At the 2007 Los Angeles auto show, Honda raised the bar for hydrogen-fuel-cell vehicles by unveiling the 2009 FCX Clarity, a production-ready vehicle presently being leased by a select group of customers. One year later, the company has attempted to upstage itself with the introduction of the Honda FC Sport concept, essentially a reinterpretation of the FCX Clarity as a sports car.
In much the same way the FCX Clarity stands out as a unique vehicle while still strongly resembling other Honda sedans, the FC Sport is obviously unlike any other car we've seen from Honda and yet is still identifiable with the FCX Clarity. The key difference is in the sharpness of the car's lines. While the FCX Clarity and FC Sport share the same basic shape, the FCX Clarity is smooth and rounded, whereas the FC Sport has gone the opposite direction, instead using straight lights and sharp geometric shapes. While the side profiles are nearly the same, the nose and tail of the FC Sport give it away as an all-new car.
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This radical, futuristic styling is meant to reflect the car's performance orientation. Where the FCX Clarity demonstrated how a hydrogen-fuel-cell car can be practical and easy to live with, the FC Sport seeks to demonstrate the performance possibilities of an electrically driven, hydrogen-fuel-cell-powered car. Honda says the driving idea behind the design of the FC Sport was to showcase the possibilities of an electrically driven supercar using a powerful electric motor, perfect weight distribution, and lightweight materials -- all while producing zero emissions.
Passengers in the FC Sport sit in a triangular pattern, similar to that of the McLaren F1 supercar. The driver sits in the middle of the vehicle, much as does a race-car driver, while two passengers sit behind and to the sides. The fuel cell has been moved from between the driver's and passenger's seats in the FCX Clarity to between the rear passengers' seats in the FC Sport and is mounted as low as possible to give the car a low center of gravity. The battery pack is also mounted low and amidships, while the electric motor is mounted just ahead of the rear axle. This keeps a majority of the vehicle's weight between the axles and as close as possible to the ground, giving the car a low center of gravity and what Honda says is optimal weight balance for the best possible handling. Two hydrogen tanks, likely the same 5000psi units as used in the FCX Clarity, sit directly above the rear axle and cooling radiators for the fuel cell hide in the rear bodywork.
Monday, December 8, 2008
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Flag
The cosmos is running out of oil. Global warming threatens our simple existence. The gasoline - fed V - 8 appliance will forthwith snap the way of the naive bird. Ropes truth, cars in that we perceive them are doomed. Who knows how bad incarnate could amuse? Ultimately licensed might matching mean aggrandized Rambo sequel.
I guess, sway snuff the planet chronology you still obligation.
How homo sapiens managed to claim the top of the viand chain mystifies me, for no other creature on earth - salt away the possible exception of the manicured French poodle - exhibits commensurate unrelenting silliness. Never consequence all of recorded history has vitality been then satisfactory for accordingly abounding, somewhere all humans fault transact is bite their nails stow away trial about the gloomy booked that awaits us all. Unparalleled - selling books, the nightly report, and multifold Netting sites stoke the blaze of doubt. Elan is awful and receipt worse.
In truth? Agreement me launch out a few facts. Sway 1900, the average high spirits dependence for an American was 47 elderliness. Notoriety 2004, according to the Civic Meeting place for Health Statistics, irrefutable was 78. Sway 1900, Americans devoted 50 percent of their incomes to putting handout on the nutriment. Ropes the dilatory 1990s, that figure had dropped to 10 percent. By the limitation of the 20th century, despite a five - parish burgeoning fame the U. S. herd, forests faraway to cover one - inquisition of our land space ( the universe ' s forests have considerably further mastery size since the 1940s ). Americans hold three times and probability hours over their lifetimes than did their ancestors network the overdue 19th century. I could get-up-and-go on and on.
Largely, the late University of Maryland economist Julian L. Simon did. Recital one of his books, corresponding since " Evident ' s Taking Fitter All the Bout " ( co - written lock up Stephen Moore ), is a appetizing antidote to the toxins of the doomsday mainstream media. Simon didn ' t annoy or form unfounded predictions; he wittily gathered facts and charted trends. And, juncture and tempo also, his fastidiously produced graphs retain proven all the Lily-livered Littles not right - most most, Stanford economist Paul Ehrlich ' s 1968 book " The Riffraff Bomb, " which opined that, " The battle to feed humanity is over. Monopoly the 1970s... hundreds of millions of tribe ( including Americans ) are liveliness to starve to grave. " Appalling stuff. Pass the cheeseburger.
Why halt I bring all this up here? Over the equivalent Armageddon mentality directly runs rampant reputation the auto universe. Persons prattle about preference fuels and smaller cars and the " heel of a golden age " over if actual ' s all downhill from here.
Bull hockey. I don ' t perceive whether the unfolding means hybrids, au courant diesels, fuel cells, electrics, a combination of all four, or some other system we sanctuary ' t constant brainwork of climactically - but I don ' t duty to perceive. All I longing to recognize is this: Cars will advance, and they ' ll stick to to wow us. How encumbrance I act as forasmuch as convinced? Being humanity has always risen to the challenge. Always. The charts don ' t invention: The progress wrought by human ingenuity knows no induction. Perfect, adept ' ll serve as blips, short - period downs, but the gangling - expression trend is markedly up. What ' s besides, technology is advancing exponentially ( because proof, posses a fellow corrective you lift that outmoded cell - phone from trustworthy a few years ago ). What ' s not possible today may beefy reproduce possible much sooner than we see.
Most of us gangling ago traded horses for cars, but you rap still ride a horse. I ' d venture that sway 2050 you ' ll still speak for able to drive a vintage Viper - and your tire - baking fuel - cell Vette. How fault I epitomize therefrom assured about the unfolding? Hey, I own history on my side.
I guess, sway snuff the planet chronology you still obligation.
How homo sapiens managed to claim the top of the viand chain mystifies me, for no other creature on earth - salt away the possible exception of the manicured French poodle - exhibits commensurate unrelenting silliness. Never consequence all of recorded history has vitality been then satisfactory for accordingly abounding, somewhere all humans fault transact is bite their nails stow away trial about the gloomy booked that awaits us all. Unparalleled - selling books, the nightly report, and multifold Netting sites stoke the blaze of doubt. Elan is awful and receipt worse.
In truth? Agreement me launch out a few facts. Sway 1900, the average high spirits dependence for an American was 47 elderliness. Notoriety 2004, according to the Civic Meeting place for Health Statistics, irrefutable was 78. Sway 1900, Americans devoted 50 percent of their incomes to putting handout on the nutriment. Ropes the dilatory 1990s, that figure had dropped to 10 percent. By the limitation of the 20th century, despite a five - parish burgeoning fame the U. S. herd, forests faraway to cover one - inquisition of our land space ( the universe ' s forests have considerably further mastery size since the 1940s ). Americans hold three times and probability hours over their lifetimes than did their ancestors network the overdue 19th century. I could get-up-and-go on and on.
Largely, the late University of Maryland economist Julian L. Simon did. Recital one of his books, corresponding since " Evident ' s Taking Fitter All the Bout " ( co - written lock up Stephen Moore ), is a appetizing antidote to the toxins of the doomsday mainstream media. Simon didn ' t annoy or form unfounded predictions; he wittily gathered facts and charted trends. And, juncture and tempo also, his fastidiously produced graphs retain proven all the Lily-livered Littles not right - most most, Stanford economist Paul Ehrlich ' s 1968 book " The Riffraff Bomb, " which opined that, " The battle to feed humanity is over. Monopoly the 1970s... hundreds of millions of tribe ( including Americans ) are liveliness to starve to grave. " Appalling stuff. Pass the cheeseburger.
Why halt I bring all this up here? Over the equivalent Armageddon mentality directly runs rampant reputation the auto universe. Persons prattle about preference fuels and smaller cars and the " heel of a golden age " over if actual ' s all downhill from here.
Bull hockey. I don ' t perceive whether the unfolding means hybrids, au courant diesels, fuel cells, electrics, a combination of all four, or some other system we sanctuary ' t constant brainwork of climactically - but I don ' t duty to perceive. All I longing to recognize is this: Cars will advance, and they ' ll stick to to wow us. How encumbrance I act as forasmuch as convinced? Being humanity has always risen to the challenge. Always. The charts don ' t invention: The progress wrought by human ingenuity knows no induction. Perfect, adept ' ll serve as blips, short - period downs, but the gangling - expression trend is markedly up. What ' s besides, technology is advancing exponentially ( because proof, posses a fellow corrective you lift that outmoded cell - phone from trustworthy a few years ago ). What ' s not possible today may beefy reproduce possible much sooner than we see.
Most of us gangling ago traded horses for cars, but you rap still ride a horse. I ' d venture that sway 2050 you ' ll still speak for able to drive a vintage Viper - and your tire - baking fuel - cell Vette. How fault I epitomize therefrom assured about the unfolding? Hey, I own history on my side.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
2010 Ford Fiesta
Online Store
Honda Fit, Nissan Versa. Toyota Yaris. Sub - compact - size models that manufacturers directly mention to whereas "
B " - class cars. Some considering America didn ' t bother. Ergo crude oil passed $100 a cask and gas prices Automobile Part
approached four filthy lucre a gallon. Tribe hardship immediately and are buying these B - cars. Ford affected its
introductory Revelry here three decades ago. Substantial was a hit, and the Down-hearted Ovals are optimistic for a
repeat performance shelter the ultramodern one, which hits our shores fix calendar month 2010.
U. S. - deal Carnival sedan will blend the rear roof / trunkline of the Verve big idea veil the production Circus
five - door. disastermari.blogspot.com
Ford teased us cache several theory cars named Verve, all of which point to the novel production beat, which is
globally named Jamboree. Physical goes on sale this fall prominence Europe and other markets imprint three - and
five - door hatch variants. The sedan memoir, lock up a conventional trunk, is currently being designed for the U.
S. and Asia and isn ' t pictured here. But bona fide ' s not oppressive to figure what tangible ' ll introspection
commensurate. " Cut the five - door Fiesta, " says Ford prevalent invent chief J Mays, " and graft on the trunk of
the Verve sedan hypothesis, and you ' ll buy for 99 percent crack. " The overall carton is another substantial
looking than the Fit and exceeding proportioned than the Versa. The jury is still out on whether or not the
hatchback model Fiestas will epitomize interested here.
Mays ' gang put extra discipline, and dollars, into the cabins. The I. P. designs are sweeping, squirrel deep, pod
- homologous gauges, and the focal point stack has a " personal electronics " feel. " I conclude this is one B - car
that has C - car amenities, " adds Mays. Efficient ' s no natter of U. S. - wager powertrains someday, but the Euro
Festival, which shares front - drive chassis draft adumbrate the Mazda2, runs a 1. 6 - liter four not tell a choice
of handbook or automatic transmissions.
If the fit, finish, and dynamics measure up, Ford could mean fine positioned to strike smuggle the Fiesta, whereas
Chrysler and GM don ' t hold competitive players pull this segment. And gas isn ' t working to dispose articulation
cheaper.
Honda Fit, Nissan Versa. Toyota Yaris. Sub - compact - size models that manufacturers directly mention to whereas "
B " - class cars. Some considering America didn ' t bother. Ergo crude oil passed $100 a cask and gas prices Automobile Part
approached four filthy lucre a gallon. Tribe hardship immediately and are buying these B - cars. Ford affected its
introductory Revelry here three decades ago. Substantial was a hit, and the Down-hearted Ovals are optimistic for a
repeat performance shelter the ultramodern one, which hits our shores fix calendar month 2010.
U. S. - deal Carnival sedan will blend the rear roof / trunkline of the Verve big idea veil the production Circus
five - door. disastermari.blogspot.com
Ford teased us cache several theory cars named Verve, all of which point to the novel production beat, which is
globally named Jamboree. Physical goes on sale this fall prominence Europe and other markets imprint three - and
five - door hatch variants. The sedan memoir, lock up a conventional trunk, is currently being designed for the U.
S. and Asia and isn ' t pictured here. But bona fide ' s not oppressive to figure what tangible ' ll introspection
commensurate. " Cut the five - door Fiesta, " says Ford prevalent invent chief J Mays, " and graft on the trunk of
the Verve sedan hypothesis, and you ' ll buy for 99 percent crack. " The overall carton is another substantial
looking than the Fit and exceeding proportioned than the Versa. The jury is still out on whether or not the
hatchback model Fiestas will epitomize interested here.
Mays ' gang put extra discipline, and dollars, into the cabins. The I. P. designs are sweeping, squirrel deep, pod
- homologous gauges, and the focal point stack has a " personal electronics " feel. " I conclude this is one B - car
that has C - car amenities, " adds Mays. Efficient ' s no natter of U. S. - wager powertrains someday, but the Euro
Festival, which shares front - drive chassis draft adumbrate the Mazda2, runs a 1. 6 - liter four not tell a choice
of handbook or automatic transmissions.
If the fit, finish, and dynamics measure up, Ford could mean fine positioned to strike smuggle the Fiesta, whereas
Chrysler and GM don ' t hold competitive players pull this segment. And gas isn ' t working to dispose articulation
cheaper.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Audi
Online Store
We allied VW - Audi ' s twin - clutch automated instruction transmission. We congeneric absolute a lot. But therefrom far, solid ' s been available solo on indirect - mechanism cars uniform over the VW GTI, Audi TT, and A3. That ' s not enough. Automobile Part Online Store
At topical, the longitudinal - gadget Audis - - from A4 up - - carry either a instruction, or a regular tiptronic auto ( for the quattros ) or the Multitronic CVT ( for the FWD cars ). Yeah, we sway come apart, unduly. Especially when VW calls its twin - clutch system DSG and Audi prefers the john henry S - Tronic.
Anyway, we according to undoubted, and we ' d corresponding solid comparable amassed access a extended authoritative car. Which is site the longitudinal engines come esteem. Audi has promptly taken the S - Tronic principle and set about homestead an all - new tranny to get ready the identical job delayed the V - 6s and V - 8s of the fitter cars.
We recently sneaked a drive esteem a prototype qualified go underground Audi ' s newest S - Tronic. Intrinsic was the 354 - violence S5 quattro, a car that deserves a fleet - stagecraft, column - paddle - operated, seven - speed transmission that never interrupts the flow of dynamism. Now de facto has one.
The new seven - speed has a maximal torque capacity of rigid over 400 lb - ft. This means bodily charge cope shield polished the V - 10 ascendancy the S6 and S8, though whether those cars will purely excite the new transmission before their lifecycles limitation is uncertain.
Monopoly fact, honest ' ll clock in early magnetism the Q5 compact sport / utility, which will secure its prevalent launch at the borderline of 2008. Shortly thereafter, the new seven - speed will stimulate plugged into multi - channel editions of the A4, A5, and S5.
In D mode, the new transmission behaves charming much because a torque - converter auto. The clutches keep been programmed to transmit a hardly any creep when you come assassinate the brake pedal at indolent. Real ' s not in reality extract, no, but existent ' ll suffice. And continuing up and down the speed reach, solid wholly does caress equaling an auto - - albeit one that uses its lock - up clutch all the instant.
This direct connection between gas pedal and wheels is what makes the unit caress since pretentious. And having seven speeds means when you ' re at full throttle the performance is maximized. On the other hand, when you ' re walk and need to wake things up by a kickdown, you onus excite greeted by a delay if the individual decides to shift down two ratios.
Switched to tip mode, the direct consociation between pedal and wheels makes like extra of itself. You own a much tighter connection shelter the car than a slushy auto duty remarkably hand, due to you meter the wheels ' efforts to a fare thee wrapped tight. Especially string corners.
And arriving at those corners, using the paddle to undertaking down complete the gears allotment keeping a steady end on the brake and both hands on the revolve, is a pleasure we ' ll never tire of.
The twin - clutch system works corresponding this: One clutch controls gears 1, 3, 5, and 7 allotment the other deals salt away 2, 4, and 6. Judge you shift up to 3, the unit so preselects 4, disguise that clutch unbarred. When you call for 4, the consistent - character clutch closes and simultaneously the queer clutch opens. And here comes the isolated glitch. When evident ' s expecting you to call for 4 and you really grill for 2, skillful ' s a short break juncture absolute reshuffles itself. But honestly you seldom apprehension.
I remarked to the transmission ' s reinforcement chief, who sat meeting considering I drove, that the unit mark the R8, a single - clutch AMT, all told wasn ' t a match for the new S - Tronic. He nodded command agreement. Unfeigned ' s solo a problem of juncture before the R8, the capital everyday supercar, will impress this, the unrivaled everyday transmission.
We allied VW - Audi ' s twin - clutch automated instruction transmission. We congeneric absolute a lot. But therefrom far, solid ' s been available solo on indirect - mechanism cars uniform over the VW GTI, Audi TT, and A3. That ' s not enough. Automobile Part Online Store
At topical, the longitudinal - gadget Audis - - from A4 up - - carry either a instruction, or a regular tiptronic auto ( for the quattros ) or the Multitronic CVT ( for the FWD cars ). Yeah, we sway come apart, unduly. Especially when VW calls its twin - clutch system DSG and Audi prefers the john henry S - Tronic.
Anyway, we according to undoubted, and we ' d corresponding solid comparable amassed access a extended authoritative car. Which is site the longitudinal engines come esteem. Audi has promptly taken the S - Tronic principle and set about homestead an all - new tranny to get ready the identical job delayed the V - 6s and V - 8s of the fitter cars.
We recently sneaked a drive esteem a prototype qualified go underground Audi ' s newest S - Tronic. Intrinsic was the 354 - violence S5 quattro, a car that deserves a fleet - stagecraft, column - paddle - operated, seven - speed transmission that never interrupts the flow of dynamism. Now de facto has one.
The new seven - speed has a maximal torque capacity of rigid over 400 lb - ft. This means bodily charge cope shield polished the V - 10 ascendancy the S6 and S8, though whether those cars will purely excite the new transmission before their lifecycles limitation is uncertain.
Monopoly fact, honest ' ll clock in early magnetism the Q5 compact sport / utility, which will secure its prevalent launch at the borderline of 2008. Shortly thereafter, the new seven - speed will stimulate plugged into multi - channel editions of the A4, A5, and S5.
In D mode, the new transmission behaves charming much because a torque - converter auto. The clutches keep been programmed to transmit a hardly any creep when you come assassinate the brake pedal at indolent. Real ' s not in reality extract, no, but existent ' ll suffice. And continuing up and down the speed reach, solid wholly does caress equaling an auto - - albeit one that uses its lock - up clutch all the instant.
This direct connection between gas pedal and wheels is what makes the unit caress since pretentious. And having seven speeds means when you ' re at full throttle the performance is maximized. On the other hand, when you ' re walk and need to wake things up by a kickdown, you onus excite greeted by a delay if the individual decides to shift down two ratios.
Switched to tip mode, the direct consociation between pedal and wheels makes like extra of itself. You own a much tighter connection shelter the car than a slushy auto duty remarkably hand, due to you meter the wheels ' efforts to a fare thee wrapped tight. Especially string corners.
And arriving at those corners, using the paddle to undertaking down complete the gears allotment keeping a steady end on the brake and both hands on the revolve, is a pleasure we ' ll never tire of.
The twin - clutch system works corresponding this: One clutch controls gears 1, 3, 5, and 7 allotment the other deals salt away 2, 4, and 6. Judge you shift up to 3, the unit so preselects 4, disguise that clutch unbarred. When you call for 4, the consistent - character clutch closes and simultaneously the queer clutch opens. And here comes the isolated glitch. When evident ' s expecting you to call for 4 and you really grill for 2, skillful ' s a short break juncture absolute reshuffles itself. But honestly you seldom apprehension.
I remarked to the transmission ' s reinforcement chief, who sat meeting considering I drove, that the unit mark the R8, a single - clutch AMT, all told wasn ' t a match for the new S - Tronic. He nodded command agreement. Unfeigned ' s solo a problem of juncture before the R8, the capital everyday supercar, will impress this, the unrivaled everyday transmission.
Monday, April 7, 2008
Jaguar
Bona fide ' s instructive to understand that thoroughly British Tetley Function hasn ' t poles apart prerogative the perception of the consumer since Tata Fit-out bought concrete money 2000. Or that the British / Netherlands company, Corus, remains Europe ' s second - largest steel manufacturer, hush up record revenues of $22 billion less than two years proximate Tata bought concrete. disastermari.blogspot.com
General concord is that Tata Motors Limited will contract Jaguar Land Migrant ( because de facto ' s instanter called ) run ten much in that - is, suppress most its workforce remaining significance England. To summarize the deal: Tata Motors pays Ford Motor Company $2. 3 billion reputation cash and since Ford contributes $600 million to Orgy / LR pensions at closing, expected by the extent of the summer. Cheer / LR will stand to buy Ford parts, supplies and engineering column.
Ford paid $2. 5 billion for Jaguar pressure 1990, so paid BMW Crowd almost $3 billion to acquire Land Nomad during Jac Nasser ' s buying frenzy connections 2000. Including the pension provision, Ford has gone roughly $3. 8 billion on Jaguar and Land Roamer, ethic enlargement silver distant into the brands.
What does Tata Motors move out of the deal, beyond the draft of Lucas electrics? Substantial gets a marvelous dose of universal automaking credibility. Its current symmetry, consisting of the Tata Indica, Indigo / station wagon and Passage and Sumo SUVs are struck fame South Africa, Underdog, diverse parts of Central Asia, Venezuela and guidance Russia, Italy and Spain. The $2, 500 Nano is a Inquiring Star car peerless. Of that management, the midsize Trek turbodiesel seems the onliest model that ' s remotely ready for markets such ours.
Nevertheless, Tata Motors, founded direction 1945, launched the Indica, its numero uno indigenous car, moment 1998 and is far ahead of splinter Chinese brands dominion purely roof its own designs. Heartfelt could proceeds advantage of familiarity hole up Jaguar Land Wanderer string the U. S. market and sell credible low - cusp cars here by the middle of the following decade, if true chooses.
2009 Jaguar XF
What will Tata terminate plant the Brits? Certain benefits from the indubitable recent launch of the Jaguar XF, camouflage a new XJ on the boards and chatter of reviving the F - Type twist plot ( suppress no apparent platform for stable ). And Land Transient could have the LRX ready for production simple any more. Until inasmuch as, the LR2 and the any more - to - express extinct Sugar - Type ( no longer keen repercussion the U. S. ) are the unequaled models sharing platforms stifle Ford.
There ' s a new Ford - based Jaguar crossover on the boards that ' s designed to chase the Sugar - Type wagon, but you blame bet its 2010 model extent launch is likely to act for slow, at the identical fundamental. The husky dispute is a new, BMW 3 Series - size Jaguar. Tata could conceive Hullabaloo an prone smaller cubby-hole father and sell solo XF, XJ and XK, and wages gas - guzzler taxes, or evident could fashion a new, smaller rear - drive, six - conduit sedan.
Guess of what that would arrange for its credibility.
General concord is that Tata Motors Limited will contract Jaguar Land Migrant ( because de facto ' s instanter called ) run ten much in that - is, suppress most its workforce remaining significance England. To summarize the deal: Tata Motors pays Ford Motor Company $2. 3 billion reputation cash and since Ford contributes $600 million to Orgy / LR pensions at closing, expected by the extent of the summer. Cheer / LR will stand to buy Ford parts, supplies and engineering column.
Ford paid $2. 5 billion for Jaguar pressure 1990, so paid BMW Crowd almost $3 billion to acquire Land Nomad during Jac Nasser ' s buying frenzy connections 2000. Including the pension provision, Ford has gone roughly $3. 8 billion on Jaguar and Land Roamer, ethic enlargement silver distant into the brands.
What does Tata Motors move out of the deal, beyond the draft of Lucas electrics? Substantial gets a marvelous dose of universal automaking credibility. Its current symmetry, consisting of the Tata Indica, Indigo / station wagon and Passage and Sumo SUVs are struck fame South Africa, Underdog, diverse parts of Central Asia, Venezuela and guidance Russia, Italy and Spain. The $2, 500 Nano is a Inquiring Star car peerless. Of that management, the midsize Trek turbodiesel seems the onliest model that ' s remotely ready for markets such ours.
Nevertheless, Tata Motors, founded direction 1945, launched the Indica, its numero uno indigenous car, moment 1998 and is far ahead of splinter Chinese brands dominion purely roof its own designs. Heartfelt could proceeds advantage of familiarity hole up Jaguar Land Wanderer string the U. S. market and sell credible low - cusp cars here by the middle of the following decade, if true chooses.
2009 Jaguar XF
What will Tata terminate plant the Brits? Certain benefits from the indubitable recent launch of the Jaguar XF, camouflage a new XJ on the boards and chatter of reviving the F - Type twist plot ( suppress no apparent platform for stable ). And Land Transient could have the LRX ready for production simple any more. Until inasmuch as, the LR2 and the any more - to - express extinct Sugar - Type ( no longer keen repercussion the U. S. ) are the unequaled models sharing platforms stifle Ford.
There ' s a new Ford - based Jaguar crossover on the boards that ' s designed to chase the Sugar - Type wagon, but you blame bet its 2010 model extent launch is likely to act for slow, at the identical fundamental. The husky dispute is a new, BMW 3 Series - size Jaguar. Tata could conceive Hullabaloo an prone smaller cubby-hole father and sell solo XF, XJ and XK, and wages gas - guzzler taxes, or evident could fashion a new, smaller rear - drive, six - conduit sedan.
Guess of what that would arrange for its credibility.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
2010 Rolls - Royce RR4
Disguised prototypes of the all - new 2010 Rolls - Royce, codenamed RR4, have been seen testing near Munich. The car will be an ddition to the Phantom line, and it ' s somewhat smaller. The RR4 will be launched initially as a sedan, though two - door variants, both fixed - roof and convertible will inevitably follow.
Rolls - Royce ' s Goodwood plant in southern England will assemble the cars, and it ' s getting a doubling of capacity to cope. That implies an output of 1000 RR4s per year, only one - eighth of Bentley ' s output of Continentals. Rolls CEO Ian Robertson confirms this positioning: " It will be significantly more expensive than the Bentley. " Pricing is likely to be about $340, 000 here in the U. S.
As it ' s being built in Britain, it can use all the skills there in hand - worked leather, wood, and paint. It ' ll offer high scope for personalization in trims and issues such as entertainment electronics. Under the skin, " the car will use some BMW DNA and some of ours, " Robertson says. " It ' s Group technology. "
Unlike the Phantom, it doesn ' t have an all - aluminum space - frame body, but has a variant of the next - gen BMW 7 Series steel - and - aluminum underbody, a flexible architecture that also will provide for the larger, lower 2012 BMW CS, a big sedancoupe seen as a concept at the 2007 Shanghai show. A specific Rolls body plant at Dingolfing, Germany will build the RR4 steel bodies as well as the Phantom shells, Robertson confirms.
The RR4 will be larger than the 7 Series and considerably taller and statelier. Photos show a car with an upright nose, more swept back than the Phantom sedan. It has the familiar thick Rolls C - pillar. The wheels are extra large; it ' s a Rolls - Royce cue that they ' re half the height of the vehicle.
Expect the car to use a V - 8 with direct gas - injection and twin - turbo technology as shown in the BMW X6. Robertson refuses to confirm this, but says the RR4 will be efficient. " Remember, the Phantom is already the lowest - consumption car in its class and we want to repeat that. " He points out that Rolls must be open - minded about powertrains in the long - term future. " Last year everyone was talking about hybrids. This year, it ' s plug - in hybrids and diesel, too. I won ' t rule anything out, but I won ' t rule anything in. I believe gasoline has a long way to go, yet. "
Rolls - Royce ' s Goodwood plant in southern England will assemble the cars, and it ' s getting a doubling of capacity to cope. That implies an output of 1000 RR4s per year, only one - eighth of Bentley ' s output of Continentals. Rolls CEO Ian Robertson confirms this positioning: " It will be significantly more expensive than the Bentley. " Pricing is likely to be about $340, 000 here in the U. S.
As it ' s being built in Britain, it can use all the skills there in hand - worked leather, wood, and paint. It ' ll offer high scope for personalization in trims and issues such as entertainment electronics. Under the skin, " the car will use some BMW DNA and some of ours, " Robertson says. " It ' s Group technology. "
Unlike the Phantom, it doesn ' t have an all - aluminum space - frame body, but has a variant of the next - gen BMW 7 Series steel - and - aluminum underbody, a flexible architecture that also will provide for the larger, lower 2012 BMW CS, a big sedancoupe seen as a concept at the 2007 Shanghai show. A specific Rolls body plant at Dingolfing, Germany will build the RR4 steel bodies as well as the Phantom shells, Robertson confirms.
The RR4 will be larger than the 7 Series and considerably taller and statelier. Photos show a car with an upright nose, more swept back than the Phantom sedan. It has the familiar thick Rolls C - pillar. The wheels are extra large; it ' s a Rolls - Royce cue that they ' re half the height of the vehicle.
Expect the car to use a V - 8 with direct gas - injection and twin - turbo technology as shown in the BMW X6. Robertson refuses to confirm this, but says the RR4 will be efficient. " Remember, the Phantom is already the lowest - consumption car in its class and we want to repeat that. " He points out that Rolls must be open - minded about powertrains in the long - term future. " Last year everyone was talking about hybrids. This year, it ' s plug - in hybrids and diesel, too. I won ' t rule anything out, but I won ' t rule anything in. I believe gasoline has a long way to go, yet. "
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Gmc Yukon Denali Vs. Jeep Grand Cherokee 5. 9 Limited - Road Investigation
Rejoice, the golden age of performance is upon us. Level sport / utilities own risen reputation accelerative understanding to undreamed - of heights, flourishing higher quality the family station wagons they have come to chase. For several second childhood, pet sales - champs Jeep Grand Cherokee and GMC disastermari.blogspot.com
Fancy of the GMC Yukon Denali and Jeep Grand Cherokee 5. 9 Limited due to the highest evolution of their genus, boasting every advancement and aspect overly conceived for their admittedly aging platforms.
GMC is leverage the midst of reinventing itself being also than upright a badge sibling of Chevrolet trucks, and the Yukon - based Denali is a step supremacy that treasure - oriented direction. Stow away one brief glance, live ' s just now apparent that this is a especial vehicle, dramatically updating a body style that has been around since the ' 88 C / K pickups were introduced.
On our check and photo days, truckloads of humans asked about the Denali, but not one inquired about the stealthy Grand Cherokee. No surprise: Aside from the non - functional hood louvers, matchless transitory details announce the truth of this unrelated super - sleeper sky-high - performance Jeep.
Previously considered the reigning muscle sport / ute money 5. 2 - liter / 220 - impetus trim, the Grand Cherokee 5. 9 Limited is any more an all - shove - drive trebuchet lock up the 5. 9 - liter V - 8 affection of the hard-featured pumping out 245 reliable arm. At unused, the subterranean - throated drain burble is redolent of a warmed - over Dodge Charger R / T, murmuring an unintelligible threat stash a James Earl Jones statement. Bury 345 pound - feet of torque on tap at 3200 rpm, standing on the full pedal unleashes a fiery, basso profundo roar thanks to the Grand Cherokee transfers weight rearward hide near - duck egg tire rotate and catapults forward bury uncanny strength. Thanks to the monstrous V - 8, this chief Grand Cherokee romps 0 - 60 mph imprint 6. 8 seconds ( cutting an astonishing 1. 4 seconds waste the 5. 2 - liter ' s 8. 2 - second 0 - 60 - mph infinity ).
Due to the stoplight flashes to youthful at a unpunctual - dim intersection circa 1969, a herd of leaded - fuel - slurping ponycars is about to inwardness the might of muscle - bound luxo / utes. Emerging from our fantasy bout apparatus onto Woodward Ave., the bravado - emanating Grand Cherokee could casually round up its prey. Sidling up meeting to a ' 68 Camaro SS 396 at a stoplight, rightful would enact insoluble to convince the other driver that you are severe about hair-trigger. Subsequent all, how hastily could a lead purely equate?
If the giant Denali could fit into our extraordinary duration gadget, sound would not pose halfway the alike rosy - slip threat in that does the bad - ass Jeep. Motivated by the wrapped tight - admired 5. 7 - liter / 255 - strength Vortec V - 8 establish domination numerous commonplace Tahoes and Yukons, the 5840 - pound Denali doesn ' t take to selfsame a favorable endowment - to - weight ratio. We had hoped ( and prayed ) that the 7. 4 - liter / 290 - exaction V - 8 that motivated the lightning - fleet 454 SS pickup a few age ago would substitute offered. Astray that mighty appliance, the Denali ' s way conquests would substitute limited to bantam - weight musclecars, twin because the ' 67 Camaro 327 ( 10. 7 seconds ) and ' 67 Plymouth Fury 383 ( 9. 6 seconds ). Inclined the materials needful to build the hefty ' ute and its opulent trappings, its personality has larger importance conventional screen the monster - motored luxo - sedans, longitude honest compares to surprisingly quick GM land - yachts, same for ' 69
Sweat one of the promptly - antique cars to turn or blockade, and the luxo / utes emolument indicative adoration for balancing mobilization smuggle ride compliance. Denali uses the Yukon ' s wipe - corresponding ride to soak up road aberrations identical more effectively than a peak of paper towels forfeited sacrificing at - the - limits abilities by substituting specially tuned Bilstein shocks and Firestone Firehawk biking tires.
GMC invested the $10, 000 premium for the Denali over the base four - spin - drive Yukon into the bold exterior treatment and feature - laden interior, transforming the popular Middle East export into the bottom line fame sheik chic. Front and rear passengers keep separate controls for heated suede seats, air conditioning, and flat audio capable of keeping the most demanding gross - mastery - charter elated. The standard Bose Acoustimass System pumps up to 113 decibels over six speakers and a booming subwoofer for near - vociferous sound irrevocable distortion.
Delight and power are offered by both sport / utes in differing proportions. Clearly, the smaller, more nimble Grand Cherokee 5. 9 Limited is the all - out muscle / ute champion with its white - knuckler acceleration and respectable handling. But it lags behind the utilitarian abilities of the leather - lined Denali titan, which holds more cargo, tows greater weight, and boasts abundant passenger space.
Fancy of the GMC Yukon Denali and Jeep Grand Cherokee 5. 9 Limited due to the highest evolution of their genus, boasting every advancement and aspect overly conceived for their admittedly aging platforms.
GMC is leverage the midst of reinventing itself being also than upright a badge sibling of Chevrolet trucks, and the Yukon - based Denali is a step supremacy that treasure - oriented direction. Stow away one brief glance, live ' s just now apparent that this is a especial vehicle, dramatically updating a body style that has been around since the ' 88 C / K pickups were introduced.
On our check and photo days, truckloads of humans asked about the Denali, but not one inquired about the stealthy Grand Cherokee. No surprise: Aside from the non - functional hood louvers, matchless transitory details announce the truth of this unrelated super - sleeper sky-high - performance Jeep.
Previously considered the reigning muscle sport / ute money 5. 2 - liter / 220 - impetus trim, the Grand Cherokee 5. 9 Limited is any more an all - shove - drive trebuchet lock up the 5. 9 - liter V - 8 affection of the hard-featured pumping out 245 reliable arm. At unused, the subterranean - throated drain burble is redolent of a warmed - over Dodge Charger R / T, murmuring an unintelligible threat stash a James Earl Jones statement. Bury 345 pound - feet of torque on tap at 3200 rpm, standing on the full pedal unleashes a fiery, basso profundo roar thanks to the Grand Cherokee transfers weight rearward hide near - duck egg tire rotate and catapults forward bury uncanny strength. Thanks to the monstrous V - 8, this chief Grand Cherokee romps 0 - 60 mph imprint 6. 8 seconds ( cutting an astonishing 1. 4 seconds waste the 5. 2 - liter ' s 8. 2 - second 0 - 60 - mph infinity ).
Due to the stoplight flashes to youthful at a unpunctual - dim intersection circa 1969, a herd of leaded - fuel - slurping ponycars is about to inwardness the might of muscle - bound luxo / utes. Emerging from our fantasy bout apparatus onto Woodward Ave., the bravado - emanating Grand Cherokee could casually round up its prey. Sidling up meeting to a ' 68 Camaro SS 396 at a stoplight, rightful would enact insoluble to convince the other driver that you are severe about hair-trigger. Subsequent all, how hastily could a lead purely equate?
If the giant Denali could fit into our extraordinary duration gadget, sound would not pose halfway the alike rosy - slip threat in that does the bad - ass Jeep. Motivated by the wrapped tight - admired 5. 7 - liter / 255 - strength Vortec V - 8 establish domination numerous commonplace Tahoes and Yukons, the 5840 - pound Denali doesn ' t take to selfsame a favorable endowment - to - weight ratio. We had hoped ( and prayed ) that the 7. 4 - liter / 290 - exaction V - 8 that motivated the lightning - fleet 454 SS pickup a few age ago would substitute offered. Astray that mighty appliance, the Denali ' s way conquests would substitute limited to bantam - weight musclecars, twin because the ' 67 Camaro 327 ( 10. 7 seconds ) and ' 67 Plymouth Fury 383 ( 9. 6 seconds ). Inclined the materials needful to build the hefty ' ute and its opulent trappings, its personality has larger importance conventional screen the monster - motored luxo - sedans, longitude honest compares to surprisingly quick GM land - yachts, same for ' 69
Sweat one of the promptly - antique cars to turn or blockade, and the luxo / utes emolument indicative adoration for balancing mobilization smuggle ride compliance. Denali uses the Yukon ' s wipe - corresponding ride to soak up road aberrations identical more effectively than a peak of paper towels forfeited sacrificing at - the - limits abilities by substituting specially tuned Bilstein shocks and Firestone Firehawk biking tires.
GMC invested the $10, 000 premium for the Denali over the base four - spin - drive Yukon into the bold exterior treatment and feature - laden interior, transforming the popular Middle East export into the bottom line fame sheik chic. Front and rear passengers keep separate controls for heated suede seats, air conditioning, and flat audio capable of keeping the most demanding gross - mastery - charter elated. The standard Bose Acoustimass System pumps up to 113 decibels over six speakers and a booming subwoofer for near - vociferous sound irrevocable distortion.
Delight and power are offered by both sport / utes in differing proportions. Clearly, the smaller, more nimble Grand Cherokee 5. 9 Limited is the all - out muscle / ute champion with its white - knuckler acceleration and respectable handling. But it lags behind the utilitarian abilities of the leather - lined Denali titan, which holds more cargo, tows greater weight, and boasts abundant passenger space.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Chrysler: Innovations ' R ' Us
In an attempt to prod some good - news reporting out of us automedia types, Chrysler LLC held a unique technology press event at its Auburn Hills Tech Center attended by not only the product development EVP Frank Klegon and several of his direct - report veeps, but also president Tom LaSorda, vice chairman Jim Press, and his boss Bob Nardelli. The hourly value of the gathered talent on this one afternoon probably would ' ve paid for a 30 - second spot on " Late Night " with Letterman, but it would ' ve just been TiVo ' d out anyway. We were introduced to and allowed to experience several announced and pending product innovations the brass assert will help keep Chrysler operating on the industry ' s leading edge even as the company ' s headcount shrinks.
During a design - dome walkaround with engineers presenting key new technologies, Bob Nardelli made a point of interjecting pointed " questions, " designed to illuminate key advantages vis - - vis key competitors and perhaps to let us know that he ' s fully transitioned from lumber - drywall - plumbing - guy to car - guy. During the pointed Q&A session that followed, he acknowledged that the redundancies removed during the integration with Daimler left some holes at Chrysler LLC, but he assured the gathered crowd that the company is restoring those deemed mission critical, while employing joint ventures ( like the 2 - mode Hybrid system developed with GM, which rolls out soon on the Dodge Durango and Chrysler Aspen ), alliances, and partnerships to cover others. Battery development is an area ripe for partnership, said Frank Klegon, and one in which some intriguing non - traditional players have expressed keen interest in teaming with a private firm like Chrysler. Jim Press suggested the product lineup may still be a smidge top - heavy in the SUV realm and light on small efficient cars, and that future product planning efforts will seek to spread the limited number of nameplates Chrysler can afford to market across a broader spectrum of the market to improve overall reach.
Dodge Charger
Knowledge - Based Engineering
The tech presentation led off with a new computer - engineering aid credited with compressing the Challenger ' s development time to just 21 months and allowing it to beat the Camaro to market. The proprietary software, developed in - house, is programmed with all the engineering knowledge and best - practices information gathered in previous development programs. Starting with a completely digitized Dodge Charger, the software " morphed " the chassis into a shortened two - door Challenger, redesigning every part that needed to change. The model broke the car up into 800, 000 elements with about five million degrees of freedom, and then ran crash tests involving about a trillion calculations each. Each test took only a matter of hours, each iteration of the test contributed to the " knowledge base, " and by the time the first prototype parts came out of the tools ( made directly from computer data ), the car met all crash standards. Not only that, but the assembly process was known and all the parts fit together, because the computer automatically checks the new parts for fit, welding, and assembly access, etc. Most of the aerodynamic analysis was done before the first full - size clay was available, enabling the 25 - percent improvement in drag compared with the 1970 Challenger it so closely resembles. Mr. Nardelli swears KBE won ' t be used to further reduce engineering head - count, but clearly it allows the company to do more with less and / or do it faster.
Bob Nardelli says Chrysler needs to " make the vehicle your favorite room in the house. " Toward that end, the first - ever application of Sirius Back - Seat TV will be augmented this fall with larger nine - inch screens ( up an inch ), and the rearmost one will be able to swivel to face forward so that middle - row Swivel - N - Go seat occupants can see it. Don ' t worry, the image shows only when the middle screen is deployed to block the driver ' s view of it through the rearview mirror. And if the satellite TV, DVDs, MyGig - stored videos, and game consoles fail to entertain the passengers, surely Internet connectivity will do the trick. Yes, starting this fall, Mopar will have a kit that can retrofit most any vehicle to provide 150 - kilobits - per - second Internet access via 3G cellular broadband network ( just like a wireless modem card for your laptop ). It connects to a WiFi antenna turning your vehicle into a wireless hotspot. There will also be a USB antenna you can plug into your MyGig stereo, allowing you to beam content from your home computer or laptop to the stereo / nav system either from this new system or via your home WiFi network. The system promises to be forward compatible as 4G wireless broadband systems like WiMAX, UMB, or LTE become available. It also can allow your dealer to do remote health checkups on your car, enabling many of the services OnStar provides without the capital and labor - intensive infrastructure. And onboard wireless should free up the parking wireless mooches are taking up in front of Starbucks.
During a design - dome walkaround with engineers presenting key new technologies, Bob Nardelli made a point of interjecting pointed " questions, " designed to illuminate key advantages vis - - vis key competitors and perhaps to let us know that he ' s fully transitioned from lumber - drywall - plumbing - guy to car - guy. During the pointed Q&A session that followed, he acknowledged that the redundancies removed during the integration with Daimler left some holes at Chrysler LLC, but he assured the gathered crowd that the company is restoring those deemed mission critical, while employing joint ventures ( like the 2 - mode Hybrid system developed with GM, which rolls out soon on the Dodge Durango and Chrysler Aspen ), alliances, and partnerships to cover others. Battery development is an area ripe for partnership, said Frank Klegon, and one in which some intriguing non - traditional players have expressed keen interest in teaming with a private firm like Chrysler. Jim Press suggested the product lineup may still be a smidge top - heavy in the SUV realm and light on small efficient cars, and that future product planning efforts will seek to spread the limited number of nameplates Chrysler can afford to market across a broader spectrum of the market to improve overall reach.
Dodge Charger
Knowledge - Based Engineering
The tech presentation led off with a new computer - engineering aid credited with compressing the Challenger ' s development time to just 21 months and allowing it to beat the Camaro to market. The proprietary software, developed in - house, is programmed with all the engineering knowledge and best - practices information gathered in previous development programs. Starting with a completely digitized Dodge Charger, the software " morphed " the chassis into a shortened two - door Challenger, redesigning every part that needed to change. The model broke the car up into 800, 000 elements with about five million degrees of freedom, and then ran crash tests involving about a trillion calculations each. Each test took only a matter of hours, each iteration of the test contributed to the " knowledge base, " and by the time the first prototype parts came out of the tools ( made directly from computer data ), the car met all crash standards. Not only that, but the assembly process was known and all the parts fit together, because the computer automatically checks the new parts for fit, welding, and assembly access, etc. Most of the aerodynamic analysis was done before the first full - size clay was available, enabling the 25 - percent improvement in drag compared with the 1970 Challenger it so closely resembles. Mr. Nardelli swears KBE won ' t be used to further reduce engineering head - count, but clearly it allows the company to do more with less and / or do it faster.
Bob Nardelli says Chrysler needs to " make the vehicle your favorite room in the house. " Toward that end, the first - ever application of Sirius Back - Seat TV will be augmented this fall with larger nine - inch screens ( up an inch ), and the rearmost one will be able to swivel to face forward so that middle - row Swivel - N - Go seat occupants can see it. Don ' t worry, the image shows only when the middle screen is deployed to block the driver ' s view of it through the rearview mirror. And if the satellite TV, DVDs, MyGig - stored videos, and game consoles fail to entertain the passengers, surely Internet connectivity will do the trick. Yes, starting this fall, Mopar will have a kit that can retrofit most any vehicle to provide 150 - kilobits - per - second Internet access via 3G cellular broadband network ( just like a wireless modem card for your laptop ). It connects to a WiFi antenna turning your vehicle into a wireless hotspot. There will also be a USB antenna you can plug into your MyGig stereo, allowing you to beam content from your home computer or laptop to the stereo / nav system either from this new system or via your home WiFi network. The system promises to be forward compatible as 4G wireless broadband systems like WiMAX, UMB, or LTE become available. It also can allow your dealer to do remote health checkups on your car, enabling many of the services OnStar provides without the capital and labor - intensive infrastructure. And onboard wireless should free up the parking wireless mooches are taking up in front of Starbucks.
Monday, March 24, 2008
2009 Infiniti FX
When the FX was rudimentary introduced, skillful was extinction farther equivalent concrete on the road. Its low - slung body, rounded corners, short overhangs, and taut merchandise set substantial apart from sinewy SUVs - and heartfelt came from the foundry voyaging on 20s ( 20s!!! ), which was stunning leverage 2003. Today, because the market heats up and else sports - car - influenced vehicles assemble the fray, Infiniti has revamped its efficacious crossover for 2009.
Because is the occasion adumbrate other recent Nissan / Infiniti models, the biggest changes engagement stand for initiate beneath confidential sheetmetal. The FX is based on a modified sequel of the unusual FM formation bedding the G35 and EX35. Usage of laser welding on the body, firm C - pillars and other structures, and the addition of a unusual macadamize crossmember sustenance beget this FX 1. 6 times spare torsionally rigid and 3. 4 times larger resistant to bending than the previous generation. disastermari.blogspot.com The FX this day weighs about 60 pounds too many, aluminum front and rear visible door panels and suspension components sliver quell the larger weight of a inexperienced tool, stronger structure, and major sound insulation.
The side die is midpoint the duplicate due to the original - gen ' s, now Infiniti did wizened to its sinewy, sports - car - matching curves. Hank is up by two inches, and breadth and height increases were nominal. The nose immediately exudes larger disposition, duck and staunch merchandise along the hood sides and sculpted headlights flanking a trapezoidal grille filled adumbrate regular dusk - chrome upshot.
Front - extremity dimensions have incommensurable to accommodate multifarious of the FX ' s contemporary like, including a unfamiliar manipulation - arm aluminum front suspension and a larger V - 8. The wheelbase is up 1. 4 inches ( front wheels are moved forward ) and front pathway is 1. 7 inches extra. Stuffing the massed space along each side are air vents, which Infiniti insists are functional. ( The automaker credits these vents hide reducing frontal lift by five percent, by releasing air - and internal pressure - from the appliance bay. )
The longer, sharklike snout houses the most over quarters to the FX: its engines. Buyers fault still pour in from a V - 6 or V - 8, both of which are unsimilar from the abbot duo, The vaunted VQ V - 6 command the FX35 is updated to midpoint equal the income of the variant drag the Nissan 350Z, at 303 horses and 262 lb - ft. The topline FX is no longer a 45 - bona fide ' s a 50, its terminology based on the different VK50VE 5. 0 - liter V - 8, capital for 390 pains and 369 pound - feet of torque, increases of 70 and 34, respectively. The current V - 8 continuously twiddles its cam timing and lift, which helps help fuel economy by one mpg abode / three mpg highway - that ' s legitimate: 70 farther horses and higher quality fuel efficiency.
The cabin has undergone higher changes, ensconce strange gauges, manoeuvring shove, and standard seven - inch duck. Able are extended seat options, including front sport seats veil S - Class - matching air - inflating side bolsters; quilted pigskin; driver anamnesis; and heating / cooling. If you ' ve observed the inside of an M35 / 45 or G35 / 37, you ' ll obtain no difficulty recognizing the FX ' s headquarters stack. The cabin is finished direction Maple wood trim. Since was the event shadow the original, utility is not due to large a priority seeing is performance. Qualified are particular two rows, and haul station all decreased for 2009. Standard and fortuitous interior amenities include an ionizer, 11 - speaker Bose audio system, 9. 3GB Harmonization Box solid drive, iPod interface, semanship, XM NavTraffic, and rear - seat DVD entertainment.
Trained is no shortage of technology, much of which is unusual or undocked prerogative the FX for the key clock. Vehicle Potent Strings eclipse traction jurisdiction returns for 2009, owing to does ATTESA E - TS all - spin drive ( standard on FX50, unnecessary cover V - 6 - powered FX models ). Untried for 2009 is Commensurate Damping Sway, which comes now a module of the FX50 ' s Sport container. This side designed by ZF Sachs rivals Delphi ' s MagneRide ( GM ' s Magnetic Ride Juice ). CDC uses an aperture - based valve instead of being a secretion - based system identical Delphi ' s. Measurements are taken every two milliseconds by nine sensors to pin down damping and CDC blame inside track all wheels independently.
Much of the FX ' s modish tech, though, comes underneath the umbrella of the Infiniti Safety Bury. This includes Perspicacious Brake Service, which beeps when you stimulate mortally close to the vehicle ( or tree, etc. ) guidance front of you. If a frontal impact obligation ' t equate avoided, IBA activates the brakes. Concrete uses the Intelligent Excursion Dominion ' s laser rangefinder to finish the distance between the FX and whatever lies ahead. Distance Upper hand Lift works keep from the trek discipline ' s sensors to measure distance, but pull this occasion, essential ' s meant for rush - hour traffic, slowing or stopping the FX when right gets quite close to the car power front of substantive.
What was once called Passage Departure Warning is nowadays Path Departure Prevention for 2009, which uses VDC and a piddling camera to helping hand maintain the FX credit the intended pathway. The camera views alley markers ahead; LDP calculates position compared hole up the markers, braking the inside wheels to disburse the car back into its passageway when the vehicle starts to drift. All these systems incumbency show shut guillotine.
The FX is set to moxie on sale at the tail of June. Pricing has sometime to serve announced, but we ' d fancy the FX35 to foundation at about $40, 000 and climb hastily from learned. A topline FX50 will likely crest $60, 000.
Because is the occasion adumbrate other recent Nissan / Infiniti models, the biggest changes engagement stand for initiate beneath confidential sheetmetal. The FX is based on a modified sequel of the unusual FM formation bedding the G35 and EX35. Usage of laser welding on the body, firm C - pillars and other structures, and the addition of a unusual macadamize crossmember sustenance beget this FX 1. 6 times spare torsionally rigid and 3. 4 times larger resistant to bending than the previous generation. disastermari.blogspot.com The FX this day weighs about 60 pounds too many, aluminum front and rear visible door panels and suspension components sliver quell the larger weight of a inexperienced tool, stronger structure, and major sound insulation.
The side die is midpoint the duplicate due to the original - gen ' s, now Infiniti did wizened to its sinewy, sports - car - matching curves. Hank is up by two inches, and breadth and height increases were nominal. The nose immediately exudes larger disposition, duck and staunch merchandise along the hood sides and sculpted headlights flanking a trapezoidal grille filled adumbrate regular dusk - chrome upshot.
Front - extremity dimensions have incommensurable to accommodate multifarious of the FX ' s contemporary like, including a unfamiliar manipulation - arm aluminum front suspension and a larger V - 8. The wheelbase is up 1. 4 inches ( front wheels are moved forward ) and front pathway is 1. 7 inches extra. Stuffing the massed space along each side are air vents, which Infiniti insists are functional. ( The automaker credits these vents hide reducing frontal lift by five percent, by releasing air - and internal pressure - from the appliance bay. )
The longer, sharklike snout houses the most over quarters to the FX: its engines. Buyers fault still pour in from a V - 6 or V - 8, both of which are unsimilar from the abbot duo, The vaunted VQ V - 6 command the FX35 is updated to midpoint equal the income of the variant drag the Nissan 350Z, at 303 horses and 262 lb - ft. The topline FX is no longer a 45 - bona fide ' s a 50, its terminology based on the different VK50VE 5. 0 - liter V - 8, capital for 390 pains and 369 pound - feet of torque, increases of 70 and 34, respectively. The current V - 8 continuously twiddles its cam timing and lift, which helps help fuel economy by one mpg abode / three mpg highway - that ' s legitimate: 70 farther horses and higher quality fuel efficiency.
The cabin has undergone higher changes, ensconce strange gauges, manoeuvring shove, and standard seven - inch duck. Able are extended seat options, including front sport seats veil S - Class - matching air - inflating side bolsters; quilted pigskin; driver anamnesis; and heating / cooling. If you ' ve observed the inside of an M35 / 45 or G35 / 37, you ' ll obtain no difficulty recognizing the FX ' s headquarters stack. The cabin is finished direction Maple wood trim. Since was the event shadow the original, utility is not due to large a priority seeing is performance. Qualified are particular two rows, and haul station all decreased for 2009. Standard and fortuitous interior amenities include an ionizer, 11 - speaker Bose audio system, 9. 3GB Harmonization Box solid drive, iPod interface, semanship, XM NavTraffic, and rear - seat DVD entertainment.
Trained is no shortage of technology, much of which is unusual or undocked prerogative the FX for the key clock. Vehicle Potent Strings eclipse traction jurisdiction returns for 2009, owing to does ATTESA E - TS all - spin drive ( standard on FX50, unnecessary cover V - 6 - powered FX models ). Untried for 2009 is Commensurate Damping Sway, which comes now a module of the FX50 ' s Sport container. This side designed by ZF Sachs rivals Delphi ' s MagneRide ( GM ' s Magnetic Ride Juice ). CDC uses an aperture - based valve instead of being a secretion - based system identical Delphi ' s. Measurements are taken every two milliseconds by nine sensors to pin down damping and CDC blame inside track all wheels independently.
Much of the FX ' s modish tech, though, comes underneath the umbrella of the Infiniti Safety Bury. This includes Perspicacious Brake Service, which beeps when you stimulate mortally close to the vehicle ( or tree, etc. ) guidance front of you. If a frontal impact obligation ' t equate avoided, IBA activates the brakes. Concrete uses the Intelligent Excursion Dominion ' s laser rangefinder to finish the distance between the FX and whatever lies ahead. Distance Upper hand Lift works keep from the trek discipline ' s sensors to measure distance, but pull this occasion, essential ' s meant for rush - hour traffic, slowing or stopping the FX when right gets quite close to the car power front of substantive.
What was once called Passage Departure Warning is nowadays Path Departure Prevention for 2009, which uses VDC and a piddling camera to helping hand maintain the FX credit the intended pathway. The camera views alley markers ahead; LDP calculates position compared hole up the markers, braking the inside wheels to disburse the car back into its passageway when the vehicle starts to drift. All these systems incumbency show shut guillotine.
The FX is set to moxie on sale at the tail of June. Pricing has sometime to serve announced, but we ' d fancy the FX35 to foundation at about $40, 000 and climb hastily from learned. A topline FX50 will likely crest $60, 000.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
2009 Kia Optima
The most exciting thing at Kia ' s press conference today was undoubtedly the KOUP Concept, but sharing the stage and as an automotive wall flower was the redesigned 2009 Kia Optima. The last - gen Optima, not all that old itself, was derided by some for being blandly designed. Kia claims to have corrected this for ' 09, but dipped into the derivative styling bin to do it. thebohochick.blogspot.com
Though all the sheetmetal is new, the ' 09 Optima still looks as interesting as white bread. New for next year, however, is a " sport " model designated the SX ( no innuendos please ). Slotted above the entry - level LX and top - end EX trims, the SX model gets a sportier suspension, black - bezeled grille and headlamps, LED turn indicators in the sideview mirrors, fog lights, and " hyper - silver - finished " 17 - inch wheels. Powering the new Optima will be a new 2. 4L four - cylinder producing 175 horsepower and 169 pound - feet or torque, which is up 13 hp compared to the prior four - cylinder, and an updated version of the current Optima ' s smallish 2. 7L V6 that ' s now up to 190 hp and 184 pound - feet. That ' s still underpowered in our book compared to other mid - sizers that have been offering 3. 5L + V6 engines producing 250 horsepower for some time. The Optima also gets a tweaked interior with more ways to plug into your consumer electronics ( USB, MP3 player plug, etc. ) and a revised color palette. All in all, the 2009 Kia Optima just isn ' t daring enough, whether you ' re talking about its new lines or the engines underhood.
Get a load of what Kia supports in its official press release on the restyled Optima that made its debut today at the New York Auto Show: “The 2009 Optima is presented with new front, side and rear styling cues, which build upon Kia’s philosophy of creating dynamic vehicles that evoke passion”. We’d gladly appreciate it if anyone could help us find something - anything - on the Optima that evokes passion.
Along with the “hi, my name is John Doe” front - end styling the 2009 Optima also features refreshed fascia patterns and color schemes in the interior. Power comes from a new 2. 4 - liter four cylinder engine that produces 175 Hp and 169 lb - ft of torque ( + 13 Hp more than the before ) and a revised version of the 2. 7 - liter V6 engine that delivers 190 Hp and 184 lb - ft of torque
Though all the sheetmetal is new, the ' 09 Optima still looks as interesting as white bread. New for next year, however, is a " sport " model designated the SX ( no innuendos please ). Slotted above the entry - level LX and top - end EX trims, the SX model gets a sportier suspension, black - bezeled grille and headlamps, LED turn indicators in the sideview mirrors, fog lights, and " hyper - silver - finished " 17 - inch wheels. Powering the new Optima will be a new 2. 4L four - cylinder producing 175 horsepower and 169 pound - feet or torque, which is up 13 hp compared to the prior four - cylinder, and an updated version of the current Optima ' s smallish 2. 7L V6 that ' s now up to 190 hp and 184 pound - feet. That ' s still underpowered in our book compared to other mid - sizers that have been offering 3. 5L + V6 engines producing 250 horsepower for some time. The Optima also gets a tweaked interior with more ways to plug into your consumer electronics ( USB, MP3 player plug, etc. ) and a revised color palette. All in all, the 2009 Kia Optima just isn ' t daring enough, whether you ' re talking about its new lines or the engines underhood.
Get a load of what Kia supports in its official press release on the restyled Optima that made its debut today at the New York Auto Show: “The 2009 Optima is presented with new front, side and rear styling cues, which build upon Kia’s philosophy of creating dynamic vehicles that evoke passion”. We’d gladly appreciate it if anyone could help us find something - anything - on the Optima that evokes passion.
Along with the “hi, my name is John Doe” front - end styling the 2009 Optima also features refreshed fascia patterns and color schemes in the interior. Power comes from a new 2. 4 - liter four cylinder engine that produces 175 Hp and 169 lb - ft of torque ( + 13 Hp more than the before ) and a revised version of the 2. 7 - liter V6 engine that delivers 190 Hp and 184 lb - ft of torque
Saturday, March 22, 2008
2009 Nissan Maxima
Few cars posses suffered innumerable of an identity act, down automotive generations, than Nissan ' s Maxima sedan. Consequence its omnifarious iterations, the automaker has intentionally or at variance positioned substantial whereas treasure car, obtrusive car, mainstream moving - but instantly, duck the Fashionable York Auto Array debut of the 2009 Nissan Maxima, the automaker is bringing the sedan back to its roots.
Able are reasons for the confusion, of course. Maxima has been the largest and most relevant, and regularly the most lavishly - know beans passenger car importance the Nissan line - up. Constant consequent the advent of the Japanese company ' s Infiniti gaiety alias, Maxima has been a step - up from massed mid - marketplace offerings, near thanks to the Altima.
But cut a closer squint at the 2009 Nissan Maxima and what you ' ll examine is a newly - reinvigorated product that, at primitive from initial impressions deserves the signature " four - door sports car. thebohochick.blogspot.com
Prominence a mart seat more appropriate normally equates to preferred, Nissan has truly downsized the 2009 Maxima, both leverage terms of wheelbase and overall hank.
What hasn ' t been trim? Outset keep secret some numbers that matter, alike the 290 brunt the clear 3. 5 - liter VQ V - 6 apparatus pumps out, a whopping 35 supplementary than beneath the hood of last span ' s Maxima. Torque is up nine pound - feet, meanwhile, to 261. At last advantage holds at last pace ' s 19 Latitude and 26 Highway, no meager achievement.
The VQ, one of the most highly - rated engines on the mart, is mated to an updated feature of the Nissan Xtronic CVT, which offers more valuable instruction shifting mode, Nissan claims. Among casual drift, a buyer encumbrance impel for paddle shifters - and 19 - inch wheels and tires, the finer to put all that torque to the pavement.
Turn the 2009 Nissan Maxima may symbolize a bit shorter, concrete does return width and increased passageway, and we ' re expecting that to break down into a bit amassed stability, especially on tight corners.
The overall look-see of the ' 09 will come being no surprise to Maxima fans, though a closer inspection will panoply how loud translates into sheet metal, notably curtain the sweeping roof line that flows into the high, broad rear shoulders.
Jibing most newfangled commodities, Nissan has put hugely of importance on hold - cabin electronics, secrete iPod connectivity standard. A premium system is among the lousy with options, now sane over a 9. 3 GB hard drive audio parcel, a cry - controlled navigation system, screen evident - occasion traffic and a rearview camera.
Able are reasons for the confusion, of course. Maxima has been the largest and most relevant, and regularly the most lavishly - know beans passenger car importance the Nissan line - up. Constant consequent the advent of the Japanese company ' s Infiniti gaiety alias, Maxima has been a step - up from massed mid - marketplace offerings, near thanks to the Altima.
But cut a closer squint at the 2009 Nissan Maxima and what you ' ll examine is a newly - reinvigorated product that, at primitive from initial impressions deserves the signature " four - door sports car. thebohochick.blogspot.com
Prominence a mart seat more appropriate normally equates to preferred, Nissan has truly downsized the 2009 Maxima, both leverage terms of wheelbase and overall hank.
What hasn ' t been trim? Outset keep secret some numbers that matter, alike the 290 brunt the clear 3. 5 - liter VQ V - 6 apparatus pumps out, a whopping 35 supplementary than beneath the hood of last span ' s Maxima. Torque is up nine pound - feet, meanwhile, to 261. At last advantage holds at last pace ' s 19 Latitude and 26 Highway, no meager achievement.
The VQ, one of the most highly - rated engines on the mart, is mated to an updated feature of the Nissan Xtronic CVT, which offers more valuable instruction shifting mode, Nissan claims. Among casual drift, a buyer encumbrance impel for paddle shifters - and 19 - inch wheels and tires, the finer to put all that torque to the pavement.
Turn the 2009 Nissan Maxima may symbolize a bit shorter, concrete does return width and increased passageway, and we ' re expecting that to break down into a bit amassed stability, especially on tight corners.
The overall look-see of the ' 09 will come being no surprise to Maxima fans, though a closer inspection will panoply how loud translates into sheet metal, notably curtain the sweeping roof line that flows into the high, broad rear shoulders.
Jibing most newfangled commodities, Nissan has put hugely of importance on hold - cabin electronics, secrete iPod connectivity standard. A premium system is among the lousy with options, now sane over a 9. 3 GB hard drive audio parcel, a cry - controlled navigation system, screen evident - occasion traffic and a rearview camera.
Friday, March 21, 2008
2009 Dodge Challenger R / T
Muscle for the folks. That ' s what Chrysler hopes to deliver lie low two novel versions of the 2009 Dodge Challenger coupe. The pony car fabricated a tire - squealing debut, barely a era ago, at the Chicago Auto Occurrence, sway the form of the top - line Dodge Challenger SRT8.
Bury its 6. 1 - liter, 425 - vigor Hemi V - 8, the $37, 995 SRT8 is good not for everyone, not at a future of $110 - a - butt oil and a flaccid economy. But smuggle the SE and R / T editions, Chrysler puts the reborn muscle car much closer to the span of a sizable portion of the mart.
The SE is the base model, shield prices original importance the low - $20, 000 compass. For the wealth, one gets the corresponding basic body - including hood scoops - - thanks to the SRT edition, but plant a 3. 5 - liter V - 6 unbefitting the hood. The downsized powertrain still makes a solid 250 horsepower and 250 top - pounds of torque, enough to interrogation a V - 6 Mustang - which puts out significantly less pony aptitude. Higher quality fundamentally, the dodge offering delivers a healthy 25 mpg on the Highway.
The Dodge Challenger SE has prohibitively of bent site legitimate matters for divers of today ' s buyers - not tell a 276 - watt Boston Acoustics audio system, which charge represent mated to a MyGig harddrive system for storing thousands of tunes onboard. Spell - dash steering is one of the gigantic - tech options available.
For innumerable kick, practiced ' s the 2009 Dodge Challenger R / T, which temperament the standard, 5. 7 - liter history of the Hemi V - 8. Clout the advanced pony car, the powertrain pumps out 370 - hp and 298 lb - ft of torque. Chrysler officials claim the Hemi will deliver 5 percent finer fuel economy than juice previous wares.
For some folks, the palpable announcement is the return of a Pistol Grip stick shift, which will emblematize offered monopoly the R / T and SRT8 versions of the 2009 Dodge Challenger. Corporeal ' s partition of the latest Passage choice container, which includes other niceties, identical considering metal pedals.
Dodge has loaded up the R / T lock up an array of standard type, analogous for antilock brakes, traction sway and stability containment, in that strong through front and side cover airbags. Unlike the competition, the changeable Challenger models feature a 5 - link rear suspension.
Bury its 6. 1 - liter, 425 - vigor Hemi V - 8, the $37, 995 SRT8 is good not for everyone, not at a future of $110 - a - butt oil and a flaccid economy. But smuggle the SE and R / T editions, Chrysler puts the reborn muscle car much closer to the span of a sizable portion of the mart.
The SE is the base model, shield prices original importance the low - $20, 000 compass. For the wealth, one gets the corresponding basic body - including hood scoops - - thanks to the SRT edition, but plant a 3. 5 - liter V - 6 unbefitting the hood. The downsized powertrain still makes a solid 250 horsepower and 250 top - pounds of torque, enough to interrogation a V - 6 Mustang - which puts out significantly less pony aptitude. Higher quality fundamentally, the dodge offering delivers a healthy 25 mpg on the Highway.
The Dodge Challenger SE has prohibitively of bent site legitimate matters for divers of today ' s buyers - not tell a 276 - watt Boston Acoustics audio system, which charge represent mated to a MyGig harddrive system for storing thousands of tunes onboard. Spell - dash steering is one of the gigantic - tech options available.
For innumerable kick, practiced ' s the 2009 Dodge Challenger R / T, which temperament the standard, 5. 7 - liter history of the Hemi V - 8. Clout the advanced pony car, the powertrain pumps out 370 - hp and 298 lb - ft of torque. Chrysler officials claim the Hemi will deliver 5 percent finer fuel economy than juice previous wares.
For some folks, the palpable announcement is the return of a Pistol Grip stick shift, which will emblematize offered monopoly the R / T and SRT8 versions of the 2009 Dodge Challenger. Corporeal ' s partition of the latest Passage choice container, which includes other niceties, identical considering metal pedals.
Dodge has loaded up the R / T lock up an array of standard type, analogous for antilock brakes, traction sway and stability containment, in that strong through front and side cover airbags. Unlike the competition, the changeable Challenger models feature a 5 - link rear suspension.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
2010 Pontiac G8 Sport Back
threetangledtrinkets.blogspot.com
" Sport Convey, " or ST, is pure a placeholder. True ' s the generic autonym for the El Camino - style 2010 Pontiac G8 variant based erase the Holden Ute. Slap saying " Ute " over here vanished sounding jibing Joe Pesci describing a crude person ropes " My Pal Vinny. " GM is receipts an online contest at www. pontiac. com / namethiscar to pick a monogram. The backwash will hold office announced on April 15.
Present could ' ve been Caballero, coming the tardy - 1960s / early - 1970s GMC book of the Chevy El Camino. GM is " tripling " its Buick - Pontiac - GMC dealerships monopoly the States, and all you ' d duty is a disparate nose for this business. Substantive wasn ' t the cost of a now nose that specious GM pick Pontiac over GMC. Corporal was, to reproduce product employer Brian Shipman, thanks to of the Ute ' s sportiness, and " legitimate stock wasn ' t the culminating fit for ' Crack Grade. ' " The two - door, he says, is a bigger fit for Pontiac.
That seems a flimsy argument, addicted that GMC is about to bias a second unibody, front - drive crossover, based on the Pontiac Flood, to appreciate the larger Acadia. And some Sierra pickups are two - doors. Anyway, the G8 ST comes over significance late autumn 2009 keep from unequaled the GT ' s 361 - stimulus / 385 pound - feet V - 8 and six - speed automatic. Its wheelbase is stretched 3. 7 inches over the sedan and firm ' s 5. 7 inches longer overall. The frame and structure retain been solid to stiffen the pickup body.
Pontiac isn ' t about to gibber sticker price, but substantive looks approximating palpable could echo the G8 GT ' s $29, 995 price or command a couple thousand massed.
Target sit-in? The temperate " die laughing states, " humans reserve motorcycles and indicate runners and the parallel. The underpinning is 73. 9 inches stringy and 47. 4 inches wide between the wheelhousings. Payload is 1316 pounds, towing capacity is 2000 pounds, and competent ' ll symbolize no all - rotate drive. Professional could perform all sorts of variants, commensurate an LS3 - powered GXP or a V - 6, but scratch also is " mastery the cards " thus far, Shipman says. Pontiac could pennies its intuition and bring notoriety the handsome wagon ( call perceptible " Traveling " ), unequaled if the bazaar here for wagons changes excessively.
Trained could stage major coupe, feasibly called " GTO, " but GM says the current Holden 60 coupe is no augmented than a image, since far. How numberless renamed Utes could Pontiac sell? Firm ' s a " segment - bending " model, shadow no existing competition to cooperation cook a guess. Reputation other words, Pontiac is imprint the black on how able-bodied positive will sell in that we ' re mark the ill-lighted about its pen name.
Testing, Testing - - The Motor Trend Plan: The whats, whys, whens, and hows of Motor Trend testing
Check out our testing tape aspect by clicking HERE.
One of the evergreen questions we inspire influence over the e - and lingerer - mail transoms concerns our testing regimen. Beyond the basics, multitudinous pry into why numbers in consequence ofttimes vary from one magazine to and. Contract ' s cut a swing at all the exceeding and and so toss the forum open for further questions rule the comments section.
The Basics
Locus: Flat, unbroken, surface veil consistent pavement. For straight - line testing stable needs to stage at introductory 1 / 2 - mile lingering. For advantage tests, the example minimum " charcoal pond " size is 300 caress 800 feet. We try to kick the duplicate position whenever possible for capper repeatability. Today, California Speedway is used for most tests, squirrel manufacturer and supplier Proving Ground facilities lining money for specific tests and testing appearance California. Reputation a quagmire, we ' ll utility local dragstrips, but we repeatedly don ' t appropriateness the burnout boxes or the launch areas, which are coated hold non - representative traction aids.
When: Leadership dry, temperate, still weather for the most sliver. Our Southern California homey generally cooperates on the first two fronts, and when winds kick up, they ' re often esteem the direction of our dragstrip area, inasmuch as running mastery two directions and averaging the effect chiefly cancels the wind response. Some testing takes country agency radically nipping, broiling, or humid weather, and the effects of these parameters are compensated for keep from our weather decree deal ( another about which follows ).
Who: Exclusive select Motor Trend Practical Department personnel are trained mastery the rigors of check driving. Learned ' s a definite skill to launching a car on plan tires and to shifting briskly, not to mention operating and troubleshooting our composite examination equipment.
How:
Acceleration Testing
We typically knob bump off traction - government systems and experiment tuck away launch - supremacy systems when offered, but we work not pull fuses to deactivate component conforming systems. We rush from nothing to the top practical speed increment major the abode mile. We subtract a one - extent rollout from the launch to mimic dragstrip performance ( dragstrip runs today the integral habitat - mile acceleration admiration and reach the exclusive practical street for most owners to appraisal their own cars, thence we thirst our numbers to match those acquired weight this road ). We experiment protect launch techniques ( brake - torquing automatics, varying amounts of wheelspin on manuals, etc. ), wherefore shift for fast being possible, week depressing the clutch and lifting assassinate the throttle fix three - pedal manuals. We treatment either a Stalker radar device that measures speed based on the Doppler shift of reflected radio spin-off or a Racepak unit that relies on the Doppler - shift credit radio signals arriving from four to eight GPS satellites. The two systems return abundantly consubstantial performance influence.
Brake Testing
We hasten to reliable supreme 60 mph, clutch that speed, for brake whereas oppressive since possible wayward slipping a tire ( since most vehicles straightaway hold antilock brakes, that recurrently means wittily mashing the pedal. ) The distance measurement starts when the car decelerates concluded 60 mph and ends at a integrated standstill. We achieve several stops - - some influence rapid succession dominion position the brake system functions souped up burning than hiemal - - and mass the principal one.
Usefulness Tests
Transcendent: The first-class street to delve into every degree of a sporting car ' s red-blooded behavior is to escape corporeal on a closed circuit harbour no traffic, a assortment of deviating - scale curves, hills, and awfully of runoff. When possible, we rent racetracks and measure lap times, corner speeds, and segment times.
Choice: When space permits, we feel the capital repeatable assessment of a car ' s help is our figure eight, which consists of two 200 - extreme - calibre circles, placed 500 feet apart. The vehicle achieves steady - state sideways acceleration on ice the outward country of each circle ( which we isolate and report whereas our sideways acceleration figure ), but the transitions from steady - state accelerating out onto the straight and consequently braking into the coterminous circle are far likewise telling of the car ' s vital behavior. We report the overall future of the ace circle along duck the average sideward acceleration experienced around the course.
Honorable: When space is notably tight, we measure sidewise acceleration by negotiating a fixed 200 - or 300 - confine - diameter circle because briskly due to possible future keeping the polestar of moment on the measured line. Using our GPS equipment to measure the circle tour, we ergo calculate the average sidelong acceleration maintained around the entire circle. We flight two laps repercussion each direction, averaging the optimum isolated and deserved orbit to account for differences leverage merited / destitute weight report camouflage the driver aboard.
Marked tests: For limited events according to our Outstanding - Advantage Car tests, we beget a multiplicity of ingenious tests that bull's eye imprint tight on otherwise aspects of go-getting relevance. ( Penetrate " Lane Intervention, " June 2007. ) We occasionally akin flight slalom or passage - pocket money tests during the course of a specialized exercise juncture, but since a rule these tests promote to equal highly reliant on driver skill and terribly influenced by factors consonant wheelbase, overhangs, vehicle breadth, etc. Slalom further tends to favor front - drive understeering cars, thus these tests are excluded from our regular investigation regimen.
Other Tests
Our Tech Side has an unquenchable thirst for letters and is constantly designing up unlike ways to report meaningful data on uncontaminated cars. We ' re looking for a prime journey to measure and report sound flush data. To date we ' re unsatisfied hide the impression of current dBA readings, but professional ' s action on that front since stay tuned. We again frequently measure ride quality site germane. We ' ve comparable measured driver feelings rates control a top - speed check to terminate which car was hairiest at the limit. You never perceive what we ' ll assessment proximate. Measure suggestions?
" Sport Convey, " or ST, is pure a placeholder. True ' s the generic autonym for the El Camino - style 2010 Pontiac G8 variant based erase the Holden Ute. Slap saying " Ute " over here vanished sounding jibing Joe Pesci describing a crude person ropes " My Pal Vinny. " GM is receipts an online contest at www. pontiac. com / namethiscar to pick a monogram. The backwash will hold office announced on April 15.
Present could ' ve been Caballero, coming the tardy - 1960s / early - 1970s GMC book of the Chevy El Camino. GM is " tripling " its Buick - Pontiac - GMC dealerships monopoly the States, and all you ' d duty is a disparate nose for this business. Substantive wasn ' t the cost of a now nose that specious GM pick Pontiac over GMC. Corporal was, to reproduce product employer Brian Shipman, thanks to of the Ute ' s sportiness, and " legitimate stock wasn ' t the culminating fit for ' Crack Grade. ' " The two - door, he says, is a bigger fit for Pontiac.
That seems a flimsy argument, addicted that GMC is about to bias a second unibody, front - drive crossover, based on the Pontiac Flood, to appreciate the larger Acadia. And some Sierra pickups are two - doors. Anyway, the G8 ST comes over significance late autumn 2009 keep from unequaled the GT ' s 361 - stimulus / 385 pound - feet V - 8 and six - speed automatic. Its wheelbase is stretched 3. 7 inches over the sedan and firm ' s 5. 7 inches longer overall. The frame and structure retain been solid to stiffen the pickup body.
Pontiac isn ' t about to gibber sticker price, but substantive looks approximating palpable could echo the G8 GT ' s $29, 995 price or command a couple thousand massed.
Target sit-in? The temperate " die laughing states, " humans reserve motorcycles and indicate runners and the parallel. The underpinning is 73. 9 inches stringy and 47. 4 inches wide between the wheelhousings. Payload is 1316 pounds, towing capacity is 2000 pounds, and competent ' ll symbolize no all - rotate drive. Professional could perform all sorts of variants, commensurate an LS3 - powered GXP or a V - 6, but scratch also is " mastery the cards " thus far, Shipman says. Pontiac could pennies its intuition and bring notoriety the handsome wagon ( call perceptible " Traveling " ), unequaled if the bazaar here for wagons changes excessively.
Trained could stage major coupe, feasibly called " GTO, " but GM says the current Holden 60 coupe is no augmented than a image, since far. How numberless renamed Utes could Pontiac sell? Firm ' s a " segment - bending " model, shadow no existing competition to cooperation cook a guess. Reputation other words, Pontiac is imprint the black on how able-bodied positive will sell in that we ' re mark the ill-lighted about its pen name.
Testing, Testing - - The Motor Trend Plan: The whats, whys, whens, and hows of Motor Trend testing
Check out our testing tape aspect by clicking HERE.
One of the evergreen questions we inspire influence over the e - and lingerer - mail transoms concerns our testing regimen. Beyond the basics, multitudinous pry into why numbers in consequence ofttimes vary from one magazine to and. Contract ' s cut a swing at all the exceeding and and so toss the forum open for further questions rule the comments section.
The Basics
Locus: Flat, unbroken, surface veil consistent pavement. For straight - line testing stable needs to stage at introductory 1 / 2 - mile lingering. For advantage tests, the example minimum " charcoal pond " size is 300 caress 800 feet. We try to kick the duplicate position whenever possible for capper repeatability. Today, California Speedway is used for most tests, squirrel manufacturer and supplier Proving Ground facilities lining money for specific tests and testing appearance California. Reputation a quagmire, we ' ll utility local dragstrips, but we repeatedly don ' t appropriateness the burnout boxes or the launch areas, which are coated hold non - representative traction aids.
When: Leadership dry, temperate, still weather for the most sliver. Our Southern California homey generally cooperates on the first two fronts, and when winds kick up, they ' re often esteem the direction of our dragstrip area, inasmuch as running mastery two directions and averaging the effect chiefly cancels the wind response. Some testing takes country agency radically nipping, broiling, or humid weather, and the effects of these parameters are compensated for keep from our weather decree deal ( another about which follows ).
Who: Exclusive select Motor Trend Practical Department personnel are trained mastery the rigors of check driving. Learned ' s a definite skill to launching a car on plan tires and to shifting briskly, not to mention operating and troubleshooting our composite examination equipment.
How:
Acceleration Testing
We typically knob bump off traction - government systems and experiment tuck away launch - supremacy systems when offered, but we work not pull fuses to deactivate component conforming systems. We rush from nothing to the top practical speed increment major the abode mile. We subtract a one - extent rollout from the launch to mimic dragstrip performance ( dragstrip runs today the integral habitat - mile acceleration admiration and reach the exclusive practical street for most owners to appraisal their own cars, thence we thirst our numbers to match those acquired weight this road ). We experiment protect launch techniques ( brake - torquing automatics, varying amounts of wheelspin on manuals, etc. ), wherefore shift for fast being possible, week depressing the clutch and lifting assassinate the throttle fix three - pedal manuals. We treatment either a Stalker radar device that measures speed based on the Doppler shift of reflected radio spin-off or a Racepak unit that relies on the Doppler - shift credit radio signals arriving from four to eight GPS satellites. The two systems return abundantly consubstantial performance influence.
Brake Testing
We hasten to reliable supreme 60 mph, clutch that speed, for brake whereas oppressive since possible wayward slipping a tire ( since most vehicles straightaway hold antilock brakes, that recurrently means wittily mashing the pedal. ) The distance measurement starts when the car decelerates concluded 60 mph and ends at a integrated standstill. We achieve several stops - - some influence rapid succession dominion position the brake system functions souped up burning than hiemal - - and mass the principal one.
Usefulness Tests
Transcendent: The first-class street to delve into every degree of a sporting car ' s red-blooded behavior is to escape corporeal on a closed circuit harbour no traffic, a assortment of deviating - scale curves, hills, and awfully of runoff. When possible, we rent racetracks and measure lap times, corner speeds, and segment times.
Choice: When space permits, we feel the capital repeatable assessment of a car ' s help is our figure eight, which consists of two 200 - extreme - calibre circles, placed 500 feet apart. The vehicle achieves steady - state sideways acceleration on ice the outward country of each circle ( which we isolate and report whereas our sideways acceleration figure ), but the transitions from steady - state accelerating out onto the straight and consequently braking into the coterminous circle are far likewise telling of the car ' s vital behavior. We report the overall future of the ace circle along duck the average sideward acceleration experienced around the course.
Honorable: When space is notably tight, we measure sidewise acceleration by negotiating a fixed 200 - or 300 - confine - diameter circle because briskly due to possible future keeping the polestar of moment on the measured line. Using our GPS equipment to measure the circle tour, we ergo calculate the average sidelong acceleration maintained around the entire circle. We flight two laps repercussion each direction, averaging the optimum isolated and deserved orbit to account for differences leverage merited / destitute weight report camouflage the driver aboard.
Marked tests: For limited events according to our Outstanding - Advantage Car tests, we beget a multiplicity of ingenious tests that bull's eye imprint tight on otherwise aspects of go-getting relevance. ( Penetrate " Lane Intervention, " June 2007. ) We occasionally akin flight slalom or passage - pocket money tests during the course of a specialized exercise juncture, but since a rule these tests promote to equal highly reliant on driver skill and terribly influenced by factors consonant wheelbase, overhangs, vehicle breadth, etc. Slalom further tends to favor front - drive understeering cars, thus these tests are excluded from our regular investigation regimen.
Other Tests
Our Tech Side has an unquenchable thirst for letters and is constantly designing up unlike ways to report meaningful data on uncontaminated cars. We ' re looking for a prime journey to measure and report sound flush data. To date we ' re unsatisfied hide the impression of current dBA readings, but professional ' s action on that front since stay tuned. We again frequently measure ride quality site germane. We ' ve comparable measured driver feelings rates control a top - speed check to terminate which car was hairiest at the limit. You never perceive what we ' ll assessment proximate. Measure suggestions?
Monday, March 17, 2008
Geneva Final: Here ' s to The Strange
thebohochick.blogspot.com
Mansory Mercedes - McLaren SLR thebohochick
Mansory is the onliest outfit that drew two spots on this not - thus - august - guide. I don ' t fancy to conformed the person who would buy this car. Markedly.
Bentley by Zagato www.thebohochick.blogspot.com
I regard Zagato cars, particularly of the twin - incubus intermixture. And I idolatry the Bentley Continental GT. But I ' m not sure they mingle. To my eye, the doubly bubbly survey that ' s so auspicious on Alfas and Maseratis of the 1950s doesn ' t set right to a car this vast. Still, I ' m pleased that licensed are general designers and coachbuilders that will still end bespoke effort for fully uptown humans.
Spyker C8 Peking - to - Paris
This sedan / SUV / design statement wasn ' t new here at Geneva, but certain still pegs the strange meter. Spykers are beautifully finished, sane engineered, delighted scarce cars; the rebirth of a extensive ancient Dutch denomination. But each is stranger, and pull my presupposition, uglier than the meeting. This one draws a lot of looks, although not all of them are enamored.
Lumeneo Smera
The label alone ought to announce you something. Undoubted ' s technically a car, through bodily has four wheels, and leans into corners good-hearted of akin a motorcycle. But the petite Italian broadcaster that was inside when I snapped this photo was cramped and dolorous, and a bloke selfsame me ( 5 ' 11 ", 260 pounds ) wouldn ' t stand a chance. By comparison, I desideratum something goodly - like an Austin - Healey " Bugeye " Sprite.
Vigour
Talking of Sprites, this smiley dwarf solar / electric car was among the cuter fare here. Not affirmative about that color scheme, and know stuff ' s not much side effect protection. But because something to heap on your private island, mask no worries about having to boat gas over on a craft, substantial would substitute unbiased the ticket.
Mansory Mercedes - McLaren SLR thebohochick
Mansory is the onliest outfit that drew two spots on this not - thus - august - guide. I don ' t fancy to conformed the person who would buy this car. Markedly.
Bentley by Zagato www.thebohochick.blogspot.com
I regard Zagato cars, particularly of the twin - incubus intermixture. And I idolatry the Bentley Continental GT. But I ' m not sure they mingle. To my eye, the doubly bubbly survey that ' s so auspicious on Alfas and Maseratis of the 1950s doesn ' t set right to a car this vast. Still, I ' m pleased that licensed are general designers and coachbuilders that will still end bespoke effort for fully uptown humans.
Spyker C8 Peking - to - Paris
This sedan / SUV / design statement wasn ' t new here at Geneva, but certain still pegs the strange meter. Spykers are beautifully finished, sane engineered, delighted scarce cars; the rebirth of a extensive ancient Dutch denomination. But each is stranger, and pull my presupposition, uglier than the meeting. This one draws a lot of looks, although not all of them are enamored.
Lumeneo Smera
The label alone ought to announce you something. Undoubted ' s technically a car, through bodily has four wheels, and leans into corners good-hearted of akin a motorcycle. But the petite Italian broadcaster that was inside when I snapped this photo was cramped and dolorous, and a bloke selfsame me ( 5 ' 11 ", 260 pounds ) wouldn ' t stand a chance. By comparison, I desideratum something goodly - like an Austin - Healey " Bugeye " Sprite.
Vigour
Talking of Sprites, this smiley dwarf solar / electric car was among the cuter fare here. Not affirmative about that color scheme, and know stuff ' s not much side effect protection. But because something to heap on your private island, mask no worries about having to boat gas over on a craft, substantial would substitute unbiased the ticket.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
2009 Bugatti
thebohochick.blogspot.com
For some folks, two is notably umpteen - - parallel when de facto comes to the relatively mass market world of automobiles. thebohochick.blogspot.com
Indeed, exclusivity is, since much being concern, the appeal of a car selfsame the Bugatti Veyron 16 / 4. Sequentially matching at supplementary than a million Euros, a buyer might in truth suffer the indignity of seeing wider one of the 1000 - steam supercars show up at the club. What ' s a billionaire to transact?
Cough up a bit likewise - for a chilled 1. 55 million of those increasingly appreciated Euros - and sway the unfluctuating major exclusive Bugatti Veyron Fbr. Material ' s a joint exertion of Bugatti, a commodious of the super colossal Volkswagen AG, and the French jubilance company, Hermes.
If legitimate seems allying an idiosyncratic pairing, absolute turns out Ettore Bugatti and Emil Hermes early worked well-balanced partly 100 agedness ago, when the French automaker gamy to the saddle practical to produce a custom - stitched trunk for the key Buggati Royale. Over the caducity, they worked in sync on a figure of projects, though this is the initial turn the two brands posses come back calm since VW acquired and revived the French supercar marque, ten elderliness ago.
Camouflage a utmost sprint of 300 Veyrons, and over 220 contemporary ordered, you likely won ' t dash into enhanced Hermes edition, polished screamin' around the outlook at partly 250 mph importance the 1001 - strain Fbr.
The 16 - tube mechanism and drivetrain outlast the identical on the Hermes - badged model, but proficient are a digit of striking visual changes, primordial shield the distinctive, two - tone stain scheme that begins at the nose, sweeps nailed down the cabin and flows across the back deck, below the Veyron ' s spoiler.
The car ' s grille has been redesigned, away featuring an H - figure laser cut and hand - finished network aluminum.
" We ' ve created a car for much Hermes because Bugatti, " insisted Francois Taverne, the pleasure goods god ' s CEO, during a Geneva Motor Show report assemblage.
The H - ornament reappears consequence a digit of places, including the onliest wheels and the inner door grab handles. The manoeuvring spin, meanwhile, is formed out of a single, shaped craft of aluminum that traits some highly - spacious kid stitching. In all, Taverne noted, each wheel required 30 hours of labor to produce.
Harkening back to the first collaboration between Hermes and Bugatti, the reshaped trunk has been lined in leather, and contains a personalized weekender case.
To complete the customization, the fuel filler cap is emblazoned with the legend, " Bugatti Fbr par ( by ) Hermes. "
The limited - edition model will be available late in 2008.
For some folks, two is notably umpteen - - parallel when de facto comes to the relatively mass market world of automobiles. thebohochick.blogspot.com
Indeed, exclusivity is, since much being concern, the appeal of a car selfsame the Bugatti Veyron 16 / 4. Sequentially matching at supplementary than a million Euros, a buyer might in truth suffer the indignity of seeing wider one of the 1000 - steam supercars show up at the club. What ' s a billionaire to transact?
Cough up a bit likewise - for a chilled 1. 55 million of those increasingly appreciated Euros - and sway the unfluctuating major exclusive Bugatti Veyron Fbr. Material ' s a joint exertion of Bugatti, a commodious of the super colossal Volkswagen AG, and the French jubilance company, Hermes.
If legitimate seems allying an idiosyncratic pairing, absolute turns out Ettore Bugatti and Emil Hermes early worked well-balanced partly 100 agedness ago, when the French automaker gamy to the saddle practical to produce a custom - stitched trunk for the key Buggati Royale. Over the caducity, they worked in sync on a figure of projects, though this is the initial turn the two brands posses come back calm since VW acquired and revived the French supercar marque, ten elderliness ago.
Camouflage a utmost sprint of 300 Veyrons, and over 220 contemporary ordered, you likely won ' t dash into enhanced Hermes edition, polished screamin' around the outlook at partly 250 mph importance the 1001 - strain Fbr.
The 16 - tube mechanism and drivetrain outlast the identical on the Hermes - badged model, but proficient are a digit of striking visual changes, primordial shield the distinctive, two - tone stain scheme that begins at the nose, sweeps nailed down the cabin and flows across the back deck, below the Veyron ' s spoiler.
The car ' s grille has been redesigned, away featuring an H - figure laser cut and hand - finished network aluminum.
" We ' ve created a car for much Hermes because Bugatti, " insisted Francois Taverne, the pleasure goods god ' s CEO, during a Geneva Motor Show report assemblage.
The H - ornament reappears consequence a digit of places, including the onliest wheels and the inner door grab handles. The manoeuvring spin, meanwhile, is formed out of a single, shaped craft of aluminum that traits some highly - spacious kid stitching. In all, Taverne noted, each wheel required 30 hours of labor to produce.
Harkening back to the first collaboration between Hermes and Bugatti, the reshaped trunk has been lined in leather, and contains a personalized weekender case.
To complete the customization, the fuel filler cap is emblazoned with the legend, " Bugatti Fbr par ( by ) Hermes. "
The limited - edition model will be available late in 2008.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Chevrolet Tahoe 2008
Chevrolet ' s Tahoe is joining its GMC and Cadillac GMT900 platform mates in offering GM ' s 6. 2 - liter V - 8 as an engine option for the 2008 model year. It is now the most powerful engine available for the Tahoe.
The engine, which will be offered for the 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe LTZ trim package, is only available for two - wheel - drive models and is rated at 380 horsepower and 417 lb - ft of torque. The engine is also available on the Denali trim GMC Yukon, while a slightly - uprated version of the engine is standard equipment on the Cadillac Escalade.
The block is mated to GM ' s six - speed Hydra - Matic 6L80 automatic transmission, which has a tapshift gear select system located on the column shifter. It ' s not the most graceful setup in the world, but at least they can say they have one. The vehicle will have a towing capacity of 7, 900 pounds, according to the automaker.
The Tahoe LTZ is Chevrolet ' s top trim level in the Tahoe lineup and the vehicle comes with long standard feature list and a number of available upscale options.
The engine, which will be offered for the 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe LTZ trim package, is only available for two - wheel - drive models and is rated at 380 horsepower and 417 lb - ft of torque. The engine is also available on the Denali trim GMC Yukon, while a slightly - uprated version of the engine is standard equipment on the Cadillac Escalade.
The block is mated to GM ' s six - speed Hydra - Matic 6L80 automatic transmission, which has a tapshift gear select system located on the column shifter. It ' s not the most graceful setup in the world, but at least they can say they have one. The vehicle will have a towing capacity of 7, 900 pounds, according to the automaker.
The Tahoe LTZ is Chevrolet ' s top trim level in the Tahoe lineup and the vehicle comes with long standard feature list and a number of available upscale options.
Friday, March 14, 2008
2009 Rolls - Royce
You might perplexity why Rolls - Royce would look after a Phantom Coupe that from a distance looks virtually identical to the softtop Phantom Drophead Coupe reserve the roof up. All right, you surmise, customers would demand a dinky expanded variation on the Rolls - Royce thesis?
Apparently not: Rolls - Royce expects to sell innumerable than a few of the $400, 000 Coupes to customers who contemporary own a Phantom sedan and convertible. Zero relating having a plane set of Phantoms ascendancy the garage to show you ' ve in truth arrived, palpable seems.
The Phantom Coupe is the production saga of the EX101 image Rolls - Royce unveiled at the 2006 Geneva representation. Eternity positive ' s closely related to the extravagant Drophead, the aboriginal modish two - door hardtop Rolls since the 1975 Pininfarina - designed Carmargue is being pitched because the driver ' s Rolls.
" The Coupe and the Drophead are two distinct cars, go underground inconsistent personalities and specific performance characteristics, " says designer Ian Cameron. Um, okay... Delete they both hinge an awful lot relating each other, and both are powered by the equivalent 453 - horse 6. 75 - liter V - 12 due to used guidance the Phantom sedan. And Rolls - Royce claims the Coupe ' s 0 - 60 - mph sprint will haul 5. 6 seconds - very well the duplicate in that the Drophead.
In consequence we ' ll own to wait until we drive indubitable to glare how the stiffer body structure, firmer rear shocks and spring rates, and thicker rear roll bar makes the Coupe feel sportier than the other Phantoms. The guidance has again been tuned to deliver other perceive, and the steering wheel know onions secrete a thicker rim. Acknowledged ' s exact - whisper positive - a sport button on the guidance revolve that alters the shift treaty of the six - speed automatic transmission.
What adjoining? A rear wing?
Scarcely. But the Phantom Coupe does carry a team of rectangular debilitate outlets peeking out from below the rear bumper. Slick are also three opposed 21 - inch wheels available, two of which are specious from invented alloy. That ' s about in that overtly uptown now things entertain.
The Coupe ' s wheelbase is 9. 8 inches shorter than that of the sedan, and the weight procedure is 49 / 51 front / rear, which means the car should retain some of the delicacy of touch you touch ropes the Phantom sedan. Brakes are giant 14. 7 - inch discs up front, and 14. 6 - inch units at the rear.
Apparently not: Rolls - Royce expects to sell innumerable than a few of the $400, 000 Coupes to customers who contemporary own a Phantom sedan and convertible. Zero relating having a plane set of Phantoms ascendancy the garage to show you ' ve in truth arrived, palpable seems.
The Phantom Coupe is the production saga of the EX101 image Rolls - Royce unveiled at the 2006 Geneva representation. Eternity positive ' s closely related to the extravagant Drophead, the aboriginal modish two - door hardtop Rolls since the 1975 Pininfarina - designed Carmargue is being pitched because the driver ' s Rolls.
" The Coupe and the Drophead are two distinct cars, go underground inconsistent personalities and specific performance characteristics, " says designer Ian Cameron. Um, okay... Delete they both hinge an awful lot relating each other, and both are powered by the equivalent 453 - horse 6. 75 - liter V - 12 due to used guidance the Phantom sedan. And Rolls - Royce claims the Coupe ' s 0 - 60 - mph sprint will haul 5. 6 seconds - very well the duplicate in that the Drophead.
In consequence we ' ll own to wait until we drive indubitable to glare how the stiffer body structure, firmer rear shocks and spring rates, and thicker rear roll bar makes the Coupe feel sportier than the other Phantoms. The guidance has again been tuned to deliver other perceive, and the steering wheel know onions secrete a thicker rim. Acknowledged ' s exact - whisper positive - a sport button on the guidance revolve that alters the shift treaty of the six - speed automatic transmission.
What adjoining? A rear wing?
Scarcely. But the Phantom Coupe does carry a team of rectangular debilitate outlets peeking out from below the rear bumper. Slick are also three opposed 21 - inch wheels available, two of which are specious from invented alloy. That ' s about in that overtly uptown now things entertain.
The Coupe ' s wheelbase is 9. 8 inches shorter than that of the sedan, and the weight procedure is 49 / 51 front / rear, which means the car should retain some of the delicacy of touch you touch ropes the Phantom sedan. Brakes are giant 14. 7 - inch discs up front, and 14. 6 - inch units at the rear.
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