base for AVTOVAZ as an integral part of the Alliance to be prepared for challenges of the longer-term future. But, as I said before, at the moment, we have to cope with the shorter-term market trends. Thus, we have our 2026 plan, which is aiming at keeping at least 20% market share in Russia, even though the market itself will change a lot. I am sure we are in a very good position to fulfill this. Nicolas Maure president of AVTOVAZ On the Way to the Fifth Generation Main issue Flight to the Future Don’t Cry Over Dead Trade Agreements The Complexity of Inequality The Empathy Trap Confronting the Next Global Health Challenge No Shared Future The Big Tide New Graduates, Challengers and Champions Planet Getting Green The Bound World Hello Home-spital Rostec’s Fourth Industrial Revolution Parenting a High-Tech Nation The Connected Future of Humanity Federal Scale Suitcase – Train Station – Russia A Market of Extremes A Fragile Water Truce We Are Almost There 100 Projects for Bashkortostan Fuel for Rebellion The Starman Subscribe to MEDIACRAT Newsletter Any use of published data or its fragments in any language without written permission of MEDIACRAT Sales, LLC is prohibited. The editorial team waives all responsibility for the content of advertising materials. Registration certificate No FS77-51070. [email protected]

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Around the Industry – May 2013 Report: Car cleaning industry is worth $5 billion. — May 2, 2013 ATI_article-image-1.jpg Report: Car cleaning industry is worth $5 billion A 2013 Car Washes report now available from Research and Markets states the United States-based carwashing industry, which included about 15,000 locations, has a combined annual revenue of more than $5 billion. The report also stated that the output of U.S. carwashes is "expected to grow at a medium rate in the next two years." The reason? According to the report, it's because of consumer spending habits and new car sales. There are few economies of scale, the report noted. $3.2 million winning lottery ticket sold at carwash SPRING LAKE, NJ ― A winning Pick 6 lotto ticket worth $3.2 million was sold at PJ's Car Wash here, the Manasquan-BelmarPatch reported. The March 22 story said the winner has not yet claimed the prize. In total, 595,597 were sold for the lottery. The winning numbers, 14, 15, 17, 21, 33 and 49, were picked yesterday. Swedish chain celebrates 15 years in business BARRIE, ONTARIO, CANADA — Mjuk Biltvatt is one of Sweden's leading carwash chains, and this year the company is celebrating it's 15th anniversary with the opening of their fourth wash site in Gothenburg, Sweden, according to a press release. The March 18 release stated that all of Mjuk Biltvatt's 150-foot express exterior tunnels are equipped with MacNeil Wash Systems equipment. Sweden has very strict environmental laws, according to CEO Henrik Kronlid. “MacNeil equipment is safe, reliable, and produces an excellent wash quality, which our customers demand. It also enables us to meet Sweden’s strict environmental laws," Kronlid said in the release. “Every car wash in Sweden must go through a detailed inspection and meet very stringent conditions in order to be certified environmentally friendly. The efficiency and eco-friendliness of the MacNeil equipment allows us to meet these conditions.” In English, Mjuk Biltvatt translates into "Soft Car Wash," the press release noted. In-home carwash now available for $29,500 SCOTTSDALE, AZ — Now people can wash their cars in a commercial-like carwash at home, thanks to inventor Dale Retter, hlntv reported. The March 13 story said for $29,500 people can purchase the AutoGreenWash and then have it installed in their garage for an additional $4,000. The wash lowers a waterproof enclosure around the vechile and then 48 rotating sprayers wash and rinse the car which is then dried with warm, filtered air. The carwash also captures used water that can be used for home irrigation. And, even though it's expensive, Retter said he thinks it will one day be as common as a household dishwasher. Retter said he hopes it will start out as a luxury device, but as the price goes down over the years, he thinks everyone will have one. State lawmakers consider tax break for carwashes OMAHA, NE — State lawmakers here are debating whether to give a tax break to carwashes, kptm reported. The March 19 story said they are considering dropping a sales and usage tax for both carwashing and waxing, which could ultimately save a single carwash hundreds of dollars per month. Pat Shannon, owner of Big John's carwash, said in the story that at $2 a wash, he loses about 14 cents per wash to a sales tax. Public outcry cancels church's charity carwash WHANGAREI, NEW ZEALAND — A church here called off a proposed carwash after deciding it was not suitable due to the current climate, the Northern Advocate reported. The March 16 story stated that the church hung a banner advertising the parking lot carwash next to it's "pray for rain" sign. The wash was supposed to raise funds for the youth group's Easter camp, but it was postponed after two members of the public called opposing the wash. A spokesperson from the church noted that youth group members approached the local council asking if the carwash was still allowed. The district council said there were no water restrictions for the city and the carwash could go ahead. Even so, the church postponed the carwash and the banner was taken down. Manager who stole $60K says she's sorry VAN WERT, OH — Betsy Bollenbacher, the former general manager of Westwood Car Wash, has been sentenced in court on the charges she stole more than $60,000 over a two-and-a-half year period from May 2010 to November 2012, The Van Wert Independent reported. The March 14 story said Bollenbacher, 39, was sentenced to five years of community control and she has to pay back $10,583.20, which is the amount that was not covered by the carwash's insurance. Attorney James Tesno said Bollenbacher was truly remorseful. Before being sentenced, Bollenbacher apologized to her former employers, who were in the courtroom at the time. She said she apologized for hurting them and letting them down. She also thanked them for mentoring her while she was employed. Detailer gets to appear with Jay Leno GRASS VALLEY, CA ― Twenty-year-old T.J. O’Brien, owner of TJ's Auto Spa, got to meet Tonight Show host Jay Leno last Saturday when he filmed a segment for Leno's car-enthusiast website, Jay Leno's Garage, The Union reported. The March 21 story said O'Brien, who uses a green steam device that only uses 2 to 5 gallons of water per detail job, is "stoked" to appear on the website with Leno. He said the steam even helps to "lift dirt, kill mold and polish the wheel wells, engines and interiors" and it also removes bumper stickers. Leno's website showcases over 200 automobiles as well as car-related technology and people who work in the automobile industry. O’Brien said that ever since he was a baby, he wanted to work with automobiles. Today, he is living the dream. He is having to move his location to deal with his busy business and in six to eight months, O'Brien hopes his appearance with Leno will help his business to pick up even more speed. Bottle of car wax costs $96,867 For the retail price of $96,867, a boutique car-care firm in Scotland is offering up the world's most expensive car wax, according to a YAHOO! Autos report. From creators Mitchell & King, which is known for creating high-end car waxes, this car wax contains glitter and was made in honor of the upcoming GoldRush Rally, which is a lot like the movie Cannonball Run with wealth-flaunting participants. The wax apparently lasts for four months and comes in a 24-karat gold jar. The bottle is also hand delivered by Mitchell & King's chief executive. Mitchell & King also made it known that the wax is specifically suited for an exclusive crowd and they have to right to refuse purchase. Detailing in Australia grows in spite of challenges MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA — According to a report compiled by IBISWorld, the detailing and carwash industry in Australia managed to succeed in spite of a poor economic environment and falling discretionary spending. The March 13 press release stated that changing social and environmental mores have boded well for the industry. In fact, in the five years through 2012-2013, industry revenue is expected to increase 1.9 percent per annum and total AUS $505.4 million. IBISWorld industry analyst Naren Sivasailam said in the release, “The depths of the financial crisis coincided with the worst of the drought, which helped the industry grow during an otherwise vulnerable economic period." The strict water regulations and busy customer lifestyles have resulted in growing demand for detailing and carwashing. Thus, many commercial car care operations in Australia have marketed themselves as environmentally friendly using high-pressure hoses that require less water and recycling most of their water. Strong income growth is expected for Australians over the next few years, but the number of new cars is likely to plateau, the release noted. Letter to the editor praises Simoniz carwash DAVENPORT, IA ― A letter to the editor which appeared in the Quad-City Times praised the manager and staff at the Simoniz carwash here. The March 23 letter, written by Pam Guzzo, stated that she had accidently missed the track when driving up to the start of the tunnel. Her hubcap has broken as a result. "Without hesitation," Guzzo wrote, "the young man went to the office and seconds later the manager, Travis Johnson, appeared, assessed the damage, apologized for the mishap and instructed me to wait for him at the end of the wash. I wasn’t even out of the last rinse cycle when I could see Travis standing near the exit with clipboard, paperwork and camera in hand." Guzzo said that a few days later she got the call that her hubcap had arrived and should come come in and they would put it on her car. "Not only did they remove the old hub cap and replace it with a shiny new one, but they also ran my car through the wash! Now that’s customer service! Thank you Simoniz staff." BP Gas station/Carwash to open in May Previous post Man steals cash right from carwash register About the Author More Stories Why you should get your leased vehicle detailed

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Ground Breaking – January 2013 — January 3, 2013 GB-green-states-map.jpg PENSACOLA, FL Garden Street Car Wash is open again after being closed on-and-off for about three years. The new owners, Shawn Martin and Forrest DeMaria, plan to preserve the hand wash history of the business with 11 employees that wash vehicles before they go through the tunnel. The location has been hand washing cars since 1951, and the new owners did not try to change that. Martin noted that he wanted the wash to be known for the best customer service in town, and he wanted customers to have a better experience at this carwash than anywhere else. Martin and Forrest “put a lot of blood sweat and tears” into the renovation. The carwash has two bays, one for washing and the other for detailing. Hours run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the week and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday. Pickup and delivery are also available downtown. The newly-opened Station Auto Wash Exterior Express offers a high quality carwash in eight minutes or less. This new exterior express location is an extension of the full-service Station Auto Wash in Leesburg, VA. According to Tom Magazzine and Ryan Magazzine, owners of the family business, the concept in building the new location was to establish a “hub” and “spoke” for Station Auto Wash customers. The goal was to get customers in and out quickly for frequent exterior cleaning between full-service cleanings. The original Station Auto Wash location in Leesburg has over 2.5 acres and 14,000 square feet in two buildings to handle both interior and exterior cleaning plus detailing efficiently. Michael Shullman, owner of the newly opened Russell Speeder’s Car Wash, renovated a 3,737-square-foot building that previously housed The Villa Ave. Car Wash. To celebrate his achievement, Shullman offered free washes for the first three days of operation. Russell Speeder’s was first started by Shullman’s grandfather Herman in 1963. The company is based in Norwalk, CT, and has locations in Norwalk, Stamford, Milford, Shelton and now Fairfield. It also has smaller venues in the Midwest and Florida. Shullman jumped at the opportunity to establish another location in Fairfield when the Villa Ave. Carwash, which was in operation for more than 50 years, suddenly closed in the spring. Streams of cars poured in during the opening weekend to take advantage of the free offer. Shullman stated that the response was strong all three days. A muffler and tire center here added a new express wash tunnel. The 125-foot tunnel is the only express wash in the area, and it includes top brushes, wrap-arounds, wheel cleaning, tire dressing and a drying system. Owner Gary Jones wanted to expand services at the location by adding the Super Suds carwash. Jones saw a huge opportunity in this market for an express carwash, and he wanted to provide a safe, effective and fast wash experience for customers. Being new to the carwash business, Jones also selected equipment that was reliable and easy to operate. The village board here voted unanimously to provide a $175,000 tax incentive that would bring a carwash and possibly a restaurant and retailer to the area. The potential owners will apply for $175,000 in tax increment financing (TIF) eligible funds. Money needed for demolition of the old buildings, landscaping and carwash construction are all TIF eligible expenditures. In a TIF district, taxes generated from the development are used to make further improvements in the district. The carwash’s developer noted that the TIF agreement would expedite building the wash and also attract other developers to the property. The carwash will take up about an acre of the 3.3-acre property that used to be a car dealership. A restaurant and a retail outlet are potential suitors for the other two acres. Owner/builder Ryan Kuhns has settled a 25-year ground lease on a 2.2-acre piece of property that will house a new carwash called Dapper Dan’s. The three-year process took so much time because of economic hardship the land’s owner, NAI Capital, was experiencing as a result of the 2008 recession. Construction on the wash will soon begin, and the site sees around 53,000 cars per day. City planners wanted to be careful about what was built on the site, but they ultimately decided that a business that would generate jobs would be best. There were several other proposed plans that were all pulled during early stages of planning. These included a fast-food restaurant and a Mini Cooper dealership. Kuhns wants to incorporate certain architectural motifs that will be unique to the wash. These include a 35-foot tower with shutters and an overall “Tommy Bahama” feel. The wash will feature $500,000 worth of state-of-the-art equipment and a 150-foot conveyor. Washes will start at $5, and there will be commercial-grade vacuums on-site. Lulu’s Carwash will add a new location here after final approval from the city’s planning director. The plan did not have to go before the city council since the lot’s concept plan from 2006 stated that future approvals could come from the planning director. The area is zoned “planned commercial,” and a carwash is considered vehicle sales and service in the city’s zoning ordinance. Co-owner Carlos Marban was excited to receive the quick approval. Customers asked for a Lulu’s in this area, and the owners like this location since it is near a shopping center. The new wash will be approximately 4,000 square feet in size, and it will include 21 free vacuums. An Auckland Transport car park here is adding services to better compete with commercial operators. Dry cleaning pickup and drop-off, carwashing and valet services will be introduced at a downtown car park. An Auckland Transport spokesman said the additions would make money rather than cost the organization anything. Under a commercial arrangement, the space will be leased to a private operator. In November, the contract still had to be formally signed. The carwash and valet operation will take up eight parking spaces near the car park’s entrance. Customer feedback and service performance will be evaluated before the services are expanded to other locations. CORALVILLE, IA An entrepreneur here installed a dog wash in the self-serve stall of a friend’s carwash. Tracy Davis owns a local fitness franchise, and he was inspired to open the pet wash when he discovered a similar business model in Las Vegas. The cost for the service is $7 for 10 minutes, and it is open 24/7. The pet wash includes a sprayer with heated water, two soap options and two conditioners. After a final rinse, owners can apply a deodorizer. As every customer leaves, he or she can push a button to apply a disinfectant rinse to the tub. Davis and a helper will visit the pet wash daily to clean up the space as well. Davis noted that most people don’t want to wash large dogs at home. It can be a hassle, especially if a dog owner wants to keep a bathroom clean. The roof trusses have been installed for the rebuilding of a Shammy Shine carwash that was destroyed by a fire here in September. Even so, the roof was not the only part of the carwash that needed replacing. All of the automatic carwash equipment was destroyed during the fire as well. Craig Stem, president of family business, said the new equipment would be quite different than what the wash used before. One example was the new state of the art dryer. The low-energy and low-noise dryer was made by a company in Colorado, and it is a high-end unit. While waiting for the rebuild, the location was still offering hand carwashes and oil changes. The wash was also selling gift cards that are good for other automatic Shammy Shine locations. Previously, using the automatic wash, the location could process a car in 10 or 15 minutes, according to Stem. Now, hand washing, it takes the employees about 35 minutes complete a wash. Hand washing, the location can only do about 40 percent of the business it could before the fire. CHEROKEE, IN Gene and Jean Anderson owned and operated Bonanza Car Wash here for 25 years, but they recently sold the wash to another couple. Dan and Bev Reinholdt took possession of the carwash last fall. Dan is co-owner of Top Notch Auto Repair and Bev works in a store bakery. Bonanza’s hours of operation and prices will stay the same. Joe Daniel will serve as manager of the wash and be on-site Monday through Friday. Two high school students will work at the wash on the weekends. Don't forget to vote in our "biggest story of 2012" poll Previous post Tasers used to rob coin dispenser About the Author More Stories The waterless car care movement Maria Woodie,

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Home>>Electrical & Electronic>>BMW 3 Series 323i (E90) N53B25 Ignition Coil 07 onwards BMW 3 Series 323i (E90) N53B25 Ignition Coil 07 onwards BMW 3 Series 323i (E90) N53B25 Ignition Coil 07 onwardsDelivery Nationwide - Door to Door BMW 3 Series 323i (E90) N53B25 Ignition Coil 07 onwardsDelivery Nationwide - Door to Door This is a brand new, affordable OE Specification aftermarket replacement product. 100% Factory tested and built to strict quality control standard to ensure high performance and guaranteed to deliver better fuel economy.Illustration above may differ slightly from the actual product DescriptionThe ignition coil is a crucial part of your ignition system. Its function is to convert the 12 volt power of your vehicle's electrical system in to 35,000 or more volts. This produces a high intensity spark at the spark plug which then ignites the fuel in the cylinder. Coils in general will wear out over time. This will cause a misfire condition. Defective SymptomsAn ignition coil that is completely dead will prevent the engine from starting or will stop the engine if the car is running at the time of failure. This is because no current will reach the spark plugs. An ignition coil that is failing will still provide current to the plugs, but it might not be enough for a full spark and the car will run sluggishly. If the current being provided by the coil isn't consistent, the car will run rough. If a coils starts to show wear from the symptoms, the other coil are sure to follow. Coils, over time, lose their ability to produce the correct power to send to the spark plugs, hence a poor spark from your spark plugs thus increasing fuel consumption. Technical SpecificationOE Numbers used for reference purposes only OE - Not Available Suitable Replacement for - (Including International Vehicles)BMW 3 Series 323i (E90) N53B25 Ignition Coil 07 onwards Shipping InformationShips via Berco - Door to Door - R 150.00International Buyers, please ask for shipping quotation first. Guarantee / ReturnsThis item has been tested by the manufacturer. Due to the nature of this part, this manufacturer does not accept returns Product AKAIgnition Coil, Pencil Coil, Dry Coil, Ignition, Spark Coil, Induction Coil, Distributor Food for Thought The coil is a simple device -- essentially a high-voltage transformer made up of two coils of wire. One coil of wire is called the primary coil. Wrapped around it is the secondary coil. The secondary coil normally has hundreds of times more turns of wire than the primary coil.Current flows from the battery through the primary winding of the coil.The primary coil's current can be suddenly disrupted by the breaker points, or by a solid-state device in an electronic ignition.An ignition coil consists of a laminated iron core surrounded by two coils of copper wire. Unlike a power transformer, an ignition coil has an open magnetic circuit - the iron core does not form a closed loop around the windings. The energy that is stored in the magnetic field of the core is the energy that is transferred to the spark plug.The primary winding has relatively few turns of heavy wire. The secondary winding consists of thousands of turns of smaller wire, insulated for the high voltage by enamel on the wires and layers of oiled paper insulation. The coil is usually inserted into a metal can or plastic case with insulated terminals for the high voltage and low voltage connections. When the contact breaker closes, it allows a current from the battery to build up in the primary winding of the ignition coil. The current does not flow instantly because of the inductance of the coil. Current flowing in the coil produces a magnetic field in the core and in the air surrounding the core. The current must flow long enough to store enough energy in the field for the spark. Once the current has built up to its full level, the contact breaker opens. Since it has a capacitor connected across it, the primary winding and the capacitor form a tuned circuit, and as the stored energy oscillates between the inductor formed by the coil and the capacitor, the changing magnetic field in the core of the coil induces a much larger voltage in the secondary of the coil. More modern electronic ignition systems operate on exactly the same principle, but some rely on charging the capacitor to around 400 volts rather than charging the inductance of the coil. The timing of the opening of the contacts (or switching of the transistor) must be matched to the position of the piston in the cylinder. The spark must occur after the air/fuel mixture is compressed. The contacts are driven off a shaft that is driven by the engine crankshaft, or, if electronic ignition is used, a sensor on the engine shaft controls the timing of the pulses.The amount of energy in the spark required to ignite the air-fuel mixture varies depending on the pressure and composition of the mixture, and on the speed of the engine. Under laboratory conditions as little as 1 millijoule is required in each spark, but practical coils must deliver much more energy than this to allow for higher pressure, rich or lean mixtures, losses in ignition wiring, and plug fouling and leakage. When gas velocity is high in the spark gap, the arc between the terminals is blown away from the terminals, making the arc longer and requiring more energy in each spark. Between 30 and 70 millijoules are delivered in each spark. TagsBMW Ignition Coil, BMW, 3, Series, 323i, (E90), N53B25, Ignition, Coil, 07, onwards

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Registry of Motor Vehicles to cut morning hours at Worcester, Milford offices The state Registry of Motor Vehicles announced Monday it will open offices in six area cities, including Worcester, later in the morning, beginning next month.The Worcester, Milford, Brockton, Lawrence, Springfield and Taunton offices will open at 9 a.m., instead of 8 a.m., starting Sept. 9. The closing time of 5 p.m. will not change on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Thursday hours for the six offices will be 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.The change marks the first time operating hours will be extended on Thursdays in Milford and Taunton.Openings are being delayed because the earlier hours have not proven popular with the public since they were first implemented in 2010, the state Department of Transportation said in a news release."The adjustment is in response to customer behavior and the registry's ongoing efforts to better serve our customers," said Registrar of Motor Vehicles Rachel Kaprielian. "Traffic in our branches continues to be heaviest late into the afternoon; this move will help guarantee staffing levels more closely match customer demand throughout the day."

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Cadillac design boss Clay Dean will speak at the Design Forum in January. He's shown at the reveal of the Ciel concept in Pebble Beach. Autoweek Design Forum returns for 2012 December 5, 2011 Last year, Pixar gurus gave attendees an early preview of their hit summer blockbuster, Cars 2, five months before it premiered in theaters. Two years ago, Chrysler's Ralph Gilles brought down the house with an insightful, hilarious keynote on the state of styling. This year, well buckle up: The 2012 Autoweek Design Forum returns on Jan. 12 with another A-list panel of presenters and insider access to the Detroit auto show. The 2012 lineup will be equally star-studded—and timely—with Lincoln's Max Wolff and Cadillac's Clay Dean weighing in on the state of American luxury. Look for key reveals from both of their brands at the auto show just days before. They'll be followed by Peter Schreyer, Kia's design frontman, who has overseen an impressive surge of style for the Korean brand and who previously created eye-catching Audis.Peter Horbury, a longtime industry veteran who recently took over as Geely's design chief after stints at Volvo and Ford, will cap things with the keynote address.Autoweek will also present its Editors' Choice Awards from the Detroit show and offer tours during the industry preview at Cobo Center.The Design Forum takes place on the top floor of the College of Creative Studies just north of downtown. The building was once the base of General Motors design, and visitors can see the location of Harley Earl's old office. The building was renovated and reopened in 2009, with the A. Alfred Taubman Center for Design Education as a focal point.A continental breakfast will be served at 8 a.m., with a strolling lunch at 12:15 p.m. Tickets are $150 in advance, including the auto-show tour and meals. Students can sign up for a discounted rate of $75, and a limited number of $200 tickets will be available at the door. For more information, including hotel and parking details, visit designforum.autoweek.com. By Greg Migliore See MoreCar News

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New Mercedes ‘not a bad car’ – Brawn on March 1, 2011 in Motorsport, News (Inautonews.com/GMM) Ross Brawn has admitted that Mercedes will be pushing for performance at the final test of the pre-season next week. Asked by Auto Motor und Sport about his assessment of the new W02 car so far, the Brackley based team’s boss said: “I would say it’s reasonable. “It will not be a bad car, but of course we don’t know where the others are.” The Briton said Mercedes has been focusing on “getting the package to work” at the first three winter tests, with Barcelona recently being the deadline for “solving all the problems”. “At the final test in Barcelona (next week) we will be looking at the laptime,” said Brawn. One of the big questions ahead of the 2011 season is whether the combination of Mercedes’ new car and the new Pirelli tyres will allow Michael Schumacher to be more competitive this season. “There is still a lack of comparative data,” Brawn insisted. “What I can see is a very motivated Michael.” Overall, all he would say is that “Red Bull are strong, Ferrari, Renault and us look good. The other teams, I could only guess. “It’s difficult to quantify how big Red Bull’s advantage is,” Brawn continued. “I don’t know what development steps they are yet to bring for the first race. For us, it’s a big step.” He hinted that among Mercedes’ changes is an “exhaust solution”, adding that “so far I haven’t seen anyone with something similar”. “Until now we’ve had the exhaust where it was last year,” he said, admitting that the new solution is “not as extreme” as on the Renault or McLaren.

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/ Cars / Land Rover / Range Rover Buyer's Guide Land Rover Range Rover Share this article in: Facebook Iconic in its off-road prowess, the Land Rover Range Rover has been long revered for its capability when the pavement ends. Although it was originally a utilitarian vehicle, the Range Rover has evolved into a luxurious, well-appointed SUV that still retains its trademark off-road performance.HistoryThe original Land Rover Range Rover, known as the Classic, was in production from 1970 to 1996. Originally, it was a two-door SUV and it the 1980s a four-door variant first appeared due to demand and cars being modified into four-door vehicles in the aftermarket. One of the unique details in the Range Rover Classic is its full-time four-wheel drive system, which distinguishes it from other utility vehicles of the time that used part-time systems that could be switched between rear- and four-wheel drive. Engine choices included gas V-8 or diesel engines. From the late 1970s to the early 1980s, Land Rover also produced Range Rovers in Australia, in addition to the main facility in Solihull, England. Because of their capabilities on- and off-road, Range Rovers were used as special service vehicles by the military, emergency services, and others.Land Rover introduced the second-generation Range Rover in 1994, the same year the company became part of the BMW Group. The car’s exterior design is evolutionary but the round headlights have been replaced by rectangular ones and the taillights now wrap around the tailgate. Powertrain choices included two V-8s, a 4.0-liter or a 4.6-liter, and a BMW-sourced 2.5-liter turbodiesel I-6 for other world markets. The smaller V-8 and the diesel engine can be paired to either a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic but the larger V-8 is automatic only. This generation of the Range Rover was the first to move slightly upmarket with more luxury features and better appointments compared to the more utilitarian Range Rover Classic. Unlike the original, the second-generation SUV was only available as a four-door.The third-generation Range Rover, which was produced from 2002 to 2012, was developed when Land Rover was still under BMW ownership. However, by the time it reached production, the brand had been sold to Ford. This generation moved upmarket once more and essentially became the flagship of the Land Rover brand. A smaller variant called the Range Rover Sport was also introduced alongside the standard third-generation Range Rover. A range of V-8 engines were offered in North America paired exclusively to an automatic transmission. The most powerful variant of the third-generation Range Rover was the Supercharged model, which was powered by a 510-hp supercharged 5.0-liter V-8 from 2009 to the the end of production in 2012.The Latest GenerationIntroduced in 2012 as a 2013 model, the fourth-generation Range Rover lost a significant amount of weight compared to its predecessor because it now uses an aluminum-intensive structure. A 340-hp supercharged 3.0-liter V-6 and a 510-hp supercharged 5.0-liter V-8 paired to an eight-speed automatic transmission were the initial powertrains offered. They were later joined by a more powerful 550-hp version, the supercharged 5.0-liter V-8, and a 3.0-liter turbodiesel V-6 with 240 hp and 443 lb-ft of torque. The current generation moved further upmarket thanks to the introduction of the SVAutobiography variant, a high-end Range Rover that seats four and features a full leather-lined interior, massaging seats, champagne glasses, a rear cool box, and a rear seat entertainment system with dual 10.2-inch screens.In a 2016 First Drive of a diesel-powered Range Rover Td6, we said that the diesel engine offers plenty of mid-range torque, giving it effortless acceleration even on the freeway. When the pavement ends, the diesel-powered Range Rover retains its trademark capability with plenty of low-end power for crawling over rocks and driving over rough trails.Why You’d Consider OneWhen it comes to off-road prowess, the Land Rover Range Rover is unmatched in its class and it does so without sacrificing on-road comfort and performance. Now that it’s gone upscale, all that capability doesn’t come at the cost of creature comforts because the current-generation Range Rover is supremely luxurious especially in Autobiography and SVAutobiography trims.Why You’d Look ElsewhereThe Range Rover’s move to the premium SUV category has caused its prices to increase dramatically, making it less accessible to the majority of the population. Additionally, the SUV isn’t as utilitarian as it used to be, making it less practical as a vehicle used for work. Body Types: SUV/Crossover Overall Rating: StarStarStarHalf-StarNo-Star 3.5 of 5 Rating based on 2017 Model Land Rover Range Rover News Land Rover Will Sell You a Restored 1970s Range Rover for $169K Watch the Evolution of Range Rover From 1970-2017 Celebrity Drive: ESPN Radio’s Ryen Russillo show more news Land Rover Range Rover Reviews 2017 Land Rover Range Rover SVAutobiography Dynamic First Drive 2016 Land Rover Range Rover Td6; 2016 Range Rover Sport Td6 First Drive & Review The Big Test: Large Luxury SUVs show more reviews Toyota Land Cruiser Lexus LX570 Maserati Levante Land Rover Models Land Rover Discovery Land Rover Range Rover Evoque Land Rover Discovery Sport Compare Dealer Pricing Land Rover Range Rover /5 LAND-ROVER RANGE-ROVER PHOTOS Recent Stories PSA Takes First Step Toward U.S. Return With TravelCar Launch 2018 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE is Your Supercharged Z/28 Successor

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Honda to end US motorcycle production, shift work to Japan plant DAYTON, Ohio — Honda Motor Co. plans to stop making motorcycles in the United States next year and transfer the work to Japan, pulling the plug on its first U.S. plant. JAMES HANNAH DAYTON, Ohio — Honda Motor Co. plans to stop making motorcycles in the United States next year and transfer the work to Japan, pulling the plug on its first U.S. plant.The 330,000-square-foot Marysville, Ohio, plant, built in 1979, turns out large Gold Wing touring and VTX cruiser motorcycles. The work will be shifted to a plant in Japan that can produce bikes more efficiently.The Ohio plant employs 450 workers. Honda said there will be no layoffs when production ends in spring 2009. The workers will remain with the company, helping produce cars, trucks, engines and parts and filling other jobs at Honda's operations in west-central Ohio, the company said."There were a lot of people who felt disappointment," said plant manager Jan Gansheimer, noting that many employees are motorcycle enthusiasts who have spent much of their careers at the plant. "There were some emotional considerations."But realizing it was a business decision and knowing they would not lose their jobs made it easier to accept, she said.Last year, the plant produced about 44,000 Gold Wing touring and VTX cruiser bikes.Gansheimer said production of 120 motorcycles a day will continue for now. A decision on whether to phase out production and transfer workers gradually or do it all at once has not been made.Ray Riffle, of Pastaskala, east of Columbus, has been riding motorcycles for more than 30 years and bought his first Gold Wing motorcycle in May."I feel it's a great product, and Americans have done a great job in putting them together," said Riffle, 52. "I hate to see them leave."Honda said motorcycle production at the Marysville plant and at the Hamamatsu factory in Japan will be consolidated at an expanded motorcycle plant in Kumamoto, Japan, in 2009.The larger motorcycles currently made at Marysville and the medium-sized ones produced at Hamamatsu will be manufactured together under one roof."This move allows us to improve the competitiveness and appeal of our products by applying the latest technologies and production systems at one efficient location," said Akio Hamada, president and chief executive of Honda of America.The Japanese plant will be capable of producing up to 600,000 motorcycles a year. Capacity at the Marysville plant is 75,000.No decision has been made about what to do with the Marysville plant.The Motorcycle Industry Council estimates that 1.11 million motorcycles were sold in the United States in 2007, down from 1.19 million in 2006.Council spokesman Mike Mount said rising energy costs may be one reason for the sales dip, but noted that motorcycle sales steadily increased for 14 years leading up to 2006, which was the best year for sales in 30 years.Honda spokesman Ed Miller said the company is confident that sales will increase as the economy strengthens.Honda says it holds about 25 percent of the U.S. market in sales of motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles and scooters.Honda currently employs about 13,000 workers at five plants in Ohio — two in Marysville and one each in East Liberty, Anna and Russells Point. Besides motorcycles, the employees make the Accord, Civic, Element, CR-V, Acura TL and RDX sport utility vehicle.

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Mazda Mazda6 Models and Mazda6 History Introduced in 2003, the Mazda 6 was created to replace the aging 626 and Millenia fleets. Its sporty and unique design with plenty of features and options made it an instant hit. It was powered by a 3.0-liter V6 engine that was rated at 220 horsepower. In 2004, Mazda introduced a new hatchback and wagon style in midyear. Minor changes were made to trims and option packages. A six-speed transmission was now available for various models, too. New front and rear fascias graced the 2006 Mazda 6, alongside of a new grille and side sills. Emissions were reduced in the V6 engine models, which reduced horsepower to 215. Traction control and ABS were now included as standard features on various trims, along with side impact and side curtain airbags. In 2007, Mazda made changes to different trim levels to better accommodate buyers. The car would pass through 2008 relatively unchanged. In 2009, a redesigned Mazda six was introduced with a more modern style and new technology features. The only notable change for 2010 was the addition of optional Bluetooth integration. Headlights and foglights were updated for 2011, and new side mirrors were introduced for various trim levels. The Mazda 6 zipped through 2012 and 2013 relatively unchanged, except for the new 18 wheels option for higher end trims. In 2014, Mazda released a completely redesigned version of this popular sedan. Read less New and Used Mazda6 Prices, Mazda Mazda6 Model Years and History See more Mazda models and years The Mazda 6 sedan delivers on a mid-sized and modern sedan, with room for five passengers and enough tech features in the base model to appease all buyers. The Mazda6 lets you take the “zoom” anywhere that lazy weekend awaits, with comfort and luxury to boot. 2015 Mazda Mazda6 Redesigned last year, the Mazda6 sedan enters the 2015 model year touting the addition of the SkyActiv-D clean diesel powerplant. 2014 Mazda Mazda6 Updated with an emphasis on improving fuel economy, the 2014 Mazda CX-5 utilizes SKYACTIV-G technology to achieve an EPA estimated 37 mpg highway. Carried over for the current model year, the 2013 MAZDA6 is a mid-size sedan available with a 3.7-liter V6 engine that yields 272 hp and 269 lb-ft of torque. The 2012 MAZDA6 is capable of achieving more than 30 mpg highway, making it an economically viable and fun mid-size sedan. A mid-size sports sedan, the 2011 MAZDA6 combines practicality and fun, making it a sensible sedan that produces pure driving enjoyment. Available in a range of trims, the mid-size 2010 Mazda MAZDA6 is a five-passenger sedan with sporty styling and two great engine choices to pick from. Still fun to drive, the 2009 Mazda MAZDA6 family sedan boasts a new design and muscular performance, along with sporty handling and slick automatic shifting. A mid-size sedan, the 2008 Mazda MAZDA6 drops the wagon and the MAZDASPEED6 versions for the model year. The 2007 Mazda MAZDA6 is a five-passenger mid-size car available as a sedan or a wagon, and a choice of manual or automatic transmissions. A mid-size, five-passenger car, the 2006 Mazda MAZDA6 is available as a sedan or wagon and is offered in a wide array of trims, from the base i up to the sporty mazdaspeed. The 2005 Mazda MAZDA6 is a mid-size, five-passenger car available as a sedan or a wagon and with a choice between a 2.3L four-cylinder or a 3.0L six-cylinder engine. The 2004 Mazda MAZDA6 is a mid-size four-door which is available as a sedan or a wagon, both of which seat five passengers. A brand-new mid-size sedan, the five-passenger 2003 Mazda MAZDA6 does an excellent job of blending efficiency and sporty.

汽车

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Still in love with Austin's powers You thought John Simm was the star of Life on Mars. Actually, it's the Allegro Rachael Cooke Saturday 25 February 2006 19.28 EST At the White Horse public house, just off junction 18 of the M25, the North Thames branch of Allegro Club International is having its regular monthly meeting. The chat is mainly about, well, Austin Allegros. 'The Allegro is my passion,' says Ian, a 40-year-old residential care manager. 'I've wanted one for 20 years. Six months ago, it happened. He is blue, he was made in 1982 and I call him Lucky.' He beams. I am amazed. Time to shove another scampi into the gaping hole that is my mouth. If you have been watching Life on Mars, the brilliant and hugely successful BBC series, which ends tomorrow, in which a police detective (John Simm) falls on his head and wakes up in 1973, perhaps you have been thinking about Allegros (they comprise the pale-blue fleet of panda cars you see lined up outside the station). Then again, perhaps you haven't. After all, the Allegro was a vehicle with a uniquely rubbish reputation. The early Allegros had more than a few problems. The bodywork leaked, the back wheels fell off and its infamous Quartic steering wheel (yes, it was square) was much mocked. Still, between 1973 and 1983, British Leyland produced 642,350 Austin Allegros. What on earth happened to them all? 'There are still 1,028 Allegros registered with the DVLA,' says Mervyn Irvine, esteemed membership secretary of Allegro Club International (Mervyn likes Life on Mars for the brief glimpses it affords of, say, Allegro radiator grills and headlamps - but the panda cars he believes to be mocked up and resprayed). 'The Allegro was born at a time when the British were very good at doing themselves down. They were the days of Red Robbo. But the Allegro was never as bad as people said. It is very reliable. It will always start.' Perhaps I look disbelieving, because he then adds: 'It was certainly a better car than its contemporaries. When was the last time you saw a Vauxhall Viva? When was the last time you saw a Marina? Or even, come to that, a Maestro?' I have a little think. 'You've got me there, Mervyn,' I say. Allegro Club International was founded in 1990 for 'enthusiasts who realise the car's true potential', and now has more than 400 members, some as far away as Australia and Japan. Its chairman is Vernon Foster, who sells power supplies. His family owns six Allegros, including a 1971 prototype that he believes to be the oldest 'living' example of the car. In 'blaze and white' (that's red with a broad white stripe to you), it is something of a legend among Allegro fans. Once, on the Donington race track, it achieved a speed of 134mph. Vernon hands me a photo. 'That's an awesome piece of machinery,' says Mervyn, green with envy. Speaking of green, it is time for the highlight of my evening. Outside, sits an Allegro in a weird shade of leaf (this is known as 'applejack' - Mervyn is compiling an exhaustive list of Allegro colours). This car, which has leather seats and, for rear passengers, a handy cocktail table, is the property of 22-year-old Craig, who works in payroll. He bought his first Allegro for £250; it was the only car he could afford. Then he fell in love; he now has four. Like all owners, he thinks Allegros are much maligned. Why, when they have such comfy seats? Anyway, he is to take me for a short drive. Off we go... what can I tell you? This is what I regard as the true sound of the Seventies: not T-Rex or Slade, but the sound of plucky engine through tinny shell. I remember it from childhood. To me, it's like travelling in a very energetic bucket. But I can tell from the look on Craig's face that he feels this car was born to run ... and run. From the Observer

汽车

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...And Every One Else XM Offer 3-Years free for new 2008 Infiniti QX56 Buyers XM Offer 3-Years free for new 2008 Infiniti QX56 Buyers XM and Infiniti Will Offer 3-Year XM Radio and XM NavTraffic Service to 2008 Infiniti QX56 BuyersXM Radio and XM NavTraffic now standard, factory-equipped features on Infiniti QX56WASHINGTON, June 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- XM (NASDAQ:XMSR) , the nation's leading provider of satellite radio, today announced that for a limited time Infiniti will be offering consumers three years of complimentary XM Satellite Radio and XM NavTraffic service on the redesigned 2008 Infiniti QX56. All 2008 Infiniti QX56 models come with standard XM Satellite Radio and the Infiniti Navigation System, featuring XM NavTraffic, XM's real-time traffic information service.Beginning with the 2008 model year, XM will be the exclusive satellite radio provider to Infiniti, and every Infiniti model will make available XM Radio as a standard, factory-equipped feature."Offering three years of complimentary service to XM Radio and XM NavTraffic on the 2008 Infiniti QX56 demonstrates Infiniti's commitment to providing the best technology for everyone. QX56 buyers can now immediately begin to experience the variety of more than 170 channels of music, sports, news, talk and entertainment, along with the power of live, real time traffic data," said Steve Cook, executive vice president, automotive, XM Satellite Radio.In support of the launch for the three-year service offer, Infiniti has developed an integrated marketing program that includes television, print, online and billboard advertising.XM NavTrafficNow available in 50 major U.S. markets, XM NavTraffic feeds data on incidents, such as accidents and road construction, directly to a vehicle's GPS navigation system via XM's satellite pipeline. The driver is alerted to these incidents through the navigation screen, allowing him or her to route around a jam before getting caught in traffic. Where available, the complimentary three-year subscription to XM NavTraffic provides real-time traffic information by using red, yellow and green colors codes to indicate high, medium and low congestion levels. Drivers can also set the red routes to flash on the screen to alert the driver to high congestion areas.In addition to the QX56, XM NavTraffic is available on the 2007 Infiniti G35 sedan (and will be available on the all new 2008 G37 Coupe coming in August) as part of the Navigation package. Both also will feature XM Radio.About XMXM (NASDAQ:XMSR) is America's number one satellite radio company with more than 8 million subscribers. Broadcasting live daily from studios in Washington, DC, New York City, Chicago, the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, Toronto and Montreal, XM's 2007 lineup includes more than 170 digital channels of choice from coast to coast: commercial-free music, premier sports, news, talk radio, comedy, children's and entertainment programming; and the most advanced traffic and weather information.XM, the leader in satellite-delivered entertainment and data services for the automobile market through partnerships with General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Nissan, Porsche, Subaru, Suzuki and Toyota is available in 140 different vehicle models for 2007. XM's industry-leading products are available at consumer electronics retailers nationwide. For more information about XM hardware, programming and partnerships, please visit http://www.xmradio.com/ .Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements in this press release include demand for XM Satellite Radio's service, the Company's dependence on technology and third party vendors, its potential need for additional financing, as well as other risks described in XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc.'s Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on 3-7-07. Copies of the filing are available upon request from XM Radio's Investor Relations Department.Source: XM Post Reply

汽车

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Acura NSX Concept, 2013 » Acura » Acura NSX Concept, 2013 At the 2013 NAIAS Acura unveiled a new NSX Concept that showcases the evolution of the next-generation supercar's styling and design, including a first-ever look at one possible direction for the next-generation NSX interior design."This further evolution of the Acura NSX Concept design is remarkably true to the original concept styling," said Mike Accavitti, vice president of national marketing operations. "We're making great progress in delivering on the expectations we created a year ago, with advanced technology that will bring new levels of performance and a unique, dynamic experience to the exotic sports car market."The new Acura NSX Concept is based on the expected underpinnings of the vehicle Acura will bring to market. Still, the new NSX Concept maintains its low and wide stance with the dynamic and alluring proportions that debuted in the original NSX Concept at the 2012 North American International Auto Show - highlighted by clean, modern and simple surfacing, and edgy details that communicate supercar attitude and a high-tech feel.The new Acura NSX Concept also features a first-ever look at one potential direction for the next-generation Acura NSX interior design. The design concept is founded on a "Human Support Cockpit" theme, a strong expression of Acura's product direction focused on "the synergy between man and machine." The interior package boasts outstanding visibility, an exotic driving position, and an intuitive "Simple Sports Interface" that minimizes interior clutter, allowing the driver to focus on the driving experience."Consistent with the spirit of the original NSX, our intention is to support the psychological and emotional aspects of driving a super car at the limit, because we are insistent about delivering on the synergy between man and machine," said Jon Ikeda, chief designer, Acura Design Studio. "Importantly, this will be true of all Acura vehicles moving forward."With the aim of delivering a new sports car experience that combines next-generation supercar dynamic capabilities with advanced environmental performance, Acura announced a year ago that the Acura NSX will be powered by a mid-mounted, direct-injected V-6 engine mated to Acura's Sport Hybrid SH-AWD® (Super Handling All-Wheel Drive) system.Acura Sport Hybrid SH-AWD is an all-new, three-motor high-performance hybrid system that combines torque vectoring all-wheel drive with advanced hybrid efficiency through the use of three electric motors - one motor integrated with the V-6 engine and two motors driving the front wheels - along with an all-new dual-clutch transmission (DCT). The system enables instant delivery of negative or positive torque to the front wheels during cornering to achieve a new level of driving performance unparalleled by current AWD systems.The new NSX is being developed by a global R&D team led by designers and engineers at Honda R&D Americas, Inc. located in Los Angeles, California, and Raymond, Ohio. The new NSX will also be manufactured at a new production facility in central Ohio. BMW 4-Series Coupe Concept, 2013 Aston Martin V12 Vantage Roadster, 2013 BMW 3-Series Long Wheelbase, 2013 Audi A1 quattro, 2013 Nissan Resonance Concept, 2013 Acura MDX Concept, 2013

汽车

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Oxford Diecast Welsh Eisteddfod - 1:76 Scale It was in 1951 the decision was taken to develop a lightweight vehicle with the ability to seat 64 passengers, an initial estimate of 2,000 vehicles being suggested. Several protoypes appeared over the next few years and testing of the buses took place with development being carried out by a range of companies. It was not until the early sixties that the buses were seen on the streets of London in any quantity and by now a decision had been made to concentrate the future development of buses on one-person operated vehicles. No further Routemasters were built after 1968 although due to maintenance, refurbishment and deregulation they are still seen not only in the capital, but also in many locations throughout the UK and overseas.

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Mopar Fast Forward First Drive: 2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Q4 Watch a General Lee Dodge Charger Catch Massive ... AC Schnitzer Releases 30th Anniversary ACL2S ... Mercedes-Benz Ponders X-Class Pickup for U.S. Seven Affordable Classics Sold at the 2017 Mecum ... Is This a Test Mule for the 2018 Dodge Challenger ... Aston Martin DB11 Gets the Q Treatment for Geneva First Drive: 2017 Jeep Compass 2018 Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid Has 671 ... BUYER'S GUIDE / Features / Mopar Fast Forward Features Share this article on: Mopar Fast Forward By: November 25, 2003 Automobile Magazine senior editor EDDIE ALTERMAN sits down withDAN KNOTT, director of Chrysler‘s Performance Vehicle Operations and the man behind the amazing, Viper-powered Dodge Ram SRT-10. AUTOMOBILE MAGAZINE: The SRT-10 is obviously an outgrowth of the SRT badge, it’s the third after the Viper and the Neon. Why did you guys decide to do a truck this time?DAN KNOTT: Well, part of it is that no one else has the heritage and tradition that we have in Viper. Nobody else has that engine. To grow that heritage into something like a truck is just awesome. Viper and Ram SRT-10 are a similar type of market in that we’re going after the enthusiast market, but of course it’s the truck enthusiast market, which is a good market-our competitors have found that out and we’re finding that out now. The whole idea of this SRT brand&#151street and racing technology&#151was to plug in to what’s going on the enthusiast market. In the tuner end, the SRT-4 has been just an absolute certifiable phenomenon, but it’s one end of the market. And then we have the Viper type of the market, which is another strong enthusiast market, more traditional. And then we said, Okay, how can we grow that and tap into another segment of the enthusiast market? How can we take this buzz of the Viper and what it’s created, and grow it and how can we show people that the Dodge trucks have the range to do something with this kind of performance?So we took our Ram truck, which is an outstanding base vehicle, and asked how we could come out with a high-performance derivative and still “walk the talk,” which is what all my SRT products have to do. So we look at things like exterior styling. Bold, aggressive, in-your-face Dodge styling. Then we go after a race-inspired interior, with racing seats, steering wheels, Hurst shifter on the floor. Then we go after braking, steering, and handling. Delivering the performance to the road. Wide wheels and tires so we can put the power down, our new power-hop damper system so that you can put slicks on it and go wide-open throttle and still maintain traction.We’ve lowered the truck, an inch in the front, two-inches in the rear, for handling. And we went with bigger brakes, so you have great stopping capability. And then you have the heart of it, the Viper engine, which nobody has. Outrageous performance, 500-hp, 525 lb-ft, 505 cubic inches, and a 508-watt stereo system. We call it four-by-five. The first 4×5. I think for us, SRT has to walk the talk. In all those areas I talked about, every SRT product you see will deliver on the promise. AM:</font How do you make sure you are the leader in the segment? Because now, you’ve got the next-generation SVT Lightning coming up fast behind this truck. And the old Lightning just claimed a speed record for production pickups.DN:</font It’s a tough game, because you’re constantly raising the bar. In this truck we’ll raise the bar for the performance truck market. John Coletti [of SVT] isn’t going to rest on his laurels and neither is Mr. Reuss over at GM’s High Performance division. So we’re all going to be pushing in the same direction. But as the engineers you have to ask yourselves What’s out there currently? Where do we think they’re going to go? But that’s only one part of it. The other part is how can we develop a product with the technology that we’ve got, and where are our leverage points? In the case of the truck, it’s easy. We had a great leverage point in the Viper powertrain. AM:</font If you guys think that doing it with displacement as opposed to supercharging is the way to go, how much more room do you have in that engine, say if Coletti comes out with a bigger bottom end?DN:</font Well our V-10’s been a around a while, and in ’03 we bumped it up. It’s a very capable engine and it’s got a great history. I think the performance level we have in the truck will be very competitive and we’ll stay there and see what goes on in the future. AM:</font The segment is interesting: I don’t really consider the Chevy Silverado SS a player just because its horsepower is so far off you and SVT. But it seems like it’s high time that trucks started spawning new expressions of themselves.DN:</font That’s why we’re thinking there’s room in the market for something like this. And we bring to it a piece that most people can’t bring to it, which is the Viper V-10. It would have been one thing to come out with a truck with performance cues and then put a hot engine in it. But our hot engine is one nobody else can do. AM:</font And it originally started life as a truck engine. Shifting gears a second, are you predicting that Nissan and Toyota will come after you, too? Or is this primarily an American muscle phenomenon?DN:</font It’s hard to say, but part of this whole issue with the enthusiast market that all of us are tapping into, is that this is where people are making their money nowadays. We don’t have incentives. The first time we do have incentives means I didn’t do my job with the credibility of the product. And some of my competitors do have incentives on their performance vehicles and when you stand back and look at it and say maybe they didn’t quite deliver on all of those things. But I think that the competitive market could drive some of those guys to come out with their own entry. I don’t see anything on the immediate horizon other than the Lightning. AM:</font How much high-horsepower expertise was drawn on from your Mercedes-Benz colleagues?DN:</font In the case of the truck, not a significant amount. We and AMG have similar kinds of objectives. And we continue to have discussions with them about how to leverage each other’s knowledge base. We’d be fools if we didn’t. So we continue to learn from them, and I think they’re learning some things from us. And they don’t have a Viper type of product, with this level of raw horsepower [without super- or turbocharging.] AM:</font Yet you seem to be matching each other horsepower for horsepower. I don’t want to stretch this point too much, but what are the things that separate you and AMG? Besides the fact that one is Mercedes-Benz and the other is Dodge? What’s the difference in approach?DN:</font I think there’s some level of refinement that a Mercedes brand has versus an SRT at this current point. The markets are different, so the expectations from the consumer are a little different. That’s not to say that we have any less refinement, it’s just a different type. I think we’re going to grow to that place over time. Secondly, AMG has a fair amount of resources that they can leverage, and my resources are a little bit less. But I’m going to leverage them for as much as I can and vice versa. AM:</font Talk about some of the challenges of turning a Ram into the SRT-10. Not only with the brand and its promotion, and getting SRT away from something that’s strictly Viper, but also the challenges of making a truck perform like a muscle car.DN:</font Frankly, it was a big challenge. First, we started with a great truck. That’s a fundamental. It’s not like we’re starting with a product that’s a huge stretch. The base truck handles very well and has a very good set of brakes. But what we did in the case of the SRT-10 was said Okay, we’ve got 500 horsepower and 525 foot-pounds that we’ve got to get to the road. How do we do that? We lower the center of gravity, lower the truck, and we knew we had to go after something like that power-hop damper. We studied several different alternatives and what we ended up with was basically a damper mounted on the top of the diff that, as the rear axle starts to wind up, forces it down. We also went with a snubber under the rear leaf springs, so as it starts to compress, you get loads on the wheels. And it’s so effective that we can put slicks on it and open the throttle all the way, and it stays stuck to the pavement. So getting the power to the road was critical. And making that early decision to get those snubbers and that damper in there was critical.One of the issues with designing and developing a product like this is that you have such a short development time. We’re moving toward less-than-24-months kinds of programs, and the only way you can do that is if you sit down right up front and you say, Based upon all these people out there racing, out there walking the talk, and doing it everyday, what does our expertise have to deliver? We can’t wait until we’re all the way down stream to say; Gee we hope we don’t need to put a damper on that rear axle. And the more expertise you’ve got, the more easily you can make those decisions up front.Another area that we went after was the spoiler on the back, which is a functional spoiler that does provide downforce. So in the wind-tunnel testing, crosswinds, straight-ahead, we do get downforce from it. And we do get downforce from the front end in terms of how we designed the fascia and splitter. The exterior jumps out and grabs you, but it’s also extremely functional. A bit of that NASCAR influence. One of the things you see on the SRT-10 is that in NASCAR truck racing, we close the grille off and funnel the air where we really want it to go, and typically you don’t see that on production trucks. So what we’ve done is diverted some of the air so we can get a highly efficient air flow up there. The other thing is on a truck that goes 150 mph, is that you get a lift, so you have to divert some air to help keep the front end down.The other challenge to a truck that weighs 5000 pounds and has to deliver good handling is you’ve got to lower the suspension, and go with performance shocks, which in this case are Bilsteins, and the result has been pretty impressive. AM:</font What’s the one key message that the SRT-10 delivers?DN:</font When you look at what we’re trying to deliver with the Ram, I think we’ve done very well. I’m really happy with how we’ve delivered the SRT cues. I kind of think that when people walk up to a vehicle, there’s a promise that already starts to establish in their mind. And you walk up to the SRT truck, and first of all it’s very aggressive and in-your-face, but it looks like it should handle and perform well. And I’m happy to report that it does all of those very well, and for me, as I start to build this SRT brand, it’s really critical that we do that and we don’t take any step backward. So I think there’s one key message and that it that the truck delivers, it walks the talk. It’s another notch in the belt of the SRT portfolio. So what’s it going to be, gearheads? Dodge or Ford? PVO or SVT? Ram SRT-10 or F-150 Lightning? If you’ve got something to say about the greatest American performance rivalry since the Mustang met the Camaro, visit automobilemag.com/forums and let your voice be heard. wpengine Email Mopar Fast Forward /2 Lifestyle Automobile StaffFebruary 26, 2017 11 of the Latest Books Worth Your Time Required reading for enthusiasts

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US-based automakers, Toyota report big sales gains By TOM KRISHER and DEE-ANN DURBIN, AP Auto Writers DETROIT (AP) — Most of the big car companies are reporting double-digit gains for January as last year’s momentum in U.S. auto sales continues into 2013. Sales at Toyota rose 27 percent and they jumped 22 percent at Ford. GM and Chrysler each reported 16 percent gains compared with a year earlier. It was Chrysler’s best January in five years. But Volkswagen, which reported a 31 percent increase in 2012, saw sales slow a bit, growing only 7 percent. Other automakers report sales later Friday. The figures so far indicate that Americans bought new vehicles at a strong pace last month, as the industry remains a bright spot in a tepid U.S. economic recovery. “The sales pace we saw in the fourth quarter of last year rolled into January, exceeding our expectations for the industry,” Bill Fay, Toyota Division group vice president, said in a statement. Chrysler estimates that total U.S. industry sales hit an annual rate of 15.5 million in January. If that holds for the rest of the year, automakers will sell 1 million more vehicles than in 2012, when sales rose 13 percent. Analysts are expecting sales for all of 2013 to reach 15 million to 15.5 million. Although still far from the recent peak of about 17 million in 2005, the industry could sell a whopping 5 million more cars and trucks than it did in 2009, the worst year in at least three decades. At Ford, the growth was led by the Fusion midsize car, which saw a 65 percent increase. Explorer SUV sales rose 46 percent. Sales of the F-Series pickup truck, the top-selling vehicle in the U.S., rose 22 percent. GM’s Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra each saw increases of over 30 percent while sales of the Ram pickup, Chrysler’s top-selling vehicle, rose 14 percent from a year earlier. Those gains give a strong indication that businesses are replacing aging pickup trucks that they kept through the Great Recession. Even though VW’s growth slowed, last month was still the company’s best January in the U.S. since 1974. Sales of the Passat midsize sedan rose 40 percent to 8,856. January is normally a lackluster month for sales as people avoid going out in winter weather across much of the country. But they were apparently willing to venture to showrooms this year. Perhaps the stock market gave them incentive — the Standard & Poor’s 500 index had its strongest January since 1997. “(January) was like a sprinter out of the starting blocks,” said Mike Jackson, CEO of AutoNation Inc., the country’s largest auto dealership chain. Analysts say sales for the month should exceed 1 million vehicles and are likely to be 8 percent to 15 percent higher than a year earlier. Jackson, whose chain reported record fourth-quarter earnings per share on Thursday, feared a hangover last month from the strong finish to 2012. But he said people who focused on paying down debt the past few years are now making big-ticket purchases at a robust pace. Consumers are saying: “I’m moving ahead with my life. I’m getting a new vehicle,” Jackson said. Buyers crowded dealerships even though incentives weren’t as good as last year. The auto industry spent 8 percent less on discounts last month than it did a year earlier, according to the TrueCar.com auto pricing site. Of all major automakers, only Hyundai and Volkswagen raised incentives from what they spent in January of 2012, TrueCar said. But that could change later in the year as automakers are expected to compete for sales with new vehicles and better deals. Automakers are looking to the U.S. market to compensate for falling sales in Europe and slowing growth in emerging markets. The U.S. appears poised to deliver as the economy heats up, said Jeff Schuster, senior vice president of forecasting for LMC Automotive, an industry consulting firm. Now automakers and parts supply companies are starting to worry about being able to make enough cars and components, said Schuster. Many suppliers cut their operations or went out of business altogether during the recession, and are having a hard time ramping back up to meet demand. Last year U.S. unemployment eased, the housing industry started to recover and people felt a bit more confident in the economy. Interest rates also stayed low and banks made loans available to more customers, even those with lousy credit. People began to replace cars and trucks that they’d owned since before the economy went sour in 2007. The average age of a vehicle in the U.S. grew to a record 11.2 years.

汽车

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Greg Zyla: Al Capone’s 1931 Dodge? By Greg Zyla Q: Greg, I bought a collector car in Burlington, Iowa, in 1997 and I thought the owner was kidding when she told me it was once owned by Al Capone and bought for his bookkeeper in 1931 before he went to prison.My Dodge is a four-door sedan and all original. It has an eight-cylinder engine, which was rare for the time, as most of them were six-cylinder.I need to know how I can get proof of ownership and paperwork on it. I tried the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), and they wouldn’t tell me. I also tried the DMV in Iowa, and they couldn’t help either.The previous owner doesn’t have any information in writing. I really enjoy your columns, and I’m wondering if you can help. Thanks much, Leon Cloney, Jefferson City, Mo.A: Leon, thanks much for the nice words, and I wish I could help you in your plight to track down the original owner. However, sales information in those days and official records of many cars just don’t exist anymore, even though somewhere down the line they did.I was a huge fan of the TV series “The Untouchables,” and then the movie with Kevin Costner, which I usually watch at least once a year. In the television shows, it pinpoints the association of Capone’s bookkeeper, namely Jake “Easy Thumb” Guzik, who appeared in six episodes of “The Untouchables” in 1959.Guzik was a lifelong and trusted friend of Capone, especially after tipping Capone there was a hit on him and actually saving Capone’s life. Guzik also took care of Capone and his family all the way to Capone’s death in 1947. Guzik died a natural death in 1956, and never owned a gun or was involved in hits during his career with the crime syndicate. His was strictly money and bookeeping. A second Capone financial wizard was Edie O’Hare, a noted St. Louis attorney, businessman and bookkeeper. He played a major role in the 1931 conviction of Capone as he worked undercover for the IRS in the tax evasion conviction. In 1939, a week before Capone was released from Alcatraz, O’Hare was shot and killed while driving his 1939 Lincoln Zepher. Notable, too, is his being the father of Medal of Honor recipient Butch O’Hare, for whom the Chicago airport is named.Therefore, of these two bookkeepers, Guzik is your man and surely the one who owned the 1931 Dodge if the story is true. As for the 1931 Dodge eight-cylinder, it has the new “straight eight” 240-cubic-inch engine that produces 84 horsepower. This larger Dodge version became the flagship for the Dodge brand.Although most of this is a history lesson on Capone’s bookkeepers, I’m hoping one day you find evidence that it was indeed a Guzik or Capone owned Dodge, pending if Guzik ever had it signed over in his name or did he not. Good luck in your continuing search.Regardless, it makes for an interesting sideline to a great car.Greg Zyla writes weekly for More Content Now and welcomes reader questions on auto nostalgia, old-time motorsports and collector cars at 303 Roosevelt St., Sayre, PA 18840 or email at [email protected].

汽车

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The One Huge Problem With Vehicles That Run on Natural Gas SlateTransportationThe future of how we move. Aug. 15 2013 7:16 AM The big problem with vehicles that run on natural gas: methane. By Uven Chong Over the past decade, there has been an increase in the adoption of natural gas vehicles in bus and truck fleets. Courtesy of Jason Lawrence/Flickr On a sweltering Tuesday afternoon in June in Washington, D.C., President Obama unveiled “a plan to lead the world in a coordinated assault on a changing climate.” His speech was complemented by a plethora of visual exclamation points. Acknowledging the heat, Obama took off his jacket and paused several times to wipe the sweat off his brow. After a first term in which many environmental supporters felt neglected, the speech suggested that the Obama administration is finally ready to spend some political capital on climate change. A large tenet of Obama’s energy plan is to promote the use of shale natural gas that has recently become accessible due to advances in drilling technology (that is, fracking). This appears to be working. A recent report by the U.S. Energy Information Administration shows that carbon dioxide emissions in the United States are steadily decreasing in large part to the substitution of coal with natural gas. More recently, the Economist has also enthusiastically embraced the potential of natural gas to replace demand for oil. However, shale exploitation is not without critics, and rightfully so. In terms of climate change, there are two main objections to shale gas. One is in the process of digging up the gas and moving it to fuel stations through pipelines, and the second is in the use of the gas itself. The former gets most of the attention, but the latter could also have significant implications, especially if predictions of increased natural gas vehicle adoption come to fruition. Advertisement The first argument against shale gas is that the extraction and pipeline transport process of shale results in leaked methane, a greenhouse gas that is stronger than carbon dioxide. In April 2011, researchers at Cornell published a study that concluded that if methane leaks are considered, natural gas contributes more to global warming than oil or coal. The exact quantity of so-called “fugitive methane” continues to be hotly debated, but the good news is that there seems to be an emerging consensus that containing the leaks is neither difficult nor expensive. In April 2013, the EPA lowered its estimates of methane leakage from natural gas production in part due to voluntary industry-imposed methane control measures, such as better-sealed replacement gaskets. But there’s a second problem here, one that hasn’t received nearly as much attention as fugitive pipeline methane leaks: methane emissions from in-use natural gas. Over the past decade, there has been an increase in the adoption of natural gas vehicles in bus and truck fleets. Most recently in December 2012, the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System Board of Directors announced a planned $343 million and 500-bus transformation of its transit bus fleet to compressed natural gas. The New York Times recently reported that there is momentum in the trucking industry to adopt natural gas vehicles, as the increase in shale gas supply has made the fuel cheap and economically attractive. As an added marketing incentive, most transit agencies trumpet their natural gas vehicle investments to burnish their green credentials. What those bragging campaigns fail to mention, however, are the methane emissions that have been reported by several studies. The emissions occur when the natural gas is actually combusted to create energy (such as in the engine of a natural gas vehicle). Just as hydrocarbons, for example, are belched out by gasoline and diesel vehicles today, methane is a pollutant that is emitted by natural gas vehicles. Vehicle emissions are highest when operating conditions are unsteady or dynamic, such as when a cool engine is first turned on or when an engine has to speed up. That’s particularly worrisome if natural gas vehicles like transit buses or freight trucks are operated in urban environments and are subject to a lot of stops and starts that could result in methane emissions. One study of compressed natural gas buses even suggests that when methane is considered, the total global warming impact for natural gas vehicles could be greater than current diesel buses. The methane impact from smaller vehicles (such as passenger cars) is unclear, as most studies have been conducted on heavy-duty trucks and buses. However, since the current interest in natural gas vehicles is predominantly coming from freight and bus companies, tailpipe methane emissions from these studies are still relevant. Yet, amid the optimism for natural gas, it seems that these results have been outshined by the bright promise of a fuel that can ease the tension between economic cost and environmental protection. The threat of methane emissions should not necessarily spell the end of natural gas vehicles. One clear solution is to develop a catalyst that is able to reduce methane. Catalysts are devices that cause chemical reactions in a vehicle’s exhaust to eliminate many of the toxic air pollutants that result from cars and trucks. Much in the same way that catalysts are used in diesel or gasoline engines to chemically convert exhaust gases to meet federal emissions limits, a catalyst could be designed to break down methane to solve this suffocating issue. But this is easier said than done because existing catalysts are not effective at reducing methane, a very stable compound that is resistant to chemical reaction. Researchers at the University of Trieste, the University of Pennsylvania, and the University of Cadiz recently published promising findings of a new catalyst using palladium and ceria that can reduce methane. The solution is not yet commercially feasible, but the results are promising. Methane emissions limits have also been developed by the U.S. EPA and will be implemented starting with model year 2014 vehicles. These regulatory actions will spur on new research programs to comprehensively measure methane emissions from natural gas fleets and ensure that natural gas is a truly climate-friendly alternative fuel. To be clear, there are political, economic, and environmental advantages to natural gas use, which make it a potentially important tool in the fight against climate change. But in the context of urban transportation fleets, we need to be mindful that natural gas could be a methane-filled Trojan horse, a deceptively veiled prop that ultimately proves destructive. Uven Chong is a Science, Technology, and Innovation Research Fellow with the New America Foundation and Arizona State University.

汽车

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Solomoto is an online retailer of aftermarket motorcycle parts and accessories. Aftermarket parts are parts made by a third party completely separate from the bike manufacturers and brand. So why aftermarket parts? Well, for one, motorcycle parts do wear down and need to be replaced every so often. Aftermarkets parts are often more affordable than OEM (original equipment manufacturer) parts. And secondly, using aftermarket parts is how you can upgrade your bike! While stock motorcycles are perfectly functional, the bike manufacturers still must cut costs where they can in order to produce their bikes at a reasonable price. This means that the bikes you usually buy straight from the shop are "good enough" for "average" riders for "normal" riding conditions. But most people are not "average" and will not be just riding in "normal" conditions. This is when aftermarket parts come into play. The purpose of an aftermarket part, be it an exhaust or a windscreen, is to improve upon the stock one*, leading to either better performance, more comfort, and/or enhanced control of the bike. For example, an aftermarket exhaust will improve the airflow in the engine, therefore letting the fuel burn more efficiently and increasing the bike's power. And an aftermarket windscreen will protect against wind blast and weather, therefore making for a more comfortable riding experience. We carry a huge selection of parts for all segments in our store, including sport, dualsport, adventure, touring, and cruisers. We have a comprehensive selection of parts, everything from exhausts, power commanders, suspensions, windscreens, brake pads, clutch levers, frame sliders, to fender elimination kits. (*Please note that there are tons of terrible aftermarket parts too, so do your research carefully and only buy from a trusted dealer. We fully vet the brands we work with and only carry the best of the best!) We carry aftermarket parts for most major motorcycle manufacturers, including: Popular Japanese Motorcycle Brands The motorcycle division of Yamaha was founded in 1955. Its first product, the 125cc two-cycle, single cylinder YA-1, went on to win at the Mount Fuji Ascent and the All Japan Autobike Endurance Road in the same year. In 1963, Yamaha had its first ever international win at the Belgium GP. Ever since then, Yamaha bikes have been a fixture on racetracks around the world, with many world championship wins to their name. Honda Since 1959, Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer. In many ways, Honda popularized motorcycles and brought them into the mainstream. When Honda broke out into the U.S. market in the 1960’s, it advertised their bikes with the slogan “You meet the nicest people on a Honda.” This smart marketing move suggested that Honda bikes were for the everyman, instead of the rebel stereotype that riders had at the time. This catapulted Honda and its sales to superstar status. Today, Honda continues to deliver the friendly, easy to ride bikes they've been offering the motorcycle riding public for decades. Kawasaki started out in the aerospace industry, and so, their first motorcycle engine was designed based on technical know-how from the production of aircraft engines. As such, Kawasaki quickly built a reputation for producing some of the most powerful bike engines. The 650W1, released in 1966, was the largest bike made in Japan at the time, and when it gained popularity in the US market, Kawasaki was officially recognized as a big bike manufacturer. Founded in 1909, Suzuki has one crazy history: from a successful weaving loom business to a failed attempt at car manufacturing to finally success in the motorcycle industry. When Suzuki came out with their first cyclemotor (a bicycle fitted with a motor) in 1952, the idea was not exactly unique and Honda already dominated Japan’s commuting market. But the high quality of Suzuki’s cyclemotor got the public’s attention, and by 1954 Suzuki was a well-recognized name. Popular European Motorcycle Brands All BMW motorcycles are produced in Berlin. Made with that precise German engineering, BMW bikes are known to be beautifully constructed and designed masterpieces that deliver what the riders are looking for. You definitely get what you pay for with this brand. The BMW lineup includes their bestselling adventure bikes like the R1200GS, and touring bikes like the R1200RT and S1000RR. Ducati started out in 1926 making radio components and with that great success, started trying their hand at motorcycle production after WWII with a little engine to be mounted on standard bicycles. Soon enough, this little engine – named the Cucciolo – morphed into a little motorcycle, and Ducati sealed its reputation in the mechanical industry. By the mid-60’s Ducati further sealed its place in motorcycle history with the Mach 1, the fastest 250cc road bike ever at the time. Today, Ducati is easily recognized by their trademark Desmodomic valve, the Trellis frame, and the L-Twin engine. Ducati bikes represent their Italian heritage: they’re beautiful and seductive, exuding a timeless quality and refined skill. Triumph This British company has a long, long history all the way from 1884, starting from when it produced bicycles. In 1902, it produced its first motorcycle, which was essentially a bicycle fitted with a Belgian Minerva engine. But by 1905, it produced its first entirely in-house designed motorcycle, and by the mid 20’s, Triumph had become one of Britain largest car & motorcycle makers. Today, Triumph bikes retain their classic look with their signature Inline Triple and Parallel Twin engine configurations, but thanks to modern engineering, are reliable and efficient. KTM In the off-road racing world, there is perhaps no other bike as easily recognizable as the little orange KTM machines. KTM's history goes back to 1934 when it was a vehicle repair shop. By 1953, the little shop has blossomed into a motorcycle production house with the launch of their first bike, the R100, which then went on to secure a title in the 1945 Austrian 125 national championship. Since then, KTM bikes have continued to dominate the motorsports tracks with more than 130 world championship titles. KTM is mainly known for their 2-stroke and 4-stroke off-road motorcycles, but recently has expanded into the street market and has done really well with iconic bikes such as the Duke series. Popular American Motorcycle Brands Nothing says “classic American” like a Harley. Founded in 1903 in a shed by childhood friends, the first prototype featuring a larger engine and loop-frame design paved the way to the iconic bikes that we know today. By 1920, it had become the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world. Harley-Davidson is a true American icon, managing to survive through two World Wars and the Great Depression. Harleys are known for their heavyweight traditional cruiser motorcycles with 45-degrees air-cooled V-Twin engines, but has expanded to also offer a street option. Indian Indian was founded in 1897 as a bicycle production company originally, and sold the first motorized bike in 1901. In its first racing debut a year later, an Indian bike won, which was the start of a series of racing wins, including placing 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in the Isle of Man TT in 1911. Indian then went on to become the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world in the 1910’s. However by 1953, the company has gone bankrupt and ceased production of all models. Only recently, when Polaris Industries purchased Indian Motorcycles in 2011, did they manage to successfully revive the name and produce new models. This new generation of bikes keep true to Indian’s traditional styling, while equipped with modern performance technology. Victory Victory is a relative newcomer to the American motorcycle scene, having only been founded in 1998. It’s created by the parent company, Polaris, out of a passion to revolutionize the classic American V-Twin, with more power and performance. Since its birth, Victory has received numerous awards and accolades. Help & Information Buying Motorcycle Parts Online Motorcycle Parts for Performance & Track Riders

汽车

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First of all, congratulations for completing the other 8 levels of the Logo Quiz Cars mobile app game. How do you feel now, so close to the end? We have all the logo quiz cars answers you need to finish the game! You can almost feel the sweet taste of victory. We are pretty sure you are facing more and more obstacles along the way, because the auto companies mentioned on levels 8, 9 and 10 are rather obscure. Of course, this is no reason to panic. We are here to help you guess all the car logos and names of automotive companies. We have compiled the list for automobile lovers just like us, who have played the cars logo quiz game at least once. We know, once you start playing it, you cannot really stop until you finish this car logos game. The logos car quiz is addictive, popular and educational as well. Unless there are some car logos that you don’t really recognize, you should be fine in getting right all the next logo quiz answers. Sometimes, unfortunately, you can’t remember the name of all the logos quiz car logos and companies. Don’t worry, it happens to everyone. Even the most passionate collectors or auto aficionados have trouble recalling certain company names. This is exactly why you require cheats to finish the cars logo quiz game. Luckily, we are here to provide hints and answers to all the brand logos on Logo Quiz Cars Game. Welcome to Logo Quiz Cars Game Level 9 Answers Page! You are on the last leg of your adventure, so you know what to do: if you don’t recognize a logo visit our site and we’ll help you out. Remember, this is not a trip to the mall! If you really want to rock this game, check out the Logo Quiz Cars Answers Page for Level 9 and enjoy the ride! And don’t forget that you will find here all the Logo Quiz Cars answers you need! Share with your friends and keep that engine running! Are you ready to guess all the remaining car logos and names? If the answer is yes, then the Logo Quiz Cars Answer sheet for level 9 is waiting. Good luck! – We will start the list with one of the most popular car logos and names: Wiesmann. The Weismann logo portrays a gecko and it was chosen to represent the brand because this car “sticks to the road like geckos to a wall”. – This is a German car manufacturer from Dulmen, Germany. It was founded in 1985 by Martien Wiesmann and Friedhelm Wiesmann. The cars are hand-built in Dulmen. – The Zastava cars logo features the brand’s initial Z inside an oval shape. – This brand is known for building versions of Fiat 128 and Fiat 600. The company is based in Kragujevac, Serbia. – The Carver car logo depicts the initial V inside a blue and silver shield. – This is a three-wheeled vehicle that uses an automatic balancing technology in order to balance the passenger compartment. This vehicle combines the aspects of a car and a motorcycle. In 2009 the company declared bankruptcy because of the high price of the cars: 30,000 euro. As of 2011, the technology is owned and licensed by Carver Technology. – The Cizeta car logo features three wolf heads inside a yellow and blue insignia. – This is an Italian car manufacturer from Modena, Italy established in the 1980s by Claudio Zampolli, a Ferrari dealer and Giorgio Moroder. The name of the brand comes from the Italian pronunciation of Claudio Zimpolli’s initials. – The Emgrand car logo of this car is a red and black shield-like design. – This is a Chinese car brand owned by Geely automaker and launched in 2009. The brand was revealed at the 2009 Auto Shanghai show together with other Geely brands, Gleagle and Englon. The literal meaning of the brand is “Imperial brand". – The Panoz logo features a three leaf clover inside a red and blue vortex-like oval. – This is an American sports car manufacturer founded in 1989 by Dan Panoz. The company is based in Braselton, Georgia. This is also where the cars are built. Panoz is a big name in race cars manufacturing and racing competitions, but if you’re looking for a Panoz race car for sale, you’ll have to have at least $30,000 available in your pocket. – The Rover car logo uses the iconic Viking long-ship in red and silver. – This was a British automotive brand between 1904 and 2005. It was originally launched as a bicycle maker in 1878 and then as a car manufacturer in 1904. There are no Rover cars currently in production, thus the marque is considered dormant. – The Venturi car logo features an eagle in a blue and red oval shape. – This is a French car manufacturer known for its luxury electric vehicles. The company was founded in 1984 by Claude Poiraud and Gerard Godefro and the main purpose was to compete in the Gran Tourism market. The brand declared bankruptcy in 2000 and in 2001 the company was purchased by Gildo Pallanca Pastor and focused on electric-powered engines. While you won’t see a Venturi electric car any day soon, they have quite a legacy in the automotive industry. – The Willys jeep logo features the brand’s name in black hand-written characters. – This is an American car company known for designing and producing military Jeeps in the 20th century. The company was founded in 1908 by John Willys. There are no Willys cars in the present days. – The LDV logo features the company’s name inside a geometrical figure. – This is a British van manufacturer founded in 1993 and based in Birmingham. As of 2009 the company has been defunct and the assets of the company were sold by administrators PricewaterhouseCoopers to China Venture’s firm Eco Concept. – The Piaggio logo comprises of a spade inside a hexagonal shield. – This is an Italian company that designs, engineers and manufactures two wheeled motor vehicles and compact commercial cars under seven brands. The company was founded in 1884 and is headquartered in Pontedera, Italy. It currently operates in over 50 countries. In 1946 this company launched the famous Vespa scooter and within ten years they produced over a million units. – The Liaz logo is made of the company’s name written in upper case characters. – This is a bus manufacturing company based in Likino-Dulvovo, Russia. It was founded in 1937 and is a subsidiary of GAZ. – The Proton logo consists of a yellow lion’s head on a green and blue shield. – This is a Malaysian car manufacturer established in 1983 and based in Shah Alam, Selangor. It also has an additional manufacturing plant in Tanjung, Malim, Perak. – We are pretty sure that this is one of the car logos and names that you haven’t heard of. The Elfin car logo features the head of an elf on a grey insignia. – This is an Australian sports car and motor racing manufacturing company founded by Garrie Cooper in 1957. The company is headquartered in Melbourne, Australia and is owned by British racing driver Tom Walkinshaw. – The Packard logo features a coat of arms symbol with a swan on top. – This was an American luxury car brand built first produced in 1899. The company was founded by James Ward Packard and it has been out of business since 1958. The headquarters were in Detroit, Michigan. There are no Packard cars in our present times, but history will always keep their memory alive. – The Zimmer logo comprises of the initial Z inside a pair of yellow wings. – This is an American car maker based in Syracuse, New York. The company was founded in 1978 by Paul Zimmer and is known for its neo-classic style automobiles. – The Callaway logo is a red, white and blue flag followed by the company’s name and the slogan “Powerfully Engineered Automobiles". – The Callaway Cars Inc. is an engine design company known for modifying Chevrolet cars. The company was founded in 1977 by Reeves Callaway and is headquartered in Old Lyme, Connecticut. – The Shelby logo consists of a black cobra. – This is a British with American engine sports car produced since 1962. Carroll Shelby International was formed in 2003 from manufacturer Shelby American when, founder and owner, Carroll Shelby took the company public, and additionally forming Shelby Automobiles as a subsidiary from which to continue manufacturing vehicles and parts. The most famous Shelby cars include AC Cobra, the Shelby GT350 and the GT500 Super Snake. You may be familiar with the Shelby GT500 or Eleanor, the Ford Mustang featured in the movie Gone in 60 Seconds. – The Ram logo features the head of a ram. – This is an American manufacturer of mid-weight and light pickup trucks established in 2009. The company is headquartered in Auburn Mills, Michigan and is a division of Chrysler. – The Plymouth car logo depicts a sailing ship in black and white. – This was an American brand of automobiles produced by the Chrysler Corporation and Daimler Chrysler. The brand was introduced in 1928 and was discontinued in 2008 in favor of the Dodge and Chrysler cars. Some of its most famous models were the Barracuda, the Duster and the Roadrunner. Unfortunately, there are no Plymouh cars in our present days. – The Invicta car logo features a colorful winged emblem. – This is a British car manufacturer that has been available intermittently for decades. Initially, the company was based in Cobham, Surrey from 1925 until 1933, then it moved to Chelsea, London and then to Virginia Water, Surrey. The brand was revived and it produced sports cars between 2004 and 2012. – The Ginetta cars logo depicts the brand’s initial G inside a yellow and green circle. – This is a British company specialized in building racing and sports cars. The company was founded in 1958 and is based in Garforth, Leeds, West Yorkshire. – The Yugo logo features the initial Y inside an oval. – This car is also known as the Zastava Koral and is a subcompact car built by the Yugoslav-Serbian corporation Zastava. The car was designed in Italy under the name Fiat 144 and it was first introduced in 1978. You could drive a Yugo car in the U.S. for a while in the 90’s, but now it’s not the case anymore. While it wasn’t the best car for the Americans, some nostalgic can still find a Yugo car for sale on specialized sites. – The Studebaker logo features the initial S inside a red and blue circle. There have been many Studebaker logos along the years, the latest resembling quite good with the Pepsi logo. – This was an American brand of wagons and automobiles based in South Bend, Indiana. The company was founded in 1852 and first incorporated in 1868 and was originally a manufacturer of farming wagons, mining and military wagons. – The Innocenti cars logo features the brand’s name in black and white. – This was an Italian company founded in 1920 and known for producing Lambretta scooters and automobiles, mainly of British Leyland origins. The brand was discontinued in 1996, after it was purchased by Fiat. – The Freightliner logo is the brand’s name inside a black shape. – This is an American truck division that belongs to Daimler Trucks North America LLC. The company is known for producing heavy duty class 8 diesel trucks and also 5-7 trucks. The Freightliner trucks are very popular, especially since they are built on new and innovative technologies. If you are looking for Freightliner trucks for sale, you have to have over $120,000 in your pockets. – The Eagle logo depicts the head of an eagle inside a black and white shield. – The Eagle Cars Limited was a brand that was owned by the Chrysler Corporation. It was established in 1988 and was discontinued in 1999. Wrapping Up: You’ve done it! You’ve almost finished all the car logos and names. Just one more level left until you finish one of the most exciting car symbols and names games out there: the car logo quiz. How did you find the game thus far? We think it’s pretty awesome. Together, we have managed to answer all the questions up to level 9. All that is left now, is level 10. If you are planning on playing this game again you should definitely check out the other levels. Who knows, maybe next time you won’t even need any help. If you enjoyed the cars logo quiz game, you should share it with a friend. Make sure to also share with them your cars logos quiz answers page. Good luck on your last level! Tags: car logo quiz car logo quiz answers car logos car logos and names cars logo quiz logo quiz car answers logo quiz cars answers Posted On: June 19th, 2014

汽车

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American's Trucking Industry Faces Driver Shortages The Lonesome Road by Rich Ehisen, Comstock's Magazine – 2012 October The trucking industry is facing a significant driver shortage as baby boomers retire and younger people are unwilling to replace them. The shortfall eased a bit during the recession as fewer trucks took to the road, but with the economy recovering, industry leaders say the shortage is becoming problematic. The American Trucking Association predicts the industry will be short approximately 110,000 drivers by 2014, while other estimates peg the figure up to three times higher. That deficit has been paying dividends for those who remain. “Driver salaries are on the rise,” says Michael Shaw, a spokesman for the California Trucking Association. “Demand is outstripping supply.” That is good for drivers but not so much for consumers: Most industry experts believe the increased driver costs will ultimately mean higher prices for the goods they deliver. There are many reasons for the shortfall. Younger people aren't as interested in the field any more. In this era of health consciousness, the job is perceived as too hard on the body. And long-haul truckers can be required t obe gone from home for weeks at a time. The financial payoff is also questionable. Many large companies prefer to hire truckers who own a rig, which can be an expensive proposition for a potential driver. And new regulation in California related to greenhouse gas emissions have made it even more difficult for truckers to afford equipment. However, there are other signs that workers are enlisting in the field because job prospects are so poor elsewhere. David Decker, director of education for the Western Truck School in West Sacramento, says he has seen a slight increase in the number of students willing to fork over the $2,000 to $5,000 needed to pass his training program. He says it is too soon to know if the spike is temporary, but he remains optimistic that the industry will eventually be able to fill its needs. For all its challenges, he notes, trucking has something many industries can't offer these days: job security. “It's harder than ever to make a living now,” Decker says. “But I'm seeing a lot more people coming here now who have already had careers in other fields. They're coming here because they just need a steady job.” New Profession Package

汽车

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1 of 10 2 of 10 3 of 10 4 of 10 5 of 10 6 of 10 7 of 10 8 of 10 9 of 10 Next Gallery: Maybach coupe set for limited production » 10 of 10Next Gallery: Maybach coupe set for limited production McLaren celebrates 20th anniversary of the legendary McLaren F1 McLaren Automotive celebrated the 20th anniversary of the start of the F1 program by inviting F1 owners past and present to a celebration dinner at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, England. The owners were treated to a display of 21 McLaren F1 road and race cars, the largest number of F1 cars ever assembled in one place. It all started in 1988, when McLaren made the decision to expand from Formula One and design and build what it called "the finest sports car the world had ever seen." In March 1990, the team created to build that car came together for the first time. Just two years later, the McLaren F1 road car was launched on May 28, 1992, in Monaco, with the first production car delivered to its owner in December 1993.Now in its 20th-anniversary year, many still consider the McLaren F1 one of the greatest cars of all time. McLaren says its exclusivity, technical innovation, racing provenance, revolutionary packaging and extraordinary driving experience have made it an icon.Hard to argue with that.The F1 defined the McLaren road car DNA: low weight, efficient packaging, superb quality, innovative design and an outstanding driving experience. The car was launched at a price of about $750,000 in 1994, and over the course of the next four years 64 F1, five F1 LM and three F1 GT road cars were produced, together with 28 F1 GTR race cars. An additional six prototypes were produced. In 1994, after pressure from owners, McLaren developed a racing version of the F1 road car to run in the FIA's GT1 class. The F1 GTR won the 1995 GT1 Championship as well as Le Mans. In fact, McLaren not only won but dominated the rain-soaked endurance race, finishing in first, third, fourth, fifth and 13th. The F1 GTR secured for McLaren a unique position in racing history, as the only manufacturer to win the Formula One world championship, the Indianapolis 500 and the Le Mans 24 Hours. McLaren decided to celebrate the extraordinary Le Mans result by creating five F1 LM road cars, one for each F1 that finished. Launched in McLaren Orange, as used on Bruce McLaren's race cars the 1960s and '70s and with a derestricted race engine, the LM is not only the most powerful of all F1 variants, but also the most valuable. F1 fans will recognize this as the car which Lewis Hamilton has set his heart on owning. By 1998, there were a total of 106 built, and its production run was complete.McLaren's celebration of the 20th anniversary of the F1 will continue throughout the year. McLaren enthusiasts will have the opportunity to see more F1s at this summer's Goodwood Festival of Speed, which takes place at the famous English motorsport venue July 2-4. Wes Raynal - Wes Raynal joined Crain Communications’ circulation department while still in college. When he graduated in 1986, he became a reporter for Autoweek sister publication Automotive News. He has worked as Autoweek’s associate editor, news editor, motorsports editor and executive editor before being named editor in 2009. Read more » Car News, McLaren, F1

汽车

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The Nissan Leaf Nismo RC was on display at the Nissan 360 event. Photo by Jake Lingeman Two hot laps in the Nissan Leaf Nismo RC What is it?Visualize the future of racing: The competition lasts 20 minutes at a stretch, with 30-minute pit stops in between. That's the ratio offered by the Nissan Leaf Nismo RC. The RC stands for race competition. The Leaf Nismo shares little with its more pedestrian counterpart, except for the motor. The speedy Leaf Nismo is powered by a lithium-ion battery with 48 compact modules and an 80kW AC synchronous motor generating 107 hp and 207 lb-ft of torque. We know that doesn't seem like much, but since the car weighs in just over a ton, it's mighty quick. Nissan says it can be charged up to 80 percent of its full capacity in 30 minutes. The Nismo Leaf debuted at the New York auto show in 2011, and has since been showing off at various motorsports arenas, including the Goodwood Festival of Speed and Sportsland Sugo in Japan.It has a wheelbase that's 3.9 inches shorter than the standard car; it's also nearly an inch longer and 6.7 inches wider, plus it sits more than a foot lower than the grocery-getter upon which it's based. Photo by Jake Lingeman What's it like to drive?Driving the Leaf Nismo is both strange and fun. It's strange because it sounds like a rocket ship with two jet engines in the back. It's also strange, and a little freaky, looking at the gear display reading 1 whether you're on the starting line or near the car's top speed of 93 mph. The interior is stripped out, making it look every bit a race car. Carbon-fiber adorns the doors, dash and rear, while buttons and switches take up the center console. The steering wheel features an LCD display showing the gear (1) and speed. With the flick of a switch and no noise whatsoever, “it's live, go for it.”The Leaf RC gets to 60 mph in about 6.5 seconds. With no gear changes and an extra loud, whirring motor, it feels much faster. The extra-wide tires (225/40R18) kick up rocks and dirt around the body making a ping-ping sound as we approached the first turn of a short autocross track.Gripping the wheel and banking left, the Nismo stays completely flat, no more than an inch off the ground. The brakes are similarly impressive. Before we knew it, we were back at the starting line, with a handful of other journos waiting to get in. We quickly got back in line. Do I want one?Probably not, but it doesn't matter anyway. Nissan isn't going to sell these things to the public for obvious reasons -- one of which is the concern that the driver might rear-end one of today's SUVs and submarine right under it. It's not the future of racing -- yet. But even we have to admit that electrified cars have come a long way quickly. Five, maybe 10 years out, we could easily see ourselves heading out the Belle Isle for some sort of support race. You know, for the real fire-breathers. Car Reviews, Car News, Photo, Authors, Nissan, Other News, Green Cars, Nissan Leaf, Jake Lingeman

汽车

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The Most Exciting Cars of 2010 You no longer need to fork over fuel efficiency to get power or imposing presence. The best of the new 2010 models boldly say you can have it all — and at a decent price. Top New Cars By Joseph R. SzczesnyMonday, Aug. 17, 2009 Known for small cars and SUVs, Suzuki makes its first foray into the heart of the U.S. market with the midsize Kizashi sedan. The exterior styling is fresh, and the interior packs cool features such as sporty seats and a nifty instrument cluster that give the car character. The Kizashi's key asset could be its power train, which includes a new 4-cylinder aluminum engine that can be matched up to either a six-speed manual transmission or a continuously variable automatic transmission. Kizashi won't go on sale until late fall, and the price is expected to be in the low-$20,000 range. Toyota and Honda better look over their shoulders, because the Kizashi makes clear that Suzuki intends to claim a share of the midsize market in the U.S. See pictures of the world's cheapest car. Next Volkswagen Golf Email The 50 Worst Cars of All Time The Dozen Most Important Cars of All Time The History of the Electric Car GM's Eight Great Hopes for 2010 The Best-Selling Cars in China A Brief History of Pontiac 10 Things You Should Know About the Nano Home

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May 9th 2012 at 8:59AM Volkswagen's People's Car Project in China has produced three concepts [w/video] In 2011, Volkswagen commenced its People's Car Project in China to create crowdsourced concepts of the VW of the future. More than 33 million people visited the site, and three concepts were created from the inputs: the Music Car, the Hover Car and the Smart Key. The Music Car is a Beetle wrapped in LEDs that change colors to match the driver's choice of music. The Hover Car is a zero-emissions two-seater that, no surprise, hovers over electromagnetic road networks. The Smart Key is Big Brother for your car, in your pocket: the high-def touchscreen on the nine-millimeter key can track the status of your car and keep an eye on it via "satellite transmission." The project is continuing, so you can still post your thoughts to VW's future. In the meantime there's a video and a couple of press releases below the fold for more on the story. 'PEOPLE'S CAR PROJECT' INTERNET PLATFORM IS LAUNCHED IN CHINA TO DEVELOP THE 'VOLKSWAGEN' OF THE FUTURE (24/05/11) -- Volkswagen is taking an entirely new approach to customer dialogue in China. From today, Chinese internet users can post their ideas about the car of the future on the "People's Car Project" (PCP) platform at www.zaoche.cn. "Volkswagen has set out to create the most innovative dialogue platform ever with the 'People's Car Project'. The platform is debuting in China, because that is Volkswagen's largest and most important market. However, we also see potential for launching the project in other markets as well," Luca de Meo, Director of Marketing, Volkswagen Group and the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand, explained. PCP is initially scheduled to run for a one-year period. Over 450 million people have access to the internet in China. These users are particularly interested in interactive content. The project reflects this demand. "We hope to involve people via the internet and inspire them for Volkswagen," de Meo commented. Internet users accessing the PCP page can click their way to co-developing their Volkswagen model of the future as well as posting ideas which are then discussed and developed further by other users. They can also upload images or films. "With PCP we are listening very carefully to what our customers have to say and are building cars not only for, but also with people," Luca de Meo explains, adding that this gives Volkswagen a valuable insight into the wishes, needs and demands of Chinese customers. CHINESE SHOWCASE CONCEPTS FOR THE VOLKSWAGEN OF THE FUTURE 'People's Car Project' presents first results at Auto China 2012 in Beijing (02/05/12) -- Beijing/Wolfsburg, May 2, 2012: With 33 million visitors to the website and more than 119,000 ideas submitted, the 'People's Car Project' (PCP) launched in China 11 months ago has far exceeded all expectations. Three of the vehicle and technology concepts created by users of an online platform and further developed by Volkswagen are currently on show at Auto China 2012: These concepts are the Hover Car, the Music Car and the Smart Key. With the Hover Car, an environmentally-friendly two-seater city car which hovers just above the ground, Volkswagen is presenting the study of a zero-emissions vehicle that could in future travel along electromagnetic road networks. 'The creative ideas from the 'People's Car Project' give us a valuable insight into the wishes of Chinese drivers,' Simon Loasby, Head of Design at Volkswagen Group China, said. 'The trend is towards safe cars that can easily navigate overcrowded roads and have a personal, emotional and exciting design.' The 'Music Car' expresses the wish of many Chinese for individual automotive design. Equipped with organic light emitting diodes, the exterior colour of the vehicle changes with the driver's choice of music. More than ever, the car thus becomes a means of self-expression and a fashion statement for young drivers. The 'Smart Key', also developed under the PCP and currently on show in Beijing, takes up the trend towards the stronger integration of online technologies in vehicles: the slim nine millimetre key has a high-resolution touchscreen which keeps the driver up to date on the fuel situation, climate conditions and the car's security via the 3G network. The driver can also monitor the vehicle from a bird's eye perspective through realtime satellite transmission. 'The 'People's Car Project' in China marks the beginning of a new era in automobile design', Luca de Meo, Director of Marketing, Volkswagen Group and the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand, commented. 'We are no longer just building cars for, but also with customers and at the same time initiating a national dialog which gives us a deep insight into the design preferences, needs and requirements of Chinese customers,' de Meo said. Due to high demand and the exceptionally good quality of the contributions, the PCP, which was originally scheduled to run for one year, has been indefinitely extended. In addition, a new project phase will be launched during the coming months, when users will not only be able to submit their design, personalisation and connectivity ideas for tomorrow's mobility, but will also be able to contribute suggestions about the environment. The drafts will first be evaluated by the entire user community. In a second step, experts will then assess the concepts and award prizes to the winners. 'In a long-term context the findings of the 'People's Car Project' will influence Volkswagen's product strategy,' de Meo explained. 'The design of our models will, however, continue to reflect the tradition of the Volkswagen brand. If at some time in the future we are to produce a vehicle from the 'People's Car Project', it will be a combination of customers' opinions and brand tradition,' de Meo added. Featured GalleryVolkswagen's 2012 "People's Car" concepts News Source: Volkswagen, YouTube Beijing Motor Show hover car peoples car project smart key Volkswagen InformationNew ModelsReviewsNewsRecallsFor SaleValuesRebates & IncentivesDealersPhotosVideosCompany NewsMore Info Original Video Series Drive A Fire Truck | The List #0527 Driving Iron Man's Favorite Supercar, The Acura NSX | Translogic 215 The Electric, Connected Autonomy Of CES 2017 | Translogic 214 Allen Sports Deluxe 4-Bike Trunk Mount Rack

汽车

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More Get ready for cars that listen, talk and act like a smartphoneMichael Oliveira, Postmedia News 08.30.2012Knight riderHandout / HandoutShareAdjustCommentPrintDEARBORN, Mich. -- Don't expect to converse with your car quite like David Hasselhoff and KITT did in the '80s TV classic "Knight Rider," but voice recognition is one of the big looming trends in the automobile industry.For years already, some drivers who seek out the latest and greatest in technology have been talking to their cars when they want to listen to music, turn up the air conditioner or get directions.No need to look away from the road or blindly reach for a knob or button, just speak a command aloud and the car obeys.Voice recognition and other high-tech features are expected to become far more mainstream in the months and years ahead, as automakers race to outdo each other and tap into consumer demand for an app-inspired, always-connected lifestyle on the road.CD players have been replaced by hard drives that can store tens of thousands of MP3s, or drivers can connect a smartphone and use its data connection to stream music via the Internet. Dedicated GPS navigation systems are being phased out in favour of multi-function digital panels that look like a smartphone or tablet homescreen, populated with a long list of apps."Automakers are trying to replicate that smartphone/touchscreen experience that people are used to and like," says industry analyst and consultant Doug Newcomb."Car buyers really want this, that's why automakers are doing it, technology really helps them sell cars."Perhaps there was no clearer sign that companies are serious about competing to develop the coolest, most advanced in-car technology than an Apple announcement in June. The tech giant revealed it's working with nine automakers to integrate its popular voice-recognition tool Siri into vehicles.Meanwhile, BMW and Honda are among the car manufacturers that are releasing new in-car technology in Canada this fall.And at the forefront of the trend has been Ford, one of the more aggressive companies in delivering in-car voice technology to the mass market with its Sync product, which has already been around for about five years.With Sync, drivers can press a button on the steering wheel and voice their desire to place a phone call, control the stereo, make their vehicle warmer or cooler, or get directions. Ford claims the system recognizes 10,000 different commands -- although there's no master list available to consumers so that's difficult to verify."Our world is changing," Bill Ford, Ford's chairman, said at a recent press event in Dearborn, Mich."We've got over four million vehicles with Sync on the road today and what's cool is we have an open platform, so developers are developing apps for Sync. And we love that, that's why we did it."Among those apps available for Sync in the U.S. are the audio streaming services Pandora, MOG and Slacker Radio, a program to listen to tweets posted to Twitter, and another that gives allergy sufferers an update on pollen levels in the local area.Critics, however, have noted that Sync's ability to understand strings of spoken words is nowhere near as robust as Siri's. Drivers must learn how to speak to the Sync system, which often doesn't respond to natural speech and instead needs to hear a sequence of spoken commands to complete a task. If your wording is a little off, you'll be prompted to try again. And don't even think of asking jokey questions like you can with Siri."It's getting better but it's still not there, it's still all over the map," says Newcomb."They're still in that learning phase, a growing pains phase."The market leader in voice technology is Nuance Communications, which powers Ford's Sync. Gary Clayton, chief creative officer for Nuance, says the technology is constantly evolving and becoming more intelligent. As of now, most voice recognition systems need to be prompted before they'll listen for user commands. But eventually, the technology will always be listening and will be able to recognize and distinguish between different voices."It's coming but that's a very, very complex (problem)," Clayton explains."There are so many fundamental things that have to be dealt with.... It's things like: who else is in the car, what else is being said ... all kinds of spurious things are coming in from the radio, from other people."We have to continually poll the incoming audio to understand who is speaking, but with biometric verification -- it hears this voice, it knows that voice -- it (will eventually) automatically pay attention to that voice."Another major in-car technology player behind the scenes is Ottawa-based QNX, which is owned by Research in Motion. RIM purchased QNX in 2010 and took advantage of its software expertise to help build its upcoming BlackBerry 10 mobile operating system. QNX has also developed software for nuclear power plants; coal, iron, copper, and gold mines; steam and gas turbines; HVAC systems for big box stores; and sorting equipment used by the U.S. Postal Service.QNX's reputation for developing software with rock-solid stability has won it a number of contracts to provide technology for automakers, including Audi, BMW, Chrysler, General Motors, Hyundai and Toyota, said product marketing manager Andy Gryc."Car companies generally tend to be pretty brand sensitive, nobody wants to get a 'blue screen of death' or pull over and have to reboot their car, so that's actually really helped in terms of our ability to service the market and we're continuing to build on that."Gryc assesses the current state of voice technology as a "mixed bag" but says the technology coming down the pipe is truly impressive -- although it may take a few years until it hits the mass market."Most consumers view (today's voice technology) as kind of a gimmicky thing because it is sort of like, 'Well, do you really want to do some of those things with voice?' Clearly some things are very natural to do with voice, like navigation is one that's very, very clear that's a good use case," he says.The technology that's about two or three years out will really wow consumers, he says, as opposed to simply being seen as "kinda neat" today."It'll certainly take a couple of years just to get through the automotive production life cycle. Even if automakers snapped their fingers and said today, 'I want to build a system that's just like Siri,' the technology exists to do it but it's just that they'd have to go through the process of building automotive-grade hardware. It's not acceptable to just take a tablet and put it into the dash."One of the challenges for automakers is in making sure that its technology ages well over the years and is built so it can be upgraded with software. Hardware upgrades are not practical, at least at this point, Gryc adds."Swappable chips is a lot more complicated in a car environment just because of a lot of the restrictions you need to take into account for vibration -- or 'shake, rattle and roll,' as they call it -- and temperature sensitivities," he says."Most of the car companies have not been looking at that as a solution."Ford has used software updates to add new features and address problems and complaints. Ford previously had major issues with the touchscreen side of its technology, which caused frustrating system crashes."Ford kind of got penalized by being a pioneer," Newcomb says."No one's really figured this out yet, it's going to take two or three years before this really shakes out." xShareGet ready for cars that listen, talk and act like a smartphone Personal-Tech Videos

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Topic:President Bush, Nation's Governors Autograph Motorcycle Available on eBay T O P I C R E V I E WRobert PearlmanWhat began with friends tinkering with their motorcycles resulted in Idaho Governor Dirk Kempthorne announcing today the creation of a unique educational legacy in memory of the Space Shuttle Columbia Astronauts."We lost seven of America's finest on February 1, 2003. But the spirit of Columbia lives on in a way that would make the Astronauts proud," Kempthorne said. "Together with President Bush, the nation's governors, and a volunteer team, we will inspire young Americans to take up where the explorations of the Columbia heroes stopped so tragically." May 30-June 10 a one-of-a-kind Harley-Davidson motorcycle -- a 2003, 100th Anniversary model Road Glide (FLTRI) autographed by the nation's leaders -- will be available for bidding on eBay. Proceeds will provide initial funding for the Space Shuttle Columbia Educational Legacy, an instructional program for middle school students to encourage careers in math and science and aerospace/aeronautical engineering. The idea had its roots when, according to Motorcycling magazine, "Two buddies are sitting around a garage, admiring their motorcycles." Only this time, the scene just happened to occur between two rather influential friends in a position to make a difference." Gov. Kempthorne, Chairman of the National Governors Association (NGA), handled arrangements with the NGA and governors. Public relations practitioner Barry McCahill of McCahill Communications, Inc. tackled the logistical and publicity elements. Shuttle Endeavour Astronaut Joe F. Edwards, and CEO of the National Science Center, Inc., Augusta, GA, and "New York Myke" Shelby, owner of San Diego Harley-Davidson, were recruited to bring their talents to the effort. According to Edwards, "The Legacy will provide a learning experience for young people from all states. Weeklong classes taught by a former Astronaut will be held each year in at least four geographical regions of the country." Because of the enthusiasm among governors, Kempthorne asked President Bush to sign the motorcycle. "The President was thrilled to be included." "After the motorcycle was featured on network television we received more than $311,000 in unexpected donations that we gave the Columbia families to help with educational and other expenses," McCahill said. Shelby took the bike on a tour of popular motorcycling events around the country. "Everyone wanted to be photographed next to their governor's signature and the President's," he said.For more information: http://www.nationalsciencecenter.org/ColumbiaFamiliesFund.htm Auction details: http://www.kompolt.com Contact Us | The Source for Space History & Artifacts Copyright 2017 collectSPACE.com All rights reserved. advertisement

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Development of the new Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster - Revelation: stable even without gullwings 11:51 AM PST - 5/5/2011 Written By: Mercedes-Benz AG Photography by: Mercedes Benz 2012 Mercedes SLS AMG Roadster high speed testing Source Mercedes Benz After the gullwing version, the open-top variant is the second car to be independently developed by AMG. The Coupé and Roadster concepts were created in parallel – which brought decisive advantages during the development process. During this approx. 3-year period for the SLS AMG Roadster, the engineers devoted particular attention to the aspects of bodyshell rigidity, driving dynamics, the soft top and NVH. Greater Stuttgart area, spring 2011: the new SLS AMG Roadsters are slightly disguised as they cover their test routes. Easily identified by those in the know, others only see these two-seaters with a fabric soft top as some prototype or other: there are no Mercedes stars or model designations to be seen, just black adhesive foil at the front, rear and along the sides. The proportions speak for themselves, however: a long bonnet, large wheels and a short rear end indicate that this is a sports car of breathtaking design. There are still several months to go before the world premiere at the International Automobile Show in Frankfurt/Main in September 2011. Enough time to verify the maturity of the new SLS AMG Roadster. The personnel responsible at AMG have already completed most of the work involved, as the Coupé and Roadster were created in parallel. The development and testing of a new AMG high-performance car is based on the digital prototype (DPT). Extensive investigations help to achieve specific objectives. Whether these concern the bodyshell design, weight distribution, engine position, centre of gravity or axle design, or of course the handling dynamics, aerodynamics, ergonomics, crash behavior and production process – the very latest simulation programs allow the very realistic representation of a vehicle and all its characteristics. The digital prototype is therefore a complete, virtual automobile. In the process AMG also uses the extensive know-how of colleagues at Mercedes-Benz: as in the case of the Coupé, networked development with selected Mercedes-Benz development departments at the Mercedes Technology Center (MTC) in Sindelfingen was intensified. The latest simulation software and extensive test drives on all continents make the 420 kW (571 hp) Roadster fit for its market launch in autumn 2011. The focus of the specialists in Affalterbach was particularly on bodyshell rigidity, handling dynamics, the soft top and NVH (Noise, Vibration and Harshness). Synthesis: rigidity, performance and a close-fitting soft top Naturally all these development aspects are closely linked, as Tobias Moers (44), head of overall development and member of the Executive Board at Mercedes-AMG, explains: "Without bodyshell rigidity there are no handling dynamics, and neither can the close fit of the soft top be guaranteed." As the Roadster variant was already taken into consideration during the conceptual phase for the SLS AMG, the lightweight and extremely rigid aluminum spaceframe was specified at a correspondingly early stage. Owing to the omission of a fixed roof and gullwing doors, it was necessary to design the side sills more robustly. But not primarily to meet the legal requirements in the event of a crash – in principle the Roadster would also manage this with the side sills of the Coupé. Studies and test drives showed that the driving dynamics could be improved even further with this measure, therefore side sills with greater wall thicknesses and chambers were developed for the open-top SLS AMG. Tobias Moers: "The SLS AMG Roadster is a super-sportscar – just like the Coupé. It goes without saying that AMG is also determined to achieve superior driving dynamics with this open-top variant." In order to achieve handling dynamics identical to those of the Coupé, despite the lack of a fixed roof, the Roadster has two features designed to increase the rigidity of the bodyshell: the cross-member carrying the dashboard has additional supporting struts at the windscreen frame and at the centre tunnel, and a strut mounting stay between the soft top and the fuel tank makes the rear axle even more rigid. These features prevent unwanted vibrations from the start, and make the use of additional, weight-increasing vibration dampers such as those often employed by competitors unnecessary. As another important aspect, it is only if the bodyshell has the requisite rigidity that the soft top can be safely and reliably opened and closed electro hydraulically while on the move at up to 50 km/h. The side members of the front and rear modules in both SLS AMG models are identical. The bodyshell of the Roadster tips the scales at only 243 kilograms – which is comparable to the low, 241-kilogram weight of the SLS AMG Coupé's bodyshell. A few specific modifications to the aluminum spaceframe Owing to the omission of the coupé roof and gullwing doors, the open-top SLS AMG has a reinforcing cross-member behind the seats which supports the fixed rollover protection system. Not forgetting the 250-watt subwoofer of the Bang&Olufsen BeoSound AMG high-end sound system: This is accommodated in the cross-member, as the Coupé-specific location on the parcel shelf is not available owing to the Roadster's soft top. One particular challenge was acoustic insulation of the cross-member, which acts as a subwoofer housing for the two 165-millimetre speakers connected in series. Numerous improvements became necessary before the required listening pleasure was achieved. It was only with the help of a special bulkhead within the aluminum cross-member that all audiophile standards could be satisfied. The three-layered fabric soft top of the SLS AMG Roadster, which is deposited behind the seats in a Z-formation to save space, is also an aspect relevant to handling dynamics. This weight-optimized, combined magnesium/steel/ aluminum construction ensures a low centre of gravity and is designed for speeds up to the maximum of 317 km/h (electronically limited). Whether open or closed, even at top speed there must be no intrusive flapping, booming, hissing, clattering, whistling or howling. Likewise the push-on glass draught-stop and the paneling in the interior, on the soft top and along the beltline must be vibration-free. Nothing must be allowed to compromise the open-air enjoyment. The basis for verified, customer-compatible results in extreme conditions is provided by precisely defined test drives on the high-speed tracks in Papenburg, Nardo (Italy) and Idiada (Spain). The excellent acoustics – which AMG engineers have naturally also verified with sophisticated measuring technology – also benefit from another special feature, namely the seamless, bonded-in rear window of single-layer safety glass. A special production process not only ensures a smooth transition between the outer skin of the soft top and the glass, as the sum of these design measures also leads to low wind noise when the roof is closed – at any speed. 125 years of experience with innovations in open-top vehicles Ensuring that the soft top is wind and waterproof is a complex undertaking, and AMG and Mercedes-Benz have used the enormous experience gained during 125 years of innovation. There have always been open-top vehicles in the history of Mercedes-Benz – and unlike in the case of many competitors, in an uninterrupted sequence. Every soft top is different, however, and even objectives already defined become more ambitious over time. The five challenges to which the AMG developers of the SLS AMG Roadster gave great attention and commitment were water, sand, dust, heat and cold. One special feature of the compact soft top is the continuous water pocket: this is attached below the soft top to catch rainwater and direct it down to the underbody via two apertures on each side. All the development aspects of a vehicle which involve flexible deformation are always very complex. Simulations can sometimes lead to false conclusions, and do not always provide the most cost-effective solution. Classic test procedures often help to achieve rapid results. Development project manager Holger Strahl (34): "In this field it is not possible to simulate everything with CAD, and it becomes a matter of trying out, driving, testing and improving. The solution finally approved must also be suitable for series production, of course. Our specialist departments and the overall development team work together very closely in their common search for the perfect solution." He also adds: "There is no such thing as the second-best alternative for AMG." Endurance test with 16 criteria: the "Sindelfingen rain test" The rain test at the Mercedes Technology Center (MTC) in Sindelfingen is particularly demanding, and every new vehicle bearing the Mercedes star is required to pass it - whether it has a fixed roof, a soft top or a vario-roof. Extreme quantities of water are used to ensure that the result of the development work is watertight – which is a particular challenge in the case of roadsters or cabriolets. 16 tests must be successfully absolved before approval is granted. Whether during the hose test, when all soft top, door and flap seals are sprayed with a water-hose, the continuous, overnight rain test, the fording test, the icing, swirl and high-pressure tests, or the final session in an automatic car wash – the rain test simulates every conceivable situation that can occur on any continent. Bench testing and practical trials in all climatic zones In addition to various test facilities such as the water chamber and the climate/ wind tunnel, the AMG specialists have recourse to test drives in all climatic regions of the world, where problems can be identified and solutions sought. In Laredo, Texas, for example, there is a particularly fine dust which finds its way into practically any gap – and tests the seals to the absolute limit. The compact fabric soft top, which can be conveniently opened and closed in just 11 seconds at the touch of a button, even at speeds up to 50 km/h, must also submit to various tortures. One of these is the standardized soft top endurance test used for all new Mercedes roadsters or Mercedes cabriolets: 20,000 closing cycles on a stationary test rig must present no problem for the hydraulic cylinders, electric motors and joints. There are also 2500 closing cycles while on the move, whether in great heat, icy cold, high humidity or dry desert winds. In this area too, nothing is left to chance – and for excellent reasons: the aim of this enormous effort is to give the customer limitless driving pleasure in their SLS AMG Roadster. Endurance trial as a final quality check All the optimization stages have been absolved, and the production tests at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Sindelfingen have been successful, but the developers have still not reached their goal. The quality of the overall vehicle is now the focus of the accompanying endurance trials. These simulate an entire vehicle life under the toughest conditions in accelerated test cycles. The aim is to verify the level of maturity before production of customer vehicles commences. The endurance testing at a glance: Long-term testing on a variety of different roads: All the components and systems are tested together in everyday operation. Loaded up to their permitted gross vehicle weight, the test cars are put through a precisely defined test programme on country roads, on motorways and in city traffic. Endurance testing on heathland: In this case, the developers focus on the durability of the chassis and suspension components, the entire bodyshell and the integral subframe on which the front axle, steering and engine are mounted. The test cars are loaded up to their permitted gross vehicle weight. Accelerated endurance testing: Testing of the entire vehicle, focusing on the powertrain, chassis and suspension. Special features of the AMG program include 10,000 kilometers on the Nürburgring's North Loop and 10,000 kilometers in city traffic. Full-load endurance testing: Extreme acceleration and braking maneuvers with a high proportion of full-load operation, making extreme demands on the cooling, fuel-delivery and braking systems. Long-term corrosion testing: Corrosion testing of the entire vehicle simulates the toughest dynamic and climatic environmental influences. Final board approval: All-inclusive verification of the degree of development and production maturity. World premiere on 13 September 2011, at the International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt/Main More Mercedes Benz CLS- Class Sprinter Academy Production Facilities Technology Testing Video Black Crystal Larte Design customized 2014 Mercedes-Benz GL Larte Design U.S. market with the introduction of a specially-tuned performance package for the 2014 Mercedes-Benz GL... Concept S-Class Coupé provides a clear vision of the future Traditionally the top of the Mercedes-Benz product range is occupied by the grand coupé. The Concept S-Class Coupé provides a clear vision of the next model generation at the International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt: ... Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Coupe Black Series Black Series – a name that resonates with automobile experts and enthusiasts. Following on from the SLK 55 AMG Black Series from 2006, the CLK 63 AMG Black Series (2007), the SL 65 AMG Black Series (2008) and the C 63 AMG Coupé Black Series (2011), the fifth exponent sees the Black Series entering a... McLaren Automotive Mercedes Benz Pagani Porsche Skoda Spyker Contests / Promotions Driving Programs Editorial Electronics Vehicle Testing © 2017 EuroCarNews.com Powered By: Magazine.NET - Online Magazine Software, an iD3 idcubed.com product.

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Back To “Back To The ‘50s” Written by September 3, 2013 Facebook How One Car Guy Spent His Summer Vacation What would a veteran automotive journalist do on his summer vacation?I can’t speak for others in this profession, but I spent mine doing—what else?—looking at cars. That, and seeing family and friends again at the 40th annual “Back To The ‘50s” Weekend, at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds just north of St. Paul.And I managed to see more than a few Mopars while there, too.After getting my writing assignments for the November issue of Mopar Muscle—as well as for the third issue of Mopar NOW—completed, it was time to load up BAD COP and head north from Tampa to Minnesota. Fortunately, the major construction areas that had plagued previous driving trips that way were largely gone. Unfortunately, it rained much of the way north, so I needed to keep both hands on the wheel while driving through a series of downpours, which precluded any behind-the-wheel–picture taking. (Fortunately, that saved you from having to look at images of blurred-out Blandmobiles.)This year marked the 40th anniversary of Back To The ‘50s, a show that got its start with the movie American Graffiti. Back in ’73, when it was in its initial big-screen run, American Graffiti played at a theatre on University Avenue in St. Paul, then the Twin Cities’ premiere cruising zone for car people. (University Avenue is also where lots of new-car dealers once resided, before moves to bigger facilities in the suburbs began in the ‘60s.) One weekend, thanks to members of the Minnesota Street Rod Association (MSRA), those who took in a Saturday night showing of American Graffiti found themselves leaving the theatre when the feature ended—only to walk into the movie once they stepped outside, as the MSRA’s members and friends were cruising their 1962-earlier rides up and down the avenue (and had parked along both sides of it).It went so well that, when someone said, “Let’s do this again!” MSRA staged their first big “Back To The ‘50s” show the next year, in a huge parking lot next to a Montgomery Ward’s on University. That show went so well that they had it again the next year…and again the next year…and eventually, it outgrew the Ward’s parking lot and moved to the nearby Minnesota State Fairgrounds. At first, Back To The ‘50s only used a small part of the 300-acre fairgrounds, but over the years, as the show has grown, it now fills the entire fairgrounds, and is the largest 3-day show of its kind in the world!To say the show needs the room is an understatement, as this year’s count of participating vehicles broke the 12,000 mark. 12,033 1964-earlier cars and trucks took part in 2013’s”Back To The ‘50s” weekend – a new record!This year, the “Great Race” (sponsored by a rival publisher from Vermont, best known for “The Big Brown Wish Book”) started at Back To The ‘50s, before it merrily meandered along various side roads and two-lane highways from St. Paul to Mobile, Alabama. Yes, there were Mopars in the field—many of them “historic” brands, such as Hudson, along with some later-model Dodges, as 1969 was the year cut-off for this year’s Great Race. Corky Coker was on hand as master of ceremonies for the Great Race’s start near the fairgrounds’ front gate, and Wayne Carini (of TV’s Chasing Classic Cars) was on hand as starter. This was Wayne’s first trip to Back To The ‘50s, and it’s fair to say that it won’t be his last!Back To The 50s is not just a huge, fairground-filling show—it’s also an all-volunteer show, produced by the membership of the MSRA. That membership includes lots of Twin Cities-area and Minnesota-based clubs, along with an under-25 group of young rodders called the Ignitors. They had their own show-within-the-show, and they were the recipient of a big box of new Meguiar’s products (including their new metal polishes and their DA Power System, that attaches to any corded drill) from yours truly, which they’ve put to good use!The weather proved to be an adventure in itself. Forecasts called for increasing chances of rain on Friday, which came to pass around 7 p.m. (local time), as many show-goers and participants had headed out for the evening. A line of severe thunderstorms swept into the Twin Cities from the west, causing lots of flooding and uprooted trees, especially in Minneapolis and its western ‘burbs. At the State Fairgrounds, MSRA members helped vendors and others with large tents and shelters secure them before the worst of the weather hit, which prevented them from getting blown down and onto show rides, or into other displays.When the first of the severe-weather warnings hit that evening, I was finishing dinner with friends in St. Paul’s West End, and BAD COP and I were soon headed—flat-out–through St. Paul, across the Mississippi River, through Dakota and Goodhue Counties back to my Mom’s place in Red Wing, where I stayed that weekend. Thanks to BAD COP’s modified Hemi, I was able to outrun the storm, and reach Red Wing before the heavy rains and winds hit there. (Thanks also to BAD COP’s traction control, and my knowing the roads I was on like the back of my hand, having driven them zillions of times over the past 35 or so years!)On Saturday, the fairgrounds were in great shape (and ready for the Great Race’s start), and the place was packed.Interested in making Back To The ‘50s part of your show and roadtrip travels in 2014? Start with a visit to the MSRA’s website (www.msra.com), which will not only have the latest news about the event, but you’ll also be able to register for it online through there, starting after the first of the year. SEE ALL 36 PHOTOS FROM THE ARTICLE Facebook Back To “Back To The ‘50s” /36 Back To “Back To The ‘50s” Showtime Speedway Saved 2017 Detroit Autorama Has Plenty of Blue Ovals to Enjoy The State of Racing Engines with Byron Koury Related Articles

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Its Operations in Russia - WSJ BMW Plans to Step Up Its Operations in Russia Brian Coleman Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal BONN -- German auto maker Bayerische Motoren Werke AG said that together with its partners in Russia it plans to invest 125 million marks ($70.3 million) so that it can assemble cars there and improve its existing distribution network. The Munich-based company said it has joined forces with Avototor, and the two will invest 50 million marks to help upgrade the Russian company's Kaliningrad facilities so that they are capable of producing 10,000 vehicles a year. Using parts imported under a special customs regime, the...

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10 Bad Luck Cars » more from Slideshows 10 Bad Luck Cars The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety offers consumers valuable data about current automobiles. By compiling and analyzing claims information, the data help drivers choose the safest vehicle available when considering what car to purchase.The most recent issue of the IIHS Status Report, published on Sept. 20, contains a table of personal injury protection (PIP) claims for cars manufactured between 2009 and 2011. It also ranks the 10 most dangerous cars on the road by that metric.The data show that smaller cars were involved in accidents with the most frequency. This is partially a matter of physics, since a small car is more likely than a large car to sustain damage in the event of a collision. But according to Matt Moore, vice president of the Highway Loss Data Institute, a driver’s income, location, and rate of use can also come into play.“Smaller vehicles are more likely to be in urban areas, and smaller vehicles are likely to be driven more frequently because they’re owned by a single person in a given household,” he said in an interview. “Large cars tend to be owned by drivers who have two or three cars garaged, or more cars than people per household.”Since a small car is more likely to be driven by a person who is the sole owner, it tends to get driven every day, he said. This increases its odds of being involved in an accident, where a car that’s driven only once a week is exposed to less risk.Read ahead to see the 10 unluckiest cars in the U.S., according to the IIHS Status Report. All vehicles are 2009-2011 models, and all claim frequencies cited are per 1,000 insured vehicle years.By Daniel BukszpanPosted 25 September 2012 Still Images | Photographer's Choice | Getty Images

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FeaturesInterviews Five Questions with Lingenfelter’s Mike Copeland In the quest to give you a insider’s view of what is going on behind the doors of the best builders and suppliers I cornered Lingenfelter Performance Engineering’s Mike Copeland to see what’s new and upcoming with LPE. Q: Before we get to the all new LT1 and plans for the future of LPE, let’s talk about what your current packages include for the current C6… A: “Well, we offer packages for the standard LS3 cars, then of course we offer them for the LS7, and then the LS9. Currently, these start at about 550 horsepower for the LS3. That is a head and cam swap. Then we do entry-level supercharged packages that also produce 550HP. We do offer a 600HP-supercharged package, a 650 supercharged package – head and cam with the supercharger. Then you move to the Z06 and we have the 7.0L 630 package. We have a 600HP to 630HP, and a 660HP package. The main difference between the 630HP and 660HP is the camshaft. It gets pretty gnarly as it gets 660 without a power adder. And of course we do supercharged and turbocharged packages for those as well, and as you know the twin turbo cars can get up into the 1,200 horsepower range, but there are not many people that want them! But, 800 to 1200 and supercharged cars up through 750HP is pretty easy, and then, of course, it is really ‘pick a number.’ Then, when you go to the ZR1, the standard package for that is a 710HP, and then we do a 750HP, and for the record we are working on a 900 and 1000 that will be out very shortly.” Q: Let me talk to you about crate engines. One of the things that I read on the website was that the detail that goes into the crate motors, that these are basically motors that you assemble from the LS3. Talk about the input that you do into building those motors from scratch. A: “Well, every engine in a Lingenfelter build uses only the top manufacturers. We shortcut nothing. We use the top suppliers in the industry. One of the differences that I think a lot of people don’t realize is that even though it is a part that is purchased from a specific manufacturer, whether it be like Callies for a crankshaft, or JE for pistons, all of those parts are custom made to Lingenfelter specifications. So buying a crate engine from Lingenfelter, even if it has the exact same list of manufacturers that somebody else might offer, it doesn’t mean it is the same parts. So, we are really driven and focused on dependable power that lasts. We put warranties on all of our car packages. We put warranties on our engines. So, if you are going to do that, you had better be pretty confident that what you’re delivering meets the number, which we always try to under-promise and over-deliver, and then that is dependable. If you use our ZR1 package as an example, we just finished our Corvette and I happened to be there when it was on a dyno. It was our 750HP package but it made 740HP on the tires. So, we were really able to promise and deliver.” Q: Let’s talk about some of these support products that LPE developed whether it is Camaro or Corvette; everything from exhaust, suspension pieces, both drag and road race. Talk about the importance of developing packages beyond the motors. We have already identified 34 specific areas that we are going to target in the new C7, and we have identified the components that we want to do for it.A: In forty years we have learned a lot, and one of the things that we know is that people who love cars and want to modify their cars will make a modification or a few modifications to the car and then after a little bit of time, the thrill of that kind of wears off. Or their skill level goes up and they decide, ‘I need more. I want to do a little more here; I want to do a little more there.’ People want to use their power. In particular today, one of the things we are seeing is that people want to use the cars we build. They want to run track events. They want to drag race, they want to run cross-country on events like Power Tour. They want to get out there and use these things. So, while they may do an engine first off, do a supercharger package or head and cam swap, then they come back and think, ‘Ah, you know, I’d really like to drag race this thing more,’ so that requires some differences in clutches, and differences potentially in driveline components. That leads to, ‘Now I’m going faster, how am I going to stop this thing?’ and that leads to brake systems and how they operate. Suspension systems – now if they go into a corner and used to go into that corner at 45 miles an hour and now go into that corner at 60 miles an hour, that’s a whole new avenue. So we design complete systems for cars, and we have customers, quite frankly, that come in and just have the entire car done, and we have others that will come in and they have an engine this year, and next winter when they are getting ready to put the car away, they’re sending it back in to upgrade the brakes and suspension. And then, the appearance you can never discount, because people like to individualize their cars. They like to put things on them that they know look good and that fit and work, so we offer hoods, we offer body kits, we offer graphics packages. We have all of those things available, and they are all to give people the opportunity to create a car that does exactly what they want it to do and individualize it to be what they specifically want it to be.” Q: Let’s talk about the new LT1 and development of new products. What does Lingenfelter have on tap for the future of performance from your perspective? A: “You know, without going through all the details, we have already identified 34 specific areas that we are going to target in the new C7, and we have identified the components that we want to do for it. You’ll see some of those components available virtually the day the car hits the streets, and then there will be more expensive ones. Lingenfelter has been on the forefront of development for aftermarket component parts for GM vehicles for 40 years and we plan to continue that trend. We are focused at the new engine. We want to understand all of the things in the engine and how they work and what they do. We are going to have camshafts available. We will have CNC cylinder heads available. We’ll have supercharger packages available and we will have exterior appearance packages. We’ll upgrade brakes. We’ll do it all. If you can dream it, we are going to be there to fill that need.” Q: Lingenfelter Performance Engineering has over 40 combined years of performance experience, and all of the foresight anyone could ever have. What is the picture of performance, for not only LT1 but also the automotive industry as a whole? What do you think the future of performance is going to hold for everyone? A: “Well, that’s a really tough thing to define. I mean, technology improves, and with every piece of technology comes the opportunity to take it ever further. So, you know you are going to see more and more performance per liter. You’ll see more performance in larger engines. I suspect that in the not too distant future, engines will down-size again because the reality of it is, you know, 600 horsepower is a lot on the street. So, if you can take a Corvette and do that with it and get 25 miles to the gallon and 600 horsepower, as technology improves old things like direct injection come into play. I believe that we all will be able to improve to the point that you will be able to get 35 miles to the gallon with a 5-liter engine and do that same thing. So, I think you will see a move in the future towards smaller sized engines. I think you will see more people focus on complete cars. They will expect a lot more than just something that goes like crazy in a straight line, and then you have to slow down to turn. I think you will see that transition. I see people all the time and still get some, ‘How do I disable those ABS brakes, because I hate those?” I say, ‘Well, let me just give you a test – go out and make a run at those cones down there and slam on the brakes and then come back and we’ll pull the fuse out and we’ll make another run at that. Slam on the brakes and then when you run through them, you’ll understand what ABS does for you.’ The technology will just continue to improve and that’s where we’ll go. You know, companies like Lingenfelter, I believe there will always be a place for us in the industry. Some of the other companies may struggle a little more that aren’t as able to adapt. It is going to become a lot more difficult, but we’ll figure it out.” Posted on Jul 16, 2013 By Dennis Pittsenbarger

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Next Jaguar Land Rover launches new project providing safe water at school ClimateCare Jaguar Land Rover, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of premium luxury vehicles, has launched a new project in Africa as part of its ambitious Global CSR Programme. Jaguar Land Rover’s ambition is to achieve long-term responsible business growth by placing sustainability at the heart of its business strategy by reducing the environmental impact of its vehicles and operations and making a positive impact on society, all through ‘Environmental Innovation’. The company recently received a Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development for reducing the environmental impact of its vehicles and operations. Jaguar Land Rover’s Global CSR Programme was launched in 2013 as part of its ‘Environmental Innovation’ strategy. The programme invests in education, technology, health, wellbeing and environmental projects which will positively impact 12 million people’s lives by 2020. The programme builds on the success of its UK education and sponsorship initiatives and will make a positive impact on communities in some of the 170 global countries it operates in. Working with expert partners ClimateCare and Vestergaard, Jaguar Land Rover is investing in a new smart water filtration technology project that will provide over 300,000 pupils in 375 schools across Bungoma County with safe water. The project will run for the next five years, helping improve students’ health, education and employment prospects. Teams of LifeStraw staff will visit the schools each term to see that they are used correctly and to carry out further education, as part of a robust monitoring process. During the launch week, a team of seven Jaguar Land Rover employees from the UK and South Africa participated in the distribution as part of the company’s employee volunteering programme, visiting schools across the region to gain a deep insight into the LifeStraw safe water for schools programme. Nigel Clarke, Operations Director of Jaguar Land Rover Sub-Saharan Africa said, “As a responsible business which is pioneering new technologies and innovations to reduce the impact of our vehicles, it makes sense for us to invest in new technologies which are tackling other sustainability issues around the world. These ambitions are embedded into the core of our business. That’s why we have set ourselves an ambitious target to create opportunities for 12 million people globally by 2020. Through our support, we hope to inspire and create opportunities for our future consumers and employees. Africa is a key growth market for us. By supporting the provision of appropriate and effective water purifier technology we are creating opportunities for over 300,000 school-children in western Kenya – giving them the opportunity for a better education and greater opportunity to learn and excel. By 2020, we will create opportunities for three million people in Africa, which will reaffirm our commitment to grow our global business sustainably and responsibly.’ ClimateCare Director Tom Morton added, “At ClimateCare, our focus is on creating smart, integrated and cost effective programmes for our partners, using their investments to deliver maximum positive impact for people and the environment. This project to provide safe water to schools in Bungoma is a great example. Not only does it create an immediate, positive change, it will also leave a lasting legacy – supporting a better education for a whole generation of school children.” Stephen Buchunju, Director of Visionary Academy in Bungoma Central, Kenya, who is also a primary school teacher, commented, “We are delighted to welcome Jaguar Land Rover, ClimateCare and Vestergaard staff to the school for the launch of this new project. Our children get illnesses such as typhoid and diarrhoea from dirty water which affects their education. The new LifeStraw Community filters will ensure we have a safe water supply which will improve their health and education prospects of our students and give them the best start to life.” Benjamin Masinde, aded 11, is in class 5 at Visionary Academy. Benjamin said, “I caught typhoid from dirty water at school last term and went to hospital. I was off school for a week which was bad as i don’t want to miss any school so I can get good exam results and become an engineer. The new LifeStraw Community filters will make our water safe so we can all be healthy and never miss school.” For further information and high resolution images contact: Kate BirkenheadCSR PR and Communications, Jaguar Land RoverM: 07780 494 352E: [email protected] Rhiannon Szmigielski, ClimateCareT: +44 (0)1865 591008E: [email protected] Over the past five years, Jaguar Land Rover has doubled sales and employment, more than tripled turnover, and invested some £11 billion in new product creation and capital expenditure. We are investing in new products, facilities, research and development, and will invest £5bn this year alone on R&D. This investment supports technology innovation and our CO2 reduction strategy. Jaguar Land Rover has made significant progress in building its international manufacturing presence over the last year. It opened a new joint venture in China and commenced construction of its local manufacturing plant in Brazil at the end of 2014. The creation of new international plants allows Jaguar Land Rover to increase its presence in regions that have been identified as having growth potential, protect against currency fluctuations and achieve a more efficient, globally competitive business. By 2020, we will achieve the following ‘Environmental Innovation’ key objectives: reduce water use by 30% per vehicle produced achieve carbon neutral manufacturing operations through energy saving projects, renewable energy & carbon offsetting send zero waste to landfill across our sites by treating waste as a resource maintain operating CO2 emissions at 30% lower than vs. 2007 baseline and emissions, despite significant global growth in vehicle volumes. be amongst sector leaders for tailpipe CO2 emissions, fuel economy and cost of ownership create opportunities for 12 million people through our Global CSR Programme Jaguar Land Rover has worked with climate and sustainable development experts ClimateCare since 2009. ClimateCare is a Certified B Corporation based in the UK and Kenya. It works with governments and businesses to deliver world leading sustainability programmes and won a Queen’s Award its outstanding contribution to tackling climate change and alleviating poverty. ClimateCare created and deliver an integrated Climate+Care programme for Jaguar Land Rover, using smart technology to protect the environment and create new opportunities for people around the world The Climate+Care programme includes a number of projects which deliver against Jaguar Land Rovers CSR objectives. This LifeStraw Water for Schools initiative is one of those projects. Its Climate+Care programme will help Jaguar Land Rover reduce enough carbon to offset all its manufacturing assembly emissions to 2020 and create new opportunities for 6 million people around the world. ClimateCare’s focus on robust measurement of climate and development outcomes helps ensure that Jaguar Land Rover’s budget is used to deliver the maximum positive outcomes on the ground for people and the environment. Find out more at www.climatecare.org, or follow @ClimateCare. LifeStraw® Technology The LifeStraw Community water purifier is an award-winning technology, subject to rigorous scrutiny and checks to ensure its effectiveness. It is one of very few technologies that is able to address bacteria, protozoa and viruses and achieve the category of highlight protective under WHO standards. LifeStraw Community uses hollow fibre membrane technology to purify water down to 0.02 microns. This means virtually all bacteria, protozoa and viruses from surface water are trapped in the purifier and only safe water is able to pass through.

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Thinking outside of the Box Posted by solutionsbconsultants in Uncategorized. Tags: bmw, innovation, insight, older, productivity add a comment How BMW Deals With an Aging Workforce (CBS) BMW’s work force is getting older. But as Richard Roth reports, it’s also maybe getting better. In a world where the route’s always scenic and the road’s always open, automaker BMW was worried it could be losing a race against time. That’s catching up with the 18,000 workers who build the brand’s luxury cars in Dingolfing, Germany. Production manager Helmut Mauermann was crunching the numbers, and found that BMW’s workers are getting older. “No surprise,” Mauermann said. “It’s part of the demographic development of the German country as a whole, or even Europe as a whole.” Demographers call it the “Silver Tsunami”: a rising tide of grey hair. Americans over 65 will make up more than 16 percent of the population within 10 years. Germany is aging even faster: More than a fifth of the country (21.6%) will be over 65 by the year 2020. Older workers have more patience and skill that comes from experience, the studies say, but less flexibility, strength and vision – real liabilities on a production line that depends on precision engineering and a lot of hard work to turn out more than 1,200 cars a day. BMW could force its aging workers to retire, or even fire them. But Mauermann said that’s not the solution. “That might be the simple way to solve the problem, but we have a social contract within Germany, or at the BMW group, where we say, that’s not the solution we will look for – especially since we don’t have enough younger people to replace [them with], so it wouldn’t work even if we wanted to,” he said. In what the Harvard Business Review called “an experiment defusing its demographic time bomb,” BMW decided to look ahead. Management have tinkered with one assembly line in one division of a huge auto plant, and turned it older overnight. They staffed it so that the average age of workers would be 47 – exactly what it’s projected to be seven years from now. They then asked the workers how to make things better. When workers said their feet hurt, the company made them special shoes, and put in wooden floors. Some got a place to sit: a hairdresser’s chair, modified for the assembly line. Rudolph Mohr, 56, has been working here for 35 years. He finally got a chance to stretch – right on the factory floor. “When I go home, I have more energy,” Mohr said. Some tools were improved, and new computer screens were introduced, with bigger type. In all, the company says it made 70 small changes in the workplace, to cut the chance of errors and reduce physical strain. BMW says the project only cost about $50,000, including lost time. “All these changes are extremely obvious, but you won’t come to these ideas sitting somewhere in an office and then thinking, ‘How can I change the working place of a worker who is half a mile away?'” Mauermann said. Other things also changed: Productivity went up seven percent. Absenteeism fell below the plant’s average. And this assembly line’s defect rate dropped to zero. “It’s so simple, but it seems to work,” Mauermann said. Not all of auto manufacturing can be re-engineered for an older workforce. But BMW says enough can that it’s testing and refining the experiment in other plants, including in the U.S. Except managers no longer call it a project to aid the elderly; it’s simply BMW’s fresh new plan to improve productivity.

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Home | Cars | Land Rover Land Rover Cars Acura Alfa Romeo AM General Aston Martin Audi Bentley BMW Buick Cadillac Chevrolet Chrysler Daewoo Dodge Eagle Ferrari Fiat Fisker Ford Genesis Geo GMC Honda HUMMER Hyundai Infiniti Isuzu Jaguar Jeep Kia Lamborghini Lexus Lincoln Lotus Maserati Maybach Mazda McLaren Mercedes-Benz Mercury MINI Mitsubishi Nissan Oldsmobile Plymouth Pontiac Porsche Ram Rolls-Royce Saab Saturn Scion smart Subaru Suzuki Tesla Toyota Volkswagen Volvo Land Rover has a long and colorful history since its inception in 1947, and is the second oldest four-wheel drive brand behind Jeep. After World War II, Rover developed the Land Rover Series to replace the dwindling sales of its luxury cars, which were no longer in demand. More on Land Rover Land Rover OriginsThe first Land Rovers were developed as agricultural and utility vehicles based on the American Jeeps used during WW II. These first vehicles were very basic inside since it was used for farming and light industrial work. Meanwhile, Rover planned to produce them for only a few years to increase cash flow.Rover realized the public may need the abilities of the Land Rover with a comfortable interior. Soon after, the company developed vehicles with four doors instead of two and seating for passengers in the rear. Driving quality improved because of the newly-added leather seats, heater, and interior trim.Land Rover Through The YearsThroughout its history, Land Rover acquired many owners. In the late 1960s, Rover was attained by the Leyland Motor Corporation and became part of British Leyland in 1968. When British Leyland broke up in the 1980s, Rover and Land Rover was sold to the British Aerospace in 1988. Then BMW acquired both vehicles in 1994, but in 2000 sold Land Rover to Ford. Land Rover is now owned by Tata Motors.From 1947 to 1985, Rover Company developed the Land Rover vehicles and produced several different models called Series I, II, and III. The British Army, Royal Air Force and Royal Navy all have fleets of Land Rovers in varying numbers. The Series models evolved into the current line of Land Rovers, which are the Defender, Freelander, Discovery, Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, and Range Rover Evoque. In America, the Freelander 2 is called the Land Rover LR2 and the Discovery 4 is called the Land Rover LR4.The Defender series was launched in the U.S. in 1993, making it the first time since 1974 that Land Rover had sold a utility vehicle in America. These Land Rovers had to be modified to meet the stringent regulations of the United States Department of Transportation. The U.S. Defender series was in production until 1998 when regulations regarding air bags halted production, and adding air bags would require a major modification. Only small numbers of these vehicles had been sold, so it was determined the alteration was not economically viable. Consequently, the Defender is no longer sold in America.Land Rover ModelsIn the late 1980s, Land Rover began research into Freelander so it could enter the compact sport utility vehicle (SUV) market. In 1997, the first Freelanders were produced as a luxury four-wheel drive vehicle. The Freelander was in production until 2006, with the last models sold in America being the 2005 models. In 2006, the Freelander 2, or the LR2 in the U.S., was launched. This is the current model still in production. It differed from the initial Freelander in that it has a higher ground clearance, so it is better able to handle offroad conditions. It also has a higher quality interior and more safety features than the previous version.There have been four models of the Land Rover Discovery, with the current model being the Discovery 3 or the LR4 in America. The Discovery series was in production since 1989, and the current model was produced in 2004. In 2008, the LR3 was renamed to the LR4, while it remained the Discovery 3 elsewhere. The Discovery series allowed Land Rover to enter the midsize SUV market and provide a vehicle with four-wheel drive and offroad capabilities.Range Rovers are large SUVs in production since 2002. It launched when Land Rover was owned by BMW to provide an offroad luxury four-wheel drive SUV. Unlike other models, the Range Rover only came with a six-speed automatic transmission. The Range Rover Sport is a luxury SUV targeted to the midsize SUV market. Finally, the Evoque is the latest model to enter the compact SUV market in 2011. It was designed for city dwellers to meet increased emissions and fuel economy requirements.The current concept vehicles from Land Rover are the DC100 and the DC100 Sport. The car is being developed as a replacement for the Defender Series in the North American market. These are rugged vehicles that have taken design cues from the original Defender vehicles and were modernized for standards and aesthetics. Select a Land Rover Model 1997, 1995 | SUV, Utility/Offroad Nothing says off-road vehicle quite like the military-style Land Rover Defender. 2017, 2004-2003, 1998-1995 | SUV, Utility/Offroad The Land Rover Discovery was a bit of a detour from the Defender models. Land Rover Discovery Series II 2002-1999 | SUV, Utility/Offroad Designated as the first of the Land Rover Discovery Series introduced in 1994, the Discovery Series II boasted many accomplishments for a Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) of its time. The Land Rover Freelander made its debut in the late 1990s, shortly after the company was purchased by BMW. As Land Rover continued to adapt with the changing times and demands of its consumers, the LR2 was introduced to fill a void in the small crossover SUV division. One of the many vehicles in Land Rover’s history includes the well-received LR3. The Land Rover has only recently made a splash in the United States, mainly due to the Range Rover line, as well as the Discovery. The Range Rover is a long running luxury vehicle for the Land Rover company. 2017-2012 | Convertible, SUV, Utility/Offroad Like the original Range Rover, the Land Rover Range Rover Evoque is a luxury off-road vehicle. Inspired by the Range Rover, the Land Rover Range Rover Sport was created with off-road performance in mind.

汽车

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Fiat Chrysler to drop Dodge minivan in wider revamp The combined Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is counting on expanding sales at Jeep, Alfa-Romeo and Maserati, a revival of the Chrysler brand, and some new vehicles to place it firmly in the top ranks of global automakers. AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — The combined Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is counting on expanding sales at Jeep, Alfa-Romeo and Maserati, a revival of the Chrysler brand, and some new vehicles to place it firmly in the top ranks of global automakers.Italian automaker Fiat SpA and Chrysler Group, which formed a partnership five years ago and officially combined when Fiat finished buying Chrysler in January, jointly presented their future sales targets and product plans Tuesday in a day-long meeting at Chrysler's Michigan headquarters.There are many new products, including a full lineup of cars from Alfa-Romeo, as well as some victims. Jeep is ditching the Compass and Patriot small SUVs in favor of a new compact SUV that will come out in 2016.And to entice consumers to buy more Chryslers, the company must end its internal rivalry with the Dodge brand. So, after nearly 30 years on the market, the Dodge Grand Caravan minivan will be killed off in an effort to focus Dodge on performance cars and boost sales of the Chrysler Town and Country. While the company won't officially be known as Fiat Chrysler Automobiles until a Fiat shareholders meeting this summer, the 400 analysts, media and other attendees at Tuesday's event were welcomed by a sign with the new company name at the entrance to Chrysler's sprawling campus north of Detroit.Shares of the combined company are expected to begin trading jointly on the New York Stock Exchange and in Milan, Italy, by Oct. 1. It will be officially based in the United Kingdom, for tax purposes, but is retaining headquarters in Italy and Michigan.Fiat and Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne says the combined company wants to grow sales 60 percent to more than 7 million cars and trucks by 2018. Fiat and Chrysler sold 4.4 million cars and trucks last year, compared with 6.3 million for Detroit rival Ford. Toyota was the global leader with sales of 9.98 million vehicles."Today we stand before you as a global carmaker," Marchionne said. "Today is much more than a new chapter. We are beginning to write a completely new book."Among Fiat Chrysler's plans:— Chrysler will become the mainstream brand for North America, designed to compete with Toyota and Chevrolet. The Town and Country minivan will get an update and add a plug-in hybrid version in 2016. A new compact car, the 100, will compete with the Toyota Corolla, in 2016. A year later, a full-size crossover will be launched to compete with the Ford Edge and Nissan Murano. The crossover will also come in a plug-in hybrid version.— Dodge will lose the Grand Caravan and the Avenger sedan and concentrate on being a sporty, performance-oriented brand designed to appeal to younger buyers. The SRT brand, which includes the Viper sports car, will be consolidated with Dodge and considered the "halo" of the Dodge brand.— Alfa-Romeo, which returns to the U.S. this year with the 4C sports car, plans to introduce eight vehicles globally by 2018, including small, midsize and full-size cars and two SUVs. Alfa CEO Harald Wester says the company will invest nearly $7 billion to develop and make the new vehicles. Alfa hopes to increase sales from 74,000 in 2013 to 400,000 in 2018.— Jeep sales are expected to top 1 million this year, and can grow to 1.9 million by 2018 with an aggressive global expansion, particularly in Latin America and Asia, the company said. A new compact SUV in 2016 will replace the Compass and Patriot, and the seven-passenger Grand Wagoneer will launch in 2017. Jeep currently makes vehicles at three plants in the U.S. By 2018, it expects nearly half of all production to come from plants in Latin America, Europe and China.— Fiat brand sales are expected to grow from 1.5 million in 2013 to 1.9 million in 2018. New vehicles will include a subcompact car and compact pickup truck for South America in 2015, the Fiat 500X crossover for North America in 2015 and a new Panda small car for Europe in 2018.— Maserati, which sells four cars now, will have six by 2018. As a result, Wester expects sales to grow from 15,400 in 2013 to around 75,000 in 2018. Sister luxury brand Ferrari expects sales to stay around 7,000, but could rise to as many as 10,000 if demand increases. "There are increasing numbers of people who can afford a car of this caliber," Marchionne said.

汽车

2017-09/4215/en_head.json.gz/24030

1962 Chevrolet Corvette - Z062 John Faria And Corvette Correction Build An LS-Powered '62 Stunner Many Corvette projects-be they NCRS Top Flight-worthy restorations, wild customs, or something in between-start with a Corvette that is in less-than-perfect condition. Some are such basket cases that the baskets and boxes they're stored in are as trashed as the car itself. 2/11 But that's not what John Faria started with when he began the project that resulted in the "Z062" Vetterod you see here. A longtime Vette lover, he already owned two (a '74 convertible and an '00 drop-top) when he traveled to Corvettes at Carlisle back in 2003-and saw some Corvettes that caught his eye in a big way. "I came across a few restomods on custom frames, spoke to their owners, and decided that this combination of classic styling with modern performance, handling, and comfort would be the answer," Faria says from his Warwick, Rhode Island, home. The first thing he did when he got home was sell his '00 Vette, to help bankroll the project that was taking shape in his mind. Next, he began his search for a '61 or '62 Corvette body at a reasonable price-and that's when frustration set in. "Most of the ones that I looked at were real basket cases," Faria recalls, "requiring major bodywork or missing many major components." He wanted a Vette that looked original, but would incorporate subtle changes to improve its overall appearance and function. One year later, when Corvettes at Carlisle time rolled around again, Faria was there, but still C1-less. While at Carlisle, he took a good look at the available aftermarket frames, ultimately choosing the double-side-rail/no-X-member C1 rolling chassis (with C4 steering and suspension hardware) from Corvette Correction. Reasons why included the frame's construction, which lets the engine sit lower than in a stock frame, while retaining-without cutting-the stock transmission tunnel. This configuration makes it possible to install a gearbox taller than the three-speeds, T10s, and Powerglides that were Corvette's transmission choices way back when. 3/11 The following winter, Faria found the C1 he was looking for-a '62 that, while missing its engine and transmission, had a no-hit body and had been stored for more than three decades. It was part of an estate sale (a '63 Sting Ray convertible was also included in the deal, which Faria sold in short order), and before long he'd found a new home for the '62's original frame.So far, so good. Unfortunately, this was when the project began slowing down, so Faria asked for-and got-the help he needed in getting it finished. "Billy was my savior," he says of Corvette Correction's Billy Dawson, who hauled the body, frame, and other parts Faria had acquired back to Texas. "He took care of it when I got frustrated, and I needed someone to get this thing done."Before Faria bought the '62, he'd scored a used LS1 engine and a six-speed transmission out of a '98 Firebird. He originally planned to use this powertrain in the Vette, but changed his mind-a couple of times-as GM Performance Parts introduced stronger and stronger crate engines. As Faria recalls, when the LS2 came out in crate form, "I said to Billy, 'Let's not bother with the LS1; let's buy a brand-new LS2.' A couple of years after that, the LS3 came out, just as Billy had the car. I'd sold the LS1 to him, and Billy offered to sell the LS2 for me. He did, for about what I paid for it." Faria also acquired a new six-speed Tremec to go along with his new engine. 4/11 Dawson didn't need to do much to the body to get it ready. "When Billy got it, he did some tweaking here and there, and finished up a couple areas that needed it," says Faria. "But, for the most part, the body was about 95 percent done and ready to go." It was then smoothed and dressed in two-stage Viper Red by PAS Enterprises in Seguin, Texas.The interior got the full-on Al Knoch custom treatment, with red and black Italian leather going on the door panels, dashpad, steering wheel, as well as on a pair of Wise Guys bucket seats Knoch modified with extra padding and bolsters. A repro Wonderbar radio with iPod and MP3 plug-ins went in the dash (under the dashpad, which hides the speakers), Classic Instruments gauges went in the stock gauge pods, and a custom clear shifter knob was made with a C6 Corvette logo embedded inside. 5/11 In all, after Dawson hauled the '62 from Rhode Island to Texas, it took only eight more months to create this "Z062." Faria made four trips to Texas from Rhode Island while the build was in progress, to see how his Vette was coming together. In late May 2008, the '62 was finally finished.Since then, Faria has enjoyed it immensely. "It drives beautifully," he says of his 430-plus-hp Vetterod. "It handles great, and it's fast as hell. It's the fastest thing that I've ever owned!" That enjoyment is shared by everyone who sees it, per Faria. "Wherever I go, it's always a major conversation piece. It gets a lot of attention"Maybe you've thought of building a Vetterod of your own, from seeing the ones like Faria's featured in the pages of VETTE, or at events like Corvettes at Carlisle. If you've had that idea, Faria has this advice: "You need to plan this thing out ahead of time," he says. "You need to be very well organized and have a good idea of what you're going to do. Even then, you will come up with all kinds of problems, changes, and this and that. I had plenty of time to make my changes, because I had four years."There were so many decisions to make, like what kind of interior you want to put into it, what kind of wheels, and what kind of brakes. It's like building a house-there are so many options you have, and decisions you have to make." MORE PHOTOS

汽车

2017-09/4215/en_head.json.gz/24031

Perimeter Plate Nitrous system - Go, Baby, Go! The ins and outs of installing a nitrous system Don't tell me you haven't seen it. I know Corvette guys aren't supposed to like Mustangs, but if you're into car culture, you've definitely seen the part in Gone in 60 Seconds where Nicholas Cage flips the nitrous-arming switch on the '67 GT500 he's stealing, hits the little red button marked "go-baby-go," and loses the police helicopter that's closing in on him. Thanks in part to that scene, and the Fast and Furious franchise, nitrous oxide has steadily increased in popularity over the past several years. Among the newer nitrous products is the adjustable Perimeter Plate system offered by Zex, which adds between 100 and 300 horsepower and is designed to overcome some of the weaknesses of traditional "plate"-style nitrous systems. Here, we'll look briefly at what nitrous is and does, and then take a more in-depth look at how to install the Zex kit on my red '72 small-block coupe, AKA "Scarlett." Though still frequently considered a somewhat naughty addition to a car (note how many of the kits have "sneaky" or "cheater" in the name), using nitrous oxide to increase engine power is nothing new: As far back as World War II, the Nazi Luftwaffe used it to help airplane performance at high altitude. Not actually a fuel, nitrous oxide is composed of two parts nitrogen and one of oxygen; the latter element is released as the compound breaks down at high temperature. This aids the process of oxidizing fuel so that more can be burned, thus increasing the engine's power output. The reason there's "no replacement for displacement" is that more room allows for more fuel to be burned. Nitrous essentially accomplishes the same thing in a smaller space, with little modification required to the engine. And unlike stroker kits, turbos, or superchargers, the extra power is only produced on demand, leaving fuel economy and general driveability unaffected.Nitrous systems are generally divided into two types. In a "wet" system, the nitrous is mixed with additional fuel and sprayed into the intake tract. In a "dry" setup, the nitrous is sprayed by itself, and the fuel delivery system is calibrated or modified to deliver the additional fuel needed. One of the advantages of a wet system is that, since the fuel and nitrous are sprayed together, it's simpler than a dry system. This reduced complexity somewhat lessens the possibility that the nitrous will be sprayed in without the extra fuel. Should the engine run lean (i.e., without sufficient fuel) while nitrous is being added, the result will be very high combustion temperatures, coupled with really good odds of engine damage. You've heard of melting pistons, and burning holes in them? Yep. That's why you'll need to be careful.With a little caution, however, there's nothing to fear. Estimates vary, but assuming your engine is in good shape and unmodified, anything between 100 and 150 horsepower should be safe to add. Much over that, and you're going to need to beef some things up. In this case, the engine we'll spray is a low-mileage ZZ2, a GM crate motor producing somewhere in the neighborhood of 345 hp and 400 lb-ft of torque. The kit Zex sent contained a Perimeter Plate for a standard Holley application (the company also has one that's Dominator compatible), fuel and nitrous solenoids, an assortment of jets, all the braided-steel line and electrical components required for installation, and a 10-pound nitrous bottle and mount. While mine came in Zex's trademark purple color, the kit is also available in a stealthy "Blackout" version. The bottle comes empty: Expect to pay around $4 per pound to fill it. The first part of installing nitrous is the actual plumbing, starting with mounting the bottle in the car. While putting it in the passenger compartment is generally frowned upon, if you've got a Corvette, that's pretty much where it's gotta go. From the bottle, the nitrous passes through a braided-steel line to a solenoid that mounts near the intake manifold. When the solenoid receives an electrical signal, it opens a valve, releasing the pressurized nitrous through another braided line into the perimeter plate, where it's mixed with fuel and sprayed into the intake manifold. Where the line meets the plate, it screws onto a fitting that accepts one of several different jets, or "pills," that meter how much nitrous gets in. These are marked with different numbers, and the kit specifies which one is required, and which fuel jet should accompany it in order to deliver a certain power level.Traditional "plate" nitrous systems use a roughly half-inch-thick plate that fits between the manifold and the carburetor or throttle body. Generally, the plate has a perforated tube that runs across its middle, and the nitrous/fuel mix is sprayed from that tube. The Zex perimeter plate, however, uses a series of channels machined into the plate itself (actually two pieces screwed firmly together) to mix the fuel and nitrous and then spray the mixture through 12 different ports. The result is more-even distribution. (For those who already have a conventional plate system, the Zex perimeter plate is available separately.)For fuel delivery, a fuel line must be added to the existing one and run to the fuel solenoid. This was the only necessary component that wasn't included in the Zex kit, likely because fuel-delivery systems vary so much between vehicles. Since this car has a 3/8-inch fuel line, I added a 3/8-inch brass tee to the stock line and ran the additional one from there. When the solenoid is activated, fuel goes through a braided line to the opposite side of the plate; this line screws onto a fitting containing the appropriate jet. The system is activated by a switch in the cockpit. To install it, you'll need to splice into a source of switched power at the fuse box. This wire will then run to the toggle switch, and from there to a relay mounted in the engine compartment. A relay is generally used when you need to run more power to something than it's safe to put through a simple 12-volt toggle switch. The power required to operate whatever it is--here, the nitrous solenoid--comes from a direct power source, such as the alternator or battery, to the relay. A separate arming switch then "turns on" the relay, which is essentially a heavy-duty switch. In addition to the power coming in from the alternator and the arming switch in the cockpit, the relay also has a contact for a ground wire, which you'll want to mount to the intake. There's also a contact for the power going out to the solenoids, each of which also will need to be grounded. Although I'm a relative novice at electrical work, the diagram and instructions that come with the kit are quite clear, and I had no trouble putting it all together.The only other electrical components required are an inline 30-amp fuse for the power coming into the relay, and a throttle switch. Since nitrous can damage the engine if it's run at low rpm, many systems use a microswitch, mounted on the carb or throttle body, that only activates when the engine is at wide-open throttle. This switch is wired into the arming circuit, so that the wire coming from the arming switch in the cockpit goes to one side of the throttle switch, and another wire leads from the other side to the relay. The circuit is only closed when the arming switch is on and the throttle switch is activated. One of the things you learn quickly about nitrous is that it will reveal any weaknesses in your engine. For example, after I installed the throttle switch, I found out the gas pedal wouldn't open up the carb far enough to engage it. Seems I'd been driving around for six months with no more than 50 percent throttle. Adjusting the cable bracket and bending the pedal assembly outwards fixed that problem--and lo and behold, it drove like a different car, even without nitrous.Another, more insidious problem, is that of fuel pressure. In the instructions, you'll find a warning that the fuel system must have no less than 6 psi of pressure right at the nitrous solenoid. Any less runs the risk of engine damage. In order to check the pressure, I installed an inline fitting with an integral fuel-pressure gauge just ahead of the nitrous solenoid. It showed between 6 and 9 psi initially but tended to drop below 6 when the engine was hot. In an effort to ensure that didn't happen with the spray on, I looked for ways to make sure I knew exactly what was going on under the hood. Two items quickly surfaced. The first was a warning-light kit, calibrated to come on if pressure dropped below 6 psi. To wire it in, I joined another wire to the one coming from the arming switch and ran it to one terminal of a 12-volt warning light. From there, I ran the wire off the light's other terminal to the self-grounding pressure switch, then mounted the switch in a brass tee to the gauge fitting I'd already attached to the fuel solenoid. Since both the gauge and the switch had a 1?8-inch pipe thread (NPT), they both fit easily into the tee. While you can build your own system like this, I was unable to locate the switch anywhere but Jegs. Most pressure switches operate at a range--say, 5-12 psi--which means that each switch will function somewhere in that range, but you won't know where without buying one and testing it. The Jegs switch is pre-calibrated to 6 psi. The second item is a safety switch. Adjustable from 5 to 24 psi, it's wired into the same circuit as the arming and throttle switches. Should fuel pressure drop, it will kill the whole nitrous system. We installed it in the same fitting as the other switch by drilling an additional 21/64-inch hole and using a 1/8-inch NPT tap to thread it. This is a $30 part, and considering that it could save your engine, only a fool would omit it.Two other things you'll need to do prior to running "the juice" are changing the spark plugs to a set two steps colder than standard, and retarding the top-end timing to reduce the potential for detonation. The exact amount of timing retard needed varies with the power level you select, and that information is included in the jet-selection chart that comes with the instructions. For adding 100 horsepower, we needed to pull it back by 4 degrees.With the basic installation done and everything double-checked, I pointed the car in straight line, hit the switch, and laid into it. And when the bottle hit, and the car suddenly started laying down more than 400 horses at the wheels, believe me, Scarlett was gone with the wind. In the next installment, we'll look at making the most of the nitrous installation: fine-tuning the fuel delivery, adding a purge (for quicker response) and a safety blow-down (to make the car legal for the track), and getting some numbers to show the horsepower gains. Special thanks to Leon Arrowood, Dave Emanuel, Tim Faircloth, and Tray Walden. 28 Our safety switch also came from Jegs. Threaded at a standard 1/8-inch pipe thread, the switch screws into an inline fitting and is wired into the arming circuit. With the switch in place, we're ready to start tuning our nitrous system for safe, reliable power. Memphis, TN 38118 888-817-1008 www.zex.com MORE PHOTOS

汽车

2017-09/4215/en_head.json.gz/24066

Thunderbird Model The Car Connection Ford Thunderbird Overview Editorial Director The Ford Thunderbird has been one of Ford's most durable nameplates, even though there isn't a car wearing the badge in the company's current lineup. Conceived in the Fifties, the Thunderbird disappeared from Ford showrooms after the 2005 model year and eleven generations, with no successor yet in sight. The ur-Thunderbird, 1955-1957 The first-generation Thunderbird was spurred by interest in small sports cars being imported in greater numbers from Europe--and by interest in the new Chevrolet Corvette. Ford began work in 1953 on a new two-seat car with a more luxury-roadster appeal than Chevy's sportscar. The original Ford concepts were planned around a Ford V-8, with a vehicle weight of about 2,500 pounds and an intended top speed of 100 mph. After a very quick development cycle of about a year, the new car was revealed at the 1954 Detroit Auto Show wearing the name Thunderbird. Other names, such as Falcon, Eagle, Tropicale, and Thunderbolt were discarded. The Thunderbird went into production in 1954, and went on sale in the fall as a 1955 model. Built on a shortened Ford platform, the sporty, handsome convertible was offered with a V-8 shared with Ford's Mercury brand. A hardtop was an option. The car sold very well, and over its first year, it was updated to a larger-displacement V-8 with a choice of two- or three-speed automatics. The Thunderbird's signature styling cue, its porthole window, was added to the removable hardtop in the 1956 model year; the spare tire also moved to the rear bumper, though it moved back into the trunk for the 1957 model year when it also received a bigger grille, larger fins and taillamps. Bullet 'Birds and Square 'Birds Why mess with success? Ford executives had a hit on their hands, but were convinced there was more potential in the Thunderbird name. As a result, the classic two-seat design was ditched in the 1958 model year, as the T-Bird family grew an additional model line extra pair of doors. As a roadster or a sedan, the Thunderbird had grown more bulky, adding a 300-horsepower V-8 and nearly a thousand pounds to its curb weight despite a switch to unibody design. Styling fell along the lines that would fell the fledgling Edsel brand: fins, grilles, and non-functional scoops were the order of the day for the second-generation T-Bird, which was sold from 1958-1960. It was a smart sales move--T-Bird sales nearly doubled again as the 1961 model year drew near with yet another full redesign of what was now one of Ford's most popular model lines. The 1961-1963 Thunderbird launched to great fanfare as the pace car at the 1961 Indy 500, and as a parade vehicle in the inauguration parade for President John F. Kennedy. The reshaped T-Bird steered completely clear of the second-generation car with an evocative nose that earned it the nickname "Bullet 'Bird." A new V-8 engine made 300 horsepower and channeled power to the rear wheels through a three-speed automatic transmission. Offered as a coupe or as a convertible, the Thunderbird had dropped its sedan model while it gained a landau-top edition. Special roadster editions and Holley-carbureted versions are rare collectibles. As had become the norm, Ford vacillated again over the T-Bird's appearance for the fourth-generation model, which was sold from 1964 to 1966. The front end was squared off once more, while body styles and powertrains remained the same. Sequential taillights were added in 1965, and in 1966 the grille was revamped with an eggcrate design. Power ratings were up on the base engine, while a 428-cubic-inch V-8 with 345 hp became an option. Body-on-frame 'Birds With the 1967 model year came another sea change in Thunderbird history, when it returned to body-on-frame construction and to a four-door sedan body style. Ford had had extraordinary success launching the Mustang in 1964--and moving the Thunderbird upscale gave both room to breather. It cost Ford the quintessential convertible version of the T-Bird, however. New styling themes gave the fifth-generation 'Bird a more avant-garde look, with a large front end with hidden headlights. For the 1970 model year, it grew more of a prominent nose--a "beak"--and in 1971, it became one of the first cars to appear in the Neiman Marcus catalog, in a "his and hers" edition. For the 1972-1976 Thunderbird, the sixth generation, Ford would finally drop the four-door sedan model. The T-Bird had grown even more, now some 214 inches long, and with its newly available 7.5-liter V-8, it was enormously heavy at nearly 5,000 pounds. Far from its roots, the 'Bird was now a platform cousin of Lincoln's Mark IV. Downsized 'BirdsOver the seventh and eighth generations, spanning from the 1977 to 1982 model years, Ford would downsize the Thunderbird, retaining body-on-frame construction and a coupe body style as the company struggled with new safety and emissions regulations--all in the middle of rising gas prices. The 1977-1979 Thunderbird would ride on a shorter wheelbase of 114 inches like Ford's new LTD II; it became the natural competitor for the Chevy Monte Carlo and Pontiac Grand Prix. Overall length was down by 8 inches, and curb weight was down by almost a thousand pounds. Ford's Windsor and Cleveland V-8s were mated to automatic transmissions. Looking for even bigger fuel-economy gains, Ford again slimmed down the eighth-generation Thunderbird in the 1980 model year, moving it to a shorter Fox platform of Ford's Fairmont sedan. Nearly six inches shorter in wheelbase, the T-Bird shaved more than a foot from its overall length--and styling suffered from awkward proportions and downright baroque roofline and details. Two versions of the Windsor V-8 were emissions-strangled, eventually leading to a popular option in the 1982 model year, a new 3.8-liter V-6. Aero 'BirdsIn its next iteration, the Ford Thunderbird would undergo the most dramatic change since it added a four-door model, back in the Fifties. Ford decided its best route to further gas-mileage gains would come through aerodynamic design--and the ninth-generation Thunderbird introduced in the 1983 model year became the new calling card for a revolution in Ford design. The 1983-1988 Thunderbird still rode on the same platform as in its previous edition, but it was shortened once again--its 104.2-inch wheelbase is shorter than some of today's compact cars. Powertrains were carried over; the 3.8-liter V-6 came in base coupes, with the 4.9-liter Windsor V-8 returning as an option on the T-Bird and its redesigned cousin, the Mercury Cougar. The newest addition to the lineup was the Turbo Coupe, which bore a 2.3-liter turbo four that eventually would be shared with the Mustang SVO and the Merkur XR4Ti. It was offered with a five-speed manual, but most of these Thunderbirds came with a three-speed automatic. In 1987, the T-Bird adopted a new look--one magazine called it a "Polynesian war canoe"--with a bowed front end that appeared only on upmarket versions, while base models carried a small chromed grille. For its tenth generation, the Thunderbird took a great technological leap as it left behind the dated Fox platform, and moved to a new rear-drive architecture that Ford would eventually use across its Ford and Lincoln lineups. With an independent suspension and a wheelbase nine inches longer than the previous car, the 1989 Thunderbird also pared down its engine lineup, dropping its V-8s and outfitting the new car only with either the V-6 or a supercharged version of the same engine in the Thunderbird SC, which came with either a five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic. The SC model was well-received, but by this time, the Thunderbird's appeal was losing ground to a new kind of vehicle, the sport-utility vehicle. By the time Ford introduced its era-defining Explorer, the T-Bird had once again resorted to a V-8 engine, slotted in the middle of the lineup, putting it ever closer to the new Lincoln Mark VIII introduced in the 1988 model year. In 1994, Ford swapped that eight out for a new 4.6-liter "modular" V-8 and a four-speed automatic--but the end was near. In 1996 the Thunderbird SC was dropped; in 1997, Ford stopped building the Thunderbird entirely. Retro T-Bird, 2002-2005 As it approached its 100th year in business, Ford controlled an empire of luxury brands--from Jaguar to Volvo--that stretched its resources. The Ford brand suffered--but still, the company plotted the return of the Thunderbird nameplate for the 2002 model year. Based on a new rear-drive architecture shared with the Lincoln LS and Jaguar S-Type, the 2002-2005 Thunderbird reverted to its classic incarnation, as a two-seat, rear-drive, V-8-powered roadster. With a charming retro silhouette, this eleventh-generation Thunderbird made a strong first impression--but its interior was lifted nearly intact from the Lincoln LS, and its body structure left much to be desired. Its Jaguar-derived 3.9-liter V-8 was a lackadaisical performer in the heavy two-seater, too, even with a five-speed automatic. Sales were never very strong, and after the 2005 model year, Ford once again shelved the classic Thunderbird nameplate. of Used Vehicles for Sale 2005 Ford Thunderbird 2-Door Convertible Premium Style, Comfort, handling and performance, all in an exclusive elegant, retro look package. The car is what it was intended to be; an elegant statement in a sports luxury package. It still turns heads with style and very good performance, especially since the '03, '04, and '05 have the upgraded 280... The car is what it was intended to be; an elegant statement in a sports luxury package. It still turns heads with style and very good performance, especially since the '03, '04, and '05 have the upgraded 280 hp 32 valve V8 with variable valve timing. Since I upgraded the suspension with Lincoln LS V8 Sport struts, it barely has any of the rear jounce it once had and corners flat with no deterioration in ride. Although never meant to be a Corvette killer, it has exhilarating performance, and superb ride and handling that allows your fillings to stay in your teeth. The 8 speaker Sony Audiophile sound system has a 6 disc changer and adjustments for top up or down, one passenger or two. The three layer insulated and headlined convertible top is very cozy, and the the hard top makes it even more so with the added class and style of the porthole windows. + More » For 1997 Ford Thunderbird Why I like my T-Bird A very nice riding car with many options. I wish the MPG's were better but the good out weighs the bad. All in all a fun car to drive. people found this helpful. You may also like 2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser Popular Cities Similar Cars For Sale For Sale By Year Used Ford Thunderbird in New York, NY Used Ford Thunderbird in Los Angeles, CA Used Ford Thunderbird in Chicago, IL Used Ford Thunderbird in Houston, TX Used Ford Thunderbird in Philadelphia, PA Used Ford Thunderbird in Phoenix, AZ Used Ford Thunderbird in San Antonio, TX Used Ford Thunderbird in San Diego, CA Used Ford Thunderbird in Dallas, TX Used Ford Thunderbird in San Jose, CA Used Ford Thunderbird in Jacksonville, FL Used Ford Thunderbird in Indianapolis, IN Used Ford Thunderbird in San Francisco, CA Used Ford Thunderbird in Austin, TX Used Ford Thunderbird in Columbus, OH Used Ford Thunderbird in Fort Worth, TX Used Chrysler PT Cruiser For Sale Used Chrysler Sebring Convertible For Sale Used Lexus SC 430 For Sale 2005 Ford Thunderbird For Sale 2004 Ford Thunderbird For Sale 2003 Ford Thunderbird For Sale 2002 Ford Thunderbird For Sale 1997 Ford Thunderbird For Sale 1996 Ford Thunderbird For Sale Follow Us

汽车

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Advertisement Home > News & Analysis > Obama Task Force Visit More Than Sideshow Obama Task Force Visit More Than Sideshow Eric Mayne and James M. Amend | WardsAuto EMAIL Comments 0 Closed-door product previews are inherently effective tools of persuasion, says a prominent psychology professor. How much can you learn about the auto industry in a few hours? Enough to make a positive impression, as long as information is delivered in a compelling way, an expert in the art of persuasion says following Monday’s lightning-quick Detroit visit by members of President Obama’s auto industry task force. Exclusivity is the key, says Bob Cialdini, Arizona State University psychology professor and author of “Influence: Science and Practice.” “There’s research to show that people are more persuaded by exclusive information than information that’s widely available to the general public,” Cialdini tells Ward’s. “So the very same set of merits, the very same case, the very same position, if it’s made in a context in which people feel that they are (among) a few who are receiving the information; they are more persuaded by it.” General Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC did just that yesterday when they hosted task-force members for a half-day, closed-door visit of their respective operations. The stop-in was designed to boost confidence in the auto makers’ long-term viability as they also seek billions in near-term emergency aid to survive the current economic downturn. Task-force members were treated to access usually reserved for high-level executives and the automotive press. Their visit featured up-close peeks at closely guarded future products only hinted at in the business plans submitted last month to the U.S. Treasury Dept. – documents that have been released to the public. This time, the auto makers’ message was clear, says Gerald Meyers, University of Michigan business professor and former CEO of American Motors Inc.: “’We’ve got some real hardware. I’m going to show it to you. I want you be impressed by it.’” However, he suggests, the subtler intent of the visit was to inject some emotion into the task force’s deliberations. “This task force has not one scintilla of automotive understanding,” he says. “They don’t have the vibrations, they don’t have the emotion that you get with hands-on (exposure to) the hardware. The automotive business, the product part of it and maybe distribution, it’s 90% emotion and 10% engineering.” With the exception of Ron Bloom, a former investment banker and United Steelworkers Union official, Meyers says none of the task-force members “will have any feeling for the humanity” of the auto industry. While Chrysler’s presentation also included a tour of its pickup plant in Warren, MI, GM reportedly offered up a chance to pilot a prototype version of its Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric vehicle. GM is mum on which executives met with the task-force members, but Chrysler was represented by Chairman and CEO Robert Nardelli, Vice Chairman and President Tom LaSorda, Vice Chairman and President Jim Press, and Chief Financial Officer Ron Kolka. “We’re fully engaged with the Presidential Task Force on the Auto Industry, the U.S. Treasury and the White House during this process of ensuring the industry’s viability going forward,” Chrysler spokesman Stuart Schorr says in a statement. “We look forward to continuing our dialogue.” Adds GM: “We believe today’s visit provided a constructive glimpse of GM people, their passion for their work, and the future products and technologies that are an integral part of our viability plan.” David Cole, chairman of the Michigan-based Center for Automotive Research, admits the visit seems cursory on the surface. But he warns against discounting its significance. “Their visit was extremely important,” Cole tells Ward’s. “There is no way they can conduct their review from where they sit in Washington. They won’t become experts in a day but can’t afford not to make an appearance here.” [email protected] [email protected] Print Please Log In or Register to post comments. Advertisement Related ArticlesChrysler Viability Plan Suggests Highly Charged Product Pipeline GM’s Updated Viability Plan Reveals Product Plans, Lower Breakeven Point Dura CEO Calls for Industry-Wide Lobbying Effort Obama to Tout Automotive Exports During Visit to Ford Chicago Plant Nissan: Dealers Won’t Rake in More Than Expected From Leaf Related Resources Insights Feb 23, 2017

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MotorSport / SLS AMG GT3 Gullwing on the Nurburgring "Nordschleife" SLS AMG GT3 Gullwing on the Nurburgring "Nordschleife" Posted by Victor Ivanov on 27 September 2010, 03:15 PM Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 made its official track debut the past weekend, on the four-hour race for the VLN Nurburgring endurance championship. This event is a part of the development and testing program of the SLS AMG GT3, which have been started in June 2010. The test pilots were Bernd Scheinder (five DTM titles, one ITC championship and one FIA GT championship) and Thomas Jager (reigning Porsche Carrera Cup champion). The car is powered by the famous 6.2 liter naturally aspirated V8 mated with a six-speed racing transmission with sequential gear-changes. It meets the FIA GT3 regulations, such as the FIA GT3 European Championship, the ADAC GT-Masters, the endurance championship held by VLN and the 24-hour races at the Nurburgring or Spa-Francorchamps. SLS AMG GT3 will compete again on October 16 and 30, 2010 in the final two VLN races. The car is available only with left-hand drive and the price starts at EUR334 000. The first deliveries are expected in February 2011. Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 MotorSport, Mercedes-Benz Follow Automobiles Review on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+. Close look on Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 Mercedes Benz SLS GT3 Racer is put on saleMercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 45th Anniversary - Price €446,250SGA Aerodynamics Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Black Series Mercedes-AMG and the three GT3 race-ready beauties Lester Astra Audi Q7 coastline Volkswagen Polo Volkswagen Golf Variant Mercedes-Benz F 800 Style Research Vehicle Geneva 2010 Peugeot HR1 Concept Lamborghini Bat LP640 by JB Car Design Wimmer RS Mercedes C63 AMG Performance 2013 Seat Mii Vibora Negra Alfa Romeo 4C Geneva 2013 2008 Honda Accord EX-L V6 Sedan 2014 DMC Lamborghini Huracan Affari Automobilesreview About Us

汽车

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Used 1999 Mercedes-Benz E-Class $4,999 Used 1999 Mercedes-Benz C-Class $5,999 Used 1999 Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class $Unlisted Used 1999 Mercedes-Benz M-Class $4,640 SEE ALL 1999 MERCEDES-BENZ CLK CLASS VEHICLES FOR SALE The Mercedes-Benz CLK Model Range Is Hilarious The Mercedes-Benz CLK might just have the biggest model range of any vehicle in history. 2018 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe: Detroit Auto Show The E-Class range expands to add a sporty 2-door coupe body style for the 2018 model year. 6 Modern Mercedes-Benz Models You've Forgotten You think you remember all the recent Mercedes-Benz models, but you don't. You've forgotten these. See all Mercedes-Benz CLK Class articles 1999 Mercedes-Benz CLK Class by Nick TworkLooks can't kill. Good thing, too.Mercedes-Benz automobiles are arguably the world's most technologically sophisticated and superbly engineered vehicles. But until recently, the company's products have been gloriously overengineered cars cloaked in unexciting sheet metal. It was four oval headlamps that revolutionized that staid image. The new goggles emerged with the current-generation E-Class and pushed Mercedes styling away from its past and into a future of sensuous curves and graceful lines. The follow-up to the E-Class, the CLK coupe, shows there's no going back for Benz. Like the E-Class, the CLK's oval headlamps set a new styling pace, then flow into a smooth, elegant roofline. In our eyes, the CLK is sexier than any Mercedes in recent memory. While the exterior is quite unlike anything Mercedes has made recently, the chassis tuning and driving character of the car are rather familiar. In Mercedes' case, that's a good thing. The rock-solid feel of the body structure and fluidity of the drivetrain are unmistakably Mercedes. And it's especially true in the CLK430, the newest model in the CLK lineup - complementing the V-6 powered CLK320 and CLK320 Cabriolet. A smooth, quiet, 275-horsepower 4.3-liter V-8 catapults the CLK430 to 60 mph in 6.1 seconds, according to Mercedes. But with this car, the fun only begins at 60; after that it piles on speed at what seems like an exponential rate. It's in marked contrast to the acceleration from a standstill, when the CLK430 feels slower than one would expect for a car capable of such acceleration. Then again, we are speaking of a bahnstormer and not a '60s muscle car. We presume Mercedes engineers sacrificed low-end grunt in favor of top-end speed in this instance. Unfortunately, that strategy is probably better suited to German autobahns than American roads, where safe opportunities to stretch a car's legs are few and far between. Nonetheless, the car is a blast to drive. Unless, that is, it's snowing. Our enjoyment of the car was hampered significantly by the onslaught of a particularly monstrous Michigan snowstorm. With its AMG-supplied body kit and oversize AMG wheels wrapped with high-performance rubber, the CLK430 was reduced to a driveway ornament by the powdered white stuff. Despite the efforts of Mercedes' magnificent Electronic Stability Program and the transmission's winter mode, lacking snow tires, the car was useless on the slippery roads. All we could do was sit inside the car and enjoy the Bose audio system and heated seats. From our spin in the CLK430, we'd recommend the optional multicontour front seats. The standard seats lack the support necessary to keep the driver comfortably in place through twisty roads and on long drives. The multicontour seats have a variety of inflatable air bladders that allow the driver to adjust the shape of the seat to his body. While we're on the subject of the interior, we can't help but wonder why Mercedes equipped the car with a steering wheel that telescopes but does not tilt. It makes it rather difficult for some drivers to obtain a proper driving position. Otherwise, the interior is standard issue Mercedes. That means it comes complete with the automaker's BabySmart child seat detection system and astonishingly complex cup holders. While it may not attract much more attention than the CLK430, the AMG CLK55 that was introduced at the Geneva Motor Show this past March certainly improves upon the car's already remarkable performance. Although Mercedes-Benz USA has not officially announced plans to import the car the United States, it is probably safe to say that the car will reach these shores after AMG C43 production ends in the 2000 model-year. But since all CLK430s that reach the United States are equipped with a sport package that is optional in Europe, expect something to differentiate the appearance of the CLK55 from the U.S. market CLK430 if and when it reaches these shores. But in the meantime, the CLK430 is doing a marvelous job improving the image of Mercedes-Benz in the United States. It's a great performer in its own right - and in terms of styling, it might be the most desirable piece in the Mercedes-Benz lineup. &#169; The Car Connection RELATED INVENTORY 1999 Mercedes-Benz CLK430 - Autotrader

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Home > The History GOOD NEWS TRAVELS FAST While the original blueprint for modern-day single-seater racing in the United States (published in 1965) pegged the top formula, Formula ‘A,’ at three litres, there were few takers, hence the move, in 1968, to open it up to ‘stock block’ engines of up to five litres. Having already produced a successful V8-engined sportscar - the Lola T70 – it didn’t take long for British manufacturer Lola to build a similar single-seater, the T140, to suit the new formula. Though that car was beaten to the first two US Formula A titles by locally made Gurney-Eagle Mk 5s in the hands of Lou Sell (1968) and Tony Adamowicz (1969) By this stage interest in the simple, practical and – above all - affordable, formula had spread world-wide, with South Africa running its first national ‘series’ for Formula A/5000 cars in 1968, and Great Britain and New Zealand (1969) and Australia (1970) following suit soon after. New Zealand – and New Zealanders – played a key roll at home and abroad, Graham McRae winning his first Tasman title behind the wheel of a self-modified McLaren M10B Formula 5000 car in 1971 before winning his second and third in a car of his own design, the McRae GM1. Inbetween McRae competed with success on both sides of the Atlantic, winning the L&M Championship in the United States outright in 1972 and being one of the front-runners in the Rothmans Championship series in the UK in 1972 and 1973. The florescent pink STP-backed McRae GM1 was – and for many fans still is – the quintessential F5000 car, successfully bridging as it did the olde-world look and feel of a conventional front-radiator car like Lola’s original T140 with the race-winning dynamics of the new-generation side radiator models like Lola’s T300, T330 and T332 models. Despite its mercurial rise around the world, however, Formula 5000 peaked early then entered into a long, slow decline. Ironically, considering the fact that the formula has had a real renaissance here, New Zealand was one of the first countries to replace the 5000s with the smaller, lighter and supposedly cheaper to run 1.6 litre Formula Atlantic/Pacifics machines for the 1977 season. In doing so the local motorsport authorities cut their ties not only with the formula but also with their counterparts in Australia with the last Tasman Series going to Australian Warwick Brown, driving a Lola T332, in 1975. America and the UK followed New Zealand’s lead at the end of 1976, leaving Australia the only country that persevered with the 5-litre stock block formula, not finally replacing it until 1982.

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Lot 826• 1981 Yamaha XS850 Midnight Special Frame no. 4H1002785 Sold for US$ 1,755 inc. premium An Important Sale of Collectors' Motorcycles and Related Memorabilia, featuring Select Motorcars and Von Dutch Memorabilia from the Stan Betz Collection 1981 Yamaha XS850 Midnight SpecialFrame no. 4H1002785 The late 1970s/early 1980s witnessed the birth of what are termed ‘factory customs’: models with laid-back ‘cruiser’ styling inspired by what Harley-Davidson owners had been doing to their machines for decades. Soon no motorcycle was safe from such treatment, which has even descended as far as single-cylinder 125cc ‘learner’ bikes. One of the very first ‘factory custom’, limited edition (LTD) models announced was Kawasaki’s Z1-based Z900LTD of 1976, which effectively established the style of this new kind of motorcycle and was later copied by all the other Japanese manufacturers. Yamaha applied this new look to its existing XS850 sports-tourer in the form of the Midnight Star. The XS850 was a development of the XS750 that had first appeared in 1976 as Yamaha’s flagship sports bike. An all-new design, the XS750 triple was Yamaha’s first large-capacity multi-cylinder motorcycle and broke further new ground for the Hammamatsu firm by employing shaft final drive, a feature that was carried over to its XS850 successor. ‘The XS850 stands in its own right as a completely new motorcycle, despite its heritage,’ reckoned Bike magazine. ‘It’s undergone not a simple change but a radical metamorphosis from a cumbersome caterpillar into a beautiful black butterfly. It’s not just the styling that has been changed, but the entire nature of the beast, its heart and soul.’Britain’s No. 1 motorcycle journal found that Yamaha had indeed addressed the XS750’s shortcomings, producing a machine capable of seeing off anything in its own class and many above it. ‘For specifications, performance and all-round ability, it has to be one of the best big bikes currently available. At 520lbs it weighs in no heavier than some 750s and with nearly 80bhp on tap, it is low, lithe and very rapid. Up to about 5,000rpm, it'll rumble along with only a hint of latent aggression. Let it loose beyond that and it will pick up like a rocket ship dialed into warp.’Its name invoking a sense of excitement and curiosity, the ‘Midnight Special’ version was painted entirely in classic black - even the exhaust pipes were given a pearlescent black finish. To further distinguish the model, Yamaha developed a synthetic gold finish, which was applied to various trim parts, enhancing the custom look and feel of the model. This well-preserved example displays a total of 8,083 miles on the odometer and is presented in ‘as delivered’ condition. Lot 826, a 1981 Yamaha XS850 Midnight Special, is titled as a model year 1980.

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1959 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible – The Beauty Queen! 0SHARESShareTweet We are going to take a big step back in time and reintroduce with ’59 Vette, one of the most memorable and legendary cars in the history of the model, with its 283 inch V8s under the hood and perfect design and classical style that takes in the moment when Corvette was the only true sports car in America. And the model we are about to present is true time traveler due to its three and a half decades journey aboard an old school bus. In 1972, Ron Renick have parked it inside the cabin of that wrecked school bus after purchasing it for $ 200. Right away Ron realize that he got an original fuelly car, a rare specimen that was produced only in 745 units with RPO 579 D 290 HP, solid lifter cammed and 283 fuel injection system. The reason why it stayed that long stored in this unusual place was because he did not have enough money and time for a restoration. Check the photos of this beauty! Than in 2004, Ron came across a magazine article in which it was described how another `66 Corvette was restored and transformed in a real beauty out from a burned out wreckage. This was a fire starter that set him in motion to find somebody to help him do the same thing to his Corvette. Soon after, he made a trip to Carlisle where he found the man who will help him bring back to life his sleepy beauty, David Rieger. The man started to work on the car few months later, in December and in the mean time, Ron was searching for correct parts, which was not such a hard job, with the exception of the engine. His original 283 was long gone so he had to find a new one, not an easy task, but eventually he found a source for a correct ’59 283 in Classic Engine Company in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. After this problem was solved, thing started to come in the right order. Later he had found one original part of the ’59 from a man Lanny Shields, who kept it for years. And when he gathered all parts needed, the restoration process was ready to start. Ashcraft Racing Engines in Butler, Pennsylvania built the 283 according to the manufacturer`s specs and the right and correct fuel injection unit was added. Ron had David restore the C1 according to NCRS standards and now they have placed a correct Borg Warner T 10 four speed. Of course, the chassis and powertrain, as well as the entire interior of the C1 got a completely new and fresh looks in red. In other word, that wrecked up thing that had spend 35 years inside the school bus, very soon looked like it had just came out of the assembly line.

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FeaturesEditorials & Opinions Almost Crashing: Is “Good Enough” Safety Really Good Enough? “Why do you even wear a helmet in that car?” I get that all the time. I have what is probably the slowest car in regular Pacific Street Car Association competition, a 2004 V6 Mustang with a little shot of nitrous that will run mid-15’s on a good day. The class I compete in uses an Open Comp format, where you’re racing against an index based on your best time in qualifying, minus a tenth. That means that consistency, not speed, is the key, and a 15-second street-driven car can be a winner against 9 and 10-second Mustangs, if I do my part. Photo: PSCA Technically, the rules don’t require me to wear a helmet when I race, though there are a lot of tracks that go beyond the NHRA minimum standard and make everybody wear one. I also don’t technically have to wear a 3.2A/1 jacket but I do anyway. Something that happened this weekend is making me rethink my level of safety equipment, though. While the rules are based on the ET of the car you’re driving, the wild card here is that there is Open Comp and bracket-style formats of mix cars that run radically different speeds on the same track, and the point where they come closest together is also the point where both cars are moving the fastest – the finish line. What happened to me this weekend is a perfect example. In the first round of Mustang Maddness competition, I was paired up with Kyle Thorpe and his Fox notchback. I was dialed at 15.67, and he had 10.49 on his window. My side of the tree came down, I left, and kept an eye on my rearview as I headed down-track. At the top end, Kyle was bearing down fast, and we were both on breakout passes. I stayed in it, and as he caught me in the traps, he was on the brakes to keep from overshooting. As Kyle’s car transitioned from the sprayed-and-prepped part of the racetrack to the bare asphalt past the finish line, still on the brakes, you can probably guess what happened. Both front skinnies locked up, and his car began to move toward the center line. He steered away, let off pressure on the brakes, and when the fronts grabbed again, they took him away from me but hard into the wall on the other side. I got to watch it all happen in slow motion, just a few feet ahead of me. He slipped past at the line, there was smoke, and then the car darted into the wall. After the initial impact, the car bounced back toward the center line and I was as hard on the brakes as I could be without locking them up myself, but Kyle’s Fox was still right there 20 feet ahead of me and drifting towards me. It seemed like it took 30 seconds to unfold even though it was just moments, but my car finally slowed and the gap widened, and Kyle’s Mustang drifted back next to the wall and came to a stop. I pulled up on the other side of the track next to the wall, had my belt off and the door open before I was stopped, and ran over to hit his kill switch and see if he was hurt. By the time I got to Kyle’s door, he had forced it open and the first thing out of his mouth was, “I think I broke my foot.” I helped him squeeze out between the car and the wall, got him sitting down, and by then the safety safari and ambulance had arrived. Kyle’s car is probably a total writeoff. The entire front clip was pushed about a foot to the right by the impact, and the firewall on the left side got hit hard enough to crush in on his foot. The door bar for his 6-point rollbar probably saved him from more serious injury by keeping the side of the car from coming any farther in on him. The motor stayed oil-tight and didn’t seem to be visibly damaged, though, so that might be salvageable. We were both very lucky. It would have taken nothing at all for both cars to come together, and as hard as he hit the wall, it was fortunate that Kyle’s car didn’t roll. I didn’t have to be wearing a helmet, but I was damn glad I was, and after the fact I thought about what I would have done if I had to pull him (or myself) out of a burning car with bare hands and just a 3.2A/1 jacket for protection. I’m also thinking about how high the closing speeds are between my car and the competition. It makes it very hard to judge things at the stripe – as a matter of fact the two top guys in the class (both close friends of mine) have said how much they hate running against me because it’s impossible to fender race when there is only a split second to decide whether you’re carrying too much speed. I like the fact that my daily driver is also my race car, and it’s very satisfying when I win a round against a trailered 10-second Mustang with a car that has a trailer hitch on the back. But this was too close to disaster for me, and I think the solution might be to speed things up, ironically. Closing speed is the key – a blown tire could send a car into the back of mine at 140 miles an hour while I am only doing 90, and that’s what I would really like to avoid. But in the meantime, when people ask me why I wear a helmet in a 15-second car, I can show them the pictures of the crash I got to watch up close and personal, and maybe they will understand. Posted on May 23, 2011 By Paul Huizenga

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First Ever Fuel Efficiency Standards For Trucks & Heavy Duty Vehicles Aug 9: At a meeting with industry officials at Interstate Moving Services in Springfield, Virginia, President Obama announced the first of their kind fuel efficiency standards for work trucks, buses, and other heavy duty vehicles. The new standards are designed to provide American businesses, who operate and own these commercial vehicles, tens of billions of dollars in fuel savings, and to dramatically reduce oil consumption and cut pollution. According to a White House release, the standards, will save American businesses who operate and own these commercial vehicles approximately $50 billion in fuel costs over the life of the program. The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the U.S. EPA developed the standards in close coordination with the companies that met with the President today as well as other stakeholders, following requests from companies to develop this program. The cost savings for American businesses are on top of the $1.7 trillion that American families will save at the pump from the historic fuel-efficiency standards announced by the Obama Administrations for cars and light duty trucks, including the model year 2017-2025 agreement announced by the President last month [See WIMS 7/29/11]. The President said, "While we were working to improve the efficiency of cars and light-duty trucks, something interesting happened. We started getting letters asking that we do the same for medium and heavy-duty trucks. They were from the people who build, buy, and drive these trucks. And today, I'm proud to have the support of these companies as we announce the first-ever national policy to increase fuel efficiency and decrease greenhouse gas pollution from medium-and heavy-duty trucks." DOT Secretary Ray LaHood said, "Thanks to the Obama Administration, for the first time in our history we have a common goal for increasing the fuel efficiency of the trucks that deliver our products, the vehicles we use at work, and the buses our children ride to school. These new standards will reduce fuel costs for businesses, encourage innovation in the manufacturing sector, and promote energy independence for America." EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson said, "This Administration is committed to protecting the air we breathe and cutting carbon pollution -- and programs like these ensure that we can serve those priorities while also reducing our dependence on imported oil and saving money for drivers. More efficient trucks on our highways and less pollution from the buses in our neighborhoods will allow us to breathe cleaner air and use less oil, providing a wide range of benefits to our health, our environment and our economy." The White House indicated that under the comprehensive new national program, trucks and buses built in 2014 through 2018 will reduce oil consumption by a projected 530 million barrels and greenhouse gas (GHG) pollution by approximately 270 million metric tons. Like the recently proposed CAFE standards, this program -- which relies heavily on off-the-shelf technologies – was developed in coordination with truck and engine manufacturers, fleet owners, the State of California, environmental groups and other stakeholders. The joint DOT/EPA program will include a range of targets which are specific to the diverse vehicle types and purposes. Vehicles are divided into three major categories: combination tractors (semi-trucks), heavy-duty pickup trucks and vans, and vocational vehicles (like transit buses and refuse trucks). Within each of those categories, even more specific targets are laid out based on the design and purpose of the vehicle. The flexible structure allows serious but achievable fuel efficiency improvement goals charted for each year and for each vehicle category and type. According to the White House, a semi-truck operator could pay for the technology upgrades in under a year and realize net savings of $73,000 through reduced fuel costs over the truck's useful life. These cost saving standards will also reduce emissions of harmful air pollutants like particulate matter, which can lead to asthma, heart attacks and premature death. By the 2018 model year, the program is expected to achieve significant savings relative to current levels, across vehicle types. Certain combination tractors -- commonly known as big-rigs or semi-trucks -- will be required to achieve up to approximately 20 percent reduction in fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by model year 2018, saving up to 4 gallons of fuel for every 100 miles traveled. For heavy-duty pickup trucks and vans, separate standards are required for gasoline-powered and diesel trucks. These vehicles will be required to achieve up to approximately 15 percent reduction in fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by model year 2018. Under the finalized standards a typical gasoline or diesel powered heavy-duty pickup truck or van could save one gallon of fuel for every 100 miles traveled. Vocational vehicles -- including delivery trucks, buses, and garbage trucks -- will be required to reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 10 percent by model year 2018. These trucks could save an average of one gallon of fuel for every 100 miles traveled. Access a release from the White House (click here). Access complete detailed information including fact sheets, prepublication copy, modeling, regulatory impact analysis, response to comments and more from EPA's website (click here). Access more information from the NHTSA website (click here). [#Energy/Efficiency, #Climate, #Air] GET THE REST OF TODAY'S NEWS

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*Originally published 11/4/2011. Despite the name (which means 'Small Peugeot') and use of Peugeot mechanicals, the Peugette concept car was not a Peugeot factory effort. It was actually a 1976 Pininfarina design study built with hopes of generating interest from Peugeot (with whom Pininfarina had a good relationship with at the time). Under its unique body, the Peugette was mechanically identical to the '76 Peugeot 104ZS. The 104 was an economical small hatchback, but certainly not a bad car (by early-’70s European standards). Upon its introduction in 1972, reviewers praised it for it's handling, ride and slick-shifting gearbox. It sold well and remained popular well into the ’80s. For a utilitarian hatchback, the three-door ZS version had reasonably legit sporting pretensions. Unusuallly for Pininfarina, the Peugette was designed with manufacturing efficiency as a top priority. The idea was that the Peugette would be a stylish, satisfying car accessible to European youth whose motoring dreams outstripped their economic resources. It was a “lifestyle" vehicle before that awful marketing phrase came into being. The Peugette’s remarkable, even bizarre appearance was a result of its dual purpose to be both dramatic and cheap. The body panels are all symmetrical, left to right and front to back. Thus, the front and rear bonnet and wings are interchangeable, as are the doors. Same was true of the dashboard’s modular instrument “pods.” This was intended to cut down on the parts that needed to be developed and manufactured for initial assembly, as well as stocked at dealers for accident repairs. Light weight, low power cars of course don’t tax their underpinnings as much as larger, vehicles do, and therefore don’t need extremely sophisticated chassis components to shine; Lotus for example have demonstrated this for decades. The Peugette did receive some strategic chassis bracing - most notably, a roll bar made from thick flat stock with an accompanying lower crossbeam welded in behind the cockpit. This reportedly only made up for the Peugette’s loss of body rigidity over the 104ZS, bringing it back to par while adding some rollover protection, rather than noticeably increasing stiffness over the donor car. Thanks to the Peugette’s wider rims and tyres and lighter weight than the 104ZS, contemporary road tests said the Peugette was wickedly fun to drive in urban situations and tight back roads, where its meagre power output didn’t spoil the party. Unfortunately, those road tests didn’t generate much more that passing interest from the motoring public after the Peugette’s 1976 unveiling. So Pininfarina revamped the project a year later, and showed it again with the addition of a Barchetta version that replaced the full windscreen with a passenger-side hard tonneau and a small racing windscreen that wrapped around the monoposto driver’s seat. Despite some interest, Peugeot eventually decided that selling an utterly impractical car to people who had no money was not a great marketing strategy... The couple of Peugettes built found their way into European car museums where they remain today. Here at Amazo Towers, we're amazed that this did not make it into production; when it's principle competition in the UK would have been the MG Midget and Triumph Spitfire and maybe the FIAT X/19 and Alfa Spider in Europe (both larger cars), you don't need a slide rule and compass to deduce the car could have been a hit. Click on the image to read article Peugeot Peugette, Pininfarina Peugette. Peugeot 104ZS. The Lamborghini Countach Turbo S. Only two examples were built by the Lamborghini factory, one of which was a prototype. Apparently the prototype is either lost or doesn't exist anymore, which makes this car one of a kind. It doesn't seem to be the only turbo'ed 'tach in existence though; there was a Turbo kit from Koenig if I'm remember correctly, but I'm not sure any car was fitted with the kit other than Koenig's demonstrator.. One of these kits had been for sale some months ago. There were also two turbo cars converted by Bob Wallace (ex-Lambo engineer and test driver) in the USA. Al Mardikian apparently had two cars equipped with turbos too. Who built what might be a little bit of a mystery, but this 'blown Countach is very real. The 4.8 litre V12 with twin turbos (and six Weber carburettors!) had a power output of 748bhp and a stump-pulling 646lb/ft of torque. It managed to do 0-62mph (0-100kph) in 3.7 seconds and kept going all the way up to nearly 207mph (333 km/h). Next to the the steering wheel there is a turbo adjuster. It could be manually turned to boost the turbo from 0.7 bar to 1.5 bar at which the engine performed its maximum power output. Both this car and the lost prototype were built in 1984. This one was bought by a Danish guy who kept it in the garage among his Ferrari collection. It only had done 9,000 km when it was found by the plasterer Dietmar Götz who bought it and took best care of the car. It was thereafter found by an accordion teacher who I think owns the car today. The Countach rolls on 15" wheels; 255/45 front and 345/35 for the the rear. the speedo goes to 425 km/h. That's just over 264mph. Gulp. L-R: LP 5000 QV with 455bhp, the Turbo S with 748bhp and the LP 400 with 375bhp: Chilling with a Grandkid; the old man would still give a good account of himself against the Reventon: What you don't see is the crowds of people running for cover from the raging bulls patrolling the street; I suggest you two run while you still can..! Al Mardikian Countach, Albert Markadian, Countach Reventon, Koenig Countach, Lamborghini Countach Turbo S, *Originally published 3/10/2011. 638bhp of supercharged V8 grunt vs. 32,000lbs of afterburner-fed thrust. A fair contest? hardly, but who cares when you get a photo opportunity like this. Editor-At-Large Arthur St.Antoine of Motor Trend magazine took the Chevy Corvette ZR-1 to the U.S. Navy's primary flight-training centre, Air Station Pensacola in Florida to see if the 'Blue Devil' (GM's nickname for the ZR-1) could lock horns with a Blue Angel, one of the planes used in the U.S. airforce's demonstration team. Be a Maverick and take the Highway To The Danger Zone, here. And some action pics of the Blue Angels in action. I feel the need; the need for speed. 'Gutsiest move I ever saw, Mav ' The graph tells the whole story. Sure wasn't Touched By An Angel, more like... And a must-watch; the video from Motor Trend's YouTube site: Blue Angel, Corvette Blue Devil, Corvette ZR-1 Back in 2013 for The Amazo Effect - Year 3! It's Christmas Eve; Amazo Towers is silent (save for the leak flooding the basement car park), probably because this article was written last week before everyone buggered off for the break. But wait just one moment before you stagger back to the TV/pub/wife's loving arms/wife's glowering stare, I have a story about a boat. Yes, I know right now this seems highly ironic, given that the UK is experiencing non-stop rain showers and flood warnings, but this is no ordinary boat, as we shall see. I wasn't even aware of this craft's existence until myself and Lady Amazo (bows head) saw it honing into view at St Katharine's Dock back in September. Tara is a schooner with an extraordinary history. She was purpose-built for polar expeditions as Antarctica in 1989 by Dr Jean-Louis Étienne, with a specially designed aluminium hull curved so that the ice packs can’t crush it to smithereens like Shackleton’s ill-fated Endurance. Later, she was bought by Sir Peter Blake after he retired from racing for his exploration tours around the world, and renamed Seamaster. It was his mothership in his work for the United Nations Environment Programme, and it's on-board this ship that he was murdered by pirates in the Amazon in 2001, a tragic and pointless end for one of the most talented yachtsmen of our times. It was then bought and renamed Tara and put to service for Tara Expeditions for various expeditions. One of these was the pilot project Damocles (Arctic Modelling and Observing developing Capabilities for Long-term Environmental Studies ) that was part of Tara Arctic 2007-2008. This project aimed to observe, understand and quantify climate change in the Arctic. She spent over 500 days trapped in the Arctic ice, drifting with the icepack to measure global warming. Today she’s on a round-the-world trip set to take her pretty much everywhere, that will end just about now. After a few months of stopovers in French ports, in May 2013 Tara will attempt to go through the Arctic Ocean by the north-west and north-east passages, ice permitting. In 2014, Tara will continue her voyage to the Pacific coral reefs with a team of scientists, sailors and film-makers. She gets around... But enough of having an amateur on the subject conduct matters; read this excerpt from their website and marvel: 'Tara Expeditions has been organizing missions aboard the research schooner Tara for the past 9 years. Our goal is to learn more about the impact of climate change on ecosystems. Tara Expeditions is a non-profit association based in France that provides samples and data to the scientific community worldwide. One of our main objectives is to increase environmental awareness among the general public, and particularly young people through our Tara Junior outreach program. We also make movies and books.' 'The Tara Expeditions project is affiliated to the United Nations Programme for the Environment. Through the work of scientists and also artists, we are observing our changing environment, and learning more about the complex and fragile ecosystem called Earth. Thanks to the initiative of the French designer agnès b. and Etienne Bourgois, Tara has accomplished 8 successful expeditions – to Greenland, Antarctica, Patagonia, southern Georgia, the Arctic and all over the world with the latest expedition Tara Oceans. After stopovers in Europe this winter, the schooner will leave for a new mission in 2013. We will continue to give you reports on the results of all Tara expeditions accomplished since 2004.' 'In May 2013 we will head for the Great North. Tara will attempt to go through the Arctic Ocean by the northwest and northeast passages, if the ice pack permits this. Most of the scientists and institutions already participating in Tara Oceans will continue working with us, studying the polar marine ecosystem and completing the research done in 2009. This will also be the occasion to add new research programs specific to the region, concerning plastic particles and traces of pollution. Of course we will share this adventure, and all newsworthy subjects concerning this fascinating and difficult region of the globe. 2014 seems far off, but Tara will continue her voyage to the Pacific coral reefs with a team of scientists, sailors and filmmakers. We are already defining the contours of this expedition with director Luc Jacquet and diver/photographer Laurent Ballesta. Tara objectives are: – finance scientific research concerning the impact of global warming on ecosystems – increase general awareness about environmental issues – diffuse scientific data for educational and policy purposes' And a little more about the craft herself: Tara was manufactured by Societe Francaise De Construction Naval (Sfcn) and conceived by Luc Bouvet and Olivier Petit. With an overall length of 117.8 feet (35.9 metres) and a width of 32.3 feet (9.85 metres), Tara has room for 12 passengers and 6 crew. She has a deep draught (the vertical distance between the waterline and the keel [bottom of the hull]) for a schooner of 11.5ft (3.5m) (11.5ft) and weighs 287 tonnes (gross) and 200 tonnes (net). She was officially launched in Villeneuve-La-Garenne in 1989 as Uap-Antarctica; she was renamed Seamaster after Sir Peter Blake bought her in 1996 and had a major overhaul and refit in 2000. She was re-christened Tara after Etienne Bourgois, (the boss of the clothing and cosmetics company agnes b.) bought her in 2003. Her aluminium construction and deep draught determines the type of harbours she can enter, due to needing a specific depth. Powered by twin Deutz-MWM 15.9 litre V8 turbo-diesel engines producing approx. 255bhp each (so a combined output of 510bhp), Tara is propelled by twin screw propellers and can attain a high speed of 12 knots, cruising at a speed of 10 nautical miles per hour. She also has sails to help conserve fuel; twin masts give a sail area of 600 Metres². Battle scarred - you should see the ice... An some more info from Tara Expeditions YouTube channel; in French alas for you: Tara arctic, Tara boat, Tara Expeditions Schooner, Tara Ocean

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> BMW News BMW teams gearing up for DTM debut in Moscow. BMW News Get the latest BMW headlines, news, and rumors and discuss the future of BMW with other BMW enthusiasts! Thread Tools BMW teams gearing up for DTM debut in Moscow. Bernie@Bimmerfest posted by Bernie@Bimmerfest Munich (DE), 26th July 2013. There is a lot of anticipation ahead of the sixth race of the DTM season at the “Moscow Raceway”, close to Moscow (RU). On the 2.555-kilometre track, the DTM will celebrate its Russia debut on 4th August. The BMW teams and drivers will experience new territory in the gateway to the Russian capital. BMW Team RMG’s Andy Priaulx (GB) has already had a taste of the country and its people as last weekend he took part in the “Moscow City Racing” event and thrilled the Russian fans. He put on a big show for over 100,000 spectators along with the other DTM drivers in front of the Kremlin backdrop, driving the BMW M Performance Parts M3 DTM. Priaulx is also one of the five BMW drivers who scored points in the fifth DTM race at the Norisring (DE). Bruno Spengler (CA) in fifth was the highest placed BMW driver. After the first half of the season, the reigning champion is second in the standings with 69 points, only two points behind Audi’s Mike Rockenfeller (DE). Besides Priaulx and Spengler, Joey Hand (US), Marco Wittmann (DE) and Dirk Werner (DE) also collected points on the streets of Nürnberg (DE). The quintet of drivers, together with Augusto Farfus (BR), Martin Tomczyk (DE) and Timo Glock (DE), are hoping for a return to the podium, which the BMW drivers have not been on since the magnificent one-two-three in Spielberg (AT). BMW still leads the manufacturers’ championship with 200 points. Quotes ahead of the race in Moscow: Jens Marquardt (BMW Motorsport Director): “I think the whole DTM community and everyone at BMW Motorsport are excited about the race debut in Russia. At the Moscow City Racing event last weekend, we saw how enthusiastically the Russian fans welcomed Andy Priaulx and the other DTM drivers. With its appearance in Russia, the DTM enters new territory – and this international venture has a positive influence on the series. Logistically it will be a special challenge, as the race is approximately 2,000 kilometres away from Munich. Also the teams and their drivers will have to adjust to many new situations when we get there, but this is the same for everyone. I am convinced the DTM will put on a great show for the fans in Moscow.” Charly Lamm (Team Principal, BMW Team Schnitzer): “BMW Team Schnitzer has, in its long history, competed in races in almost every corner of the world, but even for us the DTM race at the Moscow Raceway will be a new adventure. Most likely the roll-out and practice will not be as important at any other track this year than it will be in Russia. Both the drivers and the team have to adapt to the circuit very quickly to allow us to achieve good results. It will be an exciting challenge.” Bart Mampaey (Team Principal, BMW Team RBM): “It is always exciting to go to new tracks and certainly the chance to race in Russia is something we are all looking forward to. Joey Hand has proved he can learn new tracks very quickly, but I am sure he will be looking forward to going to one no one else in the series has raced on. Augusto Farfus took the chance to have a look at the track, so has some idea of which direction it will go. It goes without saying, we shall adopt the same approach we have for every weekend, but we are all aware we shall be starting from scratch.” Stefan Reinhold (Team Principal, BMW Team RMG): “Russia is an interesting country and one I am looking forward to visiting. I am sure there will be some surprises for us there. A new track is always a challenge for both the team and the drivers, but I am certain Martin Tomczyk and Andy Priaulx will be happy to take on this challenge.” Ernest Knoors (Team Principal, BMW Team MTEK): “We are looking forward to the race in Moscow very much – because there it will not be just us as rookies, but all of the other DTM teams as well. Everyone starts from scratch, because what we initially experience there will be the same for all of us. Both Marco Wittmann and Timo Glock have already proven several times they can get the hang of new tracks very easily. That is why we go into this weekend very confidently.” Bruno Spengler (car number 1, BMW Team Schnitzer): “I have never been in Russia before. It is always good to visit a new country. It is a long time since I last learnt a new circuit, as it was Monteblanco in 2010. I can't wait to see the new circuit in Moscow.” Dirk Werner (car number 2, BMW Team Schnitzer): “I am curious to see a new country and, particularly, the race track, as that will be where we spend most of our time. As it will be a new track, I think it is a big challenge for everybody to race after just having 90 minutes of practice and then qualifying on a circuit you have never seen before.” Augusto Farfus (car number 7, BMW Team RBM): “I have been to this track already, although I have not raced there. I am always keen on new challenges. The track has a great infrastructure, and I noticed the Russian racing fans are really enthusiastic. The track looks quite tight. I am just hopeful of having a good race there.” Joey Hand (car number 8, BMW Team RBM): “I think the good thing for me is nobody else has been there. I spent all last year going to tracks that everybody had been to except for me, so I am looking forward to being the guy with the same experience as everybody else. Luckily I learn race tracks pretty quickly. My philosophy is number one learn the track and number two get your car set-up and sorted as quickly as possible. I also pride myself with being good at giving feedback on how the car is and we are going to have to do this in Russia.” Martin Tomczyk (car number 15, BMW Team RMG): “It will be an exciting journey for us and we are all looking forward to it, even though it is not that easy to make plans. I don't know the layout of the track from a cockpit perspective yet. I shall go there, sit in the car and try my best. I hope there will be a lot of spectators supporting us and hope we shall see DTM there many times in the future.” Andy Priaulx (car number 16, BMW Team RMG): “I got to know Moscow a little bit at the Moscow City Racing event and I am really enthusiastic about it, but the race track will be a new experience for all of us. It looks quite slow speed, with one fast corner in turn one. To me it looks like it will be more in the direction of a mechanical circuit grip wise, but I don't know how bumpy it is.” Marco Wittmann (car number 21, BMW Team MTEK): “I am really looking forward to the race, especially because everybody starts from zero and nobody has any experience driving there. It even may be an advantage for the rookie drivers and the rookie teams like us. I think it will be very special.” Timo Glock (car number 22, BMW Team MTEK): “A new race is always an amazing experience. I look forward to getting to know the new track. Especially because we have very little time to prepare in the 90 minute-practice, it will be a big challenge to get used to the circuit.” Attached Thumbnails This article has been viewed 1479 times. Bernie@Bimmerfest Find More Posts by Bernie@Bimmerfest bmw dtm moscow, dtm 2013, dtm moscow, m3 dtm Forum Navigation

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Alex Edge MD First Ride: 2007 Star Motorcycles V-Star 1300 and V-Star 1300 Tourer (Part One) When the engineers at Star Motorcycles set out to design a mid-size cruiser to replace their aging V-Star 1100, they had some pretty ambitious design goals. We gave you a brief preview of the V-Star 1300 when it was announced on June 25, 2006. In the rapidly growing mid-size cruiser class (18% sales growth since 2002), buyers are looking for the look, feel, and character of a “big bike”, with the light weight and easy handling of a smaller cruiser. To that end, the all-new V-Star 1300 was designed to offer performance and character competitive with many larger bikes, while maintaining the weight and handling characteristics of its predecessor, the V-Star 1100. Star engineers started out by developing a powerplant that carries an unprecedented amount of technology for a mid-size cruiser. We’ll get deeper into the technical specs in Part Two of this review (coming next week), but for now, you should know that while the V-Star 1300 appears to be a traditional air-cooled, pushrod V-Twin, it actually features an artfully designed and concealed water-cooling system, along with single overhead camshafts operating four valves per cylinder! These, along with a plethora of other advanced features, add up to what Star claims is “best in class performance”, and we’re inclined to believe them after riding the bike. With claimed gains of 13hp and 18ft/lbs of torque over the older 1100 motor, the V-Star 1300 offers performance which feels nearly equivalent to the 1500-1600cc cruisers that, up until a few years ago, were the largest and most powerful bikes in the cruiser category. All this technology is crammed into a package that is dimensionally identical to the old 1100, and the claimed dry weight of the new 1300 is only 29lbs greater than that of the older 1100 (comparing the faired and bagged Touring versions). For the most part, the V-Star 1300 maintains the light handling characteristics of the old 1100, due not only to its similar weight but also to an all-new frame and suspension components. So, has Yamaha succeeded in building a mid-size cruiser that combines the power and feel of a full-size (1500-1600cc) model with the weight and handling of an 1100? You’ll have to wait until Part Two to hear exactly what I think, but for now, the answer is a qualified yes. MD Product Review: Aerostich Roadcrafter Suit French WSB Results

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Land Rover Commits Support To Red Cross And Red Crescent Global Initiative Saturday, September 18th, 2010 - Land Rover Australia Land Rover and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) have launched a new global initiative, under the theme Reaching Vulnerable People Around the World. Over the next three years, Land Rover has committed to help national Red Cross or Red Crescent societies implement or step up priority programmes in fifteen countries, with a particular focus on two extensive humanitarian programmes in Sierra Leone and China.In addition, and in response to the worsening situation in Pakistan affecting over 14 million people in an area equivalent to the size of the UK, Land Rover is donating six Defender 110 4wd station wagons to the Pakistan Red Crescent Society to help its disaster relief operation. Many roads and bridges have been badly damaged; leaving many areas cut off from normal transport links. The 4x4 vehicles will be used to deliver aid in the form of food, clean water, shelter and medical supplies to thousands of people in need in the most remote and cut-off communities. Jaguar Land Rover employees have also been raising money to support the relief operation through the British Red Cross."This new partnership with Land Rover will help us respond more quickly and effectively to help vulnerable people in local communities across the world," noted IFRC under secretary general for programme services, Matthias Schmale. "We appreciate Land Rovers long-term support. Their ongoing commitment will allow us to plan and implement sustainable humanitarian programmes to deliver lasting change for those affected by crisis. We have placed a high priority on risk reduction and disaster preparedness, and in that context, this initiative is extremely welcome." Phil Popham, Land Rover managing director, added: "Since 2007 Land Rovers support to the IFRC has included the donation of 60 vehicles, raised over 2.5 million and reached nearly 100,000 people. Therefore, we are proud to again be working in partnership with the IFRC on important humanitarian initiatives such as these. The support we provide will help change lives across the world - making a huge difference to vulnerable people in hard-to-reach areas, both locally and overseas."Land Rovers support will enable the Sierra Leone Red Cross Society to reach remote communities, improve access to health care and safe water, strengthen communities so they are more resilient to face future disasters, and support young people affected by civil war. This global initiative will also support the Red Cross Society of Chinas HIV awareness programmes in the countrys worst-affected provinces, focussing on those who are particularly vulnerable to contracting HIV. In total, Land Rovers support will provide vital help to over 120,000 vulnerable people in Sierra Leone and China.In fifteen countries, Land Rover assistance will strengthen existing Red Cross and Red Crescent programmes or help develop new initiatives. http://www.redcross.org.uk/landroverFor further information about Land Rover Australia and its range of 4WD and 2WD vehicles, please contact:Tim KriegerMarketing and Public Affairs Manager Land Rover Australia Phone: +61 2 9020 1505 Email: [email protected]Website: http://www.landrover.com.au/ Contact ProfileLand Rover Australia Land Rover Australia manufactures authentic 4x4 vehicles, including luxury cars, which represent true 'breadth of capability' across the entire model range. Defender, Freelander 2, Discovery 4, Range Rover Sport and Range Rover Vogue each define the world's 4WD and off-road vehicle sectors. The new SUV, the Evoque, will wow the compact SUV sector.Land Rover Australia P: 1800 625 642W: www.landrover.com/au/en/lr/KeywordsRed cross, land rover, Australia, defender, station wagonCategoriesAutomotive TradeBusinessNonprofit, Charities, FundraisingSharing

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Mercedes-Benz and Smart Start the Year with High Sales February 6, 2015 Share this post Daimler AG, through its Mercedes-Benz and Smart brands, started 2015 on a high note. The group displayed impressive sales this January compared to the same month of the previous year. According to a Wall Street Journal report, the two brands showed a double-digit increase in January sales on a year-on-year comparison. The sales of the Mercedes-Benz marque grew by 15 percent compared to its performance in the same month of last year. The company attributed the strong figures to the continued growth of demand primarily in the Chinese region. It noted that U.S., Europe and Russia also showed a significant spike in the record books. As for the Mercedes-Benz sedans… Continue Reading » 0 Mercedes-Benz Sales Grew by 12.9 Percent Globally January 10, 2015 Share this post The official tally of Daimler regarding its sales in 2014 was recently published on its Global Media Newsroom. According to the data found there, Mercedes-Benz sales increased by 12.9 percent based on a year-on-year comparison. The rate translated to a total of 1,650,010 vehicles sold worldwide. The achievement of the three-pointed star brand this year marked its fourth consecutive record year. The year that just ended was highlighted by December being the strongest month of the brand, successfully getting 163,171 sales for its units. Its final quarter was also considered as its best for the year, listing 454,854 sales. U.S. remained as the largest market of the brand with an… Continue Reading » 0 Mercedes-Benz Loses U.S. Crown to BMW January 9, 2015 Share this post BMW once regained its footing in the U.S. as it once again emerged as the best-selling luxury car brand in the nation. It should be noted that in 2013, Mercedes-Benz broke the streak of its rival as the number one luxury car brand in the U.S. in terms of sales. According to Motor Authority, BMW sold 339,738 of its luxury vehicles in the area. The sales were listed as record-topping for the brand as the figure increased by 9.8 percent compared to its previous year. The most popular model of the brand was the 3-Series/4-Series duo, selling 142,232 units in 2014. There was no shame in losing to BMW though… Continue Reading » 0 Mercedes Metris Concepts Premiere at SEMA Show 2014 November 6, 2014 Share this post Mercedes-Benz recently debuted a new vehicle for the U.S. market at the SEMA Show 2014. The three-pointed star introduced the Mercedes Metris in the American soil during the event. The Mercedes Metris is the Americanized version of the Mercedes Vito, a commercial van that sits as a sub-variant of the Sprinter. According to Car and Driver, the vehicle will be sold in the U.S. by 2015. The source claimed the model is expected to use a 2.1-liter turbo-diesel four-cylinder as a standard with a rear-wheel drive configuration. An optional all-wheel drive specification is also foreseen. Although the Mercedes V-Class was not planned to be offered in the U.S., some of its… Continue Reading » 0 Mercedes-Benz is Recalling 2015 C-Class Sedans October 10, 2014 Share this post Mercedes-Benz recently issued a worldwide recall of its 2015 C-Class sedans. According to a report from The New York Times, the move of the company is due to the strong likelihood of steering issues with the car. In the U.S. alone, it is estimated that around 10,000 units of the variant would be affected by the recall. Donna Boland, the spokesperson of Mercedes-Benz, revealed through a phone interview with the source that the steering coupling interlock of the 2015 C-Class sedan might not have been placed in a locked position at an assembly plant. She said the problem was noticed on some models of the range found in Europe. Presently, no… Continue Reading » 2 Steve Cannon Looks to Improve Skills of Mercedes Sales People August 16, 2014 Share this post Mercedes-Benz is no doubt a leader when it comes to luxury vehicle innovation, and design. It keeps itself up-to-date or even one step ahead yearly when it comes to engine performance and technological advancements. This year alone marked the introduction of the new S-Class, C-Class, and CLS, among others. The last half of the year will also see new milestones of the German brand brought about by the new Mercedes GLA and the much-anticipated AMG GT. However, Steve Cannon, the CEO of Mercedes-Benz USA, believes there is still room for more improvement with the brand. USA Today revealed that he asked all the Mercedes dealers in the U.S. to send their staffs to… Continue Reading » 0 Mercedes-Benz Enters a New Battleground in the US EV Market Mercedes-Benz is gearing to introduce its first mass-produced pure electric vehicle in the U.S. According to Forbes, the flagship luxury vehicle brand of Daimler is looking for an end of June or early July release of the EV in the American soil. The entry of the Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electric Drive in the region will pit it against the more established brands when it comes to EVs such as Tesla and Nissan. It should be noted that Tesla is currently dominating the county’s EV market, thanks to its Model S. On the other hand, Nissan is also enjoying its fair share in the electric car market through Leaf model. Mercedes-Benz is looking at a stiff competition… Continue Reading » 0 Popular PostsRecent PostsRecent PostsPopular Posts Top 3 Kinds of Mercedes Lease that You Can Choose From Top 3 Things We Learned From the 2019 Mercedes-Benz CLS Spy Video

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Porsche targets “The Man Who Thinks He Can” in new video Forrest Cardamenis German automaker Porsche is bringing poetry to the tracks in an effort to showcase its vehicles’ desirability and potential. The brand has posted to YouTube and shared on social media a dramatic video starring actor and auto racer Patrick Dempsey glorifying Porsche motosport. The dramatic video and prominence of a celebrity will help make Porsche a coveted option for affluent consumers. It’s all in the state of mind The video contains a reading of “Thinking,” sometimes he referred to as “The Man Who Thinks He Can,” a poem written in the early 20th century by Walter D. Wintle, of whom little else is known. The poem is motivational, beginning “If you think you are beaten, you are” and ending, “sooner or later the man who wins/is the man who thinks he can.” The video is shot in black and white and consists largely of close-ups and slow-motion shots, both of which add drama. There are shots of cars speeding down the track, the agonizing mix of stress and anticipation from Mr. Dempsey and a few shots using tricks such as time lapse, motion blurring or superimpositions to deliberate effect. Images of Mr. Dempsey’s race are intercut with the preparation for it, creating tension and drama by prolonging the race itself. In the end, Mr. Dempsey speeds into the finish line ahead of competitors. Although Mr. Dempsey is best known for his role on “Grey’s Anatomy” as “McDreamy,” he is also an accomplished auto racer. Tapping a celebrity with both widespread popularity and a track record at the races grants Porsche the desirability associated with celebrities without sacrificing authenticity. Porsche driving track The use of the poem and the lofty visuals also work to create a powerful, somewhat enigmatic aura around Porsche. Luxury automakers have long been attuned to desire-based marketing, trying to convince the consumer to pick one brand over the others, as opposed to repeatedly pushing a product to the consumer, and Porsche’s video fits in with this trend. Changing gears Porsche’s overarching theme of the best coming from within, as exemplified by the poem, is emerging as a key marketing point. Once again, empowering the consumer allows her to choose the brand where high-pressure sales tactics or overt product pushes may alienate her. In another promotion, a new commercial for its 2017 911, Porsche proved that only the best has a chance at beating the best. The spot, titled “Compete,” shows some of the greatest competitors, including Maria Sharapova and Muhammad Ali, pitted against themselves. This effort communicates a drive for perfection and positions Porsche as being in a class of its own (see story). Beforehand, Porsche’s focus was on tying its heritage into hybrid and electric vehicles, which may initially have seemed incompatible with the sports car and autoracing components of the brand. German automaker Porsche is turning the page in its history with the first electric vehicle in its fleet. The Mission E, which debuted as a concept car at the Frankfurt Motor Show will be 100 percent electrically powered and will launch at the end of the decade. Environmental concerns are growing among consumers, and the Mission E is Porsche’s first step in blending its heritage with contemporary concerns (see story). share

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Classics on Autotrader › Motorcycles on Autotrader › RVs on Autotrader › Login Autotrader Classics for Sale Cars For Sale Sell My Car Auctions Resources ‹ Articles Aston Martin DB6: Its Time Has Come Evolution is a wonderful thing in the car world. The years pass, and – as long as it’s built by an attentive manufacturer – the product just gets better as engineers (sometimes customers) iron out the kinks. It’s certainly true for Aston Martin because, dare we say it, the DB6 is the best, most complete all-round DB4-based model of them all. And right now, thanks to the vagaries of fashion and logic, it’s also the most attainable. How long can this situation remain?The ’6 is the original DB line’s swansong; the last of them to roll out of Newport Pagnell. Enough to make it a cause celebre among Aston Martin enthusiasts, but ever since a certain production designer called Ken Adam decided that James Bond should drive a gadget-laden DB5 in the film Goldfinger, it’s the DB5 that’s become the halo Aston.Let’s not get too hung up on this. Fashion and form are strange mistresses, and we’ve gathered the DB6 in both coupe and Volante versions to enjoy in their own right. Before we get down to the nuts and bolts of the DB6 MkI and MkII, and what makes the ‘DB4 Series 10’ (as Aston Martin specialist Desmond Smail likes to call it), it’s worth recapping how Aston Martin arrived at its new four-seater coupe for 1965.It started with the DB4, new from the ground up in 1958, and which combined the talents of Aston Martin general manager John Wyer, chassis designer Harold Beach and engine designer Tadek Marek. It was an important move for Aston Martin as a production engineering exercise: Wyer ensured that as much of its construction as possible was concentrated at the modernised Newport Pagnell factory.The transition from the old Feltham site caused some upheaval; company stylist Frank Feeley wouldn’t make the move to Buckinghamshire and that left Aston Martin no alternative other than to employ outside help. Carrozzeria Touring of Milan was commissioned to design the car and subsequently license the construction style of its bodies. The ‘super-light’ Superleggera construction comprised aluminum panels over a lattice of small tubes that defined the body shape – and set Aston Martin’s construction template for over a decade. The DB4 chassis was thereby simpler and more rigid than that of the DB2, and offered genuine 2+2 seating.Power came from Tadek Marek’s gorgeous 3.7-liter twin-cam straight-six, developing a reliable 240bhp – a starting point, soon exceeded comfortably in racing and the hotter Vantage models. A new David Brown four-speed gearbox was developed to match, and a top speed of 140mph made the DB4 one of the fastest production cars you could buy.The chassis set-up was not exciting, but it worked. Coil springs and double wishbones at the front and a live rear axle with Watts linkage, all honed by Harold Beach, with rack-and-pinion steering and disc brakes made the DB4 a great drivers’ car. Put on your best BBC voice as you read The Autocar’s 1961 verdict: ‘The DB4 is an ideal touring car, in which distances are covered in short times. It is reasonably quiet and its performance and controllability are of a very high order, so that it’s a constant pleasure to drive.’The DB4 underwent five minor styling changes over five years. By the time the final Series 5 version arrived in September 1962, with its roomier cabin, fast GT and 266bhp Vantage (from Series 4) versions, plus the open-top four-seat convertible, Aston Martin was established as a front-running player in the exotic sports car set. It was a commercial and critical success, too, with 1113 produced until the DB5 was ushered in during late 1963.The DB5 may have retained the chassis, basic body style and running gear of the DB4 Series 5, but Aston’s newest car sold even more quickly, with 1021 examples moved in just two years. Many would say this was because of the Goldfinger effect, but that’s to underplay the DB5’s basic excellence.The straight-six was bored out to 4.0 liters, and power went up to 282bhp. Performance remained similar – 0-60mph in 8.5sec and a 140mph maximum – but this super-sports car was more adept at playing the urbane GT. As Road & Track concluded in 1963: ‘One tends to think of the Aston Martin as a sports car, but it is in fact a true GT. It combines the performance and handling of a sports car with all the luxuries of a fully equipped sedan. It’s a car the French describe as a voiture de grande luxe et de grande tourisme, and as such the Aston Martin is hard to beat.’An all-synchromesh ZF five-speed manual gearbox was made optional and, in the autumn of 1964, a new Vantage version heralded 325bhp. It became the most popular choice. Now it’s difficult to believe that the legendary DB5 survived a mere two years, while the ’6 went on for another five, such is the effect of the James Bond association. Fact is, the DB6 evolved into the very best of the lot.Bodywork development was brought in-house after Aston Martin passed on Touring of Milan’s styling proposals for the DB5 replacement. Much emphasis was placed on aerodynamic performance, and wind-tunnel testing, begun in February 1965, soon identified that rear lift was a real issue at speed. A development mule, MP 219, was built, based on a lengthened DB5 chassis and featuring a de Dion rear axle. New tail styling was devised very quickly. MP 219 evolved into DB6, although the de Dion axle that Harold Beach had wanted from the outset of the DB4 programme remained a prototype.The perception of the DB6 is that it’s softer, heavier and less sporting than the cars it followed, but that’s not necessarily the case. Motor’s launch piece in 1965 suggested the DB6 weighed 1466kg (it measured the DB5 at 1500kg), although most experts agree that the DB6 is slightlier heavier, so maybe Motor’s scales were slightly out. Either way, it’s an impressive achievement as the Superleggera construction of the DB4 and ’5 was superseded by aluminum skins with steel floor and inner panels.The main DB6 design objective was to increase rear-seat room, making it a more habitable grand tourer. The seven-year-old chassis was stretched by 3.75in in the wheelbase and the roofline raised by about an inch. As Jaguar engineers will tell you, making such changes without spoiling the styling is a black art, but Aston Martin managed the transformation incredibly well, especially considering the overall length of the car was increased by only 2in.You might not notice the increased windscreen rake angle but, from the B-posts back, it’s undeniably a far more substantial-looking package. Its most distinctive element is a new tail treatment, with a trunklid spoiler that sits atop a sawn-off Kamm tail as popularised by the Ferrari 275GTB/4. Aston Martin Works Service’s Kingsley Riding-Felce believes it’s this new rear end that drives people’s perceptions of the DB6. ‘Although the actual weight gain of a DB6 over a DB5 was marginal, the effect of the extra length and the new Kamm tail design gave it the impression of being heavier,’ he says.Desmond Smail agrees, saying that the DB6 – overall – is just as good a steer, and better in other ways. ‘It’s a little bit more bulky and slightly heavier but basically shares the same running gear as the older car, with improved aerodynamics. There is no difference between the two, unless you’re a tall man. It’s better with power steering and a limited-slip differential, but I doubt most people would notice. As a normal road car there’s no difference.’The new styling was a departure for Aston Martin, but the change was effective as Aston Martin claimed a ‘more than 30%’ reduction in lift over the rear wheels at speed. Inside there were larger instruments, reshaped seats, better carpeting, new headlining and front quarterlights. The once-optional Powr-Lok differential and chrome wire wheels were made standard on the Vantage, and power steering and air conditioning were popular additions.The running gear and suspension remained virtually identical to the DB5’s, meaning the choice of power outputs remained at 282bhp or 325bhp, with ZF five-speed manual transmission (the David Brown four-speeder was dropped during the DB5’s run) or Borg-Warner three-speed automatic. In Vantage guise, thanks to improved aerodynamics, maximum speed was up to 148mph and 0-60mph took just 6.1sec.There was certainly nothing wrong with the way the DB6 went in a straight line and, according to Motor magazine in 1966, the Vantage was very much the same story in the bends too. ‘For the first part of the test we hardly drove on dry roads at all and it says a lot for the suspension and tyres that the car’s very considerable performance could still be used to the full with perfect safety. The car feels completely neutral – it just goes where it’s pointed.’Meanwhile, in 1967 Road & Track concluded: ‘It’s a dated design, but a car of great character, the expression of one man’s idea about what a GT should be at the time of its inception. If it’s fallen behind the times, it most definitely hasn’t fallen into the rut of being the car designed to satisfy as many people as possible and edify none. We look forward to the DB7.’ Indeed…Development work on the DB6 continued, despite the arrival of the sharp-looking William Towns-styled DBS in 1967. The open-topped Volante (the first time the name was used on the DB series) had made its debut at the 1966 London Motor Show and proved an instant visual hit, losing the coupe’s awkwardness. The first convertible had been built on the DB5’s chassis and became retrospectively known as the ‘short-chassis’ car. It made way for the new car, a genuine open-top four-seater GT with a new powered hood.But the arrival of the DB6 MkII in August 1969 proved that the engineers at Newport Pagnell just couldn’t stop trying to perfect their long-running GT. The last of the line was easily identified by its flared wheelarches and wider tyres, while the introduction of optional AE Brico electronic fuel injection and standard power steering meant it was arguably the nicest of all to drive.‘The MkIIs are worth more – because they are the rarer, with just 245 built,’ Desmond says. ‘They are more comfortable, with DBS-type seats, and are a true drivers’ car. The Brico fuel-injection cars were bloody quick, when they ran right. But that was a problem, and most went back to the factory to be converted to Vantage specification with triple Webers.’Of course, no-one – not least Road & Track – expected they’d have to wait quite as long for the DB7 as they eventually did, but that was down to Aston Martin’s change in direction in the 1970s, and the move away from the modestly sized GTs it had been building into the realms of V8-powered super-coupes as epitomised by the DBS-based V8 model. Was the DB6 an impossible car to follow?It certainly has its fans today. The 1969 Mk1 you see here – all the more appreciated for not being in Silver Birch (Bond’s colour of choice) – looks stunning in Caribbean Pearl. The lights dance off its paintwork, accentuating some of the most delicate curves ever to grace a grand tourer. Jumping inside, your sense of smell is bombarded by warm leather: the aroma of decadence. Somehow, it just feels right in here. The seating position is spot-on, the instrument panel comprehensive and elegant, while the view over that deeply contoured hood is simply addictive.Meanwhile, the Vantage-powered Volante reaffirms the view that the DB6 is almost impossibly desirable. Originally sold in May 1969 by HR Owen of South Kensington, this Seychelles Blue example has been in the hands of Aston Martin chairman David Richards since 1992. And yes, he was so impressed by the car, he went on to run the company…‘I’d been looking for a Volante since the end of the ’80s – just as the prices went through the roof – and concluded that I couldn’t afford one,’ he says. ‘Then, as chance would have it, I found this one. I was waiting to go into a meeting with Shell, and I just happened to wander into a garage. At the back and hidden away, there was a car under a tarpaulin. It was a Volante that had suffered an under-hood fire.’The exciting discovery was followed by a period of negotiation – then a sale. ‘I immediately took it to [former Aston Martin company owner] Victor Gauntlett, who then sent it to Works Service for a full restoration. In 1994, that was finished, and I’ll always remember the date, as I picked up my son from the hospital in it, fresh from Works Service.’The DB6 is certainly a practical classic – and one that you can really use. ‘It’s just like a modern car,’ David adds. ‘I have been all over in it, and never put the hood up – I love it.’Thanks to the efforts of Works Service, the DB6 is fully supported. Says Kingsley Riding-Felce: ‘Parts availability is very good indeed and there are a plethora of modifications available to tailor the car – transmission upgrades, power steering and air conditioning. Works Service has been a continuing presence as the factory’s service and restoration centre since its birth in the service department of the 1920s. With the experience and skills we have in-house we are often involved at the start of market trends.’For those looking for a Newport Pagnell DB-series Aston Martin, it’s a great time to consider a DB6. Kingsley continues: ‘The DB6 was considered by the market as the poorer relation up until the past ten years, when we saw the prices of private treaty sales and auctions begin the rise.’Market expert Dave Selby agrees with Kingsley, but goes further, offering some interesting predictions for the once-overshadowed DB6. ‘There have been strong recent DB6 transactions. You could argue that, because of the acceleration in DB5 values, DB6s got left behind and now they’re beginning to bridge the gap. Also, the DB5 is now unattainable to some, so the DB6 is coming into focus as the more affordable alternative, driving prices.’He adds, perhaps controversially: ‘It’s possible we’ve got a DB6/DB4 market rotation on the way. The DB4 market is not experiencing the same level of price progression as the DB5 in the last year or so; therefore it’s possible DB6 values could overtake DB4 values. On its merits as a car, the DB6 should never have been worth so much less than the DB5.’And as Desmond Smail puts so simply: ‘There has definitely been an upturn in DB6 interest.’Right now, the differential between DB5 and DB6 is best summed up by typical sale prices for condition 1 examples on the open market – and not at auction. Call it $600,000 for the DB5 coupe and up to $1,200,000 for the convertible, compared with $325,000 for the DB6 coupe and$850,000 for the Volante. As for the DB4, think $500,000 and and $1,200,000 for the equivalents.So, DB6s are on the rise, which means now is the time to buy. Yet the sense of occasion that comes with owning one is ultimately what matters. David Richards passionately nails this sentiment, which bodes well for the future of the company. ‘I absolutely love mine, and I will keep it forever. No doubt my son will also enjoy it for years to come.’That is what makes an Aston Martin so special. The DB6, the end of its line and genuinely the most evolved version, really ought to be the most desirable of all. That it also offers potentially the greatest scope for investment makes one seem like an irresistible proposition. As Desmond Smail says, it’s just a shame ‘…they stopped making it when they perfected it’. We couldn’t agree more. Thanks to David Richards; Desmond J Smail, www.djsmail.co.uk; and Aston Martin Works Service, site.astonmartin.com/eng/worksservice.1969 Aston Martin DB6 Mk1Engine 3995cc straight-six, DOHC, triple SU HD8 carburetorsPower 282bhp @ 5500rpmTorque 280lb ft @ 4500rpmTransmission ZF five-speed manual, rear-wheel driveSteering Rack and pinion, power-assistedSuspension Front: wishbones, coil springs, telescopic dampers. Rear: live axle, trailing arms, Watts linkage, lever-arm dampers.Brakes Girling discsWeight 1550kgPerformance Top speed 150mph. 0-60mph 7.5sec1969 Aston Martin VolanteEngine 3995cc straight-six, DOHC, triple Weber 45 carburetors (Vantage spec)Power 325bhp @ 5500rpmtorque 290lb ft @ 4500rpmTransmission ZF five-speed manual, rear-wheel driveSteering Rack and pinion, power-assistedSuspension Front: wishbones, coil springs, telescopic dampers. Rear: live axle, trailing arms, Watts linkage, lever-arm dampersBrakes Girling discsWeight 1470kgPerformance Top speed 150mph. 0-60mph 6.1sec Aston Martin DB6: Its Time Has Come Autotrader Classics for Sale

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The Truth About Lying From big whoppers to little white lies, almost everyone fibs on occasion. Here, experts reveal why. By Jenna Mccarthy Facebook Photo by Nato Welton Nearly any adult will tell you that lying is wrong. But when it comes to avoiding trouble, saving face in front of the boss, or sparing someone’s feelings, many people find themselves doing it anyway. In fact, more than 80 percent of women admit to occasionally telling what they consider harmless half-truths, says Susan Shapiro Barash, author of Little White Lies, Deep Dark Secrets: The Truth About Why Women Lie (St. Martin’s Press, $15, amazon.com). And 75 percent admit to lying to loved ones about money in particular. The tendency to tell tales is “a very natural human trait,” explains David L. Smith, Ph.D., associate professor of philosophy at the University of New England, in Biddeford, Maine. “It lets you manipulate the way you want to be seen by others.” To pinpoint how people stretch the truth from time to time and the potential fallout from it, learn the six most common ways that people mislead. Deception Points Most lies aren’t meant to be hurtful to others; rather, they’re meant to help the one doing the fibbing. These are the six top ways people lie. 1. Lying to Save Face What it sounds like: “Gosh, I never got the shower invitation!” “Sorry I’m late, but there was a huge pileup on the freeway.”Why people do it: For self-preservation. While it may be instinctual, people who frequently cover up innocent errors may start to feel as if they have permission to be irresponsible. What’s more, it can become grueling for them to keep track of those deceptions. (“Now, why did I tell her I couldn’t cochair that event?”) Eventually those lies hinder people from having close connections, says Smith. “Of course, there are relationships in which it doesn’t matter as much,” he says.How you can avoid it: Think long-term. When you’re tempted to be less than truthful, consider your ultimate goal: to have a happy marriage, say, or a solid friendship. Then, when torn between fact and fiction, ask yourself, “Which will put me closer to my goal?” Usually the choice is clear. Keep it simple. Most of the time, a short apology is all that’s needed, and you can omit some details without sacrificing the truth. Something like “Sorry that I didn’t call you back sooner” is usually sufficient and effective. 2. Lying to Shift Blame What it sounds like: “It’s my boss’s decision, not mine.” “My husband never told me you called.”Why people do it: “To effectively give away power and control,” says Smith. “When done habitually, this can diminish a person’s ability to deal with life’s bigger problems.” When someone constantly saddles other people with his responsibilities, others can grow resentful of carrying this burden. Also, eternally passing the buck is downright exhausting. The deceiver keeps fielding requests but is only postponing the inevitable. Eventually the issue will have to be dealt with.How you can avoid it: Dig deep. In some cases, blame shifting can signal difficulty with accepting responsibility for your actions, says Joseph S. Weiner, chief of consultation psychiatry at North Shore University Hospital, in Manhasset, New York. Maybe you were criticized for making mistakes as a child, for example, and so now you’re afraid to own up because of what other people may think of you. Once you realize this is a behavior that can be changed, however, you can start to regain the power you may feel you don’t have. Flip it around. Before using a colleague or a loved one as a decoy in a minor deception, think of how the other person would feel in the same scenario. If the deception puts other people in an unfavorable light, it’s best to leave them out of it. 3. Lying to Avoid Confrontation What it sounds like: “That’s a wonderful idea, Mom. I’ll make sure to get to the airport three hours before my flight.” “You’re doing a great job, but we can’t afford a housekeeper anymore.”Why people do it: A believable excuse may help someone avoid an uncomfortable talk or keep that person from feeling guilty. But relying on nonconfrontation too often eventually does relationships―both personal and professional―a disservice. With people to whom one is deeply tied, it’s important to remember that “closeness is not always pleasant, and that interpersonal dealings, by their very nature, have highs and lows,” says Smith. “When you try to avoid the lows at all cost, it can have an overall deadening effect on these connections.” Even if the person on the receiving end of a lie isn’t closely tied to the fibber, the one deceiving still has to keep track of―and live by―those lies. What’s more, she may have to deal with the consequences of the lie anyway (for example, if the housekeeper finds out someone else was hired in her place).How you can avoid it: Consider the options. Before you tell a fib, it helps to make a list of all the ways you could handle the situation―from delivering a total fairy tale to telling the stark truth. If, after thinking it through, you still decide a fabrication is the best choice, “it may signal that you don’t value having an honest relationship, and that in itself is worth pondering more,” says Marlene Chism, a relationship expert in Springfield, Missouri, and the author of Success Is a Given (ICARE Publishing, $15, amazon.com). On the other hand, maybe there is an option that will allow you to tell the truth but that will still provide your desired outcome. Pair it with the positive. Look for the bright, true spot buried within the lie. Saying to your mother, “Your ideas are always appreciated―I called that tutor you recommended last week!―but this time I just don’t agree,” makes the truth easier to swallow for both of you. 4. Lying to Get One’s Way What it sounds like: “I won’t be at work today. I caught that bug that’s going around.” “Officer, my speedometer must be broken.”Why people do it: For personal gain. But when a lie like this is uncovered, the recipient is unlikely to be charitable. And the more hurtful the lie is to the person on the receiving end, the less it’s likely to be forgiven. “When getting what a person wants drives his every word and action, he will not earn people’s trust or love,” says Weiner.How you can avoid it: Stop justifying. Maybe you think you deserved that day off. Or you figured it was late and there was no one on the road when you were speeding. While both rationalizations may be true, “that doesn’t make the lie any more acceptable in the end,” says Smith. If you have to convince yourself the lie is OK, chances are it’s not. Think of the alternative. Consider if honesty could still bring about a positive result. Example: “I know I don’t have any vacation left, but I’d be willing to come in Saturday or stay late every day next week if I could have Friday off.” Or admit to the police officer that you lost your concentration going down the hill and apologize. That may result in a warning instead of a ticket. You never really know until you try. 5. Lying to Be Nice What it sounds like: “That dress looks fantastic on you.” “This is the best meat loaf I’ve ever tasted.”Why people do it: In some cases, the little white lie is altruistic, says Smith, but when used excessively, it can make interactions with people less authentic. At its worst, others may feel that a person isn’t being genuine or trustworthy.How you can avoid it: Walk in the other person’s shoes. People often underestimate the information that others can tolerate and even benefit from, particularly when the words are said out of friendship, says Weiner. For example, you would generally want someone to mention it if you had a piece of spinach stuck in your teeth, if your blouse had a stain, or if your pot roast could use a pinch of salt. Tone it down. If you feel that a certain amount of truth stretching is a vital social lubricant, the best thing to do is to avoid gushing. “That’s a great color on you” is a lot more plausible than “That’s the most stunning sweater I have ever seen in my entire life.” Track it. Keeping a tally of the tales you tell for a day or a week can help you distinguish between the instances where being truthful matters and where it doesn’t. Maybe you didn’t need to tell the supermarket checkout gal that you loved her (hideous) earrings. But it made you feel better to say it, plus you got a pleasant reaction from her. Most experts say there’s no huge harm in that. 6. Lying to Make Oneself Feel Better What it sounds like: “Eating my kids’ French fries doesn’t count.” “I’ll charge this stuff now because I’m going to pay off the credit-card bill as soon as I get my bonus.” “I never watch television.”Why people do it: To reassure themselves. But when people start to believe their self-deceptions, it can snowball, which is especially dangerous. A clean-your-plate habit can lead to an extra 10 pounds. One shopping spree can trigger can’t-pay-the-mortgage debt. And while denying hours spent in front of the TV isn’t a crime, it might cause a person to wonder where all her time is going―or get busted humming the Law & Order theme song.How you can avoid it: Plan honesty ahead. Because self-deception can become almost automatic, “stopping isn’t simply a matter of just saying in the moment, ‘Hey, should I lie to myself right now?’” says Smith. Instead, pledging to face reality in the situations where you’re most likely to deceive yourself is a smarter tactic. Keep your goals in sight. Whatever you want to accomplish, from sticking to a healthy diet to keeping your bank account in the black to cutting down on those television marathons, lying about what’s really going on puts you one step farther from that objective. Instead, it’s a good idea to visualize, in full detail, what it will look, feel, sound, smell, or taste like when you attain your goal. “Painting a detailed picture in your mind will help you maintain your motivation, even in the face of temptation to sabotage yourself with deception,” says Weiner. Help others be accountable. When people who tend to deceive themselves spend too much time with frequent fibbers or even others who tolerate that type of mendacity, their destructive habits won’t be challenged or corrected. In the most serious situations, where lying is causing someone serious damage, it helps to be a particularly truth-conscious friend and lend support as well as a gentle, watchful eye.

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Daily Automotive Daily Automotive Aston Martin Vantage S 2011 Seat Ibiza SC Comercial 2011 Volkswagen Race Touareg Qatar and Touareg Gold Edition Lamborghini Gallardo LP 560-4 Bicolore Kia Picanto 2011 Infiniti M35h Honda Accord Facelift 2011 2011 Peugeot 508 Outdoor Triumph America and Speedmaster 2011 Kylie Minogue Lexus CT200h Aston Martin Vantage S 2011 Posted: 26 Jan 2011 08:51 AM PST The Aston Martin V8 is currently selling in our market, has received a new twist by the British brand to get a new version that will be marketed under the name S Vantage, an increase of power as the main Atrato and as a new aesthetic that will differentiate the V8 version. The engine fitted is the same 4,735 cc V8, with the exception that instead of the 426CV that develops in the V8 version, the Vantage S variant power rises to 436CV. This power is obtained at an engine speed of 7,300 laps, while the maximum torque of 490nm is obtained at the 5,000 turns. The acceleration achieved in developing this new sport has not yet been announced by Aston Martin, as opposed to top speed, which has already been announced with a value of 305km / h. Seat Ibiza SC Comercial Posted: 26 Jan 2011 08:47 AM PST Seat just put on sale in dealer network official commercial version of the Seat Ibiza SC, a model of the € 12,635 paa the gasoline version and 70 hp 1.2 liter. The Commercial Ibiza is characterized by including a partition panel for the cargo space, and replacing the rear-side windows covered with metal. As for equipment, the model has ABS, driver and passenger airbags, radio CD/MP3, and so on, without forgetting that you can optionally purchase several packs, as Confortdrive (fog lights) or Winter Package, heated seats. 2011 Volkswagen Race Touareg Qatar and Touareg Gold Edition Posted: 26 Jan 2011 08:42 AM PST Volkswagen presents the Qatar Motor Show Touareg two special models: the Race Touareg Touareg 3 Qatar and the Gold Edition. The first is a model based on the Dakar Rally, ready to roll on conventional roads, so it has been tweaked accordingly (for example, the width of its body, almost two meters). The Touareg Gold Edition, meanwhile, puts its emphasis on luxury, and goes so far that includes parts coated with 24 carat gold. Your tires are 22 inches, the new design and in its interior in Nappa leather upholstery and Alcantara. Lamborghini Gallardo LP 560-4 Bicolore Posted: 26 Jan 2011 08:38 AM PST A month before he reports to the Geneva Motor Show the new model to replace the V12 Murciélago, Lamborghini has in the Hall of Qatar a special edition called Bicolore, which is destined for European markets and Asia Pacific. Obviously, this version includes a special two-tone color scheme for your exterior, black roof where you can combine up to five options, called Giallo Midas, Arancio Borealis, Grigio Telesto, Bianco monocerus and Blu Caelum. In addition, this version includes alloy wheels Skorpius with 15 clubs design and finished in titanium gray. The mechanical part is still the powerful 560 hp V10 engine with a top speed of 325 km / h Throttle from 0 to 100km / h in 3.7 seconds. Kia Picanto 2011 Posted: 26 Jan 2011 08:27 AM PST The new Kia Picanto shows all the innovations of this popular supermini that will be officially unveiled at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show scheduled for March 3 to 13, 2011. Presentation that was already anticipated in these days of the first official photo of the passenger. But not only that it was confirmed the proposed range of engines. Looking at the photos of the interior, noting the decision to adopt a two-spoke steering wheel. Solution is surprising because the last time less car makers have adopted this option, preferring to three four races. Always keep the choice of classic shoe for the wipers. Regarding the supply of engines, you can choose between two different solutions: there is a 1 liter 3-cylinder petrol bi-fuel (petrol and LPG) and flex-fuel. It is a system capable of feeding the engine with different fuels. Then there is the 1.2-liter 4-cylinder, but in this case the solution is the only fuel available. As the offering will be divided among the four engines will be marketed direct consequence of the market where the models will be proposed. There will be a redesign of the two motors Kia by technicians. The aim is to be able to contain fuel consumption and emissions compared with today talking about 95 (for the 1,000 cc) and 105 g / km (for the 1,200 cc). Infiniti M35h Posted: 26 Jan 2011 06:54 AM PST Infiniti combines power and ecology with the new Infiniti M35h. This is a natural technological evolution of the Infiniti M, vehicle recently seen in our country with the engine M30d. A pregnancy that required two years of work, but that has led to impressive results: power of 364 hp, acceleration from 0 to 100 km / h in 5.5 seconds, combined fuel consumption of 7 l/100 km, emissions equivalent of 162 g / km on average. The hybrid system pioneered by Infiniti is based on a mix of petrol-engined V6 3.5-liter V6 with 306 hp and 350 Nm electric motor and capable of a power of 68 hp and maximum torque of 270 Nm at 1,770 rpm. This is a car and relies on the transmission to the rear wheels combined with a 7-speed automatic transmission that has an electric motor connected to the crankshaft by a secondary clutch. ? The ability of the Direct Response Hybrid is capable of moving the Infiniti with the zero-emission electric motor up to about 80 km / h. According to the test Finally, this combination is capable of operating in electric-only mode for 50% of the route. Consumes 5.7 l/100 km on the highway. In the city 9.2 l/100 km. Honda Accord Facelift 2011 Posted: 26 Jan 2011 06:10 AM PST During the Geneva Motor Show (3-13 March) will present the Honda Accord restyling, subject to some minor changes introduced to increase comfort and reduce vehicle fuel consumption. The renewed Japanese sedan, in business since 2008 (series VIII) will be recognized for turning out the lights in clear plastic front, the front grille with chrome trim and the unusual bi-Xenon headlamps with Active Cornering Lights device, which activates an ’special light when the driver activates the turn indicator. Even minor tweaks to the front fascia, where there are new fog lights, while the rear of the sedan will receive a plaque cross-plated metal. Will also be made available colors Alabaster Silver, Graphite and Celestial Blue Pearl Lustre. The changes will be reserved for the passenger-only Type-S sports version, which will gain seats, leather-fabric mixed black / gray, metal inserts used on the handbrake, shift knob, steering crown and door panels and backlit instruments blue instead of red. The restyled Honda Accord will be equipped with refurbished engine 2.2 i-DTEC diesel with 150 hp and 350 Nm, converted into Euro 5 and made cleaner thanks to the changes intended to aerodynamics, tires and clutch (decrease friction) emissions will decrease as of 9 g / km in combination with manual transmission and 11 g / km in combination with the automatic transmission. The Japanese technicians eventually will increase the noise by using on-board rear glass thicker than 0.9mm and optimizing the performance of the suspension. Marketing in Europe will be affective from April. 2011 Peugeot 508 Outdoor Posted: 26 Jan 2011 06:05 AM PST Interesting spy photos for the version “Outdoor”(or “Allroad” if you prefer) Peugeot 508 SW is designed for fathers with a spirit of adventure. As you can see the car’s ground clearance much higher than the standard version. And it is very likely that under the dress there is also the permanent four wheel drive. This mule was photographed in Sweden. The car will be the second model to feature hybrid technology “HYbrid4″means the system is composed of a 2.0 turbo diesel unit with 163 hp and an electric motor 37. According to the latest rumors, the 508 SW Outdoor will debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March to reach the market in the last quarter of 2011. Triumph America and Speedmaster 2011 Posted: 26 Jan 2011 06:01 AM PST Triumph is about to take on the Italian market versions of the 2011 Speedmaster and America models, extensively reviewed both the technical and aesthetic approach to works of American homes that continue to dictate the segment of custom bikes. The two models, seen at Intermot 2010 and then EICMA 2010, broadly confirm the good impression created in the course of two prestigious international exhibitions. In particular, Triumph America 2011 looks like a pretty classic cruiser, driven by a parallel-twin engine with a displacement of 865 cc and capable of delivering a maximum power of 61 bhp. The major changes compared to the past can be found on the chassis with the introduction of a front wheel 16 “rear and 15 ” tires both with high-shouldered, also from the ergonomic point of view there are variations such as el’arretramento stem the progress of the platforms that together at the saddle equal to 690 mm, allow better management of the 250 kg of the bike or the new side stand, now more easily accessible. Finally, with regard to aesthetics, the new Triumph motorcycle cruiser will be available in monochrome or in Metallic Phantom Black Eclipse as bicolor Blue and Crystal White. Kylie Minogue Lexus CT200h Posted: 26 Jan 2011 04:29 AM PST The Japanese car manufacturer Lexus, Toyota’s luxury brand group, has chosen the pop star Kylie Minogue as a testimonial for her Lexus CT200h. The image of the singer and fashion designer has been chosen as the ideal to complement the brand new hybrid car with the car and will appear in television commercials and print advertising and billboards. The compact sedan will also be the main sponsor of Aphrodite-Les Folies UK tour 2011 Kylie Minogue, who will receive a special CT200h specially made for her. “Kylie is the perfect ambassador for the new Lexus and Lexus CT200h – said Belinda Poole, director of Lexus UK – He has energy, style, and is enormously popular with audiences. For this will help you get the Lexus brand directly to customers. ” As part of the tour’s launch of its new album the singer will perform a series of live performances, including two concerts at the O2 Arena in London on 7 and 8 April. The stage that will host the show has a million moving parts, seven lifts, 600 light sources and a special Fly System inspired by the Broadway musical “Spider Man “. “I am absolutely thrilled to be working with the launch of the new Lexus hybrid car CT200h – said Kylie Minogue – I was lucky enough to see the car in preview: is both glamorous and elegant and will certainly be bringing a silent revolution ” . You are subscribed to email updates from Daily Automotive | Car Review To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. Email delivery powered by Google Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 Newer Post

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